CELEBRATING CHANUKAH WITH LEICESTER HEBREW CONGREGATION

Leicester Town Hall

To the Town Hall this evening, for the annual Chanukah lighting ceremony hosted by Leicester Hebrew Congregation. Clare and I are among the last to arrive. Since the Council Chamber is pretty full, we have to find seats in the balcony. I've never been up there before, but we have a good view of proceedings from our place in the gods.

Council Chamber, Leicester Town Hall (photographed from the public balcony)

The programme is introduced by Tony Nelson, who represents the Leicester Hebrew Congregation on the Council of Faiths (of which he is the current Treasurer and past Vice Chair). Tony mentions two things that stand out most in the past year for the community: the physical attacks on the Rabbi's home, the Synagogue and Communal Hall; and the fact that the Synagogue has been put up for sale (all of which received prominent coverage in the media - and in this blog). He counters the negative tone of the former by crediting the Police and the other faith communities (particularly local Muslims) for their support. As regards the latter, he says that the community has really just been "testing the waters" by promoting the Synagogue for sale. While Tony is careful not to make it sound as if the crisis in their resources that has led to the Synagogue being put up for sale has been solved (he describes the community as being "asset-rich but cash-poor"), he does make it sound as if the sale is not a foregone conclusion. As tentative as this is, still you can feel a sense of relief in the meeting at his words.

Guests of honour on the platform this evening are Jon Ashworth MP and Cllr Robert Wan, Lord Mayor of Leicester. Also present are Deputy Mayor of Leicester Cllr Rory Palmer, City Councillors Susan Barton, Lucy Chaplin, Virginia Cleaver, Inderjit Gugnani, Rashmikant Joshi, Sundip Meghani, Lynn Moore, Barbara Potter, Manjula Sood (who is also, of course, Chair of Leicester Council of Faiths), Malcolm Unsworth and Ross Wilmott. From the county, there's Leader of Leicestershire County Council, David Parsons CC; Chair of Leicestershire County Council, Jackie Dickinson CC; Past Chair of Leicestershire County Council, Peter Osborne CC; Alan Bailey CC.

Jon Ashworth MP offers his greetings, congratulations and best wishes for Chanukah. Then we watch two video clips on the big screen: A Little Light and A Human Menorah.

Next Rabbi Yossi Jacobs. of Singers Hill Synagogue, Birmingham, speaks about Chanukah's message for our world today. Rabbi Jacobs is the youngest ever Chief Minister at Singers Hill - and he's from Glasgow, I'm pleased to note. He suggests dedicating each one of the lights in the eight days of Chanukah as follows:

1. to God
2. to parents
3. to spouses, children, family
4. to teachers, religious leaders, mentors
5. to the leaders of the world
6. to soldiers on the battlefield and their loved ones at home
7. to everyone gathered in this room and those who work for tolerance
8. to the children of the world

The children of the community always contribute something lively to the programme. This year it's Chanukah Bingo! They're rewarded for their efforts by receiving Chanukah gelt.

The key moment is, of course, the lighting of the large Menorah which dominates the platform. Rabbi Pink ascends the ladder, bearing the taper lit by the Lord Mayor (who, with a mind on Health and Safety, provides a steadying hand). All the speeches and activities are interspersed with traditional songs, led by Rabbi Pink.

Rabbi Pink lights the Menorah, the ladder supported by Cllr Robert Wan, Lord Mayor of Leicester

Speaking with the Lord Mayor during the reception after the formal programme has ended, I mention that I've taken notes from his speech for the blog. He graciously reaches into his inside jacket pocket and hands me the text of his speech. It's only when I unfold the pages several minutes later and read it that I discover  he's actually given me the text of his speech to the Thurnby Community Association Annual Christmas Dinner Dance. Since there's no date on it, for all I know, it's one he's still got to give - and he's in the process of leaving the building! I can imagine him standing up to give his address there and pulling out the text of his Chanukah speech. Thankfully, I catch up with Joseph, the Lord Mayor's assistant and we swap speeches so we both come away with the right pages. After all that effort, it's only right that I reproduce the Lord Mayor's speech in full:

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen 

I am privileged and delighted to be here with you all this evening for this communal lighting of the Menorah. 

The festivals here in Leicester are one of the city's great glories and I am very proud to represent the people of Leicester at the beginning of this eight day Festival of Lights. 

Hanukkah celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, of good over evil. As with all religious ceremonies, it is important, as well as enjoying them, to look to the truths they represent.

In a world where there seems to be much that is of the darkness - economic uncertainty, unemployment, war and violence - it is important that light and goodness should be seen to triumph. 

As we celebrate the triumph of good over evil in the defeat of Antiochus and the Rededication of the defiled Temple all those years ago, let us work for the triump of goodness and justice in our world today. 

Hannukah is also celebrated by the Jewish community in other ways. It is a time for giving and receiving of presents, of traditional games and also an occasion for enjoying traditional foods fried in oils. I am certainly looking forward to sampling the traditional doughnuts this evening. 

I would like to thank Rabbi Pink for inviting me to be here this evening and to be part of the festival that commemorates a momentous episode in Jewish history and to remind us that miracles come in all shapes and sizes. 

Thank you.

This is the first of three Chanukah celebrations to which I've been invited this week. I’ve also received invitations to Teshuvah Messianic Synagogue tomorrow evening and to the lighting of the public Menorah in Victoria Park with the Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation on Friday. If I'm able to attend those two, as well as having been here tonight, then I reckon I'll be the only person in Leicester to have done so.

You may well have noticed, faithful reader, that just as there are variations in the way that Chanukah is celebrated, so there are variations in its spelling. In each of these three blog entries, I've spelled it as it appears on the invitation from the respective host community.