I am so very proud to inform you all that Regency feels a special connection to the recent Hanukkah celebration at the White House!!
At the White House’s recent annual Hanukkah celebration – attended by more than 400 people – officials used a Hanukkah Menorah from the collection of our esteemed Cardiologist, Dr. Aaron Feingold, who is credentialed at our Regency Jewish Heritage Postacute Center in Somerset, NJ!
Dr. Feingold is a dear friend of Regency Nursing Centers and actually houses a portion of his magnificent Menorah collection in a dedicated Museum located in the lobby of our facility and visible to all who wish to enjoy it!
President Obama noted “[America is] a place where no matter who you are you can always celebrate your faith. And that same spirit is reflected in the menorah that we’re about to light. It was designed by Manfred Anson who was born in Germany in 1922. And as a child he lived through the horrors of Kristallnacht, and later lost a brother to the Holocaust. But Manfred escaped…he sought a place where he could live his life and practice his religion free from fear. So for Manfred and millions like him, that place was ultimately America. And Manfred passed away last year, but during his life he designed this special menorah, with a model of the Statue of Liberty at the base of each candle…a reminder that our country endures as a beacon of hope and of freedom wherever you come from, whatever your faith.”
Anson created this Hanukkah menorah in 1986 in honor of his adopted home. The Statues of Liberties that top this ritual object are each marked with important dates in Jewish history from the Exodus from Egypt to the founding of Israel. The statuettes were case from a souvenir that Anson, an avid collector of Americana, had acquired.
To see the lighting of the Anson Hanukkah menorah and the ceremony, please view this film.
This Hanukkah menorah was donated by Dr. Aaron Feingold in honor of Zara Feingold and Rachel Feingold and can be found in the Museum’s permanent exhibition again on Dec 20.
And now some photos!
