The first candle of Hanukkah was lit on Sunday evening at a ceremony in Trafalgar Square in London, in the presence of the Chief Rabbi of Britain, Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Knesset Member Pnina Tamano-Shata (Blue and White).
London Mayor Khan opened the ceremony and said, "Only in special London do Jews celebrate Hanukkah alongside Christians who celebrate Christmas when the mayor is a Muslim man."
MK Tamano-Shata lit a candle and said that "Hanukkah symbolizes the triumph of hope and belief over despair and as long as the candle is lit, we have the ability to change our world for the better together."
She added, "As a Knesset member, I am proud to stand here, but I am concerned about rising anti-Semitism around the world and about racism. The fight against people with dark opinions is not simple, but Hanukkah is an opportunity to remember that we have defeated waves of anti-Semitism in the past and we will defeat them again.”
"When we see racism, we will respond with love. When we see extremity, we will respond with tolerance. When we see poverty, we will respond with charity. When we see a struggle, we will respond by providing help. This is how we light the world, so we overcome darkness. This is how we do justice to the Jewish story," Tamano-Shata said.