Spectacularly A Glow

`The Baltimore Chanukah House

Blog post by JMM archivist Lorie Rombro. You can read more posts by Lorie HERE.

“It is spectacularly a glow in celebration of the Jewish holiday.” – From the Baltimore Sun December 17, 1998 article Electric Avenues, on where to find the best holiday decorations in Baltimore.

The building at 6211 Park Heights Avenue at the corner of Strathmore was called the Chanukah House. A four-apartment building owned by Ann and Morris Cohen, their son Irwin and brothers William and Samuel Shoken. The home would become a holiday favorite with events, school trips and visits from people near and far. For many years it was the home of a community-wide Chanukah celebration sponsored by CHAI and the Mayor’s Office. They would put out flyers “All are welcome to joins us for lighting the Chanukah menorah”. In 2009 the Chanukah House was sold but for over 20 years their decorations and Chanukah holiday spirt would delight the entire community.

JMM 2011.72.1.

I found the information on the Chanukah House while finishing a manuscript collection about Beth Jacob Congregation. While working on a donation from Ann and Morris Cohen, I found a file labeled “Chanukah House”. With Chanukah rapidly approaching (I know this because my 9-year-old begins to remind me that Chanukah is coming shortly after his birthday in October) I decided to take a break from the Congregation records and process the Chanukah House. The articles, flyers, and especially the thank you notes in our collection tell the story of a wonderful tradition that appeared to not only make the families putting up the decorations happy but the hundreds of people who visited as well.

A thank you note from Brooke, a Kindergarten student at Cross Country Elementary who went to visit the house with her class in December 1999. JMM 2011.72.5.

Unidentified thank you notes — I particularly like the Chanukah giraffe! JMM 2011.72.6.

I have always enjoyed Chanukah not because of the presents, but because of the time we spend together playing dreidels (which is an Olympic sport in my house, there is no messing around when chocolate is on the line) making and eating holiday meals and lighting the candles. I never saw the Chanukah House but I do recommend taking a drive by the home with Chanukah decorations on Greenspring Avenue near Smith Avenue and the looking for the car I see in my neighborhood with lights and a giant menorah on the roof.