Havering Council has said it will not light Hanukkah candles this year due to vandalisation concerns.
The nine-branched candelabrum is typically lit during the eight-day Jewish festival, also known as the ‘festival of lights’, and installed outside Havering Town Hall.
The east London council will instead mark the beginning of Hanukkah with a temporary instillation and event on 7 December.
The council said that lighting the candles could “risk further inflaming tensions within our communities.”
The council added in a statement: “Due to an increase in the number of hate crimes in Havering, both towards the Jewish and Muslim community, and after consulting with the leader of the council, we believe it would be unwise to move forward with the installation which could risk further inflaming tensions within our communities.
“When we started work on the installation no-one could have foreseen the recent international events and we have been fully committed to installing the candelabra with a number of council teams working to support it.”
Havering Council has since received public backlash for this decision, including allegations of antisemitism, which they describe as “categorically untrue”.
The council has emphasised that it will revisit the Hanukkah candles plan next year, with hopes that community tensions will have lessened by then.
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HeadlineHavering Council cancels Hanukkah candle lighting over vandalisation and hate crime concerns
Short HeadlineHavering Council cancels Hanukkah candle lighting over vandalism concerns
StandfirstThe east London council believes lighting the candles will risk inflaming tensions within the community.
Havering Council has said it will not light Hanukkah candles this year due to vandalisation concerns.
The nine-branched candelabrum is typically lit during the eight-day Jewish festival, also known as the ‘festival of lights’, and installed outside Havering Town Hall.
The east London council will instead mark the beginning of Hanukkah with a temporary instillation and event on 7 December.
The council said that lighting the candles could “risk further inflaming tensions within our communities.”
The council added in a statement: “Due to an increase in the number of hate crimes in Havering, both towards the Jewish and Muslim community, and after consulting with the leader of the council, we believe it would be unwise to move forward with the installation which could risk further inflaming tensions within our communities.
“When we started work on the installation no-one could have foreseen the recent international events and we have been fully committed to installing the candelabra with a number of council teams working to support it.”
Havering Council has since received public backlash for this decision, including allegations of antisemitism, which they describe as “categorically untrue”.
The council has emphasised that it will revisit the Hanukkah candles plan next year, with hopes that community tensions will have lessened by then.
