The observance of Chanukah was begun in Israel today with the lighting of a torch at Modin, birthplace of the Maccabees, where the revolt against the Graeco-Syrians began some 2,100 years ago. The torch was carried to Jerusalem by a relay of runners, the last of whom handed the torch to President Itzhak Ben Zvi at his residence here.
Later, at a ceremony on Mt. Zion, the torch was used to light the first Chanukah candle on a public menorah and to light the candles on a giant menorah in memorial memory of the various Jewish communities wiped out by the Nazis. The memorial menorah was mounted on a vehicle and was taken on a tour of the settlements in Israel.
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