On a dark, frigid winterâs night in Fairbanks, Alaska, as the mercury descended to 20 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, a light shone forth from the cityâs first-ever public menorah. As the rabbi kindled the menorahâs wicks, icicles clung to his face and beard. By the time he invited the crowd to enjoy the Chanukah doughnuts, they were frozen solid.
The sun barely rises in Fairbanks at this time of year, hovering on the horizon for no more than four hours each day. Rabbi Heshy Wolf, who moved with his wife, Chani, in September of this year to establish the Chabad-Lubavitch Fairbanks Jewish Center, knew this when he and his wife started planning for which events to circle on their calendars.
Not despite the short days but because of them, Chanukah was at the top of their list.
âIn December, Fairbanks is shrouded in darkness,â Rabbi Wolf told Chabad.org. âItâs freezing cold, and sunsets happen as early as 2:30 in the afternoon. We knew that amid such literal darkness, the physical and spiritual light of the menorah is all the more vital.â
Itâs not just the sky that is dark at this time of year. Wolf says that for local community members, the winter months are emotionally and psychologically challenging because of the dark and cold. Social gatherings are also far and few between.
âWe honestly didnât think too many people would come to the menorah-lighting,â Wolf admitted. But come, they did. Some 80 people souls braved the cold to show up for the menorah-lighting and Chanukah celebration, although he conceded that he couldnât verify that number as his glasses kept fogging up as he addressed the crowd.
The gathering at 64 degrees north was a half-hour affair, taking place at the Golden Heart Plaza in the center of town. Fairbanksâ first public menorah was fittingly made of ice and will be placed outside the Chabad center until temperatures thaw and the menorah melts, which Wolf says likely wonât happen for another five months at least.
Alaskaâs Jewish Holiday
For Wolf, even more meaningful that the first ever public menorah-lighting was what he describes as the true ânorthernmost menorah-lighting.â Before Chanukah beganâthe holiday commenced on Dec. 25 and continues through Jan. 2âhe gave a menorah to local community member Benjy Gibson. Gibson is an âIce-Road Truckerâ who braves Alaskaâs famous ice roads twice a week when he journeys from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic coast. And so on the first night of Chanukah this year, Gibson lit the menorah in Prudhoe Bay (70.3256°N, 148.7114°W).
âThe menorah spreads the light of Chanukah to the outside,â Wolf said. âThe ultimate goal is that each and every Jew should light a menorah themselves. To see Benjy taking that to the extreme, after a 15-hour drive, was truly remarkable.â
The public menorah in Alaska is as old as Chabadâs presence in the state. Rabbi Yosef Greenbergâwho established the Lubavitch Jewish Center of Alaska in Anchorage with his wife, Esther, in 1991ârecalls lighting the menorah to much fanfare that year. In the most central intersection in the whole of Alaska, Greenberg was joined by Gov. Wally Hickel, Sen. Ted Stevens, Sen. Frank Murkowski, Mayor of Anchorage Tom Fink, as well as Rep. Don Young.
âIt was a grand event,â Greenberg remembered. âI was dressed as Judah the Macabee, we had a dreidel house for children, and the community came out to celebrate, both Jews and non-Jews.â
At the time, some community members were worried that such an overt display of Judaism might be antagonizing to the local non-Jewish community.
âWhen they saw the governor, senators and all the politicians in attendance, those concerns quickly quieted,â the rabbi said about the 150 or so people who attended the historic event. âEach official wrote a proclamation and they all read them at the lighting. It was quite a scene.â
Today, Alaska has 20 public menorahs, many of them in Anchorage, including one at the airport; across the Mat-Su Valley; and, of course, the newest one in Fairbanks. Chabadâs premier Chanukah event in Anchorage, held at the convention center, welcomed more than 700 people for kosher food, Jewish music and fun for the whole family. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski followed in her fatherâs footsteps and attended.
âIn some places of the world, they have âHigh Holidays Jews.â In Alaska, we have âChanukah Jews,ââ Greenberg said. âBut this is only the beginning. We will continue to add and do more.â
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