Menorah lighting outside Hendon Town Hall
Members of the Jewish faith and other communities came together on Tuesday evening to attend the annual lighting of the menorah outside Hendon Town Hall.
The ceremony is a celebration of Chanukah, the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights.
Barnet Council joined in the celebrations, as it does every year, with a 12-ft menorah placed outside the town hall.
There were welcoming addresses by the Worshipful Mayor of Barnet, Cllr Nagus Narenthira, and Rabbi Gershon Overlander, director of Jewish centre Chabad House of Hendon.
Rabbi Overlander lit the menorah and gave blessings before guests enjoyed live music and refreshments.
Around 120 guests were invited by the council, including all 63 councillors, council officers, the vice and pro chancellors of Middlesex University, Barnet Multi Faith Forum, Barnet Together, and the emergency services. Members of the local Chabad community were also invited.
The council has also contributed funding towards the menorahs at Golders Green, Mill Hill and Finchley through its community events fund.
The Worshipful Mayor of Barnet, Cllr Nagus Narenthira, said: “It was wonderful to see so many people from Barnet’s Jewish communities and other communities come together for the annual lighting of the menorah outside Hendon Town Hall and at Chanukah events across the borough.
“At Chanukah, the lighting of the menorah resonates deeply and reminds those of Jewish faith of their resilience and a hope for renewed peace that is shared across the whole community of Barnet and, indeed, the world.”