Moscow cancels Hanukkah menorah lighting first time since 1991

Menorah in Moscow in 2021. Photo: irp

In 2025, Moscow authorities canceled the traditional public lighting of the Hanukkah eight-branched menorah in the city center, the press service of Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar reported.

“For security reasons, the Moscow mayor’s office did not approve the ceremony of lighting the Hanukkah menorah on Revolution Square in Moscow. As a result, the ceremony was canceled,” the official statement said.

This is the first time the ceremony has been canceled since 1991. The annual public lighting of the menorah in the center of the Russian capital had been held for 34 consecutive years.

It is reported that the decision was taken against the backdrop of a terrorist attack in Sydney, Australia, which occurred on December 14, leaving 11 people dead and 29 injured.

Russia’s Chief Rabbi described the attack in Australia as “horrifying” and called on the international community to “finally stop the criminal terrorist international.”

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Poland’s new president refused to mark Hanukkah.

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