Rabbi Mendy Korer relights the menorah

AFTER a menorah was vandalised, the community gathered in solidarity to see it re-lit.

Last Thursday morning the menorah in Islington Green was vandalised in what the Town Hall called an anti-Semitic hate crime. The menorah had been standing for just four days when it was knocked down and broken apart, with the fencing around it pulled away.

On the evening of the incident the community gathered in Islington Green for a ceremony to relight the menorah.

Rabbi Mendy Korer, who led the ceremony, said: “What happened this morning is one cowardly, misguided person that vandalised this menorah. I’m happy and grateful to say that such a thing has been unheard of for the 12 years we’ve had the menorah here in this place.

“What happened next is that ordinary people, people we have not known or met before, who happened to be in Islington Green, stood up when they saw this ugly act in front of them and chased the perpetrator away, they called the police, and sent us countless messages reporting what they had just witnessed and expressing passion and support for the Jewish community.”

MP Emily Thornberry and council chief Kaya Comer-Schwartz, along with representatives from other faiths, gathered to see the menorah re-lit

He added: “Sadly, extremism and hate exist. But each and every one of us has a menorah light inside of us that we can all use to counter that hate.”

Islington South MP Emily Thornberry spoke at the ceremony, saying she had been crying.

“I was having a weep because I can’t believe this happens here, where we are from, where Islington is, given the sort of people we are and are proud to be. How dare they attack our multicultural society. We are an example to the world, and we will remain an example to the world.”

She added: “We will not allow this to continue to happen. We stand with the Jewish community. We are proud of who we are, and this is a day of celebration of coming from darkness into light.”

The crowd sang traditional Chanukah songs as the menorah was re-lit. Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn also attended the ceremony, along with other representatives from other faiths in the borough, including some from Finsbury Park Mosque.

Council leader Kaya Comer-Schwartz reiterated her dismay that something like this could happen in the borough and her determination to never see the likes of it again. “This morning we heard the horrible news of someone doing something really awful to this menorah,” she said.

“Straight away, we came together as a community and said, ‘Tonight, that light will be lit,’ and here we are, surrounded by people who care about each other, and that must always be the case.”