Life magazine - 15th February 2024 by Jewish News

LI FE March 2024

L♥VE EDITION

FOR THE LOVE OF Barry Manilow

Stanley Kubrick

Charity Travel

His Jewish movies

Weddings

WIN a stay

at The Grove

The Tattooist of Nova Skin deep love for Israel

Julius Dein The magician conjures up schools

GET UP, STAND UP! The spectacular rise of Kingsley Ben-Adir

@lucy_davenport

FO R EVE R B E G I N S AT T H E GROVE Whatever your dream, we can make it a reality. With enchanting gardens as your backdrop, paired with five-star catering and entertainment, our dedicated team of wedding planners will be on hand to make your day one to remember.

www.thegrove.co.uk The Grove - Jewish News - Life Magazine - 330 x 260mm - January 2024 - V2.indd 1

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@thegrovehotel 05/02/2024 10:24:57

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

A TIME TO THINK

EXODUS OF LOVE

ONE FOOD FROM PERFECT DAY THE HEART

THE SURVIVORS’ SECRET

I NSIDE

NOW YOU SEE HIM

L♥VE EDITION

Editor’s letter Valentine’s Day is not one of ours, but that doesn’t stop us from purchasing schmaltzy cards, garage flowers and over-priced dinner pour deux. February 14 is behind us, but Life doesn’t want to let go of the love. Because our community needs it. Bad news has been our wake-up call since October 7 and Telegram’s IDF casualty alerts end the day. We have seen

posters go up and get torn down and now one-fifth of those innocent hostages have been torn down forever. We may not be in Israel but sorrow travels, and it has been amplified by the marches and last week the call to ostracise Zionists on university campuses. Universities where a JSoC presence once signalled Shabbat supper, not shameful treatment. Our young people need to feel the love and that is the theme of Life, heralded by Jewish cover star Kingsley Ben-Adir and

his Bob Marley: One Love movie. There are many powerful features in this issue, but I have to mention the Nova Festival survivors and grieving parents (p45) that I met in Cyprus, who lost their loved ones just four months ago and were willing to speak. As Bob Marley said: “You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.”

Editor Brigit Grant brigit@jewishnews.co.uk Art Director Diane Spender Jewish News Editor Richard Ferrer Features Editor Louisa Walters Contributors Debbie Collins Jenni Frazer Alex Galbinski Candice Krieger Nicole Lampert

Designers John Nicholls Sarah Rothberg Advertising Sales Marc Jacobs 020 8148 9701 Beverley Sanford 020 8148 9709 Yael Schlagman 020 8148 9705 sales@jewishnews.co.uk FRONT COVER Kingsley Ben-Adir in One Love

giggles concept love joyous

We can’t wait to be a part of yours

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LOVE LIFE

IT’S ALL NEW COMING TO YOU NOW THE DAYS ARE GETTING LONGER, HERE ARE SOME INTERESTING THINGS TO FILL THEM IN THE COMING MONTHS

Cover Star

Taschen creates fabulous coffee table tomes on culture and celebrity. Its latest weighty book, Extraordinary Records, celebrates vinyl and the many ways it has used effects, shapes and design to fashion the identities of era-defining records, from The Beatles to Bon Jovi. Yet if it weren’t for Alex Steinweiss, record sleeves would have remained blank squares of cardboard with a hole. Steinweiss, the Jewish son of a Warsaw shoemaker and a Latvian seamstress, went to work for Columbia Records in 1939 as the label’s first art director. Hating the plain record packaging for its lack of sales appeal, he went into action. Convincing the owner of a local theatre to swap letters around on the marquee, as evening came, the sign was lit and ‘Smash Song Hits by Rodgers & Hart’ was snapped by a photographer. This was the image for the world’s first album cover. Steinweiss, who died in 2011, approached every album as though it were a small canvas and in his eulogy was described as having been “one of those people who are not hugely famous but who have changed the look of everyday things”. Taschen has published a book about him too. taschen.com

Sing Out Shira

ART PAIN

Artist Shai Azoulay approached his residency at Yad Vashem with trepidation. He walked around the campus, visited the Holocaust History Museum and the Museum of Holocaust Art, explored the Yad Vashem Collections and plumbed the depths of the archives. The enormity of the tragedy and the weight of memory made him feel as if “he had stepped into shoes that were several sizes too big for him”. The result is Azoulay’s exhibition Bigger Than Me, which is available to see at the museum or at yadvashem.org

As Ruchama Weiss in the supreme Israeli saga Shtisel, Shira Haas made us cry, question our faith and was the last face we saw when the series ended. Some are still praying for its return and may care to mention that when she arrives in London to star in Opening Night at the Gielgud Theatre in March. In Unorthodox, that other celebrated Jewish series, Shira, as protagonist Esty, sang a Satmar song for her audition at Berlin’s Conservatory of Music and it was beautiful. It follows that her West End debut is in a musical opposite Sheridan Smith, with music and lyrics by Rufus Wainwright. Directed and conceived by Ivo van Hove, Opening Night is based on John Cassavetes’ 1977 film of the same name, which is about a stage actress who, after witnessing the accidental death of one of her fans, is haunted by a recurring apparition of the deceased woman, spurring a nervous breakdown as she prepares for the première of a Broadway play. This is big emotional stuff, but the petite Tel Aviv-born actor is not averse to a challenge, as she is playing Sabra, an Israeli superheroine in Captain America: Brave New World, which will be released in 2025. Supporting an Israeli star on the London stage is our focus now, and Shira should not be surprised if she is sent food parcels by Shtisel fans inspired by those Ruchama took to yeshiva student Hanina to show love and admiration. Opening Night runs from 6 March to 27 July. openingnightmusical.com LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 7

LOVE LIFE

Hot Kitchen

Spring is the time when we start to take a fresh look at our homes and a new kitchen may well be the on the list. If that’s the case, call Ariel Cohen at Schach Kitchens as he can get you a stunning, competitively-priced German kitchen plus appliances, sinks, taps and worktops. Ariel supplies up to 1,000 kitchens a year – pretty impressive for a business that only launched in 2018. So how do they do it? “Service, product and price,” says Ariel. “Most importantly, we are very transparent. We initially set up to serve the trade, so our pricing structure was

Stay on the Curb He has done some pretty pretty bad things in his time. Some so dreadful that out of respect to readers they can only be referred to as #Shoahshoes #Palestinianchicken and #grandfatherstallit. If you saw those episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm you get it; if not, there 110 others from the series that launched in 2000. Love him or loathe him, on the sliding scale of awkward Jewish comedy – the pinnacle being Mel Brooks’ Springtime for Hitler – Larry David has delivered the most tasteless, toe-curling turn. While watching Larry, there is a twisted facial expression only Jews pull as they recognise Larry’s reactions to relatives, cinema queues and where to put a kebab skewer at a party. Ask Ben Stiller. When Larry is accused of being a self-hating Jew for whistling Wagner and replies: “I do hate myself, but it has nothing to do with being Jewish” – most of us get it. But not for much longer, as season 12 is billed as the final series, though Larry has said that before. “That’s what I say when I don’t think I’m going to come up with

always discounted and we have kept that for home owners. Having strong another one,” he told Hollywood Reporter. If this is it, there will be no more incomprehensible banter with Leon Black (JB Smoove), no new verbal duels with Susie (Susie Essman), no hope of a reconciliation with ex, Cheryl (Cheryl Hines), or a Fatwa musical. Jeff Schaeffer, Curb’s executive producer, says Larry likes to shoot the show the way he lives his life, “which is that the world is against him. Now he has nothing left to gripe about”. Schaffer also says Larry is not taking off in a rocket ship as per the Curb promo. “He still lives in Los Angeles and the people of Los Angeles are still uniquely horrible, so it’s pretty fertile ground.” In the spirit of a finale, Essman and Jeff Garlin host a podcast @TheCurbPod and Steve Buscemi, Sienna Miller and Greg Kinnear do cameos in the series. Larry David has always played a heightened version of his real self on the show, so he’ll just go back to being himself when the credits roll. As he said in episode one of this season: “I’ve been expecting more for myself my whole life and it’s just not there.” Welcome back, Larry. Curb your Enthusiasm is on Sky

buying power means we can purchase furniture and appliances at discounted prices and pass that on to the consumer.” The products are purchased from one of the largest German manufacturers and are exceptional. The team at Schach manages the project from beginning to end, starting with a design service complete with drawings and renders. “We sit through multiple design sessions before taking a thorough site survey. Every quote we send includes a full set of drawings and an itemised price for each item, which customers really appreciate,” says Ariel, who is a keen cook in his spare time – ideal for someone in the kitchen trade! theschachgroup.com

More Karaoke A second chance to see the sensational Sasson Gabai, Rita Shukrun and Lior Ashkenazi in Moshe Rosenthal’s debut Karaoke. Winner of four Israeli Academy Awards, it’s about a 40-year marriage that is losing its lustre when a new neighbour with a more exciting way of living moves in. Watch it from 21 February online at ukjewishfilm.org

Old age story

Such is our passion for antiques that people shell out fortunes for old vases, vessels and jugs. The joy of Tania Kaczynski’s creations – New Ancients – is that they are intentionally old before their time. “By making pots that appear ancient, I reference my past studying archaeology at The Hebrew University,” says the potter and art therapist. “I also studied ceramics at Bezalel Arts Academy. My years in Israel were fabulous and intense. In light of the current war, my ancientlooking pots take on an important message, like clay: the Jewish people endure and survive.” Precious because of the sentiment and not the price, Tania has a hope “that one day in the far-flung future, an archaeologist might find my pots and wander”. To find out more, visit @tania_kaczynski.potter 8 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

or email Taniakz@yahoo.com

EDITOR’S BIT OF In the April edition of Life, we’ll explore the treatments and tightening required when you reach a certain age. But as word has reached us that 11-year-olds are already using skin creams, we have to give you some quick fixes. Like The Revelation Primer by House of Colour (£42.86, shop.houseofcolour.co.uk). Trust us, you’ll ditch other primer tubes once you try this tub containing silicon, an emollient too large to be absorbed into the skin so it acts as a barrier between skin and make-up. This really smooths the face – in fact, you look airbrushed before or after applying foundation. And as it’s a polymer, it stops oils breaking down foundation and keeps make-up looking matte. Honest truth it’s a revelation! For a DIY block on expression lines and wrinkles without Botox, a swipe of the chunky but small multi-stick Wrinkle Block (£45, freeze-frame.uk) does as its name suggests, using peptides to instantly relax pesky lines and restore some of the bounce of an 11-year-old. Trinny Woodall has just turned 60 and we’ll explore her products more next time, but her Trinny London BFF All Day Foundation (£39, trinnylondon.com ) is just out, with testers reporting a natural matte finish that stays on and provides coverage without feeling cakey. Finally, if the rain stops and your hood goes down, your hair will be on show and any thinning will be visible. Fear not – and there is no shame in creating a thickening illusion with Nanogen Hair Fibres (£18.95, nanogen.com) made from 100 percent natural keratin that attach to the follicle. Do they work? Absolutely and they cover testy roots in 10 shades. Stock up before the sun comes out.

Flick to Fashion

Spring Awakening After months of being cooped up, the countryside is beckoning with its green shoots and big skies. The Grove, at Chandler’s Cross, offers country vibes close to London, which makes it a really super choice for lunch or dinner out. The Stables restaurant is right opposite the golf course and has fabulous outdoor space for when the mercury finally starts to climb. On my visit last month, it was toasty warm inside on a chilly evening and, as I sank onto a fabulous tan leather banquette with Aztec cushions, I could see the chefs beavering away in the open kitchen. It’s a really attractive space with wooden flooring and a beamed ceiling, plus huge picture windows that by day flood the place with light. A velvety Jerusalem artichoke soup with girolle mushrooms had me exclaiming with pleasure, while my friend tucked into a timbale-shaped tuna tartare with avocado that had a pleasing hit of sesame in every mouthful. We followed that with an excellent and very tender rib-eye steak plus a plaice on the bone with a lemon caper butter. Each dish came with a choice of sides, which for us were cauliflower cheese and tenderstem broccoli. And then, because we both love it, a hispi cabbage to share – drenched in tahini aioli and scattered with crispy chickpeas, this was a meal in itself. Therefore we couldn’t manage dessert, which was a great shame as the dark chocolate mousse with pear was calling, as was the apple tarte tatin for two. We were beautifully looked after by highly attentive staff, who answered our many questions with informed knowledge and even ordered us a golf buggy back to the car. Did I mention that The Stables is a long walk from the main hotel? In warmer weather that only adds to its appeal as you can wander through the beautiful gardens. thegrove.co.uk Louisa Walters

Aussie actor Ben Mendelsohn is Christian Dior in The New Look, which has just dropped on Apple TV. The series explores the emergence of modern fashion in the wake of the Second World War and Dior’s dethroning of Coco Chanel, as played by French actress Juliette Binoche. Dior spent most of the war in Paris dressing German women and others with ties to Nazi officials, but he had a sister, Catherine, who was in the French Resistance. Later, Dior was also an art dealer and championed Jewish artists such as Max Jacob and Man Ray. Ben, who got his breakout role in the film The Year My Voice Broke, considers himself a non-denominational “Australian mongrel”, but he is married to British Jewish writer Emma Forrest, who was a Sunday Times columnist at the age of 16 and they are raising their daughter in the faith.

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LOVE LIFE

WIN TICKETS TO SEE

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie in London! Following a record-breaking three-year West End residency, a sold-out UK and Ireland tour and an award-winning film, the smash hit and criticallyacclaimed musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie returns to London for a limited season. Funny, fabulous and feel-good, Jamie features an all-star cast, including West End sensation Ivano Turco, musical theatre star Rebecca McKinnis, EastEnders legend John Partridge, queen of the Jungle Giovanna Fletcher, and Coronation Street star Shobna Gulati. Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight. This “funny, outrageous, touching” (The Daily Telegraph), musical sensation is to be experienced by all the family and not to be missed! Everybody’s Talking About Jamie will be playing at the Peacock Theatre London from until 23 March. For more information and to book your tickets, visit everybodystalkingaboutjamie.co.uk/london. We have four pairs of tickets to give away to see this amazing show. To be in with a chance to win, visit jewishnews.co.uk/jamie Competition closes 1 March.

BIG WIN

Terms and Conditions: Four winners will receive a pair of tickets to see Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at the Peacock Theatre, London, valid for Monday to Thursday performances from 26 February to 23 March 2024, subject to availability. No cash alternative. Travel not included. All additional expenses incurred are the responsibility of the winner.

Reach out and Teach What could be more important than making a difference to the next generation? Teachers do that. What could be more inspiring than watching young people learn to understand the world around them? Teachers do that. A career that is hugely rewarding and fulfilling, teaching is an opportunity to make an enormous impact on young people’s lives. Every one of us remembers a good teacher. The London School of Jewish Studies runs several routes into teaching at primary and secondary schools and offers expert tuition, training and individual attention.

Manuel bienvenido de nuevo

Bursaries are available, and most routes will pay you while you train. Applications are now open for 2024-25. lsjs.ac.uk/teach

Sometimes history repeating itself it is a wonderful thing, as is the case with the casting of Fawlty Towers, The Play. Set to open in May, the stage production of the TV comedy ranked first on a list of 100 Greatest British Television Programmes has been adapted by its creator John Cleese. Launched in 1975, the comedy is just shy of its 50th anniversary and the play will feature some of the favourite scenes from the 12 episodes. Only 12 and all of them treasured because of Basil, Sybil, Polly, the Major... and Manuel. It was Andrew Sachs, the German Jewish actor who died in 2016, who turned the constantly confused and abused Spanish waiter into the most hilarious server ever to carry and be hit by a tray. And now Hemi Yeroham, a Turkish Jewish actor, gets to play the hapless hire from Barcelona, which feels so right. Hemi expressed as much on X (Twitter) writing: “I’m so excited. And I just can’t hide it (finally I don’t have to).” Born in Istanbul, Hemi trained at Guildford and has had a varied career in plays, musicals, Shakespeare, cabaret and dance. But it was while portraying businessman and philanthropist Edwin Shuker in Jonathan Freedland’s Jews. In Their Own Words at the Royal Court that Hemi felt comfortable admitting his faith. “I’ve almost not allowed myself to be Jewish, when acting, until now,” he said in September 2022, telling Freedland how seldom stories like his – of nonAshkenazi, non-European Jews – get heard. Soon to be bullied every night by Basil, he should raise a glass of sangria to Andrew Sacks. fawltytowerswestend.com LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 11

LOVE LIFE

Material Man

ChariTEE The atrocities in Israel and growing

Jersey Vogue on Station Road, Edgware, has finally reopened nearly a year after a car drove into the front of the fabric shop, forcing it to close. If you’ve ever been into the Aladdin’s cave of fabrics and trimmings, you’ll understand what a huge job it was to move everything out while a repair and refurb took place – it filled five storage units. Now it’s back to doing what it does best – serving customers from the thousands of metres of different dress fabrics, textiles, laces and linings, together with accessories such as cottons, buttons and braids. Owner David Davidson, who previously had shops in Hendon and Brixton, opened Jersey Vogue in 1991, although the original business was opened in Manchester by David’s grandfather. David’s daughter joined him in the shop after university and now he is handing the reins to his grandchildren. “We are happy to send out swatches and post fabrics to customers, although we love to see you come into the shop to see the many colours and fabric types we have in stock,” says David. This warm, friendly family business is closed on Shabbat but open all week and on Sundays and David says that if you are running late, you can always phone and they will stay open to accommodate you. With special rates for schools and colleges buying in bulk, this is truly customer service. jerseyvogue.com

antisemitism in the UK has compelled artist, writer and entrepreneur Martine Davis to add fashion activist to her CV with her #MEJEW charity T-shirt movement. “It is too difficult to just watch and do nothing,” says Martine, who runs Balcombe Street Window Box Company and Page Introductions. “I want to create positive awareness of Jews and show strength as a community by getting the world wearing #mejew, LOVE and Solidarity T-shirts, while raising much needed funds for the charity brothersandsistersforisrael.org.” Joining Martine in this venture is her longtime friend Phillip Sallon, a famed party boy and staunch Zionist seen here modelling the 80s slogan Tee, which can be bought at online shop #mejew, b03de0-2.myshopify.com or via the instagram account @mejewtoo.

Doll Face What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? was the 1961 cult horror film that brought together Hollywood’s two greatest rival divas on screen when both felt unloved by the studios. Tracy-Ann Oberman turned the making of the movie into a play for BBC radio and now it is Bette and Joan and Baby Jane – The Musical. Tracy-Ann collaborated with Shaun McKenna to create the book for the show with music by James Cleeve and lyrics by Nikki Racklin. On Sunday 4 March JW3 is giving a sneak performance preview (4pm and 7.30pm) with Oliviernominated Sophie-Louise Dann as Bette and Anna Francolini as Joan. “Why did I write the play?” says TracyAnn. “Because I wanted to understand what was really behind the antagonism between these two very different women: both iconic actresses, both fading from the height of their power, now forced together in an unhappy alliance to make cinema history. To now see my play as a musical only enhances its magic for me.” jw3.org.uk

Fashion FIX

You have until 14 April to catch Fashion City at the Museum of London and it really is a special exhibition about Jewish Londoners shaping global style. A tailor’s East End workshop, the crazy of Carnaby Street and, for former JFS pupils, a dedicated wall of school sewing lessons. Grab your shoes and go to the museumoflondon.org.uk

Holocaust epic With a run time of four hours, Occupied City is still dwarfed by Claude Lanzmann’s Shoah, but director Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave) spent 2½ years shooting 960,000 feet of film to make the documentary about Amsterdam’s Second World War history. It is a collaboration with his historian author wife Bianca Stigter, who wrote Atlas of an Occupied City: Amsterdam 1940-1945, which provides the 2,000-plus locations McQueen captures in current times that under Nazi rule were places where bombs were dropped, rallies held, Jewish families taken before their deportation and where they took their own lives. “I wanted to make a film that simultaneously engaged the present and the past,” says McQueen. Check flicks.co.uk for screenings

Daddy Baddiel

“In quite a stretch, I’m playing a middle-aged Jewish dad,” says David Baddiel about his role in a short film that has been nominated for an EE British Academy Film Award. Gorka is the story of a French exchange student visiting England for the first time, staying with Tanya (Geraldine Somerville), her husband Morris (Baddiel) and their son Anthony (Searan Ball). Tanya finds out her father is about to die in his retirement home in Bognor Regis and they go off to say their goodbyes... with no choice but to bring Gorka with them. It’s a film about grief but has touches of humour. Helena Bonham Carter says: “Gorka shows a distinctive style and class... It’s a package of delight and heart.”

12 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

COMPETITION

WIN An overnight stay at luxury Hertfordshire hotel The Grove Nestled in 300 acres of stunning Hertfordshire countryside, The Grove is a retreat like no other. The former home of the Earls of Clarendon is located just a stone’s throw from central London and is home to newlyrefurbished facilities, including the 18thcentury mansion, an award-winning spa, a championship golf course and a unique collection of restaurants. With the vast selection of activities, popups and masterclasses on offer, The Grove is a constant hub of activity for all ages. Choose between axe-throwing, archery and mini off-road explorers in the woodlands, or take a swing on the award-winning golf course that has hosted greats of the game, including

Tiger Woods. During the warmer months, guests can while away an afternoon by the heated outdoor pool and beach in the Walled Garden and spend the evening under the stars watching a film at the Everyman Secret Garden cinema. The options are endless. After a busy day of exploring, retreat to the tranquil oasis of Sequoia spa. You’ll come away feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. If you’re feeling peckish, choose between an around-the-world feast at The Glasshouse, new takes on old favourites at The Stables, an Indian banquet at Madhu’s or sushi in the Lounges.

To enter the competition to win an overnight stay for two at The Grove with dinner and breakfast included, visit jewishnews.co.uk/the-grove

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Subject to availability. Dates exclude 18-20 March, 12-13 May, 3-6 and 19-20 July, 24-31 December 2024 and bank holidays. No cash alternative will be offered. Transport not included. Dinner will be at The Stables and includes a bottle of house wine. Accommodation is offered in a Classic West Wing room. Any extras to be covered by the winner. Stay to be used within a year of winner being announced.

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INTERVIEW

Now You See Him!

CANDICE KRIEGER MEETS THE SORCERER MAGICKING UP SCHOOLS

ulius Dein seemingly had it all. In 2021, the 29-year-old magician boasted the most viewed Facebook page in the world, had attracted more than 70 million followers across social media, was completing sell-out magic shows and performing for A-list celebrities including Lionel Messi, Jeff Bezos and Drake, but there was still something missing. And it was not disappearing coins or playing cards. Philanthropy. Wanting to feel fulfilled beyond business and making money, the social media star is leveraging his success to focus on philanthropy this year and is about to open a school in Uganda, which he has funded and built. Oozing charisma and kindness, Julius tells me: “As an entrepreneur, you can get pulled into one direction. It’s important to have a part of my life focused on doing good and helping, and it will be an important part of my future – fulfilling in a different way to making money, getting views and building a business.

14 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

“It’s important to do good and I am really excited about that [the schools].” For this project, Julius has teamed up with Sophia WilmotJosife, founder of the charity Stronger Together, which supports children who have been displaced or affected by crisis and conflict. All of the schools will be called Jeremy’s, named in honour of Julius’ father Jeremy Dein, the eminent KC criminal defence barrister. The first, which is due to open in February, will cater for 240 children aged seven to 13, primarily refugees who have escaped to Uganda from wartorn South Sudan. “Thousands of orphans and refugees have fled to Uganda for safety and there aren’t enough resources. It’s a real problem,” says Julius. “We didn’t want to just donate money, we wanted to go deeper. Education equals opportunity. That’s what will give these kids a better chance in life.”

Julius with children in Uganda, where he plans to open five schools

Julius hopes to build 100 such schools over the next 10 years – five in Uganda and then in other countries. “There are lots of different areas of need, but we want to make sure we get this one right first, then we will scale up and do more.”

Julius Dein

Travelling the world, combining mind-blowing tricks with clever comedy, fomer JFS schoolboy Julius has amassed a

huge fan base. His viral videos are averaging more than 100 million daily views. Twenty-three million people have tuned in to see the one where he stunned Canadian rap star Drake by putting a lollipop in his mouth and a few seconds later, removed it to reveal it had been carved to look like the rapper’s favourite superhero, Batman. Julius has also wowed Argentine World Cup-winning captain Messi with mesmerising card tricks (61m views), performed to Israeli soldiers (164m views), walked on water (109m views), and, in a particularly moving compilation, ‘magic’d’ money for homeless people (244m views). The magician is also spinning several other plates. A successful social media entrepreneur, Julius is the co-founder of north London-based Evolve Media, which looks after both personal

and consumer brands. He also owns Blink Labs, a viral video media business and has invested in more than 20 companies, including Augment, Maeving and Runna. He is in the process of setting up an online site where wannabe magicians can learn and buy a selection of his tricks. Growing up in Finchley, north London, Julius’ passion for magic ignited when his late grandma took him to a show at the Magic Circle aged nine. “I saw all these kids performing magic and I thought it looked amazing. I found out where they went to learn magic – the Young Magicians Club – and I joined.” A couple of years later he got his first job working with a street magician in Camden, first selling tricks, and then performing magic to passers-by. Aged 12, he got his “first gig” – doing magic at a children’s birthday party. “I got paid £60 for a half-hour show, which is a lot of money when you’re 12. And I realised I could combine doing what I love with a job.” He continued while at university at King’s College London – he studied international relations – performing at birthdays, private parties and corporate events for

high-profile clients, including Sky and Google. Julius’ passion became his profession, and his profession became a lifestyle. When Julius moved to Los Angeles for a year as part of his degree, he said he saw “the wave of social media creators and whizz kids”, adding: “I saw they were on an exciting trajectory.” Returning to London to finish his degree, Julius started posting online videos of his street magic and that’s where the real magic began. An early big break came when, in an enchanting case of full (magic) circle, a video he did performing magic on his grandma went viral, clocking up almost 150 million views. “My grandma got me into magic and then helped me blow up on socials. She was very proud of me and I like to think she is watching me from afar.” Julius’ social media following was gathering pace. He was earning a six-figure salary and travelling the world filming magic videos. But when the pandemic hit and travel stopped, he was unable to perform his in-person magic. Living in Mexico at the time, he set up a team and

pivoted to posting prank videos online. His platforms exploded; one video got 980m views and his Facebook page was the most popular in the world in 2021, generating 45bn views in 12 months – more than LADbible and the Daily Mail. Despite making “many millions of dollars”, Julius admits he got carried away with clickbait videos that “didn’t resonate” with who he was. “Even though we had cracked the code of going viral, I wasn’t proud of the genre of content. So it was a bit of an identity crisis.” As soon as Covid restrictions in the UK lifted, Julius – who now divides his time between London, the US and Dubai – returned to London to refocus on his magic shows and videos. He pays tribute to his parents, who have been a huge influence in his career. “My dad taught me about humility and to treat everyone with respect whoever they are, and that instilled in me my love of meeting all types of people.” His mother, Lee, runs the successful Magic Link Handwriting Programme for those aged five to 18. “I think I got the ‘don’t think twice’, ‘go-get’ attitude from my mum, along with a love for travel. My

parents would take us on these big trips when I was younger – my friends would be in Marbella or Majorca, and I would be on an 18-hour train journey in Mumbai. “My mum is an absolute extrovert and I definitely think that helped give me the confidence to step out of my comfort zone, and not just follow the status quo.” Despite achieving such elevated social media status, Julius remains remarkably down to earth. Acknowledging the darker and “unhealthy” side of social media, he says: “I think the world is going to go through a huge crash. Social media will cause a lot of problems. TikTok is so insanely addictive. It is not normal for someone to get that level of dopamine. I am honestly concerned about the damage it is going to do for future generations. “My advice is to try to take some time every week to be away from your phone.” With a new year starting, while it’s clear that Julius has huge further ambition in the world of magic and business, it’s also evident that giving back is no less of a priority for him. “The happiest people in life don’t just take, take, take... they give.”

Julius shows Lionel Messi some card trickery...

... and captivates Drake with a lollipop

Julius got his first paying gig aged 12 and never looked back

LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 15 Julius performs magic in Kingston Bus Terminal in Jamaica in 2018

WELLBEING

Traumatised by October 7, Israeli children are being given a toy that has helped other young survivors of terror. By Nicole Lampert

seeing now in terms of scale, tremendous he children who survived the pain and trauma”. And that, of course, attacks of October 7 no longer impacts the children. “The children aren’t play mums and dads in the as good at vocalising how they feel, so there playground – there are no is a lot of separation anxiety, bedwetting cups of coffee or lemonade and nightmares. They are very closed off for the teddies. Instead, they speak in or aggressive. They don’t know how to whispers. “Ssshh, we need to be quiet, there are terrorists outside.” be themselves. It’s like some of Occasionally one will them have forgotten how to pop their head out of a play; they are so stressed.” It was during the makeshift door. “It’s okay, they’ve gone.” first Lebanon War that she, alongside the Tel Those who were Aviv University and not immediately the Israeli Ministry of affected are still not Education, devised the same. At their schools, they are something to help recreating the sounds of them and their parents bombs and sirens. They are cope – a rather magical toy pretending to run to safe rooms called the Hibuki doll. It looks A child hugs a Hibuki doll like a giant dog with oversized and hide. This is the new norm. arms and legs that can be strapped onto “Children re-enact their experiences children with Velcro patches giving them a through play,” says Dr Flora Mor, who has big hug – the name Hibuki comes from the been working with the evacuated and Israeli word for hug. The dog has a sad face traumatised families for the humanitarian – droopy eyes, turned-down lips – which is agency JDC. “People see children as deliberate. One of the multifaceted ways the adaptable – and think that because they Hibuki helps children is that in trying to cheer don’t understand something they don’t it up, they make themselves laugh. Children experience it in the same way; they will be immediately feel more responsible when they fine if the parent pretends things are fine.” are looking after another creature. But they are not. No one in Israel is fine. And while the young children who have Flora knows trauma – Israel has been in a Hibuki might struggle to communicate enough wars – but she says nothing she to their parents how they are feeling – has experienced has been “like what we are particularly if they know that could make their also-traumatised parents sadder – by transferring their emotions onto the doll, they explain everything. The child talks to the doll and that way the parent can learn what the child is feeling. Sometimes the child refuses to touch Hibuki or will hit it or throw it down violently – that too is an important sign that help is needed. And the parents are taught how to give that help. Hibuki is always introduced into a community via a member of Flora’s team who then passes on to teachers how to utilise the doll. The parents are also involved with their own round table group and that not only creates a way for them to understand how to Parents are taught how to help their child help their child, but also becomes a form of

The doll is famous around the world

A Hibuki doll in a poster for Ukrainian families

therapy for them too. If a child comes to their parent and says the Hibuki had a nightmare the parent will know to say, ‘Please tell me what the dream was? And how do you think we can help Hibuki? Let’s think of way to make it better.’ It creates a dynamic that is helpful to the child but is also important in terms of their relationship to their parent.” It is a complex process that takes money and time – so far, 2,000 of the dolls have been given out and the plan is to increase that to at least 10,000 with support provided by the United Jewish Israel Appeal (UJIA-UK) and the Jewish Federations of North American (JFNA). Reut Matzrachi is a parent and nursery teacher in Ashkelon, which was originally evacuated after October 7, although most of its residents have returned. “I wish every young child in Israel could have a Hibuki,” she says. “The dolls become a like a friend to these children. A few weeks ago, a kid came in who was crying, he’d had a bad nightmare. The other children came up to him with a Hibuki and said: ‘Take Hibuki, he will calm you down.’

“The interesting thing is that after October 7 most of the parents thought their children were fine. But then they started hearing, ‘Hibuki misses his friends’ or ‘Hibuki misses his bed’ and they realised there was something else going on underneath.” Hibuki has become world-famous – he helped Japanese children after the tsunami and other children of war in Ukraine. But for now, his main work is in Israel. The trauma affecting Israel is ongoing; the war continues on several fronts. And Hibuki is fighting that war, in his own special way. “The children will be able to move forwards with this help and we find it is also a tremendous strength emotionally for the parents,” says Flora. “Studies show that if a child has been exposed to trauma, the quicker they get help and the more help they get, from both their parents and professionals, the more they are likely to overcome it. They will get through this and Hibuki will help them.” • For more information, visit jdc.org LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 17

BEST SERVED e r ' u Yo WHEN CHILLED.

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INTERVIEW

Love

FROM R USS IA W ITH

t is a perennial question: what exactly does a producer do? In the case of versatile Russian-Jewish theatre person Avital Lvova, it means assuming yet another part – “and asking people to do things I might not do as an actress”. I say “theatre person” but in fact Avital, 34, has had a varied career on stage and in films – and this year will be starring in a Sky Original adaptation of Heather Morris’ bestseller, The Tattooist of Auschwitz. At the moment, however, the Riga-born Avital is a producer, working with her husband James Alexandrou on Casserole, a new show he has written and directed. Offering comedy and tragedy, the play, which is the first in-house production from the Actors East Theatre, will run at the Arcola Theatre from 5 to 30 March. Avital spent her formative years in Berlin, where she, her mother and grandmother moved when she was three. “We are Russian Jews from Belarus, but my grandfather was in the military and was moved to Riga, Latvia, in the 1960s,” she explains. That’s how Avital came to be born in Riga but, with the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early nineties, Russians were “not exactly popular” in Latvia. The family was faced with a choice: “to go to Israel, America or Germany”, she says. “We went to Germany and I was brought up by my mother and my grandmother. I lived in Berlin until I was 18.” Avital, who starred in Amazon Prime’s The Power and plays the young Gala Dali in Mary Harron’s Daliland alongside Ezra Miller’s Salvador, says she had always wanted to act – “almost as soon as I could talk. As a foreigner, in a different country, theatre seemed to be an amazing outlet, to be able to explore stories and express myself. I felt very much at home in the Avital with husband James Alexandrou in Casserole

Jenni Frazer talks to rising star Avital Lvova

Avital Lvova

says, she both knew and did not know what happened: seeing young theatre groups. My very first acting teacher was Jewish, the proof, however, was very tough to deal with. from Ukraine – I went to a Russian-Jewish school [in Berlin].” Avital is, if not unique among British-based actors, surely Her mother was a music teacher in Latvia and her unusual as someone who can perform in three languages – grandmother was a kindergarten teacher, but Avital says she Russian, German and English. Each language affects the way drew inspiration from her uncle, “who is quite a famous actor she approaches her role. “Because I always spoke Russian to my in the Moscow theatre”. Besides, she says, “with Russian grandmother, when I act in Russian my emotions are so much culture, there is a real respect for theatre and the arts. It’s more powerful. When I speak German it reminds me of my something we are soaked in. I think my parents saw a talent in time as a teenager in Berlin. And, of course, I only speak to my me and they said, ‘you know what, you need to pursue it’.” husband in English”. She grew up in Berlin in a very “international” community James, who played Martin Fowler in EastEnders, set up and didn’t really make much of her Judaism. Now, however, she says: “As the years go by it has become stronger identity.” the Actors East company to encourage young performers to She moved to London to study theatre – she won a place showcase their talents. The play examines levels of grief – at the East 15 school on the BA acting and contemporary James’ own mother died during the creation of the work – and theatre course, which was designed and led by Israeli actor asks what happens when you finally defrost and eat your dead and academic Uri Roodner. “The course taught me not to be mother-in-law’s last casserole. an actor but to be an artist and take ownership of that. Not Meanwhile, Avital fans can see her in the Tattooist to be waiting for the next job, for your agent to call you. No, and also in Netflix film 3 Body Problem. She also takes you have to be proactive, creative, producing, writing your the creepy-sounding role of Elena Ceauşescu in Edgar own work. That’s the only way forward.” Baghdasaryan’s arthouse film Yasha and Leonid Brezhnev. Working on Casserole, her latest project, is Avital’s first time No spoilers, but I think she gets shot. as producer. “The pressure is off – it’s so much easier [than as an actor] to pick up the phone and call the right people to come and see the show. I’m not pushing myself in the limelight, but am asking for something I really believe in... making a pitch for someone else’s creative work is much easier,” she says. Nevertheless, when gently pushed, a laughing Avital concedes that being a producer is indeed another sort of role. In the upcoming six-part series The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Lvova plays Marta, a Blockälteste in charge of the living space in one of the concentration camp’s crowded barracks. “She’s quite a tough character. She’s in charge of about 150 women. I don’t want to give too much away, but I think some people will love her and some will hate her. She’s in the middle of the power structure and it’s her will to survive that has put her into this position.” The part was “emotionally draining”, says Avital, but also “phenomenally rewarding” during the five months of filming in Slovakia. “It was horrific, but it felt like we were telling a very important story.” In her own family, too, there was a tale to tell. “My grandmother was evacuated from Belarus to Uzbekistan during the Holocaust with her mother. They got lucky, they got away. Her father was fighting in the Soviet army and was killed. “I never knew much about what had gone on, but when I finished the film I started talking to my grandmother, Avital as the young and suddenly – she is 84 – she started telling me about her Gala with grandmother, who was killed in the Minsk ghetto. All her Ezra Miller life she had never spoken to me about this. I went to Yad as Salvador Vashem and I found out that not only she [Avital’s great-great in Daliland grandmother] but also 12 members of my family were tortured and killed by the Germans.” Somewhere in her mind, Avital LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 19

Avital (pictured centre) in The Power

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Looks like he

MADE IT Barry Manilow is 80 and heading to London this spring. But what about his Jewish musical? By Brie Bailey

“

’ve been alive forever, and I wrote the very first song,” sang Barry Manilow in 1973, so ‘it could be magic’ that he only turned 80 last June. Manilow fans, aka the Fanilows, are not the only ones who know every word of his songs as he has sold 85 million records and he is so much more than just a guilty pleasure. Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane even did a Manilow episode (pictured below) with Quagmire and the Quahog clan singing: “I’m ready to take a

chance again.” Upon Manilow becoming an octogenarian, Bette Midler (pictured right with him) tweeted: “Happy birthday to my old friend @barrymanilow and thanks for the memories! Did we laugh or what?” Their history harks back to when Barry was her pianist at the Gay Continental Baths in New York in 1971.The only question when he finally came out in 2017 was why he had waited so long, as he was already married to his manager Garry

Kief, whom he met in 1978. “I thought I would be disappointing fans if they knew I was gay,” said Barry at the time, but the fans were thrilled for him and the Jewish ones kvelled as their hero had married one of the tribe. The devoted Fanilows were out in force signing cards for Barry on his birthday outside the Westgate Las Vegas Resort, where he has had a residency for 14 years. Outperforming Elvis in the fruit machine city, he may be considered by every girl called Mandy the bane of their existence, but Manilow, born Barry Alan Pincus, has no plans to quit. Quite the reverse, in fact, as he is increasing his workload and arrives in the UK in May for a two-week run at the Palladium (with an extra show in Manchester) after four shows at Radio City in New York. A month ago Manilow was in the Big Apple, which was the reason a large group of Jewish baby boomers were milling about on the corner of East 65th and Fifth Avenue. With seating for 2,500, Temple Emanu-El, the flagship of the US Reform movement, has the Streiker Cultural Centre, where a Shabbat might

be spent with actor Liev Schreiber or a casual Tuesday with Gloria Steinem. That’s how the A-list roster rolls at this illustrious synagogue, but to have Manilow as a guest? This was a serious shkoyach. “You know Barry and I have been LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 23

The Comedy Harmonists 1930s

MUSIC

Bruce Sussman with Barry and Harmony cast

The Harmonists 2024

Barry, right, with husband Gary

working together for 61 years and we’ve never been to shul together,” laughed his long-time collaborator Bruce Sussman, with whom he wrote Copacabana, other hits and the musical Harmony, which had opened in November at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. “I always thought I’d write Broadway musicals and go from one to the next,” said Manilow. “Then Mandy hit and that’s really what happened.” But Harmony was different. A labour

of love and determination spanning a quarter of a century, the musical meant so much to Manilow and Bruce because it was a Jewish story. Bruce initiated it after seeing a documentary about the Comedian Harmonists, a German ensemble in the 1920s, who took the world by storm with their harmonies, stage antics and films. Selling as many records as the yet-to be Beatles, with invites to meet Albert Einstein in America, the ensemble included three Jewish members. Then the Nazis came to power. Other than Fiddler, a more Jewish musical would be hard to find and, after years of performing it out of town,

bringing Harmony to Broadway felt like a victory. But the show opened in the shadow of the Israel-Hamas war and antisemitism was and remains in full flow. The tension at Temple Emanu-El was palpable for the concerned audience and expressed by a Jewish member of the cast who said: “October 7 and the rise of antisemitism in America and around the world has shaken the company to the core. But we feel a responsibility as Jews to tell this story.” Bruce stressed that the writing of the score – of which Manilow is so proud – is an act of bearing witness. “It’s about a quest for harmony in the most discordant chapter in human history,” he adds. “But it’s not a Holocaust musical,” says Manilow. By the time they were ready for questions from the audience, everyone wanted to tell Manilow how much they loved him, how he had inspired them to learn piano, sing or marry, and one

SMILE JOE! HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT THAT SINGALONG FAVE CAN’T SMILE WITHOUT YOU IS 50 YEARS OLD. Ripe for reworking, it is the debut single of Joe Taylor, a singer/songwriter from Stanmore, who was bought a recording session as a 16th birthday gift and was then discovered by Mancunian songwriter and producer Mike Kintish of Habbo Records. Having worked with artists such as Becky Hill, Ella Henderson, Jonas Blue, MK and Stormzy, with a cumulative reach of over a billion plays on Spotify, Mike knows when talent is worth nurturing and signed him.

24 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

“He was raw, but he had something special,” said Mike, who was introduced to the fledgling performer by Joe’s best friend’s grandfather, one Geoff Morrow, the original writer of Can’t Smile Without You along with Chris Arnold and David Martin. Joe, now 20, recorded the song I just can’t smile (without u) in his own style and, last February, he delivered it live to a crowd at The Cavern Club in Liverpool. “Joe has really worked at building a following and spent most of last year teasing music on TikTok,” said Mike. “He also did wild videos teasing his parents that saw his followers rise

to 67,000, with almost three million likes.” It wasn’t about the followers in Geoff’s day, but his song was liked enough by Barry Manilow for him to call and Joe likes it, but with one regret. “I’m a Queens Park Rangers fan and it also happens to be Tottenham Hotspur’s biggest anthem. I am still excited to be starting my musical journey reworking an all-time classic.” Mike says Joe was born to perform on camera and on stage. “His live shows have blown me away.” Follow @Joetaylormusic, #cantsmile withoutyou, @iammikekintish

man wanted to thank him specifically for writing Copacabana. “It’s the only song my 97-year-old mother with Alzheimer’s still sings and it makes my day,” which made everyone smile in a way they can’t without Manilow. “Has anyone got an actual question?” interjected the rabbi, which led to Manilow talking about his meeting with Roman Cycowski, the last surviving member of the Comedy Harmonists. “I had no idea he had worked as a cantor in Palm Springs, just a few blocks from where I live. We are telling his story and that’s why this musical is so important.” But it was not important enough to keep Harmony on Broadway for, at the start of this month, its closure was announced – a mighty blow for Manilow and Bruce. It had opened to mixed reviews at a time when Broadway attendance is down, but the bitter truth is that a musical about Jews is a hard sell in a time of hate and fear. Even for Manilow. Harmony the musical soundtrack is available at harmonyonbroadway.com

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INTERVIEW THEATRE

C lash

Tracy-Ann Oberman takes her East End Shylock to the West End as a musical about the battle opens in Southwark. By Nicole Lampert

Stratford-upon-Avon, it opens hen you put a today (15 February) at the West creative endeavour End’s Criterion Theatre. out into the world Nominated for a WhatsOnStage you hope it might best revival award, Tracy-Ann is tap into a zeitgeist. But for proud of the many letters she has Tracy-Ann Oberman there is received from fellow Jews afraid of a discomfort too – her radical antisemitism and non-Jews who interpretation of Shakespeare’s gained more understanding of it antisemitic play The Merchant of watching the play. Venice comes at a time when we “I got a letter from a woman seem surrounded by Jew-hatred. whose parents were Holocaust Security has been enhanced survivors and made her hide for the cast and the education her Jewish heritage. Seeing the programme about antisemitism play emboldened her to embrace and the Battle of Cable Street that it,” says Tracy-Ann, who started when the play opened overheard another at the Watford Palace woman tell her Theatre now feels friend: “I had essential. no idea what Tracy, who antisemitism plays a female was before, but Shylock living I do now.” The in the East End other woman of 1936, has said: “It must spoken in schools have been very and with local difficult for Jewish leaders, emphasising people in the 1930s,” to the fact that the play Brigid Larmour which her friend replied: is about antisemitism, and Tracy-Ann Oberman “I don’t think it’s easy for but also the hatred for them now.” The actress tells me: immigrants, which everyone must “People see this is a project spoken come together to fight. from the heart.” Directed by Brigid Larmour, Tracy-Ann first started speaking this small but powerful production out about antisemitism in the presents Shylock as an immigrant Jeremy Corbyn years. ‘”It did feel woman and her adversaries as like a great risk as people were very aristocratic 1930s British fascists. Beginning the year with a second pro-Corbyn in my industry. But I think they saw I was speaking with showing at the Royal Shakespeare integrity and if they liked me, they Company in the Bard’s birthplace,

would at least listen to what I had to say. Courage calls to courage everywhere. If you speak about your truth, it encourages others to think.” It was during those Corbyn years that this project was conceived, after a chance meeting with Brigid at an awards ceremony. As the director of a theatre frequented by Jewish patrons, Brigid was aware of antisemitism and how art could help in the education of that. “At school I was interested in history and remember watching the famous series The World at War and learning about the Holocaust,” she says. “As I grew up, I sometimes found myself in circles where people would talk about Jews in an Agatha Christietype of way – ‘oh they are not quite the ticket’ and that always used to shock me.” When Tracy-Ann mentioned her idea of a radical change to The Merchant, Brigid was in, and when the play finally opened after Covid it was showing to packed houses. Post-October 7, Brigid became alert to the modern manifestation of antisemitism. “All of us had an insight into what the antisemitism we explore in the play felt like,” she says. “We felt the pain and fear of friends and colleagues and noticed how little sympathy there was in some quarters.” The show has taken on all sorts of extra cadences because of the Israel/ Hamas war, but the ending that Tracy and Brigit give the show – based on the Battle of Cable Street – means that as much as it is about hatred, it is also about love, togetherness and community. “It’s a plea for tolerance and for understanding each other better,” says Tracy-Ann. “Because once we do that, we can stand together for each other.” The Merchant of Venice 1936 is at the Criterion until 23 March.

The Cable Street cast with Debbie Chazen, top left, and Joshua Ginsberg as Sammy, pictured left on second row

Back on Cable Street

Still in the East End of 1936, but of Cable Street still resonating today, Kanefsky and Gilvin now with music and dancing, Jewish playwright Alex Kanefsky wanted a contemporary score and composer/lyricist Tim Gilvin for their musical – “bringing to life a vital part of London’s rich have created Cable Street, a musical that opens this month at diversity and history.” In the spirit of the story, the Southwark Playhouse. the cast were also Cable Street is the encouraged to story of three young research their friends, played own history and, by Danny unbeknown Colligan (Book to Joshua, of Mormon) his greatSha Dessi grandfather (Les Mis) and Isidor Baum newcomer Joshua had fought at Ginsberg, who live The Battle of on the road that is Cable Street. Other synonymous with the Playwright connections to the biggest Jewish revolt Alex Kanefsky East End emerged and against fascism. will no doubt be detailed in the The triumvirate are carving programme for the show, which out futures on Cable Street also stars the actress Debbie when Oswald Mosley’s British Chazen. Union of Fascists (Blackshirts) A full band and a multischedule a march on East diverse community defending London. Half a million Jews, themselves against intimidation Irish workers, trade unions, the to the sound of the slogan ‘they labour and communist parties, shall not pass’ is a definite call women and children unite to for tickets. blockade the road and stand united against hatred. Cable Street runs from Discovering there were so 16 February to 16 March, many connections to The Battle southwarkplayhouse.co.uk LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 27

Avital (pictured centre) in The Power

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ISAAC ABRAMS JOSEPH ESTEVEZ '...the prose, though simple and straightforward, is more than competent, and engaging in its own way. I certainly found myself more invested in the story and the characters than I expected’ - James Kinsley, reviewer

In Joseph Estevez’s debut novel, Isaac Abrams, a twenty-one-year-old Londoner living in Golders Green, returns home after learning at yeshiva in Israel for three years to discover that his best friends, Eliezer Blume, Ariel Silver, and Simon Gold have all abandoned the Jewish religion. Mystified and heartbroken, he seeks to uncover the underlying reasons why. He offers tailored reasons to each of them to return to living an Orthodox Jewish life, but they don’t seem to pay heed. ‘Something happened during those three years, some circumstance that caused each of them to turn away from Judaism. He was determined to find out what it was and then correct it.’ Will he be successful in his endeavour to bring them back to Orthodox Judaism? And if not, will he tolerate their new lifestyles and outlook on life?

Joseph Estevez is the author of two poetry collections, a short story collection, and a novella titled The Calling. Isaac Abrams explores the themes of friendship, tolerance, and discovering one’s mission in life. It was published on 13 November 2023 and is available on Amazon UK. For more information, you may visit josephestevez.info

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BOOKS

LOVE A GOOD

THRILLER?

Authors Adam LeBor and Alex Gerlis share some pointers to suspense success with Jenni Frazer

hat makes a good thriller? Miller is an American journalist who arrives in Germany to cover the 1936 Is it a twisty, tortuous Berlin Olympics and stays. In the first plot, a sense of time two books – Agent in Berlin and Agent and place, characters in which you, the reader, invest, or an in Peril – he and Sophia have various accessible style of writing? terrifying adventures. Maybe it’s all of the foregoing and a “My publisher wanted four books in little something else, a magic ingredient this series, but I felt that was stretching that raises the must-read thriller above it when writing about the Second the pedestrian. World War,” confesses Gerlis. “There’s Two men, who seem only so many times you to have learnt the recipe ‘When you write can escape from the for gripping thrillers a Gestapo.” about the Second long time ago, are Adam But not many wartime World War in Europe, thrillers LeBor and Alex Gerlis, are set in Lyon, the Holocaust looms a place that had always both Jewish and both, by coincidence, former over every story’ fascinated Gerlis as journalists. LeBor was a the headquarters foreign correspondent in Hungary for of the French Resistance. “It was a years, while Gerlis was a BBC journalist. very liberal city and, after the And, by a further coincidence, each of Nazi occupation of Paris, a lot their latest offerings in paperback is the of liberals, intellectuals and last in a trilogy of their hero-protagonists’ journalists moved to Lyon.” adventures. LeBor’s Dohany Street is set And one of the real-life in Budapest 2016 with a Roma, or Gypsy, seminal characters of the day was Cardinal Pierre-Marie policeman as his central character, while Gerlier, the Primate of Gaul. Gerlis’ Agent In the Shadows is a dark read, exploring resistance and betrayal in “He was very influential and, quite early on in the war, Nazi-occupied Lyon, in 1943 France. issued instructions to all his Speaking to each author, there is a clear sense of homework done in huge depth before any writing is begun. Both Gerlis’ and LeBor’s rooms are covered in books and papers – Gerlis has charts and maps too. Agent in the Shadows is the third in Gerlis’ series featuring the wholly fictional British secret agents, American Jack Miller and German Sophia von Naundorf. She is the wife of an SS officer and reads his diaries of slaughtering Jewish children while serving in Poland. “She becomes a British spy, having previously met one of the British spymasters,” says Gerlis.

Alex Gerlis’ book explores the topic of resistance and betrayal in Nazi-occupied Lyon, above

LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 29

BOOKS

Top: Budapest is the scene of Adam LeBor’s latest novel, Dohany Street. He previously lived in the city for more than 20 years

priests to say that on no account should they help the Nazis, and that it was their Christian duty to help the Jews, particularly Jewish children. This really wound-up Klaus Barbie, notorious as the Butcher of Lyon, when he was sent there to ‘sort out the Resistance’.” Barbie was not the only one engaged in cleaning up the Resistance. From quite the opposite political pole there was Charles de Gaulle, who sent his own agent, Jean Moulin, into Lyon to try to get the different factions of the Resistance to stop squabbling. But Moulin was betrayed and executed, and this betrayal forms one part of Gerlis’ imagining of Lyon in the 1940s. To this day, he says, no one is entirely sure who betrayed Moulin, although the Lyonnais have their suspicions. Another betrayal was the Jewish 30 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

orphanage at Izieu in 1944, raided by the Nazis and the children, whose names Gerlis lists at the novel’s end, murdered when someone gave away their location. “When you write about the Second World War in Europe, the Holocaust looms over every story; you can’t pretend it isn’t a factor. It’s got to be written about, and it’s a way of letting people know, because fiction is a gateway into non-fiction.” For Gerlis, what comes first when writing his thrillers is always “the story, the real events of WW2, which you build the story around”. He will read “voraciously”, and then pick a place as the background to his action. He travels to the city, finds a guide, and studies the place in as much detail as he can – recognising, as part of his research, that wartime damage may well have affected roads and buildings. “I

happened in the past in these places.” You might think that LeBor, writing books set in the present, would have an easier task than Gerlis. To some extent he does and, having lived in Budapest for more than 20 years, he says he knows the city “inside out”. But he still checks to ensure if a bus is turning down a side always visit, to get a sense of how big the street, for example. “I get those details place is, how long it takes to walk from right. And when I go back I do walk the docks to the city centre. You get a around; from London I use Google maps feel for the place.” and a double monitor,” he says, so he can Lyon is famous for its warren of check routes while he is writing. “traboules”, secret covered alleyways that Weather, too, is important for LeBor. criss-cross the city, and Gerlis ensures “You can crank up the tension with that his characters, while outwitting the weather, such as ice cutting through Germans, duck and dive through them. someone’s winter coat…and it’s a good Adam LeBor’s Dohany Street, set in mood indicator, too.” During his time as a foreign present-day Budapest, is again the third correspondent in Budapest, LeBor, in a trilogy, but LeBor says cheerfully who came back to live in London in that he hasn’t killed off his lead 2019, wrote many stories about the character, Detective Balthazar Kovacs. Roma people. He makes much in “He’s gone on holiday”, he jokes, saying his novel about how that he has merely sent unusual Hungarians find him off for a change of ‘I think it’s the job Kovacs, but it career. of any good thriller Balthazar turns out that there is a In this novel, Kovacs, to take the reader real-life Association of unusual as a Roma Roma Police Officers, police officer, is on the somewhere’ and it is an attractive trail of a missing young career with good prospects for the Israeli historian who has been working community. in Budapest’s Jewish Museum. Because he is writing about a “It’s vital – I think it’s the job of policeman, inevitably there will be any good thriller – to take the reader physical fights and weapons. “I’ve never somewhere”, says LeBor, “even if it’s handled a gun in my life,” LeBor admits somewhere not that exciting like – but he has, in his career as a foreign Hampstead Heath. correspondent, been under fire. “I always think you need three key So, all budding thriller writers – you details. If you put too many in, it slows now have the recipe. Lots of research, it right down and there’s too much check the fine details, but always – description. If you don’t put enough always – start with a damn good story. in, you don’t take the reader there. So the detail should tell you something about the place: with somewhere • Jenni Frazer will be interviewing Adam like Budapest, that’s quite easy. And LeBor and Alex Gerlis at Jewish Book Week sometimes I put in something that had at King’s Place on Sunday 3 March at 8pm

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INTERVIEW

UNTIL HER MURDER WAS CONFIRMED, SHANI LOUK WAS THE BEAUTIFUL TRAGIC FACE OF THE NOVA FESTIVAL

y the cruellest twist of fate, a 22-year-old tattooist became the poster girl for the Hamas atrocities and now thousands of Jewish people have tattoos in support of Israel. The image of a smiling Shani is burned into our collective psyche. She had been dancing to trance music dressed for a peace party. Then, just hours later, she was lying face down in the back of a truck surrounded by Hamas terrorists, one hanging his leg across her body, another holding her hair. The half-German half-Israeli’s distinctive dark and blonde dreadlocks were the essence of hippie chic when she posed for a video at the camp site before the massacre that took her life and those of so many of her friends. Shani was a prominent name in the tattoo and art world yet, unlike most other artists, her body – bar the black tribal markings below both knees – was devoid of tattoos. This set the graphic design student apart from her creative peers, but Shani was a free spirit and “an angel who never did one

NOVA

thing wrong to anyone in her life”, according to her brother Amit (pictured together, right). Choosing not to serve in the Israel Defence Forces she instead lived independently in Tel Aviv, working in shops and restaurants while developing her tattoo skills (her designs are pictured below), researching the history of tattoos and their role in cultures around the world and adding hairdressing to her CV as a dreadlock stylist. For weeks Shani’s family – her father Nissim, mother Ricarda and brother Amit – had clung to the hope she was alive, praying that the information circulating about her being treated in a hospital in Gaza was correct. But on 30 October the family was told Shani was dead after the identification of a piece of her skull. The family still doesn’t have her body and is unable to hold a Jewish funeral, which brings further pain. The family has built a website (shaniloukink.com) to commemorate and share her artistic spirit and vision. Those fortunate enough to already have a Shani tattoo know and can’t forget. Brigit Grant

LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 33

INTERVIEW

BRIGIT GRANT’S THOUGHTS ON SKIN-DEEP SOLIDARITY MY FIRST WAS A ROSE entwined with the initials of the one I loved. Or thought I did in 1988. Now that scarlet flower is a dull red – but it is still there, which my mother, semi-scolding, warned me about at the time. A year later, the longevity of ink was no longer an issue when I added a chai tattoo to my wrist after my father drowned in Israel. Some found it strange that I chose the Hebrew word for life to mark the loss of one, but not any more. Since October 7, chai has become the go-to expression for Jews across the globe who have been inked or are about to be, to show support for Israel physically in the only way they can. “Beyond giving to charity, helping to get much-needed kit for the soldiers, a tattoo shows another level of commitment,” says Michelle Rosenberg. “I already had spiritual squiggle with a lotus flower curved down my right arm. After October 7 I put a vertical pattern incorporating a chai on the back of my neck. Three weeks later I returned with a friend who got her first tattoo – a Star of David – on her ankle and I had my daughter’s names inscribed in Hebrew on my wrist. “On the one hand, my kids love it, on the other they’re scared I’m brazenly displaying my Jewishness. But for me that’s the whole point. I’m not going to be intimidated. It’s a f*** you to all the antisemites.” Michelle’s sentiments are shared by Jewish people of all ages who have elected to wear solidarity across their skin, be it the chai on torsos or big, bold Stars of David across backs. Mark Silver chose to put a huge hamsa (hand of Miriam) on his back and underline it with am Yisrael chai (the Jewish people live), while his wife Kate added a small chai to her existing collection of Hebrew tattoos, which include a Star of David and the names of their children. “I got the chai because it means life, and 34 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

after what has happened it shows we care about the lives of our people. We love our life.” The Silvers were inked by Soho tattooist Nick Rose, who moved from San Francisco to Golders Green and now works at The Circle on Noel Street. Much sought-after for his artistry, from 11 October, Nick offered Hebrew tattoos for free to the Jewish community. “Being raised Jewish, I share that common experience of being taught from a young age to be cautious about how, when and to whom we reveal our Jewish identity,” said the softly-spoken Californian. “When to use a fake last name, when to lie and tell someone you’re Italian or Greek, when to tuck in your Magen David... “While practical, I do resent the instructions. Above all else in life, I am a Jew and a Zionist and I am proud to say that. I hope these tattoos will help strengthen the resolve of the tribe in expressing their identity in spite of hostility.” The paradox of Jews choosing to show Holy Land allegiance with tattoos as permanent as the numbers branded on

Nick Rose at work

‘Hadassah for such a time as this’ by Gabriel Wolff

Tattoos by Gabriel Wolff: ‘Be strong. Be strong. And let us be strengthened’ (above left) and ‘Ardent beauty and strength is yours’ from the Song of Songs, right. Left: A Magen David by Nick Rose Below: Kate Silver with the chai on her arm. Her husband Mark (below right) has the words am Israel chai inked beneath a hamsa

Gabriel Wolff learnt with Torah scroll scribes

Brigit’s chai tattoo that she had inked in Israel in summer 2023

their ancestors in concentration camps darkens the soul. The words in the Torah: ‘You shall not etch a tattoo on yourselves’ (Leviticus 19:28) will be observed by the pious, but the murder of 1,200 on October 7 has made ink more popular than prayers. German-born calligrapher Gabriel Wolff understands the reticence, the “inherent instability of the act of tattooing for Jews”, but he is invested in creating tattoo art for clients that interprets and evokes exactly how they feel about their faith. After studying in Jerusalem with Torah scroll scribes, Gabriel garnered a “deeper understanding of the connection between Hebrew letters and the Divine” and created a style of Hebrew calligraphy that reshapes the ancient letters to give them new meanings. He then started Hebrew Tattoos, from where he has created thousands of bespoke Hebrew calligraphy designs that are traced by world-class tattooists on to clients. “Like many Jews in my generation, I am actively shaping my Jewishness on my own terms,” says Gabriel, who now lives in Berlin. “Yet at the same time, by using Hebrew letters and words, I place myself and my art within a wide web of historical, cultural and social meaning.” For Israeli tattooist Liav Forer, his artistry has never had more meaning. Since the attack, his studio in Modi’in has been filled with Israelis wanting tattoos that embed the spirit and loss of October 7. Stars of David. Names of the slain. Or the logo of the Nova Nature Party, where so many were murdered, raped, injured or kidnapped, among them Mia Schem, 21, who was the hostage seen in the first proof-of-life video released by Hamas. A mentor to Mia, who was working at his studio when she left to go to the Nova festival on October 6, the next time Liav saw her was on the news as a hostage, shot in the hand with her arm badly broken. Mia was released from Gaza on November 30 after 54 days in captivity. Reunited with her family, she has had extensive surgery and rehabilitation on her

arm. She also saw Liav, who shared their joyful reunion on Instagram: “It’s not a dream. I got my victory that you returned, a friend for life and a friend for work... After much crying and much pain, there are tears of joy. The most important thing is that we will never stop dancing.” Liav recognises that getting tattoos echoes the Holocaust, but says “this time it’s a choice we make,” adding: “It unifies us and instils strength, reminding us that we will prevail.” The chai on my wrist was a daily reminder of my father, whose Yahrzeit on October 6 preceded the attacks in Israel. When the 9/11 attacks took place in 2001, I was working in New York, flying back and forth across the pond, and my mother was worried about the visibility of the Hebrew word. Dismissing her concerns, I still agreed to cover it with a butterfly, though I could hear her words the moment Israel’s detractors denied the horrors, triggered hate and edged us towards hiding our Stars of David. But where’s the Jewish pride in that? Since 2021 I have had two more tattoos. On my left arm run my mother’s words from the last birthday card she sent me. On the right is a chai etched in Israel last summer. I won’t be rolling down my sleeves because I have nothing to hide.

Mia Schem with fellow tattooist Liav Forer LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 35

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‘Alone we can do little, but together we can do so much’ Few of us truly understand the difference between marketing and advertising. ‘Marketing is the foundation of advertising,’ says Christine Kulbas, founder of Mayfairbased agency MOMA Marketing is creativity, storytelling, problem-solving, science and innovation. Working across finance, fashion, food, hospitality, business development, travel, jewellery, wellness, cosmetics, real estate, luxury and personal profile, MOMA is a young company with a modern mindset, driven by motivation. The new generation is driven by technology and so digital is the core part of any marketing strategy. Companies such as FinTechCashier, 1 Level Up consulting agency, 1 Level Faster luxury service concierge and Oven Eat bakery in Golders Green are already using MOMA’s services. “Every client I’ve worked with has begun their journey with me from zero with no prior engagement,” says Christine. “Our mission is to build and expand their global and social presence. My proudest achievement is taking FinTechCashier from a home office in north London to building enough engagement globally to launch offices in New York and Malaysia.” MOMA takes bold risks that often shape long-lasting relationships. Its success is in believing in the potential of every idea. Why should a business do marketing instead of advertising – or should they do both? The path to a successful advertising campaign often hinges more on the

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Sea One – Private Club Live the Dream in Israel With the future so uncertain for Jews everywhere, many are once again looking to Israel as a haven. Yet, even without the current challenges, moving countries is never simple. And that's where Sea One Private Club steps in with the launch of a new concept in luxury residential resort living to ease the transition into Aliyah. The beautiful complex, developed by Oranim Group, an international company with over 30 years’ experience in successful seafront projects, is situated right on the stunning beachfront and aims to turn every day into a holiday.The Club Residence, open to Olim and Israelis over 60, provides all the amenities of a world-class resort: concierge and laundry services, extensive spa facilities and stateof-the-art gym, gorgeous swimming pools, Jacuzzi, banquet halls, and synagogue. Culture beats at the heart of the Club: bridge games, an art studio, cinema, and round-the-clock cultural events fill each day with joy; all with the sea as backdrop. Step out of your door onto a beachfront promenade of shops, restaurants, cafes and food markets; or cross the road and hit the surf. Entertaining has never been so easy: some 20-plus units are available for friends and family; food flows freely in fine-dining restaurants and grab-'n-go cafes, and all the facilities are open to guests. Banquet halls, private rooms, or the synagogue are perfect for celebrating special events like bar mitzvahs or birthdays; and somebody else will do the cleaning up! The Sea One concept is to facilitate a hassle-free transition from home to new- home, whether you are retired or a hot-shot entrepreneur. A beautifully-appointed, fully-equipped business lounge is available, together with posh conference rooms, sophisticated communication and fabulous networking opportunities. Days and nights are crammed with lectures, concerts, and other cultural activities; even Hebrew lessons are right on-site for new Olim eager to learn the language. What's more, trained staff is on hand to help deal with the famous only-in-Israel bureaucracy; let an Israeli ease you into the complications. The ultra-elegant Residence is located on the Rishon LeZion seafront only a 15 - minute drive from Tel Aviv; 20 minutes from Ben-Gurion Airport; and 45-minutes away from Jerusalem with a train station located 6 minutes away by car; a planned metro station will be a short walk down the road. The city of Rishon LeZion itself is one of the fastest growing commercial and hi-tech centers in the country, with a myriad of facilities and amenities. The project, set to open at the end of 2024, adheres to the highest standards of construction and safety. The luxurious apartments come in a wide range of spacious layouts, with floor areas from 50 square meters to 130 square meters. All units include a safe room, fully equipped bathrooms and kitchens, and private terraces; penthouses and garden apartments are also available. Registration costs start at 3 million NIS; this deposit is fully refundable after Consumer Price Index adjustment. Residents pay monthly membership fees starting from 9,000 NIS, and may choose to terminate their membership with three months’ notice. Easy registration requires only a 70,000 NIS deposit with the balance payable on completion. Sea One Private Club lets you live the dream: wake up by the beach and work or play all day in the sun. Sea One Private Club is no doubt the best place to make Aliyah.

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PODCAST

Ye Olde

Carmelis Debbie Collins speaks to the podcast founders reuniting pupils from the school known as the Jewish Eton

PLOAD old school photos onto social media and wait. Within hours, if not minutes, the comments section goes wild with past pupils recounting stories and reconnecting. There is nothing quite like nostalgia for that dopamine rush of moodimproving endorphins as Carmel College alumni Jill Kenton (1982-88) and Doron Junger (1983-88) have discovered since launching their heart-warming podcast, The Road From Carmel, last year. The Jewish boarding school, established in Oxfordshire in 1948, quickly became known for its public school traditions twinned with Orthodox culture and teaching. But it closed in 1997 owing to financial difficulties, so there was nowhere for ex-pupils to go to reminisce. “The bones of Carmel exist as the original buildings, but it’s a skeleton of its former self,” says Doron. “But it was the characters that gave life to Carmel, so I wanted to do something to honour past pupils.” The Miami-based former GP turned investment fund manager had guested on podcasts, so felt he knew a little about the technical workings, but he needed a complementary Old Carmeli co-host to bounce ideas off and drive the chat. He turned to Jill, a peer and a pal. As the daughter of June Kenton, owner of Rigby & Peller, renowned lingerie providers to royalty, Jill (@iconiccupqueen) had spent years putting clients at ease as a personal lingerie fitter for the late Diana, Princess of Wales, Nicole Kidman and Cherie Blair and has made multiple TV appearances. Jill also

Doron Junger and Jill Kenton

helped her mother write the book Storm in a D Cup about the building of the bra company, does voice-overs and is a regular presenter on QVC, but she had a harrowing time last year when she had a “tumour eviction” after being diagnosed with a low-grade brain tumour in 2021. Despite this – or possibly because of it – Jill managed to find time to connect with Doron to set up the podcast. “I’m in the UK and Doron is in Miami, but we make it work,” says Jill. “I’ve got a full list of names to work from after organising Carmel reunions – people are constantly messaging asking when the next one’s going to be.” Doron continues: “We agree on the guest and I’ll reach out to potential interview subjects; lots of different vintages and narratives. We purposely keep the questions the same for each guest.” The pair launched the first episode last December, just before Chanukah. “We wanted to bring light and remind people of less complicated times,” says Jill. “Of course, we were worried about people’s reactions

Carmel College on the big screen

 Carmel’s Mansion House was used by Agatha Christie, who lived nearby in Wallingford, as the inspiration for the mansion in her 1952 play The Mousetrap.  A scene in The Iron Lady (2011) when Margaret Thatcher (played by Meryl Streep) is perfecting her prime ministerial voice, was shot in the school’s synagogue.  In 2013 and 2014 Kylie Minogue and the Kaiser Chiefs shot videos in the school’s gym.  In the sci fi film Annihilation (2018), Natalie Portman is in the Carmel College swimming pool and other areas representing the Fort Amaya military base.  In 2017, the Mansion House library was used as Stalin’s living quarters in the film The Death of Stalin.  In 2018, the art room in the interior of the Julius Gottlieb Gallery was used in the BBC’s production of John le Carré’s The Little Drummer Girl.

Clockwise from top: Carmel College; pupils at the school in 1964-1965; Jill (left) and friends in 1984

because there’s a war going on in Israel. But it’s proven such a hit that people are calling from all over the world, saying: ‘We can’t wait to get in the car and listen,’ and there were 1,000 downloads in the first week.” So, why is Carmel podcast-worthy? “Growing up in Germany, my mum wanted her kids to have a broader opportunity in life than she did,” Doron explains. “I knew no one on arrival at the school but, by the end of day one, I had a group of friends, including Jill. “There remains such a strength of bond that when I see my 50-yearold Carmel mates, I see the 14-year-old kid inside them. And if there’s one thing that’s been proven to prolong longevity, it’s being connected with others and being useful. I think the podcast achieves both of these things.” In listening to the stories, Doron notes the commonalities. “Ray Schinazi (1964- 68), is 15 years older than me, but we share so many memories of teachers, being forced to do cross country, plus the culture shock and religious experience of boarding life. Memories become unlocked that we as hosts and our listeners have ‘yes of course! we did that too’ moments, about things we haven’t thought about in years.” In Jeremy Rosen’s episode (1949-60), he recounts how his father, Rabbi Dr Kopul Rosen (and founder of Carmel) was on a tight budget to furnish the school, going to auction houses to buy furniture. One such addition was a very imposing wooden ‘highwayman’s chair’ for his headmaster’s study, featuring a special armrest button which, when pressed,

trapped your wrists. “You had to have a pretty mischievous disposition and a lucky break to sit in that chair!” says Doron. Toby Tenenbaum (1994-97), tells a bitter-sweet story as the last head boy before Carmel’s closure, when the paint was starting to peel, with permanent Jeremy Rosen scaffolding in place. “I liken those final years at Carmel to when you see a photo of someone bald and wonder what they looked like when they had hair. But I loved my time there. It taught me adaptability and how to reinvent yourself, living away from home. I was in disbelief when the letter came about the closure, so until Carmel returns, I’m still head boy! Maybe that explains some of my ego…” The latest episode, which was released on 14 February, is with Jill herself, who was fittingly born on Valentine’s Day, but after that the podcast is due to finish its run in March. “It’s a lot of time away from our day jobs,” laments Doron, “and while we haven’t drawn a firm line in the sand, we can’t keep going indefinitely. Not without sponsorship anyway.” Jill echoes this, saying: “I’ve got a long list of people desperately wanting to come on the podcast, so watch this space. Maybe there will be a special later in the year.” For now, they continue sharing these treasured stories and, having listened to the podcast, I almost feel as though I attended Carmel – but would I have had the chutzpah to sit in ‘the chair’? LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 39

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EXODUS OF LOVE PLAYING BOB MARLEY HAS PUT KINGSLEY BEN-ADIR ON THE GLOBAL A-LIST. TOUSSAINT DAVY WAS IN JAMAICA LEARNING ABOUT THE JEWISH STAR OF ONE LOVE AND THE REGGAE ICON’S LEGACY

“

I SUN HOTTTT, SAH!” sizzles an unknown male voice from the quiet street of the upmarket location. Standing so close you’d think we were in an invisible queue, both watching the vintage cars – a BMW 1602 here, an open-top Land Rover Defender there – being carefully unloaded onto the moisture-free red dirt road before filming starts. We’re behind the fence, but made to stand well away. The combined security of both the Jamaica Constabulary Force and Jamaica Defence Force are there to make sure the milling Lady Musgrave Road crowd look at the cars, but don’t touch. It was the same way when the identical models were parked outside the home of the most famous Jamaican singer-songwriter

LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 41

PROFILE ever born. No one in Trenchtown touched his ride, although he only owned a BMW because it stood for Bob Marley and the Wailers. This location is one of several chosen in the city for the shooting of a cinematic event not seen in more than a generation. Kingston has been quietly transformed to tell part of the story of its favourite son, Robert Nesta Marley, in the much-delayed biopic of his life. Jamaica is buzzing with anticipation of big, big tings. Many projects have tried to capture a live-action telling of Marley’s influential life, but most fell flat. Not only because there was no bona fide Marley family commitment but because there were too few actors who could convey the charismatic energy Marley possessed. Marley family insiders recollect those who tried to imitate or simply copy Bob. Only one actor sought to simply channel him. Enter north London’s Kingsley Ben-Adir, translating literally from the Hebrew as ‘Son of the Mighty’. If you wanted a better example of the universal arc of nominative determinism, you need look no further than Kentish Town’s mixed heritage wunderkind. Born in 1986 in London’s Kentish Town, Ben-Adir was brought up in the Jewish faith. Although you’ll struggle to read any online self-commentary on his private beliefs, it’s clear that by carrying his name to Hollywood, Ben-Adir seeks to celebrate his Jewish roots publicly. A graduate of Guildhall Drama School, he had a stint as Shakespeare’s gentleman, Demetrius, in A Midsummer’s Night Dream at London’s Old Vic, before appearing in TV shows such as Peaky Blinders, Midsomer Murders and Vera. If you didn’t know about him by 2018, your bubbe did. How could she not? With his leading man looks and emotional intelligence, Ben-Adir brings to his roles a new kind of intense authentic swagger and even retained his dignity as a Ken in the Barbie film. Think of him as a St. Elsewhere-era Denzel Washington mixed with the braggadocious charm of a rising Brando and the home-grown appeal of a raw Daniel Craig. Ben-Adir’s future is so bright that his name has been whispered lately in the same sentences as another supremely British institution: James Bond. Shush! Nominated for Bafta’s Rising Star award in 2021, his measured but urgent performance as Malcolm X in Regina King’s One Night in Miami was lauded, as was his nuanced delivery in The OA as dogged private investigator Karim Washington. As such, Ben-Adir has that elusive cinematic mix of A-list potential and the universal struggle of the everyman. He’s only 37. A year older than Bob Marley when he died. “The process of getting to know Bob and trying to convey the magnetism of his charisma has been lifechanging for sure,” begins Ben-Adir, when asked about playing the son of the sun. “What’s interesting about Bob is that to find his vulnerability in a way that looked truthful took a lot of nuancing,” he chuckles. “You can’t just put Bob in a scene where he’s crying because it’s not real and that was the instruction from Jamaica: ‘Bob’s not soft. Bob’s not soft. Tuff Gong, y’know?’” he smiles while

42 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

purposefully sliding back into Jamaican patois. In One Love we see different sides of Marley and find a man very much in love with his wife Rita, but apprehensive about explosive events taking place around him, memorably the assassination attempt on his life in Kingston,1976. “You have to understand that this man was closer to a football manager in terms of his stance and his position,” the actor begins to gesticulate, warming to his Marley theme. “This is a guy from the streets. Yes, he’s vulnerable in his music and yes, when he sings there’s nothing like it and his lyrics are an open book, but me as a guy trying to find stories about when he was vulnerable ? That was so much of the research. It’s like who did see him cry? In private, who was he?” Bob Marley’s Jewish background has never been hidden. Born Robert Nesta Marley on 6 February 1945 in Nine Miles, St Ann’s parish in Jamaica, Marley was the son of Cedella Malcolm – a Jamaican – and Norval Sinclair Marley – an Englishman commonly known as ‘Captain Marley’, though whether this was earned through rank or service recognition no one knows. Cedella was 18 when she married Norval, then 60, who was the son of Ellen Broomfield, a Jewish Syrian Jamaican, a class often referred to on the island even now as a ‘Jamaican White’. Marley Jnr was estranged from his father, reportedly never enjoying a fruitful relationship with him. But the Jewish link resonated in the singer’s lifelong faith of Rastafarianism; a religion strongly linked with Abrahamic-Christian-Islamic traditions. The Marley-Jewish connections run deep like still water. Not only does Marley’s manager and founder of Island Records, Chris Blackwell, possess Jewish ancestry, but the film itself centres around Marley and his wife Rita (portrayed by No Time To Die’s Lashana Lynch) and the 1977 album Exodus (‘Wandering’ or ‘Departure of People’). “Exodus means movement of Jah people,” reflects Skip Marley from Miami. He is the son of the film’s coproducer, Bob’s mother Cedella Marley. He continues his reasoning in his amiable Jamaican-Floridian twang: “Exodus is a call to humanity. All of Jah people on the ert [earth] coming together, moving out of Babylon.” Back in Kingston, Ben-Adir got to know what made Marley tick. “Yeah, I went to Bob’s House in ‘the government yard’ [in Trenchtown]. I went into his bedroom,” said the actor. ”Going into Hope Road and seeing where he recorded and all those places, I don’t know what that feeling is. It just activates your imagination in a way that’s really helpful. I just had to get my head around what my feeling is when playing real-life characters, which is about the essence of the person. Not being an exact copy or trying to be a mimic. When it came to Bob, my instinct was to be and look as close as I could to him.” He certainly passed muster on the streets, where Marley’s music is the heartbeat of Jamaica. “Music is everything to Bob,” concludes Ben-Adir. “That’s my interpretation of him. Music and Bob. He’s singing from his soul and from his gut. There’s no half-concert, no half-hearted performance. The reason why his music can’t be recreated is because he’s singing for his life.” Bob Marley: One Love is at cinemas now

‘You know wha! There must be a better way. Free Gaza from Hamas.’

Clockwise from top left: Kingsley Ben-Adir with Bob Marley’s lover Cindy Breakspeare; Bob Marley wearing a chai necklace; Chris Blackwell with Bob Marley; Lashana Lynch as Rita with Ben-Adir as Bob; the trailer for Bob Marley: One Love; Ben-Adir as Malcolm X; Ben-Adir as Bob

One Love Israel FOR MANY YEARS SINCE BOB MARLEY’S passing, Israel has celebrated his music and his ethos with the One Love Festival. Held around the star’s 6 February birthday, the event was founded by Bella Malkin and Shmulik Bar-Dan, who want to spread Marley’s message about “human rights, love, loving thy neighbour and spirituality” to the world. They have attracted significant support from the Marley family, notably Ziggy Marley, Bob’s son, who has performed regularly at One Love Israel. Co-producer of the film and founder of Tuff Gong Records Worldwide, Ziggy is married to Orly (née Agai), an Israeli of Iranian-Jewish descent, who is mother to four of Bob’s grandchildren. Hugely popular among young Israelis, Ziggy, along with 700 other notable Hollywood figures, including Amy Schumer, Jerry Seinfeld and Gal Gadot, signed an open letter written by the Creative Community for Peace affirming his support of Israel. On 9 October, he posted on social media: “It is absolutely reasonable and logical to be opposed to the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinians while simultaneously calling for the protection of Jews in Israel and around the world.” On 20

October Ziggy posted an image of a raised hand with the words, “You know wha! There must be a better way. Free Gaza from Hamas.” Exodus by Skip Marley is on the One Love soundtrack out now on Tuff Gong/Island Records LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 43

Israel is facing an unprecedented mental health crisis affecting over half of its population, causing significant suffering. As a member of our community, we need your help to provide psychological support to people who have been directly and indirectly affected by the ongoing war in Israel. Currently, there is a significant shortage of psychotherapists specialising in war trauma in Israel. We have established a network of 250 war and trauma therapists who are ready to provide professional help to those affected by the conflict. You now have the opportunity to rebuild hope for children and families caught in the conflict. Following the events of October 7th, the mental health statistics paint a bleak picture. You can make a direct impact by supporting the 7Plus Project. By adopting a child, family, or group, you can cover the cost of therapy sessions and establish a deep connection, providing a lifeline to those who need it the most. Every £75 or 350 shekels donated provides an hour of therapy to someone in desperate need of your help, every contribution you make will make a significant impact on their road to recovery. You can donate via our JustGiving link: www.justgiving.com/page/7plus We are also seeking essential support from donors to raise an ambitious £2 million. This funding will enable the project to accept patients into the program and subsidise their treatments going forward. The estimated cost for treatment per individual per annum is £3,000/$3,800 (estimated for 40 sessions), providing treatments that enable complete recovery. If you would like to find out more about how to become a donor please Email us here: Partners@seven-plus.org

With 7Plus, you have the power to become a beacon of hope, even in the darkest times. Your support is not just crucial; it is transformative. Don’t wait until the war is over. Act now.

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The SURVIVORS’ Secret

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In Cyprus there’s a place where Israel’s grieving go to heal. Brigit Grant went to listen

am sitting in the lobby waiting for guests to emerge from dinner. A WhatsApp message has been circulated among those willing to speak. Miri Bronstein is the first. “You want to talk to me?” she asks tilting her head. “I lost my son.” Miri’s heartbreak punctuates our introduction. We have never met before, but we hug as she cries. Her son was Captain Ben Bronstein, a Duvdevan soldier killed on October 7 when he was called to rescue Kibbutz Kfar Aza. “He was 24. Just 24,” Miri repeats the number in disbelief. Three months have passed since that dreaded knock on the front door and although she now claims to be “calmer than I was before”, accepting Ben’s death still eludes her. Her husband cries and she consoles her married older son and 14-year-old daughter. “Life is suddenly the opposite of everything it was. We lost the main character in our show.” The unfathomable disruption to the expected order of life is every bereaved parent’s nightmare. “You don’t want sympathy. You don’t want to talk. Close family think my grief is like the flu. That it will pass in time. But the physical pain... Ben made us so happy.” Miri takes out her phone to show me a video of her son with his girlfriend Adi. “She surprised

In happier times: Miri Bronstein, above, with her murdered son Ben (he is also pictured right), husband Nir and daughter Noa

him while he was in the army base.” Handsome, strong and in uniform, he lifts Adi up in the air as Miri’s eyes fix on the screen. A beat. “He loved serving his country. He’d say to us: ‘I’d rather die than see one citizen get a scratch.’ He was a hero. But I don’t miss the soldier. I miss my son.” Miri was not the only parent missing her child at the Secret Forest in Cyprus last December. She and her husband Nir were part of a group of bereaved Israeli parents staying at the hillside property for counselling, therapy or just to be united in grief . Accurately described as a space for rejuvenation in nature, the Paphos hotel is surrounded by verdant greenery

and offers a route to wellness with massage, mindfulness seminars, mineral baths and yoga. Left to one’s own devices, the forest bike ride, pampering treatments and Israeli-style kosher buffets are there to be enjoyed in this hidden retreat. But December’s guests were so blinded by sorrow that they had retreated into themselves. Sitting in couples at separate tables, the parents and

LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 45

LOVE ISRAEL

Therapist Dan Lustig

grandparents twinned in mourning were strangers when they arrived. But sessions of soul-baring discussions with Israeli therapists brought their chairs closer together. Reaching the evening when their murdered children’s names were written in a new Torah by a scribe, the group were as one. “We have the same thoughts. I would like to live close to them all,” said Miri, who dreaded leaving the quiet forest for the reality of home in Holon .“When you lose a child you want silence. In Israel there is no silence.” As the parents left, the survivors of the Nova Festival arrived. Rucksacks, bandanas, ‘Bring them Home’ dog tags around their necks, the exuberance of youth disguises the horror in their heads. Much like the parents, they are also strangers to each other but, as a gesture, one of them has

gifted necklaces to the group. A silver heart with a hole. Opening his heart to the bereft of October 7, Yoni Kahana brought them straight to his hotel. Israeli, religious and a father of six, Dr Nava Arkin his instinct was to help following the onslaught on his country. Yoni knew Secret Forest was a place to heal when he first visited seven years ago before taking ownership. “It’s a place to bring people to change their life, change the mind and be more connected. To nature, to themselves to other people.” Yoni has another hotel on the island, but his long-term plan is to create a secret wellness village. “We have plots of land and want to build more villas, more wooden houses so people will come to live a healthy life.” To have a synagogue on site will please Yoni, but the community he envisions will not be built around it. “It will be there, but life will be built around the atmosphere, because the energy here is different. If there is a way to release the torment, it is here.” Staying in spacious suites around the pool, the young survivors meet daily with trauma therapists who have a singular aim. “They have seen horrible things and nobody wants to listen to them,” says cognitive behavioural therapist Mihal Azulay. “Here they can share those scenes within the group and not be afraid to cry.” “The important thing is to give them resources so they can deal with going back to everyday life,” says art therapist Dorit Drori, who uses ‘hand path’ cards and

painting memories with sand in her work. Out in the gardens, affable therapist Dan Lustig has set up shop helping the survivors release trapped emotional energy. “I feel privileged to be able to help,” he says. “To bring some peace to the girl who came to me crying about the blame she feels for running to save her self. That she was lucky, but her friends were not.” Hours earlier, Dan had comforted a young man crying in the pool. “He lost 15 of his friends. It is too much for someone so young.” “Survivor’s guilt,” says therapist Dr Nava Arkin. “I have been with a girl who lay under her friends’ bodies in order to survive. She stopped talking. She’s overwhelmed. It’s a life changer.” Hearing about what survivors endured is hard and getting them to share is done with caution. Lital Maya, 27, from Holon spoke of her October 7 experience, which began watching the sunset sitting beside her friend Dr Hagit Refaeli Mishkin, 48, a mother of three from Hod Hasharon. “We were staying at a farm for a planning meeting for Midburn, Israel’s version of the Burning Man festival. It was 3km from the Nova Festival. At first we only knew about the missiles, not the terrorists.” Amid the panic and confusion, Hagit decided to leave alone in her car. “We didn’t know anything. Later, we heard from people to turn right coming out of the farm.

From left: Lital in Nova scarf, Almog Yarden and DJ Ahron who all went to therapy and shared their experiences. Right: Survivors of the Nova music festival 46 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

But Hagit was already on the road. She had turned left.” Hagit was murdered by Hamas terrorists, while Lital remained at the farm for 10 hours relying on information from a drone owned by the farmer’s son. A ditch stopped a truckload of terrorists entering. “I was walking around. I was terrified, but something inside me told me that I was not going to die, that I still have something to give to this world. When I got home, I slept in the bed with my mother. When I woke I cried all day.” The days of sadness continued. Lital was told her friend Raz Mizrachi had been slaughtered by Hamas. “That was the most difficult thing that happened because I took her to her first festival a few months earlier. I talked her through everything and said I’d keep her safe. She was like a younger sister.” Raz was only 21 and had just recovered from being gravely injured during an East Jerusalem terrorist ramming while serving in the Border Police in 2021. “On October 7, she wrote me a message at 4.30am as she thought that maybe I was at the Nova,” sighs Lital. “But I

didn’t check my phone until 8.50am and she was already gone.” In the forest with mindfulness and yoga instructor Ronee Rotterman, the survivors stand with their eyes closed. A brief respite from falling tears in the silence enjoyed by Miri. Almog Yarden holds the pose. He is older than most in the group by two decades, but he has travelled, a festivalgoer and psytrance fan who led 50 people out of the Nova festival to safety. “I was in the mechanised infantry in the IDF [Israel Defence Forces] and I’m accustomed to operating in situations that are very tense,” he says. “All I was thinking about was taking myself and my friend to safety, but those kids – 20-plus years old – were devastated. Most of them were on psychedelics and they were scared. I knew that I had to move them or they were all going to die.” Matter of fact about saving those he could, Almog is

now more focused on how the attacks happened. “Because this is way worse than the Holocaust, right? In the Holocaust, we had no power, no position and no idea such a thing would happen. But now? There should have been a whole regiment sitting on that border.” Almog predicts that rage and demands will follow and an interrogation. “Because we already know that intelligence came daily from those who were murdered. “They were reporting that something was happening because they saw Hamas soldiers practicing breaching the fence.” That night, Almog is the first on the floor when the yoga room is turned into a psytrance dance space with Ahron the DJ, himself robbed of so many friends, on the decks. Around him, draped in Nova scarves, are survivors who promised: “We will dance again.” And they are.

LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 47

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Stanley and Christiane Kubrick with Anya, Katharina and Vivian in 1960 Stanley Kubrick’s 1948 shot of a circus executive

glas on Spartacus

Stanley Kubrick and Kirk Dou

On the set of Spartacus

Stanley Kubrick

Sterling Hayden, Peter

Spartacus, 1964

Kubrick with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman

50 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

Steven Spielberg and Kubrick

on his ‘most Jewish film’, Eyes Wide Shut

Making The Shining with Jack Nicholson

Sellers and Kubrick on

the set of Dr Stran gelove

ngelove

INTERVIEW

KUBRICK THE NUDNIK Authors Nathan Abrams and Robert Kolker tell Jenni Frazer about their new book, which reveals the Jewishness of the 20th century’s greatest film-maker

tanley Kubrick is undoubtedly the filmmakers’ film-maker. Director (and occasional writer, too) of just 13 feature films, but they are films which have stood the test of time that include: the outer space showcase that is 2001: A Space Odyssey, the satirical nuclear war comedy Dr Strangelove and Spartacus, the definitive sword ‘n’ sandals gladiator film with its iconic repetition of Robert Kolker “I’m Spartacus” by men who seek to take responsibility as Nathan Abrams the slave leader (Kirk Douglas), despite facing the threat of crucifixion by the Romans. It’s 25 years since Kubrick died – he is buried in the gardens of his home in Hertfordshire –and 20 years since there was a full biography of this most enigmatic of movie men. Now, two Jewish writers, Robert Kolker and Nathan Abrams, have written a tantalising full account of Kubrick and his work – and in this book we learn everything we ever wanted to know about the director, born and raised in the milieu of Jewish New York in 1928. Kolker and Abrams have collaborated on other film-related books before, (including ones about Kubrick) but Kubrick: An Odyssey, at more than 600 pages, surely includes everything but his kitchen sink. Yet Abrams says they could have written twice as much because they made copious use of the Kubrick archives, leading them to find delicious nuggets such as the “form of Kaddish” recited at Kubrick’s secular funeral. The finale at the fictional Overlook Hotel in The Shining Abrams is a professor of film studies at Bangor University “There are several Kubricks”, Abrams says. “There’s Kubrick in Wales and was asked in 2006 to put a new module on the at home, where he’s a warm, loving, funny, generous husband course he teaches. Kubrick, he decided, was perfect for this – and father... the mensch side to him. But at work he was he had made “almost every genre of film, apart from the one I dedicated and wanted his team to be as dedicated as he was. didn’t like, which was Westerns”. The problem was he wasn’t as generous with his payments… After a few years of teaching about “one of the most writtenhe wanted them to work 24/7 eight days a week, but he didn’t about film-makers ever”, Abrams wondered what he could pay on that level. One of the best comments about him was say that was original. He came up with three angles: Kubrick’s ‘fantastic director, cheap producer’.” ethics, his archives and his Jewishness. Abrams freely admits that Kubrick was a nerd. “One of the In 2018, this intensive research became a book by Abrams favourite comments we found was that the mother of one of – Stanley Kubrick, New York Jewish Intellectual – which led his friends called him ‘Kubrick the Nudnik’. Yes, he was keen on to another book, written with Kolker, focusing entirely on authenticity but he would discard it where it wasn’t interesting, Kubrick’s last film, Eyes Wide Shut, starring the then husbandsaying ‘real is good, interesting is better’.” and-wife team Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Abrams goes one stage further, describing Kubrick as Abrams wrote extensively about Kubrick in specialist someone who had “a Talmudic, almost ‘pilpul’ [hairsplitting] journals, but he and Kolker really wanted to publish a relationship with his creatives... he often only knew what he biography and were finally awarded a contract during Covid. wanted when you gave it to him”. Their ambition, Abrams says, was to write a “myth-busting” The director’s davka temperament [behaviour that was book, aimed at the general public rather than academics. ‘just because’], seep into his personal life to some extent. He “We didn’t want to write an uncritical love letter, but we had two failed marriages to Jewish women, but his third, and did want to show Kubrick, warts and all.” Abrams and Kolker deeply happy, union was to a woman with Nazi relations. certainly provide the warts: many stories of Kubrick’s exacting Kubrick was born in New York in a society, say the authors, behaviour on film sets, his demanding attitude to his crew, and which was almost entirely Jewish although neither he, nor – in a clue to the fact that he only made 13 feature films during his family, were in the slightest bit religious. Nevertheless, say his long career – his too-often inability to complete a project Abrams and Kolker, being Jewish “informed his sensibility, that did not live up to his high standards.

how could it not?” As far as Abrams and Kolker can establish, the middle-class family was secular, though when it came to being barmitzvah, that was an option. But Kubrick “wasn’t interested”, and so instead his doctor father Jack, “a camera hobbyist himself”, gave Stanley a Graflex camera. This springboarded Kubrick’s first career as a hotshot photographer, leading him, in 1947, to become a staffer with Look magazine. He became renowned for his unusual photos, particularly sports images, and this led to the next logical step – documentary films. And from the non-fiction of documentaries Kubrick became one of Hollywood’s youngest and most admired feature film directors. He became close friends with Steven Spielberg, who was making Raiders of the Lost Ark while Kubrick himself was making The Shining. “They had a shared background and cultural heritage, which they understood about each other. Spielberg has been quite open about how he felt as a Jew, growing up, and I’m sure some of that was shared by Kubrick – his wife referred to that after Kubrick had died.” The two men had much to admire about each other – Spielberg admired Kubrick for his insight and innovation, while Kubrick respected Spielberg for the sheer volume of blockbuster movies he turned out – and the speed with which he worked. “In 1993, for example, Kubrick was dithering over whether or not to make Aryan Papers [destined to be his take on the Holocaust – it did not get made]. Meanwhile, Spielberg had not only shot and edited Jurassic Park, but he was shooting Schindler’s List.” Spielberg was, in fact, invited by the Kubrick family to speak at the director’s funeral. Despite Kubrick’s failure to make Aryan Papers, Abrams says that there are many Jewish themes in his existing films. Abrams’ current favourite, Dr Strangelove, is a 1964 black comedy that is due to become a West End theatre production co-written by The Thick of It’s writer Armando Iannucci. It’s funny and clever, says Abrams, but also “has the most about the Holocaust in it. That informed his thinking. “Kubrick’s brother-in-law described 2001 as his most Jewish film, and I think it’s closest to a religious experience. The Shining, for me, is a rewriting of the Midrash on the binding of Isaac. But probably, in terms of source material, the most Jewish of his films is Eyes Wide Shut, because it is based on Arthur Schnitzler’s 1926 novella, which is riven with big questions about Jewish identity, but not in an explicit form in the movie. And Kubrick casts, in this wholly invented role of Victor Ziegler, who we know was intended to be a Jewish businessman – because I found the note in the archive – he casts [the Jewish film director and actor] Sydney Pollack.” Abrams sums up his fascination with Kubrick, not least because of the hundreds of different ideas in his films. “You could describe him as a monster. But if he was a monster, he was also a mensch.” Kubrick: An Odyssey by Robert P Kolker and Nathan Abrams is published by Faber, £30. LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 51

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INTERVIEW

Getting to grips with After 15 years in the planning, Jesse Eisenberg brings the story of his Polish-Jewish ancestry to the screen, writes Jared Feldschreiber

n summer 2023, Oscar-nominee Jesse Eisenberg travelled to Poland – but not for a holiday. He was there to manifest his “labour of love”, for which he spent almost 15 years steadfastly preparing, delving into the depths of his rich PolishJewish heritage. Jesse was about to co-produce, write, star and direct A Real Pain, his fictional movie set in the Central European country that, as the film’s title suggests, elicits “real pain”, with its history and confrontation of human foibles. Succession’s Kieran Culkin is his co-star and, together, they play mismatched cousins – David and Benji – who join a heritage tour to Poland after losing their grandmother. She, as part of her will, implores her grandsons to visit the country’s touchstone sites. The film premiered at the Sundance Festival in January where, within hours, it was acquired by Searchlight Pictures for $10 million (£8m). Jesse also went on to win the prestigious Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. Born in Queens, New York, but raised in New Jersey, Jesse went to school in Manhattan, where he majored in liberal arts with a focus on democracy. Around the time of his breakout role as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in David Fincher’s The Social Network in 2010, Jesse played a Chasidic youth in Holy Rollers and, for research, blended into the Chasidic community of Brooklyn’s Boro Park. “On the one hand, you think you can probably relate to the Chasidic community because you come from the same background,” said the actor at the time of the film’s release. “Then there’s the added strange part of being associated with them by virtue of having the same religion. I went to Hebrew school, but dropped out before I had a barmitzvah, but Chabad were so eager to give me a barmitzvah they didn’t mind that I only knew the basic prayers. They didn’t make me learn anything, and I didn’t get any checks on my grandmother.” Raised by his college professor father and a mother who used a “drama-based platform to teach cultural sensitivity to young doctors”,

the prodigious actor has been in the spotlight for more than two decades. A Real Pain is his second film as director after his feature debut When You Finish Saving the World, adapted from his own original audiobook series. ‘’This film is based on my family’s personal history,” he says. “We even filmed a scene at the little apartment my family fled from in 1938. What makes the movie resonant for me is that the cousins’ complicated relationship is set against the backdrop of the history and drama of Eastern Europe and the Second World War. “It kind of frames their personal troubles against a global perspective and allows me to explore the question of pain, specifically how we reconcile our contemporary struggles with historical trauma.” Jesse’s own family came from Krasnystaw, a historical city, south-east of Lublin. In 1940, the Nazis established a Jewish ghetto in the poorest part of the town and, by May 1942, it became a transit point for Jews on their way to Majdanek or the Sobibor extermination camp. According to Holocaust records, only 2,500 hundred Jews from Krasnystaw survived the war. Filmed over six weeks in Warsaw, Lublin and Krasnystaw, Jesse set pivotal scenes at the Mandragora Jewish Restaurant in Old Town Lublin. Beata Stepaniuk-Kusmierzak, deputy cultural mayor of the city, helped to coordinate the shoot and, specifically, the largely Polish crew and cast of extras. “This was not Jesse’s first visit to Lublin, as he admitted coming here anonymously many times before,” says the mayor. “He also surprised us with his great knowledge of Lublin’s history and the fate of its Jewish inhabitants. “Understandably, he was extremely involved in discovering the fate of his own family, all of which made him feel like a native Lubliner. “At the same time, we were captivated by his modesty and childlike curiosity about the people and the places.” In his review of A Real Pain, Amir Bogen, film critic at YnetNews, recognised a story that will be familiar to many Jewish people. “[It’s] the personal struggle of dealing with

Kieran Culkin (left) with Jesse Eisenberg

trauma by repressing and disconnecting from the past. The importance of personal connections and feelings as a tool to remember and cope.” Describing it as “one of the most effective Holocaust films”, Bogen’s view was reflected in the massive acquisition deal offered by Searchlight Pictures, which will launch the film later this year under the Disney umbrella. “Making A Real Pain was a true labour of love,” said a gratified Jesse, whose following took a leap last year when he played divorced doctor Toby Fleishman in the limited series Fleishman is in Trouble. Popularity withstanding, there is unlikely to be a season two as Jewish author Taffy Brodesser-Akner, who wrote the book on which it is based, has no plans for a second. Instead, we get to see Jesse in the film Sasquatch Sunset as a Sasquatch otherwise known as Big Foot, the creature who some in north-western America believe exists . “Yes, I play a Sasquatch,” says Jesse. ”In full make-up, full body hair and no lines. I grunt, but no lines, but I think the script by co-director David Zellner is one of the top five greatest scripts I’ve read in my life.” From a Waldo Salt winner, this is praise indeed. LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 53

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YOUTH

Guidance from an almost 17-year-old for parents who want to impress their teens

hat happens to your teens when they leave the dinner table? Who and what is influencing them more than you? Almost everyone most of the time, and I should know because I’m a teen. We are always on our phones and we usually have AirPods in when you think we’re listening. Trying to learn about the music/influencers/fashion we’re into is hard for parents, but it’s just as hard for us because trends change so quickly. You were also lucky enough to meet up with your friends at actual shops to buy clothes and records. My parents are always talking about Loppy Lugs in Edgware, Our Price in Golders Green and we only got a taste of Top Shop, in Oxford Circus, before it closed. What we want is mostly online, so shopping is about posting, not picking things in person. Lots of us love vintage and my mum laughs because clothes she got in the 1990s are now vintage to my friends, so I’ve been selling them on Vinted and Depop. Just expect to see your teens in someone else’s old sports shirts. During Covid, TikTok and Instagram really consumed us and still do, but now Jewish teens also have to navigate pro-Hamas films and antisemitic videos popping up all the time. Parents do, too, so we have that in common sadly. On my list there are names you may know and some you won’t, but you might also know their parents. FASHION So second-hand is officially acceptable for Jewish teens, who love vintage shopping. On Vinted we find last season’s Urban Outfitters or Brandy Melville and their styles don’t change. We make mistakes paying more than we thought for international postage ordering from Lululemon in the US, but if your teenage daughter still likes

Juicy Couture, which was founded in 1997 by Californian Jews Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor, she will be picking up old trackpants on eBay. However, the brand has been replaced in popularity by Australia’s White Fox. The shoes we want are Adidas Campuses 00, which have taken over from the Forums, Superstars, Gazelles, and Adidas Sambas that we used to like. There has also been a resurgence of Uggs, which are being worn everywhere and the most popular are the Ultra Minis, Tasmans and the Platforms. We will wear them all, but I told my mum to get a pair of Golden Goose Super-Star sneakers: She had never heard of them, but I said they are very trendy, but not the cheapest – “How much?!!” she asked. MUSIC Everyone has their own Spotify lists, so I’m just going to throw out some names – and some are Jewish. Taylor Swift isn’t, but she is so popular I had to find a link and it’s Jack Antonoff. He first worked with Taylor in 2013 and in 2019 became her main co-writer and producer. He is also in a band called The Bleachers, but we only care about Taylor. Raye (Rachel Agatha

Keen) is also not Jewish, but good to mention to show your teens you’re keeping up as the English singer wrote songs for Beyoncé, Little Mix, Rihanna, John Legend and French DJ David Guetta, who is Jewish. Her top song is Escapism (507 million streams) and she went viral after her Royal Albert Hall solo show. Early 20s and older listen to Haim, the LA group made up of three Jewish sisters, but since Alana Haim (guitars and keyboards) starred in the film Liquorice Pizza, we all know them, so you should too. Throw out the name Troye Sivan as few know about the Australian singer-songwriter who was raised in an Orthodox Jewish family. He is gay and he acts and he played young Wolverine in X-Men Origins. Last July he released his third album and got two Grammy nominations for Best Music Video and Best Pop Dance Recording for his single Rush. Talk about SZA (pronounced scissor lol) the American singer who went viral on TikTok with her song Kill Bill, which was used in 300,000 videos and don’t leave out Israel’s

Eurovision star Noa Kirel, who is playing Madison Square Garden in June . I love a lot of my parents’ music, especially Billy Joel, but most teens would hate a parent behaving like Amanda Holden did at her daughter’s 18th birthday party. It is okay to sing to Murder On The Dance Floor together, but we don’t want to watch Saltburn with you or be in the same room watching Big Mouth. Big Mouth is a trend you can’t ignore because you will hear the swearing. See an episode of the cartoon because it is written by an allJewish team – Nick Kroll, Andrew Goldberg, Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett. It’s about Jewish school kids getting through puberty with the help of the Hormone Monster angels and they go to batmitzvahs. The final season is out this year and teens will miss it. FOOD Teens are happy to put sparkly syrup in cocktails and we also eat more mushrooms disguised as meat, another new thing that pleases veggies. INFLUENCERS Although there are lots of Jewish influencers, teens will watch anyone. But Ellie Zeiler is Jewish and known for her TikTok account (@elliezeiler, 10.6 million followers), where she posts fashion and beauty content and lip syncs, which we all do. She also has more than 110,000 YouTube subscribers and was in Israel last summer. She talks about her Jewish identity and how her family celebrate Jewish festivals and there are more Jewish teens doing that on The Based Jews of TikTok (@basedjewsoftiktok), an account run by high school students in the United States and elsewhere, which helps young Jewish people come together to show the world how different Jewish teens are from each other. Londoner Zach Margolin (@zachmargs, 106.4k on Insta) is different and very funny for anyone who went on Israel tour because he is brilliant at portraying Israelis in skits, mostly as waiters or cab drivers. I showed him to my mum and she is still following him. I think she knows his mum. By Madison Grant-Gold LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 55

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LOVE ISRAEL

Ready to call the Holy Land home? Relocating to Israel is on a lot of people’s minds. Michelle Rosenberg asks the residents and realtors what to expect

any of us in the UK thought about making aliyah after October 7. Rising antisemitism, our children nervous to show their Jewishness in public... the generational urge to flee had kicked in. It’s a huge step to consider and The Jewish Agency for Israel and Nefesh B’Nefesh offer practical pointers and a road map. But nothing beats personal experience, so Life spoke to sabra friends, those who had

made aliyah and property experts to get a real picture. “Israel simply felt like home. I’m sure growing up in Bnei Akiva helped, but that visit sparked the dream, the longing,” said Deborah Meghnagi Bailey, who decided to make aliyah during a month-long family visit to Israel when she was only 13. “It’s impossible to know if I’d make the same decision today because it didn’t feel like a decision; it felt like destiny.

apartment and its layout, “If you want to live in Israel, providing translated design think about all the practical materials in English.” ramifications before you She adds that while worry about post-October 7 “Jerusalem remains the reality,” she adds. “Learning desired location for many the language, finding a job, of our clients”, Netanya has adjusting to the culture. “experienced substantial Leaving family and friends is growth over the past two tough. Israel is expensive. Can Deborah Meghnagi Bailey years, especially in the you manage these absorption issues? If you can, and this is where your heart luxurious Ir Yamim. North and south Netanya is, then who am I to say you shouldn’t come?” also offer fabulous projects for sale at more Broker Tivuch Gold says that since October reasonable prices. Whether there are specific budget needs, 7, their company has managed an “influx of preferences for apartment size and style, or a individuals who, for the first time, feel the particular community in mind, we have the need to own property in their homeland”. perfect option for you.” The company, Tivuch Shelly, tells Life: “Our tivuchshelly.com technical design team explains the chosen

One of several spacious and bright apartments offered in Bat Yam with a wonderful vista overlooking Israel’s Mediterranean Sea coast LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 59

LOVE ISRAEL

Adam is a growing urban community only 10 minutes from Jerusalem

An Israeli who works in the charity sector sympathises with the concerns of British Jews about rising hate, but tells Life it is not easy for a family to make the move, “especially if children are in higher levels of school and parents need to make sure they have a job that will support the move,” they said. “Israel is extremely expensive, Israeli mindset is not always the same as [that of those in the] diaspora. But, in the end, it can be done and done well if one is serious.” “Many individuals feel intimidated at the thought of venturing into property ownership in Israel,” says Julian Nathan, CEO of HOLD Real Estate. “The connection to a home in Israel is built on the foundation of people you trust to understand your needs and circumstances.” For potential buyers, the common concern is ‘will my money be secure?’ and Julian says: “Absolutely. We only work with the biggest and most reputable development companies. A financing bank guarantees your money until your apartment keys are securely in your possession.” If potential buyers are concerned about securing a mortgage while residing outside Israel, he adds: “This is where knowing your status can help you plan. As a foreigner living abroad, you would qualify for a mortgage of up to 50 percent. If you are making aliyah, depending on your status, you could qualify for a mortgage of up to 70 percent, accompanied by potential reductions in purchase tax.” And if you are curious about what a £500,000 investment could fetch you, he notes you could “consider investing in any of our selected projects in areas you could proudly call home or rent out”. hold.co.il

The bright lights of Tel Aviv overlook one of its beautiful beaches – Israel’s second-largest city has 16 beaches, all with their own personality

Beit Shemesh £495,000 Itzhak (Izzy) Leizerowitz, from Keter Advisors, Hebrew and realising no one was trying to Be’er Sheva £258,000 says the most popular questions he is asked keep me out, realising I could live here even if Carmei Gat £365,000 relate to the buying process. For example: I didn’t really speak the language. Efrat £525,000 Do I need to be a resident or a citizen to buy “The more I visited, the more I read about Harish £337,000 a property in Israel? (No.) Do I need to be in Israel, the more politically engaged I became, Herzliya Pituach £1.4m Israel during the buying process? (No.) Can the more unfairly maligned I felt Israel was, Jerusalem £598,000 I get a mortgage in my home the more I felt blue and white country for the property I want Modi’in £642,000 running through my veins. Netanya £539,000 to buy in Israel? (No.) A place where I could barely Ra’anana £758,000 For Izzy, the most popular order a falafel still felt like Tel Aviv £980,000 areas for residences are my home, and Israelis I met, Lucy adds: “My advice to someone making Netanya, Ashkelon, Jerusalem, though bemused, agreed.” aliyah now is make sure you already have Modi’in and Ra’anana. David Bibian, founder and a job lined up and a support network if keteradvisors.com CEO of The Bibian Group Israel possible, and a financial cushion because it’s Real Estate, describes the firm David Bibian insanely expensive. Life asked Ilan Rubinstein, as a “one-stop shop for global “Prioritise an apartment with a mamad I.L.A.N. Estates & Investments, and our ‘Ask buyers and investors”, whether it is Tel Aviv, (bomb shelter) because the days of the Expert’ Israel estate agent and mortgage Jerusalem, Bat Yam or Haifa. pretending that’s a bonus rather than a broker, for his brief overview on property David says: “Families and individuals are necessity are over. in Israel. realising they heavily need to consider their “Learn to sharpen your elbows and “While the recent reduction in interest rates, future. Global Jews should understand that, toughen up – Israelis are strong. Learn shortage of foreign workers and rise of global at present, it might be great living wherever Hebrew as quickly as possible – it will make antisemitism could herald a new upswing, they are, but Israel should be in the bigger everything easier (do as I say not as I do)! Use attractive deals are to be had by astute picture plan as a long-term home. Only in Facebook groups because they truly make buyers,” he says. Israel can you feel you are surrounded by connections throughout the community here. “Currently, average home values are family by just walking outside on the streets.” Enjoy! And welcome home.” as follows: His agency’s advice on the most important decisions when buying or renting a home include: 1. Have a reliable and trusted professional to guide you through the process 2. Understand your finances 3. Be familiar with different areas, towns and cities Lucy Abrahams, who made aliyah from north 4. Prioritise your goals with London several years ago, had the property (investment, been going to Tel Aviv twice second home, primary a year, then upped it to three residence) times a year, but it wasn’t until 5. Remember that you are she was crying on the plane coming to a great, wonderful home that she wondered and sun-filled country about making her stays that will welcome you as there permanent. a family. “The breakthrough came Lucy Abrahams bibiangroup.com when learning some basic The Baka luxury apartments in an exclusive residential part of Jerusalem 60 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

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FOOD

Food from the heart Presenting a dish that takes time and effort to make is a labour of love. shows you how RED KIBBEH We used to visit my mother-in-law in her home town of Jerusalem several times a year, and no trip was complete without a visit to our favourite restaurant – Azura in Mahane Yehuda market. Kibbeh hamusta or red kibbeh, which is cooked in a sweet and sour beetroot soup, was always on the agenda and loved by us all. Making them now will always remind me of those happy times, eating together in the little courtyard of the restaurant. MAKES: 15 kibbeh PREP: 1.5 hours COOKING TIME: 20 mins for kubbah/15 mins for soup

INGREDIENTS For the shells: 325g semolina 40g plain flour 225ml hot water 1 tsp salt

PERSIAN LOVE CAKE The legend goes that when a young Persian woman fell in love with a prince, she baked a cake infused with aromatic spices and rosewater to make him fall in love with her. It is easy to see why it worked because the beautiful flavours are impossible to resist. This gluten-free cake is also wonderful to serve at Pesach. SERVES: 10 PREP: 15 mins COOKING TIME: 45 mins

INGREDIENTS

For the cake: 150g butter 120g sugar 3 eggs 200g ground almonds

100g ground pistachios 1 tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp baking powder Juice and zest of an orange 1 tbsp rosewater

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line an 18cm cake tin or equivalent mould. Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy using an electric whisk. Beat in each egg, one by one. Mix in the remaining ingredients using a metal spoon. 2. Spray the tin or mould with oil spray. Pour in the mixture and smooth out the top. Bake for 35-45 minutes. To test if it is cooked, push a skewer in – when you take it out it should come out clean. Leave the cake to cool before removing it from the tin. 3. Make the syrup by heating up the honey, rose water and water until mixed and bubbling. Pour over the cake and leave to cool.

For the syrup: ¼ cup of honey 2 tbsp rose water 50ml water Rose petals/pistachio/icing to decorate – optional.

For the filling: 1 medium onion 2 celery sticks plus leaves 500g minced beef 1 tsp allspice

1 tsp salt

For the soup: 1 large onion 4 medium size beetroots 4 sticks of celery 1 tbsp oil for frying 1l chicken stock Juice of a lemon 1 tbsp sugar 1 tsp salt

1. First, make the dough by mixing the semolina, flour, hot water and a tsp of salt to a firm dough. Place in a Ziploc bag and let rest for half an hour. 2. While it is resting, make the filling. Finely chop the onion and celery and the celery leaves. Fry in a little olive oil on a medium heat until they are soft and translucent. Add the minced beef, breaking it up with a spoon. 3. Once it has browned, add a teaspoon of allspice and salt. Mix well and let cool down. Next we will assemble the kibbeh. Take a walnut-sized piece of the rested dough and roll into a ball. Using your middle or index finger, gently push down on the dough, spreading it in the palm of your hand to create a shallow bowl. 4. Use a teaspoon to put approximately half a teaspoon of the beef mix into the dough bowl and pull up the sides, gently pinching the top to close the kibbeh. Roll them in your hand to seal the dumplings. Ensure they are well sealed, otherwise they will open during cooking. Continue this until all the dough has been used up. Lay them in one layer on a baking sheet and cover with cling film until ready to use to stop them drying out. NB if you do not use them all, they freeze very well but, to prevent them sticking together, ensure that they are frozen in a single layer before putting them into a Ziploc bag. 5. Now the kibbeh have been made, leave to one side, and prepare the soup. Finely chop the onion. Peel and cut the beetroot into thick slices and then halve them. Chop the celery into one-inch pieces. 6. Heat up the oil on a medium heat and add the vegetables. Sauté until soft. Add the chicken stock and simmer until the vegetables are cooked. Add the juice of a lemon, a tbsp of sugar and a tsp of salt. Check for seasoning and adjust to taste – the flavour should be sweet and sour. Once all the vegetables are soft, add the kibbeh one by one. Cook on a medium heat for approximately 10 minutes until soft and serve.

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FOOD LAMB CHOPS WITH TOMATO CURRY SAUCE AND ISRAELI SALAD In Israel, I always visit one of Eyal Shani’s restaurants and order the lamb chops with tomato sauce and the tidiest Israeli salad that I have ever seen. This is my take on this dish, using my Auntie Ruth’s tomato curry sauce, which can be served with lamb, beef, meatballs, chicken, fish or even vegetables. SERVES: 4 (2 lamb chops per serving)

INGREDIENTS

For curry sauce: 1 onion 1 tsp ginger, grated 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 6-7 curry leaves 1 tsp tomato paste 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp ground coriander Carton of passata

PREP: 1 hour COOKING TIME: 40 mins 1 tsp garam masala (more to taste) ½ tsp cinnamon, cloves or cardamom (optional) For the Israeli Salad: Half a cucumber 3 of the reddest salad tomatoes you can find (if you struggle during these cold months, use 1 pack of the smaller vine tomatoes that are usually a

beautiful deep red all year around) 1 small fist of coriander Salt to taste Juice of half a lemon 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil For Lamb Chops: 8 lamb chops Salt

1. Start by making the curry sauce. Dice and fry the onions gently until they are soft and golden. Add the ginger, garlic and the curry leaves and cook on a low heat until everything melts together. Add the tomato paste and spices and mix well, not letting it catch on the bottom. If this starts to happen, turn down the heat and add a touch of water. 2. Pour in the passata, mix well and cover, leaving to bubble for 5-10 minutes. Add the garam masala and optional other spices to taste and a good pinch of salt and mix well. If you are adding a protein, add it now and cover again on a medium heat until it is cooked. While it is simmering, make the Israeli salad. 3. Peel the cucumber, slice in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds. Finely dice and place in a bowl. Halve the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds. Using a sharp knife, finely dice and add to the cucumber. Finely chop the coriander and add to the other ingredients. Mix well with a good pinch of salt, the juice of half a lemon and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Keep to one side until serving. 4. Lay the lamb chops evenly on a tray and sprinkle liberally with salt. Place under a hot grill for four minutes until the top is golden. Turn them over, sprinkle again and place them back in to cook the other side. To plate: take a spoonful of the warm curry sauce and spread over the bottom of the plate. Lay the lamb chops on top and spoon the Israeli salad at the base of the lamb.

RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE CAKE Halfway between a cake and a brownie, this grown-up, sophisticated cake is the perfect end to a romantic meal. Serve with some whipped crème fraîche and fresh berries to balance out the richness of the dark chocolate. SERVES: 8 PREP: 15 mins COOKING TIME: 35-40 mins

INGREDIENTS

250g dark baking chocolate 225ml vegetable oil 1 tbsp instant coffee 5 eggs

100g golden caster sugar 85g plain flour 1 tsp ground cinnamon 175g fresh raspberries, plus extra to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease a 9-inch cake tin and cover the bottom with greaseproof paper. 2. Melt the chocolate, oil and coffee in a glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until it is liquid and shiny. Once melted, leave to cool slightly. 3. While it is cooling, beat together the eggs and caster sugar until the mixture is pale and doubled in size. Slowly tip the melted chocolate into the mixture, folding it with a metal spoon, ensuring it is all incorporated. 4. Sift together the flour and cinnamon into the mixture and fold in until everything is mixed. Pour the mixture into a baking tin and place the fresh raspberries all over, gently pushing them down so they are submerged into the mix. 5 .Put into the preheated oven for 25-45 minutes until the top is crisp and the cake is springy. Test the mixture by pushing a skewer down and seeing if it comes out clean. 6. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes before taking it out of the tin and serve with some whipped crème fraîche and fresh berries (optional).

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DRINK Ten Wines That Whisper ‘I Love You’

Wine brings romance to the table year round, says Tal Sunderland Cohen Wine has been produced and enjoyed for more than 9,000 years, and it is believed to have originated in the area surrounding the Levant (Israel, Lebanon) in the Caucasus Mountains in modern-day Georgia. Over time, wine production spread into Europe, where it became an integral part of daily life and celebrations. In ancient Rome, wine wasn’t just a drink; it was practically a social network! This was especially true during the festivals of Bacchus, the god of wine, where it seems the Romans believed in ‘the more, the merrier’ quite literally. Picture this: grand, boisterous parties, where the wine flowed as freely as the conversation – Facebook events but with togas and amphoras. The bond between wine and love is as old as time, or at least as old as the first person who realised that a glass of wine could make their date seem a lot more interesting. Let’s embark on a whimsical journey through the ages, exploring how wine has been the ultimate wingman from biblical times to Shakespearean sonnets. Wine in the Bible: Holy spirits When it comes to wine and love, even the Bible raises a glass. In the Song of Solomon,, wine is a metaphor for love, with verses such as: “Your love is better than wine.” But let’s be honest, depending on the vintage, sometimes wine might just edge out in front. Opera: where wine hits the high notes Opera and wine – a duet that hits the high notes of drama and romance. In Verdi’s La Traviata, when Violetta and Alfredo toast to love, we can’t help but think: “Ah, nothing says true love like sharing a good bottle of bubbly – preferably one that doesn’t make you sing like a soprano.” British literature: Jane Austen’s tipsy courtships In the world of Jane Austen, where a glance is scandalous and a dance is practically an engagement, wine plays a subtle yet pivotal role. It’s the social lubricant at balls and dinners, making Mr Darcy slightly more tolerable and Mr Collins, well, slightly less. Shakespeare: the Bard, wine and wooing Shakespeare knew his way around a vineyard of vocabulary, often mixing wine into his tales of love and mischief. In Othello, wine is both a toast to love and a tool for treachery. Meanwhile, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, it’s part of the fairy-tale recipe for romance, because what’s a little love potion without a splash of Merlot? 66 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

1. Louis Pommery England Brut VrankenPommery Monopole is the first French Champagne house to sell English wine. Nothing says ‘I adore you’ in a French accent like bubbles do. It’s like romance in a glass, but fizzier. £30 2. Or Haganuz Har Sinai A sweet, dessert-style red wine, this is for romantic evenings curled up next to the fireplace with chocolate truffles or a cheese plate. It has a deep, burgundy-red colour, an aroma of raisins, cherries, plums, coffee grains, toasted oak wood and chocolate, a full, soft and complex taste and an impressive, long finish. £40.99 3. Dalton Estate Rose When you want to say ani ohev otakh (I love you) in Hebrew, this slightly off-dry aromatic wine, with the essence of bright strawberry, rose petal and red grapefruit, has a unique ability to elevate cheeses, seasoned dishes and mood. £16.99 4. Ciabot Berton Barolo DOCG The wine equivalent of a Shakespearean sonnet – complex, timeless and slightly misunderstood. Elegant and full-bodied, with aromas of roses, truffle, blackcurrant and cinnamon. £33 5. Louis Violland Mercurey, Burgundy Pinot Noir is the shy, poetic type that whispers sweet nothings. Aged for eight months in oak barrels, this is a classical expression of Mercurey. Refined and luscious, it has bright red berry flavours, hints of earthy minerality and fine-grained tannins. £25 6. Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese, Mosel is a very romantic wine made from grapes that are harvested later, meaning only tiny yields are hand-picked – but only if each grape passes a close inspection. Lusciously sweet, with aromatic notes of honey, roasted hazelnut, pear, pineapple, flinty notes and a refreshing acidity. Enjoy this with blue cheese or fruity desserts. £35 7. E. Guigal Châteauneuf-du-Pape Like love, you can’t get enough of it. This is full-bodied, velvety and powerful, with notes of red fruits, plum, hazelnut and spice. Decant for an hour before serving or cellar for up to 15 years. When you can’t pronounce it, you know it’s good. £38 8. La Gioiosa Prosecco Valdobbiadene DOCG The Moretti Polegato family have been making Prosecco for three generations and this is their cream-of-the-crop fizz. It’s the party starter. A Prosecco toast is like saying: “I love you, let’s dance on the table.” £14 9. Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG Amarone is one of Italy’s most celebrated wines. Hailing from the Valpolicella region, it’s made from Corvina grapes that have been partially dried before crushing. Rich and intense, it’s like the dramatic love interest in a romance novel, but in a glass. Expensive but worth every sip. £70 10. Any other wine Leave it between us. When we’re in love and celebrating, what’s important is that there’s something good in the glass. There is love in the air, so every wine will be delicious. The best wine for love is the one that makes you both smile. Love might be complex, but choosing a wine for your beloved shouldn’t be. So, raise a glass to love, laughter and the liquid magic that has been bringing people together since someone accidentally left grape juice out for too long. L’chaim!

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WEDDINGS

ONE DAY Planning a wedding is a huge task and there are many suppliers to choose from. Here are a few to get you started. By Louisa Walters Nearly 40 percent of engagements take place between the end of November and the end of February. If you or your children were among them then you’ll be embarking on the very exciting journey that is organising a wedding. I have two children getting married this year – one in March and one in June – and one of the best things about it is the amount of quality time we have spent together discussing the plans. With two very different simchas to arrange – one in a London hotel, the other at a countryside estate – we have carefully researched each aspect. Every couple has a vision for their big day and you need to work with the right suppliers to bring that dream to life.

South Farm

Venues Imagine getting married surrounded by 20 acres of beautiful countryside with beautiful barns, meadows, orchards and courtyards as your backdrop. South Farm in Hertfordshire is an exclusiveuse venue with lots of ceremony and reception options. Twinkling fairy lights adorn the beams of the historic barn and rare-breed farm animals reside happily in the barnyard and paddocks. There’s accommodation for the happy couple and their guests and additional accommodation in the surrounding area. With a keen eye on sustainability, South Farm is well-versed in catering for Jewish weddings, with a choice

of menus and styles featuring home-grown seasonal produce from its own smallholding. There’s an experienced team on hand to help you make all the plans for a perfect day. south-farm.co.uk Avenue at Henley’s Corner is a refreshingly ‘blank’ canvas, giving you endless possibilities for a tailor-made event. In the heart of north London, it is perfectly placed to cater for the community. Standing behind

a bank of olives trees, which are a statement of Avenue’s modus operandi of promoting peace and cementing families, it offers a highly flexible function space, with parking on site and state-of-the-art lighting and technology. Avenue has developed great working relationships with kosher caterers and well-known event suppliers and is in the process of applying for a wedding licence so you’ll soon be able to have a chuppah on-site too. avenue.uk.com

Metropolitan Bushey

If 36 acres of open outdoor space is not enough to host a post-chuppah drinks reception, then check out the four versatile function spaces, the largest of which can seat 250 of your nearest and dearest for a dinner dance. Is this miles from London? No – it’s just outside Watford with plenty of parking! Metropolitan Bushey’s spaces are all stylishly minimalist, perfect for you to add a personal touch with your own theming. In-house catering can provide an ‘inoffensive’ menu, or you can bring in a kosher caterer. Best Avenue of all is the flexibility, allowing you to call the shots on how to use the space and who and what to bring in to make your day your very own. metropolitanbushey. co.uk LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 69

WEDDINGS

Sopwell House

Sopwell House in St Albans is a sprawling Georgian country manor that was formerly the residence of Lord Mountbatten. Today, it is the perfect setting for a day of romance and splendour, with fully flexible set-ups and some of the prettiest photo opportunities in the area. Within the 12acre grounds is a walled garden – perfect for a summertime chuppah – and a pretty metalwork gazebo that is the perfect ‘first photo’ backdrop. There are many function suites, the largest being the St Alban, which leads out onto the gardens and can accommodate up to 300 people. Bring in a kosher caterer or have the on-site team feed your guests – either way, this is such a great venue, with plenty of parking and no one needs to travel far to get there. That said, there are 128 bedrooms so maybe you can persuade all your guests to stay over to keep the celebrations going! sopwellhouse.co.uk

Invitations Do not underestimate the importance of the invitation – it’s the ‘first look’ at your wedding and sets the tone. With a solid background in both traditional print and digital design, Darren Gale at

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Invitation London knows how to make an invitation that perfectly matches your event. He’s got an eye for design that can take even the simplest idea and turn it into something amazing. The team will design your event logo and create all the stationery you’ll need, from the invite to the on-the-day menus and escort cards, plus the all-important thank you note. But what’s most key for Invitation London is making sure your event stationery reflects who you are. That’s why they work closely with you at every step. It’s your event, after all, and they want to make sure it starts off on the right foot – or even letter! invitationlondon.com

chazans and with each client on a highly personalised vision for their event. To top it all, The White Keys is expanding to New York and opening offices across the pond later this year. thewhitekeys.co.uk Caliente Music is a powerhouse of live music solutions for events worldwide. Led by renowned arranger and orchestrator Udi Or-Haim, the company has been leading the event scene since 2008 across four platforms: international DJs, live music, music publishing and media solutions for commercial spaces. What does this mean for your wedding? Well, with lots of experience

The White Keys

Music If you get it ‘white’, the musical element of your wedding is guaranteed to ring in the ears long after the party is over. The White Keys is a transatlantic collective and tight-knit musical family, comprising some of some of London’s most highly acclaimed session musicians and vocalists. Established as a band in 2009 and performing at more than 100 shows a year all over the world ever since, it was recently chosen as resident house band for the FIFA World Cup, performing to 40,000 football fans each night for two weeks. Well-seasoned in its all-out 14-piece show band format, or in its more compact and totally bespoke DJ LIVE unit, The White Keys can cover all musical requirements, from drinks receptions and chuppahs to the main event. The members are renowned for their high octane, interactive performances, working closely with London’s top

Flowers Flowers and weddings go together like... well, flowers and weddings. You can’t have one without the other! When Maples Flowers opened 10 years ago as a little shop in Apsley, Hertfordshire, the goal was to provide impeccable service and stunning arrangements. Dedication has paid off and Maples is now a go-to for florals for weddings, events and bouquets, having won many prestigious awards. Did you know flowers get graded? Maples uses Grade A1 flowers, which get delivered directly to the shop from growers in Holland, meaning they are as fresh as possible and don’t spend time sitting in warehouses or markets. You’ll have a vision for your day but you’ll have a budget too – the team will work carefully and creatively to make it all work. maplesflowers.co.uk

in working with high-end clients and prestigious brands, Caliente is well-versed in producing, arranging and orchestrating the very best in music and production. The Maples offerings vary from full symphonic orchestra Flowers and sizzling, swinging big bands all the way to different-sized function bands and DJs. Top-tier musicians and entertainers are charismatic showmen, offering a huge musical repertoire. Caliente Music is also engaged in several artistic and sustainable ventures, including the Tel Aviv Jazz Festival, the Honors Symphonic Expo and Street Level (the University of the Street Arts). caliente.co.il Caliente

WEDDINGS

Wedding body You’ve said yes and now it’s time to get wedding-ready. Having a goal to aim for can really motivate us to embrace new habits and focus on bettering our lives. Kick-start your wellness journey at The Laboratory Spa and Health Club in Mill Hill. It’s more than just a place to work out; it’s a sanctuary for luxury and wellbeing. The gym is equipped with cutting-edge fitness equipment and is led by experienced trainers, with classes and personal training options. You can unwind and get pampered in the spa with a range of treatments, from soothing massages to rejuvenating facials. Whether your goal is weight loss, strength gain or a holistic enhancement of your overall wellbeing, the team at The Lab has the expertise and resources to ensure your success. labspa.co.uk

Wedding nails The engagement ring selfie is a growing trend with more than 1.3 million posts on Instagram with the hashtag #justengaged. Having perfectly-manicured nails to show off your diamond is a must and Kate Middleton’s manicurist Marina Sandoval says that different diamond types suit different nail shapes. For the square-shaped princess-cut with four pointed corners or cushion-cut diamonds with rounded corners, Marina advises squared-off nails. Round and oval diamonds maximise light owing to the many circular facets, and she

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says both pair perfectly with a rounded nail. For a marquise or pear-shaped diamond, she advises stiletto or almond-shaped nails, while ‘squoval’ complements an emeraldcut. When it comes to colour, Marina says: “Around 50 percent of my clients will go for a pale pink natural nail colour and the other 50 percent will go for a warmer shade like peach or light pink.” Or you could go for the French manicure, but steer clear of the nail art. “Nail art or glitter makes the hand look artificial and takes away from the precious stone,” says Marina. If you’ve just got engaged but haven’t chosen your ring yet, head to Jewellery Cave in Finchley or Hatton Jewellers in Chelmsford. jewellerycave.co.uk hatton-jewellers.com

Coworth Park Spa

...And breathe After all that planning, it’s time for a refresh and recharge before the big day. Fitting nicely into the white theme that is all things bridal, the spa at Coworth Park is white both inside and out... except for the glorious living roof, which is planted with St John’s Wort, lavender, camomile and thyme. A standalone building in the grounds of the renowned hotel (which is part of the Dorchester Collection), the spa is a duplex structure with huge glass vistas flooding the interior with natural light, even on the grey February day when my daughter and I visited. In this it stands apart from many other spas, which are all too often in a basement. We were there to relax, unwind and share some quality time together in the

busy run-up to her wedding next month. A smiley Hayley greeted us on arrival and gave us a quick tour. We saw a cute mani/pedi suite that has room for four people and even has a hair wash and styling station; if you were getting married at Coworth Park this would be a great place to get ready. But we were here to take a well-earned rest from wedding planning, so the steam room, treatment rooms, pool and relaxation room were on our agenda. There are luxury changing rooms with individual lockers, fluffy robes, flip flops and cute branded tote bags to take home. The bride took off for the well-equipped gym to keep up her wedding body routine while I went with the lovely Shevon, who has worked here since it opened in 2010, for a full body sea salt scrub and massage. The treatment rooms have natural light from recessed skylights, which cannot be seen on the treatment bed, but throw a wash of natural light across the high ceiling. The spa uses Ishga products, a range that blends Hebridean seaweed with essential oils. I opted for the Jubilee blend, which

was developed exclusively for Coworth to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and features her favourite Lily of the Valley. Shevon got to work with expert hands to slew away my dry skin and draw out the toxins, leaving me clean, smooth and moisturised. A heavenly massage unknotted some of my tense muscles and sent me in to a deep state of calm. I padded across the corridor to the relaxation room, a serene and luxurious space decorated and furnished in 50 shades of white with touches of green, to enjoy a camomile tea and a homemade oat and raisin cookie on a chaise longue positioned with a view across the beautiful gardens and polo fields. After my daughter had the same treatment, we had lunch in the Spatisseire (such a great name someone should trademark it) and stuck to our pre-wedding light diet with a platter each of a tomato consommé shot, a heritage tomato salad, a goat’s cheese and beetroot salad and a little indulgence in the form of coconut mousse in a white chocolate shell. We then spent the afternoon by the pool. Even this is filled with natural daylight and an entire glass side that opens out onto a sun terrace in warmer weather. With just three weeks to go until the big day, our minds are relaxed, our bodies are refreshed, our skin is rejuvenated and we are wedding-ready! dorchestercollection.com/ascot/ coworth-park

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Having a function? You need a band! ‘A mix of music that tailors to all ages is so important. If you get the music right, it will make the wedding’ Performing at more than 250 events a year worldwide, and with a social media following of more than 365,000 followers, plus more than 125 million views on TikTok, The Function Band are the most sought-after band in the industry, and the most followed event band in the world. Comprising an incredible team of talented singers and musicians, The Function Band create an immersive experience for guests to enjoy and memories to last a lifetime. The band members have entertained some of the biggest celebrities in music, sport, television and film, and performed alongside the likes of Ellie Goulding, Lewis Capaldi, Craig David, Dizzee Rascal, Roger Taylor (Queen), Cliff Richard, Madness, Alfie Boe, Michael Ball and many more. The Function Band can do the full gamut of simcha entertainment, from a DJ Live set up to an all-singing all-dancing showband. They can also do an entire event package, as their many years in the industry (16 and counting) means the team have access to the best suppliers in the world. The production design team will build a custom stage, create a stunning light show and pull together your function in ways you never even dreamed of. “Whether you have The Function Band DJ Live, consisting of six to 10 people, or The Function Band

Showband of nine to 20 people, the chemistry is the same,” says owner Dan Rosen. “Our set lists are completely bespoke, comprising the regular favourites, chart hits and everything in between.” What has been the biggest ‘wow’ moment for you? We’ve been doing this for 16 years and every year brings new ‘wow’ moments. But recently we performed at the wedding of Ricky Wilson from the Kaiser Chiefs. For us as musicians, there is no bigger compliment than huge-selling artists choosing us to provide their entertainment. What are people choosing for their first dance song? Last year we played a lot of Latch by Sam Smith and Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis. How can you make a chuppah extra special? Having a chazan and live music can really make the chuppah memorable and emotional. What do you think makes a function great? The guests and the entertainment. Nobody has ever left an event and said: “I ate the best chicken breast ever,” or “I saw the best flowers,” but if your Nana is standing on the table singing Gangsta’s Paradise in the middle of the main course, you will remember that forever! What is hot right now in terms of activities? Disposable cameras on every table is a nice touch so you can get photos from your friends’ and family’s perspective.

When the audience is a mixed age group, how do you keep the balance right? This is why having a good mix of music that tailors to every age group is so important. It wouldn’t be fun if it was just the bride and groom’s friends on the dance floor. You need to include everyone and if you get the music right, it will make the wedding. What’s your top tip for lighting design to create an ambience? If your venue allows, then you should definitely have haze, as it majorly enhances the lights, allowing you to see all the beams flooding across the room. However, even though lighting helps the room look special, it’s important to have something that works for you and your budget.

thefunction.band 020 3971 0222 hello@thefunction.band

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CHAMPION’S LEGACY

Love and war

When the UK executive director of Israel Guide Dog Centre (IGDC) died in January, the charity lost a dynamic team member who was dedicated to the work, the dogs and Israel, where he had served in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). Even with exhausting health struggles, Martin Segal (right) stayed focused on the centre and even more so after October 7. Around that time 140 puppies were born and IGDC staff were called up for army duty. Martin often talked about the need for additional trainers and the intensity of that training, which is now recognised internationally. The IGDC is creating a Guide Dog Trainers academy, based on the UK Guide Dogs model. Martin initiated the collaboration. “The war has increased the need for more PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] service dogs,” says interim executive director Hazel Kaye. “We already know a number of IDF soldiers have been blinded during this war and 15 percent of all war injuries are eye-related. The war has increased pressure to significantly raise the number of PTSD service dogs available to IDF veterans and ordinary citizens.” Over the past decade, IGDC has given hundreds of emotional support dogs to families with children who have additional needs and those on the autism spectrum and will now provide dogs to individuals, and both children and families as a whole. “We are finalising plans to renovate the veterinary clinic, which was built 30 years ago,” says Hazel. “It is small and dark and doesn’t meet the needs of an organisation that is responsible for hundreds of dogs at any one time. The estimated cost is NIS 1.5 million (£320,000).” Martin’s wife Rebecca, son Natan and his many friends continue his work, but his passing leaves a hole in the charity he loved. Every dog in the IGDC blue coat is a salute to their champion, Martin Segal. israelguidedog.org.uk

Pet Purpose

Birthday wishes to Waggington’s owner, Tracie. There will be celebrations as shown above for boarders and day visitors on 20 Feb waggingtons.co.uk

Dogs don’t read,but many can spell W.A.L.K and also S.O.U.P if they live in Jewish homes. They also know when they’ve misbehaved as they get no affection for two minutes. Anne Frank deeply loved her cat Moortje, who she had to leave behind. Anne also loved the dog owned by Isa Cauvern, an employee of her father Otto. In The Jewish Dog, an Israeli bestseller, author Asher Kravitz gives Caleb German Jewish owners in the 1930s. Caleb witnesses the rise of Nazism, being separated from his family, then being adopted by a Nazi family and becoming an SS military dog. Caleb’s philosophical musings are ironic and even humorous as he explores the fine line that separates humanity from animals. Mala Kacenberg shares her real story in Mala’s Cat, which reveals how she survived in the Polish forest with only her cat, after the Nazis murdered her Anne Frank with Isa Cauvern’s dog family. Both books are available on Amazon.

After completing military service, travelling for a year in South America and coming back to Israel to volunteer in an army preparatory programme it was finally time for IDF soldier Omri Kantor, 24, to settle down to studies in Herzliya. A few weeks before he was due to start, he had one week reserve duty planned, Omri with Charlie which turned into three months in the West Bank and Gaza after Hamas’ terrorist attack. “When I was finally released in time to start uni in the special session set up for reserve duty soldiers, I decided I wanted to adopt a dog who would also appreciate the comforts of home,” says Omri. He contacted an agency that matches abandoned puppies with families and had to undergo a long interview process. “Charlie, half-Golden Retriever and half-Swiss Shepherd, was very scared of strangers when he came, but he now follows me around and sits next to me while I’m studying. It’s a pleasure to come home every day.”

ROVER HERE

A while back the dating app Tinder branched out into the animal kingdom with pop-up dating gatherings. The aim was to bring together single dog lovers and now there are more. dogloversdating.co.uk enables dog lovers to connect all over the UK. So if your dog is a big part of your life and you have not met that someone who feels the same way, just sign up for free, create a profile, answer a few questions, upload a photo and woof you go. You don’t need to own a dog to join the site, you just need to love being around them. It’s the same deal for companion.singles, which gets on average 75,000 new matches made and more than 100,000 private messages sent between members every month. The company has 60,000 members globally so you can walk your dog anywhere for love. Cat owners are welcome too.

How often have you been on holiday, befriended a stray dog or cat and wished you could bring them home? If you are in the Algarve this summer and feel like adopting, head to Tiny Shelter, which is full of homeless dogs and puppies. Run on donations, Isabel Searle’s animal shelter near Albufeira has operated tirelessly for decades and they will even help you move your adoptee back to the UK. tinyshelter.eu

Purr-im When it comes to chag dress-up on 23 March, bring your pets in on the fun. To inspire you, here’s Hermione as Audrey Hepburn, Lily channelling Queen Esther and Buster as Daniel’s lion in the den.

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CAMP SIMCHA IS HERE FOR CHILDREN WITH OVER 50 SERIOUS, LIFE-CHANGING OR LIFE-THREATENING MEDICAL CONDITIONS These include but are not limited to: degenerative or congenital conditions; all types of cancer; cardiac conditions; chronic illnesses such as Diabetes and IBD; serious mental health conditions; premature babies; serious surgery and acute trauma. We provide practical, therapeutic and emotional support for the whole family when a child is seriously ill. Please get in touch • 020 8202 9297 • 0161 341 0589 help@campsimcha.org.uk WWW.CAMPSIMCHA.ORG.UK Charity Registered No. 1180646

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COMMUNITY

Confronting the

climate crisis

We have a Jewish and humanitarian responsibility to respond to challenges posed by climate change. World Jewish Relief shares how it is doing just that

s the global impact of the climate crisis deepens, with devastating floods, rampant wildfires and rising sea levels, the Jewish imperative to act has never been stronger. The Earth groans under the weight of our collective carbon footprint, challenging us to step up in a truly unparalleled way. World Jewish Relief sees this as not only a humanitarian crisis but also a Jewish one; the charity’s rich tradition of justice, stewardship and compassion compelling us to act. Climate change profoundly impacts our planet, from biodiversity loss to polar ice melting and land degradation through increased salt levels and erosion. This has a very real impact on humans; agricultural yields decline, impacting more than 2.5 billion people’s livelihoods, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN. The number of people being forced from their homes due to climate change and sudden climate-related disasters, such as floods, droughts and cyclones, is increasing every year. At the end of 2022, a staggering 8.7 million people were living in internal displacement due to disasters, 98 percent

Bishnu sells his produce at the market

of which were climate-related (Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, 2023). In some regions, the climate crisis causes violent conflict due to limited resources. Human health suffers. Diseases spread faster. Lives are lost. Judaism has always placed the saving of life, pikuach nefesh, at its core. With the World Health Organisation estimating the climate crisis causes up to 100,000 deaths annually, our response becomes not just an act of aid but of imperative morality. The Talmud teaches us: “Whoever saves a single life, it is as if they have saved the whole world.” Our tradition also fiercely advocates for the protection of the vulnerable, a call echoed by the late Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, who affirmed that the moral strength of a society lies in its compassion for the weak. The climate crisis continues to impact the most vulnerable individuals and communities around the world, who have often contributed the least to global carbon emissions. People living in poverty are less able to rebuild homes and livelihoods after a climaterelated disaster or to invest in protecting them beforehand. They also tend to live on the most dangerous land, such as flood plains and low-lying coastal areas, because it is the cheapest. Refugees and migrants living

The WJR team meeting partners and members of the community in Sindhupalchok, Nepal

in makeshift housing have little protection against climate-related disasters such as floods and tropical storms. Older people and the very young are physically more vulnerable to disasters such as heatwaves, extreme cold and drought. This means that assisting those impacted by the crisis is complex and there is a lot communities may need support with. World Jewish Relief has been implementing a diverse set of programmes to address some of these issues since 2022. Together with local partner organisations, World Jewish Relief is helping some of the most at-risk communities to build their ‘resilience’ to climate change. In the first two years of the charity’s climate resilience programmes, it supported 25,707 people in Myanmar, Philippines, Bangladesh, Nepal and Ethiopia with new livelihoods that are not as sensitive to climate conditions, cyclone preparedness training, early warning systems for climate-related disasters and even flood-resistant toilets. There has been significant impact – 99 percent of the participants in Bangladesh have successfully adapted their livelihoods, and 95 percent have increased their income. All humanitarian responses, whether to climate-related disasters or to earthquakes and conflict, have as little environmental impact as possible. Two years ago, World Jewish Relief began preparing communities across Nepal to develop sustainable livelihoods, which would be resilient to changes in climate. For the northern mountainous communities, as well as southern communities in the flatter plains region, World Jewish Relief has provided agricultural training through local trainers who know the environment, the soil and the crops. They have been taught specialist techniques and how to grow drought and flood-resistant crops to eat and to sell at market. Providing the resources and education for women to feel empowered to participate has ensured that all members of the community are able to build resilient futures. Rabbi Dina Brawer, executive director of World Jewish Relief USA, told the story of 58-year-old Bishnu, a farmer in Nepal, to a room full of leaders, non-governmental organisations and policy-makers at the Clinton Global Initiative meeting in September

Women are empowered by World Jewish Relief to build climate-resilient futures

2023. Bishnu was born into a poor family in the Mahottari district of Nepal, inheriting only 0.43 hectares of land, from which he needed to support his wife and children. After decades of hard work, the family members were finally able to feed themselves and send the younger children to school. But this has all been threatened by the changing climate. When World Jewish Relief first met Bishnu, he was again struggling to make ends meet as his village was constantly hit by droughts and floods, and his crops often failed or were destroyed. Partnering with a Nepalese organisation called the Community SelfReliance Centre, World Jewish Relief has supported Bishnu and 2,500 of his fellow smallholder farmers. Helping the farmers to understand how the climate crisis is affecting them, and to reform their farming procedures, has yielded remarkable results. Bishnu has expanded his vegetable farming substantially, with a diverse range of crops that are more resistant to droughts, such as beans, cabbages, cauliflowers, chillies, bitter gourd and aubergine, which he can sell at market to provide for his family once more. By the end of 2024, World Jewish Relief aims to have nurtured resilience in more than 22,000 more people across countries that are highly vulnerable to the effects of the climate crisis – Nepal, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, the Philippines and Morocco – and equip communities with the tools and knowledge to withstand and recover. worldjewishrelief.org LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 79

COMMUNITY

When the going gets tough, the tough get

volunteering Angie Jacobs, volunteer broker at the Jewish Volunteering Network (JVN), says a deep love of Israel translated into an upsurge in volunteering after October 7

fter our initial response of shock, horror and grief when the grim events of October 7 unfolded, our next reaction was ‘What can we do to help?’ For us here in the diaspora, two and a half thousand miles away, options were limited, but over the past four months we have dug deep to use our creativity, generosity and resources. It’s all about love. Our love of Israel and our people. At JVN we make connections, or shidduchs as I like to call them, between volunteers and charities, mostly – but not entirely – within the Jewish community. In the weeks after October 7, we were inundated with calls and emails from people already registered with us and from new volunteers, who wanted specifically to do something to help Israel. We had to act fast – sourcing relevant roles from charities and passing on the information to the interested parties. Instead of going through the usual process of advertising opportunities on the JVN website and people applying through us, we had to devise new ways of connecting people to roles, sending out newsletters to those who had specifically stated that they wanted to support Israel. Many of the roles were unprecedented – monitoring the television news for Jewish Leadership Council, recruiting Hebrew speakers to help Israeli children who moved to the UK because of the war settle into new schools, taking part in telethons to 80 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

Above: Charlotte Cob volunteers with Wheat Free Warriors, which sources and distributes gluten-free food

Above: The JVN awards ceremony took place in January. Right: Israeli President Isaac Herzog addressed JVN volunteers

fundraise for Israeli charities such as Emunah and UJIA. People were more open to volunteer than ever before – they just wanted to feel useful. We engaged the help of some of our own volunteers to pitch in with the increased workload. Unsurprisingly, informal acts of volunteering were taking place left, right and centre (no political connotation intended). If you didn’t know someone flying out to Israel, your machatonim did and they would be able to take out a bag of supplies for the soldiers – energy bars, first aid kits, underwear, paracord to name but a few of the requests. GIFT arranged numerous collections for people who had been displaced, the goods being sorted at the charity’s warehouse in Hendon. We could not find appropriate roles for all of the well-meaning applicants, but we took the opportunity to reiterate to them how many of our regular charities were still crying out for volunteers.

Consequently, I’m pleased to say that there has been an increase in people volunteering in local charities since October 7. The annual JVN awards ceremony at The Grove in January coincided with the 100-day anniversary of the attacks. In a specially-recorded video from Jerusalem, the President of The State of Israel, Isaac Herzog, addressed a room full of the community’s finest volunteers,

Gluten-free food for distribution

chosen by their charities. “I want to thank each of you for bringing your deep connected hearts, helping each other in the UK community in so many different forms of volunteer work. You weave the thread of connection that keeps our people strong,” he said. A special recognition award was presented to Community Security Trust volunteers on account of their amazing commitment to the Jewish community. This is a charity to which 1,700 people have applied to become volunteer security officers since the rise in antisemitism. ESRA, a JVN partner charity, was able to absorb a lot of applications. Based in Israel, ESRA matches English-speaking tutors with students from all sectors of

Israeli society – Jews, Arabs, Druze and Bedouins. Once they are matched with a tutor, they meet on Zoom for about 15 sessions of 30-40 minutes once a week. ESRA helps tutors by training them and offering them access to an online bank of resources and suitable materials. This has always been a popular role and, while life is far from normal right now in Israel, students receiving tutoring feel greatly supported. It provides a sense of normality and shows them that people outside of Israel still care. Charlotte Cobb from Manchester, who has coeliac disease, volunteers for an Israeli charity called Wheat Free Warriors, which sources and distributes gluten-free food for Israel Defence Forces soldiers and displaced families. Her attitude to volunteering is heart-warming and powerful. She implored her ‘manager’ in Israel: “Give me more to do, because I’m here and there is nothing crazy going on in my life. “Not long ago, everybody was so angry with each other about what now seem like really menial political issues,” she says. “Their energy was going into protesting, but now everybody’s energy is going into doing what they can for everybody else.” The volunteering will continue, both here in the diaspora and on organised missions to Israel. Our hearts may be broken, but our love of Israel is stronger than ever.

ISRAEL’S CHILDREN NEED YOU Be there for them with a gift in your Will

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Igor Tudoran’s story is a remarkable example of bravery and resilience. Tudoran, 27, a reservist who volunteered for duty after the 7th October attack on Israel, lost his right leg beneath the hip. With his life-changing injury, and need for rehabilitation, he is just one of an increasing number of newly wounded Israeli soldiers and victims of terror that Beit Halochem is helping. The need to help is greater than ever. Beit Halochem is there, ensuring that every injured soldier and victim of terror gets the help they need, today, tomorrow and for the rest of their lives.

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CHARITY Communal charities give support in myriad ways all year round. By Louisa Walters

the care of a charity

WRAPPED WITH LOVE Camp Simcha families often say that the charity’s support feels like being ‘wrapped in a blanket of love’ because, in addition to its many practical and therapeutic support services for families who have a seriously ill child, one of its core values is to fight illness with love. “That love comes in many forms,” says Camp Simcha co-founder and head of family liaison Rachely Plancey. “Our staff and volunteers wrap their love around a family, which is why Camp Simcha is so much more than a list of services to those it supports. Family liaison officers not only give emotional support, [but] they put their heart into finding bespoke and creative ways to bring relief and joy to each family member. “At the same time, Camp Simcha’s Big Brother and Big Sister volunteers form special bonds with the seriously ill children and siblings they support, bringing fun, respite and a positive, uplifting constant into their lives. “Families often stay connected with their volunteers well beyond their time with Camp Simcha.” The services team plans every party, outing and residential retreat with love, care and attention to detail to ensure it is as joyful and stress-free as possible. “When my husband and I founded Camp Simcha 29 years ago,” says Rachely, “we began by personally supporting a

few families in the local community. Even as the charity grew exponentially, we have always maintained that it should not lose that family feel or that sense of love. Everyone works together and supports each other. There is a huge sense of joint purpose, teamwork and commitment to the work we are doing.” campsimcha.org.uk

Camp Simcha

LOVE SHOULDN’T HURT On average it takes a Jewish woman 10 years from her first experience of abuse to deciding to seek help. For some, just being heard and understood can be sufficient empowerment to navigate the challenges they are experiencing in their relationship. Women turn to Jewish Women’s Aid (JWA) to confide in and share accounts of emotional, coercive and financial control, physical abuse and sexual assault. Many express feelings of confusion about their continued love for their partner, their family and their community

Below left: At Camp Simcha. Right: Siblings Riva and Monty with volunteers at the charity

7Plus was set up to help those affected by the October 7 attacks

despite the unloving situations in which they find themselves. For others, the journey of choosing self-love and a different pathway is long, frightening and unbearably difficult. Their love for their religious beliefs, Jewish identity and community can be obstacles to choosing self-love over an abusive relationship. Jewish Women’s Aid’s team of qualified caseworkers and volunteers listen with compassion and without judgement to women from across the religious spectrum. “It’s hard to put into words my appreciation for JWA. I feel so listened to and grateful for the safe space I was provided and I was blown away by the amount of support I got,” says Angela. Jewish Women’s Aid is there at every step, offering immediate, culturally empathetic practical, emotional, financial, and legal support, empowering Jewish women to understand their situation and equipping them with the self-worth, knowledge and communication skills to take control and move forward with their lives. “I am so grateful. The team is incredible. I never felt judged. My pride was knocked but, thanks to JWA, my confidence has been rebuilt,” says Francine. “My support worker made dealing with my terrible situation so much easier. Learning about healthy relationships was very helpful and I am now more aware of red flags. I am open to moving forward

and seeing someone again. I don’t think that would have happened had I not reached out to JWA,” says Lauren. jwa.org.uk SEVEN WAYS TO SHOW LOVE There is an unprecedented mental health crisis in Israel, where more than half of the population is grappling with profound suffering and anxiety. Amid this, the 7Plus project is a beacon of hope, compassion, healing and love. This initiative aims to aid individuals directly and indirectly affected by the events of October 7, as well as by the ongoing war in the region. It goes beyond the government’s commitment to care for the population within 7km of the Gaza and northern borders, providing support, empowering families and helping individuals cope with the enduring effects of trauma. The goal is to rebuild resilience while preventing second-generation traumas, ensuring a brighter future for all. Drawing from years of experience in rehabilitating those affected by war and terror, the 7Plus team has a commitment to healing, showcased through their success in aiding victims of war in Ukraine. A network of therapists is ready to provide professional psychological help. Seven-plus.org THE HEART OF CARING Rachel Jones, director of care & housing services at Jewish Care says love is at the heart of what Jewish Care does. “It is LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 83

Members of Jami’s Finchley hub and to integrate back into the outside world. We also want to give them the confidence to arrange their own social activities together, outside of the hub. The hub is very peer support-led. We all support each other.” Tom couldn’t agree more. “I feel like I’ve really grown to trust everyone and they’re really on my side.” jamiuk.org

Senga and Terry at Jewish Care Kun Mor & George Kiss care home

the people and the love that make Jewish Care a truly special place to work and why we love every day at Jewish Care. “Although we care for the Jewish community, our employees come from all faiths, backgrounds and nationalities. They’re valued and supported in just the same way we value the people we care for. Because that’s love. Every day.” Staff take great pride in their work and often go above and beyond for residents, tenants and members. So when they receive a thank you note, a compliment, or even a warm smile from a relative of someone they care for, it really does mean the world. A relative whose mother was a resident at a Jewish Care home in Redbridge, says: “I am genuinely struggling to find all the right words to say to every single person whom I have met at Vi & John Rubens House. The love, care, devotion and attention you gave to my beloved mum Lily is impossible to phrase highly

Eve at Jewish Care’s Go Purple week

KKL enough. What you all did for her is well beyond the duty of care. “I will never forget seeing staff members cuddling and joking with Lily as though she were their own mother. Without the move to the home, I would never have been introduced to such wonderful people. The best people in the whole world.” jewishcare.org HUB WITH A HEART Jami’s hubs provide safe spaces and social connection for people with longterm mental illness and distress – but that’s only part of the story. They also offer a setting where kindness and understanding among members and staff enable friendships to flourish, vulnerable people to thrive and lives to be transformed. At Jami’s hub in Finchley, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. Some people are sitting at tables, having a chat or just doing their own thing,

while others are relaxing in comfy chairs. Andrew Barbarash, Jami’s north-west area coordinator, who runs the hub, says: “It is a place where people can be themselves. They can be emotional here – and that’s okay. But there’s also a lot of laughter, a lot of camaraderie. People feel safe here. They feel like they are part of a big family.” Among the people who attend the hub each week is Tom, whose mental health hit rock bottom following a serious driving accident that prevented him from working. Feeling very low and at a loss as to what to do each day, Tom started going to the hub six months ago. He says: “Everybody is caring. It’s like a family. Coming here has been very good for me.” Tom also discovered a love for words in the creating writing sessions he attends at the hub. “I’ve surprised myself at how imaginative I can be,” he says. “Everyone loves what I write.” Andrew explains: “We empower people to be their true selves here. The aim is to support people to become less reliant

LEGACY OF LOVE Naturally in your later years you will think about leaving your assets to those you love. KKL Executor and Trustee Company, the legacy arm of JNF Charitable Trust, is well known for its work in the field of wills and legacies. However, less well known is its unique role in dealing with the administration of estates, for those who have no close family, friends or professional advisors. KKL will perform the usual tasks related to the administration of an estate – collecting assets, calculating and paying inheritance tax, paying legacies, and distributing residue under the terms of the will. It will also assist with Jewish functions associated with death – arranging the funeral, tombstone consecration and for Kaddish to be recited. KKL has decades of experience in providing this service to the Jewish community and beyond. The appointment of KKL as executor can remove the anxiety concerning who will administer your estate in accordance with your will. The charity can even arrange burial in Israel. It also provides extensive pastoral services, visiting clients in their home or in hospital and keeping in regular contact. Making or changing your will with the benefit of proper advice ensures that all the years of nurturing your assets will not be wasted. Leaving a gift in your will to JNF Charitable Trust ensures the continuation of vital work in regenerating the Negev region and in supporting the lives of the people of Israel. kkl.org.uk

Supporting our members to thrive Kisharon Langdon offers support and opportunities for people within the Jewish learning disability and autism community throughout life’s journey.

We offer supported living and education provisions, as well as a comprehensive employment programme, work experience and training, and youth services. At the heart of everything we do lie our Jewish values. We are committed to meeting unique religious and cultural needs and enabling the people that we support to realise their ambitions.

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TRAVEL

BEATRIX CLARK VISITS WHISTLER AND FINDS PLENTY ON OFFER FOR NON-SKIERS

Narin Falls, Whistler

’m not a skier and I don’t ‘do’ cold, so a snowy mountain resort is not my go-to holiday destination. I make an exception, however, for a child I haven’t seen for several months and when our son – an avid skier who’s immune to the cold – left last November to work the season in Whistler, I knew a visit would be on the cards. We waited until April (less cold), I stocked up on thermals and set off with my husband – also a ski enthusiast - for British Columbia. Our first two nights were spent in Vancouver, a vibrant place with an impressive array of sky scrapers, cannabis shops (it’s legal in BC) and everything you’d expect from Canada’s thirdlargest city – including Canada’s third-largest (after Toronto and Montreal), and rapidly growing, Jewish community. Vancouver is notoriously wet – I was surprised to learn it’s located within the Pacific temperate rainforest – but the rain did not deter us from setting off on foot to explore a couple of highlights. The first, Granville Island, is a charming waterfront enclave brimming

the village with nearby lakes, forest and viewpoints – the crisp, clean air and stunning scenery a balm for the soul. Snowmobiling along back country terrain sounded thrilling, if a bit scary, and is on my list for next time. with independent boutiques, galleries and Our son had purchased a cheap car and, one of the most tempting food markets mechanical issues thankfully resolved before I’ve ever seen. My husband was happy to we arrived, drove us to the nearby village park himself in the Granville Island Brewing of Pemberton, where a gentle climb took Company while I revelled in the cornucopia us to Nairn Falls and to Squamish, where of delectable produce on offer. Equally we rode the Sea to Sky gondola for the unmissable is Stanley Park, where a six-and-afull mountain experience. Embracing the half-mile walk was a rewarding – if somewhat elements, we crossed the suspension bridge soggy – introduction to the majestic trees, at the top in a blizzard and tramped along totem poles and 8.8km sea wall for which the snowy Panorama trail; the views that Vancouver’s largest green space is famous. day were sadly non-existent but it was an A two-hour bus ride from downtown exhilarating experience. Vancouver along the scenic Sea to Sky Closer to home, Creekside – just 10 minutes highway – a visual feast of dramatic from Whistler Village – was well worth a mountains, lakes and forest also known visit if only to sample the standout drinks, as Route 99 – took us to the legendary sandwiches and decor at Rockit, an uberresort that is Whistler. The town achieved cool coffee shop decked out in 70s and 80s international prominence when it hosted events for the 2010 Winter Olympics; although memorabilia with a soundtrack to match. If I had to name my holiday high point – not best known for skiing and snowboarding, easy in a place so rich with natural it’s a year round destination popular beauty and fun activities – it with biking, hiking and golf would be the Thermal buffs in summer. Whistler Journey and deep tissue Village, the main tourist massage at Whistler’s area, is pedestrianised luxurious Scandinave and extremely pleasant, Spa. The place is instantly with an abundance relaxing – rustic-looking of chalet-style shops, saunas, steam rooms, restaurants and places to plunge pools and waterfalls stay and an obvious sense linked by heated wooden of community. walkways and surrounded I had anticipated spending Beatrix snowshoeing in Whistler by forest and mountains. much of my time strolling The thermal therapy process is explained around the village, relaxing in our hotel sauna on arrival, along with a polite request to and enjoying the odd massage – instead, I keep phones in lockers and observe silence. found a wealth of opportunities on offer for I never thought I’d go near a cold plunge non-skiers. A guided snowshoe (walking) tour pool let alone an outdoor one but, keen to beneath a canopy of ancient cedar and fir try something new, I immersed myself for trees, learning about the medicinal properties a full three minutes and emerged feeling of local plants and the difference between suitably invigorated. grizzly and black bears, was a delight, as was Visiting so late in the ski season has hiking along the Valley Trail that connects

pros and cons. Whistler boasts two large mountains, Whistler and Blackcomb; both Whistler Mountain and the famous Peak 2 Peak gondola that joins were closed by the time we arrived for the mountain’s annual transformation into a summer bike park. Blackcomb, however, remains open until the third week of May, with plentiful runs and back-country skiing and, on the plus side, the advent of spring brings a raft of special offers. Crucially, we were able to indulge in fourcourse fine dining at premium establishments such as Araxi and Il Caminetto courtesy of their excellent spring prix fixe menus. In an area known for its high prices – BC is said to stand for ‘Bring Cash’ – such deals proved most welcome. Six days flew by and, boarding the bus back to Vancouver airport, I felt sad to leave. I’m innately a lover of hot, sunny climes, but my Whistler experience taught me that, in the right surroundings and with the right gear, cold can be fun too. Granville Island

Sea to Sky highway

LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 87

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One of t

From left: The LPM restaurant at Parklane; the hotel grounds; and one of its pools

THE FACT THAT APHRODITE LIVED IN CYPRUS REFLECTS HER IMPECCABLE TASTE, AS LIFE WRITERS DISCOVER

yprus feels warmer than most countries at the moment. Not because of the balmy temperature in the hazy morning sun, but because of the hostage posters lining the road that takes you towards Limassol. North of the Sinai peninsula, Israelis have long been coming to the island and the Secret Forest in the hills above Paphos currently harbours those in need of peace. As an escapist retreat, it offers all one needs to wind down. A spa, sulphur pools, massage, yoga and luxury mattresses in generous suites set among the trees. Don’t be surprised to see a peacock looking through your window. Erica is a resident and she’s staring at her reflection. Israeli owner Yoni Kahana implemented the kosher menu with the perk that, instead of a breakfast that forces you out of bed, brunch is served from 10am-1pm, which is so civilised. In the summer there’s entertainment in the square and, every night, there are musicians strumming in the bar and you can help yourself to tea and

One of the pools at Annabelle

snacks. Endearing and chilled sums up the edible delights at Parklane, it is the cakes Secret Forest. that take the biscuit. The pâtissier’s Alice in Dynamic, luxurious and perfumed is the Wonderland hearts, keys and apples should vibe at the Parklane in Limassol. This be on plinths not plates. hotel is in the Marriott’s luxury There are three outdoor pools collection and the fragrant and one indoor and there lobby sends a whiff of is also the Kalloni Spa for opulence to arriving guests aspiring Aphrodites, an below the shower of additional 34 suites, 18 hanging glass petals – a villas designed by Harrods unique art piece which the Interiors – and all of this is a property is full of. step from the beach. Parklane A peacock in Secret Forest is a family resort for very lucky Hotel staff are usually nice, but at Parklane you run out of families. Among the takeaways superlatives to describe them. If they were from our blissful stay was a flask of the lobby as attentive to the guests in all 222 rooms as scent. If only I could have taken the pâtissier. they were to me, then full compliments to by Brigit Grant the manager. Great service extends to the restaurants too, of which there are six, but Everyone remembers where they were I can only vouch for the informal Lanes for on October 7 and I was at the Annabelle all-day dining (the breakfast leaves no food hotel, a charming, peaceful haven right unserved) and then rave about LPM, which near to Paphos harbour. Usually swarming is French but not precious and serves such with Israelis at Simchat Torah, the area memorable munches as Saumon Finement was depleted of them within 24 hours, but Tranche (salmon carpaccio, guacamole I stayed in the embrace of this very special and shimeji mushrooms). Of all the many hotel during that terrible week. It’s the promenade that I love the most – miles and miles of flat walking along the seafront, as good for the soul as it is for the step count and a foil for the calories consumed at the Annabelle’s range of restaurants. My favourite was the Italian-style Mediterraneo, seated on plump cushioned banquettes tucking into an eponymous Branzino Mediterraneo – sea bass in a Ouzeri Paphos vegetable minestrone with white beans and basil pesto. I enjoyed tapas, cocktails and live music at Ouranos on the roof and authentic Asian at Notios at sister hotel Almyra next door. Yet it’s the simple, fresh, home-style lunch at traditional Cypriot taverna Ouzeri overlooking the sea that is the experience that has stayed with me. Bright white bedrooms with balconies that look on to the two large pool areas, there’s even a secret cave pool with a swim-up bar and who doesn’t love one of those? Fat cushions on the beds and towels that cover the length of them – little touches that elevate this hotel to luxury status. It has an intimate, boutique hotel feel despite the

Secret Forest

244 bedrooms, rooftop spa, indoor pool and private beach. On a run as the sun went down on Friday evening, my husband passed by Chabad. It was a hive of activity as services were about to commence and he stepped inside to light a yahrzeit candle for those who had lost their lives in the terrorist attack a few days before. His was one of many. More and more modern and glitzy hotels are being built in Paphos yet Annabelle has a very high percentage of returning visitors. “It’s about how you make people feel,” says manager Razvan Bordea. “People care more about that than how it looks.” I know how calm it made me feel, even during the most terrifying time in our recent history. by Louisa Walters Secret Forest, Paphos: secretfo.rest Annabelle, Paphos: annabelle.com.cy Parklane, Limassol: marriott.com

LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 89

NOVA A transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright new star They blackened the sun They buried the light They cut off the air They pushed for the fight. They murdered our love They tore at our heart They savaged the peace They refused at the start. They turned off the sound They seized at a chance They deny all the pain But can’t stop our dance.

Photography by Yedidya Cohen

By CM Shapiro #neveragain

90 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

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