HUNDREDS of people from a plethora of faith traditions joined together to celebrate an interfaith service.

York’s Lord Mayor, Cllr Janet Looker, and her Consort, Patricia Castle, joined around a hundred others from across the faith traditions at the York Liberal Jewish Community’s annual interfaith service on Saturday at the Friargate Meeting House in York.

The service, which included an explanation of Jewish liturgy as well as the traditional prayers and songs, was led by visiting Rabbi Rachel Benjamin, who read from the community’s centuries-old Czech Torah scroll, which was rescued from the Holocaust.

Other guests included York Central Parliamentary candidates Rachael Maskell, for Labour, and James Blanchard for the Liberal Democrats, the Archbishop of York’s Chief of Staff, Revd Canon Malcolm McNaughton, Daryoush Mazloum, Chair of York Interfaith Group and York’s student Rabbi for the year, Peter Luyendjik.

The Revd Canon Dr Christopher Collingwood, Chancellor and Dean to York Minster, led a prayer on behalf of the local community.