Zamir axes Yom Tov ‘shutdowns’
BY DAVID SAFFER
Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has cancelled Yom Tov ‘shutdowns’ to ensure IDF troops are prepared for attacks across the country all year round.
Zamir made the announcement to cancel unit-wide holidays during festivals at a meeting with senior commanders on Monday. The decision is a key lesson from the October 7 terror attack in 2023.
Hamas were aware of the traditional ‘holiday’ practice and took advantage to deadly effect.
Under half of the standard number of troops were stationed at the Gaza border
when the terror group launched its brutal attack along the Gaza border during Simchat Torah. Israel was also caught out in the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
Commanders and soldiers will receive vacations, but not when Israel may be vulnerable.
“The army will be alert all year around,” Zamir said.
MK Merav Michaeli, chair of the subcommittee on IDF Readiness and Ongoing Security, welcomed Zamir’s decision to cancel IDF’s ‘Admamot.’
He said: “History teaches that the major wars of the State of Israel were launched on them in a complete surprise when the
IDF lowered the level of alert following a widespread release of soldiers for holiday leave.”
Zamir in his first day as chief of staff last week set up a team headed by Maj. Gen. (res.) Sami Turgeman to re-examine IDF’s investigations.
One of his first decisions was a drill to test IDF readiness at bases. A surprise review of Northern Command operations has also taken place.
Troops will be granted time off, but key units including intelligence, Air Force and operations divisions will remain on full operational footing all year to prevent future lapses.
Permanent deployment is in place at Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Judei and Samaria during festivals.
Holiday leave will be analysed for combat units and command centers on border security.
Whilst troop levels have been accepted as a major factor there were multiple critical failings.
Military 10/7 investigations has been ongoing.
There was criticism of a General Staff decision in 2000 to reduce IDF troops in specific security areas on weekends.
The Southern Command admitted the error at the Nahal Oz base where 53 men and women were killed. A Hamas attack booklet had details of combat troops over a weekend.
At Kibbutz Kfar Aza on the Gaza border
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an absence of warnings, lack of military coordination, technology limitations, knowledge of ground conditions and weapons accessibility were cited.
All gave Hamas the element of surprise.
Targeting the military base was a key objective for terrorists. Just one soldier was guarding the base, and based on documents, terrorists knew locations of shelters, generators and security cameras.
Despite the base being close to the border fence it was prepared for rocket attacks not a terror attack.
At Kibbutz Nahal Oz, one of the three most vulnerable border communities, a small contingent of fighters held at bay the first wave of 40 terrorists. A second larger wave around noon carried out a massacre and kidnappings. Three kibbutz residents were mistakenly killed by Israeli forces.
Findings highlighted power outages and inoperative surveillance systems and intelligence failures.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to action an inquiry after the war and criticised opposition MKs for politically targeting him.
“This investigation needs to enjoy the public’s confidence or the confidence of a majority of the public,” he said. “That is why we are demanding to form an objective, balanced commission of inquiry, and not a politically biased (commission) whose conclusions are a foregone conclusion.”
Kosher Le Mahadrin
Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, the new IDF chief of staff, receives his insignia from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Israel Katz, and his wife, Orna PHOTO: IDF SPOKESPERSON’S UNIT
Palestinian influencer Wadei arrested after Euro trek
BY ADAM MOSES
Jewish organisations have welcomed the arrest of Palestinian influencer Abu Wadei after a brief manhunt for the Hamas supporter.
However, there has been anxiety that the Home Office had not provided an update on his whereabouts after reports the antisemitic migrant arrived in the UK at the end of last week on a small dinghy.
Footage showed Wadei with asylum seekers wearing life jackets. Wadei had called for the murder of Jewish people and backed Hamas atrocities.
CAA, who had called for Wadei to be arrested and returned to Gaza, asked the Home Office for “urgent assurances” Wadei was in secure custody.
“A Jihadi whose stated ambition is ‘to die for the sake of Allah’ and prayed for the slaughter of all Jews must not be permitted to be at large in this country,” they noted. “The fact is that he has brazenly posted not only these views, but also his involvement in a Hamas-endorsed unit in Gaza on social media accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers.
“It is alarming in the extreme that he does not appear to have attracted the attention of the authorities in numerous European countries and has now arrived in the UK with relative ease, having openly posted videos on each stop of his journey to the UK.”
CAA believe Wadei is a threat to the safety of the Jewish community and British public so should not be at liberty in the UK.
“We are asking the Home Office to confirm this case will be expedited and we are seeking assurances on the anticipated timeframes,” said a spokesman. “We are also asking why nobody seemed to have worked out who he was until our investigators exposed him.”
Steve
Winston, NJA Managing Director,
said: “This is an unforgivable failure of border security. The British government has a duty to protect its citizens, including Jews, yet time and again, it allows Islamist radicals to roam freely while mumbling meaningless reassurances. It’s a disgrace Wadei was not intercepted and arrested sooner, we look forward to his immediate arrest and deportation. Failing that, it would be yet another reminder that the UK government is failing to take the security of its people seriously, and is seemingly at peace with the idea of a radical Gazan Islamist roaming our streets.”
Jonathan Metliss, Action Against Discrimination chairman, added: “Wadei is a dangerous anti-Semite and danger to the public who should never have been allowed to enter this country. It is appalling he should seek to stay in the UK and poses a threat to the Jewish community and British public. The Home Office should waive its guidelines and deported him immediately back to Gaza.
“Although the Home Office have said they will take all steps necessary to protect the nation’s security, sadly it has form. Where has Home Secretary Yvette Cooper been in condemning continuing pro-Palestinian marches which are an incitement to racial hatred. Wadei should be expelled. This would act as a deterrent to other migrants of a similar dangerous ilk with terrorist backgrounds, following the example set by the United States currently deporting pro-Hamas activists.”
CAA posted that Wadei attended events by now assassinated former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar who planned the October 7 attack. He was also pictured with AK-47 rifles.
CAA reported that Wadei had spoken at a rally, believed to be in Gaza, before the 10/7 terror attack, boasting he was a member of the ‘tyre burning unit’ in Hamas-endorsed border riots in 2018 and 2019.
Wadei boasted a 180,000 following on YouTube and 170,000 on TikTok though this account was suspended Saturday. He posted about a “long and difficult journey at sea”, and appears to have travelled through Greece, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and France.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philip described Wadei’s arrival last Sunday as “deeply disturbing.”
Matt Vickers, Shadow Policing Minister was “deeply concerned” Wadei had documented his journey across Europe to Paris last week.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are committed to ending small boat crossings which undermine our border security and restoring order to the asylum system to ensure rules are respected and enforced. While it is a long-standing rule that we never comment on individual cases or operational matters, the British public can be reassured that we take all steps necessary to protect the nation’s security.”
Security alert as alleged Hamas supporter arrives in Britain
Badenoch blasts BBC Arabic channel
BY DAVID SAFFER
Kemi Badenoch has called for “wholesale reform” of the BBC Arabic channel following a report accusing the broadcaster of ‘anti-Israel bias, toxic antisemitism and the promotion of Hamas propaganda’.
Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA) have produced a 33-page report ‘BBC Arabic: News or Propaganda’ addressing over four years content produced by the BBC World Service.
Badenoch’s concerns follow the furore over controversial documentary ‘Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone’.
Campaign Against Antisemitism have begun a petition to suspend the TV licence fee over the programme. Over 19,000 people have so far backed the initiative. The figure grows daily.
The Conservative leader has written to BBC director-general Tim Davie expressing her concerns. Badenoch has warned the party will withdraw support for the BBC licence fee if it fails to tackle concerns over bias.
CAMERA note on its website that BBC Arabic is a foreign language service the most heavily funded and influential foreign-language service that broadcasts 24 hours a day across TV, radio and online with a weekly audience of 38 million people across the Arab-speaking world.
‘Far from embedding the values of the BBC, BBC Arabic has become synonymous with toxic hostility against Israel and, at times, anti-Jewish racism,” CAMERA observe. ‘It has given a platform to murderous terrorists, presented apologists for terror as independent ‘experts’, allowed extreme views to go unchallenged in interviews and echoed the language of Hamas.’
They added: ‘It has subjected Israeli guests to biased and hostile questioning, downplayed attacks on Israelis and failed to swiftly remove antisemitic comments posted online.’
CAMERA point out that BBC Arabic staff who posted support for Hamas’ brutality and still hold hostages in captivity still work for the organisation.
The document charts four years under Davie’s leadership where senior executives and the BBC Board have ‘failed to stamp out’ BBC Arabic’ ‘extraordinary bias’ despite repeated demands for change.
CAA continue to condemn BBC actions.
“This embarrassment cannot continue,” said a spokesman. “The BBC is in denial. Not a day goes by where our national broadcaster doesn’t find itself at the centre of yet another scandal. By now, Davie’s claim that the BBC is the ‘most trusted brand in the world’ goes well beyond satire. Outside scrutiny must
be allowed into the BBC’s clique to see what has been done with the public’s money. That is why we have launched our petition calling for the suspension of the licence fee, pending an independent investigation.”
Gary Mond, National Jewish Assembly chairman, said: “The political demands for wholesale reform of BBC Arabic are absolutely right, but why has it taken this long? CAMERA’s latest damning report exposes what we’ve long known. BBC Arabic is a platform for Hamas propaganda, institutional antisemitism, and open hostility to Israel. Under Davie, the BBC has failed to uphold even basic journalistic standards. Its Arabic service has given airtime to terrorists, pushed Hamas rhetoric, and still employs staff who praised the October 7 massacre. This isn’t just bias, it’s a scandal. If the BBC won’t clean house, then the government must.”
Jonathan Metliss, Action Against Discrimination chairman, applauded Badenoch’s actions.
“It is not before time, the BBC has shown itself
to be anti-Israel and pro-Hamas,” he said. “It is not being called ‘the mouthpiece of Hamas’ for nothing.
“Badenoch treads where no Labour politician does, from Keir Starmer to David Lammy. The Labour Party attitude to Israel and Hamas is nothing short of shameful. Badenoch has done a great service to the Jewish community and the State of Israel. The support of the Conservative Party for Israel is encouraging. The BBC must be taken to task for its anti-Israel position which encourages more antisemitism.”
Leader of the opposition Kemi Badenoch
Chabad launches ‘egg-free’ Purim recipes
BY DAVID SAFFER
Chabad.org has responded to the rising cost of eggs by producing the Egg-Free Purim Cookbook including modified recipes for hamantaschen!
Purim begins tonight resulting in a dual challenge of preparing for Shabbat.
Chabad food editor Miriam Szokovski observed: “Extra planning is needed to complete all the Purim mitzvot on time. On top of preparing menus and meals for Purim, we also have to cook for Shabbat that evening. With eggs, a staple in so many beloved recipes, becoming increasingly expensive, the financial burden adds another layer of difficulty.”
The cookbook’s ‘eggless’ version details non-dairy alternatives.
“Ingredients replace the binding and moisture that eggs typically provide,” said Szokovski. “The result has a slightly different texture but still produces a delicious pastry that honours the tradition, while adapting to current circumstances.”
The cookbook features time-saving alternatives such as using pre-made dough including wonton wrappers or frozen ravioli rounds. As festival recipes have symbolic and historical significance
the cookbook also includes background detail and Purim features.
‘Egg-free’ recipes are Hamantaschen, Fluffy Sweet Challah, Sumac-Spiced Chickpeas, Kreplach, Zatar Chicken with Leeks and Shallots, Haman’s Fingers: Moroccan Nut-Filled Cigars and Fruity Sangria.
Meat or chicken-filled kreplach dumplings for soup are traditionally eaten throughout the Jewish year including on Purim.
The narrative notes: ‘The filling, which is hidden inside the dough, symbolises Queen Esther’s secret and the hidden nature of the Purim miracle. It is only after she reveals her Jewish identity to King Ahasuerus that our people are spared while Haman is condemned to death for his plot to annihilate us.’
Another popular Purim recipe is Mujadara, a Middle Eastern lentils and rice dish common in Israel.
“We are taught that Esther subsisted on seeds and legumes while living in Ahasuerus’s palace in order to keep the kosher laws, so serving a lentil dish seems apropos,” noted Szokovski in the introduction to this recipe.
The cookbook includes a Purim
message from the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson.
Before Jewish holidays, the Rebbe was renowned for his public letters offering thoughts and blessings to the world.
The Purim letter featured stresses the importance of Jewish education. The Rebbe highlights Mordechai gathering 22,000 children to study Torah after Haman’s declaration to annihilate the Jews.
“The lesson for every one of us is clear,” the Rebbe wrote. “No matter what one’s station in life or how important one’s activities seem to be, one must first and foremost dedicate at least some part of his time and efforts to the most important of all causes, saving our young generation by implanting into them devotion to all that has been holy to us ever since our ancestors received the Torah at Mount Sinai.” Chabad. org’s food section includes traditional classics in a
simple layout, cooking tips and insights into the cultural and spiritual significance of traditional food. Users can search by meal type, dietary needs, difficulty and time involved or by holiday. The site also includes video tutorials.
The platform is regularly updated for experienced and starter cooks.
The age-old story will be celebrated around world with Jews following the four mitzvahs of Purim - hearing the reading of the megillah, giving to the needy (matanot laevyonim), sending food gifts to friends (mishloach manot) and participating in a traditional feast.
The ‘Egg-Free Purim Cookbook is available for download at Chabad.org
Outrage at UCL speaker Albanese
BY ADAM MOSES
Advocacy groups have expressed outrage that Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, is speaking at a UCL event. Campaign Against Antisemitism has written to UCL following the announcement.
Albanese has a long history of antisemitic rhetoric and apologism for terrorism.
A CAA spokesperson said the decision to welcome Albanese on campus was “appalling” as it sends a damning message to Jewish students.
“Everyone knows by now how Jews feel about this inflammatory activist,” they noted. “Are these appearances just to bait Jews? At a time when Jewish students are experiencing an unprecedented surge in antisemitism, Ms Albanese’s presence on campus only exacerbates the issue.”
CAA held demonstrations at London School of Economics, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Queen Mary University where Albanese was scheduled to speak last November.
Albanese has posted about “the Jewish lobby” and is alleged to have told a Hamas-organised conference that they have a “right to resist”.
CAA noted Albanese has made comparisons between Israelis and the Nazis, which is in breach of the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism.
Last year, Albanese was condemned by the French Foreign Ministry after posting on X: “The victims of 7/10 were not killed because of their Judaism but in response to Israel’s oppression.”
And she reportedly disputed claims October 7 was the ‘largest antisemitic massacre of our century’.
In June 2023, she described disgraced musician Roger Waters as a “true icon of our time”. And in 2022, reportedly addressed a conference in Gaza with spokespeople from Hamas and PIJ present, stating: “You have a right to resist this occupation.”
In an open letter posted in 2014, Albanese repeated Jewish power tropes, writing: “America and Europe, one of them subjected by the Jewish lobby, and the other by the sense of guilt about the Holocaust.” The same year, Albanese reportedly stated in a social media post directed at the BBC: “The Israeli lobby is clearly inside your veins and system and you will be remembered to have been on the big brother’s side of this orwellian nightmare caused once again by Israel’s greed.”
Gary Mond, National Jewish Assembly chairman described the news as “disgraceful”.
“She has compared Israel to the Nazis, and even addressed a Hamas-organised conference where she legitimised ‘Palestinian resistance’, a known euphemism for terror,” he said. “Albanese has repeatedly shown contempt for Jewish concerns, including dismissing the
October 7 massacre as merely ‘a response to Israel’s oppression.’
“No credible institution should be giving her a platform. UCL’s decision sends a chilling message to Jewish students, and we will be formally demanding the event’s cancellation. The time for tolerating this relentless demonisation of Jews and Israel must end.”
Jonathan Metliss, Action Against Discrimination chairman commented: “Yet another pro-Palestinian event at a university, following the recent talk by
Professor Jeroen Gunning of Kings College London , at the LSE who amazingly claimed that calling Hamas terrorists was ‘dehumanising’.
“Albanese is a constant critic of Israel’s human rights record and has been accused by many of being an antisemite. We believe that her presence at UCL is inflammatory and will only incite anti-Israel sentiments and antisemitic behaviour. This is not welcome nor advisable. UCL should take note and cancel her speaking engagement unconditionally.”
Yachad’s Parliamentary Propaganda Machine
BY STEVE WINSTON
In recent weeks, we have witnessed yet another disturbing spectacle of British politicians returning from tours of Israel and the territories organised by Yachad, regaling the public with glowing accounts of Palestinian victimhood - while scarcely managing a footnote for the thousands of Israelis terrorised by decades of unrelenting Palestinian violence underwritten by the corrupt and intransigent Palestinian leadership.
Yachad claims to be a “Pro-Israel, ProPeace” organization. Yet in reality, their tours are carefully curated exercises in demonising Israel, whitewashing Palestinian extremism, and presenting a wholly one-sided narrative under the guise of “balance.” These are not fact-finding missions; they are propaganda junkets, designed to distort the truth and obfuscate the complexities of one of the world’s most intractable conflicts.
It is no accident that Yachad’s itineraries reliably sideline the issue of Palestinian terrorism. You will hear from villagers describing the discomfort of checkpoints but not a word about the suicide bombers
and gunmen that made such security measures necessary. You will listen to heart-wrenching testimonies of demolished homes but be spared any analysis of the Hamas tunnels snaking under civilian neighbourhoods or the factories in Jenin producing explosives bound for Israeli streets.
And as these tours traipse Judea and Samaria, your guides will never pause to examine why Palestinian society continues to languish in failure: not because of Israeli policy but because of its own leaders’ addiction to corruption and terror. There is no reflection on the billions in international aid squandered by the Palestinian Authority or Hamas, no interest in the systematic glorification of terrorism in Palestinian schools, media, and mosques. There is certainly no appetite to confront the toxic reality that Palestinian political life is dominated either by jihadists or kleptocrats, leaving their people trapped in a self-inflicted quagmire of extremism and dysfunction. This is not an oversight - it is the very purpose of Yachad’s work. By deliberately excising Palestinian responsibility from the conversation, they seemingly construct a false moral universe in which Israel is the perpetual oppressor and Palestinians are passive victims with no agency, no accountability, and no share
in the tragedy they endure.
And the politicians who take part in these tours seem only too happy to parrot this simplistic narrative. In the recent Westminster debate on “Government support for Palestinian rights,” we heard Sir Edward Leigh, Paul Waugh, Pippa Heylings, Richard Burgon, Jeremy Corbyn, Uma Kumaran, Shockat Adam, Tracy Gilbert, Nadia Whittome, and others intone the same tedious mantras about “occupation,” “settler violence,” and “Palestinian dignity” - as though the rivers of Jewish blood spilled by Palestinian terror organisations since 1948 count for nothing.
Their statements oozed moral posturing but were devoid of credibility, like Sir Edward Leigh’s nebulous claim that Israel’s so-called “settlements” are the main obstacle to peace. How can any of these MPs credibly champion so-called “Palestinian rights” while ignoring the fundamental right of Israelis to live free from the genocidal ambitions of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and their ilk? The idea that these parliamentarians return from Yachad’s tours and proceed to regurgitate such lopsided talking points is deeply concerning.
Yachad’s malign influence does not end with their tours. They have worked tirelessly to erode support for Israel in
“I wanted my grandchildren to understand the values that have guided our family. The final result was nothing short of a masterpiece.”
the UK, peddling misinformation and half-truths into the heart of political and media discourse. By presenting themselves as part of the “mainstream Jewish community,” they offer convenient cover for those who would happily vilify Israel while hiding behind the fig leaf of Jewish approval.
This is precisely why the work of the National Jewish Assembly has never been more vital. As a proudly unapologetic Zionist voice for the Jewish community, the NJA exists to challenge this corrosive narrative, to defend Israel’s legitimacy, and to ensure that our elected representatives hear the truth. We are not afraid to push back against the relentless demonisation of Israel, and to stand up for the fundamental principles of security, sovereignty, and Jewish self-determination. For anyone seeking clarity amid the fog of misinformation, the NJA stands ready to lead that fight.
Until then, we should call Yachad’s tours what they are: theatre productions of victimhood, designed to deceive, and an insult to anyone genuinely committed to truth and peace.
Steve Winston is the Managing Director of the National Jewish Assembly
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UJIA announces major investment to support women from Israel’s periphery
UJIA has today announced a 500,000 NIS investment in She Codes, Israel’s leading training and development organisation to support women to begin careers in Israel’s hi-tech sector through Si3, its impact investment fund in Israel
Established in 2013, She Codes offers boot camp-style training programmes for women that culminates in placement assistance into technology positions, alongside additional mentorship opportunities, helping them to build sustainable careers.
UJIA’s investment in She Codes will be focused specifically on young women from the geographic periphery, especially those evacuated from their homes due to the war with no previous technological experience or education.
Today, women hold only 23% of hi-tech jobs in Israel. By not being sufficiently represented in this sector, women are being excluded from these economic opportunities and the mobility that goes with it. She Codes’ goal is that 50% of technology positions in Israel will be held by women.
She Codes marks the 28th investment that UJIA has made through Si3, its world-leading impact investment fund in Israel. Si3’s innovative approach to philanthropy in Israel drives social change in Israel and creatively engages funders in the UK who have not previously directed their philanthropic efforts towards Israel. Si3 funds projects that provide high value social impact and a financial return to
better advance UJIA’s social mission to strengthen vulnerable communities in Israel.
Social impact investment involves the use of repayable finance to achieve a social as well as financial return. Si3 invests in entrepreneurs, organisations and initiatives across Israel that aim to generate a sustainable, measurable and beneficial social impact alongside financial return.
Si3 generates an evergreen pool of capital: every pound raised is not only invested in a project delivering social and educational benefits in Israel, but is reinvested by UJIA when the project yields a financial return.
In this way, Si3 leverages every philanthropic pound to go further to enable UJIA to achieve its social mission in Israel.
placed in jobs earning above a certain threshold, repaying monthly. In turn She Codes repays the UJIA Si3 loan, allowing UJIA to reinvest in other social businesses in the future.
The cost of the She Codes training programme will be funded jointly by the UJIA Si3 loan and a matching grant from the Israeli Ministry of Labour in order to cover the cost of the student’s tuition up front. The student makes a small contribution on registration and begins to repay the rest of the cost once they have completed the course and have been
Ministry of Labour research shows that a graduate of She Codes is 220% more likely to find a placement in the sector after completing a She Codes course, higher than any other training provider. Case study Shira (name changed to protect her identity) comes from a Haredi background and was married with two kids when she got divorced. She had a low-paying job, and she struggled to support her children. She approached She Codes and learnt more about the commitment and work that would be required. After nearly a year in the programme one of her instructors recognised Shira’s potential and hired her for her own company. Now, two years later, she is working as a software developer, making a salary that has improved her family’s financial circumstances and no longer has to worry about day-to-day expenses. She says that She Codes has
changed her life: “I worked hard, it’s about perseverance, you have to make a commitment to work hard.”
Ruth Polachek, Founder & CEO of She Codes, said: “We turned to UJIA as an investor because of our shared values. We have a double bottom line, we look at everything financially and we want growth, and we also have a social ROI. We see eye-to-eye with UJIA on this. In addition, we both want to see that communities in Israel’s geographic periphery are an integral and important part of the hi-tech industry. There are many women who are extremely talented who can play an important role in the economy, in the industry as well as for their families and growing their communities. Women here discover their abilities and are enabled to change their futures by working hard. ”
Mandie Winston, CEO of UJIA, said “UJIA has a long history of helping people from less advantaged communities in Israel to build more sustainable careers. We were highly impressed with She Codes’ desire and ability to work with women from areas of Israel that traditionally have had less access to better-paying jobs that exist in Israel’s central region. In particular, studying with She Codes will allow women who have been evacuated from their homes during the war to return home and rebuild their lives and livelihoods with a stronger footing.”
For more information about She Codes, Si3 and UJIA, please contact jonathan. roland@ujia.org or visit si3.ujia.org.
INDUSTRIAL UNIT TO LET
Letters to the Editor
Please note: The views of the letters do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper. Letters may be edited and publication is at the discretion of the editor.
A PURIM POEM
Dear Editor
Let’s start with an easy one, you know, a bit of a tester
Everyone will hopefully have hear Megillat Esther
For this rhyme, you needn’t be a scientist at NASA
Esther’s other name was Hadassah
We don’t know the dimensions of Mordechai, but he probably wasn’t teeny
One thing we do know, he was an ‘Ish Yemini’
Thank you all for coming to our Seuda
There’s a ‘Machloket’ - he may have been from Yehuda
When Vashti was summoned, it was to no avail
For she either had ‘Tzaraat’, or had grown a tail
To her Jewish maidens, she was the opposite of a fab-boss
‘Mida K’Neged Mida’ - her downfall was on Shabbat.
Whilst in the end, Haman was certainly a loser
He told Achashverosh the Jews were
Elephants
BY ROBERT FESTENSTEIN
An odd title for an article in a Jewish newspaper you might think. Or perhaps not. One of the problems we have faced since October 7 2023 is these grey animals. There are so many issues which we ignored before that fateful date and I wonder whether we have been able to recognise these and crucially learn from our mistakes. In terms of which were the largest elephants, it is tricky to say. I believe the refusal to discuss Israel or Zionism amongst the Jewish/Muslim interfaith groups is probably the winner. I don’t know why it was thought to ignore the issue was a good idea, but it certainly was not. It wasn’t just issues which we all knew about but refused to acknowledge. It was also where many groups and their leaders just got it badly wrong.
‘Meforad’ and ‘Mefuzar’
Esther needed everyone’s Tefillot including Banim and B’nos
She tells Mordechai: all the Jews he much ‘Knos’
Things started to get bleaker
Whem Haman offered to pay Achashverosh 10,000 Kikar
It gets even worse - certainly no reason to sing
When Achashverosh gives Haman his Royal ring
Old news – like with the one Hashem made sure enjoyed a nice ‘Riach’
Let’s see who can impress me: this was?
‘Tzofnat Panaich’
Here’s hoping we sober up before we Daven Arbit
Things changed when Achashverosh stretched out his ‘
So Esther ends up inviting this pair of beasts
To the first of her two famous feasts
Anyone still listening? Are we down to just a crazy few?
Achashverosh erupts in anger and asks ‘V’Eizeh Hu’?
Haman is to be hung, not smothered
Things aren’t going well, when his face they covered
I’m feeling a bit peckish - please pass the marshmallows
It was time for Haman and sons, to go to the gallows
Crumbs, I just remembered I need to pay the Arnona
We must end with special mention for ‘Charvona’
The events take place in Sasson not Warsaw
Two names in the Megilla starting with a vov? Vashti and Vizta
If you don’t wish to drink, we’ll respect your ‘Lo Todah’
While the rest of us are being Machmir with ‘Ad Dlo Yoda’
It’s been a lovely meal, but I was actually hoping for goulash
If we were in Yerushalayim, it would be the first day of Purim Meshulash
I’m sure you’ve all been thinking
Enough with the poem - let’s start drinking
It goes without saying, all l’chaim must be L’shmoh
And those who want to sleep, can rely on the “Rema”
Everyone has an opinion here, and I’ll tell you mine
No doubt there’s a preference to drink wine
However there are other ‘deot’- so it’s not very risky
To say you can also be ‘yotzei’ with whisky
By Mr Bernie Weinreb
BIG BEN
Dear Editor
AAD unconditionally and unreservedly condemns the scaling of Big Ben by a pro Palestinian protester. We welcome his arrest and the charge against him of causing a public nuisance and trespass. AAD trusts that the police and the Courts will deal appropriately with this man, with as harsh a punishment and sentence as possible.
AAD is conscious of the “ two tier policing “ of the pro Palestinian marches and the failure of the police to prosecute many of the “ offenders.” We hope that this attitude will not apply to the punishment of this protester.
In the meantime, AAD notes with regret the deafening silence of the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in relation to the pro Palestinian marches and also in relation to this latest incident , which was clearly a major security risk.
Jonathan Metliss, Chairman, AAD
THE BBC AND ITS BIAS
Dear Editor
I would like to add a brief comment about the excellent letter by Naji Tilley (6 March 2025).
I have given up submitting complaints to the BBC because their replies always seem to be a pro-forma from their computer system. They can be summarised as follows:
“We are the BBC. You are wrong. We are right. The BBC is always right”. Naji Tilley has shown very clearly, as did David Collier, that the BBC is rarely if ever, right when it comes to reporting on matters concerning Israel.
Yours sincerely
Geoffrey Bernstein, London HA3 0JP
Somehow or other, the idea that there is a common ground between the Jews and the Muslims grew out of all proportion. I remember when we were furious that Jeremy Corbyn was unable to say anti-semitism without adding either ‘other forms of racism’ or ‘Islamaphobia’. For reasons passing understanding some of the Jewish communal leaders did the same before October 7, and perversely are doing it still.
It is correct that there is a coincidence of interest between the Jewish and Muslim communities. It is not as significant as many would like to claim. It is in my view, limited to Shachita and Halal, and concerns over antagonism from those activists on the far right. Whilst these issues are important, the level of anti-semitism amongst the Muslim community has been largely ignored. Research over recent years has revealed that it is running about twice the level of Jew-hate in the general population. The rates are higher
amongst the university educated. Apart from one or two articles in the Jewish press, this has been ignored, so that when October 7 took place, the hostile attitude from elements of the Muslim community came as a bolt from the blue.
Add in the massive hostility from the left of the political spectrum and the Hamas lies promoted by the BBC and you have a Jewish community ill-prepared for the onslaught that ensued. Some things have changed, but sadly, some have not.
The daft concept known as the two-state solution, which although clearly dead in the water, is still being promoted by some, presumably on the basis that if you say it enough times, by magic a new peaceful entity will emerge, free of Jew-hate in what is now Gaza. Like I said, daft.
For as long as the ceasefire continues, there is hope that the remaining 24 hostages, believed to be the last surviving number being held by Hamas will be released. I sincerely hope so. As for the
mistakes in the past, the misjudgements over who our friends were and are and the failure to understand the nature of how we are hated, unless these are recognised nothing will change.
We have to clear out the elephants and face the stark reality of the issues we face. Without this honest analysis we will keep just keep getting it wrong and further, hurt ourselves every time we bump into a large grey mammal.
Robert Festenstein is a practising solicitor and has been the principal of his Salford based firm for over 20 years. He has fought BDS motions to the Court of Appeal and is President of the Zionist Central Council in Manchester which serves to protect and defend the democratic State of Israel
Norwood Chief Naomi Dickson joins the VODG board
Norwood Chief executive Naomi Dickson was unveiled today as one of three new trustees appointed to the board of VODG (Voluntary Organisations Disability Group) to further strengthen Disability Support Services. As a board member, she will play a pivotal role in shaping the future direction and strategic growth of the organisation.
Naomi Dickson said of her appointment: “I am delighted and honoured to be joining the VODG board of trustees. At a time when social care is under enormous strain, I am pleased to be able to support the vital work of VODG to help strengthen the sector and amplify the voices of member organisations so that those who need our support can get the services they need. I’m really excited to be part of VODG’s next chapter.”
Mel Shad, VODG Chair of Trustees, said: “We are thrilled to welcome our new board members as VODG begins a transformative phase in our history.
Their extensive knowledge and expertise in their respective fields will significantly enhance VODG’s mission to support our members in providing the best possible services and support for disabled people.”
Through the contribution of our members, VODG forms part of a community of more than 145 values-based organisations that play a vital role in supporting more than a million disabled people to live full independent lives.
Community challenge
Kisharon Langdon participated in the six-month Cross Community Zone Challenge.
Forty children, 12 adults and support staff enjoyed Social Action and Purim activities.
Rachel Ucko, Head of Jewish Living and Community, outlined the organisation’s work at the United Synagogue event. Attendees heard about individuals daily lives and achievements.
Salome, Head Girl of Kisharon Noé School, shared her love for her school. Daniel, from Edgware, spoke about his
job at New Chapters, while Charlotte, from Golders Green, explained her work at a nursery.
Aviva Braunold led a hamantaschen baking workshop. Rabbi Luis from Hampstead Garden Suburb Synagogue led Purim music and dancing.
“This was a wonderful opportunity for young people to understand learning disabilities and autistic people, and to recognise the importance of inclusion,” reflected Ucko.
Kisharon Langdon ensures individuals are valued members of the community.
Minister condemns Hamas & praises JWA
Alex Davies-Jones, Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, condemned Hamas “war crimes” and criticised women’s groups for not condemning sexual violence against Israelis on October 7 at Jewish Women’s Aid’s event to mark International Women’s Day on Monday.
The London fundraiser at the Foundling Museum launched the charity’s ‘Ripple Effect’ campaign, highlighting the far-reaching impact of domestic abuse.
The Labour MP for Pontypridd wore a yellow ribbon pin in support of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, called out antisemitism and praised JWA’s work as the only specialist service for Jewish women and children affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence across the country.
The MP commended JWA for raising awareness of sexual violence by Hamas.
“These were acts of exceptional brutality,” she said, adding: “These were war crimes carried out in a systemic and pre-emptive manner. But these were atrocities which the world, including those supposedly committed to human rights and the safety of women and girls, has decided to downplay and ignored. It took over seven weeks for the UN Secretary General to call for an investigation into the Hamas campaign of rape. It took UN Women 50 days to even acknowledge these crimes.
“In the UK, JWA stands virtually alone amongst charities dedicated to combating violence against women and girls in speaking out against Hamas’ brutality.”
She added: “It is difficult to escape the conclusion that the denial, disinformation and disbelief surrounding Hamas’ atrocities stems directly from the nationality of the victims. This will have repercussions for Jewish victims here in the UK. I will always believe you. I will stand up for the victims and survivors of any race, religion or culture.”
The Labour MP revealed her maternal grandmother moved to south Wales from London where she changed her surname from Mordechai to Mort to avoid antisemitism.
Addressing anti-Jewish hatred and its impact on the community, DaviesJones said: “I always will be a strong ally to the Jewish community and JWA. This organisation brings together two of the most devastating
issues that need tackling, antisemitism and violence against women and girls, both have an endemic impact on survivors.”
She added: “Jewish women face unique barriers, cultural stigma, community pressures, and recently, sadly, rising antisemitism, I have proudly seen first-hand the incredible work that JWA does.”
JWA CEO Sam Clifford, led an interactive demonstration on the ‘Ripple Effect’ of domestic abuse. She said: “Domestic abuse spreads through families, friendships, workplaces, schools, synagogues, and communities. It impacts people in ways they may not even realise. When a woman comes to JWA she receives our comprehensive package of support and we see before our very eyes that when intervention happens, the ripples change.”
Former Emmerdale actress Louisa Clein shared Nicole’s story of meeting her husband at a J- Soc event and later facing domestic abuse.
JWA continues to support the mother through post-separation abuse and Family Court proceedings. “JWA helped my children heal, we are all beginning to heal,” she said.
The venue shares the history of a hospital for abandoned children.
New JWA chair, Joanne Black said: “This museum is a powerful reminder of the importance of care and community. It was created to protect vulnerable children, values that align perfectly with JWA’s mission.”
JWA’s latest figures show a 24% increase in clients, a 9% rise in children supported and 64% surge in sexual violence cases.
Norwood CEO Naomi Dickson
Zone Challenge Participants
JWA Chair Joanne Black Alex Davis-Jones MP and JWA CEO Sam Clifford
PHOTO:LIZ ISLES PHOTOGRAPHY
IJDS Heroes Fundraising Campaign Soars Past £400,000
The Independent Jewish Day School (IJDS) has successfully raised over £400,000 through its IJDS Heroes online match-funding campaign, thanks to the incredible efforts of 77 fundraising teams and the generosity of the wider community.
The funds will be used to renovate the playground and school premises, as well as enhance IT, SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), and Kodesh (Jewish Studies) resources. With the target met, work on these vital improvements will begin immediately.
Adding to the excitement, Headteacher Mr Radomsky had pledged to jump out of a plane if the goal was achieved—a promise that the students are eagerly holding him to!
“This was an incredible campaign, and I am deeply grateful to our dedicated campaign committee, who worked tirelessly to make it a success,” said Mr Radomsky. “We are incredibly fortunate to have such a strong sense of community and family spirit at IJDS. You are all heroes—our supporters, our students, and everyone who contributed. Now, I suppose I need to book that skydive!”
For more information or to support IJDS, please contact chair@ijds.co.uk
London Board for Shechita holds Maamad Chizuk VeHisachdus
The London Board for Shechita were thrilled to host an inaugural event for its staff on Sunday evening last week, 2nd Adar.
The event, held in Manchester, home to a majority of the Board’s staff, saw a gathering together of the Board’s Dayonim, Rabbonim, Trustees, Shochtim, Bodkim, Menakrim and Mashgichim. The LBS is the only wholly independent not for profit organisation in the UK offering dedicated shechita services alone under the Hashgocho of its uniquely constituted cross-communal Rabbinic Authority which is made up of Dayan Menachem Gelley Shlita, Rosh Beis Din of the London Beis Din and Dayan Avrohom David Shlita, Rosh Beis Din of the Spanish & Portugese community.
The sense of achdus between the more than 60 attendees was palpable. Many of the team were meeting for the very first time, as some work in London and others in the Manchester area and were keen to share their experiences of their work at different abattoirs and factories.
The event commenced with shiurim from the LBS’s Rabbonim, Rabbi
Binyomin Goldblatt Shlita, the Board’s Rav HaMachshir, and Rabbi Nochum Berger Shlita, Rov of the Board’s Mehadrin line. Rabbi Goldblatt referenced various mekoiros concerning the expectations Chazal have of a Shoichet in his personal life whilst Rabbi Berger delivered a drosho concerning the definition of “Chalak Beis Yosef”, combining the chumros of both the Sefardi and Ashkenazi communities, a pertinent topic for the Board who proudly cater for those who wish to eat meat of such a standard.
The shiurim were followed by Bedikas Chalofim. The Board’s shochtim had brought their Chalofim with them for the Dayonim and Rabbonim to check and the crowd around the top table where the Chalofim were being checked, reflected the excitement of the team in being able to discuss various shailos with the Dayonim, Rabbonim and Rosh HaShochtim, Rabbi Avrohom Weisfish Shlita.
There followed a formal seudas mitzvah, at which Rabbi Goldblatt made a Siyum on Maseches Chullin. The dinner was chaired by the LBS chief executive, Reb Avrohom Topperman,
who emphasised the importance of the roles played by each and every one of the attendees. Dayan Gelley then gave his divrei brocho to the gathering, expressing his hakoras hatoiv for everyone’s hard work in, often, difficult conditions and at unsociable times! He thanked the Board’s Rabbonim for their immense efforts over the last few years in improving the Board’s standards beyond recognition and reflected on the message of the Machatzis Hashekel that Klal Yisroel need each other; no-one can be whole on their own and the shechitos can be best enhanced by everyone doing what they can to support others in their roles.
Dayan David too, thanked the team for their efforts and praised the professionalism of the Board’s activities. He focussed on the importance of providing kosher meat and poultry to the wider community, a task that the LBS takes most seriously, alongside its standard Mehadrin operations.
Finally, President Reb Isaac Levy, expressed
his appreciation to the team on behalf of all the Trustees and highlighted the Trustees commitment to the continued advancement of kashrus standards. The Board seeks to educate Bnei Torah on shechita matters too and were delighted to publish its 1st volume of a kuntres, “u’tvoach, tevach, v’hochein” last Succos, replete with Divrei Halocho on various shechita and kashrus related matters. The team look forward to seeing the 2nd volume b’ezras Hashem this coming Pesach.
The Chairman concluded the event with a message to the team about the importance of Achdus and recognising each other’s strengths, which was followed by bentching, led by Rabbi Mordechai Cohen Shlita, one of the Board’s senior shochtim.
B’nai B’rith UK’s Valerie Bello wins prestigious heritage alliance
Picture on the left (L-R): Chaim Gothold, Anthony Pack, Malcolm Cohen, Jonny Wosner, Mr Yosh Radomsky
Picture above (L-R): Josh Kanter, Chaim Gothold, Michael Oster, Amelie Turgel, Tanya Minsky, Ayalah Prager, Deborah Stern, Michelle Mitchell
ERETZ YISRAEL
Lofty Learning Weekly Dvar Torah FROM
BY MRS. SHIRA SMILES
“Vayiten el Moshe ke’chaloto ledaber ito beHar Sinai sh’nai luchot ha’edut luchot even ketuvim b’etzba Elokim – And [Hashem] gave Moshe, when He finished speaking to him on Mount Sinai, two tablets of the Testimony, they were stone tablets, written with Hashem’s finger” (Shemot 31:18). The structure of the verse here is curious. It would seem to read more smoothly had it said, “When Hashem finished speaking to Moshe… He gave him...” Why the more cumbersome articulation?
Rashi (ibid.) notes that the word “ke’chaloto – when He finished” is written without a “vav” and can also be read as “ke’kalato – like His bride,” as if to say, Hashem gave the Torah as a gift like a bride is gifted to her groom. Rashi further explains that Moshe Rabbeinu was unable to learn the entire Torah in such a limited time (40 days), so Hashem
presented him with the Torah, including its wisdom and the capacity to understand it, as a gift. Therefore, this verse reflects the manner in which the Torah was given and can be understood as, “And [Hashem] gave the Torah as a gift to Moshe when He finished speaking to him.”
Rav Pincus in Tiferet Shimshon learns a tremendous lesson from Rashi’s comment. It is impossible for the human mind to truly comprehend Torah as it is Divine wisdom, beyond mortal understanding. Our ability to learn and understand Torah is a gift from Above. This highlights how truly precious Torah learning is; it is an opportunity to learn, ka’viyachol, with Hashem as a chavruta. Each morning, when we say birkat HaTorah, “hamelamed Torah le’amo Yisrael,” we express our gratitude to Hashem for teaching us Torah directly every day. Similarly, Rav Schwab in Ma’ayan Beit Hasho’eva, understands the word
“ke’chaloto” as a descriptive, and offers a fascinating interpretation of the dialogue between Moshe Rabbeinu and the angels when he was in shamayim. “Mah le’yelud isha beineinu – what is a human being doing among us?” (Shabbat 88b). The angels protested, “Hashem, You have kept Your Torah here in the heavens for 974 generations. Why are You now giving it to people on earth?” How could the angels even consider that Torah is relevant to them? Clearly, they have no parents to honor, no creative work to cease on Shabbat, they have no yetzer hara to steal or commit murder! There is so much in Torah that doesn’t apply to them! Notes Rav Schwab, Torah can be understood on myriad levels, from the most basic to the most sublime. Take the prohibition of murder, for example. On the most elemental level we are admonished not to take another human life. On a deeper level, we are enjoined not to embarrass another, causing the blood to drain from
their face. Yet a more abstract level is cautioning us not to cause others to sin. On a more metaphysical level, one who should teach and does not, is also considered a ‘murderer.’ There is still a more exalted, pristine level of Torah that is appropriate for the angels.
Hashem taught Moshe Rabbeinu every mitzvah with its multiple nuances, from the most transcendent to the most concrete level which was conveyed as Torah she’bichtav at Har Sinai. This insight allows us to appreciate the vast depth and consciousness embedded in Torah and that it is possible to connect to the devar Hashem at any level, from any place.
Mrs. Shira Smiles, a lecturer, author and curriculum developer, is a member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau (www.mizrachi.org/speakers).
Aliyah: Building Dreams & Saving Tax
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WHAT3WORDS/// *B’Kosso, B’Kisso, uB’Kaasso!*
BY RABBI NAFTALI SCHIFF
*People reveal their true personality under the influence of drink, money or anger* (Eruvin 62b)
A timely Talmudic insight for the week of Purim, multiple charitable approaches and no doubt currently numerous stimuli to provoke anger!
In our perennial quest for authenticity, as always, the Talmud provides an excellent litmus test. You want to really know the person, including yourself?
Observe when they are drunk, the way they spend their money, what makes them angry and how they act under the influence. That which all three have in common is their powerful hold over the person. In Hebrew, the prefix of the letter “bet” translates as “in”. The true persona is recognised when a person is fully immersed “ in” a state of drunkenness, “in” his pocket and “in” the throes of anger. Purim is all about revealing that which is real, but often hidden. G-d’s name is intentionally absent from the megilla story. G-d’s Hand is tantalisingly hidden from manifesting itself throughout our long and arduous 2000 year exile, “galut”. And yet, for the perceiving eye, the Divine Providence is there to be “revealed” (The root of the words megilla and galut are of course the same. The ultimate vindication of our galut is to uncover that which appears to be concealed, markedly so, in the revealing of that which is hidden in Megillat Esther - “she who is hidden”) The very charade of Purim is to point us in the direction of perceiving the Hand of Providence at every twist and turn; towards seeing the precision of the Divine plan in that which appears ostensibly to be random and chaotic.
One day a year there is licence to drink to the extent that the absurd disconnect of a thousand dots can be linked up in the deepest way to form one consistent continuum encapsulating the All! One day a year costumes are paraded in order to appreciate the fact that the day shall come on which we shall all witness the ultimate unmasking of All!
When a person drinks, the true self is revealed, the unadulterated authenticity
a negative trait, only to be harnessed seldom and in narrowly defined areas.
“One does not attempt to appease an angry person” (Brachot 5b) because anger reflects something very real and deep inside a person that has uncontrollably broken loose. A man dominated by the false G-ds of mamon, anger and alcohol is a man you may want to avoid.
As Jews we carry responsibility both on the individual level and as part of the
the world.
Purim provides an opportunity to deep dive into who we really are. What are our deepest motivations, aspirations and dreams? How do I spend my money? How do I give tzedaka? What angers me in life?
Current times challenge each of us to assess, affirm and recommit ourselves to time tested, deep-seated core values, the true reflections and expressions of who we are.
of the unbridled individual shines forth. It’s a risky undertaking, perhaps only worthy of the sublime few!
His pocket is also hidden from sight. No stranger really knows the potential of another man’s pocket, nor the manner in which he spends his money or dispenses his charity. “To thine own self be true” advises the father Polonius to his son Laertes in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In Eth ics of the Fathers we teach our children citing the verse “ki mimcha hakol, umi yadcha natanu lach - for all is from You, and from Your hand we are giving” -“tein lo mishelo ki ata veshelcha shelo - give to ( charity) Him for you and all you own is ultimately His.” A person who lives with the reality that all his physical prowess and possessions are gifts from the Crea tor, will readily harness both talents and tender in service of other. Conversely, one who holds on to his gifts as if they are his own, reveals a lack of understanding as to the Source of all beneficence.
Our world is masked with a veneer of superficiality and make believe. Events seem to occur without method, design or comprehension. Happenings appear to indicate success for the wicked, the powerful and the delusional. At times reality presents itself as if contradictory to our deepest home truths. That which we know to define good and bad in people, in purpose, seems frighteningly elusive and confusing in ourselves, in addition to others.
A pertinent aspect of drinking wine in excess of the norm in addition to dressing up in costume on the holy day of Purim, is in order to reveal that which is hidden; to expose the deepest reality that is generally concealed from the mundane view.
Shabbat shalom
///What3Words is a geocoding system that has divided the world into a grid of 57 trillion 3-by-3 squares, each of which is identified by a unique three-word address. In this column, Rabbi Naftali Schiff reflects upon three words each week, relating to core issues of the day.
The Gemara advises us that “when a person is in the throes of anger, his words reveal that which in his heart” (Arachin 15b). Most pointedly we are further warned, “He who is angry it is as if he is worshipping idols! ( Shabbat 105b) Anger, like alcohol and money can totally control the person. People can be so deeply “in” their pockets that money defines who they are, their life’s priorities and their most important decisions. When a person loses their temper, as the very words imply, the anger can be so consuming as to control all rational thought and behaviour; they are literally overtaken by a burning wrath, foregoing all else. This lack of self-control and behaviour, as if possessed by something else, is why Judaism views anger as such
PURIM
BY RABBI SHAUL YONATAN TAWIL
Purim and the dedicated commuter!
How long does it take you to get to work?
Are you one of those suffering the increase in tube congestion?
How many passengers do you think the London Underground carried last year?
Just over 1.2billion journeys were made!
A decade ago, the number was much less at roughly 900 million and life seemed much more spacious commuting to work.
Some people take the bus; others have the luxury of the car.
Increasingly, it has become fashionable to circumvent the commute by having an office in the house.
A fascinating story emerged a few weeks ago. James Robertson, a 56 year old man from Detroit, found himself in the headlines.
For the past decade, he has been commuting by bus and foot and walks a whopping 20 miles a day to get to work.
Originally he had a car, but it broke down and was too costly to fix. He decided to make his way through the wintery rain and snow on foot.
What would you do if you heard this story?
Our Sages state (source?): “Ezehu Chacham? Halomed Mikol Adam” Who is a wise man? One who learns from every person.
Looking at James, we get Chizuk (strength). If this is the conviction that someone shows in order to fulfil his mundane job, how much more so should we put in the effort through tough times in order to fulfil our job of serving G-d.
But just learning lessons from this is not enough – we need to act.
And someone did!
Evan Leedy, a 19 year old university student, heard this story and acted with superb effect, launching an online fundraiser highlighting James’ walk. People saw and reacted kindly by donating, and raised a whopping $330,000 for James within a week!!
I know what you’re thinking. If only something like that would happen to me. After all, I also have it hard.
Maybe you do, but I would like to share my view as to why this person merited such special assistance.
Purim is one of the most fun packed festivals. Great food, drink, presents, charity for the poor and of course fancy dress!
Two thousand years ago in Persia arose an evil man – Haman with the power and decree to destroy and annihilate the Jewish people in ONE day.
The Jews were in trouble and didn’t know how best to deal with the situation.
A few years earlier, they had attended the king’s banquet, against the will of Mordechai (the righteous Jewish leader) and now they needed his advice more than ever. Could they approach him? Could they now tell him they were sorry? Surely that wouldn’t go down well with their ego!
Nevertheless, they put their arrogance aside and accepted every word of advice Mordechai gave. They repented and fasted praying to G-d for three days and were eventually answered with the saviour of the Jewish nation.
You and I are around today due to their gallant decisions.
Over 300 years ago, King Louis XIV of France asked Blaise Pascal, the great Christian philosopher, to give him proof of G-d. His answer was astonishing: “The Jews, your honour, the Jews”.
We Jews have faced a tough history, which unfortunately we seem to be feeling more frequently nowadays. Nevertheless we have survived with great accomplishment.
Persistency in the face of adversity is what leads to success.
We live in a generation blessed with choice.
We enter the supermarket and are engulfed with row after row of products from across the globe.
Send a guy that hasn’t been to the supermarket for years in to buy a product and he will certainly get lost. Which row? Which product? Which brand?
From toiletries to food, the rows are filled seemingly with the same product, in different coloured/ branded wrappings.
Knowledge is king, but deciphering that knowledge and knowing how to process and allocate it, is really the key.
Two people enter a game and are given a task to buy a chocolate from the local supermarket. One dashes
off, before the judge finishes speaking.
The other waits.
The judge continues: “There will be several chocolates to choose from.
Make sure that the one you get contains no peanut content and comes with a special red label.”
The first goes in to the supermarket, tracks down the first chocolate he lays his eyes on and rushes back home easily beating his opponent. The second takes his time, looks for the correct aisle, goes through all the rows until eventually he finds the one product that is without peanut content.
He arrives twenty minutes later, but he is the real winner.
When James Robertson went to work, he did so because he loved his work. Through thick and thin, he would march gallantly to work.
He had a goal, chose a path and happily followed, successfully achieving his aim.
The world saw and reacted.
Now he has been blessed with the ability to fulfil his goal in better standards.
Purim is a time that we celebrate our persistency. As a nation, our primary goal is to believe and serve G-d Almighty.
Throughout our history, we have faced seemingly unsurmountable challenges, but through our belief we remained steady and firm, eventually triumphing in celebration.
In 1899, Mark Twain wrote: “The Egyptians and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendour, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away. The Greek and Roman followed, made a vast noise and they are gone. Other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out and they sit in twilight now or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew. All other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?”
And to Mark Twain – I would answer – our conviction and belief in our cause.
This Purim, let’s keep that conviction strong, eat, drink, share our happiness with others and be merry in celebration of our special relationship with G-d.
Shabbat Shalom and Purim Sameach!
ASK THE RABBI
Looking for answers? Send your question to Rabbi@RabbiSchochet.com
I’M SEETHING! WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME?
Dear Rabbi
Is it proper to feel and verbally express outrage against Hamas terrorists? I am normally a placid person, but after recent events, I find myself consumed with anger. To the shock of many, even within my own family, I have been uncharacteristically vocal in expressing my fury. I struggle to reconcile these emotions with the person I have always known myself to be.
Pauline
Dear Pauline
Yes, it is absolutely proper - indeed, necessary - to feel and express rage at Hamas terrorists, given their relentless brutality, their targeting of innocent civilians, and their utter disregard for human life. The atrocities they commit are not just acts of war; they are acts of pure evil. Anger in the face of such barbarism is a deeply human and moral response. It signifies that we recognise the difference between good and evil, justice and injustice.
Throughout history, we have faced similar embodiments of cruelty. In the past, there was Amalek, a nation that attacked the weak and defenceless, and the Torah commands us to remember their wickedness with moral indignation, erasing any honour or legitimacy from their name. Then there was Haman, whose genocidal intentions we recall each year on Purim - not with passive reflection, but with visceral anger, booing and stamping our feet, even cursing his very name. These figures, like Hitler in more recent history, were not just enemies of the Jewish people but enemies of humanity itself. Hamas follows in the footsteps of these villains, driven by the same ideology of hatred and destruction. Yet, history has also shown that there are always those who refuse to see evil for what it is. There were those who admired Amalek, those who idolised Haman, and those who wilfully ignored the horrors of the Holocaust. Today, we witness the same disturbing pattern - people who excuse, justify, or even
celebrate Hamas’s atrocities, whether out of ignorance or malice. This is why outrage is not only justified but essential. To remain silent in the face of such evil is to allow it to spread.
That said, while anger is natural and even righteous, how we channel it is crucial. Unchecked fury can consume us, leading to bitterness, despair, or actions that do not serve a greater purpose. Expressing anger effectively means directing it toward meaningful action - advocating for truth, supporting victims, raising awareness, and demanding justice. Our rage should not be a chaotic fire that burns indiscriminately but a focused flame that fuels moral clarity and positive impact.
In short, your anger is not only understandable but appropriate. The challenge is ensuring that it serves a higher purpose—one that honours the victims, confronts evil, and strengthens our commitment to a just and righteous world.
DOING PURIM RIGHT
Dear Rabbi
I am a convert and last year I celebrated my first ever Purim. I dressed up, I ate hamantaschen, I drank (maybe a bit too much), but I still don’t fully understand what’s going on. I get that we recall Haman but isn’t it a bit extreme, stomping our feet and booing like a bunch of angry sports fans every time his name is mentioned? Also, I love hamantaschen, but why are we eating pastry shaped like the hat of a genocidal maniac? Isn’t that a bit weird? Finally, I was “told off” for drinking a bit too much. I thought that was all part of the fun!
David
Dear David Firstly, I commend you on fully embracing the Purim spirit. The dressing up, the eating, and yes, even the overindulgence in wine all make for a proper Purim celebration. But let’s get into your very valid questions. Haman was, in short, the worst. He was the royal advisor to King Achashverosh
and had an ego so big it could barely fit inside the palace. When one man – Mordechai - refused to bow to him, instead of just getting over it like a normal person, Haman decided, “You know what? I think I’ll annihilate the entire Jewish people.” Talk about an over reaction. That’s a cry for good therapy and anger management. So why do we boo and stomp every time his name is mentioned? Well, because it’s fun. But more importantly, because we’re symbolically erasing his memory. If social media had existed back then, we’d be cancelling him harder than anyone in history. It’s like the original version of “block and delete.”
About the hamantaschen - yes, it is a bit odd that we celebrate by eating pastries shaped like the hat (or possibly ears, depending on the version) of a villain. But that’s the Jewish way - we don’t just defeat our enemies; we turn them into dessert. It’s poetic justice, in the most delicious way possible. (If you go online, you can google Hamantasch V Latke Debate and my name and you’ll get an hour’s worth of entertainment as I debate another Rabbi (YY Jacobson) on the merits of one over the other, in front of a live audience. Spoiler alert: I won).
So, keep dressing up, keep eating hamantaschen, and keep stomping your feet like you’re at a Purim pep rally. And ignore the naysayers – it’s the only time of the year it’s a mitzvah to drink in excess (but responsibly) so, bottoms up!
L’chaim and Happy Purim!
World Mizrachi and Netflix Star Aleeza Ben Shalom Have Found a Match
The organization known for promoting Religious Zionism worldwide and strengthening the bonds between Israel and the Diaspora has launched a strategic partnership to create The Jewish Matchmaking Movement together with Aleeza Ben Shalom, star of the Netflix series “Jewish Matchmaking”.
With a tagline of “Guaranteeing the Jewish Future”, The Jewish Matchmaking Movement is specifically designed to create viable infrastructures for local communities to be better positioned to create matches. The organizers say that the concept isn’t just “another” dating platform but is specifically about helping people help others make those matches.
World Mizrachi CEO Rabbi Danny Mirvis says that the partnership was born out of the recognition that creating Jewish families is a natural outgrowth of the organization’s mission. “We view this initiative as a critical response to what is a real challenge in the Jewish world –where people of all ages and backgrounds face confusion in how to best find their
matches. By joining forces, we are bringing over 120 years of history of promoting a strong Jewish future and channeling that experience to the goal of building strong Jewish families.”
“So much of matchmaking is educating people how to recognize the opportunities that often exist right in front of us,”
Ben Shalom explains.
“In many ways, if we embrace these lessons, each and every one of us has the skills and resources to become matchmakers. I firmly believe that I have been given a mission in life not just to make matches but, even more importantly, to give others the tools to make matches which is exponentially
more impactful. With this partnership with World Mizrachi, we will be able to reach people and places that might never before have been possible.”
Ben Shalom says that the events since October 7th have changed the attitudes of many singles towards the concept of marriage. “I am constantly hearing people saying that they realize they need a Jewish partner because no one else can really understand them. In addition, creating Jewish families is in every way a form of national Defence because it ensures a stronger Jewish future.” The program’s launch comes alongside the recent release of Ben Shalom’s new book
“Matchmaker, Matchmaker; Find Me a Love That Lasts” that outlines many of her unique approaches to successful dating and relationships.
For World Mizrachi, The Jewish Matchmaking Movement will allow the organization to leverage a global network of communities, emissaries and partners who will be implementing the various elements of the program. “This is an opportunity to return to the very basics of Jewish identity and Jewish continuity,” said Rabbi Mirvis.
Rabbi Doron Perez , Executive Chairman of World Mizrachi commented that “ regardless of our differences in observance, affiliation or where we live, each and every Jew has the ability to contribute to a better Jewish future. Creating strong families is a hallmark of successful human societies and a cornerstone of Jewish nation building . It is our hope and prayer that this new partnership and movement makes a difference in creating many thousands of new Jewish families in the years ahead.”
Immanuel College and King Solomon School (Israel) Unite
Immanuel College proudly hosted 130 students from King Solomon School from Israel for a meaningful day of
collaboration, learning, and solidarity with Israel. The event, which brought together students from both schools, aimed
NJA & CAMERA Host Shai DeLuca - Fighting Misinformation & Strengthening Zionist Advocacy
The National Jewish Assembly (NJA), Young NJA (YNJA), and CAMERA proudly hosted an exclusive “In-Conversation” event featuring Shai DeLuca, a Canadian-Israeli media personality, IDF veteran, and leading voice in the battle against anti-Israel misinformation. The event, co-hosted at the London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS) as part of CAMERA’s “Apartheid Week Exposed” initiative, attracted both young professionals and community members committed to defending Israel against slander and delegitimisation.
The evening began with an exclusive gathering of 20 young professionals, where DeLuca shared his journey from serving in the IDF’s Nahal Infantry Brigade to becoming a prominent pro-Israel advocate in Western media. He emphasized the power of digital activism, highlighting how one factual post can ripple out to challenge falsehoods and counteract anti-Israel narratives online.
The main event, attended by over 60 community members, saw DeLuca interviewed by YNJA Chair Michael Rowe, addressing key issues including Israel’s struggle in the PR war, the media’s anti-Israel bias, and the shifting nature of
antisemitism in the diaspora. He pointed out that while Israelis face a physical battle, knowing exactly where their enemies are, diaspora Jews face an insidious ideological war, never knowing when or where the next attack - verbal or physical - might come from.
DeLuca also reflected on his legal battle against defamation, following a high-profile case where he successfully sued an anti-Israel business owner for slander - a landmark victory in the fight against online Jew-hatred.
Speaking after the event, NJA Managing Director Steve Winston condemned the relentless disinformation campaigns targeting Israel: “Shai DeLuca represents exactly what Jewish communities need: a fearless, articulate advocate who refuses to cower in the face of anti-Israel hostility. The war against Israel is fought on the ground, in social media, in newsrooms, and on university campuses, and it is one that we cannot afford to lose. The NJA is proud to partner with CAMERA in ensuring our community is armed with the truth.”
For media enquiries, please contact: office@nja.org.uk
to strengthen Jewish identity and express unity with the Israeli people, particularly in support of the hostages still held in captivity.
Students were welcomed by Rabbi Yoni Golker, Deputy Headteacher, who introduced the programme and set the tone for the visit before emotional renditions of Acheinu (by Jacob Tapnack) and Mishebeirach (by Eliav Stafler, Head Boy); a prayer for the well- being of those in need.
Following the introduction, students enjoyed an interactive session engaged in discussions on Jewish identity in Israel and the Diaspora, led by King Solomon staff alongside Immanuel’s Beit team.
A highlight of the day was the wholeschool solidarity photo, which took place during break time on the All-Weather Pitch. In a moving display, students and staff formed a giant Israeli flag formation, with a Star of David in the centre, visually demonstrating their unwavering support for the hostages. Immanuel College students filled in the outer lines of the star, while King Solomon students stood at the core, symbolising the unity between the two schools.
To further highlight the significance of the event, 59 yellow balloons were raised in solidarity with the hostages still held in captivity. Additionally, three orange balloons were held in memory of the Bibas family, representing the profound loss Israel has endured. This poignant act served as a visual reminder of the ongoing pain and hope within the Jewish community.
After the photo, the Israeli
visitors and student ambassadors moved to the gym for the second part of the visit, where they took part in Sixth Form sports activities and a mini chess tournament. The event was a resounding success, reinforcing the deep connections between Jewish students in the UK and Israel. The visit provided a powerful opportunity to stand in solidarity with those affected by recent events, while also fostering lasting relationships between the students.
Dan Endlar, Head Master at Immanuel said “It was an honour and privilege to be able to host King Solomon School for an event of such meaning at a time where our unity and solidarity is more important than ever. We are proud to foster such deep connections between our students and look forward to more opportunities to work with each other and support our communities in the future.”
Rabbi Cobi Ebrahimoff, Executive Headteacher of the King Solomon School said “It was beautiful to see students from Israel and the UK learning, playing and sharing memorable experiences. May this be the beginning of an exciting partnership between the two schools” Am Yisrael Chai!
From Nissan to Adar: Finding Hashem When He’s Hidden
BY RABBI YONASAN ROODYN
The Jewish calendar is somewhat of an anomaly. Unlike the secular calendar, which begins in January, we count our years from Tishrei but our months from Nissan. While this might seem strange at first, the idea that Nissan is the first month and Adar is the last carries a profound lesson about our relationship with Hashem. This unique structure invites us to explore the journey from the open miracles of Pesach to the hidden hand of Hashem in Purim—a journey that teaches us to seek Him even when His presence isn’t obvious.
Nissan is when it all began. The month of Pesach, when we commemorate the ten plagues, the Exodus and the splitting of the sea, is filled with moments when Hashem’s presence was undeniable. These events were like giant signposts saying, “Hashem is here, guiding history with a clear and mighty hand.” It was a time when we didn’t have to search or wonder - Hashem was visible, His love for us unmistakable.
But that kind of clarity didn’t last. As the months roll on, the miracles fade, and Hashem’s presence seems to step back into the shadows. The question is—why?
As the Jewish year progresses, Hashem’s involvement becomes less obvious. This isn’t about Hashem disappearing; it’s about teaching us to find Him in different ways. In the earlier books of the Torah, miracles are frequent and direct. But as we move through
Tanach, especially into the books of Nevi’im and Ketuvim, Hashem’s presence feels quieter, more subtle. Prophecy becomes rare, and divine messages are often indirect, sometimes even obscure.
It’s as if Hashem is telling us, “You’ve seen what open miracles look like - now I want you to find Me when I’m not as obvious.” It’s a call to grow up spiritually, to seek Hashem not just in thunder and fire but in the everyday moments that are easy to overlook.
And then we reach Adar, the last month of the Jewish year, and the story of Purim. The Megillah is famous for what it doesn’t say - Hashem’s Name is completely absent. On the surface, it’s a story of palace intrigue, bravery, and coincidence. But of course, nothing is really coincidental.
Haman’s plot, Esther’s rise to power, the king’s sleepless night - everything fits together too perfectly to be random. The message is clear: Hashem is there, even if He’s behind the curtain. The whole idea of Purim is about seeing past the disguise. The name “Esther” itself hints at
this, coming from the root hester, meaning hidden.
In a way, Adar is the ultimate test of our spiritual maturity. Can we recognise a miracle when it’s wearing a mask? Can we find Hashem in a world that looks like it’s running on autopilot? If Nissan is about seeing Hashem in the spotlight, Adar is about finding Him in the shadows.
The journey from Nissan to Adar is a blueprint for our lives. Most of us don’t get to witness seas splitting or manna falling from the sky. Our miracles are quieter. An unexpected kindness, a bit of good news just when we need it, a twist of fate that changes everything. If we don’t learn to see Hashem in these moments, we might miss Him entirely.
Adar’s message is that hiddenness isn’t the same as absence. In fact, it can be a deeper form of closeness. When we learn to find Hashem even when He’s not obvious, we’re showing that our relationship isn’t dependent on fireworks and wonders. It’s based on something much deeper.
The joy of Purim, with its masks and disguises, isn’t just about celebrating our survival. It’s about the thrill of uncovering Hashem’s presence in a world that tries to hide Him. It’s about realising that even when Hashem’s face is hidden, His hand
is still guiding every step.
The beauty of the Jewish calendar is that it doesn’t leave us in darkness. Just when we might feel overwhelmed by Hashem’s hiddenness in Adar, we move straight into Nissan. It’s a reminder that the hiddenness of Purim leads to the revelation of Pesach.
This isn’t just about history—it’s a promise. No matter how dark things get, we believe that Hashem’s light is waiting just around the corner. Our task is to keep looking, to hold on to faith even in the quiet, hidden moments.
So, as we move through the year, the challenge isn’t just to believe in Hashem when He splits seas and sends manna. It’s to find Him in the subtle, everyday miracles that fill our lives. The journey from Nissan to Adar is a reminder that even when Hashem hides His face, He never stops caring, guiding, and loving us.
Rabbi Yonasan Roodyn is the Educational Director of Jewish Futures, a tour guide for JRoots as well as serving as Rabbi of Finchley Federation Synagogue and on the Federation Beth Din’s Shailatext service. He has thousands of classes available online at www.torahanytime. com.
Keep the Party going with this delicious Purim Challah Pudding by Ta’amim
BY DAN MATALON, TA’AMIM
“... Let the Jews in Shushan be permitted to act tomorrow also as they did today....”
Megillat Esther 9:13
This year, Shushan Purim coincides with Shabbat, which for the lucky people of Jerusalem and other ancient walled cities, means 3 days of Purim celebrations, as many of the traditional festive mitzvot cannot be performed on Shabbat.
Whichever way you cut it (or tear it!), even for those of us living outside the Holy Land, Purim running into Shabbat means lots of delicious challah! For many, it especially means an abundance of sweet, sticky Purim challah, filled with raisins or chocolate and topped with lashings of sprinkles! And whatever challah you have leftover, this quick and easy bread-and-butter pudding is a great way to give it a new lease of life the day(s) after!
INGREDIENTS
• 5 cups leftover purim challah, cubed
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup double cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
FOR THE TOPPING:
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate
• sprinkles
METHOD:
1. Cut leftover Purim challah into 3cm (1”) cubes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, cinnamon, salt and vanilla.
3. Add in the chocolate challah and chocolate chips and fold together.
4. Grease a medium sized baking dish with the butter, and pour in the mixture.
5. Heat the oven to 175C (160C Fan/350F/ Gas Mark 4)
6. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the mixture has set.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the dish. Note that your pudding will rise as it bakes and then slightly deflate as it cools.
8. Add 1/4 cup chocolate to a glass bowl and either melt over a bain marie, stirring gently, or by warming in a microwave for a few seconds. If using a microwave, be careful not to overheat the chocolate.
9. Drizzle chocolate over the pudding, and add sprinkles.
10. Serve hot or cold. It’s delicious either way!
Another
delicious recipe
from Denise Phillips
Queen Esther’s Poppy Seed & Nut Biscuits
Queen Esther enjoyed a diet of nuts and seeds in order to keep kosher whilst in the Palace and these incredibly easy biscuits fits the description. They’ll satisfy both your sweet and crunchy cravings and happen to be vegan, gluten-free, egg-free and dairy-free too! You can make the biscuits whatever size you want but do keep them the same size as then they will all be cooked at the same time!
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes Serves: Makes approx. 35
Ingredients
100g flaked almonds
160g pumpkin seeds
4 tablespoons chia seeds
4 tablespoons poppy seeds
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons maple syrup
Method
1. Preheat your oven to 180C.
2. Mix the nuts, seeds and salt in a bowl, then mix in the maple syrup.
3. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon spoon a large helping onto the tray.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
5. Allow to cool completely to firm up (they may break apart if you attempt to move them whilst still warm).
For more recipes and inspiration visit my website: www.jewishcookery.com denises_kitchen
Details about forthcoming events, email: denise@jewishcookery.com
Reds announce Old Trafford regeneration
BY DAVID SAFFER
Manchester United are struggling on the park but have major aspirations for its stadium after announcing plans for a 100,000 state-of-the-art stadium in a regeneration of the Old Trafford area. The stadium would benefit the community with 92,000 jobs, over 17,000 homes and an additional 1.8 million visitors annually. Conceptual images were unveiled on Tuesday by Foster + Partners.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Manchester United co-owner, said: “Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years,
but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport. By building next to the existing site, we will be able to preserve the essence of Old Trafford, while creating a truly state-of-the-art stadium that transforms the fan experience, only footsteps from our historic home.”
Omar Berrada, United’s chief executive, said: “Our long-term objective as a club is to have the world’s best football team playing in the world’s best stadium. We will now embark on further consultation to ensure that fans and residents continue to be heard as we move towards final decisions.”
Sir Alex Ferguson, said: “Manchester United should always strive for the best in everything it does, on and off the pitch, and that includes the stadium we play in. Old Trafford holds so many special memories for me personally, but we must be brave and seize this opportunity to build a new home, fit for the future, where new history can be made.”
The Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) observed: “Whilst investment is much-needed and welcome, fans remain anxious about what it means and what the consequences will be. Will it drive up ticket prices and force out local fans? Will it harm the atmosphere, which is consistently fans’ top priority in the ground? If they are able to produce a new stadium as stunning as the plans suggest without harming the atmosphere and hiking ticket prices this could be very exciting.”
Lord Norman Foster, Foster Partners, said: “This has to be one of the most exciting projects in the world today, with incredible regional and national significance. It all starts with the fans’ experience, bringing them closer than ever to the pitch and acoustically cultivating a huge roar.”
According to initial plans the stadium will be contained by a vast umbrella, harvesting energy and rainwater, and sheltering a public plaza twice the size of Trafalgar Square. The outward-looking stadium will be walkable and served by
public transport.
Mayor Andy Burnham said: “Our common goal on the Task Force has been to try to unlock the full power of the club for the benefit of its supporters and for Greater Manchester. If we get this right, the regeneration impact could be bigger and better than London 2012. I believe this vision can be realised.”
Should United complete the stadium it will join an elite number of the world’s largest sporting venues.
Bristol Motor Speedway (Bristol, Tennessee): 153,000
Narendra Modi Stadium (Ahmedabad, India) - 132,000 capacity, 114,000 seats
Rungrado May Day Stadium (Pyongyang, North Korea) - 113,281 capacity widely claimed
Michigan Stadium (Ann Arbor, Michigan) - 107,601
Beaver Stadium (University Park, Pennsylvania) - 107,572
Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio) - 102,780
Kyle Field (College Station, Texas)
- 102,733
Tiger Stadium (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) - 102,321
Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee) - 101,915
Texas Memorial Stadium (Austin, Texas) 100,119
Bryant-Denny Stadium (Tuscaloosa, Alabama) 100,077
Melbourne Cricket Ground (Melbourne, Australia) 100,024
Family FunPURIM
Once upon a time in a town called Shushan, there lived a man called Mordechai. He was a very good man, and always tried to help people and do the right thing. Mordechai lived with his niece Esther, and they were Jewish, just like you. (That means they liked eating challah and lighting Hanukkah candles and singing Shabbat songs, just like you!)
In the same town there was a king called King Ahashverosh. He lived in a big palace and had lots of money, but he was a bit lonely. He needed a new queen to come and live with him in the palace. He looked everywhere and eventually he decided that the one person he liked most of all was Esther, who was not only pretty but also kind and very smart. So Esther said goodbye to her Uncle Mordechai and went to live in the palace with the King and become his queen, but she didn’t tell him she was Jewish.
Now there was a man who worked in the palace who was not very nice. His name was Haman. He expected everyone to do exactly what he said, and to bow down to him when they saw him, and he got angry if someone didn’t do exactly what he wanted.
One day Haman met Mordechai, and Mordechai did not bow down to him. Haman became very cross and he went to the King and said, “There are some people around here who do things differently from other people, and I think you should make them go away.”
The King didn’t really know what Haman was talking about, but he said “OK, you can tell those people to go away, the ones who do things differently”. What Haman wanted to do was to get rid of Mordechai and Esther and all their Jewish friends!
The Jewish people were very sad, because they liked living
in the kingdom and they didn’t want to go away. What could they do?? Mordechai sent a message to Esther at the palace, and the message said “Esther we need your help! That nasty Haman wants to get rid of us all! Please talk to the King and ask him to stop Haman.”
Queen Esther thought “I must be very brave” and she made a special dinner for the King, with all his favourite foods. Then she invited the King and Haman to come and have dinner with her. The King thought dinner was delicious, and he was so happy that after he finished eating, he said to Queen Esther “What can I do for you, to say thank you?”
Queen Esther said “Oh please, I need you to help me and my uncle Mordechai and all our friends, because someone wants to make us go away”.
“That is terrible!” said the King, because he really liked
Esther and he didn’t want her to go away. “Who wants to get rid of you and your family and friends?”
Esther pointed at Haman and said “It’s him! Haman wants to get rid of us!”
“Oh no!” said the King, and he was very angry indeed. He called his guards and said “Take away Haman and get rid of him instead!”
Then the king asked Mordechai to come and work at the palace and do Haman’s job – but of course Mordechai was much nicer than Haman! And nobody had to go and live anywhere else if they didn’t want to.
So after that, everyone lived happily in the Kingdom. Mordechai did a really good job working for the king, and Queen Esther made delicious biscuits called Hamantaschen.
Megilla Stats Jewish Riddle
Number of Verses - 167 Words - 5,637 Letters - 12,196
This week’s Question: Which four people’s names from the Chumash
Yehuda (Bereishet 29:35) (Esther 2:6)
Yair (Bamidbar 32:41) (Esther 2:5)
(as names) in Megillat Esther? This week’s Answer: Kush (Bereishet 10:6, Esther 1:1) Madai (Bereishet 10:2, Esther 1:3)
Tangram Challenge!
Using all the shapes, can you make the shape on the right?
Word Wheel
The goal of a word wheel puzzle is to create as many words possible with the letters in the word wheel. Each word must contain at least three letters. You can only use each letter once and every word must have the letter in the centre of the wheel.
Last edition’s words
Here are some words you may have found from last week – you may have found more!
R D O E K V A E B
fend fens fern feud find fine fins fire firs foes fond ford fore four fund furs fuse info rife serf surf fends ferns feuds fiend finds fined finer fines fired fires fords found fours fried fries frond funds fused infer serif unfed fiends finder fiords fonder fondue founds friend funder fusion infers infuse refund surfed finders founder friends funders infused infuser refunds founders foundries
Jokes
Q: What was Queen Esther’s royal gown made of?
A: Poly-Ester!
Q: What’s the point of a hamantashen?
A: Don’t be ridiculous, it has 3 points!
Q: Who is the noisiest during Megilla reading?
A: Greg-er
Q: What does the King have for Purim Seuda?
A: Vashti and biscuits
Q: If you celebrate Purim in Israel, what do you bring home?
A: a Big Tan
Moshe Rabbeinu was born on Zayin Adar. His Brit would have been on Purim. Would his brit have been before or after reading Megilla. EMAIL IN THE ANSWER!!!
The Art of Bad Marketing
As Purim is approaching, I would like to illustrate a point with an old joke about a man from the Soviet Union visiting New York for the first time…
In an American Supermarket he is amazed by something never come across in the Motherland -Powdered food…
“Vot is this?” he asks.
“This is powdered Soup”
“Just add water, and voilà—powdered soup!”
“Wow… and this?”
“Powdered milk! Just add water, and you have milk.”
He walks past powdered eggs and then suddenly stops, eyes widening. With a loud voice, he exclaims, “Only in America!”
“What? What?” the people around him ask.
The incredulous Russian points and
shouts, “Baby powder!!”
Which brings me to a real-life marketing blunder that’s almost as bad.
When Gerber first launched in certain African markets, they proudly displayed their iconic smiling baby on the jar— without realizing that, in many African countries, packaging typically shows an image of what’s inside. Not exactly appetizing. But hey, at least they didn’t promise to bring anyone back from the dead—unlike Pepsi…
In China, Pepsi’s slogan, “Come alive with the Pepsi Generation,” was mistranslated into something far more ambitious: “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead.” If that were true, they could have charged a lot more per bottle!
Meanwhile, Electrolux, a Swedish vacuum company, entered the U.S. market with the tagline “Nothing sucks like an
Electrolux.” I’m sure that Electrolux vacuums have great suction, but for the US consumer all they heard was that this vacuum is garbage!
A famous naming fail was the Rolls Royce Silver Mist that was quickly renamed to Silver Shadow, after some astute person realised that Mist means Manure in German!
It is also the same word in Yiddish but back then there weren’t many Yiddish speakers driving that class of transport!
David Ogilvy once said, “The consumer isn’t a moron. She is your wife.”
So if your wife (or literally anyone else) bursts into laughter for the wrong reasons, rethink your campaign.
So here are some helpful tips:
1. Test on real people. If your slogan confuses, offends, or makes people laugh for the wrong reasons, rethink it.
2. Get a human translator. AI is great, but unless you want to promise immortality or accidental cannibalism, hire a pro.
3. Check your name globally. What sounds great in English might be an insult elsewhere. Run it past native speakers first.
4. Consider the worst possible interpretation. If your ad could be misread in an embarrassing way, someone will misread it. Beat them to it.
Marketing is storytelling— just make sure yours doesn’t become a joke.
So before your next launch, just ask: “Will people laugh with us or at us?” Because if you get it wrong, you might end up in the marketing blooper hall of fame — right next to baby food cannibalism and resurrection soda!
Happy Purim!
MD Strom is a Brand Consultant and CEO of VMAL Ltd – a London based branding, marketing and web design company.
He can be reached by email at darren@ vmal.co.uk or on 0208 133 3527
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