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Last year’s “8 Facts” about the Jewish Feast of Dedication already provided you with detailed knowledge about Hanukkah.

But do you know whether to put the candles from left to right or from right to left into the hanukkiah and from which side you should start lighting the candles? Find out now with one of the most beautiful genres – the explanatory film:

Hanukkah candelabrum in the glass courtyard of the museum, still without candles; photo: Julia Katja Jokel

Hanukkah is just around the corner, which is why in some households a menorah is standing ready—ideally, in front of the building or in the window for all to see, as is the custom. Those celebrating this eight-day-long holiday will light the first of eight candles tonight. Tomorrow, the second one will be lit, and so on—every evening one more is lit than the evening before.

From December 12 to 19, there will also be a small ceremony in the Jewish Museum’s Glass Courtyard with candle-lighting and music. Anyone who would like to come is warmly invited to take part today at 4 p.m. Further information can be found on the museum’s website.

Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, and the miracle associated with it. Today we can’t expect a true miracle, but there are some pretty marvelous things in our collection and from the World Wide Web that we would like to show you. Have a look!

Happy Hanukkah and chag sameach!

Second Episode of our blog series: “Remembrances of the life of Walter Frankenstein”

Jesse Owens – this name means something to most people, even today. The black athlete from the U.S. national team decided in 1936, disregarding the expectations and fears of his family, friends, and a large number of Americans, to compete in the Olympics in Berlin. In light of the political climate prevailing in the place where the Olympics were to be held – where Antisemitism, propaganda, and violence against minorities were routine aspects of life, international opinion placed little stock in the chances of a fair competition among the athletes.

Exterior view of the Auerbach Jewish Orphanage, Berlin, around 1940–1944; Jewish Museum Berlin, gift of Leonie and Walter Frankenstein

For Walter Frankenstein, the name Owens was closely tied to the experience of moving from his home town of Flatow (today Złotów) in what was then West Prussia to Berlin. When he arrived by train at the Alexanderplatz station on 27 July 1936, preparations for the Summer Olympics to be held in the German capital were in full swing. Walter attended the event with an uncle on his mother’s side and thus had the opportunity to see Jesse Owens competing live in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium. Owens was the most successful male athlete of the Games, winning four gold medals.

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