Spectacularly A Glow
The Baltimore Chanukah House
Blog post by JMM archivist Lorie Rombro. You can read more posts by Lorie HERE.
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.
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.
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.
2 replies on “Spectacularly A Glow”
I visited this house every year, and one year was actually invited inside to visit with the Cohens. It was a one and only and really missed when it was dismantled. None other like it.
Thanks for bringing back such wonderful memories. Hard to believe it’s nine years since we left Baltimore for Florida. My mother Ann of blessed memory and my father Morris who is 95 and still with us thank G-d (although not well) loved the joy and sense of community that our decorations seemed to generate. Little did I realize that the creation of our first decoration in 1990 would stir up such excitement. It was the Eight Knights of Chanukah Menorah. I made it from large metal knights that I found in Virginia. It was a real crowd pleaser. The artist in me loved coming up with something new each year. Chanukah Barbie, The Driedel Tornado, The Chanukah Express Train, Winnie the Jew, Hershel Potter, Mr. Potato Latke Head, A six foot tall Adam Sandler singing “The Chanukah Song”, Shneidel the Snow Dreidel and one of my personal favorites The Chanukah Rebbe, a life size inter-active Santa that I converted to a Rebbe with beard, payos and traditional garb. We had a camera and mic set up so the “Rebbe” could talk to visitors. In 1997 The Sun Paper named us ” The Chanukah House” and best decorated holiday house. In 2001 Southern Living Magazine did a story about us and we were featured in the Washington Post in 2006. On behalf of all of us at The Chanukah House on Park Heights Avenue—Ann(of blessed memory) and Morris Cohen, Irwin Cohen, Sam & Will Shoken – Thank you for giving us the opportunity to publicize the miracle of Chanukah in such a unique way for almost twenty years – only in America and only in Baltimore.