Carter to Receive Chanukah Torch from Israel in White House Fete

The long journey of a flame, kindled yesterday on the eve of Chanukah in Modi’in near Jerusalem, will end Wednesday afternoon when, for the first time, the President will receive a burning torch as part of a unique and innovative White House Chanukah ceremony.

The torch will be brought to President Carter by representatives of Masada, the Youth Movement of the Zionist Organization of America. The ceremony is part of the world-wide celebrations sponsored by the Masada affiliate in Israel, Young Maccabees. Following the handing over of the torch to Carter, Rabbi Joseph P. Sternstein, president of the ZOA, will use the flame to light four candles on an eight-branch Chanukah candelabra, thus celebrating the fourth day of the eight-day holiday.

The torch began its journey from Modi’in, birthplace of the Maccabees, when it was lit from a flame marking a shrine to the Maccabees, the Jewish heroes who in 168 BC led a struggle for religious and spiritual freedom and established a Jewish Commonwealth in Israel.

The torch bound for the White House will arrive at Kennedy Airport tomorrow afternoon. After being run in relays into Manhattan, it will be received in a special ceremony attended by Israel Consul General in New York, Uri Ben Ari, Chaim Herzog, Israel Ambassador to the United Nations, ZOA leaders and representatives of city and state government.

On Thursday afternoon, the torch will again be used in official ceremonies when the Chanukah candelabra set up at City Hall is lit. Attending will be Mayor Abraham Beame and other city officials. The lighting of the torch in Israel signifies the start of the official celebrations of Israel’s 30th anniversary year. This is the 11th year the ZOA Masada Youth Movement has been sponsoring the torch ceremonies in the U.S.