Last year’s ceremony sparked global controversy when far-right MP Grzegorz Braun from the Confederation party disrupted the event by extinguishing the candles with a fire extinguisher, filling the parliament building with smoke. This year, Braun has announced plans to stage a protest against the celebration.
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is one of Judaism’s most significant holidays, commemorating the miracle that took place in Jerusalem’s Temple in 165 BCE.
According to Jewish tradition, candles are lit for eight nights during this holiday. Since 2007, Hanukkah candles have also been lit in the Polish Parliament.
"Just as we celebrate Christmas Eve here, we allow other national and religious minorities to feel at home in the Sejm," stated Sejm Speaker Szymon Hołownia.
The ceremony at the Museum of Independence will feature Poland’s Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich and Chabad Lubavitch leader Rabbi Shalom Stambler.
The Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony took place on December 30, 2024, in the parking area of the Independence Museum in Warsaw. The event was organized by Chabad Lubavitch and the Jewish Religious Community in Warsaw, bringing together participants to celebrate this significant tradition. Photo: PAP/Piotr Nowak
Rabbi Shalom Ber Stambler, Chairman of Chabad Lubavitch in Poland, and Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich participated in a Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony at the Independence Museum in Warsaw on December 30, 2024. Photo: PAP/Piotr Nowak
Rabbi Shalom Ber Stambler, Chairman of Chabad Lubavitch in Poland, leads a Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony at the Independence Museum in Warsaw on December 30, 2024, organized by Chabad Lubavitch and the Jewish Religious Community in Warsaw. Photo: PAP/Piotr Nowak
Following the candle lighting, attendees will enjoy a concert featuring cantors Chaim Stern and Netanel Olivitsky, pianist Menachem Bristowski, and the Oliver Andruszczenko Trio, along with a traditional Hanukkah feast.
An archive photo shows a Hanukkiah in the Polish Parliament during last year’s Hanukkah celebration, which gained global attention after far-right MP Grzegorz Braun used a fire extinguisher to douse the candles. Photo: PAP/Paweł Supernak
This year’s Hanukkah celebrations span from the evening of December 25, 2024, to January 2, 2025.
Source: IAR/X/Senat RP
(m p)