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BRITAIN’S BIGGEST JEWISH NEWSPAPER 9 January 2020
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12 Tevet 5780
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Issue No.1140
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@JewishNewsUK
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Chief Rabbi is barred from Torah celebration Mirvis blacklisted by ‘petty politics’ of Charedi group Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis was prevented from attending a major Torah celebration at Wembley Arena this week by a Stamford Hill Charedi group, amid opposition to his inclusive stance towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Jews, writes Mathilde Frot. Mirvis was “disinvited” from attending Tuesday’s Siyum HaShas event, marking the end of the Daf Yomi – a seven-and-ahalf year cycle spent reading the Talmud every day. It was hosted by the group Agudath Yisroel of the United Kingdom, as first reported by Charedi blogger @Ifyoutickleus. A spokesperson for Rabbi Mirvis told Jewish News: “How sad that the petty politics of a small minority should distract from what should be a wonderful celebration of Torah.” Jewish News understands the Chief Rabbi was invited weeks ago to sit on the podium alongside other dignitaries – but the invitation was withdrawn on Monday amid concerns about possible disruption from audience members. Rabbi Mirvis divided public opinion among the strictlyOrthodox community in 2018 when he released a landmark guide advising schools on steps to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) pupils. The document, produced with the Jewish LGBT group KeshetUK, included tips to protect students from bullying and abuse and urged tolerance towards young Jews discovering their sexual and gender identity. Rachel Fink, headteacher at JFS, hailed the guide at the time as “an important publication which every Jewish school should embrace”. But critic Rabbi Mordechai Rose hit out at the Chief Rabbi for his partnership with KeshetUK, writing that while the group is “in their own eyes … committed to a worthy cause,” the Orthodox view is “fundamentally” different. “This collaboration of the Chief Rabbi with KeshetUK might be compared to the United Synagogue collaborating with the Reform movement to produce a definitive guide to Jewish religious belief,” he said. Critics cited the guide as a key factor in the Chief Rabbi’s apparent exclusion from the event. Twitter user @see_through613 tweeted: “Certainly his presence would taint the whole event. Let him perhaps ask KeshetUK to organise an event for him. Another, @green_sruli, wrote: “There is Halacha and the Chief Rabbi decided to disregard it.” Agudath Yisroel of the United Kingdom was approached for comment.
HOW ANNE FRANK INSPIRED MANDELA This poignant oil painting depicting Nelson Mandela taking inspiration from the diary of Anne Frank during his 27 years behind bars as a political prisoner is set to appear at venues across the country after it was commissioned by Anne Frank Trust UK. Artist Michael Italiaander, who marked his 97th birthday this week, said his work reflected how when Mandela read the iconic text, he “sees how the tragedy that was hers, was also his.”