Chabad Lubavitch of Islington, the only Jewish institution in Islington, organised the annual Islington Menorah Lighting on Islington Green on Thursday, Dec 26th 2024. The event, running for it's 14th year, is funded by Islington Council's Local Initiative Fund as the single annual public celebration for the Jewish community and the wider public to celebrate the Jewish festival of Chanukah.
On stage, the event was graced with lively and heat-warming chanukah music, with techno-klezmer band GhettoPlotz raising the roof. The Mayor of Islington, Councillor Anjna Khurana and Emily Thornberry, MP of Islington South, shared greetings to participants.
Highlights included singing to Rabbi Mendy's 'Sweet Chanukah', a remake of Sweet Caroline, a chanukah photo booth with instant print, and warm chocolate milk. Doughnuts and Latkes (chanukah traditional food) were in abundance.
Chabad Islington, together with Islington Council, have been working hard over the past many years to create Islington as a place that Jewish residents can all feel this is our home, a place where we feel safe and a place we can thrive. The annual flagship Islington Menorah Lighting has always and will always be a time for Jews to celebrate their culture in a proud and public manner. The event is free and open for anyone to attend from any type of background or community.
Whilst the CST, private security and Police were in attendance to ensure the safety of the event, a political protest took place in close proximity (within 5 meters of participants, families and children being served drinks) to the celebration. Police claimed that it was outside of their powers to have the protestors moved to a further distance. This is despite the protest associating local Islington Jews to an international agenda. With the support of Campaign Against Anti-Semitism we have logged a formal complaint with the MET Police as to how they handled this incident.
On Tuesday, the 7th eve of Chanukah, we led a small menorah lighting by Kings Cross. A nice post on X received extensive coverage: 'On Thursday, anti-Israel activists protested
@ChabadIslington’s candle lighting. So tonight, I went to King’s Cross to join the Menorah lighting—because that’s what us Jews do. We shine brighter in the face of darkness.
Chag Sameach, and never let hate dim our light!'
Photo Credit: Nick Rose
Video Credit: Susannah Fields Photography
Press Enquiries: info@jewishislington.co.uk
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