Wisconsin’s Biggest Chanukah Festival and Gelt Drop Lights Up Dec. 29 Marking 50 Years of Chanukah in the Public Sphere

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — This Chanukah, Milwaukee is seeing a surge in public displays of the holiday and Jewish identity, with many more families and individuals planning to light their menorahs in visible places. Lubavitch of Wisconsin will light a public menorah at The Yard at Bayshore Town Center as part of an immersive LED Chanukah festival and gelt drop designed to spread Jewish joy and light.

“These are transformative times for the Jewish people, filled both with challenges and profound opportunities,” said Rabbi Mendel Shmotkin, CEO of Lubavitch of Wisconsin. “As we face a major rise in antisemitism across the globe, Jews around the world will proudly celebrate the holiday with joy, visibility, and unity. Our collective strength and vibrancy are a powerful reminder of resilience and hope, inspiring not just us in the Jewish community, but everyone who witnesses it.”

This year’s event will also debut the Milwaukee Maccabee Awards, an annual ceremony honoring three individuals who exemplify the enduring spirit of the Maccabees—a courageous group who stood firm in their commitment to Jewish observance despite overwhelming opposition.

The event, which is free and open to everyone regardless of religious background, will feature a gelt drop courtesy of North Shore Fire Department, glow games, LED robot dancers, train rides, a 12-foot Lite Brite wall, illuminated swings and seesaws, traditional holiday foods and more. The Deli on Crown will have a limited-time Chanukah menu available for purchase at the event, including reinvented holiday favorites like loaded brisket latkes.

This year’s celebrations carry added significance as they mark 50 years since the first public menorah which was lit at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia in 1974. The public menorah was lit after the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of blessed memory, launched the worldwide Chanukah campaign in 1973 to build awareness and promote observance of the holiday. Today, public menorahs and Chanukah displays have become a staple of Jewish cultural and American public life, forever altering the American practice and perception of the festival.

“Celebrating Chanukah is a potent point of light, Jewish pride and confidence for American Jews in the fight against darkness and antisemitism,” added Shmotkin. “The celebration of Chanukah underscores the G-d endowed liberty that is at the heart of what America represents.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.