1290 - 24th Nov 2022

We salute you

Thousands at Cenotaph for AJEX memorial parade

Twin blast kills teen

Funeral held for Jerusalem victim Page 3

‘Criminal justice has failed in its core task’

UK Jews ‘let down’ by inability to charge hate convoy suspects

by Lee Harpin lee@jewishnews.co.uk @lmharpin

British Jews have been “let down by a criminal justice system that has failed in its core task” over the sickening decision to drop charges against all the suspects in the infamous Palestine car convoy, a CST spokesperson has said.

The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed last week that it had dropped all charges against the two remaining suspects in a convoy of six cars that drove through London in May last year, blasting their horns and screaming, “F*** the Jews, rape their daughters.” The decision sparked outrage across the community.

After meeting with the CPS this week to discuss the case, a Community Security Trust spokesperson told Jewish News they “understand the legal reasons why they feel a prosecution cannot go ahead”.

However, the CST added it was “outrageous” no one had been held to account for involvement in the convoy after footage of it appeared on social media.

The CST’s warning came after Home Secretary

Suella Braverman told a Parliamentary committee of her concerns that “enforcing” against antisemitic crime is “not su ciently done”, while accepting that the CPS was bound by its own “legal tests”.

Labour MP Carolyn Harris had raised concern about the way “the police and CPS” had looked at the convoy case at a meeting yesterday of the home a airs select committee.

Braverman, who stressed that “members of my own family are Jewish”, also praised the work of the CST but admitted she was not yet able to “commit to a full review” of the convoy case as there were “currently many, many reviews going on at the Home O ce”.

Conservative MP Mike Freer, the parliamentary under-secretary of state for courts and legal services, said: “The CPS has a job to do and may think the case does not have a realistic chance of success, but sometimes we should take a chance and let a jury decide.”

Senior CPS o cials are meeting leading communal figures over the next week to provide further explanation

MITZVAH MANIFESTO

Israeli journalists have told Jewish News they are being routinely harassed and verbally assaulted by fans and locals at the World Cup in Qatar, writes Jotam Confino.

Channel 13 sports reporter Tal Shorrer said he has been abused more than 50 times in the four days he had been in Qatar, mostly while doing his work covering the tournament.

Shorrer said a few minutes before speaking to Jewish News over the phone, an Argentinian fan had pushed him after seeing the Hebrew letters on Shorrer’s microphone, shouting: “You are killing babies.”

The journalist added: “The best way to describe our experience so far is unpleasant. Almost every time we go on air we see fans coming up behind

us with Palestinian flags, yelling ‘free Palestine’. We have also heard people calling us murderers, saying we aren’t welcome here, and that our microphone is red from blood.”

Shorrer said his team is mostly being harassed by Arab-speaking fans, with some coming from Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria.

Ohad Hemo, Channel 12’s Arab

a airs reporter (pictured, left) who is also covering the football in Qatar, described similar experiences, telling Jewish News he does not feel welcome and that he also has been harassed, mainly by fans from Arab countries.

“Three days ago I had an argument with a Lebanese fan, which was filmed and went viral. They become some sort

Sir Keir Starmer helped pack donated food and clothes at South Hampstead Synagogue for this year’s Mitzvah Day, in which a record 30,000 people of all ages took part. See pages 21, 28 &

Corbyn tolerated denial of antisemitism – Reeves

by Lee Harpin lee@jewishnews.co.uk @lmharpin

Rachel Reeves has made an outspoken attack on Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of Labour, saying “too often Jewish MPs, particularly women were left out in the cold to defend themselves”.

In a keynote speech to the Labour Friends of Israel lunch, the shadow chancellor also suggested that under former leader the “downplaying, excusing or the denial of the problem of antisemitism” had been tolerated.

She added: “That is why Jeremy Corbyn is no longer a member of the parliamentary Labour Party.”

In her speech to a packed room of guests at Central Hall, Westminster, Reeves used a near 30-minute speech to speak of what she said was Labour’s “special relationship with the Jewish community”. And she appealed for former MPs such as Luciana Berger and Joan Ryan to return to the party they quit as a result of antisemitism.

With Berger and Ryan in the room, Reeves praised Dame Margaret Hodge, who is standing down at the next election, for her continued work in parliament. She also praised Sir Keir Starmer for his e orts to root out antisemitism.

Reeves said that for “almost five years I watched in dismay and disgust as my party failed to stand with the victims of antisemitism.

“Time and time again Jewish MPs and members were targeted by the most grotesque campaigns of abuse, racism and threats.” It was “an honour” to return to the shadow cabinet” but, Reeves added: “I would not have returned under any leader.”

The Leeds West MP also praised the work of the Jewish Labour Movement in standing up to the scourge of anti-Jewish racism in Labour.

Turning to former Liverpool Wavertree MP Berger, and naming the others who left the party, Reeves added: “We miss you hugely in the House of Commons. It is a source of great shame that you are no longer

Labour members of parliament.”

She continued: “I know that all will not be done until all those who left because of antisemitism feel the Labour Party is their home again.” She added that where Labour continued “to fall short”, under Starmer’s lead it would “take swift and firm action”.

Reeves also made clear that her

party would not tolerate demonisation of Israel. “When you claim the actions of the Israeli government are uniquely evil or even akin to the crimes of Nazi Germany, this goes well beyond legitimate criticism of Israel,” she said. “It is antisemitism and has no place in a party which upholds equality as its highest value.”

RISK’

The pro-Jeremy Corbyn organisation Momentum has launched an urgent appeal for funds after admitting its “very future is at risk”.

A video it posted on social media stated: “As a membership organisation without big money donors, we’ve been hit hard by soaring inflation and Starmer’s attacks on the left.”

Another group member says: “We can’t let everything we’ve built disappear.”

The group, founded by Jewish Labour activist Jon Lansman, has been at the centre of concerns that it has downplayed or tried to deny claims of antisemitism in the party. Lansman resigned as chair in 2020. Since Starmer became party leader in 2020, some of its supporters have been expelled from or quit the party.

The video urges Momentum members to increase their monthly subs to put the group “on a sustainable footing”.

Just over 65 percent of disciplinary cases being heard by Labour’s national executive committee since May have involved antisemitism, statistics published by the party confirm, writes Lee Harpin.

O cial complaints and disciplinary subcommittee statistics published by the party’s ruling body this month reveal the figure relating to the 1,068 cases determined since 21 May 2020.

Senior party figures accepted there was continued concern about the high volume of complaints over alleged anti-Jewish racism, though there appeared to be a drop in cases deemed “high priority”.

There had also been a big improvement in the way the party processes complaints, meaning there was no longer a backlog in the system, left over from the time of previous leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The party publishes the statistics regularly in line with recommendations by the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s report into antisemitism in the party. The figures show 6.27 percent of complaints have involved bullying, harassment or intimidation, and 5.43 percent have involved online misconduct.

A further 3.37 percent have involved Islamophobia; 3.18 percent anti-black racism and 2.25 percent sexism.

Veteran Labour activist Pete

•

Labour sources confirmed that the former national executive committee member had been ousted after allegations against him were considered.

Willsman – a central member of the Bennite Campaign for Labour Party Democracy group – had been recorded saying rabbis were ‘Trump-supporting fanatics’ while he was still serving as a member of the NEC.

In a leaked recording, he

had attacked the decision by 68 rabbis to issue a statement about Labour antisemitism.

He said on the recording: “We should ask the 70 rabbis ‘Where is your evidence of severe and widespread antisemitism in this party?’ ”

Willsman added: “And some of these people in the

Jewish community support Trump – they are Trump fanatics and all the rest of it.”

Former Labour MP Luciana Berger was among those who had called for the party to suspend Willsman after she heard the audio of his 2018 rant. But after his suspension under former general secretary Jennie Formby, his future in Labour remained unclear.

Asked to comment, on the expulsion, Mike Katz, national chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, said: “It’s about time he was expelled. This antisemitic behaviour has no place in Keir Starmer’s Labour Party.”

Rachel Reeves speaks at this week’s Labour Friends of Israel lunch

Willsman, suspended since 2019 for accusing Israel of being behind antisemitism attacks on Jeremy Corbyn, has been expelled from the party, writes Lee Harpin.

Expelled: Pete Willsman

Teen killed and 22 hurt in Jerusalem twin bombings

Two separate explosions near the entrances to Jerusalem yesterday morning left one dead and 22 wounded, four of whom are in serious condition, writes Jotam Confino in Israel.

The first explosion happened at about 7am near a bus station at the Givat Sha’ul junction, and the second was 35 minutes later, near a bus station at the Ramot junction, another entrance to the city.

Sixteen-year-old Aryeh Shtsupak, from Jerusalem’s Har Nof neighbourhood, was identified as the person killed.

Police believe the explosions were a coordinated terrorist attack. According to reports in Israeli media, they suspect the explosions were caused by remote-detonated devices packed with nails.

Haaretz quoted the head of the police operations as saying the explosive charges were of “high quality” and that he believes the attacks were masterminded by an organisation and not lone by lone wolves.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid was due to brief his incoming successor Benjamin Netanyahu about the security situation and to hold a security assessment at the Kirya defence HQ in central Tel Aviv.

Defence minister Benny Gantz, public

security minister Omer Bar-Lev, police commissioner Kobi Shabtai and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar were due to take part.

Hamas spokesman Mohammad Hamada welcomed the attack, saying “The action conveyed the message to the occupation by saying that our people will stand firm on their land and cling to the path of resistance. The coming days will be intense and more di cult for the enemy. The time has come for the creation of cells that are spread all over Palestine and are ready for a confrontation.”

Islamic Jihad said: “The operation in

the occupied city of Jerusalem is a natural response to the occupation.”

Incoming public security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the scene of the explosions, telling media: “We need to form a government as soon as possible. Terror doesn’t wait.” Religious Zionism party leader Betzalel Smotrich echoed that call, saying the parties should finish talks to deal with the security situation.

Continued from page 1 as to why charges were dropped after six cars, emblazoned with Palestinian flags, drove in the direction of Golders Green and the North Circular, with the passengers making clearly audible threats.

A CST spokesperson told Jewish News yesterday: “This was an appalling and blatant incident in broad daylight, captured on film in real time and it is outrageous that nobody is going to be held to account for what happened.

“We have met with the CPS to discuss the case and we understand the legal reasons why they feel a prosecution cannot go ahead, but the outcome is that the Jewish community has been let down by a criminal justice system that has failed in its core task.

“Wherever the blame for this lies between the police and the CPS we hope that everyone involved in this investigation and aborted prosecution will review their actions

to learn the lessons of this failure.”

Nick Price, head of the CPS’ special crime and counterterrorism division, told Jewish News the service knew “how disappointing” the decision would be for the community.

“However, we would not be able to prove to a court that one of the two charged individuals was in the car at the time of the captured footage. We could also not demonstrate that the second person had participated in the conduct to the criminal standard. “

Jewish KCs Simon Myerson and Lord Wolfson called for the CPS to clarify its decision. The CPS tweeted in response: “We have explored all options in order to prosecute in this case, including consulting external counsel.”

The Campaign Against Antisemitism said it was exploring whether it can bring a private prosecution and whether it could “bring a judicial review against the CPS”.

Brian’s mum Bertie loved being around people. That’s why she used to say that volunteering for Jewish Care was the happiest time of her later life. Before Bertie passed away, she did not get the chance to amend her Will and leave a gift to Jewish Care. Brian has since told us that he has included Jewish Care in his Will on her behalf; “I don’t want to leave it until it’s too late, like Mum. I’m doing this for her”. With a gift in your Will to Jewish Care, you can make sure that future generations of our community get the care they need when they need it most.

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Aryeh Schupak, a 16-year-old Israeli-Canadian, was killed in yesterday’s attack

CPS ‘explored every option’

Home Office sends Iran warning to CST

The Home O ce has circulated to the Community Security Trust a new warning about the threat of Iranian terrorist activity in the UK.

The rare move follows comments by Ken McCallum, the director of MI5, this month that Iran has plotted the assassination and kidnapping of at least 10 British residents it accuses of being “enemies of the regime”.

The CST confirmed to Jewish News that other faith groups had also been asked to disseminate the Home O ce advice among their own communities.

CST added that there is no specific antiJewish threat at this time.

In his annual speech on the threats facing the UK, McCallum said Iran’s “aggressive intelligence services” had crossed over into launching attacks on British soil. There are fears that as a result of increased instability of the regime in Tehran, which has been rocked by protests from women demanding equal

rights, terrorist groups such as Hezbollah could carry out attacks in the West.

The group had previously bombed a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1994, and attacked Israeli tourists in Bulgaria in 2012.

The Home O ce statement said: “You may have seen reports in the media that the director of MI5 gave his annual threat update this week.

“In it, he spoke about how the insta-

bility in Iran is bringing realworld consequences here in the UK. Iran has become the state actor which most frequently crosses into terrorism, and we have seen that the regime is resorting to more and more extreme measures to silence its critics at home – we also see that Iran projects that threat directly to the UK, through its aggressive intelligence services.

“At the most extreme end, Iran’s ambitions include kidnapping and even killing British or UK-based individuals who they perceive to be enemies of the regime. The UK’s intelligence services have identified at least 10 such threats since January alone.”

The Home O ce added: “The UK government does not tolerate intimidation or threats to life towards any individuals living in the UK, and through its intelligence agencies and police forces will continue to use all tools at their disposal to combat this threat.”

Labor’s ‘shock’ at likely coalition

Israeli Labor Party leader Merav Michaeli has described the far right’s inclusion in Benjamin Netanyahu’s new coalition as “shocking” and pledged to “fight its destructive agenda”.

She referenced Brazil and Italy in a speech at a Labour Friends of Israel lunch, saying: “We in Israel are not alone in having to address the threat posed by the far right.”

Criticising the boycott, divestment and sanctions

movement, the MK said it strengthened “the Israeli farright and nationalists because they give them an excuse to avoid the di cult compromises we need to have once we go on the path to peace”.

UJS WILL TELL EMBASSY: WE CONDEMN FAR RIGHT

The Union of Jewish Students has confirmed it will “make representations to the Israeli embassy in London” over the “likely inclusion of far-right

minsters in the next government”, writes Lee Harpin.

It said it wanted to “vocally denounce” the “likely cabinet ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who “do not represent the Jewish values we hold dear”.

The student organisation added: “We unequivocally condemn their anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism and their homophobia.”

A flag of defunct Kach party

An Islamic Revolutionary Guard soldier flashes a victory sign

Itamar Ben-Gvir unlocks a soldier’s handcuffs at a right-wing protest

Qatar is breaking its promise to allow public Jewish prayer and kosher food to be sold at the World Cup, according to a report by The Jerusalem Post

The report cites sources in Jewish organisations saying that they were promised to be able to cook kosher food “including kosher meat, but at the moment have only been allowed to sell cold bagel sandwiches”.

The Jerusalem Post had previously reported that Qatar would indeed allow kosher food, with Rabbi Marc Schneier of New York, Rabbi Mendy Chitrik of Istanbul, and his son Rabbi Eliyahu Chitrik supervising the first kosher kitchen in Qatar.

Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Doha, formed for people who have become victims of injustice in Qatar, called the apparent reversal “startling”.

“Imposing a ban on religious observances and accommodations almost immediately after having guaranteed these rights to Jewish football fans –fans who were unlikely to have purchased tickets to the World Cup, paid airfare, and booked hotels without such guarantees – demonstrates a remark able level of intolerance and religious prejudice, to say nothing of outright deceit,” she said.

According to the newspaper report, Qatar also broke its promise to allow Jewish prayer services in Doha during the games, saying it could not guar antee security for such an activity.

Online posts made by a member of an England football fans’ group are the subject of an FA investigation into claims of antisemitism.

The inquiry reportedly involves comments made in relation to UK government efforts fully to proscribe the Islamic terrorist group Hamas.

A member of the Block 109 group, set up by supporters who sit in the same section at matches, and who is also a member of the offi cial England Supporters’ TravelClub, is being investigated by the FA over comments made to a Jewish supporter.

It is claimed that the supporter at the centre of the investigation had posted on the Block 109 WhatsApp group that the Hamas ban was “PC gone mad”. When another 109 group member, who is Jewish, queried an apparent attempt to excuse the group’s activities, he received the reply: “Spot on.”

The Times reported that the Jewish fan

replied: “If you agree with that not only are you an antisemite but you are a supporter of Islamofascism.” The other England fan responded: “I’ve been upgraded. Get in.”

In a statement released to The Times, the Block 109 group claimed “there were no refer ences to Hamas as part of these messages”.

It also said the exchange was “reviewed extensively with representatives of the Football Supporters’ Association, Kick It Out and Love Football Hate Racism”, separately providing guidance they received from the latter stating that the messages were not antisemitic.

But Kick It Out said it offered no such guid ance. “We received a report last year around this case and it was passed to the FA to deal with and decide on the appropriate sanctions for the indi viduals concerned,” Kick It Out added.

Jewish News has contacted the FA for comment.

ISRAELI REPORTERS ABUSED

Continued from page 1 of cultural heroes. Since then, fans from Arab countries are trying to copy that incident when they recognise me,” Hemo said.

While Hemo said he hasn’t been harassed by local Qataris, who in general are “welcoming”, he has had at least one very unpleasant experi ence with a fan from Saudi Arabia who pushed him and told him “this is not your place, go back [to Israel].”

Like Shorrer, Ohad was disturbed by fans from Arab countries during a live broadcast, confronting him with Palestinian flags and chants in Arabic.

Jonathan Regev, the i24NEWS corre

spondent in Qatar, is also Israeli but reports in English for the Tel Aviv-based TV channel.

He says the fact he is speaking in English has shielded him from the same level of harassment as his colleagues from Israeli media.

“Most of the fans here are from Arab coun tries and you see a lot of Palestinian flags,” Regev told Jewish News. “Once they realised I’m Israeli I got dirty looks, but most of them don’t, since I work in English and I don’t have a microphone with Hebrew letters on it. So I don’t have the same negative experiences like my colleagues from Channel 12 and 13.

“And as far as the Qatari authorities go, we are treated very well,” he added.

Pope’s kosher welcome for Jewish delegates

Pope Francis has hosted a delegation from the World Jewish Congress, where kosher food was served at the Vatican, writes Jotam Confino.

He welcomed a 200-member delegation from WJC, led by president Ronald Lauder.

“Dear friends. In light of the religious heritage that we share, let us regard the present as a challenge that unites us, as an incentive to act together,” Pope Francis told the delegation.

“Our two communities of faith are entrusted with the task of working to make the world more fraternal, combating forms of inequality and promoting greater justice, so that peace will not remain an otherworldly promise,

but become a present reality in our world.”

The Pope also spoke of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, calling it a “great and sacrilegious war that is threatening Jews and Christians alike, depriving them of their loved ones, their homes, their property and their very lives”.

He added: “Only with a serious resolve to draw closer to one another and in fraternal dialogue is it possible to lay the groundwork for peace.

“As Jews and Christians, let us seek to do all that is humanly possible in order to put an end to war and to pave paths of peace.”

President of the British Board of Deputies Marie van der Zyl told Jewish News that it was a “his-

toric event arranged by the World Jewish Congress to demonstrate the bonds of friendship between the Catholic and Jewish communities, over 100 of whom were represented.

“It was incredible experience to have a kosher meal in the Vatican,” added van der Zyl, who has just been named as World Jewish Congress commissioner for gender equality and inclusion.

The Pope concluded: “Dear friends, I thank you most heartily for this visit.

“May the Most High, who has “plans for peace and not for harm” (Jeremiah 29:11), bless your good works. May He accompany you on your journey and lead us together in the way of peace. Shalom.”

Teach Mizrahi expulsion in schools, says Hotovely

The Israeli ambassador to the UK this week backed calls for the expulsion of nearly a million Jews from Arab lands to be added to the curriculum, writes Justin Cohen.

Addressing the 100-strong audience at a event at JW3 marking Mizrahi Heritage Month, Tzipi Hotovely said: “In the story of the Jewish people,

this chapter in history is one people are just not familiar with. That is why it is so important for us to add this story to our educational curriculum.”

She also praised the “pure Zionism” of the businessman and philanthropist David Dangoor, saying: “David, you have devoted your life to investing in science, especially cancer

research. For you, the future of Israel is a place that brings innovation to the world. You have unquestionably made the world a better place.”

Born in Baghdad, Dangoor is the son of Sir Naim Dangoor, whose support for refugees and disadvantaged communities across the globe earned him a knighthood in 2015..

The event was organised by Sephardi Voices International, JW3 and the Board of Deputies. Board vicepresident and co-organiser Edwin Shuker reflected: “Today we, the forgotten refugees, tell our story so we are no longer forgotten. I am one of those who has shared my story as a witness statement. We will never forget.”

Dangoor, Hotovely and others

Pope Francis addresses World Jewish Congress members on Tuesday

We need proper regulation of rabbis, says leading barrister

by Jenni Frazer @Jennifrazer

Britain’s incoming parliamentary standards commissioner this week called for UK rabbis to be “properly regulated” as a safeguarding benchmark in the wake of the latest sexual assault allegations against Golders Green Rabbi Chaim Halpern.

Barrister Daniel Greenberg told Jewish News: “It is very important that criminal allegations go to the police and nobody else. Rabbis, however well-meaning, should be told that they must not set up tribunals or hear evidence, because that amounts to witness tampering and actually prevents people from being prosecuted.

“Criminal allegations must be dealt with in the criminal courts, and nowhere else. That’s a message that the whole community needs to be part of promulgating.”

It was no longer acceptable, he said, for any profession not to have “a robust, independent and disciplinary tribunal regularity system… rabbis need to have a profession that they can be proud of belonging to, which at the moment they cannot”.

If there were a formal system of regulation set up outside the Charedi community, Greenberg said, “that would start to spread within that community. We would set up a benchmark, against which all communities would want their rabbis to be measured”.

He acknowledged that this was a long-term solution, but added: “That’s not a reason for not doing it. At the moment we’ve wasted 10

years” — alluding to the first set of allegations made against Halpern in 2013. At that time he was arrested but no charges were brought.

Halpern has strenuously denied the new allegations against him, aired in an Israel Channel 12 programme last week.

He described the claims by the 21-year-old woman as “bubbemeises” (fairytales) and suggested that what was purported to be his voice on tapes played during the programme had been imitations.

But a source familiar with Halpern told Jewish News he felt sure the tapes were genuine. A private investigator is understood to have compiled the evidence against the rabbi.

Halpern has been described as “Charedi royalty” who was thought to be “untouchable” in relation to the allegations.

The source, who asked not to be named, said there was disquiet in Halpern’s Golders Green community and that “some people have

left, others have made a point of not being there on Shabbat.

“There are reports of a meeting with Halpern and members of his community, in which he was essentially challenged as to why he had not sued Channel 12, together with o ers to fund such a legal fight.”

In Golders Green, the source said, “most people are avoiding Rabbi Halpern’s gaze”, and people believed there was “a failure of leadership” in dealing with the matter.

On social media, an Orthodox insider calling himself “If You Tickle Us” says that Rabbi (Yisroel Meir) Greenberg of the Golders Green community, Munks (Golders Green Beth Hamedrash), “is reportedly coming under immense pressure to take a stand. He is said to be torn between the alleged Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations culture to drown out the cries of victims, and his upright Munks community, for whom taking a moral stand isn’t some alien goyish idea”.

Embassy’s ‘antisemitic’ tweet

The Russian embassy in the UK tweeted a satirical cartoon of Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelensky on Tuesday, in what appears to be an antisemitic caricature of the Jewish leader. Zelensky is pictured as a school boy with a grossly exaggerated nose writing “I will not fire missiles at Poland anymore” repeatedly on a blackboard, a reference to the missiles that landed in Poland last week. Russia has accused Ukraine of being “ruled by Nazis”, an idea it used to try to justify its invasion to “de-Nazify” the country, with no evidence of the government being run by Nazis.

Zelensky’s warning to Irish students, page 16

SHUL TO SHUT ITS DOORS AFTER 70 YEARS

Manchester city centre’s only synagogue closes its doors this weekend after 70 years, making way for a 41-storey tower and five-star hotel, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

Manchester Reform shul, home to the second oldest Reform community in the UK, is now looking for a new home after selling its building on Jackson’s Row to England football pundit Gary Neville’s Relent-

less Group and a US investor for £15m in 2021.

The final Shabbat service will be this Saturday and a special de-consecration service with a procession of the Torah scrolls will take place the following day.

The 700-strong community has set up a temporary base at Manchester University’s Chaplaincy on Oxford Road, just over one mile away, while the synagogue seeks a new home for its members.

gious extremism, told Jewish News that she and other campaigners had spent the last decade hearing claims from women of sexual harassment by Rabbi Halpern. “This [the Channel 12 programme] is just the latest iteration. We never forgot, people working in this sector did not forget. But for those who are reacting now, we have to ask, where have you been for the last 10 years?”

Greenberg said sexual harassment was not confined to the strictlyOrthodox community. “But as long as there is no regulatory system, there are going to be allegations of abuse, and victims are going to feel their complaints are never properly investigated. Neither they, or the people complained of, are going to feel proper closure.”

Yehudis Fletcher, a women’s activist and co-founder of Nahamu, an organisation set up to combat reli-

Parliament regulator Daniel Greenberg

Last week Channel 12 broadcast new allegations against Rabbi Halpern

Russia’s UK embassy posted this Zelensky caricature

‘I’ve never felt safe as a Jew or woman’

Actress Tracy-Ann Oberman has admitted to anti-hate campaigners: “I’ve never felt safe as a Jew or woman”, writes Adam Decker.

The startling claim was made during a ceremony in central London to celebrate the annual No2H8 Awards.

The awards, which returned after a hiatus of three years because of the pandemic, champion those who tackle hatred, intolerance and prejudice nationwide. The event is partnered by Jewish News.

The EastEnders and Friday Night Dinner star told the more than 200 attendees: “It hurts me when I see young Chabad boys go to Oxford Circus on Chanukah and be spat on and then find out there will be no prosecution against the perpetrators.

“I have seen incredible hatred towards Jews, particularly online, from 2018 onwards. Social media has become a battleground for hearts and minds, where people are radicalised online.

“I realised it needed voices like mine, who found a bravery from somewhere, to stand up and be counted to puncture these echo chambers.”

Congratulating the diverse range of win-

ners, Oberman concluded: “Minorities are stronger, prouder and safer when we stand together.”

Award categories included Upstanders in the fields of law enforcement, sport and community.

Fiyaz Mughal, awards co-founder and chair, warned politicians not to “pander to hate and fear”.

He said: “Over the past year we have seen cultural battles unleashed on social media and in political circles. We should give hope instead of hate, and courage where there is fear. That is what we ask from our politicians.

“It is the right to be who we want to be that we are defending and celebrating here tonight with our award winners.”

After presenting the Esther and Edwin Lifetime Achievement Award to Gerry Gable, editor of Searchlight magazine, Iraqi-born businessman and philanthropist Edwin Shukur, told Jewish News: “As a nine-year-old I remember standing in the shower wanting to wash my religion o . We were persecuted for who we were, with no care for what we had done.

“I will never forget what it feels like to be persecuted and I will never rest in fighting prejudice: this is my payback.

“I have supported this event right from day one and have huge pride in seeing its growth. The Jewish community embraced this anti-hate narrative, as we always do.

Other Upstander award winners included 17-year-old Jake Daniels, who became the UK’s first male professional footballer to come out publicly as gay since Justin Fashanu in 1990.

The Media Upstander Award was won by Guardian columnist, Marina Hyde, while the Young Upstander Award was picked up by Adam Khan, who organised the first Trans Pride event in Birmingham.

As numerous speakers noted, this year’s No2H8 Awards were presented against a backdrop of rising intolerance.

Last year there were more than 150,000 hate crimes recorded by police in England and Wales – a 26 percent rise on the previous year.

Addressing these alarming statistics,

“We will always seek to work with those who wish to unite, not divide, communities.

“We will not witness attacks in silence [but] we will act. In London, we will do whatever it takes to make all our citizens feel secure and welcome.

Further supportive messages were sent in advance by Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary, Michael Gove and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer

Partnered by Jewish News, the Daily Mirror, Community Security Trust, Tell MAMA and GALOP, the awards have been running since 2014.

Jewish News editor Richard Ferrer said: “It’s an honour for us to work with such a group of highly-respected organisations battling hatred and intolerance. Fiyaz Mughal and his team are doing incredibly important work.”

Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime in London, Sophie Linden, who attended on behalf of the Mayor of London, pledged: “We will continue to call out and condemn hatred and intolerance wherever we find it.

shower wanting to wash my religion o . We Top: Tracy-Ann Oberman speaking at the awards ceremony. Above: award winners

No2H8 Awards founder Fiyaz Mughal Claire Waxman, London Victims Commissioner

An estimated 3,000 people, including Jewish veterans, took part in Sunday’s AJEX annual remembrance ceremony at the Cenotaph, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

The Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women event welcomed veterans and their families who marched from Horse Guards Parade down Whitehall to The Cenotaph.

It marked 101 years on from the laying of the first Star of David wreath by a group of Jewish former soldiers from the Judeans – the 38th, 39th and 40th battalions of the Royal Fusiliers.

Among those in attendance was a representa tive unit from the Royal Fusilier Regiment, Alex Chalk KC MP, minister of state in the Ministry of Defence, who laid a wreath alongside veteran Mervyn Kersh, the reviewing officer, Major General Jon Swift OBE, Ron Shelley MBE, Bob Blackman, Conservative MP for Harrow East, and councillor Alison Moore, mayor of Barnet.

The parade was the first to be held under the reign of King Charles III. It also marked the 80th anniversary of the Dieppe Raid and the Second Battle of El Alamein, and the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War. JLGB members and a con tingent of cadets from JFS attended, together with other Jewish schools, Scout groups and members of the Jewish community.

The Cenotaph service was conducted by

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, who told AJEX members beforehand: “Thank you for being an enormous inspiration to me and many others.”

Also in attendance were AJEX Chaplain Rabbi (Major) Reuben Livingstone and Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, who said prayers in

honour of those who served as well as in support of today’s Armed Forces.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conveyed his support in a statement, saying: ‘The Jewish community’s proud history and service to our Armed Forces will never be forgotten and

I am honoured to share in your special day of Remembrance.”

Commemorative wreaths were laid by senior members of AJEX, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, religious representatives, fellow veterans organisations and military leaders. Students from Jewish schools laid poppy posies.

AJEX national chairman, Dan Fox, said he was “overwhelmed” to see so many marchers and supporters at “one of the most significant AJEX parades in the event’s longstanding history”.

Its chief executive, Fiona Palmer, said: “When I looked around and saw our schools, cadets, JLGB, families and hundreds of individuals walking alongside our vet erans I felt the connection so strongly with past and current generations.”

Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely attended for the first time and Mark Gardner, chief execu tive of the Community Security Trust, tweeted: “Moved and privileged to represent @CST_UK along with our volunteers and our marchers.”

The ceremony concluded with the Band of the Irish guards playing Adon Olam and the national anthem.

on Sunday, 101 years after the first Star of David wreath

Board of Deputies group at the event. Picture: Madison Rosenberg

Action! Fauda star reveals new series

by

In news Fauda fans have desperately waited for, the show based on an undercover IDF unit, which has been a phenomenon worldwide, is to return to Netflix in January.

The fourth series aired in Israel last summer but international fans have had to wait patiently.

Lead actor and creator Lior Raz, 50, and his co-writer, journalist Avi Issacharo , 49, revealed not only that the fourth series will be on early next year but also that they are in early talks to make a Fauda film.

They broke the news while in London hosting a charity event for Israeli ambulance service Magen David Adom.

The fourth series will have its premiere and launch next week at the 53rd International Film Festival of India, a country where it has proved such a huge hit that a local version is being made based on a covert operation unit working in Kashmir in 2017.

“We are talking about a movie

air in UK in January

very seriously,” said Lior, who plays heartthrob lead Doron. He also told the 110-strong crowd of patrons at the dinner at Island Grill in London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel: “As to whether there will be more seasons, we don’t know yet. We are open to it.”

The series is based on Lior and Avi’s real-life experiences in elite undercover unit Sayeret Duvdevan.

Although, at first, their story was turned down by most of the Israeli networks, it proved a huge hit once a producer was eventually found and has been a success in the most unusual of places because of the humanity it gives both sides of the bitter Israel and Palestine conflict.

“Fauda was one of the number one shows in Lebanon, Syria, Iran, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar,” revealed Lior.

“Just a few weeks ago there was

a huge front-page photograph of me in one of Egypt’s biggest newspapers. I was worried about how it meant I might be wanted!

“But it was about how the show

has changed the way young people see Israelis. Before, they only knew us as practically like Nazis – that’s how we were portrayed – but now they understand who we are.

“It is the same in Israel – people

on the right wing tell us: ‘This is the first time we feel compassionate about the other side.’ Just a few weeks ago the Bahraini ambassador to the US was being interview about the peace process and he began by saying, ‘I watched Fauda on Netflix.’

“We are definitely changing the way people see each other and we now setting up a new content hub between the UAE and Israel to bring creators from Israel and the Arab world together – with true creation we can have more understanding between Arabs and Jews.”

The fourth series of Fauda takes the team – who ventured into Gaza in the last season – even further afield, to Lebanon and Belgium.

“The reaction to Fauda doesn’t stop surprising us,” says Avi. “In Israel, there was such an emotional reaction to the fourth season that people went crazy.

“We thought they might have got used to the show but when you watch the series, I hope you will understand why people became so obsessed with this season in particular.”

Nicole Lampert

Lior Raz as Doron gets into another tight spot and (inset) with co-writer Avi Issacharoff

Worry

Fear Panic Stress

Anxiety can cause intense distress and physical pain. It can be so powerful that it takes over our lives. Jami supports people to rebuild their confidence and take back control. #understandmentalhealth

Israeli innovations delight

tions in timings, ordering and activation levels of certain operations. In all, they ran one million potential combinations to treat cucumbers.

The AI ended up suggesting 10 combinations of treatments. At the end of the process, the best treatment was selected for laboratory tests.

Ofer Shir, an associate professor of computer science at MIGAL and Tel-Hai College who developed the AI system, says the results were “much better than expected”.

Israeli researchers have found a way to quadruple the post-harvest life of cucumbers using artificial intelligence, writes Jotam Confino.

The research has the potential to reduce waste drastically, extending the shelf life of fruit and vegetables from two to nine weeks.

Dr Dan Gamrasni, post-harvest research associate at MIGAL Galilee Research Institute, told Jewish News cucumbers were chosen as the pilot project “because they are extremely sensitive and have a lot of post-harvest losses”.

The centre, supported by Israel’s Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, used a variety of treatments that fall under the category of GRAS, or “generally regarded as safe,” such as fungicide and hot water treatment.

They used an artificial intelligence (AI) system to learn the fruit’s response to varia-

He added: “In launching this project, we hypothesised that a ‘smart’, algorithmicallyguided combination and sequencing of existing produce treatments could multiply their preservation e ect, significantly extending fruit and vegetable shelf life after harvest.”

The research has the potential to optimise production and ultimately lower the price of fruit and vegetables.

MIGAL Research Institute is located in the Galilee in northern Israel, an area where a variety of fruits and vegetables can be grown owing to the di erence in climate and altitudes. About three miles west of the institute in the Galilee mountains, cherries, apples and pears are found.

Dr Gamrasni said: “The climate there is totally di erent. It’s 200 metres below sea level. Avocado, mango, dates, lychees and bananas grow there – fruit that need a hot and humid climate. This gives us the possibility of applying our research to a variety of fruits and vegetables.”

delight both palate and planet

... as another Israeli company uses fermentation to try

An aspiring Israeli-American company is preparing to enter the plant-based meat market with its secret weapon to meet the current challenges: fermentation, writes Jotam Confino.

Founded in Brooklyn, New York, by Amos Golan, an Israeli Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) graduate, Chunk is launching its plant-based whole cuts based on a fermentation process similar to that of cheeses, which reduces an often distinct “grassy or beany flavour”.

“It’s essentially the same fermentation process used to remove bitter taste from cocoa or co ee,” Golan tells Jewish News. “It’s also similar to the fermentation of blue cheeses and brie, and even sausages.”

Competing with the original taste of meat is one of the main challenges for meat substitutes, but several other di culties also make it hard to compete.

“I looked at some of the products and found that they all had a lot of ingredients, often between 20 and 25,” Golan says. “It’s an issue because people are used to eating a single or two ingredient product, such as meat or fish.”

He decided, therefore, not to add any pre-

servatives or additives to his products, and has reduced the list of ingredients in the products to nine.

with

The company now has a research and development team in Israel and the United States, with 17 people focusing on using the fermentation process while trying to reduce further the list of ingredients.

Golan hopes to expand the company’s list of meat-like products to fish, lamb and poultry.

“We can control many of the attributes of our whole-cut products, such as the percentage of fat, the flavour and the colour,” he says. “So now we can literally create any type of cut.”

Chunk, which is also kosher, is piloting its products with restaurants in North America, while a factory is being built in Israel to produce the products the company hopes to ship to the region sometime next year.

“I believe we will have one or two locations in

Israel as well,” Golan says. As far as price goes, which Golan explains has been one of the biggest challenges of plant-based products when competing with meat, the company’s goal is to make its products the same price as meat, if not cheaper.

if not cheaper.

“We know that price is one of the most important factors [for consumers]” when deciding whether to switch from meat to plantbased products, he says.

based products,

The soy-based product can be cooked the same way as real meat, Golan adds.

“You can barbecue, slow cook it or make a stew. So for restaurants, the transition is immediate, because it’s so similar to how they cook

The soy-based restaurants, the transition is immediate, meat normally.”

to conquer the meat substitute market

“So now we can literally create any

Chunk,

Amos Golan’s product, Chunk, can even be barbecued

CST PREVENTS POSSIBLE NEW YORK SHUL ATTACK

The Community Security Trust helped police in New York with information leading to the arrest of two armed men who constituted a “developing threat to the Jewish community”, Jewish News can reveal.

The UK charity said it found a string of tweets threatening to imminently attack a shul and other targets last Friday, and that its initial investigation suggested it came from the East Coast, leading the group to share it with the New York Police Department.

A few hours later, two o cers from the Metropolitan Transit Authority apprehended two men at Penn Station in Manhattan, one of whom was carrying an 8-in hunting knife. Their investigation also uncovered an illegal Glock 17 handgun, a 30-round magazine, a Nazi armband and a ski mask. Christopher Brown, 21, and Matthew Mahrer, 22, were formally arrested on Saturday, charged with making terrorist threats and criminal possession of a weapon.

CST chief executive Mark Gardner said: “We are thankful that we were able to share this information in real time with our partners in the United States and help to prevent what could potentially have been a serious attack on the Jewish community there.”

The New York Times quoted Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, as saying a “potential tragedy was averted when they were intercepted by police o cers at Penn Station given that online postings indicated an intent to use these weapons at a Manhattan synagogue”.

Religious parties urge separate-sex events

Israel’s ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism and Religious Zionism parties have issued a fresh demand to Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu, calling for sex segregation at publicly-funded events, writes Jotam Confino.

Israel Hayom reported the parties issued the call to Netanyahu as coalition talks continued into a second week.

Gender segregation at publicly-funded events is currently prohibited in Israel under anti-discrimination laws. Outgoing prime minister Yair Lapid strongly criticised the calls, saying that at a time when “brave women in Iran are fighting for their rights, in Israel [Religious Zionism party leader Bezalel] Smotrich and his ultra-Orthodox nationalists are trying to place women behind barriers and legalise separating men from women”.

He added: “Where is Likud? Why are they being silent? This isn’t Iran.”

Labor Party leader and minister Merav Michaeli also issued harsh condemnation, saying: “There’s no such thing as separate but equal.”

She added: “We warned that a coalition without women would harm women, and they are already demanding that not only they, but also the law, will be able to put women to the back. Women are no less equal. Nobody has the right to decide for anyone else where they sit, what they wear or

whether or not to terminate a pregnancy. This is the fight for our democracy.”

A number of calls in recent weeks by far-right and strictly Orthodox parties have sparked intense debates in Israel and in the Diaspora. Among the most controversial are calls for an end to gay parades, annulling the ‘grandchild clause’ from the Law of Return, ending recognition of Reform conversions and curbing the power of Israel’s High Court of Justice.

LITHUANIA COMPENSATION

The World Jewish Restitution Organisation (WJRO) has welcomed a law proposal by the Lithuanian prime minister that would provide £32m in compensation to Holocaust victims.

Parts of the funds proposed by Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė would also be earmarked for the Lithuanian Good Will Foundation, which was established in 2011 by the Foundation for Lithuanian Jewish Heritage.

WJRO said in a statement that the funds would have a “significant impact on strength-

ening and supporting Jewish communal life in Lithuania and addressing the welfare needs of the elderly, even though it may only be a fraction of the value of prewar Jewish property”.

It added: “It also sets Lithuania apart from most other countries in the region that have yet to take any measure with respect to heirless property.”

During the Second World War, the Nazis and local collaborators killed more than 90 percent of the 220,000 Jews in Lithuania. About 5,000 Jews currently live there.

NYPD officers arrested two suspects

Zelensky: Russia is having powerful impact on Israel

Hundreds of students gathered at Dublin City University’s campus on Monday to hear Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warn that Russia’s disinformation has a “powerful impact on Israel”, writes Jotam Confino.

Zelensky addressed third-level students at 20 locations across Ireland via video link, saying he was grateful to Ireland for taking in 63,000 Ukrainian refugees.

“I can tell you, select any time and you know that you and your government and your society have helped Ukraine in many ways. And as you mentioned that no matter your neutral status, you’re absolutely not neutral in your attitude, in your assistance,” Zelensky said. The Ukrainian president called social

media a “battlefield that’s full of capabilities and unfortunately, Russia has been using that. They’ve spread the disinformation in many African and Asian countries, they have a powerful impact on Israel, on Germany and many other European countries, their TV channels with disinformation until recently worked in the United States and many other countries of the world.” Ukraine can’t fight Russia with weapons only, he said, but that if they managed to “penetrate” the wall of lies, the nation would be able to “unite the whole world.

“Still, we’re hoping Putin can hear us and that the information that we have is becoming a weapon and becoming a powerful weapon in this war.”

A PERSONAL WELCOME

Israel’s embassy in Abu Dhabi issued its first Israeli passport to Mateo David, a sixmonth-old citizen born in the United Arab Emirates. Ambassador Amir Hayek personally handed the passport to his parents.

Rare Shakespeare editions gifted to Israel’s National Library

Rare copies of works attributed to William Shakespeare have been donated to the National Library of Israel.

The works include a first-edition copy of The First Folio, published in 1623, which contains all Shakespeare’s plays.

The anonymous donation also includes a copy of the

second edition of Shakespeare’s work, titled The Second Folio, published in 1632.

A first-edition small booklet including poems by the 16th century playwright was included.

The oldest piece of work donated was an incunable – a text printed in the earliest stages of printing in Europe, meaning

between 1444 – when the printing press was invented – and 1500.

The donated text, printed in 1499, is an erotic fantasy titled Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (The Dream of Poliphilus), believed to have been written by a Dominican monk named Francesco Colonna.

Also donated were two volumes of Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of

the English Language from 1755, considered one of the most important dictionaries of its time.

The most recently printed piece of work donated was the first edition of the autobiographical work Seven Pillars of Wisdom by TE Lawrence, or Lawrence of Arabia as he is known, published in 1926.

An edition of the

Zelensky addressing his Irish audience

Bard’s works, dated 1640

State Business

Wednesday 7th

December 19:30-21:00 at JW3, 341-351 Finchley Road, London

Experience the lived reality of Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank through an innovative virtual reality event. In this immersive experience, brought to London for the first time, participants can witness recent videos filmed by B ' Tselem volunteers and be transported to Masafer Yatta, Hebron and Burin. The shocking images documented on film allow us to gain a sense of the daily costs of Israel’s occupation and raise searing questions about its future.

B'Tselem, the Israeli information center for human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, has taken a leading role in documenting, researching and publishing statistics, testimonies, video footage, position papers and reports on human rights violations committed by Israel in the OPT.

Yachad empowers British Jews to support a political resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Yachad’s work is grounded in the belief that only through a political resolution will Israel thrive and prosper – alongside a viable and independent Palestinian state

For tickets: bit.ly/BtselemVR

QR code:

There were 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, murdered by shootings, starvation, slave labour and industrialised killings in death camps. Of these victims, 1.5 million were children, cruelly denied a future, and innocent of any crimes, apart from the perceived one of being born Jewish.

It is Yad Vashem UK’s aim to ensure that each named Jewish victim has a memorial candle lit in their honour on every HMD and Yom HaShoah.

Guardian of the Memory aims to ensure that the victims’ life stories are never forgotten, becoming part of our own treasured family histories.

Please visit: www.guardianofthememory.org

to become a Guardian of the Memory of one victim

ensure they will NEVER be FORGOTTEN nor their EXISTENCE DENIED.

6,500 rabbis from across the

KANYE BACK ON TWITTER LIBEL WIN FOR NETANYAHU

Elon Musk bantered with Kanye West and teased the Anti-Defamation League in the latest sign he will let the platform become a free-forall after buying it last month.

West, the rapper and designer who also goes by the name of Ye, had been banned from Twitter last month for threatening Jews. On 4 November he returned and was swiftly banned again after a new round of anti-Jewish invective.

“Testing Testing Seeing if my Twitter is unblocked,” West tweeted on Sunday. Several hours later, Musk appeared to welcome West,

tweeting: “Don’t kill what ye hate Save what ye love.”

West’s next tweet was “Shalom” and a smile emoji, appearing to wink at his antisemitism controversy.

On Friday, Musk restored Donald Trump’s account, following a poll of users that concluded the former president should return. Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said that when he met Musk on 1 November, “He committed not to re-platform anyone... until he installed a transparent process that took into consideration the views of civil society.”

Magistrates in Tel Aviv have ordered former prime minister Ehud Olmert to pay the Netanyahu family NIS 97,500 (£23,600) after a ruling on Monday.

The Netanyahus sued Olmert after he refused to apologise for saying “what is irreparable is the mental illness of the prime minister, his wife and his son”, in an interview with Democrat TV in 2021. The family was initially seeking NIS 837,000 (£202.000).

“Referring to a person as ‘mentally ill’ is likely to demean a person in the eyes of the people or make him an object of hatred, contempt or ridicule,” Judge Amit Yariv said.

Olmert has been vocal in his criticism of Netanyahu after he was charged with trust, bribery and fraud in three di erent cases, calling him a “criminal, a scoundrel, a thief”.

Netanyahu and Olmert were formerly political rivals in Likud but Olmert ended up following Ariel Sharon to his Kadima party. Olmert became prime minister after Sharon had a stroke in 2006. He won the elections that year, but resigned in 2008 when facing an indictment.

Olmert ended up serving as prime minister until Netanyahu was elected in 2009. Olmert was sentenced to 16 months in prison in 2014 after being convicted of corruption o ences.

About

world pose in front of Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, for the their first full-size conference since 2019. The kinus hashluchim (conference of emissaries) features workshops, prayer, socialising and a gala at which the achievements of the previous year are recounted.

Magic of mitzvot

After almost three years of strict pandemic restrictions, Mitzvah Day rediscovered its mojo last weekend with a record 30,000 volunteers taking part in no end of worthy causes.

Across the UK and in 40 other countries, organisations did their bit by inviting volunteers to take part in good deeds: from gardening and painting to filling aid packages and visiting care homes – all on one uniquely special day that’s long been a firm favourite in the communal calendar.

In one of the most worthwhile projects, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus planted 1,000 flowers in Lincoln University’s peace garden.

Sunday’s biggest Mitzvah Day yet reminded us once again that we all have the capacity to make a positive impact on the wellbeing of our fellow man and woman – and not on just one day of the year. Good deeds are something we must aspire to as often as time allows. As Prime Minister Rishi Sunak put it this week: “Mitzvah Day is a wonderful way to foster community spirit and celebrate diversity of faith or belief.”

Mazeltov and thank you to all who took part.

Send us your comments

PO Box 815, Edgware, HA8 4SX | letters@jewishnews.co.uk

UK’s Israeli election lesson

It amazes me that Israel, with a population of nine million and far fewer voters, has 17 parties fighting for 120 seats. Here in the UK, with a population six times the size, we have three main parties for which most people vote and, overnight, we have a new government. What a blessing.

There are many groups in Israel (again, as for other democratic countries) and many political parties purporting to represent their interests. I believe all her Jewish citizens want Israel to be the Jewish homeland and to remain a Jewish state.

Giving political rights to her non-Jewish citizens does not automatically lead to her losing her identity, and I believe that most, if not all, Israelis agree that should be the case.

Extremist Muslim (or of any other faith) political leaders who do not respect the right of Israel to be the Jewish homeland and campaign to dilute its status, are a threat. Extremist right-wing Jewish political party leaders are also a threat.

J D Milaric, By email

I hope this letter will catch the eye of the Israeli ambassador to the UK, who can tell her government what a shambles this system is.

S.I. Solomon, NW4

In democratic elections extremists to a person will always cast their vote.

Citizens of Israel who chose not to exercise that democratic right and now abhor the result have only themselves to blame, including Israeli Arabs, whose turnout was below 50 percent.

Subjects of autocratic and totalitarian regimes would give their right arm to have the opportunity to dispense bloodlessly with their rulers.

Leila Cumber, N3

I have started work on a history of Bloom’s restaurant – both in Aldgate and Golders Green – the country’s most famous kosher restaurants.

Like three of my recent books – the history of the Jewish community of Golders Green, the 100-year history of the Rinkoff bakery in the East End of London and the history of the Jewish hotels and guest houses of Bournemouth – this book will largely be based on memories.

I am keen to hear about the Bloom family, menus, atmosphere and the operation of manufacturing and wholesale. All contributions will, of course, be attributed. If you can help, please email me on: pamfox@ virginmedia.com Pam Fox, By email

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said about Mitzvah Day 2022: “When you give selflessly to others, you make a positive impact on their lives and also on your own”. It is wonderful and humbling to see how many people of all ages and faiths take part. Long may it continue – for the benefit of others as well as ourselves.

Francesca Brightman, By email

I had goose bumps reading how our Chief Rabbi made a speech to Muslim leaders in the United Arab Emirates. Who would have thought this would have even been possible, let alone how warmly he was welcomed?

Sheila Cohn, By email

Support your Jewish community. Support your Jewish News

Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community.

Unlike other Jewish media, we do not charge for content. That won’t change. Because we are charity-owned and free, we rely on advertising to cover our costs. This vital lifeline, which has dropped in recent years, has fallen further due to coronavirus.

Today we’re asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.

For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.

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Thank you for Michelle Rosenberg’s report on Sunday’s AJEX parade and commemoration at the Cenotaph, which I enjoyed reading.

My wife Linda laid the wreath to commemorate the Dieppe raid and the brave Canadians and British servicemen who took part in it, and for her father Jack Nissenthall, the radar expert who volunteered to go with them to learn more about the German radar.

His story is one of selflessness and courage and is an inspirational one.

Basil Samuels, By email

I take issue with an assertion in Stephen Green’s letter ‘Embrace of a disgrace?’ (Jewish News, 10 November). All Israeli elections are a struggle between different groups of people wanting different things from their government and, in this sense, are like any other voters in a democracy.

Sedra: Toledot

Photo by Yakir Zur

Caryl Churchill’s award recall was sweet karma

JENNI FRAZER

On the whole, as I have said here before, I am against boycotts. I don’t think the answer to those boycotting us – Jews or Israel – is to boycott them. Let us ascend the moral high ground for a brief moment, and feel superior to those whose answer to their political disapproval of the Jewish state is to escalate the entire debate, by boycotting Israel and everything to do with it.

So I was marginally amused to learn of the shock ’n’ horror of some members of the arts establishment at the withdrawal of a lifetime achievement award to the playwright Caryl Churchill. It is a German theatre award, which do please bear in mind as you read on.

If the name Caryl Churchill rings bells, it should. She is the author of Seven Jewish Children, the winsome play once infamously staged at London’s Royal Court Theatre. Not Zionist or Israeli children, note, but Jewish children. The play, lasting a whole 10 minutes (and

people paid for this, remember), was written in 2009 in the aftermath of that year’s Gaza conflict, Operation Cast Lead.

Many members of the Jewish community – including theatre critic John Nathan – believed the play to be antisemitic. It scarcely added to the di cult reputation of the Royal Court among Jewish theatregoers, only marginally re-balanced by this summer’s Jews. In Their Own Words, by The Guardian writer Jonathan Freedland.

I know John Nathan well and I also know that he does not lightly use the word “antisemitic” to describe a theatrical o ering, so I pay attention when he does.

I do not number Caryl Churchill among my acquaintances and it is perfectly true

that she is the author of more than 30 stage works, so Seven Jewish Children does not represent the entirety of her work.

Nevertheless, when the German jury responsible for giving Churchill the £65,000 award (announced in April) reviewed her career, they found she had been chosen for the award “in recognition of her life’s work”. But, they added: “We have meanwhile become aware of the author’s signatures in support of boycott, divestment and sanctions [BDS]. The play Seven Jewish Children can also be regarded as being antisemitic. Therefore, to our great regret, the jury has decided not to confer the prize this year.”

The award is funded by the Baden-Württemberg ministry of science, research and arts. Its minister, Petra Olschowski, backed the withdrawal of the prize. She said: “In Germany, we have a special historical responsibility. That is why we as a country take a clear and nonnegotiable stance against any form of antisemitism. This is all the more reason why a prize funded by the state cannot be awarded under the given circumstances”.

It is instructive, if anyone has the time or patience, to look through the list of usual suspects who have signed an open letter denouncing the German jury’s decision. Here we see the great and the not-so-great, people of whom I once thought better: Juliet Stevenson, Stephen Frears, Harriet Walter.

There’s Jenny Manson of Jewish Voice for something – no show without Punch. There’s the inevitable anti-Israel Israeli professors. And, oh, look, there’s none other than Jewish theatre and film director Mike Leigh, who has bought into the whole “Israeli apartheid” thing, hook, line and sinker in defence of Churchill.

It’s not as though she actually got the money and then it was taken away from her. No. A German arts jury, not Jews, decided she had taken matters too far in support of Palestinians. It is perfectly possible, as the pages of this newspaper reflect every week, to condemn some political stances of Israel without going down the whole BDS route.

So in an act of supreme karma, the boycotter has been herself boycotted. Good.

With the help of friends from the beautiful south

ZAKI COOPER CO-FOUNDER OF INTEGRA & AN INTERFAITH ACTIVIST

I‘ve never set foot in South Africa, but feel a connection. That’s probably because three of my closest friends hail from the rainbow nation, all intelligent, warmspirited and great company. I have therefore personally befitted from the influx of South African Jews to Britain. In the week of a state visit by South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, to the UK, King Charles’ first as sovereign, it’s time to reflect on the contribution of South African Jews to Britain.

A 2010 academic study by Royal Holloway showed a successful community with high levels of charitable giving. South African Jews in Britain typically combine a strong love for Israel with an attachment to their motherland, often reinforced through familial connections. Numbering only a few thousand in Britain, they have made an outsized contribution to our community and the country.

The end of apartheid, culminating in Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in February 1990, was a wonderful and necessary development, but led to upheaval that resulted in many South African Jews

emigrating (mainly to Israel, the USA and Britain).

South Africans have occupied leading positions in our community. The Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, was born in Johannesburg but eventually moved to the UK in 1992, via Israel and Ireland. He was not the first Chief Rabbi to have a connection with South Africa. Rabbi Joseph Hertz, who held the position from 1913 to 1946, was a community rabbi at Witwatersrand Old Hebrew Congregation in Johannesburg from 1898 to 1911.

The mining businessman, Sir Mick Davis, gave distinguished service as a community leader. He was chairman of the Jewish Leadership Council for eight years, before becoming CEO of the Conservative Party, helping to ensure Jeremy Corbyn did not become PM.

Other South African business leaders and entrepreneurs have given generous philanthropy and service to the community. This includes the retail tycoon Natie Kirsh (who was the primary supporter of the rebuild of South Hampstead Synagogue), the pharmaceuticals boss Isaac Kaye and the tech entrepreneurs Robin and Saul Klein.Others successful entrepreneurs who give to Jewish charities include Martin Moshal and Sean Melnick.

There have been plenty of South Africa Jews who made a splash in British business

and public life. Bernard and Ian Kantor, as well as Stephen Kose , founded Investec bank and shook up financial services. The financier Sir Bradley Fried recently stood down as chairman of the Court of the Bank of England, one of the most important positions in the city.

Sir Sydney Lipworth, co-founder of Hambro Life Assurance (now Zurich Financial Services), became chairman of the Competition Commission and was a substantial philanthropist. Sir Sydney Kentridge KC, who just turned 100, was one of Nelson Mandela’s lawyers during the trials and a highly respected barrister in the UK. Away from finance and the professions, South African Jews have made an impact on arts and the creative industries. The actors Sir Antony Sher (who died last year) and Dame Janet Suzman became household names playing a series of Shakespearean and other prominent roles. The interior designer Kelly Hoppen, born in Cape Town, achieved

success and appeared on BBC Two’s Dragons’ Den. South African Jewry has supplied its fair share of inspiring rabbis and educators to our community. Rabbi Barry Marcus and Rabbi Shlomo Levin (and his family) have had a galvanising impact on di erent communities, while the classes of Rabbi Akiva Tatz have been attended by thousands of people over the years. There are many other examples, particularly in the religious outreach movement.

As well as outstanding people, we have also imported powerful ideas. Shabbat UK was originally developed by South Africa’s Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein. Biltong, the dried, cured meat hailing from southern Africa, has become popular in parts of north-west London.

The story of South Africans in Britain goes far beyond the Jewish community, of course. There are an estimated 250,000 South Africans in the country. Those mentioned in this article have done a lot for our community and our country. Of course, it’s not an exhaustive list and there are others. Those who have left their homeland to come here to pursue a new life have enriched their new country.

They have managed to balance a threepronged identity of British, South African and Jewish. As we welcome Mr Ramaphosa for this week’s state visit, we can reflect that South Africa’s loss has most certainly been our gain.

SOUTH AFRICAN JEWS IN THE UK MAKE A HUGE CONTRIBUTION

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IN GERMANY, WE HAVE A SPECIAL HISTORICAL RESPONSIBILITY

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Ben-Gvir appeal based on security, not bigotry

FLEUR HASSANNAHOUM

DEPUTY MAYOR OF JERUSALEM

Inever thought travelling to London one week after a general election in Israel would place me in the eye of a storm.

As I landed, I met people from the Jewish community who were outraged at the electoral success of Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich and others who were outraged at the outraged.

Much has been written since in the British Jewish press, including in this publication, with loud panicked headlines on the perceived shift in Israel to the political far right.

As a liberal and a feminist, I understand some of the concerns. Yet I feel there has been little attempt to understand the context behind the rise of the Religious Zionist and Otzma Yehudit parties. After all, we are talking about the same Israeli electorate that elected a very di erent government last year.

Israelis have always voted with considera-

tion for national security; however, this time they voted on the sorry state of internal security in the country.

Such insecurity was felt most acutely during the Gaza War in 2021, when pockets of Arab Israelis in mixed cities such as Lod and Acre turned on their neighbours. Images of burning cars, rioting and violence coming from Israeli Arab citizens caught us all o -guard and shocked the nation. It seemed like Israel had lost control of law and order and the police appeared weak.

In the south, lawlessness has been going on for quite some time as Bedouin mafias run riot and have even been taking protection money from businesses around the Negev as well as stealing cattle from local farms.

In Arab towns and cities of northern Israel, lawlessness and gun use are major problems, predominantly for the Arab population, as they have become victims of gangland-style shootings and unregulated and excessive gun possession. The police, for many years, have chosen to steer clear of such violence, which has taken the lives of innocent Arab women and children.

For the avoidance of doubt, most Arab Israelis are law-abiding citizens, many of whom are hugely successful professionals. Nevertheless, the pockets of criminal and extremist elements cannot simply be brushed aside because it is deemed politically incorrect to talk about them in the diaspora.

Israelis did not vote for Ben-Gvir because they are homophobic or racist but because he was the only one talking about Arab violence.

Palestinian terror remains omnipresent. Just last week, three Israelis were murdered and four others injured in a Palestinian terror attack. This year alone, more than 4,700 terror attacks have taken place in Israel.

I am struck by the extent of criticism towards the presence of Otzma Yehudit in the government as an a ront on our liberal values, especially when one considers that, just last year, we had an anti-liberal Arab party in the government whose number three was virulently homophobic and held up legislation a ecting the LGBTQ+ community. Where was the outcry then?

The Jewish community can ill a ord to fall

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into the trap of espousing the double standards deployed by Israel’s detractors and antisemites.

As the parties in the “never Bibi” camp have refused to join a broad government for twoand-a-half years, it seems that, in all likelihood, Ben-Gvir will be given the internal security portfolio. Time will tell whether he manages to restore law and order in these communities and we all pray for improvement.

Likud is a party based on right-wing and liberal values with many liberal-minded politicians, like myself. I have to trust Netanyahu will create the necessary balance so Israel continues to thrive as a beacon of freedom.

As a bishop in north London –with oversight of the work of the Church of England across Camden, Barnet, Haringey and Enfield – I interact with Londoners in all of our cultural and religious diversity.

It is one of the most exciting aspects of my work, being outward-looking and striving for the flourishing of every person, and not just a particular group with whom I might agree.

As I listen, I often reflect on the wisdom of Jeremiah in scripture. In Chapter 29, Jeremiah is writing to the exiles from Jerusalem, and is giving instruction on what leads to human flourishing, when you are in a place of diversity.

He says: “Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daugh-

ters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”

I find these words profound, in that we are called to seek the welfare of the city, because in this we will find not only our own welfare, but the welfare of others. We are encouraged to build community, strong relationships, and even shape the very nature of what community and neighbourhood looks like, by building homes and planting crops, for the welfare of all.

This, for me, sums up the importance of Mitzvah Day. Over the past seven years, I have become more involved in Mitzvah Day and witnessing the prophetic and powerful impact of people coming together for others in need.

I have witnessed groups making hampers, writing welcome cards, supporting those experiencing homelessness with bedding and clothing, food production for hot meals to be distributed, collections for hospitals, knitted blankets for cold and vulnerable people and work in schools, each encouraging a spirit of community responsibility.

One of the aspects of Mitzvah Day that

stands out above all else is that in the midst of working collaboratively, regardless of your faith and cultural background, with a heart for serving the poorest in our communities you discover something very wonderful – a bit like that pearl that has been produced by grit.

You discover joy. A deep sense of joy, which is contagious, life-transforming and beautiful. A joy that emerges from the struggle, passion and impressive organising skills of a group of volunteers. Joy, which you know will transform these communities through loving service.

The theme of this year’s collaboration was Winter Warmers. You will be aware of people in our communities who are struggling with the cost of living crisis, facing that di cult choice of whether they eat or heat. We know that some families, older people and those with underlying health conditions will be struggling as the costs rise. This is a crucial theme.

I am delighted that one of our Church of England churches in Manchester helped to kick o Mitzvah Day this year – with the Rev Dr Caroline Hewitt a keynote speaker at the event at Bowdon Shul – and that in the area where I serve in north London, many groups took part.

It was moving to hear that the Parish of St Mary and Christ Church, Hendon, teamed with many other faith communities to plant snowdrops to remember victims of the Holocaust. These same communities came to the church’s aid 18 months when its churchyard was vandalised.

Another project that caught my eye was the joining of our St Michael and All Angels Church with Borehamwood Islamic Society and both Borehamwood & Elstree Synagogue and The Liberal Synagogue Elstree, as well as a number of schools, for a mass planting project to aid local biodiversity and improve the environment.

To list every interfaith project happening on Mitzvah Day would fill this newspaper many times over. So I will just say that it was a wonderful thing that some 500 communities, schools, places of worship mobilised into action, with a heart and a passion to seek the welfare of the country, because in this we will find our own welfare. The volunteers comprised members of Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Hindu and Sikh communities, alongside considerable numbers of people with no faith.

Each gathered, organised and filled with joy a heart in serving the common good.

Superb care in a setting family

Looking for a care home for yourself or a loved one? Then you could do no better than to join us as part of our Springdene family. Unlike other care homes, which are often part of large corporations, we are a family business. And we’re still run by the same family that founded it more than 50 years ago.

New residents at Springdene can be sure of a warm reception. All our homes – Spring Grove in Hampstead, Spring Lane in Muswell Hill and Springview in Enfield – are rated as good by the Care Quality Commission.

Residents enjoy hotel-style luxury, with their own spacious room, complete with full en-suite facilities, personal telephone and wi-fi. There are three delicious meals a day, with a varied choice of menus.

And there are lots of regular activities, including quizzes, short stories, art competitions and poetry readings, live-streamed concerts and film-showings on a big screen, as well as walks in delightful gardens.

We’ve a great team, o ering wonderful care and everyone is brilliantly looked after.

As our motto says: Life is for

Muswell Hill

Hampstead

1 POLISH LIFE

More than 50 sixth-formers joined a five-day trip to Poland with Tribe, the United Synagogue young people’s department. Alongside United Synagogue’s RebbetzIn Freda Kaplan as the main educator, the students learnt about Jewish life before the Nazi invasion, with visits to the Warsaw Jewish cemetery, Yeshivat Chachmei Lublin and Lezjansk. The group also visited the Warsaw Ghetto and a number of concentration camps, including Belzec, Majdanek and Auschwitz.

2 ISRAEL’S FACES

The Hebrew department of Keren School has expanded its project,  The Many Faces of Israel , through which pupils learn about the history and culture of various communities that make up the country’s population. The project has so far shone a light on the Ethiopian, Yemenite and Persian communities through cooking authentic dishes, recreating architecture, weaving and designing carpets and baskets and learning songs and dances.

3 SCHOOL SUPPORT

The Chief Rabbi thanked school governors during a networking and discussion forum hosted by his office and the United Synagogue. Issues explored included the challenges of asking for and collecting voluntary contributions from parents to support the school, social media and how to inspire children through the school’s Jewish ethos.

4 SCOUTING PARLIAMENT

The 20th Finchley Scout group made a visit to Parliament, walking past 10 Downing Street on the day that new Prime Minster, Rishi Sunak, was announced. The group took children aged from six to 13, who were given a guided tour around Parliament. They were told about its history and went into the Lords chamber – where they were amazed to see a room all in red and gold.

5 FRIENDSHIP TREES

The British Indian-Jewish Association (BIJA) held an event in Canons Park, north London, to celebrate the planting of seven trees –one for each of Her Majesty’s decades of service – as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy. Among the speakers was Harrow mayor, councillor Janet Mote, who said: “It is wonderful to see faith groups working together in Harrow; as well as enhancing our environment, this initiative also strengthens the fabric of society.”. BIJA committee member Austen Garth, who managed the project, said: “Doing this on the first day of COP-27 was extra resonant. We hope the trees will grow and flourish, and be an enduring symbol of the friendship between different communities.” He added: “Special thanks to the Friends of Canons Park and Ezra Davies, who guided us in all aspects of planting the trees.”

The latest news, pictures and social events from across the community

Mitzvah Day 2022

Raising Mitzvah Day bar!

A record number of volunteers took part in Mitzvah Day this year. Some 30,000 people chose to join group projects or set up solo initiatives held by 500 organisations in shuls, churches and mosques – the first event on such a scale in three years owing to the pandemic.

Mitzvah Days were also held in 40 other countries, with another 100 organisations and 15,000 volunteers involved.

Projects this year included Middlesex University Interfaith Network and Barnet Multi Faith Forum planting snowdrops at St Mary’s Church, Hendon, to remember victims of the Holocaust. Members of the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Greek Orthodox faiths all took part.

Students from Nottingham University J-Soc, supported by the Union of Jewish Students, came together with Nottingham Chabad to prepare a meal to be distributed at Salaam Shalom Kitchen – a joint Jewish/Muslim project that provides food and warmth to local people in need.

Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Sikh and Hindu volunteers in Lincoln met each other for the first time – going to the university’s peace garden to clear leaves and plant 1,000 bulbs.

Richard Dale, president of Lincolnshire Jewish Community said: “It’s been wonderful to do something constructive, but equally wonderful to get to know each other.”

One thousand schoolchildren, teachers and members of faith groups across Borehamwood and Elstree engaged in a mass bulb-planting project, coordinated by the food poverty charity Grat-

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, Camden deputy mayor Nazma Rahman and Project ImpACT volunteers at JW3

Tulip Siddiq MP with Project ImpACT volunteers at JW3

Norwood Mitzvah Day BBYO

SAMS’ youngest gardener tidying leaves on Mitzvah Day

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer at South Hampstead Synagogue’s Mitzvah Day event

Rabbi Sandra Kviat and Crouch End Chavurah members help in the kitchen garden of the Girdlestone Food Cooperative in Archway

The Bournemouth and Poole Mitzvah Day collection for Bournemouth Food Bank

Southport & District Reform Synagogue do a National Trust litter pick up at Freshfields

Kol Nefesh Masorti Synagogue members knitted hearts for stillbirth/ child loss charity 4Louis

Photo by Yakir Zur

Photo by Betty Zapata

Mitzvah Day 2022

itude and Garden in a Roll. In total, more than 3,000 bulbs were planted at venues across the region.

Among the participating organisations were St Michael and All Angels Church (CoE), Borehamwood Islamic Society, Hare Krishna Temple –Bhaktivedanta Manor, Yavneh College, St Teresa’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Kenilworth Primary School, Saffron Green Primary School, Borehamwood & Elstree Synagogue and The Liberal Synagogue Elstree.

Councillor Debbie Morris, chair of Three Rivers District Council, opened a huge Mitzvah Day at Northwood United Synagogue where activities included collections for JGift, Langdon College and Chabad Krakow, which supports Jewish and non-Jewish Ukrainian refugees. Mitzvah Day chair Laura Marks and CEO Stuart Diamond spoke of their gratitude for “the immense impact of communities working together and building a more caring and connected society”.

The Chief Rabbi visited Jewish teen volunteer hub Project ImpACT and said: “When you give selflessly to others, you make a positive impact on their lives and also on your own.” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Mitzvah Day “helps to foster a wonderful community spirit, celebrating diversity of faith or belief, and demonstrating that we each have a responsibility to one another”.

Sir Keir Starmer joined South Hampstead shul to collect and pack clothes for people in need. He said the social action day is “emblematic of the country we are and values we hold.”

Interfaith and Intrafaith planting across Borehamwood for Gratitude and Garden in a Roll

Photo by Keith Gold

Project ImpACT director Chayli Fehler, Councillor Nazma Rahman, Mitzvah Day chair Laura Marks, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and Mitzvah Day CEO Stuart Diamond

Camp Simcha’s stand at the Mitzvah Day fair in Shrubberies Synagogue Manchester

Camp Simcha CEO Nevile Goldschneider and pupils at Ilford Jewish Primary School, who collected toys for the charity’s toy drive as part of their Mitzvah Day activities

Camp Simcha staff and members of Michael Sobell JCC packed gifts for staff and parents on neo-natal wards

A litter pick organised by Jewish Action for Mental Health Prestwich

Norwood Mitzvah Day at Kenton United Synagogue

Mill Hill Synagogue joined with churches and mosques to collect for Sebby’s Corner, which helps vulnerable children

Crouch End Chavurah membes help in the kitchen garden of Girdlestone Food Cooperative

Rabbi Rebecca Birk and Finchley Progressive Synagogue visited the Rainbow Centre, a community centre in Dollis Valley Estate

Norwood Mitzvah Day at Finchley Jewish Cubs and Scouts

Photo by Yakir Zur

Photo by Tony Knox

Photo by Yakir Zur

LIFE Inside

Christmas is almost here. You can tell as the shops are preparing to display their Easter eggs.

Growing up as part of the only Jewish family in Port Talbot, South Wales, meant Christmas was always a period of mixed emotions for me. While I was happy to be o school, I was also sad that I didn’t experience the joy and excitement all my friends had for their festival. Of course we had Chanukah, but comparing a lovely tree, loads of presents and family gatherings to chocolate money, greasy food and hot wax never seemed fair.

I once asked a neighbour friend of mine if I could use a part of his family Christmas tree to hang some of my own handmade ornaments. He felt sorry for me, so agreed and rented me two branches. I also remember, when school friends used to chat excitedly about Santa Claus coming on Christmas Eve, thinking to myself: “We’re always being warned about talking to strangers yet these people let a stranger come into their house – whilst they’re all sleeping.”

Christmas trees are an interesting concept. I have friends who are atheists yet still have Christmas trees. They tell me trees are nothing to do with Christmas. Surely the clue is in the first word. And if they’re nothing to do with Christmas why not put them up in April? Some of my Jewish friends have a Christmas tree every year. And some put them next to their Chanukiahs. I used to think this was weird, like

having a ham and cheese bagel. But the way things are in the world, why shouldn’t people do what makes them happy? (I’m talking about the tree, the bagel thing is still a big no!)

I do find it amusing how stressed non-Jews get about ‘Christmas lunch’. They plan for weeks, not only about what they will cook and how they will cook it, but also worrying if the family are going to get on or if they are going to be any arguments. They only have this problem once a year, Jews have it every Friday night!

Being a comedian/after-dinner speaker/ awards host at Christmas means you have the privilege of performing at o ce parties around the country. These can be as harrowing as they are lucrative. Although I am grateful for the work, I’ve never understood why they book a comedian for these events. Most of the time the sta just want to talk loudly, get drunk and get o with each other – only to regret/deny everything the next day. Over the years I have been asked to: ‘Do your comedy stu between the starter and the main course’ (which is of course the reason I got into comedy in the first place), ‘Insult the boss’ (a favourite with sta although I have to bear in mind that the boss is the one paying me) and ‘Sing some carols’ (although I do know several, I am one of the few tone deaf Welsh people, so that wouldn’t happen).

I remember my own sta party last year. I got very drunk and photocopied my tuchas. I was worried I would get in trouble. But fortunately, as I’m self-employed, I just gave

myself a warning. the occasional drunken

Apart from dealing with the occasional drunken reveller – can you imagine celebrating Purim for 12 days? – one thing that irritates me a bit about Christmas are the songs playing in the shops. There are approximately six and they’re played on a loop. And

I’ve always thought

while

a

that playing Do They know it’s Christmas (Feed The World) while people are in a supermarket piling their trollies with festive treats is a touch insensitive. In a supermarket last year, after hearing the line, ‘The only water flowing is the bitter sting of tears’ I heard someone say: “Oh that reminds me, I have to buy soda water and bitter lemon.”

That reminds me, I was recently asked, after a gig, why it is that Jews can’t drink alcohol. I explained that Jews can drink alcohol, it’s just that many choose not to. This is for two reasons; One, drinking takes up valuable eating time, and two, when you drink, you relax and forget about all your problems. You can’t take that away from us, that’s all we have!

Of course my favourite thing about Christmas is that I have the chance to perform in the traditional Jewish Christmas Comedy Show Rabbi Santa’s Night of Comedy. This is an event that started several years ago at the King’s Head in Crouch End. The popularity grew so much that we had to move it to the larger venue of The Radlett Centre.

As well as Jewish acts, we’ve had some wonderful token non-Jewish comedians over the years including Milton Jones and Hal Cruttenden. This year is no exception as we have managed to chase down the wonderful Paul Sinha (this is a clever play on words, as it’s in reference to the fact he is on ITV’s The Chase).

I asked some of the Jewish comedians from Rabbi Santa shows both past and present to give me their take of being a Jew at Christmas. Josh Howie told me: “Christmas for a Jew is like your cousin getting married abroad. You can wish them well but that doesn’t mean you should feel obliged to go”. Rachel Creeger, who is doing the show this year, said: “For my observant and traditional Christian friends it’s a really meaningful time, a spiritual season full of goodwill. And I can totally relate to that.”

Sol Bernstein, the oldest living Jewish comedian, who is also appearing, said: “I always loved Christmas, especially when I lived in the US because we ate Chinese food on Christmas Day – the only day in the calendar we’re allowed to eat treif. And, unlike Easter, we don’t get

accused of killing the main guy. My Uncle Bernie had a toy shop in Brooklyn and loved going in on Christmas Day – to dust the shelves.”

Mark Maier, my co-host and co-producer of the Rabbi Santa shows, thinks only of fressing at Christmas . “Well why not? It’s a festival,” he adds . “Not one of ours but still an excuse to eat to excess. And for 12 days! Why should this festival be di erent to any other ?”

So I’m really looking forward to this year’s Rabbi Santa Show, and the audience has a great time. Of course there are always a few complaints, but with a predominantly Jewish audience, it would be weird if there weren’t any. Wishing you all a Merry Chrismakah. I’m just o to clean my chimney and ask my neighbours if I can rent some of their tree branches.

 Rabbi Santa’s Comedy Night is at 7.30pm on 3 December www.radlettcentre.co.uk www.bennettarron.com

Chai and mighty A bird’s eye view of Britain’s Jews

A look

Comedian Bennett Arron, who’s preparing a star-studded seasonal show, sees a festive lunch as like a Friday night

Mark Maier: ‘An excuse to eat to excess, for 12 days’

Rachel Creeger: ‘I can relate to Christmas’

‘Jew they know it’s Christmas time at all?’

CHAI Fidelity

Our community is blessed. Owing to the e orts of numerous people in many di erent charitable organisations, there is a place to go for help and understanding that is specific to your needs. Too many to list, these philanthropic bodies can’t perform miracles, particularly in matters of health, but they will steer, advise and most importantly listen when assistance isn’t available elsewhere. Some people have an intimate relationship with these charities, while others will know them only by name and occasional donations. Few, however, will pass through life untouched by cancer, which is why the work of Chai Cancer Care resonates with so many.

With 1,000 new cancer cases diagnosed every day in the UK, the disease in its many forms is part of our life or the life of someone close to us, and as the Jewish community’s national cancer support organisation, Chai fulfils a role that is impossible to quantify.

Providing specialised support services including counselling, complementary and physical therapies, advocacy and advice, group and social activities in 11 centres across the UK, the charity is entirely reliant on voluntary contributions and needs to bring in £3.5m a year to remain open. This is disconcerting, because it is needed desperately, so when lockdown cancelled Chai’s ‘big push’ annual dinner of November 2020, the decision to run it virtually was unavoidable. That £3m was raised in 36 hours via a live broadcast from Chai HQ is a testament to the support the charity has.

advice, group and social activities in 11 centres across the UK, so was

“Support for Chai comes in so many forms,” says Lisa Steele, who began as a volunteer counsellor and is now chief executive. “From baking to running, climbing mountains, and cutting hair, the amazing commitment and creativity of our fundraisers and the generosity of their supporters means so much to everyone at Chai and all those a ected by a cancer diagnosis.”

so much to everyone at Chai and all those a ected by a cancer and

Daniele, who was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2017.

Coby Bull loves a fundraising challenge and has done marathons and swum across the open waters of Alcatraz to complete them. But in April 2020, he set himself the ultimate test: to raise £5,000 in honour of his beloved grandmother Daniele, who was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2017. Having seen the wonderful things that Chai does for her, he was determined to complete a gruelling challenge of husky sledging for five days across the highlands, forests and winter terrain of Lapland.

As well as physical training, the challenge required huge

Coby Bull sledged for five days across Lapland, raising £25,000 in memory of his grandmother

George and Harry Owen with grandmother Susie, who died in May 2020

Natasha Freiberger and sisters Naii and Rebecca trekked 25km to raise £15,000 a er losing a sibling to cancer

The Hebrew word for life is the perfect name for the charity helping families cope with cancer. Indeed, the fundraising it inspires is inspirational in itself, writes Debbie Collins

Lapland Challenge

Marathon Run

Promoted

mental stamina and, whilst nothing could prepare him for icicle-forming temperatures of -20°C, he smashed his fundraising target on day one.

Coby’s photographs were sold at an exhibition held by Chai and, alongside online donations, he raised over £25,000.

So, what’s next? “Maybe an ironman. Or a desert trek,” says Coby. “In truth I’d really love to sail across the Atlantic, but I think my wife would divorce me!”

During the lockdown in August 2020, while many put their feet up, Richard Owen and his sporty grandsons George, 17, and Harry, 14, had their feet going up and down, taking part in a marathon in memory of his wife, and their grandma, Susie, who died in May 2020. With many sports halls closed, Saracens o ered its athletics track. More than £30,000 was raised and a beautiful garden for reflection was built in Susie’s honour, which was a fitting tribute for all the invaluable Chai care and support the family received.

activities they might not have otherwise considered. Alexandra became an ambassador for these Chai challenges, walking across the highest peaks in England in 24 hours, trekking across Iceland and summiting Mount Snowdon. As the first challenge was Kilimanjaro, the 23 north-west London female fundraisers were seriously out of their comfort zone while raising £330,000. “It’s not just a fitness thing – you have to be mentally strong,” says Alexandra. “Everything is heightened at altitude, and it can make you highly emotional. We have a summit tradition now where a ‘chai’ is formed from rocks, and it gets me every time.”

In

August 2021, Natasha

In August 2021, Natasha Freiberger and sisters Naii and Rebecca wanted to mark the 10 years since losing a sibling to cancer by completing the Thames Bridges Trek, a 25km route covering 16 bridges. Along the six-hour route, there were intense moments of reflection, including a stop-o for a cheeky G&T. It bucketed down on the day, but the rain didn’t stop them from raising £15,000, with Natasha hoping to fundraise again in the future.

Claire Krushner comes from a large family, many of whom have been a ected by varying forms of cancer, including her mother, Lorraine. Chai had been a source of great comfort and support to all the family. Then Claire’s cousin Gemma was cruelly diagnosed with liver and bowel cancer.

“I just had to do something,” said Claire. “I’ve always been known for my long hair, so I decided to cut it for charity. Whilst it felt such a small thing for me to do, I knew the huge impact it could have by providing a wig for someone else.” Claire raised £7,500 for Chai and seemingly set a great example to son Charlie, who decided to grow (and grow) his hair and chop it o for charity too. Between them they have raised around £10,000.

When Alexandra Maurice’s sister-in-law, Amanda, was diagnosed with cancer in 2012, she felt passionately about doing something to raise money, but it had to be incredible. In 2014, Chai partnered with Charity Challenge, the world’s leading fundraising challenge operator, and formed a new project: Chai Challenges YOU, encouraging people to take part in a wide range of physical fundraising challenges and

Chai’s Lisa Steele was amongst the ‘Kili crew’ and having a face from the organisation there really heightened the connection to the cause.

face from the organisation there really

“The driving factor is that we are all doing it for someone,” says Alexandra. “Ten days of doing something hard and challenging is nothing compared to what our loved ones might be going through for longer periods of time. We all have that in common.” On the most recent trek, across the Moroccan Atlas mountains, the bonding experience reached a peak for Alexandra as she was joined by her daughter Pearl, alongside others who had their daughters with them.

The bonding through fundraising for Chai is a benefit to all who take part. At the London marathon in October, 10 dedicated runners made up Team Chai and raised more than £39,000. The 10th Anniversary Rosh Hashanah Gift Sale was another success, bringing in £32,000.

Chai’s work goes beyond person-to-person care. Through NHS England, it has partnered with the charity Jnetics to promote a new programme of genetic testing that will be launched next year to identify individuals with a BRCA gene fault and detect tumours earlier, so they are easier to treat.

Raising funds, raising hopes, raising a glass to life. The hope is that you won’t ever need Chai, but you now know what it and all its supporters do.

• For more information about fundraising for Chai, visit www.chaicancercare.org

Claire Krushner: ‘I knew the impact it could have by providing a wig’

Alexandra Maurice: ‘We have a summit tradition now where a chai is formed from rocks – it gets me every time’

The ‘Kili crew’ Londoners raised £330,000 by climbing Kilimanjaro

Harry Owen

Claire with mum Lorraine

Charlie Krushner

Hair Cutting

Promoted Content 24 November 2022

Just over 30 years ago, Stephen Brook published a book called The Club, a warts and all picture of British Jewry. Fast forward to a meeting two years ago between writer Harry Freedman and his publisher – the same publisher responsible for TheClub. The publisher thought it was time for a new version.

Freedman said: “I won’t do a sequel to The Club, because things have moved on. But I will do something – and I will do it my way.”

He began writing during the pandemic, but concedes that Britain’s Jews: Confidence, Maturity, Anxiety was a hard road, not least because of the constant updating necessary. Instead, he says: “I have produced a snapshot of what Jewish life in Britain was like when I started to write.”

Freedman is a veteran of Jewish communal life. Not only is he a former chief executive of the Masorti movement, but he has written several books about Jewish life and thought, ranging from investigations into the Talmud and Kabbalah, to a portrait of Rabbi Louis Jacobs and – most recently – an examination of the Jewish influences in the songs of Leonard Cohen.

But trying to present a definitive picture of Jewish life in 21st-century Britain is a big ask, and Freedman agrees that it was a bit like trying to nail blancmange to a wall. He had, after all, a huge cast of characters and his research covered nearly 100 interviews.

He writes: “There are many Jews in Britain doing remarkable things, and many more whose stories are worth telling. I couldn’t speak to them all. I’d have ended up with an encyclopaedia, not a book.”

Those who are in the flow of Jewish communal life may not believe things move very fast, but Freedman says he had to make many changes – people changed jobs, organisations closed down, and, sadly, people died. Just the same, Britain’s Jews is an engrossing and engaging read, whether you are involved in the community or just aware of it.

between his book and that of Stephen Brook’s The Club – is, he says: “I come from a generation of Jews who didn’t put our heads above the parapet. We led quiet lives and generally wanted people to leave us alone. What really surprised me [in the writing of this book] was the confidence with which young Jews treat their Judaism.”

Freedman attributes this to a number of factors. “Some of it is about identity – these days, everyone has to have an identity – so young Jews are no di erent, and they are proud of who they are. But, importantly, they don’t do things in spite of being Jewish, they do things because they are Jewish, and that’s a real change from the Jewish community I grew up in.”

He was also impressed by the way in which the issue of antisemitism was being treated, another huge di erence from 30 years ago, when the topic was barely mentioned. Freedman interviewed people from the Community Security Trust (CST)

and Jonathan Boyd from JPR, the Institute for Jewish Policy Research.

“It makes you realise that there are nuances to how we should look at antisemitism – we shouldn’t necessarily feel that we are being completely harassed and that we have no choices. It’s being dealt with in a very good way. And Jon Boyd made the very interesting point, which I put in the book, that more antisemitic incidents are being reported because social media makes it possible to report these things – but overall the level of antisemitic incidents doesn’t seem to be rising.”

After the book went to press, one charity, Tzedek, to which Freedman pays a lot of attention in the book, closed down after 32 years as the Jewish community’s response to extreme poverty around the world. Two other bodies were launched: the London Centre for the Study of Antisemitism, and the National Jewish Assembly, the latter founded by former Board of Deputies vice-president Gary Mond, in response to frustration with the apparent political trajectory of the Board.

usual suspects”, although he

his

And Freedman doesn’t just speak to “the usual suspects”, although he covers his bases well by talking to those whom you might expect to be in such a book.

His major takeaway – and the big di erence

political

From his bird’s eye view of British Jews, Freedman is able to discern a much more voluble left-right split in the community than previously documented.

“There is a very strong secular Jewish identity now, which we didn’t always have, versus a very strong Charedi identity and, of course, the Charedi population is growing much faster.” To some extent, he says, Covid brought those two sides together as people realised that they were obliged to work together to maintain religious life.

of the Board. the Charedi population is growing much extent, that they were obliged to work together to strong pro- and anti-Netanyahu camps here”

On the other hand, he concludes that there is “an increasing split over Israel and I think that is likely to get worse. There are two very strong pro- and anti-Netanyahu camps here” [we were speaking before the most recent Israeli elections].

advantages and great disadvantages. One of the disadvantages is that it can create ghettoes. But an advantage is that people are more Jewishly literate than previously.”

He is aware, however, that people in cities outside London, who cannot send their children to Jewish schools, have another problem. They try to compensate by setting up chedarim (post-school study) “only to find that there are no teachers because they have all gone to teach at Jewish schools in London”.

The book is a great primer as an introduction to what makes Jews tick today. Freedman expects initial readers to be Jews, “mainly because Jews like reading about Jews”. But he had another audience in mind: non-Jews who are interested in Judaism and are intrigued by what makes us us.

more Jewish schools in the UK than 30 years ago. He talks about people who go to Jewish Birmingham or Manchester, and on to a job

Freedman devotes a lot of space in his book to Jewish education. There are many more Jewish schools in the UK than 30 years ago. He talks about people who go to Jewish schools, then to a ‘Jewish’ university, such as Birmingham or Manchester, and on to a job in the City, perhaps, where they mix only with other Jews. “What happens when they go out into the world? Jewish education has great

“I hope there is a non-Jewish audience out there who will find things of interest in the book; and I am sure there is a Jewish audience who will challenge everything I’ve said!”

• Britain’s Jews: Confidence, Maturity, Anxiety by Harry Freedman is published by Bloomsbury Continuum and is available now, priced £20

Harry Freedman tells Jenni Frazer about the challenges of putting an examination of Jewish communal life as it is today in a single tome

Harry Freedman says his book is a ‘snapshot’ of Jewish life as it was when he began to write it

Harry’s book on Leonard Cohen looked at Jewish influences in his songs

covers

bases

trajectory

MAKING SENSE OF THE SEDRA

In our thought-provoking series, rabbis, rebbetzins and educators relate the week’s parsha to the way we live today

REBBETZEN EMMA TAYLOR SHAAREI SHOMYAIM SYNAGOGUE, TORONTO

Of all of our forefathers, Yitzchak is the one we know least about. Both Avraham and Ya’akov have many more verses dedicated to their stories. This week, in the sedra of Toledot, the Torah goes into precise detail about Yitzchak and the wells.

The Torah is very clear in stating that Yitzchak not only redug the wells that his father Abraham had originally built but also that he called them by the exact same names. When content about Yitzchak is so limited, why does the Torah feel it is necessary to go into such detail about these wells of water?

Avraham can be classified as a ‘mover and shaker’. He was someone who went out there, convinced others to join him in his

quest for monotheism and was the archetype of a ‘doer’. Yitzchak, however, is the polar opposite. He is not known for creating anything new. Physically he stayed put; we see both Avraham and Ya’akov leave the places where they were living and moved on. Avraham was told to lech lecha (go) and Ya’akov runs from Eisav and later in his life went down to Egypt.

Yitzchak, on the other hand, remained in his locale for the duration of his life. This is further emphasised by the fact that both Avraham’s and Ya’akov’s names were changed, Avram to Avraham and Ya’akov to Yisrael.

Yitzchak remains Yitzchak for eternity. If we were to think of the avot , the patriarchs, as superhero characters in a book, Avraham would definitely be the more exciting, more charismatic. But does that mean he is more important and more successful?

Yitzchak personifies consistency and

stability. It was not necessary for him to dig wells in a new location. His role in this world was to take all that his father had taught him and keep on going.

His job was to continue and maintain the traditions that Avraham had so bravely started and ensure that he dug deep enough to ensure that the mesorah (the beauty of our religion) would pass on to the next generation.

There are people whose talents and personalities are more like Avraham: people who take a stand and who are the trailblazers. Yet just as important are those like Yitzchak, who quietly and with sheer determination redig and reignite that which others started.

In fact, Yitzchak is known for the personality trait of gevurah (strength). It takes an enormous amount of strength to not be Avraham, to be happy with not being the first person who discovered HaShem,

to be satisfied with just passing that knowledge on. Redigging the wells, continuing a path set out for us, is sometimes harder than digging them in the first place.

Abraham, Yitzchak and Ya’akov teach us that there is space in Judaism for all types of people and we are all worthy of a unique relationship with God.

With the opportunity for additional responsibility Full time / Part time

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IImmanuel College is entering a new, exciting era of educational and physical development, which will build on our Jewish modern orthodox, co-educational, independent roots. You will join a school characterised by high academic standards, outstanding pastoral care and a renowned programme of Jewish study. We enjoy an environment of happy, fulfilled young people who are fully engaged in the life of this friendly school, are aspirational and committed to their studies and their community. We are looking for colleagues who are eager to contribute to their futures and build a bright beacon of Jewish life and learning.

Immanuel College is a vibrant, professional and caring place to work, where every day brings new challenges and opportunities. We are deeply committed to the emotional and professional well-being of all our staff and believe that happy, well-cared for staff make the best team. We pride ourselves on providing an environment where staff have the freedom to learn and grow.

We provide access to the Teachers Pension Scheme (TPS), a supportive CPD system, membership to a healthcare scheme, subsidised lunches, family-friendly policies and a range of well-being initiatives.

For further information and to apply, please visit our website www.immanuelcollege.co.uk

An Application Form, Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form and the names and contact details of two referees should be sent to Dr Millan Sachania, Head Master, at jobs@immanuelcollege.co.uk

Applications will be reviewed upon receipt and shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview.

For further enquiries relating to the role please contact Mr Michael Lewis, Assistant Head of Jewish Studies at mlewis@immanuelcollege.co.uk

Immanuel College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

We can’t all be the same

Progressive Judaism

LEAP OF FAITH

BY RABBI SYLVIA ROTHSCHILD COMMUNITY RABBI IN SOUTH LONDON

Black Friday isn’t a big deal

The Friday after the American celebration of Thanksgiving has become a modern shopping frenzy, with retailers advertising discounts and sales to tempt people to part with their money. Its name, Black Friday, describes the point at which the shop goes into profit, ‘into the black’. Unsurprisingly, the Bible does not have much to say on consumerism, but it does have a view on people amassing and consuming material goods.

Jeremiah railed against “the smallest to the greatest, all are greedy for gain. Priest and prophet, all act falsely.”

Ezekiel noted: “They hear words, but they do not practise them; their mouth expresses loving devotion, but their heart goes after their gain.”

The book of Proverbs is filled with gems such as: “One who loves pleasure will become poor; one who loves wine and oil will not become rich.” And: “A person with an evil eye hastens after wealth. And does not know that poverty will come upon them”.

Proverbs also contains the paean to the perfect woman who “looks for wool and flax/And works with her hands in delight. She is like merchant ships; bringing her food from afar. She rises while it is still night and gives food to her household and to her maidens. She considers a field and buys it; from her earnings, she plants a vineyard.”

The Bible is very clear. Frugality is good, accumulating assets much less so. And from the wealth we create we are required to support the needy, the stranger, the widow and the orphan so that they too can eat and be satisfied.

But perhaps the clearest biblical teaching is the commandment to “not

place a stumbling block before the blind”. The tannaitic midrash Sifra develops the idea of stumbling blocks to include misleading information or advice which might cause someone to sin, or cause them physical or financial harm.

Later commentators include creating situations that would enable a person to make decisions that might damage them morally, physically or financially, or which will tempt them to act without selfcontrol to their own moral detriment.

The barrage of advertising, the seductive discounts, the creation of desire for things we don’t need all fall under this prohibition. We stop being aware of the concept of ‘enough’ and fall prey to the idea that more is better, surrounding ourselves with ‘stu ’. But, as we hear in the funeral service, “naked we come into this world and naked we leave it, and only our good deeds will accompany us to the grave” (Job 1:21, Psalm 49 and Ecclesiastes 5:15).

We purchase a wide range of Antiques, including Furniture through the ages, from Georgian, Regency and Victorian, to the more rare 20th century modern pieces. We also specialise in diamond jewellery, gold, silver, and paintings of any period, with an emphasis primarily on quality.

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

The perfect woman ‘plants a vineyard from her earnings’

Professional advice from our panel / Ask Our Experts

Ask our

Our trusty team of advisers answers your questions about everything from law and finance to dating and dentistry.

This week: Applying for a new-build mobility flat, using the cloud for computer file storage and making an Israeli will

LISA WIMBORNE CHARITY EXECUTIVE JEWISH BLIND & DISABLED

Dear Lisa

I have seen that you are starting work on a new building in Mill Hill East and wonder if I should apply. I have recently been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and my mobility is slowly deteriorating. When will it be opening and is there a waiting list?

Saul

Dear Saul

Thank you for getting in touch. We have indeed recently begun working on site in Mill Hill East. The development, which will be called Ephraim Court, will provide 23 one-bedroom mobility apartments and seven two-bedroom mobility apartments as well as

an overnight studio apartment for the on-site house manager and a range of communal facilities. We expect to be able to welcome tenants in summer 2024.

All our developments are for people just like yourself with physical disabilities and/ or vision impairments. But I would say that if you are struggling in your current home and are considering applying to us, please don’t wait for our new building to open.

Demand for our o ering continues to rise, and we have a waiting list in Barnet and Hertfordshire. However, we have a few flats available in other areas, which we will allocate to those in greatest need first.

If it’s Barnet you want, then we advise you to apply without delay, as the sooner you are in our system, the sooner we may have something to o er you.

To find out about our application process, please visit www.jbd.org or call 020 8371 6611.

MAN ON A BIKE

Dear Man on a Bike

I have bought my daughter a laptop for university. She’s very happy with it but the space is filling up on it because the hard drive is quite small. What can we do about this?

Julia Dear Julia

With laptops becoming thinner and lighter many models now come with a solid state disk instead of the

traditional hard drive. These are like memory sticks. They are much smaller, lighter, faster and have no moving parts. The only downside is that they tend to have a smaller capacity; usually 256Gb or 512Gb. This can cause them to fill up quite quickly, especially with photos and music.

Luckily, with the avail-

ability of cloud storage such as Dropbox, One Drive and Google drive, your daughter can keep her files on the cloud and only download the ones she needs to work on on to the laptop.

It has the added advantage of serving as a backup should anything happen to the laptop. We often set this up for clients and it works well.

CAROLYN ADDLEMAN DIRECTOR OF LEGACIES KKL EXECUTOR AND TRUSTEE

Dear Carolyn I own a property in Israel, although I live in the UK where the remainder of my assets are. Do I need an Israeli will as well as an English one?

Peter

Dear Peter

The question of whether you need a will in each jurisdiction

is becoming more common as more people buy homes overseas. It is advisable to check with a local lawyer as some countries will require a local will, others will accept a foreign will and some jurisdictions have specific inheritance rules governing the division of local assets.

The general rule is that inheritance rules for immovable assets (property) follow the law of the land in which they stand.

Although it is not obligatory to have an Israeli will it is certainly preferable and will make the administration of your Israeli estate easier and quicker. It is important that an Israeli will co-exists with an English one and restricts its application to your assets in Israel. An

Israeli lawyer should be made aware of any English will that is in place and, if possible, they should be made aware of the date the will was signed.

If the lawyer doesn’t know about the existence of a valid English will, an Israeli will could unintentionally revoke the English one, creating more problems than it solves.

IAN GREEN

IT SPECIALIST

Got a question for a member of our team?

Email: editorial@jewishnews.co.uk

TREVOR

JEWELLER

EMPLOYMENT LAW AND DATA PROTECTION

EMMA GROSS

Qualifications:

• Specialist in claims of unfair dismissal, redundancy and discrimination.

• Negotiate out-of-court settlements and handle complex tribunal cases.

• HR services including drafting contracts and policies, advising on disciplinaries, grievances and providing staff training.

• Contributor to The Times HRMagazine and other titles.

SPENCER WEST LLP 020 7925 8080 www.spencer-west.com emma.gross@spencer-west.com

VACANT PROPERTY SECURITY

STUART WOOLGAR

Qualifications:

• CEO of London’s largest guardian company with more than 20 years’ experience

• Well-known and highly regarded British security industry expert.

• Specialists in securing and protecting empty commercial and residential properties.

• Clients include small private landlords to major national property companies and managing agents, as well as those in the public sector.

GLOBAL GUARDIANS MANAGEMENT 020 3818 9100 www.global-guardians.co.uk info@global-guardians.co.uk

COMMERCIAL LAWYER

JONATHAN WILLIAMS

Qualifications:

• Jewellery manufacturer since 1980s.

• Expert in the manufacture and supply of diamond jewellery, wedding rings and general jewellery.

• Specialist in supply of diamonds to the public at trade prices.

JEWELLERY CAVE LTD 020 8446 8538 www.jewellerycave.co.uk jonathan@jewellerycave.co.uk

DIRECTOR OF LEGACIES

CAROLYN ADDLEMAN

Qualifications:

• Lawyer with over 20 years’ experience in will drafting and trust and estate administration. Last 14 years at KKL Executor and Trustee Company.

• In close contact with clients to ensure all legal and pastoral needs are cared for.

• Member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.

KKL EXECUTOR AND TRUSTEE COMPANY 020 8732 6101 www.kkl.org.uk enquiries@kkl.org.uk

REMOVALS MANAGING DIRECTOR

STEPHEN MORRIS

Qualifications:

• Managing Director of Stephen Morris Shipping Ltd.

• 45 years’ experience in shipping household and personal effects.

• Chosen mover for four royal families and three UK prime ministers.

• Offering proven quality specialist advice for moving anyone across the world or round the corner.

STEPHEN MORRIS SHIPPING LTD 020 8832 2222 www.shipsms.co.uk stephen@shipsms.co.uk

•

ADAM LOVATT

Qualifications:

• Lawyer with more than 11 years of experience working in the legal sector. Specialist in corporate, commercial, media, sport and start-ups.

• Master’s degree in Intellectual Property Law from the University of London.

• Non-Executive Director of various companies advising on all governance matters.

LOVATT LEGAL LIMITED 07753 802 804 adam@lovattlegal.co.uk

CHARITY EXECUTIVE

•

•

SUE CIPIN

Qualifications:

•

JEWISH DEAF ASSOCIATION 020 8446 0502 www.jdeaf.org.uk mail@jdeaf.org.uk

PRINCIPAL, PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOL

LOUISE LEACH

Qualifications:

• Professional choreographer qualified in dance, drama and Zumba (ZIN,

•

•

DANCING WITH LOUISE 075 0621 7833 www.dancingwithlouise.co.uk Info@dancingwithlouise.com

•

FINANCIAL SERVICES (FCA) COMPLIANCE

JACOB BERNSTEIN

Qualifications:

•

•

• Alternative Investment Fund managers;

•

ACCOUNTANT

CHARITY EXECUTIVE

ADAM SHELLEY

Qualifications:

• FCCA chartered certified accountant.

• Accounting, taxation and business advisory services.

• Entrepreneurial business specialist including start-up businesses.

• Specialises in charities; Personal tax returns.

• Maurice Wohl Charitable Foundation Volunteer of the Year JVN award.

LISA WIMBORNE

Qualifications:

Able to draw on the charity’s 50 years of experience in enabling people with physical disabilities or impaired vision to live independently, including:

• The provision of specialist accommodation with 24/7 on site support.

• Knowledge of the innovations that empower people and the benefits available.

• Understanding of the impact of a disability diagnosis.

RICHDALE

LTD 020 7781 8019 www.richdale.co.uk jacob@richdale.co.uk

INTERNATIONAL PAYMENTS SPECIALIST

LEE SHMUEL GOLDFARB

Qualifications:

• Hands-on service, with full and personalised support for international transfers.

• Get the most out of your currency exchange with regards to pension income, when purchasing your first house in Israel or benefitting from an inheritance from aboard.

• UK leader in financial exchange and partner to brands such as St James Place and Hargreaves Lansdown with industry-beating Trustpilot score.

CURRENCIES DIRECT 0786 0595 890 / 0207 847 9400 www.currenciesdirect.com/jn lee.goldfarb@currenciesdirect.com

ISRAELI ACCOUNTANT

SOBELL RHODES LLP 020 8429 8800 www.sobellrhodes.co.uk a.shelley@sobellrhodes.co.uk

IT SPECIALIST

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

IAN GREEN

Qualifications:

• Launched Man on a Bike IT consultancy 15 years ago to provide computer support for the home and small businesses.

• Clients range from legal firms in the City to families, small business owners and synagogues.

• More than 18 years’ experience.

MAN ON A BIKE 020 8731 6171 www.manonabike.co.uk mail@manonabike.co.uk

INSURANCE CONSULTANCY

Email: sales@jewishnews.co.uk

LEON HARRIS

Qualifications:

• Leon is an Israeli and UK accountant based in Ramat Gan, Israel.

• He is a Partner at Harris Horoviz Consulting & Tax Ltd.

• The firm specializes in Israeli and international tax advice, accounting and tax reporting for investors, Olim and businesses.

• Leon’s motto is: Our numbers speak your language!

HARRIS HOROVIZ CONSULTING & TAX LTD +972-3-6123153 / + 972-54-6449398 leon@h2cat.com

ALIYAH ADVISER

ASHLEY PRAGER

Qualifications:

• Professional insurance and reinsurance broker. Offering PI/D&O cover, marine and aviation, property owners, ATE insurance, home and contents, fine art, HNW.

• Specialist in insurance and reinsurance disputes, utilising Insurance backed products. (Including non insurance business disputes).

• Ensuring clients do not pay more than required.

RISK RESOLUTIONS 020 3411 4050 www.risk-resolutions.com ashley.prager@risk-resolutions.com

CAREER ADVISER

DOV NEWMARK

Qualifications:

• Director of UK Aliyah for Nefesh B’Nefesh, an organisation that helps facilitate aliyah from the UK.

• Conducts monthly seminars and personal aliyah meetings in London.

• An expert in working together with clients to help plan a successful aliyah.

NEFESH B’NEFESH 0800 075 7200 www.nbn.org.il dov@nbn.org.il

DIVORCE & FAMILY SOLICITOR

Qualifications:

• Qualification: 40 years experience as a matrimonial and divorce solicitor and mediator, specialising in all aspects of family matrimonial law, including:

• Divorce, pre/post-nuptial agreements, cohabitation agreements, domestic violence, children’s cases, grandparents’ rights to see grandchildren,

LLOYD PLATT & COMPANY SOLICITORS 020 8343 2998 www.divorcesolicitors.com lloydplatt@divorcesolicitors.com

LESLEY TRENNER

TELECOMS SPECIALIST

BENJAMIN ALBERT

Qualifications:

• Co-Founder and Technical Director of ADWConnect – a specialist in business telecommunications, serving customers worldwide.

• Independent consultant and supplier of Telephone & Internet services.

• Client satisfaction is at the heart of everything my team and I do, always

ADWCONNECT 0208 089 1111 www.adwconnect.com hello@adwconnect.com

Skating surface (3)

Agreeable, pleasant (4)

Child’s walk (6)

On a ship (6)

Yarn from the Angora goat (6)

Wriggle about (6)

Bath-stopper (4)

Undies item (3)

Explosive sound (4)

Petrol ingredient (6)

Item of neckwear (3,3)

Staple diet of the giant panda (6)

Added tariff (4)

Line or band of colour (6)

Archimedes’ cry (6)

One of an identical pair (4)

Food shopkeeper (6)

Genetic material (inits) (3)

Unpaired (3)

Time-telling word (6)

Thief (6)

Plump and lacking muscle tone (6)

Attractively strange or unusual (6)

Pleased (4)

Yell like a baby (4)

SUGURU