This Chanukah, the Board of Deputies, alongside hostage advocacy organisations, are urging UK Jews to light a candle for every hostage with a British connection still held by Hamas.
It is now more than 14 months since the horrific mass terror attack of October 7, in which Hamas and associated terrorist groups murdered more than 1,200 people in southern Israel, injuring thousands more and taking 250 hostages.
The Board of Deputies, alongside the Yellow Ribbon Campaign, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum UK and the British Hostage Families are encouraging the Jewish community to join our ‘Be Their Light’ initiative.
We are urging individuals, families, communities, schools, JSocs, synagogues and youth movements to light a candle each night of Chanukah for all of these hostages
Synagogues and kosher shops around the country have been offered printed cards of the hostages with British connections to place by the Chanukiah for the campaign. A digital format is also available on our website, including cards for each night of Chanukah with a story of each hostage to be printed or posted via social media outlets. We would like members of the community to share pictures of your chanukiah with the hashtags #BeTheirLightUK and #BringThemHomeNow.
Board of Deputies President Phil Rosenberg said: “It is unbearable to contemplate that these hostages, captured in such traumatic circumstances, are still held in Gaza. At this time of darkness, we must all shine some light on their plight and pray for their release. Please join this campaign and bring them home now.”