BILL GRAHAM MEMORIAL FOUNDATION--Grant Recipients

Bill Graham Menorah Project

In 1975, when we first lit this beautiful mahogany Menorah, it was the first time an outdoor, public Menorah lighting was celebrated outside of Israel. Now, there are thousands and thousands of similar celebrations from Red Square in Moscow to the public square in Peoria. Our Menorah, "The Mama Menorah", The Bill Graham Menorah, was the first and has inspired the rest.

The idea was born when Zev Putterman, a program director at KQED at the time, was brainstorming with Rabbi Chaim Drizin, the founder of the Chabad movement in Northern California. The focus of their getting together was to come up with a major program that would bring Jewish awareness to the largest audience possible in a vibrant and participatory way. The two decided to meet with Bill Graham, a man who understood large scale outreach, the Bay Area, and an unknown to many at the time, had a strong Jewish identity through his history as a child survivor of World War II. Bill survived the darkness of the Holocaust to embody the light of the American Dream.

Bill offered to donate the construction of a huge Menorah, over two stories high, through his production company. They all felt that the natural outdoor venue would be Union Square, an open air city park in the heart of the business, shopping and theater district of San Francisco.

Bill Graham built and supported the annual lighting of the Menorah until his death. While Bill was alive he never looked for any accolades surrounding the Menorah. After his death, we wanted to honor his memory by dedicating the Menorah in his name. In 1993, Mayor Frank Jordan declared that the first Sunday of Chanukah would forever be Bill Graham Menorah Day.

Joining us as we light the Menorah with your family and friends is the most important thing but, you can also help us to spread the light by telling people, Jews and Non-Jews, and, if you can, by giving a donation to the Bill Graham Menorah Fund. We'd like you to please give from the heart and help keep this marvelous mitzvah alive and keep it burning with the same spirit and inspiration that ignited this tradition 28 years ago when Chabad and Bill Graham built and first lit our Mama Menorah.

For further information on the Bill Graham Menorah Project,
visit our web site at www.BillGrahamMenorah.com