The 10th Islington Menorah Lighting celebrates the power of community

View our official photo album from the event on our Facebook group

Returning for its tenth year, the Annual Islington Menorah Lighting took place on Sunday 28 November 2021 at Islington Green. Marking the first night of Chanukah, the Jewish festival of lights, the event was a free celebration, attended by hundreds of Jewish and non-Jewish members of the community, from Islington and beyond.

Rabbi Mendy Korer, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Chabad Islington has said:

‘We were thrilled to see so many people join our Chanukah celebration in Islington Green this year. There was an eagerness for people to see each other at Chanukah, sing together and make it into a really joyful celebration, picking up from the community spirit that emerged during the pandemic.’

The focal point of the event was the ceremony of lighting the nine-branch Menorah, officiated by Rabbi Mendy Korer and joined by the Mayor of Islington Councillor Troy Gallagher and the Leader of Islington Council Councillor Kaya Comer-Schwartz. The celebration included the singing of traditional Chanukah songs and a debut performance by Rabbi Korer of the adaptation of Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline called Sweet Chanukah.

Rabbi Korer said: ‘We wanted to recognise that there was a beautiful spirit going across the UK throughout the summer, singing Sweet Caroline, so we’ve done a remake of it and we were excited to sing the updated lyrics with everybody.’

The event also featured the electro klezmer set by the collective GhettoPlotz joined by musicians from Oi Va Voi, arts & crafts with the Jewish Museum and the Little Angel Theatre, storytelling by Alys Torrance, and hundreds of free latkes, doughnuts, Chanukah gelt and hot cocoa for everyone.

While celebrating the Jewish festival of Chanukah, the event brings together Jewish and non-Jewish members of Islington community and aims to promote community cohesion and tolerance in the diverse borough of Islington. Chabad Islington worked closely with Islington Council to ensure the event was Covid-safe.

The event was generously supported by Islington Council's Local Initiatives Fund.