Thursday is the first of Hanukkah. To recognize the start of the Festival of Lights, Washington Wizards rookie Deni Avdija sang Hanukkah blessings and sent well-wishes out to Wizards fans.
In a video posted to the team's Instagram, Avdija lit the first and middle candles on his menorah, per tradition, and recited the first two blessings.
“Hello Wizards fans! Its Hanukkah holiday. I love this holiday. I just want to wish you a Happy Hanukkah,” Avdija said. “I'm just going to light up these candles for you, and then we're going to sing together.”
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The Wizards youngster then proceeded to sing The First Blessing, as the first candle — representing the first of eight nights of the holiday — burned.
The blessing translates to:
Praised are You,
Our God, Ruler of the universe,
Who made us holy through Your commandments
and commanded us
to kindle the Hanukkah lights.
Then, he lit the middle candle and sang The Second Blessing, which translates to:
Praised are You,
Our God, Ruler of the universe,
Who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors
in those ancient days
at this season.
Traditionally, three blessings will be sung on the first night, and the first two Avdija recited will be sung each of the following seven nights.
Avdija, who was born in Israel and holds Serbian citizenship, identifies as Jewish.
The Wizards selected the talented 19-year old with the no. 9 overall pick in the 2020 draft, in what was considered one of the biggest steals of the night.
In 2019, Avdija, a 6'9 play-maker, led Maccabi Tel Aviv to the Israeli League championship and became the youngest player to win the league's MVP award.
Happy Hanukkah to all!
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