Shining a Light on Hanukkah Menorahs

Since antiquity, craftsmen have explored different media, motifs, shapes, and sizes when creating Hanukkah menorahs.

A detail of a standing Hanukkah lamp, 18th century, from Eastern Galicia or western Ukraine. Objects like this, with eagle finials and lions supporting the base, would have been found in synagogues throughout Eastern Europe before World War II. Public Domain

The Judaic holiday Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, will be celebrated this season from Dec. 25th to Jan. 2nd. Jews around the world will gather during each of the holiday’s eight nights to light a menorah’s candles or its oil-filled receptacles.

A Hanukkah menorah, also known as a hanukkiah, is a lamp with eight branches surrounding a ninth branch known as the “shamash” (“servant” or “helper” in Hebrew). Since antiquity, craftsmen have explored different media, motifs, shapes, and sizes when creating menorahs; styles have varied between eras and region. Historic examples held today in institutional collections are a testament to artistic beauty and durability.

Seven-Branched Menorah

The menorah is the oldest continuously used religious symbol in the Western world. Its depiction has evolved over millennia. In addition to the hanukkiah, there was an earlier form called a temple menorah, a seven-branched candelabrum.