Hanukkah stamp illuminates recovered artifact with a powerful story to tell

A spectacular peacock with its plumage in full display takes centre stage on the 19th-century hanukkiyah that graces this year’s Hanukkah stamp, which commemorates the annual Jewish holiday. The silver-plated menorah is believed to have been rescued from a burning synagogue in Germany in November 1938 – around the time when antisemitic violence in Nazi-occupied territories erupted in the horror of Kristallnacht. Often translated to English as the “Night of broken glass,” Kristallnacht refers to the shattered glass that blanketed the ground following the night when Jewish homes, businesses and places of worship were demolished or set ablaze in Germany and Austria.

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the artifact is a powerful symbol of faith and resilience, according to Louis Charbonneau of the Aron Museum at the Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom in Montreal. It was one of a number of menorahs donated to the museum after the Second World War as part of the effort to redistribute recovered cultural and religious items to Israel and to Jewish communities around the world.

Relatively few artifacts escaped the horrors of the Holocaust – making the few possessions that did survive one of humanity’s darkest periods that much more remarkable. From this tragic scene emerged the hanukkiyah (also commonly referred to as a “menorah”), which is considered quite unique from common or traditional ones because of the peacock sculpture.

Meticulous cataloguing gives us an idea of the artifact’s history and provenance, though exact details of its miraculous journey remain unclear. Crafted in Poland in the 19th century, the silver-plated hanukkiyah, which features a striking sculpture of a peacock, stands 31.7 cm high and was designed and created by an unknown artist. The impact of the piece is amplified by its dramatic form, which features a peacock on a curtained stage, flanked by a pair of lions and fronted by eight candles. “When the candles are lit, the flames illuminate the incredible detail in the tail feathers,” says Charbonneau. “The whole bird glows. It’s just breathtaking.”

While Charboneau explains that the presence of a peacock is unusual for a hanukkiyah, the peacock is considered a symbol of beauty and soul in many cultures; Hanukkah is also known as “the Festival of Lights”.

“The peacock’s beauty perfectly reflects the Jewish value of performing mitzvot – acts of empathy and kindness – in a beautiful way,” says Rabbi Lisa Grushcow of Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom. “Its form helps shine the light and thus helps share and publicize the miracle at the heart of Hanukkah.”

Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem, Judaism’s holiest site, which, according to scriptures, was desecrated in 168 B.C.E. as part of an earlier attempt to eradicate Judaism. The Jews, led by Judah Maccabee, formed a resistance and reclaimed Jerusalem. According to the Talmud, when Maccbeus entered the Temple, he found only enough oil to allow the Temple’s hanukkiyah to burn for one day. Miraculously, it burned for eight days.

This “miracle of light” is remembered each year by lighting the hanukkiyah, which has come to emblemize the faith and resilience that lie at the heart of Hanukkah. A new candle is lit on each of Hanukkah’s eight nights, using a “helper” candle, called a shamash.

Canada Post is proud to honour the holiday of Hanukkah and feature this historic artifact on our stamp, shining a light on a powerful and important piece of history.