Rabbi Herschel Gluck OBE stressed the need to enact the teachings of Hanukkah and “open our borders to those who seek a better and more decent society” at the lighting of the first candle outside Hackney Town Hall last Sunday.
“We are here to bring about a better society – a kinder society,” said Rabbi Gluck to those gathered at the steps of the Town Hall for the first night of Hanukkah.
“Hackney is an area with a very rich tradition of caring for the underdog, of caring for the dispossessed, of caring for the other” he added.
These words come after 27 people lost their lives attempting to make the perilous journey across the English Channel. More than 25,000 people have now attempted to cross by boat in 2021, far exceeding previous years.
Hackney has a very rich tradition of caring for the underdog
Rabbi Gluck is a prominent figure within the Hackney community as the president of Shomrim, a community patrol group set up to prevent hate crimes. Gluck has also been awarded an OBE in acknowledgement of his services to interfaith understanding as the chair of the Arab-Jewish and Muslim-Jewish forums.
The Speaker of Hackney, Cllr Michael Desmond, praised the diversity of Hackney and the privilege of faith groups to openly gather. “It is essential that all communities have freedom of worship,” he said. “I am so proud of our diversity in Hackney,”
The remaining lights on the 12-foot menorah will continue to be lit each evening of Hanukkah, which ends on 6 December.
