What is the Hebrew name for the nine-branched Hanukkah menorah?

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The Hebrew name for the nine-branched Hanukkah menorah is Hanukkiah.

A hanukkiah has nine branches: eight represent the eight nights of Hanukkah, while the ninth holds the shamash, or “helper,” used to light the other candles. One additional festival light is kindled each night, so all eight holiday lights burn on the final evening.

The hanukkiah commemorates the Hanukkah miracle but is distinct from the ancient Temple menorah. That menorah had seven branches and was associated with the Temple in Jerusalem. “Menorah” is therefore a defensible broad description of a lampstand, but “hanukkiah” is the precise term for the Hanukkah lamp. “Dreidel” is a spinning game top, not a lamp, and a candelabrum is a general word for a branched candleholder.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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