🎸 Rockin' Around the Chanukah Bush
What does rock promoter Bill Graham have to do with Chanukah? Music lovers: this Drop's for you.
Dzień dobry from Krakow! I’m traveling around Poland, à la A Real Pain, finally fulfilling my lifelong dream of experiencing a Jewish heritage journey.
Having said that, I’m keepin’ it short and light this week, and wishing you a Happy Chanukah. I hope you are able to celebrate with loved ones and that your holiday is as sweet as jelly-filled doughnuts!
What does Bill Graham have to do with Chanukah?
No, not evangelist Billy Graham. I’m talking about rock promoter and founder of The Fillmore, Bill Graham. The guy who helped bring bands like the Grateful Dead and the Rollings Stones to the stage. This one:
You know those giant Chabad menorah lightings this time of year? You have Bill Graham to thank for that!
In 1975, he was approached by Jewish community leaders of San Francisco, including a Chabad rabbi, to create the first large-scale public menorah-lighting ceremony in the U.S. They constructed a 25-foot-tall menorah in SF’s Union Square which drew a thousand people. Graham joined what would become an annual tradition every Chanukah until his death in 1991. This giant menorah inspired similar menorah lightings in local communities around the world.
Graham was a German-born Jew and Holocaust survivor who escaped Nazi Germany to France via the Kindertransport. His mother died at Auschwitz. He not only transformed live music but also transformed public menorah lightings, bringing local Jewish communities together in proud displays of celebration. Rock on!
Where did I learn this cool info?! On the Jewish Educator Portal, the premier resource hub for Jewish educators, run by The Jewish Education Project (my work!).
Shabbat Shalom and Happy New Year. See you in 2025!
Good writing, great subject!
Who knew! Thx for this brief but full of great stuff “drop” - enjoy your excursion!