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www.jewishnews.co.uk
Jewish News 16 November 2017
Editorial comment and letters ISSUE NO.
1029
VOICE OF THE JEWISH NEWS
If not you, then who? Every year that passes removes us further from the deafening, muddy, piercing, chaotic reality of European warfare our British-Jewish forebears waged for the Allies during the great wars of the 20th century. We, with our iPads and padded toilet paper, know only that they weren’t great at all. Every year, the country is asked to freely attend a Sunday event, to show our appreciation to those who died giving us that freedom, and every year, the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women (AJEX) has to convince people to go along, honour and learn. For instance, this Sunday marks 100 years since the Battle of Passchendaele, where dozens of our boys died trying to secure a series of ridges south-east of the Belgian city of Ypres. Among them was 19-year-old Coleman Benjamin from Birmingham, a member of the Jewish Lads’ Brigade and one of five children of Esther and Lewis. Another to fall at Ypres was Australian Jew Joseph Cohen. Fighting a long way from home, his death left wife Rose Ellen and baby son Abraham on their own back in Victoria. Jews weren’t just foot soldiers. They helped in every element of the war effort. Still to this day, few know about the brave Jewish women, such as Hannah Szenes or Haviva Reik, who were working for the wartime precursor of MI6, parachuted into occupied Europe behind enemy lines. The details and photos of these, and other often unsung heroes, can be found online at websites such as jewsfww.london. Ten minutes’ reading and you’ll realise why we all need to be at the AJEX Parade this Sunday. However we chose to commemorate, be it standing at the Cenotaph, with prayers in synagogue or simply in quiet reflection in the comfort of our own homes, let each of us pledge to remember the sacrifices and learn the lessons. CONTACT DETAILS Publisher and Editor Richard Ferrer richardf@thejngroup.com Publisher and News Editor Justin Cohen 020 7692 6952 justinc@thejngroup.com Foreign Editor Stephen Oryszczuk stepheno@thejngroup.com Features Editor Francine Wolfisz 020 7692 6935 francinew@thejngroup.com Community + Sport Editor Andrew Sherwood
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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STOP THIS ISLAMIC CENTRE HOSTILITY UK, Faith Matters and Middlesex UniThe Barnet Multi Faith Foversity about Muslims who saved Jews rum (BMFF), the council’s during the Holocaust and have been strategic partner for the faith honoured by Yad Vashem as Righteous sector in the borough, enAmong the Nations. dorses the welcome by faith Revealing these incredible stories is representatives in Golders specifically designed to demonstrate Green to the clerics of Markaz the excellent work by the many organiEl Tathgheef El Eslami, the sations working together to promote new Islamic Centre. social cohesion and integration here. The forum’s role is to proIn this context, the BMFF conmote inclusion and celebrate demns the hostile and, at times, racist diversity in Barnet while The former Hippodrome response to the new centre’s opening. building on our rich tradition We have every confidence the democratic proof welcoming newcomers, and we will continue cess and governance of our planning procedures to support people of all faiths and none to live will address any legitimate concerns relating to together in peace. the centre’s future use. For more information, This support chimes perfectly with the themes contact us at info@barnetmultifaithforum.org. and values of Inter Faith Week as illustrated by Esmond Rosen events in Barnet, including this week’s exhibition Chair of Barnet Multi Faith Forum hosted by BMFF in partnership with Yad Vashem
Sketches & kvetches
Shabbat goes out Saturday night 5.02pm
Sedra: Toledot
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It’s a shame Priti Patel and Lord Polak helped to arm those opposing Israel. That the name of Sir Alan Duncan (no friend of Israel), has now surfaced in the Foreign Office is no surprise. Probably if this had been any other country, the result
would have been different. It also beggars belief that people didn’t realise the meal Labour would and have made of this visit, which had some good intentions that were not reported in the media. Sidney Sands By email
A RABBI WHO IS ‘ONLY A LITTLE BIT’ WRONG
THIS WEEKEND'S SHABBAT TIMES... Shabbat comes in Friday night 3.53pm
PATEL AND POLAK HELPED ISRAEL-HATERS
“It’s called a Theresa Maynorah. It commemorates the miracle that she has lasted much longer than anyone might have expected!”
I’m confused by Rabbi Shaul Rosenblatt’s idea of “doing the right thing”, seeming to advocate that as long as one apologises for mistakes, it is OK to be “a little bit unethical” or “just a tad dishonest” (Jewish News, 26 October). Knowingly doing something wrong before you do it is a sin; apologising afterwards does not remove
the offence. I saw in my friend’s fridge some non-kosher salami. I was surprised, and told her so. She replied: “Don’t be silly, read the ingredients; it only has a little bit of pork in it.” Please tell me, rabbi, am I only “a little bit” wrong in my interpretation of your article? Diane Linden Edgware