The Liberal Jewish Synagogue (LJS) brought together 250 people for a Multi-Faith Chanukah Celebration where guests, including Australian High Commissioner Elisabeth Bowes PSM, stood together in a show of solidarity and unity after the terrorist attack on the Jewish community in Sydney.
Rabbi Igor Zinkov addresses a packed LJS Sanctuary
Organised and led by Rabbi Alexandra Wright and Rabbi Igor Zinkov of the LJS, the event gathered political, civil and religious leaders from multiple faiths to promote dialogue and mutual understanding amid rising global tensions.
This year’s theme, ‘Eilu v’Eilu – These and These Are the Words of the Living God’, invited participants to reflect on differences not as sources of division, but as expressions of the Divine.
Rabbi Igor introduced the theme of the evening, saying: “In a world where differences are often used to divide us, we have gathered here to celebrate diversity as something positive.
“Together, we will celebrate diversity and learn from our differences. Our hope today is to begin conversations and spark understanding among people of all faiths and none during these difficult times.”
Posting about the event on Facebook, the Australian High Commission in the United Kingdom wrote: “We are proud to celebrate the festive season with our UK friends of all faiths and it was a pleasure to attend The Liberal Jewish Synagogue’s annual multi-faith Channukah event.
Australian High Commissioner Elisabeth Bowes PSM lights a candle
“At a time when we grieve for the lives lost and all those affected by the antisemitic terror attack at Bondi, we appreciate Rabbi Igor Zinkov’s call for unity.”
Among the guests at the LJS, in St John’s Wood, were Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Lord Mayor of Westminster; Councillor Adam Hug, Leader of Westminster City Council; Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard, London’s Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice; Dame Karen Buck, former MP for Westminster; Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, Senior Rabbi of Masorti Judaism; The Revd Dr Anders Berquist, Vicar of St John’s Wood Church; The Revd Lucy Winkett, Rector of St James’s Piccadilly; The Reverend Robert Kozak, Sacrist and Head of Liturgy at St Paul’s Cathedral; Jasvir Singh OBE, Chair of City Sikhs; Phil Rosenberg, Board of Deputies of British Jews; Fathi Labidi, Muslim World League; Veena Jagpal, General Secretary of the Hindu Cultural Society; Jaineel Shah, representing the Jain community (Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur UK); and Ruzbeh Hodiwala, Interfaith Officer on the Managing Committee of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe.
The full video of the event can be watched on the LJS YouTube channel or below.