On the third night of Chanukah, the University of Westminster hosted a celebration to bring students, colleagues and community members together to experience the joy and traditions of the Jewish festival for the third year in a row.
Chanukah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish celebration that commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century BCE. Central to the holiday is the lighting of the Chanukiah, adding one candle each night to symbolise the miracle of the oil that lasted eight days instead of one.
The event, held as part of Westminster’s Programme for Enhancing Inclusion, Belonging and Sustainable Development, is part of the World in Westminster Cafes series.
For the celebration, as is traditional on Chanukah, foods such as latkes (potato cakes), sufganiyot (doughnuts) and chocolate gelt (coins) were served, dreidels (a Chanukah spinning top game) were provided for those who wished to play, candles were lit and Jewish music was played.
Debs Harris, College Support Officer for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences who organised the event alongside the University’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) Team, presented the significance and traditions of the festival, and her two young children recited the prayers.
Harris said: “Chanukah is a joyful reminder of resilience, faith and the enduring power of light over darkness, which is particularly poignant given recent events. I want to extend my thanks to all those who joined us to celebrate, learn and demonstrate support for our community. We pray for peace, tolerance and the end to all suffering for all people.”
Noam Weingarten, Senior Lecturer in the School of Computer Science and Engineering, and Co-chair of the Faith, Spirituality and Belief Colleague Network, added: "One small candle does have an impact on a room full of darkness. Let's imagine a calendar with multiple World in Westminster events, of groups of different people celebrating together. The beauty of a non-zero-sum-game system is that sharing one’s light does not diminish it, it makes more light in the world. Each person impacted by such events is their own candle, who can light up their own office or classroom, and share that light with others. In a world with so much darkness and hatred, there are beacons of light, with impact far beyond what they can comprehend.”
The Westminster’s EDI Programme is led by Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement and Employability and the Co-chair of the University’s EDI Committee Professor Dibyesh Anand. He added: “Chanukah is more than a festival; it is integral to Jewish identity. With the heightened insecurities Jewish people experience due to antisemitism in different societies, it is important for institutions to be more defiant and visible in celebrating the richness of Jewish cultures and traditions. At our University, in the spirit of being a place where everyone feels confident in being themselves, we continue to challenge prejudices and celebrate diversities. Personally, being able to light a candle on the Chanukiah, and enjoy the festivities with students, colleagues and members of the public was an honour.”
Bringing the community together at events such as this directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10: Reduced Inequalities. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about upcoming EDI events at the University of Westminster and follow the World in Westminster series on X and Instagram for updates and highlights from upcoming events.
