The Menorah House. That is how residents of Dunwoody, and a good number of folks from elsewhere, refer to Sheryl and Richard Arno’s home on Withmere Way. For 15 years, a 6-by-8 foot menorah has lit up the family’s front lawn during Hanukkah, which begins at sundown Tuesday.
The Arnos and their three children also celebrate the eight days of Hanukkah by opening up their home to friends and neighbors — Jews and non-Jews alike — and retelling the story of the ancient Jews who defeated the Syrians and restored the Temple of Jerusalem.
There’s a pretty great story behind the menorah, too. It involves a Jewish kid named Eliot, a family friend known as “Uncle Jeff” who is not Jewish, and the tradition and acceptance their friendship sparked.
Q: How did this menorah come to be?
A: My oldest son, Eliot, who was five at the time, came home from school and wanted to know why we couldn’t have Christmas lights or a tree. Our neighbor, Jeff Coghill, is a craftsman. The next year, “Uncle Jeff” came across the cul de sac with this menorah literally on his back. It was quite a vision. That was 15 years ago.
Q: Why did Uncle Jeff do that?
A: He loves Eliot and he didn’t want him to feel left out. He and Eliot, who is 20 now, still have a beautiful relationship.
Q: As a kid, did you feel left out at Christmastime?
A: I did. My friends did.
Q: What did you think when you saw this big menorah?
A: I was a little nervous, to be honest. Even synagogues don’t have menorahs like this. And you may as well have put landing lights on our front yard that said, “Jewish people live here.” We really didn’t know how people were going to respond.
Q: And how did they?
A: Our neighbors say they love it. I’ve only heard once that some got cranky because the lights are so bright. We turn them off at night. We tease some of our neighbors that their Christmas decorations got bigger after we got our menorah. There are a couple of other houses that have menorahs now. I can’t say that’s because of ours, but maybe.
Q: You have parties, too, right?
A: We said if we have this kind of menorah, we have to have parties. Every year, we invite people from every level and walk of life — from football players to Boy Scouts, preschool groups to our Jewish and Christian friends. Everyone who comes lights a menorah. We serve potato latkes and sufganiyot, which are jelly donuts, to commemorate the miracle of the oil. The Jews in the Temple had only enough oil for one day but it lasted eight days. We probably have 200 people go through our house during Hanukkah.
Q: Is “Uncle Jeff” still your neighbor?
A: We have moved close by but he still comes over for Hanukkah every year. And he is our menorah caretaker.
Q: What has the menorah meant to your family?
A: My children have their holiday tradition and they celebrate it quite proudly. While Hanukkah is not a major Jewish holiday, it is a great way to welcome people into our home and share our traditions. Do I think we’ve changed the world by doing this? No. Do I think we’ve changed a lot of people’s thought process about being around other Jewish people? I think on some level we have.
Q: Do your kids fight over who inherits the menorah?
A: They absolutely fight over that. Uncle Jeff needs to get busy, doesn’t he?
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