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UK Jewish community to celebrate anniversary in Trafalgar Square

Updated: 04/Aug/2006 17:19

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LONDON (EJP)--- The Greater London Authority has announced that the main celebrations of the 350th year of British Jewry will take place in Trafalgar Square, central London in September with an event entitled Simcha on the Square.

Controversial London Mayor Ken Livingstone will not attend the 17 September event but will instead be represented by his Jewish deputy, Nicky Gavron

2006 marks three and a half centuries since Rabbi Menasseh Ben Israel petitioned the Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell, to allow Jews to live in England.

Jews had been expelled from England since 1290 by Edward I becoming the first European nation to do so.

Bands and choirs

In a statement, the GLA said that the Mayor has provided £60,000 in funding for events to mark the 350th anniversary of Oliver Cromwell’s invitation to Jews to return to Britain.

The Trafalgar Square event, to be held from 1pm to 7pm, will be free to the public and will include Jewish food, live performance, including klezmer bands, cantors, choirs, Sephardi and world music.

Livingstone has incurred the anger of the Jewish community on numerous occasions since his election as mayor, not least last year after he compared a Jewish journalist with a concentration camp guard.

Following the incident the Board of Deputies of British Jews reported Livingstone to the Standards Board.

However, despite any burnt bridges, the mayor stressed his support for and appreciation of the contribution of London’s Jews and expressed his hope that the festival will help educate other Londoners about Judaism.

Livingstone said: “Jewish people make up one of London’s oldest communities with a long tradition of contributing to all fields of intellectual, cultural and economic life. These events will give all Londoners an opportunity to learn about and enjoy Jewish culture.

Annual events

And the mayor said he is hoping to organise events celebrating Jewish culture each year.

“I hope we can establish an annual round of events celebrating the enormous contribution to Jewish people to our city, Livingstone stated. “I am determined that not only will London remain a city which does not tolerate anti-Semitism or any other form of racism, but also that we are a city which positively celebrating the gigantic Jewish contribution to human culture and civilization over many centuries.”

Simcha on the Square is being jointly organised with the mayors office by Jewish Culture UK (JCUK), the Association of Jewish Culture Providers.

The event is part of a series of celebrations of Jewish life in the UK, including the Identities 2006 exhibition at the Jewish Museum, which the Mayor has also given support to, and which runs until 12 November.