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When the state's largest menorah came tumbling down in Monroe, the local community wasn't about to let it stay that way.

For this Hanukkah, the Chabad Jewish Center of Monroe designed a 32-foot-tall and 21-foot-wide aluminum menorah that replicated the "National Menorah" in Washington, D.C. Chabad planned to dedicate and light the menorah, which it said is the largest in New Jersey, at the state park on Perrineville Road and Prospect Plains Road on the first night of the holiday, but the massive structure fell down in the wind a few days earlier and suffered cracks to its arms and its base.

Though Chabad couldn't fix the menorah in time for the beginning of Hanukkah, it was back up by last Monday and the dedication ceremony took place last Friday for the eighth and final night of the holiday, thanks to repair efforts orchestrated by Chabad members, township workers, private businesses, and other local residents.

Richard Knauer of Highland Park, a member of the Monroe Chabad and one of the volunteers who helped get the menorah back up, was inspired by how both Jews and non-Jews donated their time and resources.

"In the spirit of the season, I think that's significant," Knauer said. "This is what made America what it is."

In fact, this menorah had a distinctly patriotic feel to it, said Chabad Co-Director Rabbi Eliezer Zaklikovsky. Besides for the menorah's historic size, Zaklikovsky said the fact that it is a replica of the National Menorah helped it evoke the feelings of liberty that were already present in Central Jersey from the Revolutionary War's Battle of Monmouth in 1778.

"The menorah is also a symbol that represents light, justice, liberty, and freedom of religion," Zaklikovsky said.

From the Wednesday that the menorah fell until the Monday it was put back up, about 10 volunteers worked between 20 and 30 hours on the project, Zaklikovsky said. Chabad was able to borrow a truck to drive the materials back to Long Island City, N.Y., for repair at a company called Stainless Metals.

Once the menorah was back in Monroe, Chabad member Jacob Roitman, who has an engineering background, put his expertise to use. Roitman improved the menorah's welding and made the base strong enough to support the menorah's 1,000 to 1,500 pounds by adding five aluminum plates. Roitman also reinforced the legs with aluminum plates and stabilized the entire structure with aircraft cables wires.

"In a sense, it's almost a miracle that we were able to get it back and get it up quickly, and have the menorah for the remaining days of the holiday," Roitman said.

During the repairs, Monroe police officers blocked the roadways at Perrineville and Prospect Plains roads to make it safe for cars to pass through, with as many as six squad cars there at one point, Roitman said. The New Jersey State Parks Department, in addition to business including Stainless Metals, Hadco Aluminum, Art Display, Arbe Landscaping, Atlantic Aerials, Modern Equipment, Bob's Signs, Kritch Cranes, Vergona Cranes, and Scamporino Construction, all helped make the menorah project a success.

"The outpouring of support that we got was incredible," Zaklikovsky said.

Chabad member Leonard Posnock, chairman of the menorah committee, said volunteering was simply the right thing to do after Zaklikovsky, over this past year, single-handedly obtained all the necessary information and recruited all the companies for the menorah project.

Posnock said that past generations of Jews in the area would have shied away from building such a large menorah, for fear of public backlash, but now Chabad has helped the community understand that "we are Jews, we are proud to be Jews, and we have no problems telling the world we are Jews."

"This is something to be very proud of, that there is this younger generation that says we are proud to be Jews and we will go ahead and put up this symbol," Posnock said.

When Posnock moved to Monroe five years ago, he said he couldn't obtain a permit to put a menorah in the Concordia Shopping Center because local officials didn't want "a religious event in a public place." But Posnock approached the mayor of Jamesburg, Anthony LaMantia, who said "by all means" put a menorah in town hall, and five years later there are menorahs all over the Monroe region in shopping centers, the state's undeveloped Green Acres land, and the business section of Forsgate Drive.

"That's a tremendous feeling that all that has been accomplished in five years," Posnock said.

The Chabad Jewish Center of Monroe's giant aluminum menorah, dedicated in memory of Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, is a project that relies on private donations. Additional dedication opportunities are available; those interested can contact Chabad at (732) 656-1616.