Around 140 people came together for a candle-lighting ceremony to celebrate Chanukah, an eight-day Jewish festival which remembers those who managed to reclaim the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

Members of Northwood United Synagogue were invited to the William Penn Chamber at Three Rivers District Council’s offices in Rickmansworth last Thursday.

The ceremony was led by Rabbi Aron Zerbib and among the guests were the chairmen of Three Rivers District and Hertfordshire County Councils, the Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, the Chief Constable of Hertfordshire, the chief executive of Three Rivers District Council, councillors and representatives from the Metropolitan Police, the Christian, Jewish, Sikh and Muslim communities.

The Lord Lieutenant, Robert Voss, was presented with a contemporary menorah by the synagogue to thank him for his participation. In accepting it, he spoke about his pride in being the only Jewish Lord Lieutenant in the country and only the second ever in history.

Following the formalities, everyone enjoyed the traditional Chanukah food of doughnuts.

Jewish people celebrate Chanukah by lighting a candle each night on a menorah.

The menorah holds nine flames which is used to light the eight.

Cllr Debbie Morris, a councillor at Three Rivers and synagogue member, said: “As the principal coordinator of this wonderful celebration of Chanukah, it gave me enormous pride to witness the coming together of people from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds and across the political spectrum. It showed that there is more that unites us than divides us.”

The eight-day festival came to an end yesterday.