Leicester's Jewish community gets ready for Hanukkah
The Jewish community in Leicester are gearing up to celebrate the eight day festival of Hanukkah which begins on Sunday(DEC18) and ends on Monday, December 26.
Hanukkah is one of the most celebrated Jewish holidays which commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem.
The holiday is known as the ‘Festival of lights’ and lasts for eight days and involves playing games, eating festive foods and lighting a menorah.
Samuel Bodily, centre manager of the Leicester Hebrew Congregation, described the traditions that take place during the holiday: “Hanukkiahs, the nine branch candlesticks, are used.
"The ninth branch is used as a server light to light the other candles. On the first day you light one candle, then on the second day you light two candles and so on.
“It’s a festival about oil so all the festive food is deep fried. The most famous ones are doughnuts and latkes.
“The game of dreidel is also played a lot which is a spinning top and involves adults gambling with money and children gambling with chocolate coins.
“Presents also tend to be given, every night a child may be given a small gift.”
Centre manager, Samuel Bodily
Centre manager, Samuel Bodily
The Hebrew bible
The Hebrew bible
Hanukkiah : Nine branch candle
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash
Festive food eaten
Photo by Elisheva Gohar on Unsplash
Hanukkah is a celebration that marks the point in history when the Jews won the war against the Syrians and were able to recapture Jerusalem.
The Jews went back to their temple and began cleaning and repairing it and once they had finished, they rededicated it to God.
They did this by lighting a lamp with a jar of oil, that contained only enough oil for one day. However, the oil managed to keep the lamp lit for eight days and that is why every Hanukkah, Jews will light a candle every day for eight days.
The first residents that can be identified as Jews in Leicester were recorded in 1849 and since then the community’s structure has changed many times over the years.
After the second world war, the community in Leicester is thought to have reached its peak at about 3,000 Jews. However, now the demographic has changed and there is thought to be about 200 members of the community as people move in and out of the area.
The Leicester Hebrew congregation synagogue has been used by the Jewish community since 1897 and is still used for regular worship by its members.
The building also welcomes visitors throughout the year for heritage visits by the public, schools and other groups.
The centre also holds regular open days for people to learn more about the culture and heritage of the Jewish community in Leicester.
They are holding special open days on Tuesday, December 20, Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22, between 1 and 4pm, to celebrate Hanukkah where the public will be able to get involved with different festive events.
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