Prime Minister Ciuca: Hanukkah Festival reminds us that hope and faith make us stronger

The Festival of Hanukkah symbolises light and victory, and those who light the Hanukkah candles come together to honor the memory of those sacrificed for freedom and unity, while celebrating the spiritual values of the Jewish people - solidarity, meeting between cultures, dialogue and respect, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said on Sunday, agerpres reports.

"On the occasion of the Hanukkah feast, I would like to convey my sincere wishes for peace and prosperity to the Jewish community in Romania. The Hanukkah holiday symbolises light and victory. Hanukkah reminds us that hope and faith make us stronger. I congratulate the Federation of the Jewish Communities in Romania for this celebration hosted at the Bucharest National Opera - an institution-symbol of Romanian culture, which over time has brought together artists and the public, alike, of different nationalities, beliefs and religions. Tonight, the ONB is hosting under the same roof, upon the invitation of His Excellency, Ambassador David Saranga, to celebrate the spiritual values of the Jewish people that I appreciate and support: solidarity, meeting between religions and cultures, dialogue and respect. Lighting the candles of the menorah brings us together to honor the memory of those who sacrificed themselves for freedom and unity and through whom we share hope in the future we build together under the sign of unity in diversity for us and future generations," said Prime Minister Ciuca , on the occasion of the lighting of the first Hanukkah candle.

The lighting ceremony of the first Hanukkah candle has been organized, on Sunday evening, at the Bucharest National Opera by the Embassy of the State of Israel in Romania, on which occasion the Israeli Andalusian Orchestra of Ashdod offered an extraordinary concert, under the baton of conductor Eitan Schmeisser.

From November 28 to December 6, Jews celebrate Hanukkah or Chanukah, the "Festival of Lights," one of the most important Jewish holidays.

It celebrates the Maccabees' victory about 2,000 years ago over the Seleucid monarchy in Syria, which sought to destroy the Jewish religion and hellenize the peoples under its rule.

On each of Hanukkah's eight evenings, a candle is lit in a Hanukkah menorah, or hanukkiah, a nine-branched candelabrum. The light is lit at night, and it is placed somewhere in plain sight - on the window sill or on the doorstep.