A public menorah in the London borough of Camden has been vandalised and thrown to the ground, but the Rabbi responsible for placing the menorah for Hanukkah says “we will not surrender to darkness.”
Rabbi Yossi Baitz, said the structure had been bent in half, tipped over, and the lights had been ripped from it.
The rabbi said it revealed there was “darkness against light”.
He said: “It brings tears to my eyes, it breaks me.
“It breaks my heart to see it. But it’s not gonna stop us. 90 per cent of people oppose this.”
Im the Rabbi who worked so hard to put this Menorah as a symbol of light.
It breaks my heart to see it vandalized.
I promise to put this Menorah again every Hanukkah ,we will never surrender to darkness, pic.twitter.com/IYbNjsnBtv— Rabbi Yossi Baitz (@CamdenTownRabbi) December 8, 2021
Rabbi Baitz added on Twitter: “I’m the Rabbi who worked so hard to put this Menorah as a symbol of light. It breaks my heart to see it vandalized. I promise to put this Menorah again every Hanukkah ,we will never surrender to darkness.”
Police officers are treating the incident as a hate crime and are currently conducting enquiries.
Thanks you @metpoliceuk for the quick response sensitivity and efficiency 🙏 pic.twitter.com/GdTRtlzdZk
— Rabbi Yossi Baitz (@CamdenTownRabbi) December 8, 2021
Camden councillor Oliver Cooper said: “Chilling to see antisemitic violence strike the heart of our community yet again.
“Chanukah is about the light banishing the darkness. But my goodness there’s a lot of darkness about.”
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