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New York to display record-size menorah

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NEW YORK, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- New York's tony plaza at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street will host the World's Largest Hanukkah Menorah as certified by Guinness World Records, organizers say.

Beginning Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. the 4,000-pound, 32-foot high, gold-colored, steel symbol of Hanukkah is scheduled to be lighted nightly with genuine oil lamps with the help of a Con Ed cherry picker crane and two lifts.

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Specially designed glass chimneys will protect the Hanukkah lights from the Central Park winds.

The menorah, designed by artist Yaacov Agam, has appeared many times in New York City and was lighted by past Mayors Abe Beame, Ed Koch, David Dinkins, Rudolph Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg; Govs. Mario Cuomo, George Pataki and David Paterson; and U.S. Sens. Jacob Javits and Charles Schumer, Xpress Press News Service reported.

"The menorah stands as a symbol of freedom and democracy, strength and inspiration, delivering a timely and poignant message to each person on an individual basis," said Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman, director of the Lubavitch youth organization.

Sunday, Dec. 5 there will be a special celebration at the menorah which will include singing and dancing to live music, hot latkes and Hanukkah gelt -- money -- for the children.

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"We want people to 'taste' the tradition," Butman said.

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