This photograph of Secretary of the Interior David Longly Bernhardt with Rabbi Levi Shemtov at the National Menorah lighting ceremony on the Ellipse was taken by Matthew D'Agostino for the White House Historical Association on December 10, 2020. In celebration of Hanukkah, public menorah lightings have been held in President's Park since 1979. Although President Jimmy Carter helped light the menorah in 1979, typically a member of the president's Cabinet assists with the proceedings. Secretary Bernhardt assisted with lighting the National Menorah in 2019 and 2020.

Sponsored by the National Menorah Council and the American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad), the National Menorah lighting is typically attended by thousands of guests each year and often includes remarks from rabbis and political figures, performances by military bands, and traditional delicacies such as latkes and sufganiyot. In 2020, a scaled-down version of the event was held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.