In Moscow, for the first time since 1991, the lighting of the eight candles on Hanukkah was canceled.

For the first time since 1991, a public ceremony of lighting a large Hanukkah menorah (eight candlesticks) on the occasion of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah has been canceled in the center of Moscow. This was announced on December 14 by the press service of the Chief Rabbi of Russia Berl Lazar.

"For security reasons, the Moscow City Hall did not coordinate the candle lighting ceremony at the Hanukkah menorah on Revolution Square in Moscow," the RBC press service said.

The traditional lighting of the menorah in this square has been held annually for the past three decades, starting in 1991.

On the same day, Berl Lazar said that the attack on the beach in Sydney was a manifestation of absolute evil and showed the danger of the spread of international terrorism. He emphasized that "responsibility for the terrorist attack is borne, along with the terrorists themselves, and all those who finance them, who give them weapons, who show them support."

On December 14, criminals opened fire on people near Bondi Beach in Sydney during an event dedicated to the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. As a result of the incident, 12 people were killed and 29 others were injured. One of the armed criminals was shot dead, and the second was treated. The third attacker surrendered to the police.

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