Ice Menorah In Tyumen, Siberia Melts The Ice In Heart Of Local Priest

NEW YORK (VINnews) — As in many other places with temperatures below freezing, there are a number of towns in Siberia where a special ice menorah was built in honor of Chanukah and serves as a beacon for the local Jewish population. One such ice menorah stands proudly in the city of Tyumen, Siberia where the local Chabad emissary is Rabbi Yerachmiel Gorelick. The menorah is 4 meters high and generated considerable publicity in the town. It was even featured on a prominent Israeli television show, which described how the menorah was built and featured the lighting of the first light of Chanukah on the ice menorah. Israeli anchor Amnon Levi,a self-described atheist, was visibly moved and answered Amen to all of the blessings on the menorah.

However the story had another twist as on the day after it was aired on first night Chanukah, the local priest contacted Rabbi Gorelick and told him that the lighting was for him as well since he is also Jewish (His mother and grandmother were both Jewish). Gorelick said that it was unusual that a priest comes to confess to the rabbi, but added that the light of Chanukah reaches very far.