JACKSON, Wyo. — Surprised to receive a menorah in the mail over the weekend?
The Chabad Jewish Center of Wyoming said that it mailed out 13,000 menorahs, sending one to every address in Jackson Hole, plus every Wyoming senator, representative and statewide elected leader.
“I hope this Menorah gift finds you and your family in good health and spirit,” the accompanying letter said. “Since the horrific Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, there has been a massive increase in anti-Jewish and anti-Israel hatred worldwide. I am hopeful that our Wyoming community will respond with a simple act of love.”
The letter encourages menorah recipients to light and display the menorahs in their homes, and to post photos of the display accompanied by hashtags #WYStandsWithJews and #WYStandsWithIsrael. The note refers to a similar show of solidarity that took place in Billings, MT, in 1993 after an anti-semitic incident.
Chabad Rabbi Zalman Mendelsohn told Buckrail the community response to receiving the menorahs has been “uniformly positive.”
“Our phones have been ringing off the hook,” he said. “It’s been an incredible response from an incredible community.”
Mendelsohn noted that the project has been a bright spot amid a painful time for the Jewish community.
“It’s been very emotional and challenging since the attack,” he said. “But we don’t sit around and curl up when we see something that needs to be dealt with. We respond with light.”
The menorahs have arrived partway through this year’s celebration of Hanukkah (sometime spelled Chanukah), which runs during the evenings of Dec. 7 to 15.
Mailing thousands of candelabras across the state carries significant costs. Sourced from a Jewish supply website called JewFadz.com, the “Menorah To Go” box, which includes a box of small candles, runs for a list price of $1.90 each when purchased in bulk. It’s possible a larger discount was arranged for such a large order for a religious institution.
“This ambitious project is very costly,” the Chabad’s fundraising page says.
Anyone who needs an additional menorah might find one at local post offices, which have stockpiles of extras.
