In celebration of the ‘Festival of Lights’, Milton Keynes Jewish community hosts public Menorah lighting at Bletchley Park spreading a message of light and hope.
Bletchley, England — On Sunday 29 December, Chabad Jewish Centre of Milton Keynes will join with the Bletchley Park Trust in hosting a public menorah lighting and Chanukah party. Free and open to members of the public, the event will feature a 9-foot menorah as well as an array of entertainment for all ages, including an illusionist show, lively music, hot drinks and a selection of traditional Chanukah foods. This gathering expects to welcome local residents from Buckinghamshire and the surrounding counties.
“We are immensely honoured to announce the second public menorah lighting at Bletchley Park, a site that represents the victory of good over evil,” said Rabbi Yitzchak Lew, Director at Chabad Jewish Centre of Milton Keynes. The Jewish community has always resolved to celebrate their identity with more confidence and resolve. This public Chanukah celebration is about sharing light and joy with Milton Keynes and the broader community.”
During World War II, Bletchley Park employed dozens of Jewish service men and women. The Jewish personnel, many with personal connections to the horrors unfolding in Europe, contributed significantly to the code-breaking efforts that aided the allied war effort. Pre-war, the Bletchley Park Mansion was home to a prominent Jewish family from London, The Leons, and is an example of the phenomenon later described as ‘Jewish Country Houses’ that developed in the 19th century. The Menorah will be on display alongside the Mansion with an information board explaining the historical links between Bletchley Park and Judaism.
This event is one of more than 150 menorah lightings organised by Chabad Lubavitch centres across the UK, and many individuals plan to light their menorahs in visible places such as their doors and windows. The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, launched the Chanukah awareness campaign in 1973, and in the half-century since, the “Festival of Lights” has entered the public sphere. The Menorah–with its universal message of freedom of the human spirit, freedom from tyranny and oppression, and of the ultimate victory of good over evil–has since won a place not only in Jewish life, but also in the life of the general populace.
In the half-century since the Rebbe’s Chanukah awareness campaign began, it has revitalised widespread observance of the Festival of Lights and brought it to the mainstream, returning what some have mistakenly dismissed as a minor holiday to its roots as a public proclamation of the ultimate triumph of light over darkness and freedom over oppression.
This event will be attended by several dignitaries, including the Mayor of Milton Keynes, Councillor Marie Bradburn, who will be joined by senior staff of Bletchley Park.
RECAP
WHAT: Public Menorah Lighting & Celebration
WHEN: Sunday, 29 December @ 6 pm
WHERE: Bletchley Park, Sherwood Drive MK3 6EB
MORE INFO & RSVP: Participants can RSVP at bletchleypark.org.uk/chanukah
ABOUT CHABAD OF MILTON KEYNES: Chabad of Milton Keynes is run by Rabbi Yitzchak and Shuli Lew and reaches out to and welcomes every Jew, offering material and spiritual assistance to all. With the unconditional love and acceptance for which Chabad is famous, every Jew can find a sympathetic ear and helping hand, and answers to any questions they may have about Jewish life and practice. Founded in 2021, their mission was inspired by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, whose love for every Jew was legendary.
For more info about Chabad of Milton Keynes visit www.jewishmk.com
