A day before Hanukkah, the Naperville Park District agreed today to allow a local Jewish group to include a menorah alongside a Christmas display on the city’s Riverwalk after initially rejecting the request because it violated city ordinance.
Two weeks ago, the Chabad Jewish Center of Naperville asked to display the 6 feet, 4 inches tall menorah, but the park district turned down the request because it violated an ordinance preventing private entities from erecting or installing symbols or signs on the Riverwalk, said Park district attorney Derke Price.
So the group offered to comply with the ordinance by donating the menorah to the park district. On Thursday night, the park district accepted the menorah and Price said the city would erect it at the Riverwalk before sundown Friday, when Hanukkah begins.
Hats off (or yarmulkes…?) to Chabad Jewish Center for offering a creative solution, and to the Naperville Park District for accepting.