For the first time, a menorah is standing in front of the Alamo for all eight nights of Hanukkah, symbolizing religious freedom.
The menorah was lit during a community celebration on Saturday evening in Alamo Plaza.
After the lighting, visitors enjoyed traditional jelly doughnuts, a dreidel-shaped piñata filled with chocolate coins, dances and music.
Similar ceremonies took place around the world, including at the White House, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, and Western Wall in Jerusalem.
This historic menorah coincides with the opening of Chabad of Downtown SA's new Jewish cultural center at 507 East Houston St., around the corner from the Alamo.
The center aims to become a home for Jewish education, cultural awareness, and community in San Antonio.
"Placing a menorah in front of the Alamo is a powerful statement about the value of religious and personal freedom,” said Rabbi Levi Teldon, the center's director, in a press release shared this week. “This year, with American Jews facing a major rise in antisemitism, the menorah at the Alamo serves as a beacon of hope, light and unity.”
