The Jewish Museum is world renowned for its immense and diverse collection of Hanukkah lamps. This lamp was likely first used in a synagogue in Odessa, present-day Ukraine. Grand candelabrum-form lamps like this one were key fixtures in Eastern European synagogues, placed at the front of the sanctuary. The eagle crowning the lamp, the lion feet at its base, and the miniature birds were common features adorning synagogues of Eastern Europe. The eagle may also be an imperial or royal symbol, showing allegiance by a Jewish individual or community to a given sovereign. The alternating flowers and buds on the arms of the lamp are inspired by biblical descriptions of the seven-branched menorah built for the portable sanctuary (the tabernacle), as described in Exodus. Visually connecting the first menorah and this lamp is appropriate for the celebration of Hanukkah, commemorating the miracle during which one day’s oil lasted eight days for the second-century BCE rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem.