Giant menorah lit in Berlin at start of Hanukkah

The first branch of a giant menorah display was lit at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate on Thursday at the start of the Jewish Hanukkah festival.

The lighting ceremony was led by the chairman of the Jewish Chabad Education Centre, Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal, and German Health Minister Jens Spahn. The 10-metre tall structure in Pariser Platz is believed to be the largest menorah in Europe.

The lighting ceremony took place without the usual crowd of visitors this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The display was instead live streamed in a virtual celebration. The eight-day Hanukkah holiday, which began on Thursday at sunset, is also known as the Jewish Festival of Lights.