Despite the best, and somewhat ludicrous, efforts of an extreme nationalist politician, the light of the Chanukah menorah continues to burn bright in Warsaw, Poland.
During the annual menorah lighting at the Sejm, the Polish parliament, Grzegorz Braun, a far-right lawmaker, grabbed a fire extinguisher to douse the candle’s lights. Chaos ensued as Braun charged the menorah, blasting the menorah and all those around him with the extinguisher. Others present rushed to stop him as the room filled with white clouds, but not before he succeeded in putting out the Chanukah lights—but not for long.
Braun, who has never been shy about his dislike for Jews, was escorted from the building as the white powder of the extinguisher continued to waft off his body. Following Braun’s outburst, the parliament building was temporarily evacuated.
With the disturbance over, the Chanukah menorah was kindled for a second time by Rabbi Sholom Ber Stambler, director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Warsaw, which sponsored the menorah and the accompanying event. “The light of the menorah shines once more in Warsaw,” Stambler told Chabad.org, noting that this was the 17th annual menorah lighting at the Sejm.
Szymon Hołownia, the speaker of the Sejm, was on hand for the second lighting of the menorah, and conveyed to Stambler his staunch support for the annual tradition and Poland’s Jewish community.
The disturbance took place on December 12th, the sixth night of Chanukah, the annual tradition going forward even as parliament was preoccupied with the country’s election, which saw Donald Tusk elected prime minister on Monday and give his inaugural speech at the Sejm just hours earlier.
“It was an upsetting experience, no question,” said Stambler, “but the support of the other members of parliament and citizens in attendance was deeply reassuring. If the intent of this individual was to add darkness, the response has been one of tolerance and light. Poland has been shaped by a thousand years of shared history with the Jewish people, and will continue for many years to come.”
This year marks 50 years since the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—launched his worldwide Chanukah campaign, bringing the Festival of Lights into the public sphere.
“The symbol of light is universal for all people on earth, Jews and non-Jews,” the Rebbe wrote in 1980. “The intrinsic power of light, in that even a small light dispels a lot of darkness, is surely a source of inspiration to all men of good will with its eternal message of the eventual triumph of all that is good and bright in human life.”
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