On Sunday , as he has for more than 20 years , Rabbi Levi Shemtov presided over the annual lighting of the National Menorah . The event dates back to 1979 , but it was President Ronald Reagan who officially designated the candelabrum , placed in the Ellipse just south of the White House , the National Menorah . Reflecting on his most memorable moment attending the menorah lighting through the years , Shemtov , executive vice president of the American Friends of Lubavitch , said , `` I was up there ( on the stage ) on a windy day and my hat blew off , and everyone cheered , '' even though it was at his expense , he reminisced . The moment , he said , lives on the Internet . Just adjacent to the White House Christmas tree , the 30-foot menorah stands high enough to be seen from afar , and its height is regulated under Jewish law . `` It 's got to be visible , so it has to be at least two and half feet off the ground minimum , and not higher than 30 feet , because the rabbinical authorities deem that to be the height at which a person has to crane their neck to see it , '' Shemtov said . The Chabad group of Orthodox Jews who organize the event say that for the thousands of people who watch the broadcast of the illumination of the menorah , it is a signal that the eight-day religious holiday has begun . Jeffrey Zients , deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget , was among the guests of honor to help light the first candle . The United States Navy Band also performed .
Lighting of the National Menorah was more than 20 years in Washington . Ronald Reagan has particpated in the event for Sunday . The National Menorah sits in the Washington just south of the White House .