1340 - 9th Nov 2023 by Jewish News

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VOICE OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY 9 November 2023 • 25 Cheshvan 5784 • Issue No.1340 •

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Hundreds Terror leaders’ attend stolen wealth P30 Jewish News’ annual Big Event exhibition Page 37

Three unidentified British soldiers of the Great War. Their ranks (left to right) were corporal, signaller and lance corporal

Oct-Nov 2023

Sgt Adi Danan Staff Sgt Roei Dawi

Staff Sgt Halel Solomon

We will remember them This weekend we honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice – SEE INSIDE

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Jewish News 9 November 2023

ISRAEL AT WAR

IDF pushes into Gaza and kills Hamas in hundreds firing anti-tank missiles at Israeli soldiers. More than 14,000 targets have been hit in Gaza, while more than The Israeli army continued to 100 tunnel entrances have been expand its ground offensive in Gaza destroyed and 4,000 weapons caplast night as it divided the Strip into tured, the IDF has said. The hunt for Hamas leader north and south and killed hundreds of Hamas terrorists above Yahya Sinwar also continued, with Netanyahu comparing him to Adolf and below ground. Prime Minister Benjamin Net- Hitler and his last days in a bunker anyahu said: “In the south, the during the Second World War. war is moving forward with force Thirty-one Israeli soldiers have that Hamas has never seen. Gaza been killed since Israel launched City is surrounded. We are oper- the ground offensive. Hamas said that more than ating within it, we are deepening 10,000 Palestinians were the pressure on Hamas every hour, every day.” killed in Gaza, including Defence minister more than 4,000 chilYoav Gallant added dren. The terrorist that Israeli soldiers group does not, however, clarify were now “in the how many of those heart” of Gaza killed were Hamas City, attacking members. Hamas both on the The humaniground, from the tarian aid consea and air. tinued to enter The army released several Gaza, with more than 600 trucks videos from the entering the enclave ground offensive, so far, containing food, showing rocket launchers water and medical suphidden in a youth Hamas terrorist centre, near a hospital Mohsen Abu Zina plies. France announced it was in talks with Egypt and a mosque, as well as about setting up a field hospital terror tunnels in civilian areas. Israel also continued to pro- to treat wounded Palestinians in vide evidence to Western leaders, the Sinai desert, while the United showing how Hamas operates Arab Emirates prepared to set up either in or directly under three its own field hospital in Gaza. The United States continued to hospitals in Gaza. The army assassinated senior push for a humanitarian pause in Hamas commanders the past Gaza, to allow more aid in to the week, some of whom were directly Strip and to avoid potential casualresponsible for the 7 October mas- ties among hostages held by Hamas. Netanyahu told ABC News sacre. Yesterday, the army said it had targeted several Hamas cells that “tactical pauses” could be an by Jotam Confino in Israel jotam@jewishnews.co.uk @mrconfino

The ground offensive in Gaza is continuing to expand

Hunt for Hamas’ leader continues

option, with “an hour here and there”, which the army already has attempted in the past couple of days to allow civilian Palestinians to leave northern Gaza. Gallant elaborated on Israel’s stance, saying: “Humanitarian pauses, to me, means first and foremost the [return of the] captives held by the savages. There will be no humanitarian pauses without [the return of ] the hostages.” As for the future of the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu shed light on Israel’s plans, telling ABC News that Israel will for an “indefinite period have security responsibility. “We’ve seen what happens when we don’t have that… security responsibility, what we have is the eruption of Hamas terror on a scale that we couldn’t imagine.” Gallant also commented on the day after Hamas in Gaza, saying: “There will be no security threat to Israel from Gaza, and Israel will retain complete freedom of action, to respond to any situation in the Gaza Strip that poses any kind of threat.” The United States’ secretary of state Antony Blinken embarked on a whirlwind diplomatic tour in the Middle East last weekend, where both the humanitarian pause and a plan for the day after Hamas were discussed with his counterparts in Iraq, Turkey, Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

IDF soldiers in Gaza, where they have destroyed 100 tunnel entrances

Yesterday, Blinken met with his counterparts from the G7 countries, which issued a statement on the war, saying: “All parties must allow unimpeded humanitarian support for civilians, including food, water, medical care, fuel and shelter, and access for humanitarian workers.” In the West Bank, the IDF continued to conduct daily army raids against terrorist groups, arresting more than 1,000 Palestinians, of whom more than 600 are members of Hamas. More than 130 Palestinians have been killed in clashes with IDF in the West Bank since 7 October. On the northern front, the first Israeli civilian was killed in an antitank missile fired by Hezbollah in Lebanon across the border, causing Israel to launch several airstrikes

at the terrorist group. Rockets were also launched from Lebanon, but Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah is yet to give the green light for an allout war, instead opting for limited cross-border attacks. The United States sent a nuclearcapable submarine to the Middle East earlier this week in what was seen as an effort to deter Iran and Hezbollah from entering Israel’s war with Hamas. Netanyahu also repeated his threat against Nasrallah, saying: “We will continue to respond with heavy fire to any attack against us. We have attacked many Hezbollah targets and have eliminated many terrorists. I reiterate: if Hezbollah decides to enter the war – it will be making the mistake of its life.”

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9 November 2023 Jewish News

ISRAEL AT WAR

Israelis call for release of hostages

Thousands of Israelis demonstrated against the government this week, demanding an immediate realise of their relatives held hostage in Gaza, writes Jotam Confino. Gatherings took place in Haifa, Eilat, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, with some sleeping in tents in front of the military headquarter in Tel Aviv. On Tuesday, Israel held a minute’s silence in honour of the hostages and the victims of the 7 October massacre, which left 1,400 killed and more than 240 hostages in Gaza. Vigils and memorial gatherings took place across the country, including at the Western Wall, where thousands were praying for the release of the hostages, commemorating those who were killed and lit a ‘Torch of Life.” The Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum launched the torch project in an effort to compel global action against Hamas’ crimes and bring the hostages home, saying the torch will travel to cities worldwide before reaching the UN headquarters, where it will burn until all return.

They said: “The fire of the terrorists scorched the lands of kibbutzim, moshavim, communities, and the festival grounds but the burning fire within us and within our loved ones held by Hamas in Gaza has not been extinguished. The torch will burn until everyone returns home in peace.” Candles were lit around the fountain at Dizengoff square in Tel Aviv, with pictures of the hostages hanging everywhere. Teddy bears and hundred of beds and cots were placed at Habima Square, drawing a large crowd at the sit-in demonstration. Hamas has claimed that 60 of the hostages held in Gaza have been killed, something Israel has dismissed as psychological warfare by the terrorist group. Israel believes that Hamas holds 241 hostages, which includes people from at least 27 countries. Diplomatic efforts to release the hostages have been intensifying in the past four weeks, with Qatar playing a crucial role due to its close relationship with Hamas. Four hostages, alll female, have been released so far.

Candles around the fountain of Dizengoff Square, Tel Aviv

CALIFORNIA JEW, 69, DIES AFTER BEING ‘HIT ON HEAD’ AT RALLY

Paul Kessler was reportedly struck with a megaphone

A 69-year-old Jewish man in California has died after a confrontation during protests about the IsraelHamas war on Sunday. Paul Kessler was reportedly struck over the head with a megaphone during the rallies in Los Angeles, and died in hospital the following day. According to a statement from the Ventura County Sheriff’s

Department, witnesses said Kessler was involved in a “physical altercation” with one or more counterprotesters, “fell backward and struck his head on the ground”. The sheriff ’s office said it had not taken any suspect into custody following the incident, which appeared “to be isolated and not part of a large effort”.

Footage on social media appeared to show Kessler lying on the ground and holding his head. The autopsy said Kessler died from a blunt force head injury and it was homicide, according to the sheriff ’s department. Investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the act was a hate crime.

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Jewish News 9 November 2023

YAEL NEEDS TO TALK ABOUT WHAT SHE HEARD ON 7TH OCTOBER As Yael and her young children were barricaded in the safe room of their house in Netiv Asara, all they could hear was the non-stop sound of screams. For seven hours. Although she had never even held a weapon before, her husband had given her his gun and seven bullets before they went in. As one-by-one her neighbours were hunted down and murdered, one of those bullets would ultimately save her family. UJIA is raising essential funds to provide instant trauma support to those whose lives have been torn apart by the recent terror attacks in Israel.

TO DONATE NOW TO THE UJIA ISRAEL AT WAR COMMUNITY APPEAL, VISIT UJIA.ORG OR SCAN THE QR CODE

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9 November 2023 Jewish News

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ISRAEL AT WAR

Pope urged to use his ‘moral voice’ to help Israeli hostages by Lee Harpin in Rome lee@jewishnews.co.uk @lmharpin

A delegation of European rabbis have met with Pope Francis in the Vatican and presented him with a letter from the families of some of the Israeli hostages captured by Hamas, asking him to use his “moral voice” to seek their swift return. During warm but frank discussions between the religious leaders, there was a reference to ongoing violence in Israel and in Gaza and the troubling rise of antisemitic demonstrations across the continent. While Pope Francis issued “strong condemnation” of rising antisemitism, he seemed clear in his view that “dialogue” rather than the folly of bitter hatred” would eventually be required to resolve the conflict. The Vatican had confirmed on Monday that the Pope had been suffering from a cold and had decided not to read a prepared speech to a delegation from the Conference of European Rabbis to save time so he could greet them individually. But in a prepared speech he told a delegation of the Conference of European Rabbis (CER), headed by the president, Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, that “my first

thought and prayer goes, above all else, to everything that has happened in the last few weeks”. He continued: “Yet again violence and war have erupted in that land blessed by the Most High, which seems continually assailed by the vileness of hatred and the deadly clash of weapons. The spread of antisemitic demonstrations, which I strongly condemn, is also of great concern.” The pontiff added: “I would like to reflect on the art of dialogue. Human beings, who have a social nature and who live in contact with others, find their fulfilment in the weaving of social relationships.” Stressing how “dialogue with Judaism is particularly important for us Christians, because we have Jewish roots”, the Pope warned against “the brusque passion of vengeance and the folly of bitter hatred”. He said: “How important it is, therefore, for us believers to be witnesses of dialogue.” Jewish News was invited to Rome ahead of the delegation’s Vatican visit and also to attend a dinner that evening with top rabbis. Following the meeting, Goldschmidt said:”I met with Pope Francis in the Vatican City in Rome to discuss the ongoing violence in Israel and the troubling rise of antisemitic demon-

Pope Francis met wth Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt at the Vatican

strations across the continent. “With recent news of violence in Dagestan and attacks against synagogues across Europe, the spread of antisemitic behaviour was ‘strongly condemned’ by the Pope, who has long highlighted the value of his relationship with the CER and denounced antisemitic violence of any kind. This condemnation highlights the urgent need to combat such violence and uphold values of tolerance and unity. “I presented Pope Francis with a letter from the families of the hostages and the Pope shared with me the urgency of returning the hostages to their families. We then discussed new

ideas and thoughts regarding solving the current hostage situation.” Also at the meeting was Dr Boris Mints, who said: “It was wonderful to hear his condemnation of growing antisemitic demonstrations in Europe and his prayers for peace. “He received the letter from the families of 242 Israeli hostages, which called on him to use his ‘moral voice’ to seek their swift return, with solemnity and grace. “Pope Francis’ blessing and message of tolerance and hope were gratefully received by all and it reaffirmed our stance to seek an end to the violence and hatred in Israel.”

Later on Monday, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani was among the speakers at a prize dinner held by the CER at the Villa Miani banqueting hall in Rome. Tajani offered words of support to those attending the dinner, pledging the support of the Italian government both to its Jewish community and to the state of Israel. He also backed Israel’s right to strike back at Hamas after the 7 October atrocities. In a his speech, the Chief Rabbi warned that Hamas wished to take the world back to the Middle Ages with an ideology he said was “fake” and would ultimately fail in the same way communism had. The prestigious Rabbi Moshe Rosen prize was awarded to Benedikt Franke, chief executive officer and vice chairman of the annual Munich Security Conference, which has attracted speakers including US secretary of state Antony Blinken and UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly in recent years. In a well-received speech, Franke warned that “without an end to quasi impunity for terrorist states and organisations diplomacy will have no chance.” He spoke of the urgent need to fight “radicalism and intolerance in all its forms”.

Huge demand for AJEX GOVE SEEKS FUNDING TO Remembrance Sunday TACKLE RADICAL ISLAMISTS By Michelle Rosenberg

A huge number of people have signed up to march in this year’s AJEX Remembrance Parade & Ceremony, taking place on Sunday 19 November. AJEX The Jewish Military Association expects there to be more attendees than last year, including spectators, showing solidarity in light of rising antisemitism in the UK. By participating in this significant event, community members will proudly be celebrating Jewish service to the Crown and our integral place in British society, reaffirming our values and history. The Parade and Ceremony honours and Remembers the thousands of Jewish servicemen and women who fought and served for our freedom. This year, this historic event is themed on ‘Side by Side’ and will witness veterans and families of fallen

veterans, march side by side in solidarity and with pride, honouring their legacy. There is still time to sign up to march – register by 12 November. For those not marching AJEX welcomes the community to come, stand proud and support the marchers by spectating on the day. This is the only Jewish event that Whitehall is closed for and is also part of Mitzvah Day, therefore no better occasion to make the mitzvah of Remembrance. AJEX national chair Dan Fox said: “The annual parade sits at the very heart of what it means to be British and Jewish. It is a commemoration of everything the UK has done for Jews. And everything Jews have done for the UK. It is in defiance of the most vicious antisemitic libels – and everyone who attends does themselves, their family, their community and country proud.”

A representative from CST said: “The parade commemorating the sacrifice made by Jewish veterans of His Majesty’s armed forces is an event that CST works tirelessly alongside Police to protect every year and 2023 will be no different. We encourage anyone who is so inclined to attend as normal, our community is proud of the contribution we have made to the United Kingdom and nothing will stand in the way of our community marching proudly on Sunday.” This year’s parade will mark the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, the Dam Busters raid, and the 70th anniversary of the end of fighting in the Korean War. It will also commemorate the end of National Service 60 years ago. For 350 years British Jews have served in the UK’s armed forces – with many continuing to do so today.

Michael Gove has approached the Treasury over the funding of a “national cohesion and counter-extremism plan” with new focus on tackling radical Islamist ideology in the UK, writes Lee Harpin. Jewish News understands that emphasis has been placed on the proposals in recent weeks after pro-Palestine demos across Britain have seen fringe groups calling for “jihad” and “intifada” on Britain’s streets. Gove’s Levelling Up, Housing and Communities department had already commenced a review into current definitions of extremism earlier this year. Sources say the minister has asked for around £40million in funding from the Treasury in order to kickstart the counter-extremism project. One insider said: “The recent upsurge in extremist anti-Israel activity on Britain’s streets, along with the small pockets of support for the proscribed Hamas organisation, are an obvious sign of how the government has taken its eye off of the ball in recent years to this problem. “Gove is more convinced than ever of the need for a proper new and long-term government response.” The review into existing definitions of extremism was started over fears that radical

Islamist organisations along with groups on the far-right, were currently able to operate without fear of breaking the law in the UK. Even though many of these groups held views that were deemed to be a threat to British democracy. Reports last weekend suggested Gove had begun talks with the Home Office over a possible new definition of extremism which would include any person who is deemed to “undermine” the country’s institutions and its values. Groups that could fall foul of any new definition reportedly included the anti-Israel group Palestine Action and the Muslim advocacy organisation Mend (Muslim Engagement & Development). It is understood that some around the communities secretary believe the government has “taken its eye off of the ball” in relation to the continued threat posed to the UK by radical Islamist ideology. The global scale and impact of the pandemic and the response of government’s around the world was an obvious reason for focus being diverted away from counter-terrorism projects. Gove is also believed to want to mirror the work that used to be done by think tanks such as the Quilliam Foundation, which shut in 2020, into counter-extremism and Islamism.

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Jewish News 9 November 2023

ISRAEL AT WAR

Jewish media across world unite to issue stark warning In historic first, Jewish News and the Jerusalem Post bring together more than 30 news outlets to publish an open letter on the rising tide of Jew hate In an unprecedented moment in Jewish history, more than 30 Jewish media outlets spanning continents and religious affiliations united this week to write a powerful open letter about the situation in Israel and its impact on world Jewry, as public protests against Israel continue and levels of antisemitic attacks rise. The project, initiated by Jewish News in London and the Jerusalem Post in Israel, is being supported by more than 30 news outlets in seven countries. Quoting former Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, who “likened antisemitism to a constantly evolving virus”, the authors note how antisemitism is “a deeply ingrained malignancy, lingering beneath the surface of society”. The letter continues that “until recent days, the extent and intensity of this virulent strain of hatred were tragically underestimated.” (The open letter can be read in full on page 36). The letter adds: “Some of those who propagate hatred, concealing their prejudice under the veneer of being ‘anti-Israel’, no longer find it necessary to obscure their malice... “We’re witnessing raw hatred against Jews in cities across the globe… And yet, what we’ve seen so far isn’t even our worst fear. Our gravest concerns lie in what the future might hold.” The letter also questions the response from the wider world: “Why are so many good people still silent when cheerleaders for terrorists decide the worse massacre of our co-religionists

so many people echo and excuse hateful chants is profound.” Yet, despite these very real challenges and “the level of fear among our readers [being] like nothing in living memory”, the authors remain steadfast as they look to the future: “Please don’t, however, mistake this growing fear for a lack of determination to fight our corner as citizens deserving of support and protection in our home nations, or doubt our solidarity as a people numbering just 16 million. “In fact, we’ve never been so determined, so energised, so united and so proud… The unity has been a light in the darkness.” The letter concludes with a powerful plea: “We call on the world to listen and treat us as you would want to be treated. It The letter says unity has been a ‘light in the darkness’ shouldn’t be too much to ask.” Justin Cohen, news editor at Jewish News. since the Holocaust is a good moment to open up a second, global front targeting Jews on who initiated the project, said: “While fear among readers hasn’t been this profound campus, at work and at home?” The authors acknowledge, “Clearly not in living memory, we’ve also never been so everyone marching under the Palestinian flag united across borders and political views. The fantasises about our deaths or the destruction fact so many media outlets have been able of the world’s only Jewish state… please try to to come together for the first time in Jewish understand that whether it’s one person, 100 history is another expression of the unprecepeople or 10,000, the chilling impact of seeing dented times we find ourselves in, as Jews are

targeted globally like never before. This project, however, is also an opportunity to thank those who have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us over the last four weeks.” Zvika Klein, deputy editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, said: “As an Israeli news group, telling the story of Israel to the Jewish world and of the Jewish world to Israelis, we are worried about the two fronts threatening the Jewish people. This display of unity between journalists is moving, and will hopefully make the world understand: Never Again.” This historic project was initiated by Jewish News in the UK and is organised in partnership with the Jerusalem Post. The publications supporting this initiative are: Jewish News (UK); the Jerusalem Post; Australian Jewish News; Radio Chai (France); RCJ French Jewish radio; Radio Jai (Argentina); Cleveland Jewish News; Columbus Jewish News; Akron Jewish News; JNS; Jewish Telegraph (UK); Washington Jewish Week; South African Jewish Report; Jewish Exponent; The Jewish Journal; Baltimore Jewish Times; Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle; the Detroit Jewish News; Hadassah Magazine (US); IJN - Denver; the St Louis Jewish Light; Enlacejudio.com (Mexico); The Jewish Standard; New Jersey Jewish News; The Jewish Star; Diario Judio (Mexico); Southern Jewish Life, the South’s Jewish magazine; TC Jewfolk; Cincy Jewfolk

VIOLENCE BY SETTLERS MUST BE STOPPED BY RICHARD MIRON

FORMER SPOKESPERSON, UN SECRETARYGENERAL’S ENVOY IN JERUSALEM

Like wheels within wheels, another smaller conflict is taking place adjacent to the battle the Israel Defence Forces is waging against Hamas. This one is being carried out by radical Jewish settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, with the use of violence to intimidate, dispossess and provoke further conflict that will serve their extremist agenda. Left unchecked, these activities could spin out of control, resulting in widespread bloodshed and political chaos. The settlers have deliberately embarked on this dirty campaign of action while the attention of many Israelis and the international community is distracted by the

intense fighting in Gaza. Far from being rogue or isolated incidents, the settlers’ actions are – in many instances – assisted in word and deed by their ultra-nationalist patrons, who occupy prominent positions within the Israeli government. Itamar Ben-Gvir – the far-right wing internal security minister – has described the deadly activities of settlers as ‘graffiti’ and is fuelling the fire by distributing weapons to his faithful to arm a new militia, in the name of protecting (Jewish) Israelis. The extremists in the West Bank, and their leaders, have become emboldened over the years by the weakness and – sometimes – complicity of the Israeli army to their renegade activities. As a reporter I went out with a Palestinian olive farmer whose trees had been cut down by settlers in an act of intimidation and vandalism. Sitting on a ridge in the garden of his home overlooking the trees was a settler in an army uniform. When I asked him

about the destruction of the trees, he dismissed me, saying I was getting in the way of his “pastoral view”. The current conflict has extended a greater opportunity for the settlers to extend their view and hold on the West Bank. In the past week alone, Dror Etkes, a well-known Israeli anti-settlement activist, has recorded four new locations in the northern West Bank where diggers have been at work laying new roads, flattening land and bringing trailers into place. Even before Hamas’ monstrous attack of 7 October, settler violence was proliferating. According to the UN, there were an average of three incidents every day against Palestinians in 2023 prior to October (up a third on the previous year). In the past four weeks, this has jumped to seven a day and included murders of Palestinian civilians by settlers. Aan estimated 800 Palestinians have also been displaced from their homes under threat of violence. The settlers are using political

power along with brute force to achieve their objectives. A member of the far-right Otzma Yehudit Party, Zvi Sukkot, has just been appointed chairman of the Knesset subcommittee for Judea and Samaria (The West Bank), giving him significant powers to review and oversee activities in the Occupied Territories. At the same time, Bezalel Smotrich, the Finance Minister (and member of the same party), has halted the transfer of Palestinian Authority (PA) funds that Israel holds. This money goes to pay salaries for PA employees and withholding it generates frustration and anger among Palestinians. The head of the Shin Bet has expressed his worries about ‘an eruption’ in the West Bank. But where there are realistic fears on the one side, there is dangerous fantasy on the other. Sukkot, Smotrich, Ben-Gvir and their followers are pursuing a fanatical dream of Jewish religious supremacy

over all the land including Gaza and the West Bank, with as few Arabs as possible. The notion of a flourishing liberal democratic Israel and any accommodation with the Palestinians fills them with horror. So, adding to the conflict serves their purposes. An explosion of Palestinian violence in the West Bank provoked by settler attacks, land expropriations and the threat of economic collapse plays straight into their hands for even greater violence and dispossession. That is why, as the war deepens in Gaza, so the dangers are growing of another front opening up in the West Bank. Ordinary Israelis are facing extraordinary challenges. They are fighting a perilous war in Gaza, while seeking the return of their kidnapped brothers and sisters and grieving the loss of so many at the hands of Hamas. But they face additional dangers from extremists within their midst which they cannot afford to overlook.

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9 November 2023 Jewish News

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ISRAEL AT WAR

Death begets death begets death, until the cycle breaks BY NICKY WOOLF

JOURNALIST & PODCASTER I have been asked twice in my life if my surname is Jewish. The first was when I was covering a congressional election in Louisiana for the Guardian – by David Duke, former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan “Woolf,” he said. “Is that a Jewish name?” It is, I replied. “What do you think about Israel,” he asked. I said, “I don’t think about it very much.” The second time was two weeks later, by an IDF soldier. I was flying out of Ben-Gurion at 6am and was late for my flight. “Woolf,” he said. “Is that a Jewish name?” It’s a common experience for a diaspora Jew visiting the Holy Land. What he was getting at was: why had I not exercised the right offered to all Jews worldwide to join the Zionist project? To serve in the Israeli army. To do my duty. It was that second time that angered me most. I am proud to be a British Jew. I grew up in Golders Green. I was barmitzvahed at Alyth Synagogue. My grandfather fought Mosely’s fascists at Cable Street and then the Nazis in the British Royal Artillery. Don’t get me wrong. I understand the desire for a homeland. I feel it too. But when I think about my own birthright, it is as an exile from eastern Europe, not Egypt. I yearn for the shtetl, not the desert.

Still, I always loved Passover. The ritual telling of the escape from bondage in Egypt is told in my favourite way: through food. Charoset, the mortar of the pyramids. The saltwater of our tears. The horseradish in Hillel’s sandwich is bitter, but the experience is sweet. This is my faith; my religion. The telling of stories. We remember. To that soldier at the airport though, I am, without my consent, part of a war. It doesn’t matter that, to me, those we recall at Passover are a people – not a land. Why must so many die for a metaphor? The mindset of Masada looms large. The point is being made that Jews are murdered, kicked out of everywhere, eventually. Perhaps – some say inevitably – that will be true again. Antisemitic graffiti is spreading. As a journalist, I cover the rise of neo-Nazism. Now, I see anti-Israel protests and antisemitic rhetoric blending even closer together. That, people say, shows why we need this state. These missiles. These tanks. I understand that. I feel the fear too. This is going to get me in trouble. This whole piece is. But. Israel created a pressure-cooker in Gaza. A ghetto. Made Palestinians second-class citizens. That in no way excuses the monstrous crimes of Hamas. But the historical undermining of more moderate Palestinian leadership by Netanyahu and other right-wing figures made it, perhaps, inevitable. The crushing of Palestinians, whose claim to their own ancestral land never struck me as illegitimate, has been relentless.

Hell on earth: Gazan civilians come to terms with the devastation

The cynicism of the settler movement, which made peace impossible by forcing change in the “facts on the ground,” is repellent. Now thousands of civilians on both sides are dead. The thing that makes me proudest to be a Jew is the Talmudic principle of pikuach nefesh. That the saving of a human life takes precedence over biblical law. Mati Goldstein, commander of the mission to rescue victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, encapsulated that ideal. “We did everything to save lives, despite Shabbat,” he said. “People asked, ‘Why are you here? There are no Jews here,’ but we are here because the Torah orders us to save lives... We are desecrating Shabbat with pride.” That is my Judaism.

Israel’s current government is the most hardline it’s ever been. “There is a time for peace and a time for war. Now is a time for war,” said Benny Gantz, the opposition leader who has joined the emergency coalition. Galit Distel Atbaryan, an Israeli lawmaker – former minister, with bitter irony, of public diplomacy – called for Israel to “erase all of Gaza from the face of the earth.” Launching what he described as a “complete siege” of Gaza, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said “We are fighting against human animals,” adding “Gaza won’t return to what it was before. We will eliminate everything.” I am locked in a hellish quandary. I want two irreconcilable things: to distance myself from a nationalistic

militarism that disgusts me – but also, since it is in my name and my ancestors’, founded in the memory of smoke and ash, to hold Israel to an unrealistic, unfair higher standard. It is self-indulgent; shameful, in a way, to make this about me – narcissistic; rooted, even, in an anti-Semitic framework that wants to make Jew and Zionist the same. But sometimes when talking about Israel, even here, I say “we” and other times “they.” I am aware this is untenable. But I can’t stop it. The deployment of overwhelming military force cannot make right Hamas’s terrorist atrocity. Frankly, nothing can. And nothing will. More: it plays into their hands. Those who use civilians as human shields need their opponents to take the bait. It is a trap. That it is in response to horror cannot excuse more horror. The killing of civilians doesn’t make anyone safer. We Jews are not free from oppression just because we now have the means and, horribly, the apparent will, to oppress others. I understood Israel’s pride in making the desert bloom, but cannot understand why, in order to do so, it must also make it burn. “There is no solution,” BenGurion said back in in 1919. Maybe he was right. Death begets death begets death. Until this cycle is broken – and I have no idea by who, or how – all that’s left is despair. • Nicky Woolf is a journalist and podcaster. His latest shows are the Audible original series Finding Q, and The Sound: Mystery of Havana Syndrome

SIX CHARGED AND PRO-HAMAS BOOK SOLD A pamphlet reported to support Hamas has been found on sale at a pro-Palestinian march in London, writes Joy Falk. Six people have been charged after protests in the capital on Saturday, Scotland Yard said. Five were charged with failing to comply with conditions imposed under the Public Order Act, and one was charged with failing to comply with a direction given under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, the force said. One arrest was made on Sunday for a public order offence after a man allegedly made antisemitic comments in Parliament Square. Rishi Sunak and his home secretary Suella Braverman have expressed concern about the prospect of further pro-Palestine protests on Saturday, which could clash with

Armistice Day. The Met said it “fully appreciated the national significance of Armistice Day” and pledged to deploy thousands of officers in an “extensive security operation”, adding: “We will use all powers and tactics at our disposal to ensure that anyone intent on disrupting it will not succeed.” Campaign Against Antisemitism called on Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to use his powers under section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986 to ban next week’s march. “Section 13 powers allow the police to prohibit processions if other powers under the Act do not suffice to prevent serious public disorder. As we have seen over the past month, that threshold is now met,” the pressure group said. Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden voiced “grave concerns” over the scheduling

This pamplet has been found on sale

of the march, telling Sky News that demonstrations on this sensitive day could lead to unrest or be misconstrued as a sign of intimidation, especially towards the Jewish community. “At a time that is meant to be a solemn remembrance of the sacrifice of previous generations and upholding our British values, the police need to think very carefully about the safety of that demonstration,” he said. Four police officers were hurt on Saturday after protesters gathered in Trafalgar Square. They climbed on the square’s fountains as the mostly peaceful group waved flags and banners. At least one protester carried a banner which read “Let’s keep the world clean”, with a picture of an Israeli flag being thrown into a bin.

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ISRAEL AT WAR

National Library of Israel will house all 7 October testimony The National Library of Israel will house all the audio/video recordings, online messages, press clips and ephemera from social media, civil institutions, military and governments from the terrorist attacks of 7 October, writes Jenni Frazer. Based in Jerusalem, the library will serve as the central repository for the dozens of projects collecting testimony from across the Jewish world. The goal is to create an authoritative database encompassing all the evidence, documentation, media coverage and outreach activities, for the benefit of Jewish communal memory and historical research, and to make this evidence available and accessible for the long-term. Partners in this important initiative include: the Israel Oral History Association (ILOHA), the Oral History Division at the Avraham

Harman Institute of Contemporary Jewry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; the Association of Israeli Archivists; the Zvi Yavetz School of Historical Studies at Tel Aviv University; the USC Shoah Foundation; the Association of Jewish Libraries; the Berman Archive at Stanford University; the Israeli Civil Administration; the Leadership Forum for War Documentation Initiatives; Edut 710; Moked Arava. The Israeli Civil Administration has already transferred about 200,000 photos and videos collected by its operations room to the National Library to be preserved for future generations. To date, the project has determined there are tens of thousands of texts, audio and video recordings of fallen victims and fighters, interviews with survivors, families of hostages, plus hundreds of

The library will partner with organisations across the globe

thousands of video recordings created by the IDF and the security forces, advocacy organizations, private individuals – as well as by the terrorists themselves. In addition, the project will document and preserve websites related to the massacre and the war, as well as posts on X (Twitter), Facebook, TikTok,

Instagram, and other digital media, as well as publications from government ministries and more. The Library is also looking into ways of providing assistance to historical community archives damaged or destroyed in the course of the Hamas attack. Dr Raquel Ukeles, head of collections at the National

Library, said: “It is already clear that even after the war’s end, the need to understand, study, and research the events of October 7th and the current war, and their social, cultural, military and political consequences will remain relevant and important for decades to come. The work of collecting, preserving materials, and making them publicly available requires the combined resources and joint commitment of all of the organisations that deal with documentation and preservation, and we are grateful to all who participate.” The project has the cooperation and support of the Israel Ministry of Heritage. Organisations, grassroots initiatives, and/or individuals interested in contributing materials to the National Library of Israel documentation project, or wishing to learn more about it and its partners, are asked to visit www.nli.org.il.

Ireland isn’t neutral, says ambassador The Israeli ambassador in Dublin has said she does not believe Ireland is politically neutral in respect of the Israel-Hamas conflict, as she warned of a “wave of antisemitism” internationally. Dana Erlich was speaking after a screening of footage for reporters at the Israeli embassy which showed Hamas’ October 7 attack. She said the 43-minute footage, which included an attack on a kibbutz and Re’im music festival, was “historically important” as it was “the most horrific attack on Jewish people since the Holocaust.”

Netanyahu suspends ‘n-bomb’ minister Benjamin Netanyahu suspended a far-right minister from his coalition after he suggested Israel could drop a nuclear bomb on Gaza. Heritage minister Amichai Eliyahu was asked by Radio Kol Berama whether dropping a nuclear bomb could be an option for Israel to deal with Hamas. “That’s one way. The second way is to work out what’s important to them, what scares them, what deters them… They’re not scared of death,” he replied, adding that he “prays and hopes” for the return of the 241 hostages.

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ISRAEL AT WAR

Muslim Londoner’s gifts for Jewish pupils A member of the Muslim community in north London bought gifts for pupils of a Jewish school that had been vandalised with bright red paint, writes Michelle Rosenberg. The generous gesture came within days of the 7 October Hamas attacks in Israel as antisemitism began to rise across the world, with examples including wall daubings at two Jewish Orthodox schools in Stamford Hill. Speaking to Jewish News, a Hatzola responder volunteer from Stamford Hill said the generous and life-affirming gesture had left him stunned.

He said: “There was a knock on the door of our training room at the base. Security said there was someone outside. I went to the front gate and there was a very visibly Muslim man with a beard. He had a Carmel shopping bag from our local grocery store. “At first I thought perhaps Hatzola had saved his life, because sometimes people come and show their appreciation. But he started telling me that he’d read in the news that someone had gone and splashed red paint on the gates of some Jewish school. “He didn’t know the address of

the school so he was looking for someone who could give something to those girls. “He was really distraught about it and he wanted to show his sympathy with the kids. So, he went to the shop, Sainsbury’s, he bought a bunch of flowers. “And then he said he knew we only ate kosher, so he went to a kosher shop, Carmel, and he bought four trays of really nice chocolates. I think they cost around £12 each. He didn’t mention that, obviously. But he spent well over £50. “He handed it all over and before I could even ask for his name, he

The flowers and chocolates gifted to a Hatzola volunteer

jumped on his bike, and just biked off. I was left a bit stunned. It was a really nice feeling. I went back upstairs to my base and showed it all to my colleagues. It was obviously quite close to the attacks that had just happened. The pain was really

strong then. It gave us a really good feeling to know there are still people in the world that care.” * If you know who this wonderful man is, please get in touch with Jewish News as we would love to thank him on behalf of the Jewish community.

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OurCrowd launches fund for firms impacted by war Leading global investment platform OurCrowd this week launched a Resilience Fund to support its Israel-based portfolio companies that are being impacted by the war, writes Candice Krieger. The Israel Resilience Fund will also focus on Israeli pipeline companies, including incubator ones, that are negatively impacted by the ongoing crisis, and/or produce technologies relevant to addressing problems arising from the current situation. Our Crowd, considered to be the most active tech investor in Israel, is waiving all management fees and carried interest for all investments in the fund. Its founder and CEO Jon Medved said: “We have launched the Israel Resilience Fund

so investors can support Israel in its time of need by investing in the country’s critical tech ecosystem, strengthening startups and employment during time of crisis.” According to the company’s website, Israel’s tech sector employs more than 14 percent of all workers in Israel, produces over 18 percent of Israel’s GDP and contributes about 50 per cent of Israel’s exports. It says: “Israeli startups are impacted by the war triggered by Hamas’ murderous attacks but most are resilient and continuing operations. “However, Israel’s economy both now and in the future will suffer greatly if it loses a significant number of early-stage companies, which are particularly susceptible

following a challenging period in the market and a global downturn in venture funding.” Prominent tech entrepreneur and Israel’s former science and technology minister, Izhar Shay, whose son Yaron was killed during the 7 October terror attacks by Hamas, has joined the fund’s advisory board. He said: “You want to invest in Israeli innovation because you want to make money. The second motivation is that we are doing the right thing. You also want to make your investments to provide for a better world. Our response to destruction and atrocities and inhumanity is building and innovating and providing solutions and opportunities for a better world.”

POLICE ADVISER WHO LED DEMO CHANT SUSPENDED The police adviser and solicitor who was filmed leading chants of “From the river to the sea” has been suspended by the Metropolitan Police. Attiq Malik was in the force’s Lambeth operations room monitoring protests in central London last month. He was recorded in 2021 making the speech, ending it with the chant “from the river to the sea”, the Sunday Telegraph reported. Malik is the chair of the London Muslim Communities Forum, a body that advises the Met. In a response to the video shared by the newspaper, the Met said he had expressed views that “appear antisemitic and contrary with our values”. The decision comes after the Telegraph uncovered a video of Malik, chair of the London Muslim Communities Forum, orchestrating chants of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be

free” during a demo in May 2021. Downing Street described the footage as “deeply offensive“ to many, particularly the Jewish community. Scotland Yard said: “The video has brought to our attention that the chair of the London Muslim Communities Forum has expressed views in a way which does not align to the Met’s values. This instance has highlighted past language and views expressed by Attiq Malik that appear antisemitic and contrary with our values. As a result we will be immediately ceasing our relationship with Mr Malik whilst we investigate. We will continue to engage with the LMCF and the full range of faith and community advisers. “We are working on a new advisory group ‘charter’ that will include a shared commitment to engage through mutual respect and inclusivity.”

9 November 2023 Jewish News

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ISRAEL’S DARKEST DAYS

Gay Times sorry it called Hamas ‘resistance’ Gay Times has apologised for a series of Instagram posts branded one-sided, antisemitic and even pro-Hamas, writes Deborah Katz. One post claimed Hamas is the leader of the Palestinian resistance movement, while another condemned Israel’s actions after 7 October but did not condemn Hamas’ attack on innocent civilians. Disgusted Jewish followers voiced their discontent in the comment section, with one writing: “Rename yourself Gaza Times. You present a one-sided view of a complex situation. Shame on you.” Comments accusing the brand of antisemitism were allegedly deleted before the

posts were deleted entirely. The social media posts have also been deleted, with a statement on the Gay Times website condemning Hamas and apologising for causing hurt. The statement added: “Gay Times condemns all forms of prejudice, racism, antisemitism and Islamophobia and champions inclusivity … We are clear in our condemnation of Hamas as a terrorist organisation. We categorically condemn the attack on 7 October.” The brand’s posts, which were broadcast to its 1.2 million followers, were condemned by prominent Jewish LGBTQ+ voices. David Levine, former vice president of children’s pro-

LGBTQ+ influencer Hen gramming at Disney and Mazzig accused the brand of winner of the 2020 LGBT “antisemitic propaganda”. Brit Award for Inspirational “The LGBTQ+ commuLeader, said: “Sadly, Gay nity established itself on the Times has twisted the convalues of acceptance and plucept of intersectionality into ralism. Yet Gay Times, which the antisemitic narrative of was an iconic platform for Israel as the oppressor. our rights, has turned into a “Its unbalanced posts are hateful one-sided and antirife with repetition of age-old semitic propaganda plattropes. That has encouraged form which won’t hear the antisemitic comments by its cry of LGBTQ+ Jews. users while Jewish LGBTQ+ “Instead, they seal a people feel their views are few Jewish voices who are being ignored. tokenised to kosher their “As an example, Gay Times Gay Times apologised for posts antisemitic campaign... places all the blame for Gaza’s their words directly affect describes Hamas as the leader conditions at Israel’s feet, with no reference to Egypt, or of Gaza’s resistance move- whether Jews are safe or not Hamas for that matter, when ment, legitimatising a pro- and if LGBTQ+ Jews will have to choose between these idenscribed terrorist group.” describing the situation. Israeli writer and Jewish tities.” “Indeed, Gay Times

Matthew Waksman, a founding member of queer Jewish club night Buttmitzvah, said Gay Times must go further than simply deleting their inflammatory Instagram posts, and called for its statement to be published on their social media pages. “Gay Times’ silence on 7 October and subsequent legitimising language around Hamas was deeply alarming,” he told Jewish News. “As one of the founding members of Buttmitzvah, one of the UK’s biggest inclusive queer nightclubs and one that celebrates Jewish culture at its heart, it’s devastating to see an LGBTQ+ magazine showing such disdain for Jewish lives.”

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WE’RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE A JEWISH STATE TO DEFEND BY KEITH BLACK

CHAIR, JEWISH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL “The Israeli deterrent had simply not deterred and the Israeli intelligence had not detected. The option of military assault had been seized by the enemy in an operation full of guile and conspiracy.” So wrote Abba Eban about the Yom Kippur war in his legendary autobiography of 1977. Who said history doesn’t repeat itself ?

As I returned from a two-day solidarity mission to Israel with fellow communal leaders, this was the unanswered question. Answers will emerge in due course but for now there is complete dedication to defeat Hamas and secure the safety of Israel. This is a war for the future of the country. Hamas has called for Israel’s annihilation and shown its savagery to the world, so there can be no negotiation or compromise. It must be destroyed. It is also a war for the West, for if these forces of evil are given succour, they will propagate a vision of society that is the antithesis of western civilisation. The message is clearly understood by the leaders of the free world. From

our prime minister and leader of the opposition to president ‘Saba’ Joe of the US and a host of western leaders who have voiced support and visited the country in recent weeks, we have heard the message Israel has every legitimate right to defend itself. They are saying this is a fight Israel must win for the sake of our values, and win it we will. We felt and heard that determination from everyone we spoke to, from President Herzog to cabinet ministers, generals, commentators and citizens. They know it will be deeply painful for many months; more tragedies and many deaths. Realpolitik suggests international support will fray and there is constant danger of war on multiple fronts. But Israel knows there is no alternative. Yet throughout the mission and the sadness, one response shone through, a reflexive response borne of a spirit of chalutzim, of pioneering, of building a state after two millennia of painful nomadic exile and wandering. More than bravery, it was a

response of inspirational resolve; it came from leaders and taxi drivers, from families who had lost loved ones or knew hostages. It was a response that denies fear, a response that we will recover, we will fight back and rebuild our lives. It was a response of defiance and remarkable strength. What impressed me most was that throughout those two days, during which we witnessed a nation’s agony, we heard much anger but not a word of hatred. No baying for blood or desire for revenge on other innocent civilians, for Judaism is not a religion of hatred or militancy but one that respects the sanctity of all life. The few who invoke Judaism to act wickedly bring shame on us all. Our moral code is to look after people, first of course our own but then beyond to heal and improve life for all. And that makes this conflict even more painful. More than once we were asked: “And how are you?” We see the pictures of your streets, they said, we hear of your anxiety and fear. We hear

antisemitism has been normalised and hugely increased, we worry for you. Am Achad – one people indeed. So we returned from this mission reinforced and determined we will assist the 200,000 displaced persons from the north and south of Israel who have moved to the centre. We estimate some £20m has already been raised from our community and we are determined we will be part of rebuilding communities in the south, determined to fight the justice of Israel’s war on every front, determined to stand stiff-necked as proud Jews living in a country we have made our home and respects our right to live Jewish lives in full freedom. We will not be cowed by those who wish us harm and antisemitism will not force us to change our way of lives or live in fear. We will stand with Israel during her darkest days and play our role in supporting the Jewish state knowing we are fortunate to have one to defend where previous generations did not.

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ISRAEL AT WAR

UN material ‘celebrates Hamas’ At least 14 people working on the staff of UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, have expressed open support for the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel, according to a report, writes Jenni Frazer. The report also says the majority of those who carried out the attacks will have been educated in UNRWA schools, which are described as “a breeding ground for terror”. IMPACT-se, an Israeli group which monitors educational resources and development in the Arab world, says it has used open-source material to analyse the social media activity of UNRWA staff and schools. The IMPACT-se analysis describes an UNRWA school in the West Bank city of Nablus, which held a rally for its students, during which a young boy appeals to God

to support the jihad warriors in Gaza against Israel, to which the students respond with affirmation. UNRWA operates in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, as well as in Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. It reportedly provides education to almost 545,000 children in its schools. In the Gaza Strip alone, there are 183 UNRWA-run schools, which according to UNRWA’s own data, educate more than 286,000 students. IMPACT-se has spent much of the last seven years documenting the contents of Palestinian textbooks used in UNRWA schools. The curriculum was supposedly revised in 2016, but IMPACT-se say “the textbooks have remained openly antisemitic and continue to encourage violence, jihad and martyrdom, while peace is not taught as preferable or

A metal worker’s certificate in Gaza. Some have graduated to terrorism

even possible. “Extreme nationalism and Islamist ideologies proliferate throughout the curriculum, including

in science and math textbooks”. Besides the UNRWA staff expressing support for the Hamas attacks, the report profiles 18 people

who were graduates of UNRWA schools. It uses “material from the Hamas website which confirms that they died carrying out acts of terror. This research indicates that by Hamas’ own admission more than 100 UNRWA graduates have become active Hamas terrorists.” Marcus Sheff, the British-born chief executive of IMPACT-se, said: “Time and again we have warned that UNWRA staff and school materials have created a breeding ground for terror. “Our worst fears have now been tragically realised with the horrific attack on October 7. All governments that fund UNWRA must urgently review and concurrently freeze financial support to UNRWA to help ensure that another generation is not lost to the evils of hatred and incitement.”The full report was presented to US Congress.”

Lansman distances himself ISRAELIS ‘WILL ENSURE TECH from ‘much of left’ on Hamas SECTOR EMERGES STRONGER’ Momentum founder Jon Lansman has distanced himself from the way “much of the left” has responded to the Hamas massacre. In an interview with New Statesman, the former close ally of Jeremy Corbyn said the left’s response to last month’s atrocities, has shown him there “isn’t an understanding” or “much sympathy” for “the feeling in Israel that they need to prevent such an attack again”.

Damningly, he adds: “I feel sorrow and I find it difficult to relate to how much of the left responded.” Lansman, whose aunt lived in lived in Be’ersheva and who has five cousins in Israel today, rejected widespread calls from some on the left for a ceasefire in Gaza, “from the comfort of Britain”. He adds: “I can understand that Israelis need to ensure such attacks [by Hamas] don’t happen again.” In the same interview he

also attacks the left’s characterisation of Israel as a “settler colonial state,” telling interviewer George Eaton: “It’s not a characterisation I would make at all. Most Jews who’ve migrated to Israel have been refugees, they’ve been arriving recently from Ukraine. “The reason for Israel’s existence is the Holocaust, the fact that no other place would take them. Not Britain and not the US, who introduced immigration controls.”

The Israel Innovation Authority has reassured hundreds of global tech leaders that Israel will emerge from the war stronger than before. In a letter published on LinkedIn, Dror Bin, the organisation’s chief executive, said the country’s high-tech companies are robust and will “continue to deliver no matter what”. Bin wrote: “On 7 October, when the Hamas terrorists decided to carry out one of the most horrific massacres the world has seen in recent decades, it made a huge strategic error. Rather than crushing Israel’s spirit and reaping long-term benefits for itself at Israel’s expense, Hamas’s sickening rampage caused the opposite effect. “Israel’s citizens unanimously joined

Innovation Authority’s chief is defiant

together to take up arms, both literally and figuratively, in order to make sure that we will emerge from this disaster stronger than ever before.”

DOCTORS IN UK REGISTER TO VOLUNTEER by Beatrice Sayers

A London GP is among hundreds of UK doctors who have added their names to an Israeli health ministry list of medics willing to get on a plane and spend two weeks volunteering their expertise. The idea of compiling a list of medical professionals in the diaspora prepared to help in the event of an emergency was already in progress before 7 October, according to Joel Collick, who is co-ordinating it. After the Hamas massacre, it took on a new lease of life. Joel Collick, who works in the international affairs department at the ministry of health, said the project was launched on about day three of the war. He and his colleagues sent online forms to medical professionals abroad who wished to register and within a short space of time thousands of responses had come in, including from about 200 UK doctors. “All the work is done within the

ministry,” he said. “We check documents, organise work permits and have all their credentials ready. So when the time comes they can hop on a plane and be ready – fasttracked to where they are needed.” Collick, who made aliyah from the UK five years ago, said the project had been envisaged for use either during a war or for a natural disaster such as a catastrophic earthquake. “We hope that the majority of doctors will never have to come,” he added. However, as the current war was “potentially a protracted conflict”, the need is there. Already about 150 doctors from around the world have come to Israel under the scheme, mostly for a two-week period, treating wounded soldiers and others in most big hospitals, from the Barzilai Medical Centre in Ashkelon in the south to the Ziv in Tsfat, in the north. They work in both government and non-government institutions, such as the Hadassah hospitals in

Jerusalem. One of the British doctors who has volunteered is Maya Oppenheimer, a GP working in the NHS in south-west London. When friends in Israel sent her the form to register to volunteer, she didn’t hesitate. “I was born and brought up in Israel, did my national service and worked in the IDF as a medical orderly instructor and that inspired me to be a medic,” she said. “This would be my way of feeling we can do something.” After filling out the form last month, she took part in a webinar

with other volunteers and is now waiting to be called. “Hopefully I’ll be asked,” she said. “I’m proud of this.” Her keenness comes despite having a demanding workload and three children, two of whom are in primary school. She would hope to do a two-week stint. As a fluent Hebrew speaker, who knows Israel well, Maya is a strong candidate. Already she is providing support, hosting her brother and his children, who have flown in from Israel for a break.≠≠` One thing she is aware of is that in Israel “we have one another”, as she puts it. “Here, there’s so much hostility. It’s so awkward for many colleagues.” They are often unsure whether to speak about the conflict. “They don’t know whether to ask questions and whether that will

spark pain.” As well as doctors, other professionals are sought: dentists, nurses (including nursing students), paramedics, nutritionists, social workers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, psychologists, pharmacists and physician assistants. All must have a licence to practise. Acknowledging the commitment of those doctors and other health workers willing to interrupt their personal and professional lives and come to Israel, Collick adds that the ministry is also looking for those able to volunteer for longer than two weeks. He describes the project as building a large, global community of medical professionals, strengthening the relationship of Israel with the diaspora.  To register to volunteer, please visit https://bit.ly/ helpIsrael  Hospital doctor fired, page 22

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ISRAEL AT WAR

UK Bank told customer Tel Aviv was ‘occupied’ Halifax Bank has apologised to a British-Israeli customer in Tel Aviv after it sent him a letter that gave his address as occupied Palestinian territory, writes Joy Falk. David Bender said he was “shocked” when he received the letter with his new credit card, describing the Israeli city as “Palestine Territory, Occupied” in the address line. Bender, 75, originally from Manchester, said he feared it was a “conscious and cold” act of antisemitism by someone who had access to his personal data. The bank blamed human error on the part of an employee who was

“confused” and “ignorant” about the geography of the region and said it was not a malicious act. It said the mistake was made in August – before an attack by Hamas which left 1,400 Israelis dead – and that the letter had been sent before the bank could rectify it. Halifax apologised for the “regrettable” mistake and said the employee in question would be given the “right training” to ensure similar mistakes are not made in the future. Bender told the PA news agency: “Most of the population don’t even know where Israel and Palestine is. “Was this a clerical error, stupidity, or something more sinister?

I’m not convinced yet.” A spokesman for Halifax said: “We’ve investigated and can confirm this was due to an individual human error, which was corrected in August. “We are sorry for any upset caused and are contacting our customer to apologise for the mistake.” The incident comes amid a steep rise in reports of antisemitism in the wake of the conflict which has left many British Jews fearing for their safety. Protests across the country have seen chants of the controversial slogan “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, which is interpreted by some as a call for the

David Bender said he was shocked to receive this letter from his bank

destruction of Israel from the river Jordan to the Mediterranean sea, where Tel Aviv is situated. Bender said he now felt safer in Israel than in the UK, adding: “I lived

in England when it was a benign place to be and it isn’t any more. “The England I miss doesn’t exist any more. I can’t remember anything approaching what is happening.”

Fashion industry’s call to root out antisemitism Models, designers, influencers and retail executives are among more than 1,000 signatories to an international open letter calling on the fashion industry to do more to combat antisemitism in its ranks, writes Candice Krieger. Designers Nicky Hilton Rothschild, Donna Karan, Christopher Kane, Rachel Zoe, cosmetics entrepreneur Bobbi Brown and models Bar Rafaeli, Erin O’Connor, Caprice Bourrett and Daisy Lowe are part of the Jewish and non-Jewish figures working in fashion who have co-signed the open letter. Retail executives from Selfridges and Asos in the UK to the American Bergdorf Goodman and Bloomingdale’s have also signed the letter, which states: “Antisemitism, in any form, has no place in our society, let alone within an industry that prides itself on creativity and acceptance.” It adds: “Fashion companies should implement regular mandatory diversity and sensitivity training for all employees, from designers to executives, ensuring a deeper understanding of different cultures and religions, including Judaism. Fashion companies should denounce any acts of antisemitism and take swift and decisive action against individuals or brands that perpetuate such behaviour.” The Fashion Against Antisemitism letter was launched in response to the rising incidences of Jew hate across the world

Designers from across the world have signed an open letter

after the Hamas terror attack on 7 October. Figures in the industry openly supporting Israel or posting peaceful messages calling for the return of men, women, children and babies held hostage in Gaza by Hamas terrorists have received antisemitic messages from people working in the industry or on social media. Deborah Lyons, creative director of two sustainability brands, called on the industry to do more to protect fashion figures.

“Fashion has always had the power to celebrate diversity and inclusivity, but it is disheartening to witness acts of discrimination and antisemitism within our industry,” said Lyons, who coordinated the letter. “Antisemitism, in any form, is inexcusable in an industry that thrives on creativity and acceptance.” Lyons, who was told to “go back to Germany and be killed” in response to a social media post calling for peace, said she had lost more than 1,000 followers within three days of the attack. She said: “I, like so many people in the Jewish community, know people in Israel affected by the Hamas attack, including people who have had to leave their homes because or rocket attacks, or whole families that have been wiped out. It’s heartbreaking.” Fashion authority and podcaster Suzy Menkes, former editor of Vogue International, also co-signed the open letter. She said: “The creative industries must be at all costs be free: free from hate speech; from any attempt to influence evil; from any excuse of encouraging wicked thoughts in a whisper or a shout. There is no excuse, no ‘half way’ in right – and wrong.” Sophie Mechaly, founder of Paul & Joe Paris-based fashion brand, said: “As a Jewish designer, I have personally witnessed distressing antisemitism through social media attacks. It is with great urgency that I join this call for the fashion industry to take more proactive steps in combating antisemitism.”

WE MUST BE A PLACE OF BEAUTY, NOT HATE BY DEBORAH LYONS

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

As creative director of two London-based sustainable brands, I have always believed that fashion should be a place for creatives who cherish liberty, diversity and individuality. It is the reason I was so determined to establish a career in what, in so many ways, is an amazing industry. But of late a darkness has taken over. Fashion has become a place of polarisation (online and offline), boycott calls and, if I am honest, anxiety. Along with so many areas across our society, fashion has seen a the rise of antisemitism. It no longer feels like a safe space. That is why I, along with more than 1,000 Jewish and non-Jewish models, executives, brand owners, designers, stylists and others

working in the industry, have co-signed an open letter calling on the fashion world to combat antisemitism within its ranks. Trust me, it is needed now more than ever. I have loved ones in Israel who have been forced to leave their homes due to the ongoing rocket attacks. Tragically, I have also lost family members in previous terrorist attacks. These experiences, and an undergraduate degree in history, have strengthened my resolve to stand against hatred and discrimination. I have been impacted by speaking out. For example, on social media I lost more than 1,000 followers in just three days after the Hamas attack on 7 October, for simply calling for the safe return of hostages and advocating for a peace resolution. Far more disturbing, I’ve received antisemitic messages, including comments suggesting that I should “go back to Germany and be killed”. Regardless of the fact that I have no German ancestry, these experi-

ences are not only disheartening; they are deeply unsettling, emphasising the urgency of our need for support from the people in the industry that we have worked hard to contribute to. And so, I am doing what I can to raise awareness of this issue in the fashion community. Along with my fellow signatories across the world, from the UK to the USA, France and Israel, we are calling on our peers to be more aware and sensitive to antisemitism and all forms of racism. It is a plea for unity, a commitment to protect those working in fashion from the poison of hatred, and a reminder that the fashion world should be a safe space – it should not be a place where we are forced to re-evaluate our safety, identity and the security of the businesses we have worked so hard to build, just because we are Jewish. The fashion industry, with its powerful platform, influential voices, and broad reach, is uniquely positioned to effect change.

Raising awareness about the consequences of antisemitism is crucial, and that is why I am so grateful to all of the creatives in the industry who have proudly co-signed this letter, even if it means opening themselves up to criticism or the loss of business. By sharing stories, experiences, and knowledge, we can contribute to dismantling the stereotypes and prejudices that perpetuate hatred. We can inspire a collective commitment to tolerance, empathy and compassion, principles that should be upheld not only in the fashion world but in every facet of our lives. We are at a pivotal moment where industry leaders, among others, must be vocal in the fight against antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, so that fashion can be what is what designed to be, a place of beauty, freedom, diversity and unity.  Deborah Lyons is co-founder and creative director of two London-based sustainability brands, Maison Lyons and Last Yarn

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9 November 2023 Jewish News

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REBUILDING THE LIVES OF CHILDREN IN NEED

Jewish Child’s Day is committed to rebuilding the lives of children affected by the 7th October atrocities. The children of Israel are facing one of the most challenging and traumatic times. It is imperative that we are there for them now. We continue to receive emergency requests every day. Our ability to respond depends on your generosity! Please donate at jcd.uk.com/donate today or scan the QR code

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9 November 2023 Jewish News

ISRAEL AT WAR

Met insists pro-Palestinian event on Armistice Day can go ahead tions, as “extremely offenThere will be “ongoing discussions” sive” and antisemitic. I feel after police gave the go-ahead for a for the Jewish community, demonstration calling for a ceasewho are feeling very unsafe,” fire in the Gaza Strip to take place on she said, suggesting it was “a Armistice Day, writes Joy Falk. very, very sad state of affairs Metropolitan Police Commissioner in our country”. Sir Mark Rowley on Tuesday resisted In a statement on pressure on the force from politicians, Tuesday, Sir Mark said including Rishi Sunak, to try to block a intelligence surrounding pro-Palestinian gathering in London the potential for serious dison Saturday. Health secretary Steve order this weekend does not Barclay, who insisted the rally will be meet the threshold to apply “provocative”, said: “I think there’ll be to prohibit the march. ongoing discussions on this. “The laws created by “There is a legal threshold and the parliament are clear. There Commissioner is of the view that that is no absolute power to ban legal threshold has not been met. protest, therefore there will “Obviously, the Home Office and Rochdale Cenotaph was vandalised and poppy wreaths were damaged be a protest this weekend,” colleagues will discuss that over the will take place, but I think they should keep it he said, adding that use of the power to block course of the day.” moving protests is “incredibly rare” and must be His Cabinet colleague Lucy Frazer, who is under review.” She said she was “concerned about activities reserved for cases where there is a “real threat” Jewish, called for the Met to keep the “very prothat are taking place on these marches”, with of serious disorder. vocative” march “under review”. He said organisers of Saturday’s rally have Speaking on LBC Radio, the culture secre- a number of arrests involving “incitement to shown “complete willingness to stay away from tary said: “I think that the police need to, and racial hatred”. Frazer described the slogan “from the river the Cenotaph and Whitehall and have no intenhave said that they will, continue to look at intelto the sea, Palestine will be free”, which has tion of disrupting the nation’s remembrance ligence and will impose conditions. “And they’ve already set out where events been chanted at pro-Palestinian demonstra- events”, adding: “Should this change, we’ve

been clear we will use powers and conditions available to us to protect locations and events of national importance at all costs.” The Met had urged march organisers to “urgently reconsider” the event because of a growing risk of violence, but the pro-Palestinian coalition behind it have refused to call it off. The force could request the power to ban the event under Section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986, but that would only apply if there was the threat of serious public disorder which could not be controlled by other measures. The coalition of groups, which includes the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War and the Muslim Association of Britain, said they will press ahead with the event. There are concerns that breakaway groups from the main march could look for trouble, while counter-demonstrations may add to policing difficulties. Meanwhile, police are investigating an alleged assault on a veteran selling poppies at a station during a pro-Palestinian rally. Jim Henderson, 78, told the Scottish Daily Mail he was punched as he tried to leave Waverley Station in Edinburgh before being helped by railway staff. The prime minister’s official spokesman called the alleged attack “repulsive”.

Startups in $20m aid plan ‘A CRISIS OF ANTISEMITISM’

Venture capitalists from around the world have announced the launch of ‘Iron Nation’ , an emergency impact fund for Israeli startups struggling amid the war with Hamas. According to Ctech, the fund plans to to raise $20m to support post-Seed VC-backed startups that have been affected by the conflict with no intention to collect management fees or carried interest. Established by Chen Linchevski and Gil Friedlander, it is backed by a team of leading volunteers from the venture community. They include Chemi Peres of Pitango Ventures, Charlie Federman of SilverTech Ventures and Danny Cohen of Viola Ventures. Also involved are Moshe Lichtman of IGP Capital, Aaron Applbaum of MizMaa and Calanit Valfer of the Elah Fund who joined the committee pro-bono.

Around 15-20 percent of the tech workforce have been called up to reserve duty, causing early-stage startups in Israel to face unprecedented challenges. Iron Nation’s mission is to ensure highly-promising Israeli tech startups with established venture backing, a critical part of the tech ecosystem, can continue to grow during and after the crisis. Some 150 companies are said to have applied already via Iron Nation’s website for the chance to receive $500,000-$1.5m to help to ensure they remain fundable in the second half of 2024. Applications will be vetted within two weeks by the investment committee and if approved a dedicated investment-matching programme with the Israel Innovation Authority, as well as the existing investors in the startups, will increase the funding

DOWDEN SUPPORT PLEDGE Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden addressed 700 people at a heavily guarded Jewish charity fundraiser last week, reaffirming the government’s support for Israel and the UK Jewish community after the “heinous attack” by Hamas. On the call for hostages, two of them British nationals, to be released, Dowden said he stood in solidarity “to all those desperately waiting for news of loved ones. We are doing everything we can to secure their release. “ Dowden said the government would stand by Israel “in its darkest hour”, adding: “Israel has a right to exist, Israel has a duty to defend itself, and I stand with Israel.” He made the comments at the annual dinner for Norwood, which supports adults and children with special needs.

As the MP for Hertsmere, which has one of the UK’s largest Jewish communities in the UK, he described himself as a “resolute friend of Israel,” adding: “Peace can only be through the removal of the threat of Hamas. The UK government remains committed to that peace.” The Norwood dinner was held to help continue raising funds for those that depend on its services. Model Ellie Goldstein, who has Down’s Syndrome, said she had “happy memories” from Norwood, speaking about all she had managed to achieve, from high-profile modelling campaigns with Vogue to Gucci and Adidas. Naomi Dickson, chief executive of Norwood, which relies on £12m in voluntary donations annually, thanked guests for attending and noted the charity was a “lifeline” now also supporting people with loved ones in Israel.

US vice-president Kamala Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff decried the “crisis of antisemitism” in Britain, the US and worldwide at round-table talks with members of the UK’s Jewish community at Wychwood House. Emhoff, the first Jewish spouse of an American president or vice president, said antisemitism and other forms of hate were “like a venom coursing through our world right now”. He added that he had made it his mission to “push back on this epidemic of hate”, adding it was already bad before the Hamas attacks on Israel but “the message I have for everyone is don’t be afraid. You still have to have that joy and that love of being Jewish.” US embassy deputy chief of mission Matthew Palmer said the world was “witnessing a shocking and vile surge of antisemitism” and the meeting would discuss the steps that “our

Sunak with Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff

governments can take to protect communities from antisemitism and root it out”. Other attendees included Jewish Leadership Council chair Keith Black, Board of Deputies chief executive Michael Wegier, CST head of policy Dave Rich and Union of Jewish Students campaigns officer Emily Sinclair, who spoke of growing antisemitism on UK campuses.

‘Toxic’ online mail probed Counter-terrorism police are examining more than 200 pieces of “toxic” material posted online amid the renewed conflict in Gaza. Met Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told The News Agents Podcast around 250 cases were sifted from about 2,000 reported. He said: “Some of the really toxic, concerning online material that is potentially breaching terrorism offences, they’re approaching 2,000 referrals which they’ve sifted and it’s around 250 that potentially cross terrorism boundaries and are requiring further investigation ... so you can see the caseload is building. We have to be extra tuned to the prospect that some of those extremists will be provoked into action.” Sir Mark also called for the public to come together regardless of differing opinions to keep tension down following the Met and Greater

Manchester Police both facing criticism after officers were seen taking down posters of Israelis taken hostage by Hamas. The commissioner said the backlash did not help officers trying to keep the peace. He told the podcast: “Those officers that get this public attention because they’re sensibly taking a Palestinian flag from a Jewish memorial or taking some of those Jewish appeal posters off a shop which is linked to people who are pro-Palestinian, those officers are going out doing practical things to try and reduce tension. “And the world is leaping on top of them in anger and outrage. That is not going to help us police London successfully. We need to come together in this difficult moment regardless of different opinions rather than having this determination to stoke tension.”

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ISRAEL AT WAR

Archaeologists help identify human remains from attack by Jenni Frazer jenni@jennifrazer.com @Jennifrazer

Ash from burnt kibbutz houses is combed and sieved. Picture: Assaf Peretz, IAA

Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority have been using their expertise to help identify those murdered on 7 October and have found evidence of at least 10 dead, who were previously thought to be missing and perhaps in Gaza. The archaeologists were called in by Colonel Yossi Cohen of the Gaza Division of the IDF, directed by Major Rabbi Shlomo Hazut, the division’s rabbi. Using techniques and knowledge they normally deploy in excavations of burnt and destroyed ancient sites, the archaeologists have so far found many human remains. It is hoped their work will provide more certain evidence for families who know that their relatives are missing — but know no more than that. For two weeks, the archaeologists have been combing and sieving the ash from the burnt houses in which families from Kibbutz Be’eri, Kfar Aza and Nir Oz were murdered, as well as the contents of the cars from the party at Kib-

butz Reim. At first, the archaeologists looked for evidence of missing people who were known to be in their houses at the time of the attacks. When it became clear that the archaeological methods could contribute to identifying additional, previously not exposed, remains, it was decided that the Israel Antiquities Authority would examine the contents of all the burned houses and cars. According to the archaeologists: “The archaeological methods employed at ancient sites are similar to the methods applied here, but it is one thing to expose 2000-year-old destruction remains, and quite another thing—heartrending and unfathomable—to carry out the present task searching for evidence of our sisters and brothers in the communities.” So far the archaeologists have found certain evidence of at least ten deceased persons, who were previously considered missing. Eli Escudo, director of the Israeli Antiquities Authority, said: “Taking into account all the difficulty and the emotional challenges involved, our hope is that we can contribute to certain identification for as many families as possible, regarding the fate of their dear ones.”

Holocaust Memorial Bill part of King’s Speech A national Holocaust memorial will be built next to the Houses of Parliament, the government has said as it restated its efforts to tackle antisemitism following the Hamas attack on Israel last month, writes Adam Decker. A pledge to build a Holocaust memorial and learning centre was first made in January 2015 but ran into difficulties over a 1900 law protecting the parkland. On Tuesday, in the King’s Speech, it was confirmed that the Holocaust Memorial Bill will return to the next session of parliament. Permission for the building in Victoria Tower Gardens was granted in July 2021 after a public inquiry and the recommendations of planning inspector David Morgan. However, it was challenged in the High Court by the London Historic Parks and Gardens Trust, which argued against constructing it in the triangular Grade II-listed park to the south of parliament. The London County Council (Improvements) Act 1900 required the land to be used as a public park.

A protest against the building of the memorial in Victoria Tower Gardens, a Grade II-listed park

The Bill is aimed at updating the legislation, removing the obstacle to the project going ahead. It would also give the government powers to use public funding to build and operate the centre. The centre’s site, next to what is seen as the heart of British democracy, is deliberately intended to act as a public reminder of the Holocaust and its victims. Its design will be sensitive to the heritage and current uses of the gar-

dens, the government said, and will take up around 7.5 percent of the park. Announcing the Bill, the King said: “My government is committed to tackling antisemitism and ensuring that the Holocaust is never forgotten. “A Bill will progress the construction of a national Holocaust memorial and learning centre in Victoria Tower Gardens.” The government noted the large rise in antisemitic incidents

of late, following the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October. It said this is a reminder that efforts must continue to drive out antisemitism from society. The Economic Activities of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill is also making a return in the next parliamentary session. The Bill would implement a ban on public bodies imposing their own direct or indirect boycotts, disinvestment or sanctions campaigns against other countries. The government said the Bill applies to all countries equally but mentioned in particular the Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which it said calls on public bodies to treat Israel differently. The government said this is divisive and expressed concern that such campaigns are linked to rising antisemitism in the UK. Sunak pledged to continue supporting Israel as he carried over the Bill.

LAWYER SORRY FOR RIPPING DOWN POSTERS A New York lawyer has apologised for ripping down posters of babies and children taken hostage by Hamas. In a video shared by the group StopAntisemitism, public defender Victoria Ruiz is seen taking down the posters with the headline ‘Kidnapped’ from a lamp post. In the video, someone filming her repeatedly asks her why she is removing photos of missing children. She does not respond and walks away. StopAntisemitism said on Twitter: “New York County public defender Victoria Ruiz caught removing posters of Israeli children kidnapped by Hamas terrorists. It is absolutely unacceptable for someone with such bias and hate to serve in your office @nyc_defenders.” Her employer, New York County Defender Services, described Ruiz’s actions as “highly insensitive”. A spokesperson for the public defence law firm said she had attended a vigil as a private citizen. “Some of her actions at the event have drawn sharp criticism and we strongly condemn them as highly insensitive.”

9 November 2023 Jewish News

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PROUDLY MEDAL WEARING

SIDE BY SIDE AT THE AJEX PARADE Book now to Parade and join AJEX at the Cenotaph in honouring and Remembering the thousands of Jewish Servicemen and Women who fought and served for our freedom. March ‘Side by Side’ in solidarity, honouring their legacy. Veterans, families, and community groups of all ages are welcome to this unique, historic event. Whether a Parade regular or a first-timer please join us. If you have them, proudly wear your own or your family members’ medals.

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ISRAEL AT WAR

VR marks 85 years since Kristallnacht To mark this week’s 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht — the “Night of Broken Glass” or November Pogrom — the New York-based Claims Conference is releasing a new virtual reality experience based on the memory of the German Holocaust survivor, Charlotte Knobloch, writes Jenni Frazer. Dr Knobloch, born in 1932 and raised in Munich, will walk the viewer through the streets of her childhood neighbourhood, in the same way that she did with her father on 9 November 1938. Born in 1932, she remembers the pogroms against the Jews, the moment when hatred climaxed and became acts of violence, when average citizens turned on long-time neighbours, roaming the streets in mobs, breaking the glass of Jewish homes and shops. Using cutting-edge technology in partnership with the USC Shoah Foundation, Meta (Facebook’s parent company), UNESCO and the World Jewish Congress (WJC), the mixed-reality project reflects a very personal view of Kristallnacht, when 30,000 Jews were rounded up and first sent to concentration camps. Dr Knobloch said: “It is imperative at this moment in history that we do everything in our power to elevate Holocaust education and to get it into the hands and minds of future generations. Antisemitism is on the rise

‘Stolpersteine’ or ‘stumbling stones’ recalling people deported by the Nazis

throughout the world – it exists today as it always has. If we do not continue to keep the memory of the past alive and push the lessons of the Holocaust, they will soon be forgotten, and we will be doomed to repeat our history. “As those of us who survived pass on, these tools, this technology will continue to be our voice and our testimony.” The completed project will include real-life footage and photos of Kristallnacht combined with Dr Knobloch sharing the moments her family

experienced before, during and after Kristallnacht in an immersive, interactive and virtual setting, allowing the user to experience her memories. Users will be able to engage in a Q&A, asking questions about Kristallnacht, Dr Knobloch’s family and the Holocaust in general. The full immersive VR experience and accompanying education materials will be released in 2024. An online teaser video is available from 9 November at claimscon.org/ brokenglass

Doctor fired over anti-Jewish hate

A London hospital has parted company with one of its doctors after he posted comments on Facebook relating to Jews, writes Jenni Frazer. In one exchange, Manoj Sen wrote in German: “Die Juden sind unsere Unglück” — “The Jews are our misfortune”. He is also alleged to have called another Facebook poster “Jew boy”, together with other abusive comments. In a statement, the trust to which Northwick Park Hospital belongs, said: “Mr Sen is no longer an employee of London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust. “We do not tolerate hate speech or discrimination of any kind and take immediate action when such behaviour is brought to our attention. “We continue to work closely with our teams to make sure that all our people feel comfortable in reporting unacceptable language or behaviour”. A spokesman for the trust

said that confidential employment rules prevented further comment. Indian-born, Mr Sen, who is a consultant specialising in colorectal surgery, trained in the UK from 1985 to 1987. According to his biography on the Top Doctors website, he spent from 2006 to 2013 in Heidelberg, Germany, where he further qualified as a visceral surgeon. He is an honorary senior lecturer in surgery at Imperial College London’s faculty of medicine. On Top Doctors, it states: “Mr Sen’s patients consider him to be friendly and reassuring and he ensures he is fully engaged with the patient, and takes time to explain the procedures in way that is easy for the patient to understand.” But the Stop Antisemitism group commented: “How can any Jewish patient feel safe in his care?” Jewish News has asked Imperial College and Mr Sen for comment.

ISRAEL’S PLIGHT REACHED OUR FRONT DOOR BY DAVID GARFINKEL FORMER MANAGING EDITOR, JEWISH NEWS

On 7 October, we arrived at a friend’s house for lunch to mark the end of Succot – where we remember when our ancestors wandered in the desert after being freed from slavery in Egypt. “Israel is at war” is the greeting we received. All three families gathered had teenage sons on gap year in Israel. I broke the Sabbath, frantically dialling my son Sammy’s number. No reply. We had to wait hours before we could speak. He’d been in a bomb shelter for the majority of the day. The terror of what we saw unfold that day in Israel was indescribable. The horrific reality of the massacre, and some 240-plus hostages taken by Hamas, slowly sank in. And that night, we watched the TV bewildered as scenes of people in some Arab countries celebrated these atrocities by dancing in the streets. Just 24 hours later, Sammy sent a Whats -App message. “Don’t call me. Hiding under a table. Siren just went off. Don’t know what’s happening. Lots of soldiers in our area.” The perimeter alarm at his kibbutz in the Gush had been triggered. They were surrounded by armed guards. It was an hour before the all-clear came.

Sammy’s gap year programme, mechina (preparation for adulthood), is a mix of international and Israeli teens. Next year, he will go to university in Leeds, while the Israelis, at 18, will head into the army. Kids trying to ensure there is one safe place in the world Jews can call home. His programme was paused for a week as all his madrichim (leaders) were called up. My wife had to contact an old B’nei Akiva WhatsApp group to find someone to collect him from the West Bank. A friend she hadn’t spoken to for 25 years answered the SOS and opened their doors to Sammy without hesitation. After a few days, a family who had been evacuated from Ashkelon arrived. We got a call that Sammy might need to move on. It was then we made the difficult decision to bring him home. He rightly challenged us: “One day if I want to live here, I won’t be able to just leave.” But we were terrified. And what we experienced was nothing compared to what Israeli families were going through. My wife’s friend in the UK still doesn’t know the fate of one of their close Israeli relatives. A child. Still missing since 7 October. Around the world, we see baseless hatred towards Jews everywhere we turn. At antiIsrael rallies on UK streets where people shout for jihad. A cemetery in Vienna daubed with swastikas and burnt. A woman stabbed in Paris. Threats made against Jewish students on US college campuses. Whatever happens in Israel

Father and son: David with Sammy

always impacts world Jewry. There’s even talk of people we know hiding their Jewish identity. Everyone is drained. Everyone is scared. But this is a fear, as Jews, we have to live with. I experienced antisemitism in my first job as a trainee reporter. My dad experienced it at his north London school, where Jews were routinely beaten up. My great-grandparents fled Poland and Austria to find safety in the UK before the Holocaust. Their parents fled Russia and the pogroms. In the Spanish Inquisition and the Crusades, Jews were forced to convert or die. In England, in 1290, Edward I expelled the entire Jewish population. Our first temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE.

The Romans destroyed our second temple 400 years later. Murdering Jews and forcing us into exile. A pattern often repeated. We cannot and should never again have to hide who we are and what we believe. In 2002, I wrote a front page for Jewish News, as its managing editor, calling for people to ‘Stand up for Israel’. I said: “Politically isolated and economically battered, Israel is fighting for her survival. Her citizens have never felt so alone, while across Europe antisemitism has reached a shocking and frightening new level.” More than 20 years later that rallying cry has never been more important. In 1948, 1967 and 1973 Israel was surrounded by nation states that wanted to wipe it off themap. Today, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, ISIS and Iran are no different. We pray for peace. We believe all life is sacred: Palestinian and Israeli. But as Golda Meir, Israel’s first female prime minister said in 1973: “We have nowhere else to go.” We must stand with Israel. While we may not be able to physically fight, we can join rallies. We can call for the safe return of hostages, sign petitions, volunteer, support those fighting the social media battles every day, fight the conscious media bias. We must stand together to show all those serving on the front line in Gaza and the Lebanese border that we have their backs. As for Sammy, he wants to be back in Israel, helping any way he can.

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YOUR BOND WITH ISRAEL CAN HAVE

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Magen David Adom UK Emergency appeal to provide much needed medical supplies as well as lifesaving vehicles. MDA is in urgent need to purchase more: Blood bags, Blood testing kits, Hemostatic Bandages, Tourniquets, and automatic resuscitators. Tel Aviv University Trust TAU Trust set up their emergency appeal to help them in giving financial aid for students who’s family members have been killed, injured or abducted. They’re also offering free housing in the TAU dorms for families from the south who have been uprooted. They also need to fund combat soldier scholarships for the country’s brave reservists who were called to active duty and could miss months of studies and work.

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ISRAEL AT WAR

Hamas’ life of luxury as aid for Gaza is diverted by Christine Kensche

Hamas internally calls it the ‘secret portfolio’. The terrorist organisation maintains a huge network of companies, as documents seen exclusively by the German newspaper WELT show. The names of German banks also appear. Hamas bosses live far from Gaza in luxury hotels. Even before the current war, half the Palestinians in Gaza depended on food aid from the United Nations. Now UNRWA, the Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, is warning the territory, home to more than two million people, is collapsing despite aid organisations worldwide collecting donations for the suffering population. Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007, has bulging bank accounts. The hundreds of millions of American dollars, however, are not spent by the heads of the terrorist organisation on their population, but on attacks against Israel – and their luxurious lifestyle abroad. The so-called Shura Council is the superordinate political body of Hamas, and makes the strategic decisions of the terrorist organisation. Subordinate to the council are committees that manage Hamas’s various activities, including the “Office of Investment”. This watches over foreign commercial assets, the extent of which only a few senior officials know. Hamas bosses call it the “secret portfolio”. According to documents on Hamas assets obtained by WELT AM SONNTAG and information from a former high-ranking Israeli intelligence official investigating the financial flows of terrorist organisations, Hamas’ top brass

Palestinian president Abbas, left, greets Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, right, with Qatar’s ruler in between

have built up a financial empire outside the Gaza Strip whose total value is about £600 million. According to the report, the secret terror portfolio includes between 30 and 40 companies operating mainly in the construction and real estate sectors. These Hamascontrolled companies are located in Turkey, Qatar, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates and Sudan. “This is the golden safety net for the Hamas leadership and their families,” says the financial investigator. “Not a dime of it has gone to Gaza.” While their own people in the sealed-off territory suffer the consequences of Hamas’ attack on Israel, with water, gasoline and bread rationed, Hamas bosses such as Ismail Haniyeh, Khaled Mashaal, Saleh al-Arouri and others reside in luxury hotels abroad and have bank

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh walks through Gaza City in 2018

❝

HAMAS’ TOP BRASS HAS BUILT UP A FINANCIAL EMPIRE OUTSIDE THE GAZA STRIP WHICH NOW HAS A TOTAL VALUE OF AROUND £600M accounts around the world. According to further secret documents, which WELT AM SONNTAG was able to view, the Hamas leadership has access to dozens of accounts which are kept in euros and American dollars at Turkish banks such as Türkiye Finans, Albaraka, Kuveyt Türk, Vakif Katilim and the state-owned bank Ziraat Katilim. Correspondent banks, such as Deutsche Zentral-Genossenschaftsbank in Düsseldorf, Unicredit Bank in Munich, and the Frankfurt branches of Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank and Citibank Europe, are also listed in the report as making transfers to Europe for the Turkish branches. Hamas began investing donor funds in foreign companies, rather than in Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, some two decades ago. “They deliberately built a financial security umbrella for the day when Saudi Arabia, Qatar or Turkey stopped their financial support to Hamas,” says the money laundering expert. According to the report, Hamas bosses initially began building their secret corporate portfolio in Saudi Arabia. But when the Gulf

monarchy began cracking down on Hamas’ business, they moved their financial office to Turkey. The boss of Hamas’ financial apparatus is Zaher Ali Moussa Jabarin. Jabarin was one of more than 1,000 convicted Palestinian terrorists Israel exchanged in 2011 for Gilad Shalit, a soldier kidnapped by Hamas. Along with several other released terrorists, he later resettled in Turkey. Jabarin lives there but makes frequent trips to Lebanon, Qatar and Iran. He has a Qatari passport and is Hamas’ liaison to Iran. Jabarin helps Hamas top brass set up businesses, obtain visas and purchase commercial real estate in Turkey. Hamas fighters who have risen through the ranks have traded in their uniforms for tailored suits. Some, like Hamas chief Haniyeh, who once vowed to live only on olive oil and za’atar spice, have retreated to luxury hotels in Turkey and Qatar, leaving the lower ranks and ordinary Palestinians to deal with the consequences of their terror strategy. Jabarin manages the finances for this. He reports to Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau in Lebanon. Al-Arouri

founded the armed arm of the terrorist organisation that invaded southern Israel on 7 October and murdered 1,400 people. In a telephone interview this week with Al-Manar, Hezbollah’s television station, Al-Arouri said Hamas was in constant contact with Hezbollah’s leadership. The Shiite terrorist organisation in Lebanon has close ties to Iran. The Hamas leader boasted that the war against Israel “hasn’t even really begun” – implying more Hezbollah attacks from Lebanon in parallel with Hamas rockets from Gaza and possible Iranian intervention. WELT was the first newspaper to reveal parts of Hamas’ secret corporate empire two years ago. As a result, the US Treasury sanctioned the actors and companies revealed at the time, such as the Turkish real estate investment firm Trend Gayrimenkul Yatırım Ortaklığı A.Ş (Trend GYO). According to US officials, Trend GYO served to conceal and launder Hamas funds. Despite the sanctions imposed by the world’s most important financial authority, it appears the Hamas company can continue to do business in Turkey without hindrance. For example, the Hamas-run company reports a net profit of 57.8 million Turkish liras (about two million euros) for 2022. This is according to a statement it submitted to the Istanbul Stock Exchange on 13 February 2023. The Hamas company’s shares are traded on the Turkish stock exchange. The government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has not taken any action against the company or its representatives since the US sanction was imposed. Trend GYO continues to generate revenue from construction and real estate investments in Istanbul. That Turkey is the adopted home for senior Hamas officials is an open secret. Erdogan also makes no secret of his closeness to the terrorist organisation, which grew out of the Muslim Brotherhood. After Hamas raided Israel and slaughtered scores of civilians, including young children and babies, the Turkish president declared in a speech in Ankara: “Hamas is not a terrorist organisation, but a liberation and mujahideen group that fights to protect its country and its citizens.”  This report is republished with the permission of German newspaper Welt

26 Jewish News 9 November 2023

Remember their names: The victims of Hamas

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9 November 2023 Jewish News

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9 November 2023 Jewish News

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ISRAEL AT WAR

Anti-Jewish racism up ‘All I do is in your 95% in health sector memory’ Ninety-five per cent of UK Jewish healthcare professionals in the UK have noted a rise in the antisemitism they face following the Hamas terrorist attacks a survey has found, writes Charlotte Henry. In total, 73 percent of respondents from the healthcare sector revealed they had dealt with at least one antisemitic incident since the attacks, and 70 percent said these incidents came from their colleagues. Furthermore, 48 percent said they did not feel safe in clinical settings, while just 29 percent said they feel safe around colleagues. The survey, led by Dr Joseph GreenwallCohen in collaboration with Alpha Omega (The Jewish Dental Association), took in views of 293 UK Jewish healthcare professionals. It found that 44 percent had or were thinking about changing their behaviour as a result of the huge rise in antisemitism they were encountering. Greenwall-Cohen said: “While there are many supportive colleagues and environments, trust and collaboration within a healthcare team is paramount. To think that less than a third of us feel safe around our colleagues is a testament to the severity of antiJewish racism at this time and highlights the need for this to be resolved urgently.” Professor David Katz, executive chair of the Jewish Medical Association UK, said that “a key question to ask now is how does this affect the interaction of the UK Jewish community within the society in which they live and work, and also when and how will the UK’s healthcare system devise strategies to combat this unacceptable form of harmful discrimination.” The results also call into question how healthcare regulators and professional bodies

The survey took in the views of 293 Jewish healthcare professionals in the UK

are dealing with the rise in antisemitism. Sixtyeight percent of respondents said they lacked confidence in such organisations to take adequate action. A spokesperson for the General Medical Council told Jewish News: “Our personal beliefs standards are clear that doctors – like all citizens, are entitled to their political opinions. Our focus is on the effect that expressions of political or other personal beliefs may have on patients’ or public confidence in the profession. “In sharing opinions and raising awareness around certain issues, doctors must consider how doing so may affect the public’s trust and perception of doctors.” A General Dental Council spokesperson said:

“Our primary purpose is to maintain patient safety and public confidence in the dental professions. As the regulator of dental professionals, we must investigate serious concerns. These can include misconduct, such as inappropriate or unprofessional behaviour, or discrimination against patients, colleagues and others. “Our standards for the dental team are clear that every dental professional will maintain appropriate personal and professional behaviour so their conduct, both at work and in their personal life, justifies patients’ trust in them and the public’s trust in the dental profession.” Despite growing concerns among Jews working in healthcare, 60 percent of antisemitic incidents went unreported.

Hundreds of people packed Cockfosters and North Southgate Synagogue to mourn one of their own – Corporal Nathanel Young, 20, who died in the first round of fighting on Gaza’s border after the Hamas massacres. Young, who was buried Nathanel Young in Jerusalem in a full military ceremony, had only lived in Israel for a year before successfully joining the prestigious Golani Brigade in the Israel Defence Forces. A long-time friend of the family, Rabbi Hershel Kesselman, urged people to remember him when they light their Shabbat candles. He reminded the congregation: “Here in the UK, we are all also soldiers.” Friends, including Amy Boujenah and Yuval Remon, paid tribute to the much-loved, largerthan-life, music-loving soldier, who had been determined to make his way in Israel, joining his three older siblings when he made aliyah. “Everything I do is in memory of you,” Yuval said. “How many lives you have touched.” Nicky and Chantal Young spoke about their son, whose ambition had been, his father said, “to become rich and buy his mother a big house with a swimming pool”. The service was led by Rabbi Meir Shindler, with contributions from previous rabbonim, including Rabbi Daniel Epstein and Rabbi Yisroel Fine. Chazan Dov Speier and Chazan David Rome also took part. Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely also attended the service.

YAHRZEIT CANDLES BURN IN OUR HEARTS BY ALEX BRUMMER

CITY EDITOR OF THE DAILY MAIL

The shloshim (30 days) for Israelis brutally murdered on 7 October has passed and the yahrzeit candles burn deeply in our hearts. The shock is still palpable, we pray for the lives of Hamas hostages and the Israeli soldiers perishing daily as they seek to destroy the terrorist infrastructure. Here in our own communities, we shudder at the persistence of the pro-Palestinian hate marches and the way in which much of the media, with some gallant exceptions, have bought into a terrorist narrative. In our local community in Richmond, a distance from the disquiet and fear that stalks the streets of north London, our synagogue has become a refuge for resident Israeli families who have been assembling socially every Tuesday and Thursday in search of company, comfort and solace. The acute pain, suffering and loss doesn’t show any signs of easing.

When the fog of war clears, as it inevitably will, there will be bigger questions to answer. The 2020 Abraham Accords looked to be a game changer for Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Arab neighbours. Diplomatic and commercial relations with those in Israel’s neighbourhood finally looked to be securing Israel’s future after 75 years. Economics tells us the easiest, most efficient and enriching trade relationships are with neighbours. The degree of trust between Israel and its Gulf neighbour was symbolised by the 230,000 Israeli visitors to Dubai in 2023 (pre-Gaza), some 73 percent up on the previous year. Official trade between the two countries was set to reach $3bn (£2.4bn). Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund backed Israeli start-ups with $100m of investment and bought a $1bn stake in the offshore natural gas field NewMed of Israel. Tantalisingly better relations with the biggest beast in the Gulf, a modernising Saudi Arabia under its de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman, seemed within reach. A deep concern for the future is whether all, any or none of these relationships survive the current blood-stained conflagration in Gaza, the Hezbollah rockets and street violence on the West Bank. Israel’s strategic objectives are

not that different from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries (with the exception of Qatar). They have as much to lose from the arc of Islamic radicalism propagated by Iran’s proxies, which rule the roost in Lebanon and Syria and have gained a grip, through the Houthi rebels, in Yemen. It is British weaponry, via the Saudis, which has been keeping the Houthis at bay. The longer the battle for Gaza goes on, the more anger on the Arab street and the harder it will be for the Abraham Accords, let alone a rapprochement with Saudi, to survive. The economics of the region are, however, on Israel’s side. In spite of oil wealth, Iran is a tinderbox with a failing currency, an inflation rate of 42 percent, food shortages and bitter social divisions. In an all-out conflict, the Ayatollahs would be dependent on a Russia heavily engaged by its campaign of attrition in Ukraine. Egypt, too, is struggling with an inflation rate of 38 percent and a government weighed down with a mountain of dollar debt payments to the Gulf nations. It is not surprising Cairo’s leaders fear a mass breakout of refugees from Gaza. The largely-forgotten 630,000 Syrian refugees, who fled across the border to Jordan at the peak of the civil war in 2016, came close to

bankrupting the country. The annual cost was put at $2.6bn, almost twice foreign assistance from Britain and others. That is the kind of burden that is deeply unappealing in Cairo. The West has real reasons to fear a widening of the conflict. The Yom Kippur War of 1973 still haunts memories. The closing of the Straits of Hormuz, an Arab oil embargo and subsequent great inflation brought the economies of the Western democracies to their knees. The World Bank reckons a wider war could push the oil price up 70 percent to $157 a barrel, making it far more menacing than Putin’s assault on Ukraine. Lebanon is already in free fall, and a full attack by Hezbollah from its borders could bring the international economy crashing down with it. Our thoughts must be with the people of Israel and the peril to the state. Diplomats, notably the American Secretary of State Antony Blinken, has broader geopolitical goals on his mind. It is ghastly that posters of Israeli hostages are being torn down in London and Manchester and antisemitism and hate speech are on the rise across Britain. But amid the terrible threats to the UK’s traditional tolerance we shouldn’t forget the wider stakes for the world.

30 Jewish News 9 November 2023

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ISRAEL AT WAR

This year’s Sacks Conversation took place at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. Entitled “To Heal a Fractured World”, the event gained even greater relevance in the wake of the devastating terrorist attacks and Gaza conflict. Shari Redstone, chair of Paramount Global, delivered an emotional keynote speech, in which she revealed she felt compelled to rewrite it due to the Hamas terror attacks. She said: “We’ve been here before, we know where it leads and we cannot be silent.” Redstone added: “Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, of blessed memory, loved to share an old Chasidic teaching that saw the Jewish people as a living Torah scroll with each person as one of its letters. “For Rabbi Sacks, this offered a radical insight about human dignity. If a single letter in a scroll is damaged or missing, a Torah is considered invalid. “If we ignore or dismiss a single person’s humanity, our collective humanity suffers.” This sentiment was reiterated in an interfaith panel discussion featuring Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Imam Abdullah Antepli and

Photo by Zush Photography

at top private school Sacks Conversation: Girls upset by ‘kill Jews’ graffiti How religion can heal

Paramount Global chair Shari Redstone described the philosophy of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (inset)

Rabbi Dr Meir Soloveichik. These leaders from different faiths joined forces in condemning the 7 October Hamas terror attacks and underscored the significance of mutual understanding. Imam Antepli said: “The world was fractured enough before 7 October. But after the barbaric savagery and monstrous terrorism that has been committed in the name of Palestinian suffering or in the name of Islam, as a Muslim it cuts much deeper. “For those of us who are Muslim,

the least we can do is condemn in the clearest terms possible this barbaric savagery without ‘ands’ and ‘buts’ to make sure this is unacceptable. No values or scripture of Islam can justify this. “I cannot even find the words to express how broken and shaken I am for what I have seen.” The event closed with guidance from Gila Sacks, daughter of Rabbi Sacks, urging the gathering to keep hope and stand by their faith through action to make the world “a place of justice and compassion”.

Students at a north London girls’ private school have been left “deeply saddened” after antisemitic graffiti was daubed in a bathroom. Jewish News understands a Nazi swastika sign and the words “kill Jews” were daubed in toilet at the £24,000-ayear Channing School in Highgate. In a statement, the school confirmed it had discovered the graffiti in one of the student toilets at lunchtime last Thursday. It said it had reported the incident both to the police and to the Community Security Trust. The school said: “We acted swiftly to close off the toilet to students and remove the graffiti as soon as we

became aware of it. Unfortunately, a number of students saw what had been written and they have been shocked and upset. We have reassured them it is being dealt with and reminded them of the places and people to which they can go for support. Our pastoral team has reached out to provide support.” In a letter to parents, headteacher Lindsey Hughes wrote: “I know [some students] are already devastated about something like this happening in our school community – as am I. “I will be speaking to the whole school to reiterate unequivocally that antisemitism is abhorrent, unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

Shoah survivor Manfred offers message of hope More than 500 people attended an evening of hope at a Havdalah event hosted by Jewish Futures at Hasmonean Girls School in Hendon. Rabbi Naftali Schiff welcomed Nicky and Chantal Young, parents of Nathanel Young, one of the brave soldiers murdered on 7 October. Chantal shared his passion for defending Israel and urged parents to support their children in pursuing their dreams, emphasising the importance of expressing love for them daily. The children’s choir from Shalom Noam School performed a version of

Acheinu and Michelle Barnet, representing social action organisation GIFT, spoke about its efforts during the conflict. It has collected five tonnes of essential items, engaging more than 1,000 volunteers to support Israel. Holocaust survivor Manfred Goldberg expressed his belief in the enduring strength of the Jewish community, while Rabbi Schiff said: “We stand together, a beacon of light in a world that at present seems dark. Let this unity inspire us to continue our journey, spreading love and hope in the face of adversity together.”

NON-JEWS: TIME TO SPEAK UP FOR ISRAEL BY GARY GRANT

BARRISTER Among Jewish traditions the newest may be our incessant doom-scrolling on Twitter and obsessive response to pings from the multitude of kosher WhatsApp groups to which we’ve found ourselves added since 7 October. Why? It may be our universal fear of needing to know what is going on around us to reassure ourselves that we are safe. Our minds may turn to the assimilated Jews of Germany and Austria in the 1930s, who dismissed the rants of antisemites and did nothing except keep their heads down. The misplaced confidence they had that their friends and neighbours would never forsake them led most to end their days in the gas chamber. All this took place within living memory. So, the fears of British Jews are not without foundation. We are not blind or deaf to what we see around us now. We see what our home secretary has described, not inaptly, as “hate marches”, with crowds in the tens of thousands spewing through our major cities each Saturday. We hear angry chants to eradicate Israel “From the

river to the sea!” We hear calls by some to follow the 7th century example of Muslims past to kills Jews at “Khaybar, Khaybar”. We witness Liverpool Street Station, which once welcomed the children of the Kindertransport, taken over by haters of the Jewish state. Curiously, we have not witnessed a single banner suggesting Palestinians need to be freed from the Hamas death cult. Nor have we seen similar marches decrying the hundreds of thousands of Arab civilians killed by Assad in Syria or by Iran-backed militias in Yemen or Uighur Muslims persecuted in China. We see posters of kidnapped Israeli children ripped down by emboldened Gen Zs to whom all lives matter – save, it seems, Jewish ones. We view the bien pensant Twitterati and university academics demonising Israel as the “oppressor”, the spearheader of “settler-colonialism” and characterising the Jewish state as the far-reaching tentacle of that wretched octopus of capitalism, which is suffocating the world’s progress towards “social justice”. We witness the “progressive left” parroting 1970s Soviet antisemitic propaganda behaving like Iranian shills and allying themselves with decidedly non-progressive Islamist groups towards their shared aim to annihilate, directly or indirectly, the world’s only Jewish state. And above all this we wonder, and occasionally tremble, at the deafening silence among so

many of our friends and neighbours. It tempts us to conclude that the majority of our fellow countrymen hate us too because we had the temerity to be born Jewish and see Israel as the essential – the only – safeguard of the most important human right of all: our right to life. But I believe this would be a mistake. The 18th century statesman and thinker Edmund Burke put it best: “Because half a dozen grasshoppers under a fern make the field ring with their importunate chink, while thousands of great cattle, reposed beneath the shadow of the British oak, chew the cud and are silent, pray do not imagine that those who make the noise are the only inhabitants of the field.” It is incumbent upon us as British Jews to call out the antisemitism we see around us cloaked in the increasingly transparent garbs of anti-Zionism. We cannot expect others to speak up if we remain silent ourselves. But the duty should not fall on Jews alone. It is natural for us to focus on those who are the loudest and in our immediate field of vision. But within our communities a virtuous few have reached out over recent weeks. Generally, they do so privately, with a text message asking if we are okay, or a subtle ‘like’ of a pro-Israel social media post. But why the continuing silence from so many others? Their reticence is likely to be down to a number of factors. A fear of treading into the

most complex of geopolitical issues without sufficient knowledge to understand it. A terror of facing a backlash from the ‘wokerati’ and Islamist sympathisers for not following the tune being sung by the unholy alliance of the far-left and Islamist movements. Some, the sociopathic minority I hope, may think Israel, the oppressor, got its just desserts on 7 October. It is the brave and wise who reach out to ask for information so they can understand why Israel must respond with such overwhelming force when faced with a threat to its existence. When, in the past few days, Hamas leaders proudly told TV interviewers that, given the chance, they would repeat the 7 October massacres until Israel and the Jews within are obliterated, it helps to explain why a ceasefire is a non-starter until Hamas is totally destroyed. I believe the majority of my fellow Brits, our neighbours, friends and colleagues, look with abhorrence at the events of 7 October. I believe they understand and also feel enormous empathy towards the innocent Palestinians caught up in the horror of war and weep for each innocent death in Gaza and Israel. My plea is that these voices be turned up and their hands of friendship reach out towards us so we do not feel so alone. Because “Never Again” includes never again being silent when the age-old mutating evil of antisemitism spasms in our midst yet again.

9 November 2023 Jewish News

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Hasmonean Primary School A Proud Past, A Bright Future

A University on the Frontlines Israel suffered horrific losses on October 7th. The Negev bore the brunt of it, and with it the BGU family.

Calling all Prospective Nursery & Reception families. On Wednesday 29th November 2023, we will be holding an open evening at 7pm You will have personal tours of our wonderful school, get to meet our Head Teacher and see the school in action Deadlines • For Pre-Nursery/Nursery September 2024 applications deadline is December 15th 2023 • For Reception September 2024 applications deadline is January 15th 2024

BGU community members killed (students, staff, faculty and retirees)

close relatives of BGU community members killed

Thousands

1/3

displaced from their homes

hostages

of the student body called up for reserve duty

Support Us Now: www.bguf.org.uk/donate | 020 3778 2068 Student relief grants for reservists

Students volunteering with victims and the wider community

Dorms opened to medical personnel, soldiers and displaced families

Medical students volunteering with the thousands of wounded

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ISRAEL AT WAR

WE KNOW WHAT JEW HATE LOOKS LIKE BY KAREN POLLOCK

CHIEF EXECUTIVE, HOLOCAUST EDUCATIONAL TRUST Most people would like to think they would be able to spot anti-Jewish hatred. They may have learnt about the Spanish Inquisition and the expulsion of Jews from countries across the globe. They may have heard about the Blood Libels of the Middle Ages: the accusations that Jewish people killed Christian children and used their blood for ritual purposes. They may have learnt about the pogroms in Eastern Europe which saw the murder of tens of thousands of Jewish people across centuries. If not, they would have almost certainly been taught about the antisemitism of 1930s Germany and ultimately, where this led. To ghettos, concentration camps, and execution sites across the continent. To gas chambers. To six million Jews murdered. And most people would agree that this antisemitism, the antisemitism they learnt about in school, is awful. It has no place in modern society.

But this knowledge – which is essential to understand the world today – is not the whole story. We must learn not only what antisemitism did look like, but equally as important, what anti-Jewish hatred does look like today. Antisemitism is not simply a chapter to be taught in history. It cannot solely be spoken about in the past tense. It survived the liberation of the death camps and continues to blight our society today. As the late Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks said, “It’s a prejudice that like a virus, has survived over time by mutating.” And we are seeing this mutation happening right in front of our eyes, on our streets and on our television screens. We are seeing thousands chant ‘From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free’ – a call for the destruction of Israel, the only Jewish State. We see the occupation of railway stations, where people chant for an intifada. We see former friends or acquaintances on social media celebrating, praising, or somehow justifying the 7 October massacre of Jews by Hamas as an act of resistance. And how do we end up with a member of the audience on BBC Question Time asking whether Israel’s efforts to defeat these murderous terrorists was comparable to the Nazis’ so-called ‘Final Solution’? Is it hard to spot antisemitism? No.

‘There is a talk about clearing Hamas out of Gaza. Isn’t that a bit like the Final Solution?’

For the Jewish community right now, it is impossible to miss. However, too many of those who would be appalled by the historic forms of antisemitism wilfully deny or defend the antisemitism we see today. They will say that calling for an intifada is not antisemitic but will then feel shocked when a Russian mob puts these words into action by storming an airport and hunting for Jews. They will say there is nothing wrong with comparing Israel to the Nazis but will then be stunned when a Jewish woman in France is stabbed in her home and a swastika daubed on her door.

They will defend the right for protesters to call for armed revolution and then be silent when synagogues are firebombed and burnt to the ground. They will attend Holocaust Memorial Day events and repeat the phrase ‘never again’ but will be silent in response to the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. Even worse, they will call the actions of Israel a genocide – hollowing out the very meaning of the word. It is not hard to see antisemitism, as long as you are willing to believe your Jewish friends when they tell you what it looks like today.

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ISRAEL AT WAR

Jewish-Arab school award A bilingual and integrated JewishArab school in Israel has won a global education prize in recognition of its efforts to heal long-standing divisions, writes Joy Falk. In the aftermath of the Hamas attack and hostage-taking on Israel and as the Gaza war rages with thousands of casualties on both sides, the Max Rayne Hand In Hand Jerusalem School – where Jewish and Arab students learn together in both Hebrew and Arabic – has been crowned winner of the T4 Education World’s Best School prize for overcoming adversity. The school leadership reflects the diversity of its student body, with an Arab as principal of the elementary school and a Jewish secondary school principal. There is also equal representation of Jewish and Arab staff, who work closely together to create an inclusive learning environment for all the students.

Dani Elazar, chief executive of Hand in Hand, which runs a network of bilingual, multicultural JewishArab schools in Israel, said: “Winning an award as ‘the best school in the world’ would normally be a cause for celebration. “With a war waging and thousands of precious lives lost, this is not the time for celebration. It is the time for resolution. “We resolve to continue overcoming adversity, day by day, for the sake of a better future for all, Jews and Arabs alike. “Overcoming adversity is precisely what the Max Rayne Hand in Hand School is doing at this very moment. “We hope that the conferral of this award will raise people’s awareness that there is an alternative to hatred and fear. All children of this land deserve a better future. Together is the only way we will achieve it.”

The Max Rayne Hand In Hand Jerusalem School

Cadoxton Primary School in Barry, south Wales, reached the final three in the overcoming adversity category but missed out on top spot to the Jerusalem entry. The winners of the five World’s Best prizes – for community collaboration, environmental action, innovation, overcoming adversity, and

supporting healthy lives – will each receive US$50,000 (£40,000). The Max Rayne Hand in Hand Jerusalem School says it intends to use the prize money to support its unique co-teaching model and to raise awareness of the values of shared society and equality among a wider audience.

Vikas Pota, founder of T4 Education, offered his “deepest congratulations” to The Max Rayne School for its achievement, adding: ‘In dark times, you shine a light.” He went on: “By healing longstanding divisions between Jews and Arabs through the transformative power of education, you show that there is a path to understanding and with it peace. “Educators across the world should look to the example of your school in the difference you have made to so many lives. “And governments must look to the trail-blazing work you have done as they seek answers to the great challenges we face today. Where you lead, they must follow.” The Max Rayne awards follows success last year or Dunoon Grammar School in Scotland, which was crowned winner of the global prize for community collaboration.

SUN RECEIVES MP tells peace vigil THE 5,000 ‘THANK YOUS’ of her ‘deep grief’ A vigil held to maintain hopes of peace between Israel and the Palestinians has succeeded in bringing local communities in Oxford together, writes Lee Harpin. At a time of tensions, Sunday’s peace vigil in the city saw a local Jewish community leader and the MP Layla Moran among those to deliver moving speeches reflecting on the impact 7 October had on so many. A crowd of more than 500, many of whom brought candles to be lit as the outdoor vigil progressed, attended the event. Jewish News understands the organisers at one stage discussed whether to go ahead, with Oxford experiencing some of the tensions felt by many UK cities. The Bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft, welcomed the gathering, saying: “We come here to pray and find peace. We are together as a community of communities.” Oxford Jewish Congregation vice-president Louise Gordon was invited to deliver the first speech to the multi-faith crowd, saying: “My religious tradition is not alone in teaching that the loss of a single human life is as the loss of an entire world. We have all been witness to too much loss and our world can never be as it was before. We will never know what all those lost world-of-lives could have become. The grief of that is beyond measuring.” Gordon told Jewish News the small Jewish community, which is boosted by the sizable local student intake, had felt under much pressure in recent weeks but coming together with other local faith groups and communities at events such as Sunday’s was proving to be a great source of strength. In an equally poignant address, Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesperson Moran spoke of

Britain’s biggest-selling newspaper has received more than 5,000 emails of support in the wake of its front page dedicated to the child hostages held by Hamas. The Sun led Thursday’s print edition with images of the 32 children taken by terrorists on 7 October, alongside the words Bring Them Home.

Layla Moran and attendees at the Oxford vigil

the devastating impact of the past few weeks, adding she was talking not as an MP but as “someone whose mother comes from Jerusalem”. “The last few weeks have been incredibly painful for all of us,” she said. “I was distraught when I saw the abhorrent atrocities committed by Hamas on 7 October. “In that first week I felt deep grief for the dead and the kidnapped in Israel, and also for those innocent Palestinians as the bombs started to fall in Gaza. “I have family in Palestine, my fear for them is indescribable. And that fear is matched by those who have connections in Israel.” Again speaking with conviction, local Imam Monawar Hassain said: “We the citizens of Oxfordshire come together in the spirit of mutual love, pain and kindness.” Asked by Jewish News later about the growing tensions in the UK between some in the Muslim and Jewish communities he said pointedly: “It is really important that there is so much that unites us.” The group is planning regular meetings to give a collective voice in promoting understanding, peace and community relations.

Jewish News, which ran a similar front page last month, understands messages of support and thanks are still pouring in from across world. It is believed to be the largest email response to any story of its kind published by the paper in recent years. The children are among more than 240 hostages held.

The Sun’s front page

SCHOOL IN ABUSE PROBE A £25,000-a-year private school is investigating after a pupil was filmed making an obscene gesture and declaring “f*** Israel”. University College School told Jewish News it is aware of the video, which has been widely circulated online. A spokesperson for the Hampstead school said: “We are currently investigating this matter. We are determined that the school

should be a safe space for everyone, where all members of the community are treated with the same kindness and respect. Intolerance has no place at UCS and runs counter to the school’s values. “Within the school community, there are a number of ways in which we continue to support our pupils during this difficult time and which we communicate to pupils and parents, including after

the recent half-term break. These include access to dedicated school counsellors, discussions in clubs and societies and school assemblies.” It is unclear where the video was filmed. The teenage male is not in school uniform. The incident came one day after students at north London girls’ school Channing were left “deeply saddened” after antisemitic graffiti was daubed in a bathroom.

ANGER AT QUESTION TIME BBC Question Time has defended an audience member’s right to compare Israel’s actions against Hamas terrorists to the Holocaust. During the segment of last Thursday night’s programme, a man who appeared to be in his late 70s or 80s, asked the panel: “There is talk about clearing Hamas out of Gaza.

Isn’t that a little bit like the Final Solution?” Host Fiona Bruce reacted: “Well, that is quite a thing to say”, before inviting panellist Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies, to respond. A BBC spokesperson told Jewish News: “The significance of the phrasing and seri-

ousness of the historical reference in the question were immediately recognised by the chair who offered Marie van der Zyl a moment before responding. Van der Zyl said she was happy to respond in that moment and did so, speaking at length before the chair invited the rest of the panel to respond accordingly.”

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ISRAEL AT WAR VOICE OF THE JEWISH NEWS

One month after the day that forever changed Israel deaths or the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state. But whether it’s one person, 100 people or 10,000, the chilling impact of seeing so many people echo and excuse hateful chants is profound. It’s not easy to speak on behalf of Jews in one country, never mind the world, nor do we purport to. As journalists we report, opine and comment. But the level of fear among our readers is like nothing in memory. There will be those who dismiss every word in this piece. There will also be Jews who insist this editorial doesn’t speak for them. Before those in the media put them on the airwaves, please ask for an ounce of proof that they represent more than a tiny band of misfits. Some are more likely to stand alongside Iran’s regime that is so despised by much of the Muslim world than they would with most Jews. But don’t mistake this growing fear for a lack of determination to fight our corner as citizens deserving of support and protection or doubt our solidarity as a people of just 16 million. We’ve never been so determined, so energised, so united and so proud, as highlighted by the huge uptick in sales of Stars of David. This unity has been a light in the darkness. Another has been the support, publicly and sometimes not, of our real friends in all communities. Again, we will never ever forget this. Our collective Jewish heart bleeds for the families who lost relatives in the Hamas atrocities and the families of those kidnapped. Many of our readers will be connected to these innocents. But our hearts bleed, too, for the innocents killed in Gaza as a result of this wicked war launched by Hamas. Over the unbearably painful days ahead, we call on the world to listen and treat us as anyone would want to be treated. It shouldn’t be too much to ask.

Thousands of people gather in Trafalgar Square last month for a solidarity vigil for Israel

said 7/10 “didn’t happen in a vacuum”. No, it didn’t, Mr Guterres. It required decades of indoctrination, years of holding up terrorists as heroes to be lionised, a sure way to fame and, often, fortune, and the presence of a terrorist organisation whose central aim is to wipe Israel and every Jew off the face of the earth. Hamas is cheering those ‘From the river to the sea!’ chants because a Palestine between the river to the sea leaves not a single inch for Israel. Why do so many still seek to deny what’s in Hamas’ own charter? And why are so many good people still silent when cheerleaders for terrorists decide the worst massacre of our coreligionists since the Holocaust is a good moment to open up a second, global front targeting Jews on campus, at work, on the streets and at home? Clearly not everyone marching under the Palestinian flag fantasises about our

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On an US campus, students have openly chanted for Jewish genocide and celebrated the ‘martyrs’ who butchered Jewish children in their beds on 7 October. This is not a call for two states living side-by-side in peace. This is not legitimate opposition to Benjamin Netanyahu and his government. How could we have been so blind to this malignancy in our midst? And yet, all that we have seen so far isn’t even our worst fear. Our gravest concerns lie in what the future holds. Meanwhile, some world leaders act as cheerleaders, but at other times, not. Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, said: “If I had lived in the Germany of 1933, I would have fought on the side of the Jewish people, and if I had lived in Palestine in 1948, I would have fought on the Palestinian side.” Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “Hamas is not a terrorist organisation.” The head of the UN, Antonio Guterres,

century! UK registered

Two decades ago, the former Chief Rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sacks, likened antisemitism to a constantly evolving virus; one that, in the modern era, specifically targets the Jewish nation state. He aptly described this prejudice as a deeply-ingrained malignancy, perpetually lingering beneath the surface of society. For many of us in the Jewish diaspora, the great man’s words were not merely a statement of truth but a stark reminder. Until recent days, the extent and intensity of this virulent strain of hatred were underestimated. While the need for stringent security measures at schools and synagogues has long been a familiar reality, it has been a devastating shock to experience such profound levels of hatred and indifference to the threat. We dared to hope such malevolence had been relegated to the annals of history. Today, in an unprecedented moment in Jewish history, we unite as Jewish news outlets spanning borders, continents and religious affiliations to issue this open letter. The events of recent weeks have surpassed even Rabbi Sacks’ sombre portrayal. Some of those who propagate hatred, concealing their prejudice under the veneer of being ‘antiIsrael’, no longer find it necessary to obscure their malice. We’ve witnessed raw hatred against Jews in cities across the globe. In Dagestan, a mob ran towards planes on a runway to check passengers’ passports, hunting for disembarking Jews. In Sydney, when authorities lit the famous Opera House in Israel’s colours, a crowd sang ‘Gas the Jews’. In Paris, Jewish children had to evacuate their school after a bomb hoax. In London, red paint was daubed on Jewish school doors and the Wiener Holocaust Library. In Berlin, Magen Davids have been spraypainted on homes, a haunting echo of scenes in that German city 90 years ago.

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ISRAEL AT WAR

Star of David jewellery Wiener Library daubed in Gaza-linked attack sales continue to soar Star of David jewellery sales have continued to rise since Jewish News revealed last week that demand for the treasured symbol had increased by up to 400 percent in London and America since the terror attacks, writes Candice Krieger. Jewellers told Jewish News this week they were struggling to meet demand as more people were buying Magen Davids and chais in an expression of Jewish pride. Cohens Jewellers in Temple Fortune, north London, had seen sales of Star of David pendants double since 7 October – they have doubled again this week after the Jewish News’ article, where Cohens announced they would be offering an additional 10 percent discount on all Magen Davids until December, on top of the 20 percent of proceeds going to Israel’s medical emergency service Magen David Adom and supplies for IDF soldiers. Robert Cohen, of Cohens Jewel-

lers, said: “Response to the campaign has been incredible. Customers not only want to show solidarity and their pride in being Jewish, but also want to donate to charities in Israel at the same time. “Our customers also tell us they want to support local Jewish businesses in times like this as opposed to buying online.” He added: “We are struggling to keep up with demand and have more stock arriving this week.” Cohens has this week taken orders from customers living in Bath and Leeds. “We are confident the trend will continue as Stand With Us promote their #BringTheStarsOut campaign on social media to encourage people to be proud to wear their stars and Fauda star Lior Raz posted a video of himself wearing his with the caption ‘Wear it Proud! Don’t be afraid!’”. Nelken Jewellers in Borehamwood, meanwhile, is continuing to

Sale are up by 400 percent

see an rise in demand for Magen Davids and chais on the 300 percent rise noted since the 7 October attacks. Edwin Nelken said: “There was already an increase and now even more so. We have already sold three this morning. We have just had to do another big order as we think sales will continue to increase.”

HUGE SUPPORT FOR JEWISH AID GROUP A group set up by two north London friends to offer practical support to Israeli families who fled to the UK in the wake of the 7 October terror attacks has grown to 2,000 members. ‘Helping Israelis in the UK‘ set up by Natasha, 38, and Lucy, 39, came from the UK community’s desire to support families with requests and advice on issues from accommodation to nursery and school places.

Natasha said she saw messages in my son’s school WhatsApp group seeking help for Israeli families coming to the UK. “I thought if these are happening daily just on one year group, they must be everywhere and it would be much easier to create a central community where people can share and support each other, free from politics and just offering practical support.”

She called Lucy, who has lived in Israel, the two took action and say they have been overwhelmed. Lucy said: “There are offers of support for everything from hosting people for Shabbat dinner, finding Hebrew tutors or accommodation to people opening their homes free to let Israeli families stay with them. The group has nearly 2,000 members and is just a really positive place.”

The word ‘Gaza’ was daubed in red paint outside the Wiener Holocaust Library in central London. Staff members of the world’s oldest Holocaust studies library and research centre arrived to discover the graffito on a sign outside the building promoting its exhibition and reading room. A staff member told Jewish News the graffito had not been noticed when the workforce left the premises at about 6pm on the evening of the attack, so it is presumed that the defacement occurred overnight. The staff member also noted the word ‘Gaza’ appeared to be smudged, indicating a passerby may have attempted to remove it from the sign before it was officially discovered.

Daubed sign outside the library

Library director Dr Toby Simpson told Jewish News: “This graffiti was obviously intended to cause damage and distress. “To use ignorance as a weapon against an institution of learning is stupid and wrong. To lash out against Israel by targeting a Holocaust institution is an action that can only make sense to antisemites.”

Offices with Jewish companies defaced In a statement to X (forPolice made two arrests merly Twitter), the Met after a London office said: “Two men have been building was defaced with arrested on suspicion of paint and ‘Free Palestine’ racially aggravated crimgraffiti. inal damage, which we are One Eagle Place in investigating as hate crime. Piccadilly houses the Messages about the conflict offices of Leonardo UK. A leading UK aerospace The defaced entrance between Israel and Hamas have been painted on to company and one of the biggest suppliers of defence and secu- the building in red paint, which has rity equipment to the UK Ministry of also been thrown at it. “We have no tolerance for graffiti Defence, it launched two development with a hate connotation in London. partnerships with Israel in February. Also resident in the building is Both men are in police custody.” Palestine Action claimed responsiSchulte Roth + Zabel, an international bility for the defacement. Jewish firm of private capital lawyers.

PLEASE LET MY GRANDMA BE WRONG BY MATTHEW PATRICK JEWISH LABOUR PARTY ACTIVIST

“The good people in this world far outnumber the bad,” Bernard Meltzer, one of the most popular radio hosts in America in his day, was known to say this on his call-in show, What’s Your Problem? These are words I need to hear and feel right now. I suspect I’m not alone. The war in Israel and Gaza is weighing heavily on many of us, me included. I am scared, angry, desperate and devastated. I am waking up in the middle of the night in sweats, as my nightmares include the detailed slaughter of my family and me. My horror at the attack by Hamas is in the intimacy of it. The up-close slaughter of children. There is not a cause in the world worth that. I’m in two minds about detailing this here – I don’t want to add to the fear and emotion everyone is feeling. But these images are seared

in my mind and, without it, I fear people won’t understand where I’m coming from. When I was little, my grandmother would tell me how as a people, Jews would never be safe. She told me that people have always wanted to kill the Jews and that, when it comes to it, we won’t be defended. (She also talked to me about cooking, literature, TV and humour – it wasn’t always that foreboding!) I dismissed this. She was from a different era. She and her family had to fight fascists at Ridley Road. Like so many other Jews, they had to change their surname to remove any trace of Jewishness from it. Her family had fled pogroms in eastern Europe. She was scarred from her experiences and therefore couldn’t see that everything was different now. I don’t want her to be right. I’m desperate for her to be wrong. I want so hard to believe that the good people in this world far outnumber the bad. And it’s in desperate times – such as now – that it is hardest to feel that. It is in the words and actions of others that I allow myself to believe (or not) Bernard Meltzer’s comforting phrase. And, in turn, I know that my words and actions will impact that for others.

So let me say: my heart breaks for the innocent people of Palestine. Their suffering is unimaginable. They need food, water, fuel and medicine. Aid must be allowed to reach them. My heart also breaks for the innocent people of Israel. They cannot live in fear of a repeat attack from Hamas. For peace, Hamas – who are sworn enemies of the Jewish people – cannot control Gaza. As so many do, I desperately want peace. Not everyone will completely agree on how we get there but it is the destination we all want. Peace won’t come amid the fear, tension and anger so many feel. It’s why I despair at the media. In an industry where clicks count, anger and horror play better than calm and balance. But, it is reckless. When Channel 4 News plays a segment in which an Israeli man talks of his peace-activist sister-in-law being brutally murdered and says “We need to do the same to them,” I am left feeling angry at him and his vengeful words. And when in the same segment, a Palestinian academic says that Israeli warnings are a public relations stunt providing cover while they seek to murder Palestinians, I am equally appalled. Their social media clicks do not

matter more than peace. Their lack of balance, challenge, reasoned voices and calm heads puts the cause of peace back. It stokes fear, anger, outrage and hurt. Our media have a responsibility to get this right. I hope sincerely that our journalists, producers and interviewers are thinking carefully about their roles – their reporting has an enormous bearing on the discourse. It is the calm heads, the progressives who work for lasting peace and for a shared future that need to be amplified and empowered. But it is our social media – Instagram stories, WhatsApp messages and Facebook posts – that I find filling my head and preying on my fears. People, myself included, rightly want to express their hurt at what is happening, but even when it comes from a good place we should recognise the impact it might have. That leads me to another Bernard Meltzer special. A bit longer than his soothing remarks I opened with but perhaps a precondition of getting us there: “Before you speak, ask yourself if what you are going to say is true, is kind, is necessary, is helpful. “If the answer is no, maybe what you are about to say should be left unsaid.”

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9 November 2023 Jewish News 39

Scene & Be Seen

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Jewish News’ 17th annual Big Event show last weekend provided a precious opportunity for the community to come together in the wake of the horrors taking place in Israel and the Gaza Strip. Around 400-500 people made the most of the delicious free food, casino tables, magicians, caricatures, fashion styling, a milliner, personalised trainer designs, gift ideas, creative stationery, stunning decorations and beautiful photography... along with live music throughout. Wa tch out for news about many more live Jewish News events in 2024!

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Inside A look

Tel Aviv when war broke out

From Iraq to Israel Miriam Halahmy’s husband’s family made aliyah from Baghdad in the 1950s. Her new novel is based on their story. By Jenni Frazer

hen Miriam Halahmy, from a Polish Jewish family in London, first met her husband Rafi more than 45 years ago, she was introduced to a Jewish world about which, she freely admits, she knew absolutely nothing. The food, the language, the culture – everything was a closed book. Rafi was the youngest of a family of eight Iraqi Jews who had fled Iraq in the early 1950s, leaving comfortable lives in Baghdad only to end up in the most primitive of circumstances in Israel, in the notorious ma’abarot (tent cities). Some Middle Eastern immigrants, like the Halahmy family, managed to leave the tents relatively early and claw their way back to respectability. Others languished in the camps for far too long, their skills deplored, and almost all of them, from Iraq, Yemen or Morocco, subjected to intolerable racism by the Ashkenazi ‘elite’, who ruled Israel in the early years of the Jewish state. Now Miriam, a well-established children’s author, has turned those experiences into a powerful novel, A Boy from Baghdad, in which her hapless 12-year-old hero, Salman Shasha, is catapulted into a life in Israel, which he profoundly rejects initially. From being a typical preteen whose only concern was how often he could go swimming in the River Tigris in Baghdad, Salman is forced to change almost everything about himself when he reaches Israel. That includes his name: he is made to call himself Shimon, and fitting in with his new contemporaries is not an easy venture. “Salman represents the Jews who didn’t want to leave Iraq,” Miriam says. “My father-in-law, whom unfortunately I never met, did not want to leave. He was a goldsmith, who was the first person to import machines from England to cut gold. He had a Muslim partner and he was forced to turn everything over to him when he left. “When he locked the door of his house for the last time, his Arab neighbour was crying, saying, ‘Don’t go, why are you leaving?’ So

Miriam Halahmy believes it is time to explore the diversity of Jewish experience

it was plainly a government initiative.” But the Halahmy family, like thousands of other Jews in 1951, took advantage of a tiny window of opportunity in which the government ‘invited’ Jews to leave. Encouraged by the Zionist leadership and, much to the astonishment of the Iraqi government, 120,000 Iraq Jews packed up for Israel, taking only the few possessions allowed by the government – which, officially, excluded money and jewellery. Nevertheless, as Miriam describes in her book, the Halahmys did manage to smuggle gold out of Iraq, hidden in the soles of their shoes, giving them the possibility of starting again in Israel. She makes no bones about the disappointment of their reception: “The Zionists

lied to us,” she writes in the book, and says that her father-in-law had to dig roads when he reached Israel. Routine humiliations of the Middle East immigrants included spraying them with DDT when they landed at Lod to ‘disinfect them’ from the insects or lice they were assumed to be carrying. So disappointed were some people with the ma’abarot that some of the women simply took to their beds and refused to get up – leaving all the domestic work to their children. The author of at least two Holocaustrelated children’s books, The Emergency Zoo and Saving Hanno, Miriam decided it was time to explore the “diversity of the Jewish world”. She explains: “We don’t all come from central Europe with the Holocaust in our history. Middle Eastern Jews were long-

standing inhabitants of countries like Iraq, Syria, Morocco and Yemen… I think we don’t really understand this diversity, we don’t talk about it, or write about it in our Jewish press.” So she sends Salman, soon to become Shimon, off on a frequently frustrating journey to find his place in the struggling new Jewish state. Entertainingly, he has a ‘fixer’ cousin, Latif, who changes his name to Roni, and is up for every opportunity to buy and sell and hustle in the Promised Land. And Roni is an eager embracer of language – first Hebrew, in the underground Hebrew classes the boys attend in Baghdad, and then, ironically, Yiddish, so that he can bargain and banter with the Ashkenazi stall-holders in the nearest market. Having enthusiastically plundered her in-laws’ family stories, Miriam confirms that the learning of Yiddish was absolutely authentic. Ezra Halahmy, one of her brothersin-law, conducted all his property business in Yiddish, she says – one more language to add to the domestic Judeo-Arabic, the more formal Arabic, and the Hebrew, which most of the new immigrants had to learn. Miriam says: “I always like to put some sport in my books,” and accordingly Shimon, who trained himself to become a powerful swimmer in Iraq, uses his skill to great success in Israel. Despite all the racism and oppression, he learns to swim in the sea – very different from river swimming – and tells himself: “We Arab Jews have to show we’re as good as the Ashkenazis.” He recognises, he says, that “I’m not clever like [his siblings] Naima and Eli and I’m not a salesman like [another brother] Yaakov. I’m a swimmer and one day I will win my Olympic medal for Israel.” In real life, all eight of the Halahmy siblings made it to university and were successful in various fields. It’s not such a certain future for the fictional Shimon Shasha, but the reader finishes the book with the hope that his indomitable spirit will make him – if not an Olympic medallist – a success in whatever he chooses to do.  A Boy from Baghdad by Miriam Halahmy is published by Green Bean Books at £9.99

42 Jewish News 9 November 2023

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JN LIFE

Quiet voices that deserve to be heard Julie Russell and Tom Waterton-Smith were on holiday in Tel Aviv when Hamas carried out its terrorist attack. This is their story

and elsewhere, who for the most part reacted inema Hotel reception, Tel Aviv, with confusion, trepidation and, in some cases, 8am, Saturday 7 October. “We’re under attack,” said the receptionist. blind fear. The hotel staff guided us to safety, calmly yet with evident apprehension. There’s been a massacre in the By Sunday morning, news reports and social south. We really don’t know what’s hapmedia screamed that we were in a country now pened. Please don’t go outside.” at war. The true horror of what had happened, This was the start of a horrifying day midway and indeed was continuing to happen, began to through a relaxing break in the sunshine of unfold. Tel Aviv. We are two friends from London who We watched the efficiency with which the wanted a holiday in the sun, one of us fulfilling a local population packed boxes of supplies for the long-held desire to witness changes to a country last visited 30 years ago, the other on a mission to defence forces. As some tourists flew home, their hotel rooms were reallocated to evacuees, mostly discover more about his Jewish heritage. from the south of Israel. There were whole We are aware of the complexities of Middle families living together in one room; the images Eastern politics and the extraordinary reality on their cameras, taken as they fled their homes, of Israelis living under constant threat from a were horrific. It was our privilege to listen to neighbour governed by a terrorist organisation accounts of what our neighbours were enduring. with a publicly stated intention to wipe their These are some of their stories. country from the face of the earth. One of us had visited Gaza in the 1990s and was astounded by the poverty, crumbling buildings and general PONGO chaos, in stark contrast to the comparative Many of the shops in Tel Aviv closed after war wealth and order of Israel. was declared, either because they didn’t have However, we’d visited the West Bank on the safe rooms or because the staff were called away day before the attack and our Palestinian taxi to defend their country. Pongo is a small shop on driver, Yousef, had explained that, under the Dizengoff Street selling T-shirts and it opened control of the Palestinian Authorities, the region briefly one afternoon. We chose a T-shirt with had reached a relatively peaceful compromise a poignant message: “Peace and Hope from that certainly Israel”. The shop worked for him. His owner asked if we pragmatism and were frightened. acceptance that We said we were the past can’t be saddened by the changed, and that situation and sickthe future seems ened from seeing promising, perhaps some terrible lulled us into a false images of the massense of security sacre. “You haven’t as he drove us to seen the worst,” he see the ‘Flower said. “You won’t Thrower’ artwork because we will not painted on the side spread trauma in Julie and Tom with Ayala and her family of a garage wall near that way; if we do Bethlehem by British graffiti artist Banksy . the terrorists win. Hamas extremists have raped Less than 24 hours later, back in Tel Aviv, we children and murdered young people enjoying were quickly learning the routine of relocating to themselves at a music festival. An old lady I knew mammads, the safe rooms located on every floor was killed. She was decapitated with a tool – I of our small hotel. As the sirens wailed, warning don’t know the word for it.” us that missiles fired from Gaza were directly It was a spade. His elderly friend was decapioverhead, we had roughly two minutes to make tated with a spade. He hugged us and thanked us our way to rooms with reinforced windows and for listening as he tried to hold back tears. heavy metal doors where we’d wait for the booms that told us the rockets had been intercepted, at AYALA least on this occasion. Ayala is a Jewish woman of Ethiopian descent, The hotel’s bedrooms were occupied by married to a Nigerian man. Together with their fellow tourists from Europe, the United States two-year-old son Eliad they had been evacuated

‘We could feel the heat from the hundreds of lit candles around the central fountain’

from their home in Ashkelon. A charity arranged their relocation to our hotel and was paying for their stay. Ayala told us at she knew women who’d been raped by Hamas terrorists; the anguish with which she revealed this was heartbreaking. Two days later she said there was no more money to support her family in Tel Aviv and they would have to return to Ashkelon. She was afraid; they didn’t have a safe room in their home and she believed that the Iron Dome Defence System was more effective over Tel Aviv than further south. Nevertheless, it was a tribute to her parenting skills that young Eliad believed he was on holiday and continued to smile as he looked up to the sky, even when sirens blared and the booms from detonated rockets blasted above us. The last time we heard, additional funding had been secured for a few more days in Tel Aviv but their future is unknown.

OVERHEARD IN TEL AVIV

Vigils in Dizengoff Square continued night after night. They were dignified and heartrendingly moving. We could feel the heat from the hundreds of lit candles surrounding the central fountain. Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah was sung again and again, sometimes in English, sometimes in Hebrew, with a poignancy that we will always remember. Over the days that followed, posters describing the hostages and the dead were placed on the benches. A man sitting close to us was talking on his phone. “Why do they hate Israelis?” we heard him say, his voice breaking. “We never attack anyone; we must defend ourselves all the time. What’s wrong with the world? Our people have

been massacred and tortured yet everyone’s talking about the situation in Palestine. Why doesn’t anyone care about us?”

RACHEL FROM A KIBBUTZ

As the days passed following the massacre, the profile of the people in the area around our hotel began to change. There were more men wearing kippot and more women dressed modestly. Families with lots of children looked slightly lost and out of place. Other groups came from some of the kibbutzim in the south and we spent some of our time entertaining their children. We met Rachel and her friend. They had been evacuated from a kibbutz. She told us: “We’re not too scared. This is normal for us. There are attacks on Israel every few years and we must defend ourselves. “Our children learn about sirens and attacks from birth. We’re sorry that innocent Palestinians get hurt but Hamas won’t protect them. Hamas use them as human shields. Hamas controls everything in Palestine and they teach hatred of Israel. Most of us want a two-state solution but it’s difficult to see how it can work right now. We just want peace, acceptance of Israel and to stop being attacked.” We are home now, still processing what happened to Israel and contemplating the future for some of those wonderful people we met. Not a single Israeli whom we spoke to wished harm or spoke ill of the Palestinian people but there can be no peace and no hope for Israel while Hamas exists and a hatred of Jews permeates so many societies.

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9 November 2023 Jewish News

Ask our

Professional advice from our panel / Ask Our Experts

Our trusty team of advisers answers your questions about everything from law and finance to dating and dentistry. This week: Advice on independent living, choosing health insurance and how to handle menopause symptoms LISA WIMBORNE CHARITY EXECUTIVE

JEWISH BLIND & DISABLED

Dear Lisa I’m in my thirties and have limited mobility in my shoulders and arms, following a car accident last year. I don’t need to move into a care or nursing home, as I’m still very independent, but I’d appreciate some help with managing everyday tasks - dressing, food prep, getting into the bath - at home. Any ideas? Molly, Edgware Dear Molly Our Independent Living Advisory service could be the thing for you. If you live within the M25, one of our occupational therapists will visit you at home and assess your needs.

TREVOR GEE PRIVATE HEALTHCARE SPECIALIST

PATIENT HEALTH Dear Trevor My wife and I have just received our private health renewals, as they renew on the same day. We are covered by different insurers. On both the wording is very similar in that they both suggest we take advice about our plans from an independent broker. Why would they write that? Jeremy

Dear Jeremy What an excellent question you have asked. The main reason is that by law, the health insurers are not permitted to give you any advice, so whether their policy is the best one for you, or the cheapest, you will not be told by them. Whereas, an impartial intermediary like me, practising across a much wider marketplace, and not charging any fees for our advice, will provide the client with different options. Having choice is central to the way we work and so, when you decide on a policy, you are properly informed and have better peace of mind. We are also licensed by the FCA, and so are trained and educated to provide

During the assessment our occupational therapist will ask you about all the things you find difficult, look at how your home is arranged, and then after the visit will give you a detailed report recommending different aids and home adaptations which could help you. Our occupational therapist will take the time to understand your needs and give advice that’s specially tailored to suit you. Thanks to the generous support from the community, the assessment visit and report are free, and depending on your circumstances, we may be able to fund some of the recommended aids. If your required home adaptation is eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant from your local authority, we can help you with this application process. Please email Toni Lewis on ila@jbd.org to book an assessment or call JBD on 020 8371 6611 if you’d like to find out more.

client-friendly and independent advice. This must be for the benefit of the client. We represent you and do the best for you. Many a time I have spoken to insurers to help advance a client’s claims, secure discounts which had previously not been offered to the client. Just two weeks ago I called an insurer to protest that a hospital offered to a client for a procedure was quite inconvenient and that a closer and similar hospital be offered to where she lives, which duly happened. The client was delighted to receive the extra help. So, you can see, not only are we your personal advocate, but we are also your personal adviser.

SASSY LA FEMME PAUSING THE MENOPAUSE

ANGELA DAY Dear Angela Is hormone replacement therapy the only way forward? Jenny Dear Jenny I’m often asked about alternatives to HRT, especially by those women who are not able to take HRT for medical reasons. For many women HRT works well, but not necessarily for all their symptoms.

There are a number of other options which may help alleviate some of the common menopausal symptoms, such as regular exercise, yoga, hypnotherapy and/or herbal remedies. As always, it’s good to bear in mind the general things to help your wellbeing such as avoiding alcohol, caffeine and cigarettes. And certain things you can do to help the discomfort of hot flushes, including dressing in layers so these can be removed when you experience a hot flush. Also, carrying a portable fan to help cool you down. Of course, I’m a firm believer in magnetic therapy. It’s safe and easy to use and one of – if not

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Ask our experts / Professional advice from our panel

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SUE CIPIN OBE Qualifications: • 24 years+ hands-on experience, leading JDA in significant growth and development. • Understanding of the impact of deafness on people, including children, at all stages • Extensive services for people affected by hearing loss/tinnitus • Technology room with expert advice on and facilities to try out the latest equipment. • Hearing aid advice, support and maintenance

JEWISH BLIND & DISABLED 020 8371 6611 www.jbd.org Lisa@jbd.org

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9 November 2023 Jewish News

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Orthodox Judaism

MAKING SENSE OF THE SEDRA In our thought-provoking series, rabbis and educators relate the week’s parsha to the way we live today

BY SHIRA JACKSON

UNITED SYNAGOGUE EDUCATOR

We are writing our own spiritual code Who are you: a double helix of genetic code or a product of your life experiences? What determines the person you grow up to be? When Sarah dies leaving Abraham all alone, it becomes imperative that he sees his son Isaac married off to an appropriate wife, to continue to build the Jewish nation. In this week’s parsha, Chayei Sarah, he tasks his trusted servant Eliezer with this important mission and specifies that he must return to Abraham’s hometown to bring back a wife from among his own family. Why does he want a daughter-in-law from his family? Abraham’s father, Terach, was a manufacturer of idols and the rest of his family were idolaters too; Abraham was the exception. When Eliezer arrives, he devises a test to ensure that the woman he brings home is indeed

from Abraham’s family and not an imposter. The Or HaChaim (18th century commentator from Israel) describes this as almost a spiritual DNA test; Abraham is convinced that someone in his family will share his characteristic of chesed (kindness). As soon as Rebecca comes along, she passes Eliezer’s challenge; she not only offers to fetch him a drink from the well, but also to quench the thirst of his 10 camels, amounting to huge quantities of water. Rashi, the 11th-century commentator from France, teaches that throughout Sarah’s lifetime, miraculously, there was a cloud of divine protection over her tent, her candles remained alight from one Friday till the next and her challah remained fresh from week to week, representing the three special mitzvot for women: family purity, Shabbat candles and baking challah. When Rebecca entered Sarah’s tent, these miracles immediately returned and Isaac felt comforted that not only was Rebecca similar to

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Sarah, and her challah, had divine protection

Abraham with respect to her kindness, but she was just like his mother Sarah too. How do we explain these similarities when they had never even met? Sometimes a life event can trigger a particular perspective. The midrash describes how Abraham’s family were present when he was thrown into a fiery furnace because he swore his allegiance to God. God miraculously saved him from certain death, publicly challenging the worldview. However, Abraham’s brother, Haran, died in

that same fire, leaving behind his children; his daughter Sarah married Uncle Abraham and his other daughter Milcah married Uncle Nachor. Witnessing an incredible miracle immediately followed by a huge tragedy is sure to have an effect on a family, but not everyone experiencing an event will respond in the same way. Abraham and his family emerge strengthened in their faith, resolving to teach the world about God through kindness. Nachor and his family returned to idolatry, yet Abraham held out hope that a spark of inspiration would remain and he discovered it in their granddaughter Rebecca. Who are we? The descendants of Abraham whose courage grew with every challenge he overcame. We can’t always control the experiences we go through, but we do get to decide how we respond to life’s painful challenges and which values we pass on to those within our sphere of influence. We are a nation united through our shared history and current pain; as we come together and respond to tragedy with unbelievable displays of love and kindness, courage and faith, we are writing the spiritual genetic code for our children, in much the same way as Abraham wrote the code for us.

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Progressive Judaism

LEAP OF FAITH BY RABBI DEBORAH BLAUSTEN FINCHLEY REFORM SYNAGOGUE

A stimulating series where our progressive rabbis consider how Biblical figures might act when faced with 21st-century issues

it feels as if there’s a chorus our humanity are capacious enough Competitive world, of suffering fighting for oxygen, to resist this downward spiral. Rather than holding lives in if there is not enough space for compassion aseveryone’s competition, resisting the binary pain. In some parts of our social set by those who perpetrate is a sick game discourse, the case seems to be that violence, we must model a kind After a month of trauma, loss and being forced to confront our own vulnerability in the most bracing of ways, the Jewish people are tired. When there is so much pain and anguish and hurt beyond anything anyone should have to comprehend, what we need more than anything is the reassuring safety of allyship, to know that someone is with us and holding us. There’s a deep human need to know someone is sympathetic to your pain and isn’t going to take up the cause of the person who hurt you. And yet in the outside

recognising one person’s humanity requires the denial of another’s. Having to host video screenings to prove how much people suffered, or parade the faces of the kidnapped, is part of a race to the bottom. It’s a sick game that some would have us play and only the angel of death wins in such a morbid competition. In these weeks, I’ve been drawn to the wisdom of our sages in the Tosefta, who instruct that a person should make for themselves ‘a heart of many rooms’. It’s a text that allows me to articulate the importance of different spaces to hold different and complex feelings. Our hearts and

of compassion that feels sorely lacking in the world. That compassion is one that is expansive, that refuses to declare someone’s humanity as less important. The terms of our reaction cannot be set by those who can callously and violently destroy human life. When we are grieved because someone cannot mourn those we have loved and lost, we retain our sense of self by finding the ability to grieve in a way that they are not able to, rather than reinforcing a cycle of uncaring. In our heart of many rooms we need Jewish spaces to mourn

We need others to mourn with us and we need to mourn with others too

our dead – and we need others to mourn with us. At the same time, our mourning is not threatened or compromised by joining others in grieving those who they have lost

too – innocent civilians caught in deadly crossfire. It’s how we find and build the bridges that will carry us out of this spiritually and morally whole.

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RABBI AND REBBETZIN Overview

The Community

Flagship United Synagogue house of traditional Jewish worship in Great Britain, located in central London, The New West End Synagogue occupies a rarified status in the history of Judaism. The Synagogue is seeking a dynamic rabbinic couple to define the future trajectory of a loyal community approaching its 150th anniversary.

A vibrant, eclectic congregation enjoys a varied programme of events which reflects the complexion of a diverse, highly social and welcoming membership. The two main community aims are complementary; to enhance the “Minhag Anglia” form of worship and to grow the congregation by reaching out across central London and beyond.

The Position

The Roles

Timings

Applications are invited from qualified candidates with the following criteria:

The community seeks an engaging and approachable couple as Rabbi and Rebbetzin, to minister across the full spectrum of Jewish life, focused on the following disciplines:

•

• • •

Proactive rabbinic couple Vocational motivation Rabbinic ordination approved

The Employment Package • •

Remuneration is attractive and aligned with the responsibilities of the roles Accommodation on-site in a period town house

• • • • • • • •

Communal Events Courses Education For Adults and Children Hosting Lifecycle Events Outreach Pastoral Care Ritual Services

For informal, confidential enquiries: rabbinicselectioncommittee@newwestend.org.uk

• •

Applications: Now open. Close at 3pm GMT 3rd Tevet 5784 Early application an advantage Interviews: Commence following closing date Start date: By mutual agreement

The Application • • • •

Curricula Vitae References Your approach to community Rabbonus Your congruity with The New West End

To view the job descriptions and apply for this position: www.theus.org.uk/vacancies

The United Synagogue is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of babies, infants and children; it requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service and other checks will be mandatory.

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Chancellors House, Brampton Lane, London, NW4 4AB Tel: 020 8903 8746 | Mobile: 079 3172 2153 www.bﬁwd.org | email: info@bﬁwd.org

9 November 2023 Jewish News

www.jewishnews.co.uk

Fun, games and prizes

THE JEWISH NEWS CROSSWORD CROSSWORD 1

5 8

19 21

22 25 26

ACROSS 1 Cross-beams (8) 5 Polluted air (4) 9 As usual (9)

5 9 8 7 3 3 4 6 7

DOWN 1 Ballet skirt (4) 2 Cleopatra’s snake (3) 3 Naturally occurring sweetener (7) 4 Will ___, Line of Duty actor (6) 6 Highest peak of the Alps (4,5) 7 Award for very high record sales (4,4) 8 Rigged publicity (4) 12 Spray dispensers (9) 14 Blood vessel (4) 15 Pretending (8) 17 Giant tea-brewing vessels (4) 20 Shipboard crane (7) 22 Canada’s capital (6) 24 Observed suspiciously (4) 26 Devotional image (4) 29 Pair (3)

Fill the grid with the numbers 1 to 9 so that each row, column and 3x3 block contains the numbers 1 to 9.

18 Less tight (6) 19 Standards of perfection (6) 21 Zero (4) 23 Best (weather) (7) 25 Frame for spices, eg (4) 27 Another name for the silver orfe (3) 28 Skinny (9) 30 Pant (4) 31 Fund, finance (8)

SUDOKU

10 Nothing (3) 11 Angel’s nimbus (4) 13 Make a higher offer (7) 16 Without doubt (4)

3 6 8 4 9

In this finished crossword, every letter of the alphabet appears as a code number. All you have to do is crack the code and fill in the grid. Replacing the decoded numbers with their letters in the grid will help you to guess the identity of other letters.

P Y E Y

C B A R R E L R R T Z

S H L A C D E O O C N

F A E S T N B U F A D I

H U V

U P

F R R

E A Z F R S O T S T

16 1

D A E L A T O T R L N A V S W E L

M P E T R O L E U M A

13 17

11 23 19

24 24

3 2

20 20

PETROLEUM

TOTAL

BLOWOUT

EXTRACT

PIPELINE

UPSTREAM

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

BORE

FIELD

REFINERY

VENEZUELA

CHEVRON

OFFSHORE

TEXAS

WELL

Last issue’s solutions Crossword ACROSS: 1 Cenotaph, 5 Smug, 9 Fishermen, 10 Lab, 11 Hoof, 13 Conceal, 16 Then, 18 Tetchy, 19 Cannon, 21 Deem, 23 Evicted, 25 Utah, 27 Sri, 28 Public bar, 30 Sags, 31 Belgrade. DOWN: 1 Cafe, 2 NHS, 3 Twelfth, 4 Pumice, 6 Millennia, 7 Gobbling, 8 Anon, 12 Obtaining, 14 Once, 15 Stresses, 17 Hyde, 20 Amusing, 22 Edible, 24 Tops, 26 Tree, 29 Bra.

Sudoku 8 7 6 1 4 5 9 3 2 3 5 7 2 1 9 4 6 8 5 2 4 6 9 1 7 8 3

1 9 2 8 7 3 4 5 6 2 6 9 7 8 4 5 3 1 6 1 8 3 4 7 9 2 5

Suguru 3 5 4 6 9 2 8 7 1 1 4 8 5 6 3 7 2 9 9 3 7 2 8 5 4 1 6

1 5 1 5 4 1 3 2 4 2 3 2 5 1 5 1 4 1 4 3 2 3 2 3 2 5 1 4 1 4 1 4 3 5 3 2

Wordsearch 2 3 2 4 2 3 1 5 1 3 1 5 4 2 4 2 4 2 3 1 3 1 3 1 2 4 2 5 2 4 1 3 1 4 1 3

T H F E K S I L E B O

See next issue for puzzle solutions.

DRILL

BARREL

S H

26 1

8 6

25 25

25 6

E S B

16 25

L N E M T O E W H X L D R N R S X N C O E L

The oil-related words can all be found in the grid. Words may run either forwards or backwards, in a horizontal, vertical or diagonal direction, but always in a straight, unbroken line.

L E P

Each cell in an outlined block must contain a digit: a two-cell block contains the digits 1 and 2, a three-cell block contains the digits 1, 2 and 3; and so on. The same digit must not appear in neighbouring cells, not even diagonally.

CODEWORD

7 1 2

SUGURU

WORDSEARCH E N

4 2 3

C A C I R F A Y S U M E M P H I S I P T Z X E C R L B T Y A G G L E O U R N L N I T P S N E E U G K Z P M A A C R B O H A N E S E O L I R A B T U A R N I A E M E R O X U L H S I U E A T Y T O M B H

Codeword N H O R U S S T N O N

S B U B VEND SCUL PT URE X W O A T ANNEXE NO Z Z L E S C L P E R MUT UAL J N CANOE T I ORAL N D BORN Y U ACT ED R G SUT URE R S Q T I M ART F UL I NCHED T A E C A DEF EAT I ST K I LO N D E T

09/11

52 Jewish News 9 November 2023

www.jewishnews.co.uk

Bring light to Israel this Chanukah Chanukah feels different this year. It may feel a little harder to get excited. So Myisrael has come up with a way for you to mark Chanukah and support vulnerable people in Israel at the same time. For one night of Chanukah you can choose one of four charitable gifts in honour of a loved one. We will send them a physical or e-card letting them know of your donation. 100% of all donations go directly to helping those in Israel with the greatest need.

There are four gifts including a therapy doll that will help a child who is dealing with trauma to feel less anxious.

VISIT OUR CHANUKAH STORE

myisraelstore.org UK registered charity number 1121960

JNFP_Myisrael_Chanukah 260mmWx330mmH_AW_7Nov.indd 1

07/11/2023 17:02