Seven large illuminated menorahs and five inflatable menorahs were positioned across Rikers Island as symbols of hope during Chanukah this year, transforming the facility's exterior into something no one inside had seen before.
The event, held in the prison gymnasium on the third night of Chanukah, brought together incarcerated individuals, their families, and dozens of volunteers. Rabbi Zalman Tevel led the program, which included a festive meal, traditional blessings, and live music performed by Yossi Cohen and the Piamenta Brothers.
A moment of silence was observed to honor recently deceased rabbis, with the gathering dedicated to their memory. What followed was celebration — dancing, entertainment, and individual opportunities for each participant to light their own menorah.
What struck organizers most was the naturalness of it: families sitting together, children on laps, the kind of ordinary moment that becomes extraordinary when it happens inside a correctional facility.
The event was coordinated by the Lubavitch Youth Organization alongside prison chaplains and organizational sponsors — all of whom made it possible to bring what the Lubavitcher Rebbe called for: light, dignity, and hope, even in the hardest places.
