The menorah stands next to a Christmas tree that has been a holiday tradition in the rotunda
for decades. The Chicago-based Lubavitch Chabad of Illinois provided the candelabra in observance of the first day of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.

But the presence of both the menorah and the Christmas tree in the Capitol drew objections from a local rabbi.

Probably neither has any place in the Capitol rotunda, said Rabbi Michael Datz of Temple Brith Sholom in Springfield. "I can't see any difference between having symbols of religious holidays in state buildings and having the Ten Commandments in a courthouse"

However, Datz said, "I appreciate the gesture of inclusiveness."

Rabbi Barry Marks of Temple Israel in Springfield said he also appreciated the gesture and also agreed with Datz.

"Religious holidays belong in synagogue or people's homes, not in a public space," Marks said.

In 1989, the U.S. Supreme Court concluded that a Christmas tree is not a religious symbol. The Illinois secretary of state puts up the Christmas tree in the rotunda.

Rabbi Yosef Moscowitz of Lubavitch Chabad said he does not regard the menorah as a religious symbol, either.

"The symbol is a universal message for everybody," Moscowitz said.

"The idea of spreading light to everybody is something that we don't hide for ourselves. The idea is not just taking care of ourselves, but to let everyone else be able to feel the idea of freedom and security, something that the miracle of Hanukkah represents"

Hanukkah marks an ancient victory of outnumbered Jewish forces over a Syrian occupier and the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. The lights recall the legend that a single container of oil burned in the temple for eight days. Hanukkah is celebrated over a period of eight days.

Lubavitch Chabad also placed a menorah in the Thompson Center in Chicago, and Gov. Rod Blagojevich attended the candle-lighting ceremony there Tuesday. On the first day of the festival, the main candle is lighted along with one other candle on the nine-branched candelabra. The main candle is used to light the others.

The state of Illinois allows religious displays in government buildings as long as the group putting on a display applies for a permit, said Randy Nehrt of the secretary of state's office.

"This administration's opinion is that the Capitol is a building that's open to the public," Nehrt said. "We provide for rallies, observances and displays for any group that files the proper paperwork and abides by the rules that are in place."

Courts generally allow religious displays in public buildings as long as they are privately sponsored, said Colleen Connell, executive director of the Chicago-based American Civil Liberties Union for Illinois.

"What you're really trying to avoid is any action or display that suggests government endorsement of religion," Connell said.

Banning such displays would violate the First Amendment right to freedom of speech, Connell said.

A national menorah was lighted Tuesday at the Ellipse in Washington, near the White House.

The U.S. Supreme Court said in October that it would consider whether the Ten Commandments may be displayed on government property, ending a 25-year silence on a church-state issue that has prompted bitter legal fights around the country.

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