Fury as council objects to conventional Jewish menorah on the town centre – saying it ‘could also be insensitive to different spiritual teams’

A council is facing a backlash after objecting to a menorah in a town centre over the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, saying it may be ‘insensitive to other religious groups’.

Local Jewish groups had expressed interest in erecting the traditional nine-branched candelabra near a M&S store in Epping over the eight-day holiday at the end of this month.

But Epping Town Council has written to Essex County Council, which will decide whether to grant the licensing application, saying the proposed location for the menorah would interfere with the weekly market and could be ‘insensitive to other religious groups’.

A petition backing the religious symbol and opposing the council’s stance has collected more than 3,000 signatures.

Hanukkah celebrates the victory of a group of Jewish rebels known as the Maccabees over the ancient Greeks.

The menorah was erected in a different location in previous years, but this time the community hoped to place the candelabra in a more prominent location where it could be powered by electricity.

Now some are concerned that, with permission yet to be granted for either site, the menorah may not go up at all. 

Councillor Holly Whitbread, who sits as a Conservative on Epping Forest District Council, said: ‘The Town Council’s actions at this late stage could block the application, meaning Epping may not have a menorah this year, which would be deeply disappointing and upsetting to the hundreds of residents in our local Jewish community.’

Epping Town Council have objected to a Hanukkah menorah in the town centre over fears it could be ‘insensitive to other religious groups’ (file photo)

Rather than directly consulting residents, the decision to object was made by a ‘market committee’ without consulting the full council.

In its letter to the District Council, the committee expressed ‘disappointment’ that ‘good practice has not been followed’ with regards to the application, including a lack of ‘open conversation’.

It said it was objecting on the grounds of disruption and ‘disrespect’ to the Charter Market and risks to the safety of customers and traders, saying there were chances the menorah could be ‘damaged or sabotaged’ in such a busy location with high footfall.

The letter added: ‘Committee are further concerned that this may be insensitive to other religious groups, further affecting the safety of our Charter Market.’ 

In a statement the Town Council insisted its concerns were over the location and public safety.

It said: ‘Epping Town Council were made aware that an application had been submitted from Epping Forest District Council to Essex County Council for a Menorah to be placed outside Marks & Spencer in Epping. The town council were not consulted about this.

‘Epping Town Council have always supported the Menorah and its location on the green outside Argus Lighting, where it has been enjoyed by many and would support appropriate positioning.

‘Epping Town Council’s Market Committee submitted an objection to the application based on the limited information we were subsequently provided with.

‘The Menorah would be sited where the market was operating and was next to the public highway.

‘The Town Council will not be withdrawing the objection they have made to the location and concerns about public safety.

‘Epping Town Council have always supported the Menorah and would continue to do so in a safe and appropriate place.’

Campaign Against Antisemitism called the decision to object to the menorah ‘shameful’.

A public menorah in Islington, London. The nine-branched candelabra is lit over the eight-day festival of Hanukkah 

The group wrote in an online post: ‘Over the past year, antisemitic hate crime has quadrupled, and Jews are now the most targeted faith minority in the country, despite our minuscule numbers. 

‘You don’t fight antisemitism by cancelling Jewish events. More the opposite, actually.’

Last year a London council performed a U-turn after originally deciding Chanukah candles would not be installed amid ‘escalating tensions from the conflict in the Middle East’.

Havering Council said it had been concerned about possible vandalism against the installation, before deciding that it would go ahead following a public backlash.

And in Islington Green, hooligans tore down and smashed a menorah which had been put up by the local Chabad organisation.

The move comes amid a backdrop of a record number of antisemitic incidents being reported. 

The Community Security Trust [CST], an antisemitism awareness charity, recorded 325 university-related antisemitic incidents across British universities in the last two academic years.

MailOnline has contacted Essex County Council for comment.