Opinion

Don’t take things for granted

OPINION PIECE BY ROBERT FESTENSTEIN

There has been much talk said and words written over the last few months about attacks on Israel, is there any left-wing anti-Semitism and whether or not cancel culture has a place in the Jewish community. Some proponents have been thoughtful, others just ridiculous. Purim this year has a particular significance for Ukrainian Jewry who are facing losing their homes and worse. To some extent this puts the shrill cries about Israeli politicians into context.

This week though and with a break from tradition, I am going to speak personally. I have been involved in the above arguments in this column and made my position very clear. What though has made a difference is a close friend of mine who has told me the story of his next-door neighbour, Alex. Alex is a good man. He spends time with his sons, goes with the family to the local football matches and is just a nice guy. So, what possible releHALF PAGE ADVERT JAN 2020:Layout 1 09/01/2020 16:04 Page 1 vance does this have to cancel culture and

voices demanding the banning of Israeli politicians?

It is simple. Alex is dying. Earlier on this year he was diagnosed with an illness which it was thought could be treated and it turns out that it cannot. The detail is unimportant here, what is key is that shortly Alex will no longer be with us. A family man in his mid-40s by a cruel twist of fate will be taken from us, and it is that twist of fate that has made me think about the arguments presented by people who think it is smart to deny entry to countries, groups or platforms because they don’t like what they are going to say.

The Ukrainians trying to escape with their lives and that of their families are unlikely to care about what might have been tweeted by someone 10 years ago, they have more important issues to deal with. Alex’s family similarly will have little interest in this self-indulgence as to whether you can judge someone now on what they might have said a decade ago. It is of no importance to those avoiding bombs and

those waiting for the inevitable in relation to their loved one. None at all. We take so much for granted, and Purim is fine time to recognise this. There have been many Purims in our people’s history, and we should remember these. We are so fortunate to live where we do on this island, amongst a community who by and large don’t bother with us. Certainly there is anti-Semitism and I have written about this often and will continue to do so. The anti-Israel voices are loud and often overbearing and the high-pitched tones from those on the left who claim to know better are as grating as they are patronising. So, amongst all this noise and against the background of Ukrainian people fleeing for their lives or for Alex facing an end to his, we should perhaps just take a The Ukrainians trying to escape with their lives moment to consider that not everything is bad, and we should not take life for and that of their families are unlikely to care granted.

about what might have been tweeted by someone 10 years ago, they have more important issues to deal with.

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.

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Our fathers now lived as a third generation In Babylon’s lands as a subpopulation But fifty-plus years since our forced emigration Just how does one wake up a slumbering nation?

We ate of their foodstuffs until satiation And underwent rapid acclimatization Now Babylon’s not such a bad situation Oh, how does one wake up a slumbering nation?

When Cyrus extended his great invitation To build up the Temple for rededication We chose to stay put in our present location Ah, what should one do with a tranquilised nation?

The next king, three years since his own coronation Invited the Jews to a grand celebration, This sparked from our leadership much condemnation But see how reacted this exiled nation!

We ate and we drank to our own degradation And did not protest at the king’s presentation Of ex-Temple vessels, a huge desecration - Oh, where is your fire, you servile nation?

So Mordechai, seeking his people’s salvation Each day with the minister sought confrontation: “I won’t bow down, Haman!” To cause escalation “If that’s what it comes to, I’ll wake up this nation!” The minister saw, and forget indignation He wanted to kill him without hesitation. But then changed his plan after some contemplation “My one course of action’s to wipe out his nation!”

He knew this required some authorisation So went to the king with concealed jubilation, He chose then his words with extreme concentration “You see, there exists a rebellious nation…”

The king signed and sealed this dire legislation Condemning the Jews to complete annihilation. The Jews cried aloud then, with great desperation “Hashem Elokeinu! Remember your nation!”

“We have fallen victim to assimilation We wrongly put faith in this administration But now they’ve abandoned us all to damnation It’s true that we’re scattered, but still we’re one nation!”

To Esther said Mordechai: “Go to your station! You must intervene in this grave situation! Forget your own instincts of self-preservation For you are the one who must rescue our nation!”

She said, “let us fast for three days preparation And gather together in unification, Then I shall go forth as our representation And plead for the sake of my own, dearest nation.”

The queen set in motion the great confrontation “My people and I have been sold to damnation!” The king stood, and shouted with much animation “Just who is the one who would strike down your nation?”

(“It’s actually you, king, for your information!” The queen would have said at the first invitation.) Her finger was pointed with this accusation: “Your minister Haman would wipe out my nation!”

So Haman was hung, and his plot met frustration Indeed, the Megillah’s a great demonstration Of how all events are of God’s orchestration He’ll never destroy his unique, holy nation!

But even this saga of close annihilation Could not spur the masses to choose liberation Who fell back to sleep and embraced subjugation - Oh! How does one wake up a slumbering nation!? (Originally published at www.visionmag.org) © Robert Goodman 2022