Also spelled Hanukkah, the holiday is celebrated from Dec. 7 to Dec. 15 this year.
Mr. Weil said the city made its case by citing a 2015 Supreme Court of Canada decision that ruled against allowing religious prayers at municipal council meetings.
“Some members of the Jewish community have met the Mayor to explain that this decision is unfair and hurts profoundly the Jewish population of Moncton,” Mr. Weil said in the press release, posted on the community’s Facebook page.
The menorah is a central symbol of the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah. which celebrates the liberation of Jerusalem by a small group of Jewish fighters. They lit a menorah in the Holy Temple with a tiny supply of ritually pure oil, and it stayed lit for eight days.
Noting that Christmas symbols are allowed to remain on city hall grounds, which his community supports, Mr. Weil said the city’s decision about the Jewish symbol is unfair.
“It is unfair because, while banning the Jewish Menorah, the Christmas tree and the angels that are on City Hall ground will remain. The Jewish Community is happy that the tree and the angels remain, but so should the Menorah,” the president said.
‘Disturbing’
News of the alleged menorah ban triggered a barrage of criticism against Ms. Arnold and Moncton city council.Federal Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman said the decision is “disturbing” and “reminiscent of a different and much darker time in our history.”
CIJA responded on Dec. 2.
‘Extremely Insensitive’
In a series of tweets, Chris Collins, a former speaker of the New Brunswick legislative assembly, said the decision is “incredible” and called for Ms. Arnold to reverse the decision immediately.“As a reverend in the Moncton faith community, I believe that all religious symbols ought to be displayed at the appropriate time of year as a gesture of inclusiveness and welcome,” said Mr. Steeves, who represents Ward 3.
The city councillor said the timing of the decision is “extremely insensitive and callous” toward the Jewish community. “An important decision such as this should be made in public,” he said.
Mr. Steeves argued that the city’s reference to the Supreme Court ruling in 2015 does not hold water. The City of Moncton chose “to display the Menorah for the past eight years, since 2015, and for years before such.”
The city councillor questioned the “lack of transparency” on the issue, as no press release was issued before the decision was made, and neither were there public consultations nor any discussions with faith-based stakeholders conducted.
Mayor’s Apology
In an email statement sent to The Epoch Times on Dec. 4, Ms. Arnold noted the “strong reaction” to the city’s decision not to install the menorah at city hall.She said that as a growing city, Moncton is “continuously evolving its posture with respect to diversity, equity and inclusion.”
“The City wanted to be more inclusive toward our community by repositioning these faith symbols; however, we obviously fell short in this transition,” she said in her statement.
The mayor said that the city “acted too quickly” despite its intentions to “do the right thing.”
“We recognize the lack of reflection and understanding of the impact of this decision has had on our community,” she said.
“We apologize if our actions showed a lack of support toward any members of our community.”
Meanwhile, the city’s director of corporate communications, Isabelle LeBlanc, told The Epoch Times that the issue will be brought forward during the city’s regular council meeting on Dec. 4 in the evening.
