Councillor decries temporary removal of city hall hanukkiah display during Jewish holiday
Sarah Petz | CBC News | Posted: December 11, 2023 9:33 PM | Last Updated: December 11, 2023
Display was taken down for 24 hours ahead of planned protest
A Winnipeg city councillor is furious over city hall's decision to temporarily remove its hanukkiah display during the Jewish holiday.
Police and city officials made the decision to take down the hannukiah (sometimes called a Hanukkah menorah) outside city hall down for 24 hours on Friday in anticipation of pro-Palestian rally Saturday over concerns it could be defaced.
However, Coun. Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry) says hiding this religious symbol is itself antisemitic.
"When you hide a religious symbol like a hanukkiah or for those at home a Hanukkah menorah, you you are really sending the wrong message," she said.
"It is supposed to be a light, and in Winnipeg ... that light should be protected, and it should be protected by having it proudly [displayed]."
The eight-day Jewish festival of light began last Thursday evening. This year, it's being celebrated amid heightened tensions both at home and abroad over the Israel-Hamas war.
Rollins put out a statement Monday morning on the temporarily removal of the city hall hanukkiah, saying this type of action "has no place at city hall or Winnipeg."
Rollins said she also found the move offensive toward the protesters as it suggests city officials thought they were going to damage it.
"The protests that we have seen at city hall or otherwise have been peaceful protests," she said.
Abundance of caution: mayor
The display was taken down Friday evening and put back up the next day following the protest outside city hall out of an abundance of caution after consulting with the Winnipeg Police Service, said Mayor Scott Gillingham.
"This was simply trying to trying to avoid any potential conflict that may have occurred," he said.
"There's been rallies and counter-rallies, there's been incidents in the past. This was just a matter of trying to be abundantly cautious."
Rabbi Avrohom Altein, director of Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish Learning Centre, said he was saddened to hear that the hanukkiah had been taken down over these concerns given the holiday's message of tolerance and hope.
"It's a wonderful thing, and I feel terrible that that people should feel frightened just because we're Jewish or it's a Jewish object," he said.
"It's totally out of place and certainly not a Winnipeg, which has a history of many different ethnic groups living together."
However, he said he wasn't offended by the decision.
"I don't know what fears they had, but if they did have [them], I can't judge in any way."
In an email, Jewish Federation of Winnipeg CEO Jeff Lieberman said the organization understands that the decision to temporarily remove the Hanukkah menorah was a proactive measure.
"Whenever groups gather there is a chance of property damage, either by mistake or malice," he said.
"We appreciate the measures taken to protect this symbol and ensure its continued presence as part of our city's holiday celebrations this year."