Where can you find the menorah?

Answer 1

The Hanukkah-menorah may be lit anywhere that it will serve to publicize the miracle of the oil. It shouldn't be put on or near the floor, or near a bathroom.

Some common customs include placing it at a window, or near a doorway (dining room or kitchen), or on the dining room table.

Answer 2

The menorah was a 7-branched gold oil lamp that was set up in the Temple in Jerusalem. It was hauled off as loot by the Roman army when they sacked the Temple in the year 70. The last record we have of it is the image carved on the inside of the Arch of Titus in Rome showing the victorious Roman soldiers parading into Rome with their loot. Presumably, it was taken to the Parthenon where Rome kept symbols of all the religions of their empire, and presumably, it was melted down for gold at some time later, perhaps when the Huns sacked Rome, possibly earlier.

You can find a menorah in many synagogues, because it has become a symbol of Judaism. It is not a necessary symbol, and many synagogues have neither 7-branched candlestick nor any images of it. You can also find 9-branched candlesticks or oil lamps in many synagogues and Jewish homes; these are frequently called menorahs, but more properly, they are hanukkiahs, used in the celebration of Hanukkah.