It’s a Chanukah first for Trafford

ALTRINCHAM, England [CHI] — The first Jewish Mayor of Trafford for many years, Councillor Bernard Sharp, hosted a candle lighting ceremony to welcome the festival of Chanukah in the Mayor’s parlour for the first time ever on Tuesday 4th December.

Under the auspices of Rabbi Dovid Jaffe of South Manchester Lubavitch, the ceremony took place on the first night of the festival. The number of candles lit is traditionally increased by one every night for eight nights.

Councillor Sharpe said: “I am delighted to host this most important ceremony at Trafford Town Hall. The Jewish people in this country have always made major contribution towards civic life and take their wider communal obligations very seriously. It is entirely fitting that we join together to celebrate this important event at the heart of our community.”

The menorah, the traditional eight branch candelabra used for Chanukah, will be provided by Lubavitch and the organization is also arranging for giant menorahs to be placed in high profile civic places within the borough throughout the festival. Rabbi Jaffe said: “I want to thank Cllr Sharp and the Borough of Trafford for hosting this truly historic event ~ historic for the borough and for the Jewish community.

”This brings Trafford in line with hundreds of communities around the world. The menorah lighting ceremony will be performed at the White House, the Eiffel Tower, 10 Downing Street, the Foreign Office and even the Kremlin!

“Chanukah, the festival of lights, recalls the victory, more than 2100 years ago, of a militarily weak but spiritually strong Jewish people over the mighty forces of a ruthless enemy ~ an enemy that had overrun the Holy land and threatened to engulf the land and its people in darkness.

”Chanukah is all about bringing joy and celebration and we want to share this with the wider community. More importantly it is all about lighting up a dark world and celebrating freedom to practice religious beliefs and cultures.

“We traditionally give gifts to children and offer donuts and potato latkes during the lighting ceremony.”

Thanks to an increasing interest in world religions Rabbi Jaffe has got his work cut out. He is even traveling to the Lake District to light a menorah in Kendal. A lighting ceremony will also take place at Altrincham Ice Rink on Monday 10th December. He concluded: “The civic ceremonies are just part of the job. We also visit schools, hospitals and the elderly and informed in their homes, lighting candles and traditional foods to help bring the joy of Chanukah to the whole community.”