Illini Chabad To Dedicate New Menorah After Three Vandalism Incidents
The New Illini Chabad Center for Jewish Life menorah. Mark Schultz/Illinois Public Media
The Illini Chabad Center for Jewish Life will celebrate the second night of Hanukkah Wednesday night by dedicating a new menorah.
The new menorah replaces one that was vandalized three times since 2015. Two U of I students were arrested for two of the incidents.
"And I hope that will be something of the past and not something to ever, ever happen again in our community. We should all stand against such things," said Rabbi Dovid Tiechtel, director, Illini Chabad Center for Jewish Life.
The new menorah is steel set deep in the ground, so it should be durable.
"It’s a menorah by the community, for the community; a sculpture to last for generations standing tall and proud on one of the main entranceways to campus," Tiechtel added.
Tiechtel is grateful for community support to build the new menorah, which will light up either with flame or LED lights. He also hopes the menorah provides a sign of hope and peace for the entire community.
The menorah dedication ceremony is Wednesday night at 5 p.m., at Illini Chabad Center for Jewish Life at 509 South Fourth Street in Champaign. The public is invited to attend.
(10:00 am: This story has been edited to clarify that the menorah is specifically for the Illini Chabad Center for Jewish Life.)