Mayor John V. Lindsay tonight urged all Americans–Jews and non-Jews alike–to heed the lesson of Chanukah. “Just as a single lamp had the resources of fuel to burn for eight nights, so we can draw from ourselves the inner resources to keep going in the struggle against ignorance, poverty, intolerance and injustice,” declared the Mayor. Speaking to a large crowd gathered to witness the kindling of the first Chanukah candle in the Menorah which stands in the lobby of City Hall, the Mayor also recalled the tale of the Macabees and their valiant struggle to defeat oppression and reaffirm their spiritual heritage. “In the birth and history of the State of Israel we have seen modern Macabees keeping alive the flame of their ancient heritage,” he stated. “Israel is the realization of a 2000-year-old dream, but it is a beginning not an end.” The kindling of the Menorah in the City Hall lobby in honor of the “Festival of Lights” is an annual event.
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