Boris Johnson will ignite Chanukah in style next Tuesday in Trafalgar Square.
The annual festival will see the lighting of Europe’s largest menorah during a party fuelled by 6,000 free doughnuts.
Organised by the Jewish Leadership Council, Lindon Jewish Forum, Chabad and the Mayor’s Office, Chanukah in the Square will also feature performances from violinist Daniel Ahaviel and Israeli singer Itzik Dadya and Neshama band.
Johnson said: “one of the joys of being able to mark Chanukah in Trafalgar Square is that it enables all Londoners to share in the rich cultural heritage of the Jewish People. It is also a time that can be shared by other faith communities, who can recognise in their own beliefs, the strength and redeeming power of the story of the miracle of the lamp, and who also celebrate in so many ways the festival oif lights”.
Hot kosher food will also be served by Penashe during the festivities, which is media partnered by the Jewish News.
LJF chair Adrian Cohen described the event as “one of the iconic moments of Lindon’s celebration of the winter season”, while the JLC’s Simon Johnson said: “The event and this time if year allows the community to come together in joy and pride, to demonstrate the vibrancy and celebration of all that Chanukah represents,”.
Rabbi Bentzi Sudak of Chabad added that the Menorah in Trafalgar Square joined others around the world in sharing the message that “each one of us can be a bastion of light and warmth to the world”.
