1177 by Jewish News

Honking year! How one synagogue ensured a communal new year P3

Extraordinary Care from Extraordinary People

VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY 24 September 2020

•

6 Tishrei 5781

•

Issue No.1177

•

@JewishNewsUK

• Residential • Respite • Independent Living 020 8908 4151 jewishchoice.org

Jewish News 24 September 2020

www.jewishnews.co.uk

Honking time! How one synagogue ensured a communal new year P3

Extraordinary Care from Extraordinary People

• Residential • Respite • Independent Living

VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY 24 September 2020

•

6 Tishrei 5781

•

Issue No.1177

•

020 8908 4151 jewishchoice.org

@JewishNewsUK

“ The demand for justice

Ruth Bader Ginsburg 1933-2020

runs through the entirety of Jewish history and Jewish tradition” See pages 16, 17, & 20

More than half of British Jews fear return to shul Poll shows majority feel uncomfortable about face-to face events More than half of British Jews felt “uncomfortable” about returning to synagogues and other communal spaces – even before a spike in cases caused the tightening of nationwide restrictions this week. A national survey of almost 7,000 Jews, aged between 16 and 85 plus, shows community leaders may have to rethink how to engage people in Jewish communal life in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The new measures allow synagogues to remain open, but have cut the numbers per-

mitted to attend weddings and stone settings and put further pressure on restaurants and kosher caterers. While urging its congregants to adhere to the government’s guidance, the United Synagogue this week warned it would make a “difficult situation even more difficult” and could place many livelihoods working in the food sector at risk. In the first of four reports, the Coronavirus Papers, the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) has tried to assess levels of discomfort within the Jewish community about returning to full-scale participation in communal activities. The online research was carried out in July amid a continued drop-off in cases The results show “a clear leaning towards the uncomfortable end of the scale”, with 10 representing the most uncomfortable and 0 the most

comfortable. Close to half of respondents – 46 percent – answered seven to 10 on the scale at the prospect of going back to face-to face events and activities that are so key to normal Jewish life. Just 24 percent responded between 0 to three – indicating they are “very comfortable” about a return. But the report notes a clear disparity in the responses of the more religiously observant compared with those who had no communal affiliation. It says: “Findings for the strictly Orthodox likely reflect a strong desire, even compulsion, to meet in-person: for the most Orthodox, convening for religious services is a halachic obligation, so any curbing of it is experienced as particularly problematic. Jewish communal activities and events are also completely central to the lives of strictly Orthodox Jews, so the

higher levels of comfort they feel probably reflect higher levels of desire or need to return. “Conversely, non-[shul]members generally feel far less such obligation to return and, of all groups examined, tend to be the least engaged in Jewish life. Thus, the relatively high average levels of discomfort they feel about attending Jewish activities almost certainly reflect the notion such activities simply matter less to them.” On a scale of four to seven, one graph shows, those who say they have a “very weak” level of religious adherence show they feel nearly 6.5 on the discomfort scale, while the more observant score around 5.3 in their willingness to take part in communal activities. Perhaps surprisingly, the JPR has found that it is people in the 85 + age bracket who feel Continued on page 2

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Jewish News 24 September 2020

News / Hospitality fears / Memorial service / Covid report

Firms supporting Jewish functions and celebrations have said that the next six months “is just about staying alive”, following the tightening of Covid-19 restrictions to deal with rapidly rising infection rates. A raft of measures, including 10pm curfews and wedding limits of 15 people, has led to companies’ concern over cashflow and refund demands, as the United Synagogue chief executive warned that the livelihoods of hundreds in the food sector could be affected. “Restrictions have been tight and affected the whole hospitality and events industry since March, but the new restrictions have squeezed it tighter,” said Ben Tenenblat, who runs a kosher catering company. “It’s affected us badly in terms of business. For most, 15 people is not a dream wedding. Many are just holding off. They’re hesitant to book because things are changing daily, not just week to week. Most of our bookings have moved into 2021.” He said most customers were showing loyalty and that “the business is there”, but in the interim it had required an about-turn in what his company offers. “From day 1, overnight, we adapted from [being] a caterer to almost a food retailer, adapting the website.” Tenenblat said it “lets us tick through,” adding: “Now we’re looking at another six months of it. Adapting is the only way to go. Cashflow is a major issue, but we’ll get through it. It won’t be easy, but we’ll stay alive so that we can fulfil our customers’ contracts when we get round to being

GIV.UK

Photo by Blake Ezra Photograhy

Kosher caterers face new blow

A couple celebrates their wedding in pre-Covid times, without the need for social distancing

able to do it.” Samantha Kingsley, at the north-west London events space N20, said: “It’s been terrible in the events industry, so heartbreaking, but the amount of support for each other has been mind-blowing.” She added: “No one wants each other to go bust. I’ve been calling up other venues that are in competition with me, the DJs are all checking in on each other… Everyone has been so supportive because some people are in a really bad way.” Like Tenenblat, she said she was determined

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to survive. “This isn’t life. Nobody wants to see life without functions and celebrations. It gives meaning. It makes you realise how important what we do is. Morale out there is terrible.” With risk assessments and adaptations, Kingsley said her business was ready to go the second it gets a green light. “Now it’s a waiting game.” When asked what the community could do to help firms such as hers, she said a bit of patience when it comes to issues such as refunds could make all the difference to events companies, with cashflow a huge headache across the board. “It doesn’t look like the government is going to be providing anything more, so we’ll all do what we have to do, but I’m not going anywhere,” she said. “I have an amazing business with wonderful clients, and we’re ready to do what we can

when we can, but clients and suppliers all need to be kind to one another, because it’s not easy out there. We have huge rents and rates to pay. People would be shocked to know what it costs to run a venue.” Adam Ziff, the owner of pop-up drinking establishment Suburban Whisky Lounge in Hampstead, said businesses such as his would be affected by the introduction of the 10pm curfew in bars and restaurants. “That one hour reduces our takings by up to 20 percent,” he said. “Does it affect us? Yes. Will it put us out of business? We’re a pop-up so, unlike other bars and restaurants, we aren’t tied into long leases and fixed overheads, we have more flexibility. If it affects us so much that we have to close the doors, we can reopen once the environment changes.” He added: “Like any small business, we have had to adapt. You have to play the cards you are dealt. But it’s not nice. I can see why the government’s doing it, but it feels like we’re trying to put a Band-Aid over a life-threatening wound.” Asked about the new limit of 15 people for weddings, US chief executive Dr Steven Wilson said that whilst reducing infection rates was important, the new restrictions “will nevertheless make a difficult situation even more difficult”, adding: “Many couples already postponed their wedding once in the hope they could marry this winter. The new limit will make it harder. “Our caterers and restaurateurs have had a very challenging time over the summer and we know the prime minister’s announcement will affect the livelihoods of hundreds of people KLBD licensees employ. “We empathise in these extraordinarily difficult times and hope and pray the New Year brings an end to affliction and adversity.”

Chief to lead streamed Yizkor service Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis will lead a memorial service that will be broadcast ahead of Yom Kippur. The traditional Yizkor prayer, said to remember those who have died, will be streamed on the United Synagogue (US)’s video platform, TheUS.tv, on Sunday, 27 September at 2.30pm. With more than 500 members of the community succumbing to coronavirus, a prayer composed for victims of Covid-19 will be recited during the Yizkor broadcast. Owing to virus restrictions, synagogues have had to limit capacity for the High Holy Days by up to 90 percent. It has also been announced that the US will

run a pre-recorded video of the evening Kol Nidre service in partnership with Pinner Synagogue. Rabbi Ben Kurzer will introduce it, before it is led by Chazan Sam Freeman with a socially-distanced choir, broadcast from 5.30pm on Sunday. Rabbi Michael Laitner, the US’ director of education, said: “Yizkor prayers help us to recall and memorialise people whom sadly are no longer with us ... as such, our recitation of Yizkor on, or as close as possible to Yom Kippur, a day on which we request atonement from God … provides an opportunity to recall and pray for deceased relatives, as well as for others who tragically have paid the ultimate sacrifice.”

‘JEWISH LIFE IS ABOUT BEING TOGETHER’ Continued from page 1 slightly more comfortable about returning to activities and events, which the report attributes to a possible philosophical shrugging of the shoulders. However, levels of discomfort are high among those aged 16 to 24, and particularly those in education. “Young people are found to exhibit quite high levels of anxiety in general, and the discomfort they feel about returning to in-person Jewish activities and events is likely to be related to this.” The report says that even though some people have begun to return to Jewish life, “it is important to consider that many will not, at least for the

time being”. The report concludes: “Jewish communal life has long depended upon in-person interaction – being together, physically, to celebrate, mourn, pray, learn, socialise and connect. The inability to do these things in person, over time, is potentially very damaging to Jewish communal life.” JPR director Dr Jonathan Boyd said the research would help identify which demographic groups might need extra attention. “These are challenging times and part of the way in which the Jewish community will be judged in the pandemic’s aftermath will relate to the extent to which it offered people solace and support.”

24 September 2020 Jewish News

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Meaningful collaboration / Motor service / News

Drive-in congregants hope Shofar sounds from top of St Albans Cathedral for a honking new year Putting together an innovative service for Rosh Hashanah, which will keep the attention of adults and children alike is always a challenge — but this year, the difficulties of doing that in the face of new coronavirus rules seemed overwhelming. But not to Rabbi Miriam Berger and the team at Finchley Reform Synagogue, who produced a drive-in new year service set to go down in the congregation’s history. Instead of, as in previous years, the whole congregation going inside the Saracens’ rugby stadium for its High Holy Day services, the community took to the Allianz Park car park for three gloriously noisy Yom Tov sessions, complete with shofar-blowing. (The congregation of Mill Hill United Synagogue used the indoor facilities instead, this year). Berger told Jewish News: “It was difficult at first for people to get their heads around the idea of a drivein service, and to understand they wouldn’t be marooned in their car on their own.” Instead, and operating under strict coronavirus conditions, each car driver was directed to a place in the car park – to be joined by 80

IC6

FRS members mark Rosh Hashanah at Saracens’ rugby stadium

cars at the first service and 120 at the second – handed a sterilised speaker for the car, plus a honey stick and an apple. Hazard warning lights were used if people needed to be escorted by stewards to the restrooms. FRS’ regular under-fives service ‘Kuddle Up Shabbat’ got a look-in, too, as Tevye the Torahsaurus, who makes Kiddush with the children, arrived in one car. The first two services, aimed at families, featured the synagogue’s Rhythm ‘n’ Jews band, while the third, an evening service for

adults, attracted 110 more cars and allowed people to participate with torches and phone lights, creating, said the rabbi, “a really lovely atmosphere”. Berger said: “We used the sound engineers whom we would normally use on the High Holy Days and we hired screens. “We’ve been having regular Zoom services and those have worked well, but people were craving that sense of community, and that’s why the drivein was so successful.”

Blasts of the shofar were sounded from the top of an 11th century cathedral in St Albans to mark Rosh Hashanah. In an historic display of interfaith collaboration, almost 200 members of the city’s Masorti synagogue (SAMS), gathered in darkness in small socially distanced groups to hear the notes. Three shofar-blowing members of the synagogue, who had been preparing and practising for this for more than a month, ascended the 144-foot tower – Rabbi Adam, Talya Baker and Debbie Harris, with Canon Kevin Walton from the cathedral. Zagoria-Moffet told Jewish News: “It means a lot to me personally, and to our community. St Albans is a city defined by religion and the partnerships forged between communities here are so important. “Especially now, when we are all facing the same threats, the collaboration and support of the cathedral is phenomenal. “For 1,500 years, people have journeyed to St Albans on pilgrimage, and although very different, for over 100 people from our community to experience that, standing in the dark in the cathedral’s shadow and hearing the shofar blown was really powerful.”

Interfaith collaboration: SAMS at the 11th century cathedral

SAMS chair Darren Marks said it was “certainly the most spectacular in the series of events we have organised to enable the community to celebrate the High Holy Days in both a meaningful, safe and halachic manner”. He added: “We are very fortunate to have such a creative rabbi and team supporting him, but much credit and thanks must also be given to the cathedral and local authorities for allowing the occasion to go ahead.” As well as working with the cathedral to blow the shofar for Rosh Hashanah, SAMS also ran a series of initiatives to mark the Jewish new year in a Covid-friendly way, including a talk in a field, socially distanced Yizkor services and an online honey cake bake.

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Jewish News 24 September 2020

News / Emmy awards / Harvey Weinstein

Judaism wins big at Emmys Jewish actors and Jewish experience were at the forefront of this year’s Emmys, the prizes for the best in television, honouring depictions of the strictly observant — Unorthodox — and cultural Jews such as the Rose family of Schitt’s Creek. Canadian father and son Eugene and Dan Levy swept the board with nine wins for their groundbreaking comedy series Schitt’s Creek, which ended its sixth season this spring and has won international fans after it aired on Netflix. It’s the story of a Jewish family, the Roses, who bask in vast wealth and then suddenly lose all their money. The show tells the story of how they eventually end up living in a motel in rural America. Eugene Levy was named outstanding lead actor in a comedy series and his screen ‘wife’, the veteran actress Catherine O’Hara, was named outstanding female actor. The show was the brainchild of Dan Levy, Eugene’s son, who won an Emmy for best supporting actor. Annie Murphy, who played Alexis Rose in the series, was named best supporting actress. In all, Schitt’s Creek, which also featured Dan Levy’s real-life sister, Sarah, garnered four awards for Dan and two for his father, as well as the crowning award for best comedy series. Dan Levy, accepting the best comedy series award, said: “Our show, at its core, is about the transformational effects of love and acceptance, and that is something we need more of now than we’ve ever needed before.” There was serious — Jewish — opposition, though, in the form of The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, the story of a young Jewish New York

Missed out: Shira Haas as Esty in Unorthodox

Nine awards: The Roses in Schitt’s Creek

woman in the late 1950s and early 1960s, who jettisons her life as a housewife to become an acclaimed stand-up comedienne and friend of Lennie Bruce.

Maria Schrader won as best director for a limited series for Unorthodox, which follows the journey of a strictly Orthodox Jewish woman who leaves her community. Unorthodox received eight nominations but only won one Emmy. Though disappointed for Shira Haas (the Israeli who plays the lead role, Esty) that she did not win an Emmy, Schrader was thrilled with her award. “As we worked on the show, we had a sense it would be a relevant and emotional story with a universal appeal, but we didn’t know just how well and how widely it would be received,” she said. “We put something out there we thought was under the radar, but you just never know.” Shows with identifiably Jewish characters, such as The Kominsky Method, also received a number of nominations. Jewish actress Julia Garner, up against Meryl Streep and Helena Bonham Carter, said she was “shocked” to win — for the second year running — best supporting actress in a drama series for her role in Ozark. Comedy actress Maya Rudolph took home two awards, one for her role as the judge in The Good Place, which she told a news conference was modelled on Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died at the weekend. Jewish screenwriter Damon Lindelof won outstanding writing in a limited series and best limited series with writing partner Cord Jefferson for their work on HBO superhero show Watchmen.

Weinstein is stripped of CBE The Queen has stripped film producer Harvey Weinstein of his honorary CBE after he was jailed for 23 years for rape and sexual assault. She annulled his appointment as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire late last week upon the suggestion of the Honours Forfeiture Committee, which is independent from government. Weinstein was convicted of rape and sexual assault in March after dozens of actresses told journalists what he had done while head of the Miramax production company. Weinstein, pictured, was awarded the CBE for services to the film industry in 2004. The British Film Institute rescinded his fellowship in 2017. Other British honours awarded by the Queen that have been rescinded in the past include those of disgraced children’s entertainer Rolf Harris’s CBE and former Royal Bank of Scotland boss Fred Goodwin’s knighthood. Weinstein’s conduct inspired the #MeToo movement. Despite the abuse allegations levelled against him, in 2017 he hired the Israeli firm Black Cube, whose agents faked personas to get close to both his accusers and reporters, in order to try to stop the publication of the allegations.

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Jewish News 24 September 2020

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King’s College to use AI to tackle antisemitism A British university team is spearheading a major drive to use artificial intelligence (AI) to tackle subtle online antisemitism in groundbreaking work revealed this week. King’s College London has helped put together a team of discourse analysts, computational linguists and historians trying to develop a highly complex, AI-driven approach to identifying online antisemitism – both explicit and implied. “The combination of these research disciplines is unique, both in its set-up as well as in the subject matter of the analysis itself,” organisers said. AI and machine learning are key to combatting the deluge of often untraceable Jew-hatred online, with researchers hoping the advanced algorithms now being developed can stay one step ahead of armchair antisemites by identifying and flagging hateful content before it can be seen and shared. The ‘Decoding Antisemitism’ project, announced on Monday, is being funded by the Alfred Landecker Foundation, which joined forces with King’s

as well as the Center for Research on Antisemitism at the Technical University of Berlin and other scientific institutions in Europe and Israel. Analysts said computers would help run through vast amounts of data and images humans simply could not assess, owing to its sheer quantity. Studies show that most antisemitic defamation is expressed in implicit ways, such as by writing ‘juice’ instead of ‘Jews’, or using allusions to certain conspiracy narratives or the reproduction of stereotypes, especially through images. This implicit antisemitism is much harder to detect – and harder to punish – but researchers hope to train their AI programmes by inputting examples so it can soon act autonomously to understand how antisemitism is expressed. “We have seen in the past that social media companies, already found wanting when it comes to limiting hate speech on their platforms, are very reluctant to act upon such hidden hatred against Jews,” they said. “The effect is that online users are

emboldened to continue to spread and share their hateful messages. The problem has recently been exacerbated, as seen by the rise in conspiracy myths accusing Jews of creating and spreading Covid-19.” Foundation chief executive Dr Andreas Eberhardt said: “Antisemitism and hatred directed against minorities are putting the future of

our open society in jeopardy. The problem is only getting worse in the digital sphere. It is essential we use innovative approaches – such as AI – to tackle these issues head on.” Berlin-based linguist Dr Matthias Becker said: “Hate speech online and hate crimes are to some extent always connected. In order to prevent more and more users being radicalised on

the web, it is important to identify the real dimensions of antisemitism, taking into account the implicit forms that might become more explicit.” Dr Daniel Allington, an AI lecturer at King’s, said the task was difficult because “hatred is often expressed in subtle ways and constantly changes form”. He added: “Machine learning can serve as a force multiplier, extending the ability of human moderators to identify content that may need to be removed. It is only through partnerships such as this that we can hope to make progress towards protecting minorities in these hard to reach spaces.” The focus of the project is initially on Germany, France and the UK, but will later be expanded to cover other countries and languages. Antisemitism Policy Trust chief executive Danny Stone said: “There is an unhappy history when it comes to AI and antisemitism,” referencing a chatterbot that learnt to post anti-Jewish racism. He added: “I hope this project will prove AI can be a force for good in this sphere.”

PM: IT’S A MITZVAH TO SAVE LIVES ‘It’s vital we stick to rules’ Prime Minister Boris Johnson reflected on the “disproportionate losses” in the community during the pandemic, closures of synagogues and cancelled simchas – as he wished British Jews a happy new year. Delivering his Rosh Hashanah message to the community, Johnson (pictured) said the sound of the shofar would “signal not just the arrival of a new year, but also the end of one that many would like to forget”. In a year dominated by the coronavirus, which has caused the deaths of more than 500 members of the community – and more than 40,000 across the country, he said the virus “for reasons we still don’t fully understand, has hit Jews of Britain particularly hard”. He added: “And the disproportionate losses you

have suffered have been compounded by the necessary privations of lockdown. Synagogues that have remained open for centuries, welcoming worshippers on Shabbat even as Nazi bombs rained from the sky, were forced to close their doors just when people needed spiritual comfort more than ever. It’s been a year of cancelled and postponed bar and batmitzvah celebrations.” This comes after the prime minister made it illegal to gather in groups of more than six last week. Synagogues are allowed to hold greater numbers – provided congregants maintain social distancing and follow safety guidelines – within the building. Johnson called on the community to follow guidelines to stem the flow of the virus transmission – and save lives. “When it comes to totting up good deeds from the year gone by, I can’t think of anything greater than doing what was needed, however tough, to save the lives of your fellow citizens. “Shana Tova – and may you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.”

Sadiq Khan has praised the community’s “selfless actions during this pandemic” in his Rosh Hashanah message – while stressing the need for everyone to “stick to the rules to help save lives”. Sending his Jewish new year greeting, the mayor of London (pictured) said it was “a time for reflection, as well as looking ahead with hope” after a “difficult year” dominated by Covid-19. Khan said: “I believe we can take some comfort from how communities in London have joined together to support those in need. “This includes many Jewish Londoners, whose selfless actions during this pandemic have been inspiring.” Thanking the community for its contribution, he praised its “generosity, compassion and kindness”, but issued a warning to Jewish Londoners amid rising cases. This comes after Chief Rabbi

Ephraim Mirvis called on the people to abide by virus guidelines or “risk posing a danger to the lives of others”. Reflecting on restrictions, Khan said: “Sadly, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many of you won’t be able to mark this time as you usually do – by coming together with large groups of friends, family members and loved ones. “I know this will be very difficult. But at this worrying time in the battle against Covid-19 – with cases rising once again – it’s vital that we all stick to the rules to help save lives. “I wish you a peaceful and a happy year ahead. From my family to yours – Shana Tova.”

24 September 2020 Jewish News

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Fundraising campaign / New year messages / News

‘Please help prolong Joel’s life’ Friends of a Jewish couple from north London were this week helping them to raise awareness of a campaign to prolong the life of their only child. Joel Danziger, 19, was diagnosed with a lethal form of brain cancer last year, just two weeks after he gained the grades he needed to study at university, in news that turned the family’s life upside down. His mother, Stephanie (known as Steph), and her partner Ian, together with Joel’s school friend, Tom, are now trying to generate “some real and precious hope for Joel’s future, while at the same time make a meaningful contribution to cancer research in the long term”. In August last year, aged 18, Joel went to his GP suffering from severe migraines. The GP sent him to an optician, who saw retinal haemorrhaging and sent him straight to hospital. Within days, he had emergency brain surgery to remove a tumour the size of a golf ball. Although the operation was successful, Joel was soon diagnosed with

treatment that might help to glioblastoma, an aggressive see Joel through to the end of cancer that attacks the brain his studies.” or spinal cord. Average life That pioneering treatment expectancy is just 18 months, revolves around dendritic with vanishingly few living cells, which play a key role in longer than five years. tumour immunity and thereSince last September, Joel fore cancer immunotherapy. has received excellent care “Essentially, this is a from the NHS at The Christie personalised cancer-killing Hospital, having radiotherapy, vaccine made from Joel’s chemotherapy and a clinical own residual tumour tissue,” trial of immunotherapy, said Bonaminio. “Given that said Elisa Bonaminio, Joel’s treatment to date has a family friend who is organonly been palliative, this is ising the crowdfunding. the most promising way of “Joel has bravely endured prolonging his life.” all the treatments, but worries The treatment is not that any headache is the first Stephanie Danziger with Joel, 19, her only child yet available on the NHS, sign of the cancer returning. she said, and “because it is bespoke “Now, in return for his enormous Covid-19 has made it even more diffifor Joel, we will need to raise more courage and grace, those who know cult to enjoy the time he has to spend than £400,000 for the vaccine to be and love him are working to do the with his friends and family.” very best we can for him,” said Steph’s manufactured by a biotech company His family said Joel was “deterin Cambridge and for him to receive friend, Stella Klein. mined to live a normal life for as long the treatment from a leading brain She described Joel, a former child as he possibly can” and, after having tumour professor from Kings College actor, as “bright and charming, the had to postpone his first year of Hospital in London”. life and soul of the party” and said: university, is set to begin this month, As of yesterday, they had raised “We’re trying to raise money to pay having already raised almost £20,000 £61,000. Klein described the family’s himself for the Teenage Cancer Trust. for a very promising, pioneering

Women against hatred Jewish women have been in the forefront of a ground-breaking campaign to make misogyny a hate crime – as the Law Commission announced yesterday morning it was proposing sex or gender be added for the first time to the protected characteristics of hate crime laws. Charlotte Fischer, a senior community organiser with Citizens UK, Rabbi Robyn Ashworth-Steen of Manchester Reform Synagogue, and Alison Branitsky, a Manchester-based psychosis researcher, are among the campaigners. As Fischer explained, the ultimate aim is to allow victims to record more than one category of complaint – and Jewish women are often doubly targeted, both by misogyny and antisemitism. Citizens UK launched this campaign five years ago in Nottinghamshire, whose police force became the first to

Rabbi Robyn Ashworth-Steen and campaigner Charlotte Fischer

take misogynistic attacks seriously. Now seven police forces back the initiative and Citizens UK, whose report on the issues was published this week, hopes for national backing. The report states: “Certain groups, such as Jews and Muslims, often face forms of discrimination and hate, which draw upon more overt, well-defined and widely circulated stereotypes and tropes, some of which are more unambiguous than others.”

AISH DELIVERS 35,000 NEW YEAR PACKAGES Aish UK has distributed Rosh Hashanah boxes and materials to more than 35,000 homes around the world. The High Holy Days box had the option of including an explanatory Machzor for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a child-friendly children’s service booklet for families with young Rabbis Daniel Rowe children, a guide to simanim (speand Dovid Lichtig cial foods to be eaten at Rosh Hashanah); an Aish card game and a poster, plus a gift of apple tea, apple bar and honey; and a copy of the latest Aish magazine, featuring an exclusive interview with Rabbi Lord Sacks. People could choose what they wanted in their boxes and the cost varied according to the contents. In total, Aish said: “We created and distributed over 66,300 items to more than 35,000 families across four continents.”

battle for his final years as “brave and inspiring”, as she recalled meeting Steph at university in the 1980s. “Her family story touched my heart and has stayed with me ever since,” she said. “Second daughter of two Kindertransport evacuees who married and settled in Wembley in the late 1950s, Steph lost her mother to cancer when she was just 13.” The friends moved on from university and began their careers – Klein’s in London, Steph’s in Manchester. Klein said: “It was easy to understand the mixed feelings Steph had about raising a family of her own under the shadow of early loss. “Finally, though, at the age of 37, Steph and her partner Ian took the plunge and their beautiful son Joel was born. “I hope this family’s story will be of interest to the community, and I hope people help.”  To donate, go to: www.gofundme.com/f/ helpjoellivelonger

Shofar ... so good More than 700 people from across Hampstead Garden Suburb listened to the shofar from their own home as the Shofar on the Block initiative provided street shofar blowings on Rosh Hashanah. As Covid-19 restrictions meant garden minyanim were banned in the area shortly before the festival, and with limits on synagogue spaces, Chabad HGS in partnership with Norrice Lea Synagogue organised a series of shofar blowings on people’s driveways and streets throughout the second day of Rosh Hashanah; 35 locations were chosen by project coordinator Yitzi Sidelsky. Chabad Lubavitch UK Rabbi Bentzi Sudak said: “It was emotional and moving to see so many people, young and old, religious and not affiliated, have the opportunity to listen to the shofar, whether from the comfort of their own home or in family groups on their street. “This year’s Rosh Hashanah will have a lasting impact on me and everyone who was present.”

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Jewish News 24 September 2020

News / Educational guidance

Orthodox groups welcome new guidance on school inspections Strictly Orthodox schools not teaching the new relationship and sex education (RSE) curriculum may not be downgraded as a result, according to new guidance from Ofsted published last week. Educators welcomed last Thursday’s publication of Inspecting teaching of the protected characteristics in schools from the national schools’ inspectorate Ofsted. The document acknowl-

edges that schools, such as those in the Charedi community, “have raised questions about what they should teach in relation to the ‘protected characteristics’ in the Equality Act 2010, particularly the sexual orientation and gender reassignment characteristics”. It says schools “are at liberty to teach the tenets of any faith on the protected characteristics”, but “must also explain the legal rights LGBT+ [lesbian,

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Schools not teaching the new SRE curriculum may not be downgraded because of it

gay, bisexual and transgender] people have under UK law, and that this and LGBT people must be respected”. Facing pressure from faith leaders on the issue, the Department for Education (DfE) has said that the coronavirus pandemic means it is giving schools “flexibility over how they discharge their duty within the first year of compulsory teaching”. A spokeswoman for

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Chinuch UK, which represents 80 Charedi schools, including independent schools, academies and grant-maintained schools, said it “welcomes Ofsted’s new policy guidance on how schools are required to promote tolerance and respect with particular regard to the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010”. She said: “The policy brings Ofsted in line with the DfE guidance published in 2019 and brings an end to schools facing censure for not teaching young children about this very sensitive subject. Schools will now have much greater freedom to listen to their parent bodies and decide what is appropriate for their pupils. While this guidance does not resolve all issues for Charedi schools, it is a very constructive step and will have a positive impact.” The guidance applies to all types of academy, maintained, non-maintained, special and non-association independent schools, and although inspectors will comment on schools’ readiness to teach RSE from January, school compliance “will not impact inspection judgments until the start of the summer term 2021”. Even then, schools not teaching about LGBT+ relationships from next summer will not be marked down on leadership and management if the school “can satisfy inspectors it has still fulfilled the requirements of the DfE’s statutory guidance”. Meanwhile, strictly Orthodox Jewish educators have welcomed new government guidance on how inspectors should talk to pupils when gathering evidence about the school and judging whether the relevant regulations are being met. It now allows an adult to be present when they do and states inspectors will not speak

to pupils without another adult present if parents or the pupils do not consent to this. This follows several recent downgrades of Charedi schools, during which leaders complained of inspectors asking children questions they deemed inappropriate in a faith school setting. “If a school requests that inspectors do not speak to pupils about a topic [it] reasonably believes is sensitive for its pupils, inspectors will not ask pupils questions about it,” Ofsted said. “Before speaking to any pupils, inspectors will offer assurance to school leaders about any concerns.” In secondaries, pupils are required by law to be taught about LGBT+ families and issues, in line with DfE guidance, while primaries must legally consider age-appropriate teaching of LGBT+ issues “through consultation with parents and after considering pupils’ religious backgrounds”. Ofsted said: “If a secondary school does not allow inspectors to speak to pupils about these issues, inspectors will not be able to demonstrate the school is meeting its obligations under the guidance. This will have consequences for the personal development judgement, the leadership and management judgement and compliance with any relevant independent school standards.” The Chinuch UK spokeswoman said: “There have been occasions in the Charedi community when inspectors’ conversations with pupils have led to a loss of trust in Ofsted by the community. This new guidance represents positive progress.” The document requires that inspectors, before starting an inspection, agree with school leaders how they will speak to children and what subjects will be covered.

24 September 2020 Jewish News

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Labour pledge / Online regulation / News

Starmer’s honour for Smeeth Sir Keir Starmer used his first conference speech as Labour leader to reiterate his commitment to “root out” antisemitism, after being introduced by a Jewish former MP who had personally faced a barrage of hate, writes Jack Mendel. Addressing the online Labour conference in Doncaster, delivered without an audience due to coronavirus, he was introduced by Ruth Smeeth, who lost her seat in December and now heads Index on Censorship. Smeeth, who is vice chair of the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) and its former Parliamentary chair, was a leading campaigner against antisemitism in the party, and cited its failure to tackle Jew-hatred, and Brexit, as reasons for her loss. In a powerful introduction, she said the new leader had “already demonstrated that our

party is under new management”, adding the party was “determined to eradicate the stain of antisemitism. No ifs, no buts. “It has been difficult to be Jewish in the Labour Party in recent years. We lost too many friends who were bullied out... and too many people who have been hurt by visceral racism, which should have no home in our movement,” she said. “But under Keir’s new leadership I know the trauma of the last few years will begin to heal.” Thanking Smeeth for an “incredibly powerful introduction”, Starmer reflected on “how hard the last few years have been for you”. He said: “As I promised on my first day as leader, we will root out the antisemitism that has infected our party. We’re making progress – and we will root it out, once and for all.” He stressed that “this is a party under new

leadership” and urged former Labour voters to take a fresh look at it. He stressed: “Racial inequality is one of the causes that brought me into politics. And the eradication of structural racism will be a defining cause for the next Labour government.” Under Jeremy Corbyn, Labour became only the second party, after the British National Party, to be the subject of an investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, over alleged institutional racism. Sir Keir has vowed to implement its recommendations, which are expected to be published in the coming weeks. A spokesperson for JLM said: “We’re pleased and proud to see Keir Starmer choose Ruth Smeeth to introduce his keynote speech. It’s another clear signal that he means business when he says he wants to tackle Labour’s antisemitism problem.”

Sir Keir Starmer and former MP Ruth Smeeth

Shadow ministers discuss online hate

The Board of Deputies’ fringe event at the Labour conference

Shadow ministers have voiced support for new and tougher legislation to regulate social media companies during Labour’s online conference, writes Jenni Frazer. The Board of Deputies’ event – which was chaired by chief executive Gillian Merron – was joined by Shadow Home Secretary Nick ThomasSymonds and Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy. Shadow Education Secretary Kate Green and Jess Phillips, Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding, took part in a fringe event jointly held by the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET) and the Antisemitism Policy Trust (APT) chaired by HET chief executive Karen Pollock. In both discussions, the issue was considered of how to regulate social media companies, and what would make them comply with new and more stringent regulation. Phillips said bluntly: any fines imposed on the companies had to be “huge”, and any levy raised to fund an independent regulator to monitor online hatred had to be substantial.

Thomas-Symonds said Labour would support new legislation to regulate social media companies, adding: “The platforms have been slow to act. The time has come where there has to be regulation.” The government is considering the Online Harms Bill, but it is not expected to be in front of Parliament for final approval until next year. Phillips and former Labour MP Ruth Smeeth – now chief executive of Index on Censorship – spoke of the online abuse they had faced – and in both debates it was acknowledged there was a high and unacceptable level of misogyny. Lammy described going to the trial of a man accused of sending him and other MPs death threats online. The man, he said, “had been seduced by the extremism he was coming across in an everyday way, dragging him into the cesspool silos of hate”. Green stressed the importance of education against online hatred and denial, saying it should start as early as possible and urged people to speak out when possible.

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Jewish News 24 September 2020

News / Forgiveness film / Pop-up synagogue

Film focuses on woman who forgave her brother’s murderer “What can I do,” Rabbi Yoni Golker thought, “to make Yom Kippur more meaningful for people?” This year, the St John’s Wood rabbi has come up with something almost guaranteed to resonate powerfully with his members and beyond. It is a scarcely believable story of forgiveness and, ultimately, some sort of redemption, the story of a woman who helped her brother’s murderer leave prison after more than 32 years. Denise Taylor is a doctor who has spent much of her adult life working in men’s prisons in California. In 1984, in a marijuana deal that went tragically wrong, an African-American man called Ronnie Fields shot and killed her brother Jonathan, who was known as Bo. Fields was given a minimum sentence of 27 years in prison, but in fact stayed in jail for just over 32 years. He was released in 2017 after Taylor and her father, Jim, went to speak on his behalf at parole boards

considering his case. Now, in an extraordinary short film released on United Synagogue’s TV channel, USTV, Rabbi Golker has interviewed Fields and Taylor, with the themes of Yom Kippur, of personal forgiveness, at the forefront of the discussion. The film was shown on Tuesday evening and its contents will form the basis of the Yom Kippur explanatory service at St John’s Wood next week. Taylor said she had been inspired to make contact with Fields after hearing a radio programme in which a woman whose parents had been killed had found their murderer, and offered her forgiveness. She resolved to do the same and wrote to Fields in 2005, asking if he would let her visit him in prison. She explained: “Working with the prisoners in the men’s jail made me understand how much such a visit would mean to them.” Taylor became Fields’ first visitor

in 10 years, and she asked if she could visit again. In the film, Fields joins the discussion from a hospital bed in a rehabilitation clinic, where he has been for the past 15 months. He says he had a motorcycle accident, in which he lost an arm and a leg, less than a year after leaving prison, something he describes as “karma”. He talks about the circumstances of the murder, but tells Golker and his audience he is a “changed person”. He says Taylor’s approach “changed my life” and that he pledged never to devastate another family the way he had devastated hers. Taylor says she believes that in allowing her access, Fields is “doing me a kindness” and says she thinks everyone is forgivable. “We all have pettiness inside us,” she says, “but it is up to us how we respond.” Golker ends the film with some thoughts about Jewish approaches to forgiveness and atonement. “There

Clockwise from top: Ronnie Fields, Rabbi Golker and Denise Taylor

is a universal element to the story – whatever your faith or background, you can relate to it. It is a human story. “The Jewish response is very clear: you can’t ask for forgiveness from a murder victim, because they are no longer there. But Dr Taylor says she forgives Fields for what he has done, for herself, but also that he needs to forgive himself. And obviously, she’s unable to forgive him on behalf of her dead brother.”

Yom Kippur, says the rabbi, is a time of asking forgiveness from God. “But the Mishnah teaches us that for sins between man and man, you need to seek out and ask forgiveness from that person, to evaluate what you did wrong. Sometimes it is not possible. But Yom Kippur is a day for rehabilitation and redemption, of second chances. This film shows the power of forgiveness, and that’s what I wanted people to think about.”

Chabad opens pop-up synagogue in Islington

ISRAELI CYCLIST IS A WORLD TOUR DE FORCE Guy Niv became the first Israeli to complete the Tour de France, the world’s premier cycling event. Niv, 26, a member of the Israel Start-Up Nation team, finished in 139th place among the 146 cyclists who completed the three-week race on Sunday.

Chabad Islington has opened a pop-up synagogue space on the main artery road, Upper Street, just near Angel Tube station – the first communal space in the area for 50 years, writes Jenni Frazer. The initiative opened last week, in time to hold socially distanced Rosh Hashanah services, and will be open next week for Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur prayers. It is the first Jewish community space in Islington for more than half a century after the closure of Poets’ Road in 1967. Chabad Islington has been running in the borough since 2011,

serving young professionals primarily and young families. Led by Rabbi Mendy Korer and his wifeHadasa, it hosts educational classes, religious services, social and cultural events, as well as two annual public events: the Islington menorah lighting, frequently attended by local MP Jeremy Corbyn, and the Big Jewish Summer Fete, aimed at promoting community cohesion in the borough. After Succot, the space will be open for all to visit and learn more about Judaism. There will be a Jewish art and history exhibition,

cafe and a Judaica shop, as well as a kosher food collection point. Korer said: “Since announcing the opening of the space, the outpouring of excitement and love from the community has been truly moving. “The location on bustling Upper Street is phenomenal, it feels like opportunities are endless. “There are many ways to get involved with the project, either by sharing ideas of how the space can be developed, or by joining our events; you can volunteer your time or financially help to make sure the project becomes permanent.”

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Jewish Care award / Glasgow synagogue protected / News NEWS IN BRIEF

KINDERTRANSPORT PODCAST HAILED An emotional finale to a recently completed ten-part podcast series about the Kindertransport has led to information about the wartime rescue mission reaching new ears. The Association of Jewish Refugees said its Kindertransport: Remembering and Rethinking looks at the legacy and contemporary relevance of the rescue of Jewish children in Nazi-occupied Europe. It follows reports that Sir Anthony Hopkins is set to star in a bio-pic of Sir Nicholas Winton, the banker who organised the trains to Liverpool Street station in the months before war broke out. AJR’s podcast series uses its Refugee Voices archive, consisting of first-person accounts of more than 250 survivors and refugees. Lord Pickles, UK special envoy for post-Holocaust issues, said the series was “the first of its kind, using first-person accounts to tell the story from multiple angles”. Sir Erich Reich, who arrived in 1939 aged four on a Kindertransport, said: “I wholeheartedly recommend this first-class series. It is a lesson to us all regarding today’s unaccompanied children refugees.”

Inspirational fire chief honoured Jewish Care has bestowed its Woman of Distinction Award this year to psychologist and writer Dr Sabrina CohenHatton – who also happens to be the chief fire officer of the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. The award ceremony was held online with Cohen-Hatton in conversation with CNN journalist Caroline Richenberg, with 125 guests attending virtually for an event that raised more than £21,000 for the charity’s Sidney Corob House residential home. Cohen-Hatton adds to a long list of distinguished award winners such as Dame Esther Ranzen, Lady (Nicola) Mendelsohn, Rabbi Baroness (Julia) Neuberger and former Labour MP Luciana Berger.

Chief fire officer Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton is Jewish Care’s Woman of Distinction

This year’s winner has already led an extraordinary life, dealing with personal challenges such as homelessness

as a teenager, selling the Big Issue when not attending school, saving up to get secure accommodation, and gaining

the confidence to join the Fire Service aged 18. Asked what advice she had to women who may be worried about these uncertain times, she said: “You are stronger and more capable than you think you are.” Richenberg said: “You are a hero for many of us and a true inspiration.” Danielle Hess and Danielle Lipton, co-chairs of the awards committee, said: “She is such an inspirational figure to so many. The contributions she has made to her field and the wider community are formidable.” The charity’s fundraising director, Adam Overlander-Kaye, said: “The award is a highlight of our calendar and we were so pleased to be able to hold the ceremony online this year.”

Scottish shul building listed

Langside Synagogue, built in 1927

A synagogue in Glasgow that closed six years ago because of a dwindling Jewish community and has been eyed by developers has been listed. Langside Synagogue was built in 1927 and is one of only two eastern European-style synagogues in the United Kingdom, the BBC reported. Talks are said to have taken

place recently about reopening the building to serve a new Jewish community growing in the area. More than 840 groups and individuals supported the proposal to protect the building, requiring developers to take into account its “architectural or historic interest”. The interior includes woodcarving

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and wall painting in a folk-art style that was similar to synagogues in Poland, Ukraine and Romania, the BBC said, citing the South Glasgow Heritage Environment Trust. In December, a Jewish collective based in Scotland petitioned the private owners of the synagogue building to reopen it for worship.

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Jewish News 24 September 2020

News / Memorial for spook / Terrorists convicted / Volunteer poll

Blue plaque for Churchill’s favourite spy A Polish Jew who became a top British spy during the Second World War has been honoured with a blue plaque in Kensington. Christine Granville, born Krystyna Skarbek to a Jewish mother and Christian father, was “Churchill’s favourite spy” for her exploits operating behind enemy lines. She was killed in 1952 by an obsessive stalker. Granville was the first female special agent of Britain’s Special Operations Executive, conducting espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance missions in Nazi-occupied Europe. She was motivated to sign up in 1939 after the Nazis invaded her homeland and was its longest serving agent. Her recruiter called her “a flaming Polish patriot, expert skier and great adventuress”, a description she lived up to across the continent, albeit as many aliases. Among her exploits

she crossed the snowbound Polish border on skis in temperatures of -30°C, smuggled microfilm across Europe to show Hitler’s USSR invasion plans and rescued French agents from the Gestapo. She also secured the defection of an entire German garrison in a strategic pass in the Alps and saved the lives of many of her male colleagues. Most think she was the inspiration for Vesper Lynd, a spy in Ian Fleming’s first 007 novel Casino Royale. AJEX wartime archivist Martin Sugarman said: “Skarbek was Jewish, her mother being a member of the Goldfeder Polish banking family who married a minor Polish impoverished aristocrat. She was proudly Jewish. This is clear in all three books written about her.” Anna Eavis, curator at English Heritage, said Granville served

Christine Granville, a Polish Jew, was a ‘great adventuress’

Britain “bravely and brilliantly” during the war, adding: “We hope that our blue plaque will help more people to discover her remarkable

story and her connection with London.” Granville biographer Clare Mulley said she was “one of the most effec-

tive special agents to serve Britain during the Second World War, male or female… Her achievements led Churchill to call her his favourite spy, and Britain to honour her with the George Medal and OBE.” Arkady Rzegocki, Polish Ambassador to London, said: “Krystyna Skarbek’s contribution to the Allied effort is undeniable and she reminds us about the close and effective cooperation between Polish and British intelligence services.” The English Heritage plaque was placed during a ceremony last week at 1 Lexham Gardens Hotel, once the site of Shelbourne Hotel, where Granville was based after the war.

Two guilty over attack that RELIGIOUS ARE MORE killed five Israeli tourists LIKELY TO VOLUNTEER Two men being tried in absentia for the bomb attack on a bus carrying Israeli tourists through Bulgaria in 2012 have been found guilty of terrorism and sentenced to life imprisonment. Lebanese-Australian Meliad Farah and Lebanese-Canadian Hassan El Hajj Hassan were charged in 2016 with helping the bomber, who died in the attack on the bus at Burgas Airport, as it waited to take the tourists to the Black Sea. The bomb killed five Israelis including a pregnant woman, and the Bulgarian driver, and injured 35. Both men escaped. In the Bulgarian cap-

ital of Sofia this week Judge Adelina Ivanova cast judgment on what was the deadliest attack against Israelis abroad since 2004. It was perpetrated by Franco-Lebanese national Mohamad Hassan ElHusseini, 23, who detonated his backpack as he loaded it into the bus. He was identified using DNA analysis. Prosecutors have said there is strong circumstantial evidence that the Lebanon-based Hezbollah was behind the attack, citing the three men’s Lebanese descent, the nature of the explosive, the planning and coordination required, and the

Burgas Airport, scene of the 2012 bomb attack

fact that the perpetrators’ fake IDs were printed at a university in Lebanon. In July of this year, on the anniversary of the Burgas attack, more than 250 lawmakers from across Europe, including

the UK, added their names to a call from the American Jewish Committee (AJC) Transatlantic Institute urging the EU to proscribe all branches of the Hezbollah organisation, not just its armed wing.

Religious people volunteered more before lockdown than the population at large, and are more likely to volunteer now lockdown has eased, according to a survey commissioned by Faiths United. However, the poll found that during lockdown, the discrepancy between the propensity of regular worshippers to volunteer and the population at large reduced, as the country experienced a wave of altruism and civic-mindedness. Faiths United supporters volunteering Savanta ComRes interviewed Maurice Ostro OBE, chair of Faiths 4,575 UK adults last month; respondUnited, said: “These results show two ents are not broken down by faith.. Before lockdown, religious people heartening trends: firstly, that people of showed much higher rates of volun- faith practise what they preach: outside teering than the population as a whole, a crisis, they are more likely to volunwith 72 percent of religious people teer than the population at large. “I’m also pleased that when the helping the vulnerable with shopping, compared with 46 percent of the gen- going gets tough, this difference was eral population. During lockdown, the less evident and the sense of social difference vanished, with the popula- responsibility was shared across the tion as a whole stepping up their efforts. whole population”.

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24 September 2020 Jewish News

mizrachi uk presents a special film presentation for the yamim nora’im

In a year when we can’t all be in shul, take a journey through the prayers, themes and tunes of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as we connect to these awesome days.

Call of the Shofar part two: yom kippur

written and narrated by RABBI ANDREW SHAW performed by JONNY TURGEL musical arrangement by ASAF FLUMENDORF produced by DAVID REUBEN

Motza’ei Shabbat 26 September 2020 8:30 pm ON MIZRACHI UK'S FACEBOOK AND YOUTUBE CHANNELS

Jewish News 24 September 2020

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24 September 2020 Jewish News

Antisemitic graffiti / Holocaust Education / Siblings’ fundraiser / News

Teens held after swastikas daubed in Borehamwood Two teenagers from Borehamwood have been arrested on suspicion of daubing swastikas in the area. Hertsmere councillor Jeremy Newmark reported the offensive symbols found in multiple locations on Monday evening, including on The Campions, Retford Close and Sawtry Way. Hertfordshire Constabulary said: “Police were called at around 8pm on Monday, 21 September to report that two men were acting suspiciously near a van in Stapleton Road. “Officers attended and discovered the van had been broken into and a small fire had been started nearby. Graffiti was also discovered on a number of garages and vehicles in the area.”

An 18-year-old male and a 16-year-old male were arrested on suspicion of offences including arson, criminal damage to a vehicle, racially aggravated criminal damage and burglary, officers said. The suspects have been bailed. The swastikas were daubed alongside Stars of David on a park bench and on garage doors. The graffiti has now been cleared off, following evi- The graffiti was found on garage doors dence-gathering by police. Newmark said he was “appalled to incredibly swift response in ensuring the receive multiple reports from concerned daubings were removed as soon as police had concluded their investigations”. residents”. Dave Rich, of the Community Security He told Jewish News that many residents were “shocked and shaken by this shameful Trust, said: “We are pleased that the police incident”, and thanked officials “for their have acted so quickly.”

HET seeks support due to Covid The Holocaust Educational Trust has followed a plethora of Jewish organisations in asking for financial support to further its work as Covid-19 restrictions led to the cancellation of this year’s fundraising dinner.

The HET said it was “redoubling efforts” to educate about the Holocaust, adding that it had “refrained from actively asking for support at the height of pandemic”. “We are now asking those who

can, to consider a gift to the HET,” a spokeswoman said. “Support is needed now more than ever to ensure we have the funds to look ahead, for a future which looks very different to our past.” Launching a film showcasing

its work, chief executive Karen Pollock said: “The coming weeks and months will not be easy as the pandemic continues to impact our lives, but we cannot waste a second that we have with our brave and beloved survivors.”

£50K WALK IS IN PARENTS’ HONOUR Three siblings have raised £50,000 for Norwood by covering the equivalent of five marathons in five days in honour of their parents who were killed by a drunk driver 10 years ago. James, Robbie and Natasha Bernard walked from Bournemouth to London last week to launch the Alan and Rochelle Bernard Memorial Fund, starting from the spot on the south coast where their parents died. “The tragedy of losing our parents in the way we did left a cloud over all of us,” said Robbie. “For years, we found it difficult to talk about. This Memorial Walk was our way to eclipse that tragedy and replace it with something positive and meaningful.” The fund was “a springboard to celebrating our parents’ lives in a positive way”, Robbie said, explaining that the five-day hike did them all good. “The walk broke down mental and physical barriers for me and my brother and sister. Even though we were of course thrilled to see the finish line, in many ways we didn’t want it to end.”

James, left, Natasha and Robbie Bernard

From Jewish Child’s Day One There are few moments more precious than the birth of a baby. Yet at that very same moment, a parent is wracked with fear and uncertainty. For the majority, the newborn is quickly moved into their parent’s loving arms. For Lia, born at just 24 weeks, the story was very different. With a birth weight of just 700g, Lia was put straight on a ventilator. Without access to the most advanced medical equipment, many babies are not being given an equal chance of survival. Jewish Child’s Day is supporting children and families from day one in Israel, in the UK and worldwide. In the case of Lia, this involved supplying the ventilator. For others it’s the purchase of medical and neo natal equipment. Jewish Child’s Day is there from day one and throughout the childhood of thousands of Jewish children in need. This is only possible with your support.

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Jewish News 24 September 2020

News / Ruth Bader Ginsberg 1933-2020

A warrior who inspire Liberal firebrand Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a judge who gained a cult following in her native United States and will be mourned across the world, writes Stephen Oryszczuk

S Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died aged 87 at the start of the Rosh Hashanah holiday, has become the first woman – and the first Jew – to lie in state at the Capitol building. A trailblazer and leading liberal light, she was appointed by Bill Clinton as one of America’s nine most influential jurists in 1993, and her death late last week from pancreatic cancer caused an outpouring of grief around the world. In the United States, murals sprang up and sports fans held a minute’s silence as mourners flocked to Washington to hold a vigil, leave flowers at a makeshift

WHEN EVERY

SECOND

memorial, and say Kaddish for the first Jewish woman to serve on the Supreme Court. World leaders queued up to add their tributes. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen called Ginsburg a “pioneer for women’s right, law and justice who proved that women belong in all places of power where decisions are made”. France’s President Emmanuel Macron said “a truly exceptional woman has left us, her outstanding legacy shall be our inspiration for a long time to come”, while Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said she was “a profound and fearless advocate for women, equality and justice”. Among the most touching tributes came from the German ambassador to the US Emily Haber, who said: “Germany has often looked across the Atlantic, not only to the US, but to Justice Ginsburg herself. A pioneer for women, a standard-bearer, a fighter.” A less dignified race to replace her before the US election in November sent Republican politicians scrambling. Having initially hailed her as a “titan of the law”, President Donald T r u m p

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A memorial to RBG who will be the first woman, and the first Jew, to lie in state at the Capitol

vowed within hours of her death to push through his choice of a new Supreme Court justice. Born in Brooklyn in 1933 to a Ukrainian Jewish father and Polish Jewish mother, Ginsburg had a liberal Jewish upbringing and excelled in her studies, leading to her becoming one of only nine women among 500 to study law at Harvard in 1956. In 1960 she was rejected for a clerkship with Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter, who was Jewish, because she was a woman; from the late 60s she worked on a range of cases that would embed women’s rights in law. Among those rights, and most hotly contested in America, is the right to an abortion, which she supported, saying: “The government has no business making that choice for a woman.” The case that enshrines this right is Roe vs Wade. Those who agree with her on the issue now fear that Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, will push through the appointment of a replacement who would

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tip the court’s balance and overturn Roe vs Wade. Trump has already appointed two conservative judges since 2017. Ginsburg’s death follows a period of ill health, including lung, colon and pancreatic cancer, with several hospital stays for radiation therapy and treatment for infections. This week she was remembered by Jewish communities around the world proud of her contribution to US history, but she was also proud of her Jewish identity. Shortly after being confirmed in 1993, she told the American Jewish Committee: “I am a judge, born, raised and proud of being a Jew. The demand for justice runs through the entirety of Jewish history and Jewish tradition.” She had such a cult following that, throughout America, fans wear T-shirts and drink from mugs emblazoned with her image and moniker – ‘The Notorious R.B.G’ – a riff on the popular late rapper ‘Notorious B.I.G.’ Some even have ‘RBG’ tattoos. Ginsburg is only the 35th American to lie in

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Ruth Bader Ginsberg 1933-2020 / News

d generations

SHE WAS A CREDIT TO JEWISH PEOPLE BARONESS (RUTH) DEECH DBE LAWYER

Being sworn in as a Supreme Court justice in 1993

A hug in 2015 for Obama, on his way to address Congress

state in 150 years, the honour reserved for only the most significant and revered public figures, including President Abraham Lincoln. Her coffin is on the Lincoln catafalque. To many she was ‘wonder woman’, so it was only fitting that Israeli actress Gal Gadot – who plays the Wonder Woman role in Hollywood blockbusters – joined in the tributes, tweeting: “Rest in Peace RBG. Thank you for everything you brought to this world.” Former US president Barack Obama said she was “a warrior” who “inspired the generations who followed her, from the tiniest trick-or-treaters to law students burning the midnight oil to the most powerful leaders in the land”. Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called her

death “a devastating loss for our country”, adding: “Her memory is already a blessing. May it also be a call to continue her work for justice and equality under the law.” Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, paid tribute to “a brilliantly clever woman”, while David Lammy MP, the first Black Briton to go to Harvard Law School, said Ginsburg was “present in all the important cases of the last few decades… I was inspired by some of her judgments”. He said she was instrumental in getting women into the armed forces, giving widows rights, and supporting samesex marriage, while maintaining conservative friends on the Supreme Court. “She believed in civility and decency – a lesson we need today.”

Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Jewishness was intrinsic to her standing as a great judge and an upholder of justice. The sixth Jewish US Supreme Court Justice, and only the second woman, she took to heart the exhortation of Shoftim: “Justice justice shalt thou pursue”, and made the Jewish people proud of her. The contribution she made to equality before the law will endure. The pioneering Jewish woman judge is an icon in our history – think of Deborah, and, nearer to home, Dame Rose Heilbron and Baroness (Rosalyn) Higgins, former president of the International Court of Justice. RBG, as she was affectionately known, combined transformative judicial qualities with motherhood and a strong and supportive marriage to a husband who shouldered many of the household burdens.

It is said that she lost her faith when at the age of 17 she was not allowed by Jewish law to join a minyan to mourn her mother’s death. No doubt she found that the traditional Jewish view of women was hard to reconcile with her drive for equality of the sexes. RBG rose above that and became a role model for women of all persuasions. She fought for equality not by protest or disobedience but by reliance on the US Constitution, which she interpreted with skills that a Talmudic scholar would recognise. Whether it was establishing an equal right for widowers to receive the benefits accorded to widows; or women to train for military service; or the legalisation of gay marriage, she took on the opposition with meticulous but impassioned legal argument, fortified by her own experiences in overcoming the obstacles put in her way as a female lawyer. She did the Jewish people credit. May her memory be a blessing.

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Jewish News 24 September 2020

News / UK-Israel ties / Honduras diplomacy

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UJIA’s new regional director for Israel has spoken about how she plans to strengthen ties with the UK, despite the challenges of Covid-19, writes Jenni Frazer. Emily Pater, who was born and raised in London, moved to Israel in 2001, deciding to work in the non-profit sector rather than continue as a lawyer. “I wanted to make some contribution to Israeli society,” she explains. Over the past six months, with both Britain and Israel under lockdown, UJIA has changed how it is providing services; in some cases, programmes have shifted online, providing counselling and support, while in others, she says, UJIA’s work has continued to happen “in person”, particularly regarding what it does to help children at risk. “We are heavily involved in the Karmiel Children’s Village. Schools closed in Israel in mid-March, but there were quite a lot of children who either didn’t want to, or couldn’t, go back to their family homes. So they remained in the village and continued to receive the services they needed.” Pater says UJIA will continue to be flexible – Israel is now under a second lockdown – with the hope it can resume normal programming after Succot. “One of the things UJIA does, and which goes to the heart of our mission, is building deep and lasting connections between UK

Photo by Neil Mercer

‘Our connections with UK Jewry helps the vulnerable’

A participant on UJIA’s Israel Bar and Bat Mitzvah Programme celebrates his barmitzvah in Kiryat Bialik last month. Inset: Emily Pater

Jews and Israel. Those connections have come into play during this crisis, allowing us to support our partners on the ground in Israel better, and keep our work with vulnerable Israelis going.” Pater is upbeat about British Jews’ engagement with UJIA, which will celebrate its centennial online on 30 September with a performance by Idan Raichel and a message from President Reuven Rivlin. She is very aware of the fragile state of part of Israeli society. “We are spoken of as the start-up nation, but we are not a startup nation for everyone. We have some of the highest levels of inequality and poverty in the OECD and so, for me, UJIA’s work is really about levelling that playing field.”

Pater worked for Rikma, an educational organisation that develops community leaders to strengthen existing and establish new communities in Israel. Then, for 18 years, she was managing director of the Joint Distribution Committee’s global resource development team, responsible for strategy, planning and operations and working closely with funders, partners and stakeholders. “It gave me a wonderful insight into what was happening in Jewish communities around the world,” she explains, but adds about UJIA. “It was too good an opportunity not to join them and I do see it as my way of giving back.” Now, she declares, about the support UJIA gives to vulnerable Israelis: “We need not just to survive, but thrive.”

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EMBASSY TO MOVE Judge: Leifer should go Honduras is set to become the latest country to move its Israeli embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The Central American nation, which has benefitted from Israeli weapons and security training in recent years, had earlier signalled that it would move its embassy, a promise reiterated in a call between

leaders last Sunday. “To strengthen our strategic alliance, we spoke to arrange the opening of the embassies in Tegucigalpa and Jerusalem, respectively,” said Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez after talking to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We hope to take this historic step before the end of the year.” Israel opened a diplomatic office there last month, with Donald Trump having tried to encourage countries such as Guatemala and Serbia to follow the United States in moving embassies to the Israeli capital.

Another Israeli judge this week ordered Malka Leifer, who is accused of child sex abuse, to be extradited to Australia after 12 years of delays – but she could still appeal. Leifer faces 74 charges of indecent assault and rape by several of her former students at an Orthodox Jewish girls’ school in Melbourne, where she was headteacher. They tweeted that the latest ruling was a “victory for justice, a victory for all survivors”. Since she fled to Israel in 2008, hours before she was due to be arrested, her lawyers have stymied the extradition process with legal wrangling and psychiatric assessments, until she was recently found to have been faking mental ill health. “Exhaling years of holding our breath!” wrote accuser Dassi Erlich on Twitter after hearing the news from Jerusalem district court. “We truly value every person standing with us in our refusal to remain silent! Today our hearts are smiling!” There have now been 71 legal hearings on the extradition of Leifer – who denies the charges – at one point garnering the intervention of a strictly Orthodox Israeli minister, Ya’acov Litzman, on her behalf. He has since resigned, accused of abuse of power.

24 September 2020 Jewish News

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Shocking survey / Pilgrims blocked / World News NEWS IN BRIEF

‘HEZBOLLAH IS CLEAR DANGER TO EUROPE’

A senior US official has told a Jewish audience that Hezbollah is stockpiling weapons and ingredients for bombs across Europe. Speaking to policy planners at the American Jewish Committee, the US State Department’s Nathan Sales said the White House was urging European capitals to take a tougher line on the Lebanon-based terror group. As the State Department’s counterterrorism coordinator, Sales said: “Caches [of weapons] have been moved through Belgium to France, Greece, Italy, Spain and Switzerland” and “significant ammonium nitrate caches have been discovered or destroyed in France, Greece, and Italy”. He added: “Why would Hezbollah stockpile ammonium nitrate on European soil? The answer is clear. It can conduct major terror attacks whenever its masters in Tehran deem it necessary. Hezbollah represents a clear and present danger to the US... [and] to Europe today.”

Shoah ignorance in US among young adults A new survey of young American adults has found most do not know that six million Jews died in the Holocaust, writes Adam Decker. Amid a series of disturbing results, the poll of 18 to 39-year-olds in the United States – commissioned by the Claims Conference – also found that almost a quarter thought the Holocaust was a myth, had been exaggerated, or were not sure. For nearly two-thirds of respondents, the fact that six million Jews were killed in the Shoah was a new one, while for one in eight, the very word ‘Holocaust’ was unknown. “The results are both shocking and sad- Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi concentration camp dening,” said Gideon Taylor, president of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against social media platforms, while 49 percent said Germany. “They underscore why we must act they had also seen Holocaust denial. The results were gleaned from more than now while Holocaust survivors are still with us to 1,000 interviews nationwide and 200 interviews voice their stories.” He added that it was important to under- in each state with young adults aged 18 to 39 stand “why we aren’t doing better in educating selected at random. Karen Pollock of the Holocaust Educational a younger generation about the Holocaust and the lessons of the past... This needs to serve as Trust called the results “shocking… It proves the size of the mountain we must climb”. a wake-up call”. She said: “Alongside our colleagues and The survey showed that more than one in 10 young American adults thought Jews actually friends around the world, we will redouble caused the Holocaust, 48 percent could not name our efforts to ensure that knowledge about the any concentration camps or ghettos, but 56 per- darkest chapter in 21st century history is learnt cent said Nazi symbols were visible on their and understood.”

FROM

INEQUALITY

UJIA is committed to improving the lives of children and young adults in Israel. Over the past few months, we have had to go further, as the corona pandemic threatened to make life even worse for those on the periphery or at risk. We have worked with the vulnerable to ensure the gaps that already exist do not widen during these challenging times.

CHASIDIC PILGRIMS STUCK ON UKRAINE BORDER Thousands of Chasidic pilgrims who ignored stay-at-home warnings to travel to the grave of a rabbi in the Ukrainian city of Uman have been blocked at the border. More than 2,000 strictly Orthodox Jews made the annual journey, despite Ukrainian authorities having said repeatedly for several weeks they would not be allowed into the Strictly Orthodox pilgrims at country, which is trying the Tomb of Nachman of Breslov to stop the spread of in Uman coronavirus. Another smaller group Cossacks. Ukraine’s intewas denied entry into Mol- rior ministry spokesman dova after travelling via drew attention to the plumTurkey. By last Thursday meting temperatures, saying: evening, they were under “We suggest they go home.” Every Rosh Hashanah, police escort after scuffles broke out at the air- up to 30,000 pilgrims visit port in Chișinău when the the grave of Rabbi Nachman group heard entry was being of Breslov in the central city of Uman, generating denied. The men, mostly from a boon for the city’s guestIsrael, created a makeshift houses. Nachman is revered camp at the Belarus border, for reviving the Chasidic with some dressing up as movement.

O P P O RT U N I T Y Here in the UK with Israel Tour and Birthright not able to take place this summer, we have been working on new and innovative ways to ensure that our young people are still engaged with Israel, even when they cannot visit. This Kol Nidre our appeal to you is to help us close the gaps in Israeli society by changing inequality into opportunity and working with us to ensure that future generations of British Jews retain that unbreakable lifelong connection. To support the work of UJIA today, you can donate online at ujia.org/kn20 or contact Jonathan on 020 7424 6447 or email info@ujia.org

ujia.org United Jewish Israel Appeal is a registered charity No. 1060078 (England & Wales) and Sc 039181 (Scotland).

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Jewish News 24 September 2020

Editorial comment and letters ISSUE NO.

1177

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

VOICE OF THE JEWISH NEWS

‘Notorious RBG’ was a light unto others When asked by a slightly dismissive interviewer how many female Justices on the US Supreme Court she considered “would be enough”, Ruth Bader Ginsburg replied: “When there are nine.” The nine-judge court had, after all, comprised nine men for much of its history. ‘The Notorious RBG’, as she was affectionately known, was 5ft tall and yet towered over everyone. She was taught to love learning, work hard and care about people by her parents, who could not afford to attend college themselves. Her mother taught her two things: how to be a lady, and how to be independent. She was both. She was also smart, determined and values driven. As a young lawyer grappling with McCarthyism, she saw her loves – freedom of thought, speech and the press – come under attack, so she went into battle. In her career-long fight, she helped enshrine more rights for more people than almost anyone of her generation. In particular, she gave women equality, choice and fairness. She was not born into an age “when women could aspire and achieve, where daughters are cherished as much as sons”, so she set about creating it. The Jewish world has always had much and many to be proud of, especially people who – through hard work and learning – craft a world better equipped to care about people, particularly those less represented in the corridors of power. We lost one such shining example at the start of Rosh Hashanah. As RBG once said: “The demand for justice, for peace, for enlightenment, runs through the entirety of Jewish history and Jewish tradition.” It certainly ran through her. From her, let us hope it runs through many, many more.

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Our history is in jeopardy I write in response to a recent survey stating vast numbers of young Americans know little or nothing about the Holocaust. For years, I’ve been predicting that all the education, museums, books and testimonies will not save Holocaust memory. I remember saying this at a lecture and a teacher challenged me. I warned that, soon, general genocide studies will take over from Holocaust studies. I further recommended Holocaust liturgy in religious services, especially during the High Holy Days. Indeed, I’m currently working on a Holocaust Siddur. Holocaust memory is in jeopardy. When the last survivor dies (members of the second

Sketches & kvetches

New Covid restrictions announced this week were both expected and painful. The ecosystem of businesses serving Jewish communities at times of celebration is facing its harshest winter in two generations. Many are small and adaptable, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson is now talking about six months of lost income, and the Treasury simply cannot afford to splurge. Cashflow is a major concern. Of course, simchas of more than 15 people are not a thing of the past; they will, in time, be allowed again. But until then – in the words of one kosher caterer – “it’s about staying alive”. We can help, whether that is supporting the local kosher restaurant as it turns to takeaway, putting a 2021 date in their order books rather than cancelling, or adapting our plans for places now having to close early. It feels, in short, like a Lord Kitchener moment: ‘Your (kosher) community needs you!’

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generation are already starting to die), we will see Holocaust memory vanish and the revisionists take over. The Nazis’ crimes will be only another date in history. It hurts me to say this; I have spent my life writing books and teaching Holocaust studies. We, the second generation, have the strongest attachment to the survivors. After we go, all the museums, books, and movies in the world will not stop the Holocaust from just becoming general history. Soon the survivors will be gone and the revisionists will go to work with vigour. Rabbi Dr Bernhard Rosenberg By email

TELL THE ENTIRE STORY Before being appointed Board member responsible for the Brighton & Hove Hebrew Congregation’s cemeteries, Jonathan Conway and his family funded the much-needed motorised bier at Meadowview Cemetery. Following his appointment as the board member responsible for the cemeteries, he ensured the clearance of the overwhelming undergrowth at the original 1826 Florence Place Cemetery. It was thus possible in 2018 for a service to be held there to mark the 50th anniversary of Sussex Police. Attended by the chief constable and other dignitaries, the restored gravestone of Henry Solomon, Brighton’s first and Jewish chief constable, was rededicated by

Rabbi Hershel Rader. Mr Conway also arranged, in accordance with legal requirements, that notices be placed at both cemeteries warning of hazards and specifically on unsafe gravestones. And at Meadowview he had rebuilt new, clean and modern toilets to replace the old useless ones. Furthermore, he had restored and redecorated the Ohel at Meadowview as well as having installed proper lighting and heating. I would suggest that in future, before your correspondents rush into print, they should ensure they properly research the true facts of which they purport to write.

Godfrey R Gould By email

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24 September 2020 Jewish News

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Editorial comment and letters

GREAT SUPPLEMENT! LEADERS MUST UNITE Kol Hakavod for producing such a great and colourful Rosh Hashanah supplement this year. The articles covered film, education, art, food and more. I’m hoping the next time you print a supplement for Chanukah or Purim there will be no word of Covid-19 within its pages. Chag sameach.

Norma Neville Hendon

Reading the article about the Board of Deputies split over the invite to Priti Patel, it was good to read the comments made by Sussex Friends of Israel, which I agree with. To see that some of our faith are now rejoining the Labour Party before anything has been done – bar a few comments – by its new leader, who was part of the Corbyn frontbench, they have a lot to prove before we can trust them. In the strange world we now live in, our leaders need to be united and not divided.

Sidney Sands N12

Cemetery has herstory In his blog on your website, historian Derek Taylor was kind to welcome Willesden Jewish Cemetery as a new kid on the block among London’s interesting places to visit, thanks to the United Synagogue and National Lottery players. In shaping the new heritage experience, which we have called House of Life, we have been only too keen to uncover stories that will speak to visitors from all backgrounds,

who may never have met a Jewish person. Along with volunteer-led guided walks sharing stories of a classic list of interesting personalities from the past, our new visitor centre, website and public programming bring into the limelight the experiences of women, ordinary families and people who never got an obituary.

Hester Abrams, project director Willesden Jewish Cemetery

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Jewish News 24 September 2020

Opinion

We must accept this is no longer a normal world JENNI FRAZER

his time of year, it’s all about choices, I think. There are the choices we make ourselves and the ones taken entirely out of our hands, by whatever Higher Power we choose to place our faith in. Nobody, I suppose, at this time last year, had the faintest idea of the choices imposed on us by virtue of the pandemic that raced around the world, no respecter of persons. It didn’t matter whether you were rich or poor – although the poor frequently didn’t have much say in the issue – or religious or utterly agnostic. Never have the words “who shall live and who shall die” had such resonance. Some of us were lucky and either escaped the virus, or had such a mild dose that we didn’t suffer much. Others… well, the 500 plus bereaved families in the Jewish community, a fraction of what was going on in the wider world, can testify only too bitterly to

choices made and unmade. So, for many, 5781 will be a time of mourning, not just a mourning for those we lost, but for a whole way of life. Reflecting on choices, I can’t help but wonder about the refusal by some to face reality. This is no longer a normal world; we have to accept that, and it will not be normal until and unless a vaccine is found. So what are we to make of the constant reports of those – primarily, though not entirely, in the strictly Orthodox community, who carry on blithely as though there were no pandemic? Not for some in our community is there such a thing as the Rule of Six. Rule of Six Thousand, more like.

In the past week, besides the ugly stories of thousands of strictly Orthodox men caught on the Ukrainian border, banned from entering the country to be pilgrims at Uman at the grave of Rabbi Nachman, and banned from returning to Israel, there have been shocking pictures of Orthodox dynasty weddings featuring rows and rows of – of course – entirely unmasked men. And, closer to home, there are rumours of big houses in the British countryside, with rolling grounds and gardens, being rented out for massive, against-the-rules simchas. I truly don’t understand why some among us think the rules don’t apply to them. What, they think the virus will halt in its

❝

FOR MANY, 5781 WILL BE A TIME OF MOURNING, NOT JUST A MOURNING FOR THOSE WE LOST, BUT FOR A WHOLE WAY OF LIFE

tracks because it sees a beard and a black hat? Tell that to the families of those who died. We know – we all know – that governments the world over are making a gigantic mess of dealing with the problem. And we also know that in an effort to deflect attention from just such a mess, each is doing its best to focus on “achievements”, whatever they might be. So in Israel, the first country in the world to reimpose lockdown, a triumphant Benjamin Netanyahu metaphorically pats himself on the back for securing peace deals with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. But it is not a choice between one and the other. We can condemn the incompetence while praising the diplomatic success. That goes for Donald Trump, in whose country thousands have died, and for Boris Johnson, desperately reinflating the Brexit row while the testing strategy lies in ruins and the virus resumes its deadly rampage. We all have choices to make. This Yom Kippur, let us pray we make the right ones.

NANCY REUBEN PRIMARY SCHOOL INVITE YOU TO A ZOOM OPEN MORNING FOR PROSPECTIVE PARENTS Wednesday 21ST October at 9:30am OR Tuesday 3rd November at 9:30am (Please call the school office on 020 8202 5646 to pre-register. You will receive the zoom login details once you have registered)

After school private tours available upon request. Please contact the school office to arrange

Over the past 20 years Nancy Reuben Primary School has established itself as a high achieving Independent Modern Orthodox Jewish School for boys and girls aged 2-11 in the heart of North West London.

IVRIT AS A MODERN LANGUAGE

P.E.

The school is well-known for its unique warm, nurturing and special community feel. During both zoom meetings, we will showcase the school by way of special film and you will hear from children and senior leaders. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions. For admission dates and information please visit our website: https://www.nrps.co.uk/admissions/nrps-admissions WWW.NRPS.CO.UK

MUSIC

YOGA

48 FINCHLEY LANE, LONDON NW4 1DJ | T: 020 8202 5646

Jewish News supplement

Headlines

jamiuk.org

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Jewish News 24 September 2020

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The mental health impact of Covid-19 The end of summer and new beginnings are upon us with a new Jewish year and a new academic year, yet the optimism we normally have is slightly tempered. We can’t help but reflect on the past six

many people using our services had with the

others – as well as professional staff and

that the adapted services are proving to

months and how we have had to create a

wider community. As the period of isolation

volunteer led groups aimed at socialisation,

be effective and the uptake by the wider

‘new normal’, but what about the impact living through a pandemic has had on our mental health?

continued, so did the impact on those people already dealing with mental health issues as well as for the whole community.

fitness, wellbeing and creative activity.

community in the online programmes and support groups has demonstrated the clear need for ongoing remote support.

We are living in unprecedented times and anxiety is a normal reaction to self-isolation and lockdown for an extended period. Whilst the situation is difficult for anybody with good mental health, for people already living with mental illness the additional stress and isolation can become a matter of life and death.

At Jami we witnessed an increase in demand for our support and services. Our aim during this period was to ensure that people living with mental illness and their families had somewhere to turn to for vital social interaction and reassurance, and essential practical and emotional support.

Jami is now, more than ever, a lifeline to anyone in the UK Jewish community affected by poor mental health. With the onset of Covid-19, looking after our mental as well as our physical health remains vital.

It was crucial that we continued to offer people opportunities to connect with other individuals and with their local community, through doorstep chats, extensive telephone befriending and online group activities. We created online weekly programmes for those that would normally use our hubs or drop in to Head Room Café, with Peer Support

One-to-one sessions moved online focussing on individual recovery plans. Jami Social Workers and Occupational Therapists reported over a 50 percent increase in hours spent supporting people, with almost 30% more people being supported compared to pre-Covid-19 levels. We launched Jami Qwell and Jami Kooth Student, online counselling and wellbeing support services for adults

Worker led sessions – people who use their lived experience of mental illness to support

and students respectively. Significantly, the response from our service users has affirmed

When restrictions were first placed on social interactions, necessitating the closure of Jami’s Head Room Café and community hubs, it removed the only regular social contact

Our redeployed staff delivered over a thousand meals and doorstep chats to those most at risk, along with tablets and tech for people without, so they were able to access online support. One recipient said, “It makes me feel that someone is there for me, that someone will know if anything is wrong with me, makes me feel loved and cared about.”

With current uncertainty regarding the future of the pandemic and the likelihood that some form of social distancing will remain in place for some time to come, we will continue to review and adapt our services. Once the physical crisis is over, we’ll all be dealing with the mental health fallout. For Jami, this means supporting the increased needs of our existing service users as well as creating sustainable services to meet the demand of new referrals. We are extremely grateful to the community on whom we rely to fund our essential, life-saving work – providing critical mental health services to our community has never been more important.

Visit jamiuk.org/get-support

Free online mental health support Adults throughout our community now have access to free, safe, online mental health and emotional wellbeing support via Qwell. Join immediately and anonymously through any smartphone, tablet or computer, to gain access to the following services:

Text-based counselling Online peer support Self-help tools

“I’ve felt so bad recently but whenever I come here I feel safe and it feels like an online family.”

Confidential online journal

XenZone is the UK’s leading online mental health platform and Qwell is accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Registered charity no. 1003345. A company limited by guarantee. Registered in London no. 2618170

24 September 2020 Jewish News

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Evolving education in a pandemic Covid-19 has brought both challenge and opportunity for Jami’s Education Team.

ami life

mi’s Education Manager, about her team’s work s well as her work nity's initiative to respond eath of a school student. Learning is now more accessible than ever at Jami with 95% of the content in the new Education programme being online. Inclusivity and accessibility are certainly gains for many of us. When lockdown began, our Education Team prioritised transferring workshops and training sessions into online formats. We created new educational materials and resources to acknowledge the extra challenges that Covid-19 presented to our mental health.

One of the main challenges we faced when moving to online training was a balancing act. How to retain our key methodologies and practices whilst maximising the potential afforded by online technology and virtual spaces. Once we acclimatised to the new world of Zoom, we quickly discovered that, with some creativity, we could effectively

“I went on a few Zoom training courses at Jami for Volunteers during lockdown. I felt that they were all very informative, inclusive and very clear, and it was so nice at the time to see familiar faces. I thought the courses were as good as live ones and we were even put into smaller groups via chat rooms, so we could discuss certain aspects of the given subject.” Moving our training suite online has enabled us to fully connect with our community and other organisations. The new way of working has allowed us to access people who may otherwise have been unable to attend. This includes those who may have been unable to access certain learning spaces because of disabilities, access needs or health concerns. Additionally, it has also included those who may find it harder to be in larger audiences or in public spaces as well as those who balance multiple responsibilities such as parents.

e that this article contains revention. create or update our training materials to be interactive and engaging.

Feedback from our maiden voyages online revealed that people appreciated the online space and, in some cases, preferred it. Whilst nothing can replace face-to-face communication, people found that the personalities of our trainers and their training style translated well online. Our interactive approaches using different activity styles, maintained the energy and enthusiasm for learning throughout the sessions, despite concerns that learning online could be draining or feel flat.

h my eldest s a personal

The Education Team are looking forward to continuing the online journey with our diverse and engaged community and hope to greet new learners in the forthcoming new year.

“I think there’s a lot to say about how much the changes in our lives have impacted on our availability for learning.” Philippa Carr Education Manager, Jami

Peer Trainers, who work with Jami’s Peer Support Workers, to deliver our Head Room Take a look at the 2020/21 prospectus jamiuk.org/education

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Jewish News 24 September 2020

Expand your horizons with Head Room Learning with Jami’s Education programme Learning is at the heart of Jami’s Head Room programme. We all have mental health just as we all have physical health. Jami provides education about mental health and wellbeing to everyone in the Jewish community. Here is a selection of courses and events from our new prospectus:

The Mind and Body Approach

“Shall I Be Mother?”

COVID-19 raised everyone’s anxiety levels. Now the world is very slowly returning to a ‘new normal’, many of us are left with anxious thoughts, worries about our future and have ‘fallen off the wagon’ with our self-care routines.

Our experience of motherhood is influenced by arts and culture, Jewish traditions and our own upbringing. We hear so much about the role of the mother that can be contradictory, idealistic and even misogynistic. What helpful ideas can we take from experience and what do we need to reinvent to survive and thrive as mothers of children or adults with mental health concerns?

Join Jami’s expert facilitators for a four week course aiming to lower your stress levels, give your more insight into your stress triggers and help you develop a stress management routine that you can stick with. Each week Tracey will give you stress reduction exercises and activities to calm both mind and body and Philippa will facilitate the group’s exploration into how we can remodel our relationship with our stressors and better manage the stress and anxiety we experience. If the group wishes, at the end of the 4 weeks there will be an option to continue working together.

four week course

Mothers with ‘children’ of all ages are invited to join us to explore and take inspiration from each other for this interactive session that will use creative techniques alongside discussion.

Tuesdays, 7.30 – 9.00pm

Nov 2020

Online via Zoom

Wednesdays, 7.30 – 9.00pm

7,14,21,28

Oct 2020

Cost: This course is free to anyone currently using our Jami Carer and Family Support Service or £10 per person.

Online via Zoom Cost: £20

To book any of our courses, please email headroom@jamiuk.org or visit jamiuk.org/events

24 September 2020 Jewish News

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Burnout and Self Care

The response of the Jewish community to the COVID-19 crisis was rapid, offering practical, social and emotional support in new and creative ways. We all have different experiences of caring for others during COVID-19. Do you feel emotionally worn out or find yourself looking for quick fixes that do not help? Whatever your role as a carer whether it be for family or as a professional, join us to ponder the ‘cost’ of caring, how to recognise burnout and find strategies for prevention and recovery.

Nov 2020 Wednesday

7.00 – 9.00pm

Online via Zoom

Cost: The course is free for those currently using Jami services or £25 per person

Mental Health First Aid Refresher

For those who have trained on MHFA Adult Two Day or One Day Course in the past 3 years. Join us to refresh your knowledge on Mental Health First Aid. This half day course will update your knowledge of mental health and keep your awareness of mental health support options fresh. The course will also provide opportunities to practice applying the Mental Health First Aid action plan you learned on your initial course.

Mar 2021 Wednesday

9.30am – 1.00pm

Online via Zoom

Cost: £25 per person

MHFA Youth One Day

one day session We are accredited providers of Youth Mental Health First Aid. This internationally recognised training course is the gold standard equipping you to provide a ‘first aid response’ to adolescents in distress. In recent months there has been an increase in concern around young people’s mental health in our community. If you are a parent, teacher or youth worker and want to learn more about a variety of mental health problems, treatments currently in use and increase your confidence in supporting young people, then this is the course for you.

Tuesdays, 6.30 – 9.30pm

May 2021

Martin B. Cohen Centre, Edgware Cost: £50 per person

To view all of our courses, see the full prospectus online at jamiuk.org/education

Jewish News 24 September 2020

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Student Mental Health

To order Wellbeing on Campus cards for your J-Soc, email: headroom@jamiuk.org

jamiuk.org/campus

Where to go for help Helplines Kooth – Free, safe and anonymous online counselling and support for students Visit www.Jami.Kooth.com

Get connected on campus Jewish Society (J-Soc)

Papyrus – Helpline for young people under 35 Call 0800 068 4141 Text 07860 039 967 Email pat@papyrus-uk.org

The main focus of Jewish life on campus. Find out more at www.ujs.

The Mix – Support for under 25 Call 0808 808 4994

Supporting Jewish students from all backgrounds and affiliations on campus. Find out more at

Samaritans – 24/7 support Call 116 123 Email jo@samaritans.org Nightline – run by students for students. Find your local nightline at www.nightline.ac.uk CALM - Campaign Against Living Miserably for men Nationwide 0800 58 58 58 Web chat www.thecalmzone.net/help/ webchat Shout - Free confidential support 24/7 via text Text Jami to 85258

Online resources Big White Wall www.bigwhitewall.com An online community of people who support each other through difficult times CBT Online www.moodgym.anu.edu.au

org.uk/j-socs

Suicide safety Seek immediate help – dial 999, visit A&E.

Involve other people – ask the person who you can contact to help them keep safe.

In a mental health emergency

Call 999 Go to A&E

University Jewish Chaplaincy REMEMBER – confidentiality does not apply to suicide.

Use your university emergency service

www.mychaplaincy.co.uk

University Student Wellbeing services Check out your university’s Wellbeing Counselling Services

Register with your GP It is important you look after your health at university. Find out how to sign up at www.nhs.uk/live-well/ healthy-body/getting-medical-care-asa-student/

Self care strategies

“It’s been nice to talk to someone who listens and can help” – Marc, 19 years old

Find your tribe Make connections with people who energise you

Go green

Side by Side sidebyside.mind.org.uk A safe place where you can get support from others who can relate to mental health difficulties.

Get out into green spaces they lower our stress levels

Headspace Mindfulness App www.headspace.com

Walk, dance, get some exercise however you fancy

Jami.Kooth.com Free, safe and anonymous online counselling and support for students Jami’s online mental wellbeing community, created just for students Talk to us free of charge, 365 days a year Private one to one support via message or live chat with our online counselling team

Move your body

Discussion boards and live forums with our friendly Jami Kooth community, 24/7 Helpful articles, personal experiences, advice and tips from young people and our experts

Visit www.Jami.Kooth.com

SUPPORTED BY Registered charity no. 1003345. A company limited by guarantee. Registered in London no. 2618170

24 September 2020 Jewish News

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Returning to the workplace Our experiences of Covid-19 will all have been different. Whether it resulted in redundancy, furlough, working from home or working on the frontline, what many were hoping would be a short-term adjustment looks like it is here for a while longer. Ironically, it appears that the only certainty we can rely on is some form of uncertainty for the foreseeable future. It is natural to have questions or anxieties about what our workplaces may look like in this new normal.

Check In If you are making a gradual or even sudden return to the workplace after a period of absence, it is important to process your feelings and manage expectations of what may have changed. Give yourself a moment to think about returning to work, identify the emotions you associate with the transition back and what you may need to plan ahead for or mitigate.

Get Support Normalise the higher anxieties or stresses you may feel about returning to the workplace - being in the actual office space, using public transport, seeing colleagues or reacclimatising to a work

routine. These are normal given the current circumstances. If they are constantly on your mind, adversely affecting your mood and impacting your functionality it is important to reach out for support. Often a friend’s listening ear can do the trick or if they are impacting your mental health then talk to a healthcare professional. Discussing your concerns directly with your employer can help. Depending on where you work you could review a stepped return or flexi time to suit your needs.

in an office. If you are going to be working from home for a while longer, it might be worth reflecting on what has worked well for you and what may need to change.

Adjustments

Consider your working hours, working from home often comes with more flexibility. Have you noticed if you’re more efficient earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon? How are you keeping in touch

Many employers are rethinking the workplace. Covid-19 has shown that employees can not only be trusted, but also be incredibly efficient without being

It’s far harder to have an effective work/ life balance when working and relaxing in the same space. Is there somewhere to set up a defined workspace? Think about minimising noise and maximising light and making sure you have all the equipment you need handy.

with colleagues and senior members of the team? Is there enough contact time on the phone or are you Zoom fatigued?

Recharge and Reset Whatever your relationship with work looks like in the next few months, it’s important to consider and acknowledge your feelings. Think about avenues for support as well as practical solutions. Yom Tovim are a time to recharge and rest and the perfect opportunity to reflect. If work is always on your mind and making it impossible to relax, perhaps putting some changes in place at work is exactly what is needed to help turn ‘off’.

Friends of Jami Committee 1987, Establishment of Jami House The Mental Health Awareness Shabbat (MHAS) aims to raise the profile of mental health in the Jewish community.

The Head Room Education team are able to provide and advise on educational workshops and events to mark MHAS.

To register to receive a Mental Health Awareness Shabbat toolkit for 2021 please contact laura.bahar@jamiuk.org or call Laura Bahar on 020 8458 2223. @JamiPeople @JAMIMentalHealth Registered Charity 1003345. A Company Limited by Guarantee 2618170.

Brought to you by

Jewish News 24 September 2020

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Demand for mental health services has never been higher. Please help Jami meet the increasing need. Essential mental health support from Jami, available 24/7 made a significant impact on Shoshana’s own wellbeing and on Jami’s advice she suggested to Michael that he contact Jami Qwell.

Jami Qwell is a free and anonymous online counselling service recently commissioned by Jami to provide mental health support to all Jewish adults.

Shoshana and Michael have been married for over 30 years. On meeting them, they appear to be outgoing and sociable with a full and happy family life. However, when Michael feels really low, he struggles to step out of the house and can’t face the world. Unable to accept the help he needs leaves Michael more isolated, with Shoshana his only connection to the outside world. These dark periods can last for days or sometimes weeks, until Michael eventually re-emerges.

“It’s heart breaking when your husband won’t accept help. Every day I wore a mask while underneath I was crumbling” – Shoshana

During the Covid pandemic Shoshana witnessed her husband becoming increasingly anxious and reluctant to speak to family and friends. She made excuses for him as to why he wasn’t answering his phone or replying to WhatsApp messages with his usual good humour. The increased worry and burden began affecting Shoshana’s sleep and focus.

Being able to talk to a trained counsellor anonymously removed some of Michael’s earlier embarrassment and allowed him to begin to understand his feelings. “Through the online community I was able to ‘talk’ to other people and learn from their experiences as well as to a qualified counsellor. I realised I wasn’t unique in having bouts of depression, particularly

during lockdown, and that getting professional help is something I should have done a long time ago.” With 1:1 support, Michael now has a stepby-step plan to help him leave the house for the first time since March, and is working on a longer term strategy to manage his depression in the future. Shoshana is hopeful that as lockdown continues to lift, Rosh Hashanah really does bring a happy and healthy new year.

Please help to support people in our community who are living with mental illness. Jami can only meet the growing demand for services through your generosity.

With the country in lockdown, Shoshana contacted Jami, taking the first step in addressing both their needs for professional support. Through the Carers and Family Support Service she was introduced to a Jami social worker and to others experiencing similar situations. The guidance and support from both

You can help support people like Michael and Shoshana in the following ways: £25

Pays for a carer of someone with depression to attend an online support group

£75

Funds a social worker to conduct an initial one-to-one assessment with someone like Shoshana

£250

Sponsors one month of peer support for a vulnerable person living in isolation

£500

Trains a group of carers in mental health first aid

Donate today at jamiuk.org/donate Registered charity no. 1003345. A company limited by guarantee. Registered in London no. 2618170

£125

Provides advanced training for one volunteer

£1,000

Pays for 15 hours of one-to-one online counselling with Jami Qwell

24 September 2020 Jewish News

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JDA is enabling a whole new generation of deaf childrento achieve their aspirations and flourish

On my f irst day at sixth form college, my tutor made a point of welcoming me, proudly wearing his clear mask. I felt so reassured and instantly at home. I plan to become a doctor and I wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget the value of good communication. JDA is supplying schools, colleges and medical establishments with clear face masks so that everyone who needs to lip read can feel confident and communicate effectively. Understanding and caring for each other is the key to getting through this time safe and sound.

Please show you care by making a donation today.

020 8446 0502 www.jdeaf.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1105845 Company Limited by Guarantee 4983830

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Jewish News 24 September 2020

Opinion

The Palestinian curriculum reinforces cycle of hatred PARLIAMENTARY CHAIR OF LABOUR FRIENDS OF ISRAEL

❝

his month, Palestinian children and young people began a new school year in which they will be taught from a curriculum that incites violence, extols the virtues of martyrdom and glorifies terrorists. But this isn’t something for which the Palestinian Authority (PA) should alone bear responsibility. Through the Department for International Development (DfID), UK taxpayers’ aid funds the salaries of some 33,000 teachers and civil servants in the PA Education Ministry. In short, our government pays the salaries of the civil servants who devised the curriculum and the teachers who teach it. Extensive studies conducted by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se) found that the curriculum “exerts pressure over young Palestinians to acts of violence in a more extensive and sophisticated manner”.

For instance, it includes schoolbooks that teach five-year-olds the word for “martyr” and “attack”. Terrorists – such as Dalal Mughrabi, who led the infamous 1978 Coastal Road Massacre, in which 38 civilians died – are described as “heroes”. And Jews are accused of sexually molesting Muslim women. Indeed, across the curriculum, as a whole, there are 2,795 references to violence. This does nothing to further Britain’s longstanding commitment to promoting a two-state solution, peace and reconciliation between Israel and the Palestinians. Instead, it reinforces the cycle of hatred, violence and terrorism that has made this conflict so intractable. But – despite Labour Friends of Israel first raising this issue with them three years ago – ministers have failed to treat this issue with the

STEVE MCCABE MP

TERRORISTS ARE DESCRIBED AS 'HEROES' AND JEWS ARE ACCUSED OF MOLESTING MUSLIM WOMEN seriousness it deserves. After initially denying the existence of the problem, DfID promised a review of the curriculum in spring 2018 and then announced it wanted an independent, international review that was due to be completed last September. That deadline continues to slip, but there are some worrying signs about the shape of the UK-backed review, which is being conducted by the Georg Eckert Institute (GEI) for the European Union. Following an examination of its scoping exercise and a presentation delivered by GEI on the interim report, IMPACT-se has raised some serious concerns about the quality of the review: First, the interim report presentation praises Israel’s Jerusalem Municipality Arabic textbooks, which are presented by the GEI

Jews in Old Postcards and Prints Bear witness to history with this new, high-quality book of 300+ postcards, lithographs and antique prints.

researchers as PA textbooks. In reality, specific examples, which are singled out for praise by the researchers, are not used in Palestinian schoolrooms but those of Israeli-Arab pupils. Second, 76 percent of the researched textbooks are no longer taught or used in PA schools. Finally, the scoping exercise report contains basic Arabic translation errors, leaves out key words, shows a lack of familiarity with Palestinian culture and quotes references to research that does not exist. The EU is now suggesting that the interim report will not be published. UK ministers have suggested that, while they would like the report released, it is the property of the EU. Given that ministers were aware at the time they opted for an international review that Britain was leaving the EU, the decision to opt for a process over which the UK would effectively have no control or ownership is utterly incomprehensible. Moreover, while they seek to blame the EU, we shouldn’t forget that ministers are still writing the cheques the PA needs to inflict this dangerous and divisive curriculum on Palestinian children and young people.

Modern & Contemporary Prints & Multiples Fine Art Valuers & Auctioneers

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Sol LeWitt, American 1928-2007- Tondo Stars, 2002; one of the complete set of six linocuts in colours on 300gsm Somerset wove

Fully illustrated catalogue available online : www.roseberys.co.uk 70/76 Knights Hill, London SE27 0JD | prints@roseberys.co.uk | +44 (0) 20 8761 2522

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24 September 2020 Jewish News

Wishing the whole community a happy, healthy and sweet new year! gratefully thanking the Honourable Charles & Elizabeth Wigoder and another anonymous Family Foundation for helping us deliverâ&#x20AC;Ś

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Jewish News 24 September 2020

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Happy children learn well at Sinai Jewish Primary School.

Sinai School Big School. Big Heart. Big Opportunities. Sinai School has a wonderful reputation across the community and is the largest and best equipped Jewish primary school in Europe. We embed a lifelong love of learning and offer specialist teaching facilities for French, Art, PE and Music.

To register for our open events please call our Admissions Officer, Mrs Angel on 020 8204 1550 ext 232

Our team of dedicated and driven staff believe every child has the right to the best education. We offer amazing opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. We nurture and care for the wellbeing of every child.

Admission helpline: 020 8204 1550 ext 232 / admin@sinai.brent.sch.uk * Feeder school to neighbouring JFS * Exceptional Early Years department * 4 playgrounds and use of sports fields * Computer Lab and coding club * Wrap around childcare from 8am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6pm (breakfast and afterschool clubs) * Award winning choir and sports teams * Double-decker Library Bus * Multipurpose room for Science and Cookery * 5* hygiene rating in our onsite Kitchen * Highly regarded SEN department and sensory room *

24 September 2020 Jewish News

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Community / Scene & Be Seen

1 HAVING A BLAST!

Tenants at Jewish Care’s Wohl Court and Selig Court in Hendon and residents at Otto Schiff Care Home in Golders Green were treated to an outdoor shofar blowing just before Rosh Hashanah. Rabbi Junik, Jewish Care’s spiritual lead, said: “For many people living in our care homes, especially those living with dementia, hearing the sound of the Shofar blast is the most significant sign that Rosh Hashanah is here. We know that the sounds and tastes of the festivals are sensory reminders that help to connect people with their Jewish life.” Jack Klein, one of the tenants at Wohl Court, said: “It’s been wonderful – it makes us feel that we’re not forgotten.”

And be seen! The latest news, pictures and (virtual) social events from across the community Email us at community@jewishnews.co.uk

JEANS TEAM

Youngsters and staff at Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary donned their best denim to help support Jeans for Genes last Wednesday. An estimated one in 25 children – which equates to one child in every class – has a genetic disorder and pupils spent the day learning about the conditions. Acting head Lisa West said: “Although genetic disorders are rare, together they are the biggest killer of children aged 14 and under, and I am very proud to make a donation to this incredible charity on behalf of the WIJPS community.”

3 ICE SURPRISE

Residents and staff at Sunridge Court had a treat when Papa Gee ice-cream van dropped by last week. Staff helped residents walk outside and order whatever they fancied, reminding them of years gone by. Papa Gee made Mr Whippy cones with sauces and flakes and toppings galore. Gloria Richmond said: “It tastes just like I remember when I was a girl.” Rachel Jones, of Sunridge Court, said: “We wanted to give the staff and residents a treat on one of the last sunny days of the summer.”

4 HOLDING COURT

TV personality and lawyer Robert Rinder regaled Camp Simcha supporters with stories of his life and work during an online conversation with journalist Suzanne Baum. He spoke about his Judge Rinder series and appearances on Who Do You Think You Are and Strictly, as well as his hopes to create a programme about lack of access to legal advice for people from deprived communities. He also spoke about his forthcoming documentary My Family, The Holocaust and Me, in which he helps the descendants of survivors retrace their relative’s stories.

Jewish News 24 September 2020

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24 September 2020 Jewish News

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Book / Weekend

‘Millions of people were on hunger strike with me’ Francine Wolfisz speaks to Natan Sharansky about his new book, which reflects on a life spent fighting for others

om Kippur has always had a special resonance for Natan Sharansky. Nearly 40 years ago, while locked up in a barbaric punishment cell inside a Soviet Gulag, the prominent Refusenik chose to begin a drastic action to highlight his plight: a 110-day hunger strike. It was one that would subject his body to extreme starvation and the torturous cycle of repeated force feedings. Inside his cell, there was “no light, no furniture, nothing to read, no one to talk to” and yet beginning his action on the Day of Atonement meant, in Sharansky’s mind, that he no longer felt quite so cut off from human contact. “Starting on this day meant that, symbolically, millions of people were on hunger strike with me and there was this feeling of connection. Each year since then, I am immediately taken back to those days when it seemed like I was alone, but I was energised by the thought all the people of Israel were with me.” It seems only fitting that, as another Day of Atonement rolls around, Sharansky’s reflections on just that moment in his life, alongside his subsequent career as an Israeli politician and head of the Jewish Agency come to the fore in his newly-published book, Never Alone: Prison, Politics and My People. During a video call from his home in Jerusalem, the 72-year-old points out his latest work, co-written with historian Gil Troy, is not a memoir, but rather a stocktake of a man who overcame the almost impossible task of leaving Russia, starting anew in Israel and helping to shape his adopted country. Born a few months before the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, Sharansky details how he grew up in an atmosphere of Soviet oppression, fear and “doublethink”. He tells me: “Communism established control through the mind. Hundreds of millions of people lived in fear and never took risks, because your only principle

Natan Sharansky

Then Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres welcomes Natan Sharansky as he lands in Israel straight from his release in 1986

is surviving the system. “You know what you’re permitted to say, you know how to vote and that is your official life. But your true life is with your family, where you can speak openly about your disappointments, your criticism of the system, your feelings about antisemitism. “Doublethink creates an unpleasant life of permanent self-control, but for some people they almost don’t know it is happening. It’s only when you have got rid of this do you know what it means to be free.” Sharansky was mesmerised by Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War in 1967, an event he credits as awakening his sense of Jewish identity. “I finally discovered an identity that can be mine. Before this, I was lifeless. Life was only physical survival.” He began to rail against communism, becoming a leading activist for the democratic dissident movement and Jewish emigration. Unsurprisingly, he became known to the authorities. He married Avital, in a hasty Jewish wedding arranged just hours before she left for Israel but, as a Refusenik, he was forbidden to join her and found himself accused by the KGB of high treason and espionage. Sharansky's next nine years would be spent in Soviet prison and labour camps, while both his mother, Ida, and Avital unceasingly worked from the outside to secure his release. His years in prison were brutal and would likely have broken many a man, but not him. “I had my freedom [from a life of doublethink] and my identity. It was a privilege to be inside, to have this feeling I can influence the one thing that can define the future of my people,” he says. Sharansky had another comfort to fall back on: with a natural brilliance for maths, as a child he was also something of a chess prodigy, playing multiple games at the same time, or even blindfolded. Inside his cell, he was given nothing to look at or do, but he could still play a game against himself. “They couldn’t take the chess board from my head,” he muses. In 1986, he was released as part of a prisoner

exchange and was finally allowed to leave the Soviet Union for Israel. Nearly a decade later, Sharansky had become a household name in politics, promoting the absorption of Russian Jews into Israeli society and holding ministerial positions under Ehud Barak, Ariel Sharon and Benjamin Netanyahu. After exiting politics in 2006, he became the head of the Jewish Agency, promoting Israel to the diaspora and vice versa, a position that gave him a unique insight into what he feels is the biggest threat to the Jewish world today – political in-fighting and disharmony. “What unites us is bigger than what divides us, but that’s becoming more difficult in this atmosphere of polarisation,” he reflects. “We are obsessed with only seeing antisemitism in our opponents and not among ourselves. On the left, you have antisemitism expressed as anti-Zionism, while on the right you have hatred expressed towards liberal Jews. That is a big problem, because we can only fight against those who want to demonise us if we are a united country [and] people.” About President Trump, he says: “There’s no doubt he gives a lot of headache to every liberal citizen,” but credits him for “doing some very good things for Israel”, including the recently-signed deals with the UAE and Bahrain. As for peace with the Palestinians, he feared Oslo would create a situation that would be “dangerous for our very existence” and is optimistic about a successful peace process soon. “Dismantling these awful refugee camps, creating a normal economy, a system of mutual education – these are the ways that can bring us to peace. I would like us to stop controlling the lives of Palestinians as soon as possible, but I don’t think there are shortcuts.”  Never Alone: Prison, Politics and My People by Natan Sharansky and Gil Troy is published by Public Affairs priced £23 (hardback). Available now

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Inside Competition: Win £200 to spend on art prints with Ink & Drop!

Travel: Luxury and scenic beauty in the Highands

Food: Hummus with lamb and pine nuts

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Jewish News 24 September 2020

Weekend / Entertainment

ART Endangered

Artist Jason Rose has been getting back to nature with his paintings of endangered animals – and they are all made entirely from earth, sand and compost. His stunning works are set to go on display at the Valentines Mansion Gallery in Ilford, from next Monday. The Jewish artist, who lives, paints and

teaches in Redbridge, has painstakingly spent more than a year creating the pieces, which highlight animals that have become endangered owing to hunting, deforestation, pollution and climate change, and has drawn inspiration from the Liguria forests in Italy, as well as the more local Epping Forest. “As a species, we seem to measure ourselves and human evolution primarily by our technological development,” says Rose. “But our spiritual, ethical and psychological development is just as important. Unfortunately, these are not given the same attention and resources, which is why the world is out of balance.” Endangered runs from Monday, 28 September to Monday, 2 November, at Valentines Mansion Gallery, www.valentinesmansion.com

COMPETITION Win £200 to spend on unique art prints with Ink & Drop! Jewish News and Ink & Drop have teamed up to offer one lucky reader a £200 gift voucher to spend on art prints for their home. If you’ve been planning a seriously cool gallery wall, this is the perfect competition for you! Ink & Drop is a small family business, born ENTER from a passion for all ONLINE: things interior and, jewishnews.co.uk in particular, unique Closing date cool art prints. The 8 October 2020 company believes every home should have great artwork, regardless of budget, style or theme. A collection of artwork unlike anything else on the internet, Ink & Drop prints can transform your room and freshen up your walls regardless of interior style and for a very small budget. High quality, tasteful interior artwork should be accessible to all and Ink & Drop sells eyecatching prints that will turn heads and make your home the envy of your guests. Ink & Drop has a range of trendy posters and wall art covering styles for every room and interior decor style. It sells photo posters, neon art, black and white prints, modern

contemporary art prints, illustrations, beautiful nursery posters and prints, and canvas art – all exclusive unique designs that you won’t be able to find anywhere else apart from at Ink & Drop. Prints are available online, with prices starting from £13, at www.inkanddrop.com To be in with a chance of winning, answer the following question. Ink & Drop offers: A. Unique, high quality prints, posters, neon art, illustrations and canvas art B. Affordable artwork suitable for all budgets C. All of the above

COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Terms and conditions: One winner will receive a £200 voucher to spend at Ink & Drop. Prize is as stated, not transferable, not refundable and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or exchanged in whole or in part for cash. By supplying your email address, you agree to receive marketing information from the JN Media Group or any of its affiliates and carefully selected third parties. The promotion excludes employees of Jewish News and the promoter, their immediate families, their agents or anyone professionally connected to the relevant promotion. Proof of eligibility must be provided on request. For full @daniel_elias Ts and Cs, see www.jewishnews.co.uk. Closing date: 8 October 2020

TELEVISION The Apprentice Best Bits Covid-19 might have put the kibosh on this year’s crop of candidates, but Lord Alan Sugar, Baroness Karren Brady and Claude Littner are back with a nostalgic look at the past 15 years with The Apprentice Best Bits. Wheeler dealers, smooth salespeople, antics abroad, tough tasks and even tougher interviews all make the cut in this six-part series, which starts on BBC One next week. Who can forget the quest for a kosher chicken in Marrakesh, Solomon trying to exit his interview through a window rather than a door, or Katie

SPY THRILLER Tehran

Much-anticipated Israeli spy thriller Tehran is released on Apple TV+ this week. Tehran, co-created by Fauda writer Moshe Zonder, revolves around the story of Tamar Rabinyan, (played by Israeli actress Niv Sultan), who is a gifted young hacker for Israel’s intelligence unit. She is drafted to join Mossad and sent on a perilous mission to Iran, where she is ordered to hack into an Iranian nuclear reactor. When her ambitious mission fails, Rabinyan is stuck in the land of her childhood, where she discovers her roots and befriends local

Hopkins (yes, she got her start on The Apprentice) quitting the show before she could be fired? Business impresario Sugar said: “It has been very enjoyable recapping the series so far and watching how The Apprentice has evolved over the years, going from strength to strength. “There have been some outstanding characters and great moments from across the series and this Best Bits show is a testament to that. Long may it continue.” The Apprentice Best Bits begins on Thursday, 1 October, 9pm, on BBC One

pro-democracy activists. “Tehran aims to shed new light on the Israeli-Iranian conflict, and takes on universal struggles around immigration, identity and patriotism to examine whether it is possible to become free from these restraints,” Zonder told Deadline last year. Apple TV+ reportedly bought the series for a multi-million dollar figure brokered by Cineflix Rights and Paper Plane Productions, along with the show’s producers, Dana Eden and Shula Spiegel. The first three episodes of Tehran premiere on Apple TV+ on Friday, with new episodes released weekly

BOOK The People On The Beach Describing herself as a “road trip historian”, journalist Rosie Whitehouse embarks on a fascinating journey – both literally and emotionally – to discover more about a secret plan to transport more than 1,000 Holocaust survivors from an Italian beach to the British Mandate of Palestine, where a new life awaited. Having survived Auschwitz, hidden and fought in forests and endured death marches, the passengers still had to evade the British Navy, which had been tasked with limiting the number of Jewish refugees entering their territory. Using her investigative skills, Whitehouse sets out to uncover the extraordinary stories of these passengers, some of which are told for the first time. Who are they, where had they come from

and how had they survived? The author travels across Europe, through Bavaria in southern Germany, across the Alps into Italy and on to Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland, in a quest to uncover this important, but seldom told piece of Holocaust history. The People On The Beach: Journeys to Freedom After The Holocaust by Rosie Whitehouse is published by Hurst, priced £20 (hardback). Available now.

24 September 2020 Jewish News

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Food & Drink / Weekend

his recipe is the classic Lebanese way of serving meat with hummus. The cinammon–flavoured meat and nuts blend perfectly with the hummus, served here with a little green chilli sauce on the side.

AND PINE NUTS B M LA H IT W S U M M HU 1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and fry over a medium heat for five minutes, stirring until just beginning to brown around the edges. Add the lamb and dairy-free butter and fry, stirring from time to time and breaking up the mince with a wooden spoon until browned and tender.

SERVES: 4 PREPERATION: 10 MINUTES COOK: 45 MINUTES

2. Meanwhile, bring the stock to the boil in a saucepan, add the bulghur wheat, cover, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until just tender with just enough stock left to keep the bulghur wheat moist.

INGREDIENTS 1 tbsp olive oil 1 large red onion, finely chopped 500g/1lb 2oz minced lamb 25g/1oz dairy-free butter 450ml/16fl oz lamb stock 85g/3oz bulghur wheat 2 tsp ground cumin 1½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp chilli powder 1 tsp granulated sugar sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper 55g/2oz pine nuts, toasted 450g/1lb hummus

3. Add the cumin, cinnamon and chilli powder to the mince, then stir in the sugar and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. 4. Tip the bulghur wheat and stock into the mince, then about two-thirds of the pine nuts. Stir together, cover and cook gently for 10 minutes. 5. Spoon on to serving plates spread with hummus, then sprinkle with the rest of the pine nuts. Add a spoonful of tahini, sprinkle with a little paprika to garnish and serve.

TO GARNISH: Tahini Paprika, to taste

Extracted from Hummus To Halva: Recipes From A Levantine Kitchen by Ronen Givon and Christian Mouysset, published by Pavilion Books, priced £12.99 (hardback)

Our home delivery for Rosh Hashana is online at

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Jewish News 24 September 2020

Weekend / Travel

Loch where we are!

A pink sunset viewed from the terrace at Airds Hotel; Inset: Caron and her family at Skibo Castle

Caron Bluestone takes in the unspoilt scenic beauty of the Scottish Highlands

cotland in the autumn is a heavenly place. Exceptional scenery, hues a palette of unimaginable greens and browns, reflecting in (with luvk) lochs as clear as glass, set against vast blue skies. We were following in the footsteps of the many Jews before us, a history dating back to the 17th century.Communities are in the big cities now, with Glasgow taking second place over Edinburgh. There’s even a certified Jewish tartan, created in 2008 for a Chabad rabbi, the colours of which represent those of the Israeli and Scottish flags. We took the new Caledonian Sleeper train from Euston – a method of travel that boasts a small carbon footprint but is high in luxury. Our double Club Rooms, side by side, in a gleaming new carriage with en-suite bathrooms, proper duvet and pillows, a chic overnight bag filled with miniature toiletries and a room service menu featuring sustainablysourced Scottish fayre, came complete with a dedicated porter. Lulled to sleep by the gentle movement of the train and awaking early to a spectacular sunrise, there was just time for a delicious cooked break-

fast before alighting to pick up our hire car. From Glasgow, we headed north towards Inverness and the exclusive and prestigious members-only Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle. You’d be forgiven for taking your time to find the entrance at this understated venue. Encompassing more than 8,000 acres of enchanting forests, moors and the magnificent Dornoch Firth, many of the international members choose to arrive by helicopter. Once inside the gates, you are home from home. The atmosphere is convivial, much like a country house party, and members and their guests are encouraged to mingle. This is most notable during the formal and very opulent hosted dinners, held in the grand dining hall. Commencing with cocktails in the drawing room, the bagpipes play you in to dinner and, interestingly, spouses are separated – but do not despair. Alan Grant, Skibo’s charmingly bohemian ambassador and long-time host, effortlessly brings together members and presides over the atmospheric evenings that often end in dancing or, in our case, a sing-along around the grand piano. Spend a few days here and you will never

Above: Breakfast at Airds Hotel and, right, the approach to the luxurious Skibo Castle

want to leave. A piper announces the start of the day and the huge castle organ accompanies breakfast. Every luxury is included in the daily charge; the facilities are unrivalled, and it’s the perfect backdrop for enjoying the great Scottish outdoors clay pigeon shooting, or riding, fishing and golf. Champagne is on tap, food is heavenly and all too plentiful and the staff anticipates your every wish. The 21 opulent, castle bedrooms are an adultonly affair. Families are spoilt in the luxuriously appointed hunting lodges, set in the castle grounds. Characterful and cosy, guests are left wanting for nothing; hot-water bottles appear at turndown as if by magic, roll top baths and decanters of the finest whiskies await you. Park your car, then a buggy is yours for your stay. For journeys further afield on the estate, a simple call to your host, and a sleek, black Range Rover appears at your door. Then there is the Carnegie Links – a world championship golf course – that is the jewel in Skibo’s crown. Sitting beside the Dornoch Firth, it forms a hub for members. Leisurely lunches, casual dinners, drinks and whisky tastings all happen here. Your biggest hardship at Skibo is deciding how to spend the time. Children of all ages are welcome in the vast play barn, where they pull out all the stops, both outdoors and in. The spectacular glass-panelled pool and the serene spa are perfect finishes to a day in the fresh air. Skibo sets a new standard in luxury lifestyle. Yes it’s privileged, but it’s neither showy, nor full of ostentatious people. It’s a place to escape, to enjoy life and the countryside in a truly majestic way. The second part of our Highland tour as a family took us through Glencoe to Port Appin, towards the Argyll and Airds Hotel & Restaurant. One can only describe it as an extraordinary

boutique hotel and among Scotland’s best. Directly on the shores of the stunning Loch Linnhe, its accolades are many; Relais & Chateaux, 3 AA rosettes, Gold Award with Eat Scotland and most recently, Luxury Scottish Hotel of the Year 2020. The gardens extend to the water’s edge, Port Appin lighthouse and the tiny but beautiful island of Lismore in the distance. There’s real warmth that greets you here, both in the décor, which is traditional with contemporary touches, and in the welcome from Robert, the softly-spoken general manager, and his team who greeted us with welcome drinks in the cosy smaller lounge by the log fire. Our suite was elegantly furnished with plenty of luxurious touches, including a supremely comfortable Vi Spring bed, Bulgari toiletries, huge marble bathroom and a separate sleeping area for the children. The hotel also boasts the finest restaurant. While the children feasted on high tea in the conservatory, we were treated to a mouthwatering, seven course tasting menu. Argyll itself offers some of the most exquisite scenery in Scotland. There’s plenty to do and see here, from whisky tasting in Oban, to sea safaris or day trips to Mull. Closer to the hotel is the tiny, tranquil and unspoilt isle of Lismore, strewn with ruins and a Viking castle.

CARON’S TRAVEL TIPS Caron stayed at Airds Hotel & Restaurant, which is offering a three-for-two winter break from £815 per room, including three nights for two sharing a double room on a half-board basis; four nights for the price of three is also available from £1,160 per room, www.airds-hotel.com To apply for a once-only stay at The Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle, visit www.carnegieclub.co.uk Caron travelled on the Caledonian Sleeper from London Euston, www.sleeper.scot

24 September 2020 Jewish News

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Shuvu Opening Day

AT SHUVU SCHOOLS ACROSS ISRAEL

‫ברוך שהחיינו וקיימנו והגיענו לזמן הזה‬

FIRST GRADE CLASSES WELCOMED

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EXTENSIVE RENOVATIONS AND ADDED CLASSROOMS IN SHUVU LEZION SHUVU NETANYA SHUVU BE’ER YAAKOV SHUVU PETACH TIKVA SHUVU JERUSALEM SHUVU ASHKELON

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Jewish News 24 September 2020

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Business / New opportunities

candicekrieger@googlemail.com

With Candice Krieger

SIDE HUSTLING DURING THE PANDEMIC Candice Krieger talks to entrepreneurs who used the time during lockdown to set up a new company, either to diversify their income stream or to pursue a hobby they could monetise

‘

n the midst of every crisis lies great opportunity,” said Albert Einstein, and lockdown during Covid-19 has prompted plenty of people to try their luck at a side business, aka a ‘side hustle’ to generate some extra income. According to a survey by website hosting platform GoDaddy, one in five workers stuck at home have been using the time to set up a new business. The number is thought to be even higher among those furloughed or at risk from losing their jobs. Be it baking, blogging, designing or delivering, new enterprises have been popping up all over the place. The motives can be financial, but are often an opportunity for people to explore their creativity, test a business concept outside of work, learn new skills or pursue a passion. Such successful side hustles include Plateaway, Pet Portraits and The Sweetest Gifts. Start-up expert Daniel Tannenbaum, cofounder of TechRound, one of the UK’s leading platforms for start-up news, says: “Unsurprisingly, the pandemic has led people to think opportunistically and look at side projects. “While five or 10 years ago, you might have set up a blog talking about fashion, football or food, today it is more about selling things – and Facebook or Instagram is pretty much your starting point for any side business. “The barriers to entry are low – simply come up with a good brand name, take photos of your products, invite your family and friends, and you’re in business. “For most people, any revenue earned through a side project feels more rewarding than anything earned in a regular 9-to-5. And when setting up a business becomes more about enjoyment, often it is the most rewarding and purest form of business.”

But the Facebook post of his drawing of Shih Tzu Pickles led to much interest and commissions, particularly from the Jewish community. So Cooper, 26 – who was unable to go into work at the tattoo studio in central London from where he worked – decided to make drawing pets his side project. He says: “I love art and drawing, and the pet portraits were a way for me to keep busy and make some money. Being self-

A falafel DIY kit from Yummy and World of Zing’s Espresso Martini available via Plateaway

Harry, a 26-year-old service and user experience tech designer, came up with the concept while he was working from home during lockdown. He explains: “One of the first things I did was order the Patty&Bun DIY burger kit – they were quite hard to order at the time. “As more and more restaurants began to create their DIY restaurant meal kits, featuring all the ingredients to make their signature restaurant dishes, I thought: ‘Why isn’t there a centralised platform for all these kits, such as Deliveroo? You have to go to through all the individual restaurants to order one.’” And Plateaway was born. A “huge foodie”, and with his expertise in tech, product and service design, Harry is in charge of designing and building the website and the end-to-end service for Plateaway. He teamed up with his PLATEAWAY brother Lewis, 29, who DIY Restaurant has worked in the events, Meal Kits film and TV industry for Founded by brothers Harry more than five years and is also and Lewis Slagel, together a “food-lover”. Lewis manages with property entrepreneur the operations and logistics, and Nick Leigh, Plateaway delivers oversees the delivery process. restaurant DIY meal kits so users Harry and Lewis Leigh, 26, was on furlough from can recreate their favourite restaurant Slagel together dishes at home. with Nick Leigh a property investment company at the time. He says: “I’m a big foodie and when Harry approached me, I thought: why not? “The past few months have provided people the opportunity to try something new and the fact I was on furlough encouraged me to do so. “We went through all the formal motions: trademarked our name, created a company through an Blondies Kitchen’s cookie rolls and Bubala X Shuk’s babka kit

accountant. In June, we set up an Instagram page and then built the website.” Plateaway has become a full-time role for Leigh, and Harry has left his previous job to focus on the venture full-time. “I wasn’t on furlough, but had wanted to do my own thing,” he says. Plateaway has 15 restaurant partners, including Blondies Kitchen, Shuk;, Bancone, Patty&Bun and SushiDog, and the list is growing weekly. www.plateaway.com

BRANDON COOPER Pet Portraits

When tattoo artist Brandon Cooper penned a picture of his dog for his mother during lockdown, he didn’t anticipate the response it would generate.

One of Brandon Cooper’s canine portraits

employed I wasn’t earning anything.” Cooper, who lives in Totteridge, can spend up to 15 hours on a picture, depending on the number of pets, and charges roughly around £120 per dog. He adds: “It definitely kept me sane during Brandon Cooper lockdown as it’s been tough not being able to work.” Cooper went to King Solomon High School in Essex before studying fine art at Nottingham Trent University and completing a tattooing apprenticeship. He acknowledges that a tattoo artist is an unusual career for a Jewish chap and hopes to return to the studio soon, but will carry on with the pet portraits. “It’s a nice little business on the side so why not? I’ve drawn dogs in the past just for fun, but lockdown has enabled me to take commissions. Even though it was absolutely terrible in so many ways, there are some positive sides of it.” @ brandon__cooper

THE SWEETEST GIFTS

Sweetie Platters

A tattoo design by Brandon

Borehamwood mother-of-four Lara Moss has always enjoyed being creative. She used to run baking classes but stopped work when she had her fourth child, who “had a tricky start with lots of hospital stays and appointments”. Moss, whose children are aged 10, six (twins)

24 September 2020 Jewish News

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New opportunities / Business

and four, was also getting to grips with having recently been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. She says: “I knew I wanted to get back to Lara Moss doing something creative with food at some point, but wasn’t sure what. During lockdown, I started thinking more about what I could do and work it around the kids. I was at home, not doing the school runs, and had more time to think about doing something for me.” Moss, 38, came up with The Sweetest

Gifts, a range of sweetie platters and biscuit layer cake gifts, with more products in the pipeline. “I bought the domain name and set up Instagram and Facebook pages. I started in mid-July, but because of Covid-19, everything was taking longer to arrive so I didn’t launch officially until 1 August.” She is fully booked until October. “I’ve been lucky – it’s really taken off and I’m hoping it will become a full-time venture. “I’m really enjoying the creativeness of it. I had been wanting to do something, but life just gets in the way. The days rush by and, before you know it, it’s another year gone. But the crisis has given us all time to re-evaluate everything, to stop and take charge of what you want to do.” She adds: “I think during lockdown, people were more conscious of supporting small businesses. “People have started to help those around them rather than going to the massive chains, and it’s lovely, so I thought now was the time to try something.” @the.sweetest.gifts.by.lara (Facebook) @the_sweetest_gifts (Instagram) One of the sweet creations by Lara Moss

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Wishing all Jewish News readers a Happy New Year and well over the fast

Innovative Specialists in Property, Family & Private Client Law

Tannenbaum’s Top Tips for a Side Hustle Getting your website ready

Unless you are going down the pure Instagram or Facebook route, you will need a website. Web builder platforms such as Wix and Daniel Tannenbaum Squarespace are cheap (less than £10 per month) and look very professional as a starting point. There is also Wordpress and Shopify for eCommerce. Other smart ways to get your website and business visible online is by adding some Google reviews (Google Business) and placing articles on other websites. This will benefit your SEO and create a bit of a digital footprint, so if someone types you into Google, they see your website, lots of reviews and mentions in the press – and you instantly look bigger. If you want to sample ads, try signing up for free with Google (Adwords) and Facebook (Facebook Ads); they will typically give you around £75 to £125 to use on your first order. This is a great starting point to test out the demand for your product and, if it works, you can start to scale up and spend more online piece-by-piece. Daniel Tannenbaum is the founder of digital marketing agency Tudor Lodge Digital and is the co-founder of TechRound

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Jewish News 24 September 2020

Books / Podcast With Zaki Cooper

In association with Listen to the podcast at jewishnews.co.uk

Interviewing: Lord Michael Levy

In the latest in our series of podcasts with people who are changing the world, Zaki Cooper talks to Labour peer, community leader and businessman Michael Levy, who is a former personal envoy and adviser to Tony Blair on the Middle East, about his career and books that inspire him

ichael Levy qualified as a chartered accountant and then created one of the most successful independent music companies, The Magnet Group. The label had many popular artists, including Alvin Stardust, Chris Rea, Darts, Bad Manners and Guys & Dolls. He sold it to Warner Brothers Lord Levy and became a legendary fundraiser for the Labour Party, the academies programme in education, the Jewish community and wider society. He served as Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Middle East Envoy from 1998 to 2007. You were brought up in Stoke Newington and attended Hackney Downs Grammar School.

What are your earliest memories of those days? I was brought up in a predominantly Jewish area. My late father was the shamash in the shul in Stoke Newington. We lived in one room and I had to go to a public bath every week. I remember Mummy used to stretch meals to get one meal to last three. They were economically tough, but wonderful times. I had a loving upbringing. You have selected The Firm by John Grisham. Why do you like that book? I always enjoy John Grisham – he’s a very easy read. That book is about a brilliant young man who was hoodwinked into joining a firm, with a wonderful package given to him. It turned out to be a firm that looked after some very dodgy clients. It’s a lesson to youngsters to be very careful before you embark on your careers

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and to make sure you really are doing the right thing. The book really taught lessons about how one conducts one’s life and particularly one’s professional commercial life. Once you sold your business, you switched your attention to charity and community service. Famously in the early 1990s, you attended a dinner with the then shadow Home Secretary Tony Blair, which changed your life. Tell us more. I went to the dinner as the most junior person there. Tony had just come back from visiting Israel and no one really thought he was going to be the leader of the Labour Party. Tony was a very nice guy and we just hit it off. We sat in the corner and had coffee. We started playing tennis together. The whole family came over to our home and we spent a lot of time together. John Smith died suddenly of a heart attack and history changed, and Tony became the leader of the party. From there, I was at the right hand of the new leader of Labour. Your next selection is The Moscow Trilogy by Simon Sebag Montefiore. There’s a lot of history in that novel. Why do you like it? Sebag Montefiore is a brilliant writer. It is a very, very profound period in history, and particularly Russian history. The way it’s been written as a novel through the eyes of these families somehow enables one to relate and understand history. You were appointed Middle East Envoy by Prime Minister Blair and worked closely with leaders of Israel, the Palestinian Authority (PA), Syria, Jordan and Egypt. What was that like? It was a time when there was really some positivity and a desire for something concrete. I had excellent relationships with the leadership in Egypt, Jordan and, surprisingly, Syria as well. And with the PA, there was really hope there could be a way forward. If you asked me, ‘what would be your biggest disappointment during that time?’, it would be that a deal did not come to fruition with Syria. I helped create relations for Israel with Morocco and Tunisia, and then with Oman, Qatar and Bahrain. There’s a lovely anecdote I’ve heard you tell about putting on tefillin in Damascus. I travelled everywhere with my tefillin and tallit, and every embassy knew I would pray in the morning. That was quite an experience laying tefillin in the British Ambassador’s residence in Damascus where I was staying. I went to the shul and took the service there. That was a very tear-jerking experience. One of the books you’ve selected relevant to this is The Lemon Tree. Why do you like that book? It’s about some young Arabs who wanted to go back to see their family roots. There was a lemon tree in the backyard of the wonderful house they

had and when they went there, a young Arab man in his mid-20s met a young girl who was from a family of Holocaust survivors. She learnt his history and they struck up a friendship that lasted many years. It just gave hope. Although it was on a micro level, somehow it always gave me hope that on a macro level, why can’t this be repeated? Why can’t there really be true peace between all sides? What do you make of Sir Keir Starmer’s early months as Labour leader? He is a highly intelligent man, very sincerely committed to what he wants to build and do. I do believe he wants to wipe out this horror show of antisemitism and any form of racism from the Labour Party. I think he is very determined to put the Labour Party back on the map seriously, to become a serious opposition and frankly to be ready for government. If one had to judge him on the start he’s made, I would have nothing but positive things about what he is doing and the potential of the Labour Party under his leadership. Why did you choose If This Is A Man by Primo Levy? It is described as indispensable, necessary, essential reading. It was the demolition of man. He was a Jewish chemist. It’s about survival, strangely those who were able to survive and those who were saved, and those who were unable to survive. Your contribution to the Jewish community has been remarkable, particularly in your leadership and also fundraising for charities. What are the secrets to success? I was chair of UJIA and on the board of governors at the Jewish Agency. I am now president of JFS, Jewish Care, JLGB, Etz Chaim and MMK. I headed the academies programme in education and was president of Volunteering Matters for many years and am now president of Sense and Sense International. Everyone thinks there’s some magic formula to fundraising, but that is not the case. It’s about asking people in a sensitive way and most importantly understanding the charity and having the determination because the worst that can happen is someone says no. Your final selection is the Book of Ruth, which we read on Shavuot. Why does that particular book resonate with you? It represents so much of what I try to do in my life. It depicts so much kindness and love and beyond perhaps the call of duty. It’s very uplifting and shows us what kindness can do and how it can be so beautifully rewarded.

Michael’s top reads • • • • •

The Firm – John Grisham The Moscow Trilogy – Simon Sebag Montefiore The Lemon Tree – Sandy Tolan If This Is A Man – Primo Levi Book of Ruth

24 September 2020 Jewish News

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Orthodox Judaism

SEDRA Ha’azinu BY RABBI BORUCH M BOUDILOVSKY In this week’s Parsha, the death of Moses is compared with the death of his older brother Aaron and, while there are similarities, there are also fundamental differences. The process leading to Aaron’s death is carried out with no reference to any human emotion until the final verse: “When the entire assembly saw that Aaron had perished, they wept for Aaron thirty days, the entire House of Israel.” The death of Moses is described similarly: “The Children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days”. However, there is a fundamental difference. The word entire appears only in the context of Aaron’s death. The passing of Moses was mourned by the nation, but for Aaron he was mourned by the entire nation. This minor difference reflects a fundamental contrast between the roles of the two brothers. While Moses leads, Aaron unifies. The great sage Hillel attributed the values of pursuing peace and loving people to Aaron’s legacy. Although Moses was younger and never experienced slavery personally,

Aaron did not resent his brother’s appointment, or feel entitlement to the senior leadership position. On the contrary, Aaron rejoiced even in the hidden depth of his heart (Exod 4:14). Aaron encouraged harmony, unity and peace between people. As a unifier, Aaron was extremely popular. Everyone, with no exception, wept and mourned his passing. Moses assumed a different type of leadership position. Occasionally, leaders must make difficult decisions, choosing between what is easy and what is right, what is popular and what is equitable. There will always be some objection and this is reflected in the absence of the word ‘entire’ when the nation wept for Moses. Although most did, nevertheless not everyone wept and mourned for Moses. But we are taught that these two models of leadership complement each other. When courageous leadership partners with a voice promoting peace and unity, a nation thrives.

◆ Rabbi Boruch M Boudilovsky serves Young Israel of North Netanya

Torah For Today What does the Torah say about: DIY circumcision BY RABBI ARIEL ABEL Eden Fogel was born in New Zealand two days before the country closed its borders due to the coronavirus pandemic. His father, Noam, unable to fly in a mohel from Australia, circumcised Eden himself. What does the Torah say about this? The obligation to circumcise a boy rests first upon the parent. To mark that, the blessing recited is LaMol et HaBen, to circumcise one’s son. In case the father cannot, a mohel does so on the parent’s behalf. It is a pleasant irony that inability to fly in a mohel created an opportunity for a religiously preferred option. Undoubtedly, a circumcision is a serious and delicate operation. Therefore, as in this case, a circumcision must be legally carried out under sufficient medical and also religious supervision. To achieve the mitzvah of circumcising one’s son, the foreskin would need to be prepared using a guard,

requiring no more skill than to bring a surgical blade down the front of the guard. I was not privy to how the procedure was carried out, but it is what I had the merit to carry out in Jerusalem, when my second child, Yonatan was born. Regarding the difficulty in obtaining a mohel from abroad, the Torah approves of carrying out circumcision on time wherever possible, so much so that Zipporah, wife of Moses, circumcised their son when he was absent.

Although most fathers, mohelim included, might waiver nervously over operating on their own child, it is especially admirable when a parent steps into the breach and has the guts to act when indeed there is no choice. Incidentally, the ability to carry out one’s own obligatory mitzvot is accentuated by the benefit to the environment in not requiring the carbon footprint of special air travel over hundreds of miles to do so. In the 21st century, it is high time that each country with any significant population should have its full complement of Jewish community religious staff. For New Zealand, it would be even more significant to achieve this as a project of cooperation for and between Commonwealth countries. ◆ Rabbi Ariel Abel serves Liverpool Old Hebrew Congregation and is padre to Merseyside Army Cadet Force

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Jewish News 24 September 2020

Progressive Judaism

The Bible Says What? Everything on earth is there for human consumption! BY RABBI ELANA DELLAL And God said: “They shall rule over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the heaven and over the animals and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:26) Throughout time, many have used our Torah to argue that because humans were created last, as the pinnacle of God’s work, everything that came before was put on earth for our consumption. Indeed, in Genesis, we read God’s words to Adam and Eve: “Be fertile and increase, fill the earth and master it; and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky and every living creature. “I give you every seed-bearing plant that is upon all the earth, and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit; they shall be yours for food.” The creation story has therefore been used to justify humans taking too much control over other living creatures and the natural resources around them.

However, this is not the rabbinic tradition and not our Liberal tradition. Our texts encourage us to be humble in the face of the natural world around us. The rabbis taught: “Man was created on the eve of the Sabbath – and for what reason? So that in case his heart grew proud, one might say to him: ‘Even the gnat was in creation before you were there.’” We are living in unprecedented times. We see storms, which were once rare occurrences, ravaging parts of our world regularly, forest fires destroying sacred trees and land, water levels rising, drought, hunger and famine. Our children and our children’s children will want to know what we did to stand up against the destruction that we are causing to their world. What will you tell them?

◆Rabbi Elana Dellal is a member of the Conference of Liberal Rabbis and Cantors

Gold price at record levels again, now is the time to get the best ever price for your gold.

Progressively Speaking Does Yom Kippur take on new meaning in a pandemic? BY RABBI DEBORAH BLAUSTEN “At this moment we are called to consider our actions and their impact on our lives and the lives of others.” In this strange pandemic era, it is hard to know whether those words come from the latest government press briefing or a rabbi preparing their congregation for Yom Kippur. Certainly, this year, the questions raised by our High Holy Day liturgy, how much our actions impact our fate, how we take responsibility and mend the harms we have caused, have a whole new framing. Reminded of the cruel lottery of life, and the fragility of the things we once took for granted, what does it mean to approach a day that is so focused on personal action? The language of our prayers suggests we can change our ways and avert a harsh decree even when the reality of our lives shows that though there is much we can take

responsibility for, the situation is beyond our control. The process of teshuvah, of returning, is designed to encourage each individual to do their own little bit to repair that which is broken, to take responsibility, and to restore intention and integrity to each of our lives. Despite this individual focus, many of the confessional prayers in the Machzor are in the plural.

Bagadnu – we have dealt treacherously. Dibarnu dofi – we have spoken slander. This encourages each of us to consider not just how we acted ourselves, but our complicity in enabling the actions of others. We are both individuals and part of a system and, this year more than most, the terrible ramifications of this are so apparent. We don’t just act or change our ways to earn ourselves more time on this earth. We do so because we are part of a community, a people, and a world, whose fates are intertwined. The question of how many days we have left to count on earth is beyond us, but the question of whether we make each of those days count in the grand arc of human history is not. ◆ Rabbi Deborah Blausten serves Finchley Reform Synagogue

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24 September 2020 Jewish News

Professional advice from our panel / Ask Our Experts

Ask our Our trusty team of advisers answers your questions about everything from law and finance to dating and dentistry. This week: Retirees moving to Israel, graduates looking for jobs and airspace development DOV NEWMARK ALIYAH ADVISER

NEFESH B’NEFESH

Dear Dov, My parents are seriously considering making Aliyah to be with their children and grandchildren especially during these challenging times. What can I tell them? Mandy Dear Mandy, Your parents are not alone. Since the beginning of Coronavirus, there has been a large increase in retirees looking to make the move. The main concern they are likely to have is healthcare, and whether they would be covered for Covid-19 or if there are any exclusions. The Israeli healthcare system accepts every

ERIC SALAMON CAREER ADVISER

RESOURCE Dear Eric, Our daughter Chloe graduated a few months ago and has been trying to get a job ever since, but with no success. Do you have any advice? Gillian Dear Gillian, It is undoubtedly a very difficult time for anyone seeking employment. However, there are jobs out there and staff are

being recruited. It is more competitive and candidates need to be thoroughly prepared. This starts with a clear view on the kind of roles your daughter wants to pursue. For this, Chloe needs to consider her skills, strengths, achievements and behavioural characteristics. She then needs to prepare a two-page CV, which clearly demonstrates to a prospective employer these aspects supported with specific examples. An interesting covering letter which will engage the reader and want them to read the CV is next. Having a strong LinkedIn presence and profile is a must. Most hiring includes a LinkedIn search, whilst networking is top of the list for getting a job.

applicant for the basic and supplemental healthcare package regardless of age or pre-existing conditions. Availability of long term, in-home caregivers, or foreign workers is managed through Bituach Leumi and is means tested. More information can be found on our website www.nbn.org.il/healthcare. Another concern is what happens to their pension. All their UK pensions will follow them to Israel. How they are structured will determine if they are taxed at source in the UK. It is worth taking professional advice if they are not sure. Your parents would be entitled to the full basket of Government benefits, just like all Olim receive when they make Aliyah. As I am not travelling to the UK at the moment, I would recommend that your parents discuss this further over Zoom with me to help them plan accordingly. They can email dov@nbn.org.il or call 020 8150 690 to set up an appointment. As parents you can help enormously with networking, talking to family, friends, and your work colleagues. Contacts through clubs and societies, your synagogue or charities you are associated with are all good places to start. Sites such as Indeed, Glassdoor, NextStepSupport and LinkedIn are posting jobs and advice for recent graduates. Chloe should try and get some kind of employment to keep her active. Voluntary work is a great thing to do and looks good on the CV. Other pro-active things she could do include learning a new language or improving IT skills with on-line learning. At Resource we can help Chloe with all these elements of job searching for free.

JOE GRIFFIN PROPERTY DEVELOPER

LONDON PENTHOUSE Dear Joe Is my property suitable for development and can I capitalise by selling airspace? Barry Dear Barry Airspace development takes an element of a building that had no real value at all and converts it into a real asset of significant value. We can carry out develop-

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ments to buildings while the residents remain in occupation with minimal disruption as a result of adding additional apartments to the existing roof. Many factors determine whether a site is suitable for airspace development, but a few general rules of thumb are: • The property must have a flat or unconverted pitched roof • The existing common staircase(s) must extend up to the top floor of the building. • The property can be a residential apartment block, entirely commercial, or mixeduse commercial and residential units. The key advantages of selling your airspace are: • Upfront cash payment for development rights.

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• Overhaul and upgrade of communal areas internally and externally – even installing lifts if the host building doesn’t have them already. • Modular (off-site) construction techniques mean minimal disruption to residents and reduces the carbon footprint of the development. • All costs associated with the development, including planning, surveys and both parties legal fees, will be covered by London Penthouse. • There may be a reduction of service charges owing to them being divided between more apartments. If you think your property may be suitable for development, or you want to find out more, call us on 020 7665 9604 or visit our wesbite, www.londonpenthouse.com

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Jewish News 24 September 2020

Ask Our Experts / Professional advice from our panel

Our Experts Got a question for a member of our team? Email: editorial@jewishnews.co.uk PRIVATE HEALTHCARE SPECIALIST TREVOR GEE Qualifications: • Managing director, consultants in affordable family and corporate health insurance. • Specialise in maximising cover, lowering premiums and pre-existing conditions. • Excellent knowledge of health insurers, cover levels and hospital lists. • LLB, solicitor finals, FCA Regulated 773729.

PATIENT HEALTH 020 3146 3444/5/6 www.patienthealth.co.uk trevor.gee@patienthealth.co.uk

DIRECTOR OF LEGACIES

DYSLEXIA PRACTITIONER SARAH BENARROCH Qualifications: • Director of Literacy Specialist Ltd, educational services for children with literacy difficulties and dyslexia. • MA in Specific Learning Difficulties (dyslexia), APC, British Dyslexia Association, PATOSS, 20 years’ experience in child education and development. • Full diagnostic assessments and reports for dyslexia. • Primary-age tuition in reading, writing and spelling.

LITERACY SPECIALIST LTD 07940 576 286 sarah@literacyspecialist.co.uk

JEWELLER

ISRAELI LAWYER ELI ROSENBERG Qualifications: • All aspects of Israeli law. Specialising in property law, property tax, inheritance law and dispute management. • Third generation lawyer from Israeli firm established in Israel in 1975. • Authorised and regulated by the Israeli Bar Association and Ministry of Justice of the State of Israel, with teams in Tel Aviv and London.

ROSENBERG & ASSOCIATES 0203 994 2278 www.israeli-lawyer.co.uk eli@israeli-lawyer.co.uk

CHARITY EXECUTIVE

CAROLYN ADDLEMAN Qualifications: Lawyer with over 20 years’ experience in will drafting and trust and estate administration. Last 14 years at KKL Executor and Trustee Company. In close contact with clients to ensure all legal and pastoral needs are cared for. Member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.

JONATHAN WILLIAMS Qualifications: • Jewellery manufacturer since 1980s. • Expert in the manufacture and supply of diamond jewellery, wedding rings and general jewellery. • Specialist in supply of diamonds to the public at trade prices.

SUE CIPIN Qualifications: • 18 years’ hands-on experience, leading JDA in significant growth and development. • Deep understanding of the impact of deafness on people at all stages of life, and their families. • Practical and emotional support for families of deaf children. • Extensive services for people affected by hearing loss/tinnitus.

KKL EXECUTOR AND TRUSTEE COMPANY 0800 358 3587 www.kkl.org.uk enquiries@kkl.org.uk

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

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

• • •

Got a question for a member of our team? Email: editorial@thejngroup.com

KEEP YOUR ISRAELI AFFAIRS SHIP SHAPE!

Harris Horovitz Consulting & Tax Ltd. Israel-UK Accountants and Advisors From routine tax reporting to global tax planning For businesses, investors and families Mergers, acquisitions, capital raising Practical business advice E-Commerce tax advice Aliyah tax advice Contact: Leon Harris

Tel: 03-6123153, Skype: leonharr I leon@h2cat.com www.h2cat.com I Jabotinsky 35, Ramat Gan, 5251108

TRAVEL AGENT

CRIMINAL DEFENCE SOLICITOR

DAVID SEGEL Qualifications: • Managing director of West End Travel, established in 1972. • Leading UK El Al agent with branches in Swiss Cottage and Edgware. • Specialist in Israel travel, cruises and kosher holidays. • Leading business travel company, ranked in top 50 UK agents. • Frequent travel broadcaster on radio and TV.

CARL WOOLF Qualifications: • 20+ years experience as a criminal defence solicitor and higher court advocate. • Specialising in all aspects of criminal law including murder, drug offences, fraud and money laundering, offences of violence, sexual offences and all aspects of road traffic law. • Visiting associate professor at Brunel University.

WEST END TRAVEL 020 7644 1500 www.westendtravel.co.uk David.Segel@westendtravel.co.uk

NOBLE SOLICITORS 01582 544 370 carl.woolf@noblesolicitors.co.uk

REMOVALS MANAGING DIRECTOR

PRINCIPAL, PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOL

STEPHEN MORRIS Qualifications: • Managing Director of Stephen Morris Shipping Ltd. • 45 years’ experience in shipping household and personal effects. • Chosen mover for four royal families and three UK prime ministers. • Offering proven quality specialist advice for moving anyone across the world or round the corner.

LOUISE LEACH Qualifications: • Professional choreographer qualified in dance, drama and Zumba (ZIN, ISTD & LAMDA), gaining an honours degree at Birmingham University. • Former contestant on ITV’s Popstars, reaching bootcamp with Myleene Klass, Suzanne Shaw and Kym Marsh. • Set up Dancing with Louise 10 years ago.

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

DANCING WITH LOUISE 020 8203 5242 www.dancingwithlouise.co.uk louise@dancingwithlouise.co.uk

24 September 2020 Jewish News

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Professional advice from our panel / Ask Our Experts

ACCOUNTANT

ADR CONSULTANT

DENTIST

ADAM SHELLEY Qualifications: • FCCA chartered certified accountant. • Accounting, taxation and business advisory services. • Entrepreneurial business specialist including start-up businesses. • Specialises in charities; Personal tax returns. • Maurice Wohl Charitable Foundation Volunteer of the Year JVN award.

DONIEL GRUNEWALD Qualifications: • Accredited mediator to International Standards offering civil/commercial and workplace mediation; in a facilitative or evaluative format, or by med-arb. • Experienced in all Beth Din matters; including arbitration, advocacy, matrimonial settlements and written submissions. • Providing bespoke alternative dispute resolution (ADR) to the Jewish community.

DR ADAM NEWMAN Qualifications: • Dentist at the Gingerbread House, a Bupa Platinum practice in Shenley, Radlett. • Regional clinical lead for Bupa Dental Care UK. • Providing NHS and private dentistry, whitening, implants and cosmetic treatment. • Bachelor of Dental Surgery and member of the Royal College of Physician and Surgeons Glasgow; GDC registered 212542.

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

JEWISH DISPUTE SOLUTIONS 020 3637 9638 www.jewishdisputesolutions.co.uk director@jewishdisputesolutions.co.uk

GINGERBREAD HOUSE 01923 852 852 www.gingerbreadhealth.co.uk Adam.newman@gingerbreadhealth.co.uk

INTERNATIONAL PAYMENTS SPECIALIST

PROPERTY DEVELOPER

IT SPECIALIST

NAOMI FELTHAM Qualifications: • Leading currency transfer provider since 1996 with over 500 expert employees. • Excellent exchange rates on your transfers to/from Israel. • Offices worldwide, with local support in Israel, the UK, mainland Europe and the USA. • Free expert guidance from your dedicated account manager.

JOE GRIFFIN Qualifications: • More than 13 years’ experience in the construction and property industry, with a specialism in high-end residential and commercial property. • Negotiation of site acquisitions and property deals; design and planning strategies. • Focus on niche market purchasing airspace above commercial and residential blocks to create additional stories of accommodation and penthouse apartments.

IAN GREEN Qualifications: • Launched Man on a Bike IT consultancy 15 years ago to provide computer support for the home and small businesses. • Clients range from legal firms in the City to families, small business owners and synagogues. • More than 18 years’ experience.

CURRENCIES DIRECT 07922 131 152 / 020 7847 9447 www.currenciesdirect.com/jn Naomi.feltham@currenciesdirect.com

LONDON PENTHOUSE 020 7665 9604 www.londonpenthouse.com info@lphvgroup.com

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

INSURANCE CONSULTANCY

CHARITY EXECUTIVE

LEON HARRIS Qualifications: • Leon is an Israeli and UK accountant based in Ramat Gan, Israel. • He is a Partner at Harris Horoviz Consulting & Tax Ltd. • The firm specializes in Israeli and international tax advice, accounting and tax reporting for investors, Olim and businesses. • Leon’s motto is: Our numbers speak your language!

ASHLEY PRAGER Qualifications: • Professional insurance and reinsurance broker. Offering PI/D&O cover, marine and aviation, property owners, ATE insurance, home and contents, fine art, HNW. • Specialist in insurance and reinsurance disputes, utilising Insurance backed products. (Including non insurance business disputes). • Ensuring clients do not pay more than required.

LISA WIMBORNE Qualifications: Able to draw on the charity’s 50 years of experience in enabling people with physical disabilities or impaired vision to live independently, including: • The provision of specialist accommodation with 24/7 on site support. • Knowledge of the innovations that empower people and the benefits available. • Understanding of the impact of a disability diagnosis.

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

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

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

ISRAELI ACCOUNTANT

ALIYAH ADVISER

CAREER ADVISER

DOV NEWMARK Qualifications: • Director of UK Aliyah for Nefesh B’Nefesh, an organisation that helps facilitate aliyah from the UK. • Conducts monthly seminars and personal aliyah meetings in London. • An expert in working together with clients to help plan a successful aliyah.

LESLEY TRENNER Qualifications: • Provides free professional one-to-one advice at Resource to help unemployed into work. • Offers practical support, workshops and networking opportunities to maximise job prospects.

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

RESOURCE 020 8346 4000 www.resource-centre.org office@resource-centre.org

DIVORCE & FAMILY SOLICITOR

PALLIATIVE CARE MANAGER

VANESSA LLOYD PLATT Qualifications: • Qualification: 40 years experience as a matrimonial and divorce solicitor and mediator, specialising in all aspects of family matrimonial law, including: • Divorce, pre/post-nuptial agreements, cohabitation agreements, domestic violence, children’s cases, grandparents’ rights to see grandchildren, adoption, family disputes. • Frequent broadcaster on national and International radio and television.

POLLY LANDSBERG Qualifications: • Polly has worked in health and social care for more than 35 years. • Has a degree in nursing and a diploma in health visiting. • Polly is responsible for the day-to-day management of the palliative and end of life care service.

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

SWEETTREE HOME CARE SERVICES 020 7644 9500 www.sweettree.co.uk polly.landsberg@sweettree.co.uk

Got a question for a member of our team? Email: editorial@thejngroup.com Registered Charity No. 259480

Leave the legacy of independence to people like Hayley.

eNABLeD PLease remember us in your wiLL.

Visit www.jbd.org or call 020 8371 6611

Jewish News 24 September 2020

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24 September 2020 Jewish News

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Fun, games and prizes

THE JEWISH NEWS CROSSWORD 1

16 17

7 Hydrogen or methane, eg (3) 8 Maths formula (7)

ACROSS 1 Square root of 49 (5) 4 New Zealand rugby team (5)

B U F

B O A A A R E J

L O Y

T G B A B R

N C B

V R X

T H

R W W E E

S A D N B Y S E H

X B U R A

U M T

A H E A

M Y V P

S E O

B B E O R O T

T D C B A B O O N B B

O E

R E G D A B BABOON BADGER BANDICOOT BARBARY APE BARRACUDA BAT BEAR

N T

8 11

F O G N P Y U

Last issue’s solutions Crossword ACROSS: 1 Wisely 4 Disc 8 Via 9 Organza 10 Noise 11 Shell 13 Sewer 15 Maple 17 Gainful 19 Tor 20 Spur 21 Enzyme DOWN: 1 Woven 2 Sea view 3 Loose 5 Inn 6 Crawl 7 Ages 12 Empathy 13 Sighs 14 Rift 15 Melon 16 Eerie 18 IOU

BOOMSLANG BUFFALO BULL BUSHBABY BUTTERFLY

7 2 3 6 1 8 5 9 4

1 8 5 3 9 4 2 7 6

2 5 1 8 7 6 3 4 9

6 9 4 1 3 5 7 8 2

8 1 3 2 7 4 6 2 1 4 8

4 1 8

6 9

1 7 6

SUGURU Each cell in an outlined block must contain a digit: a two-cell block contains the digits 1 and 2, a three-cell block contains the digits 1, 2 and 3; and so on. The same digit must not appear in neighbouring cells, not even diagonally.

12 12

17 17

21 2

11 8

2 3

13 18

5 3

18 18

14 13

6 12

23 25

26 11

1 17

24 16

17 22

16 12

18 12

11 18

10 9

4 4

Suguru 8 3 7 9 4 2 1 6 5

7 6 4 8 2 3 7 9

See next issue for puzzle solutions.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Sudoku 4 6 9 5 2 7 8 1 3

BEAVER BEETLE BIRD BISON BLACK RAT BLUE WHALE BOA

W R B

6 11

L Q B E A B U

A D U C A R R A B H R U S Z N

O B V R A E A U M A S E

Q C G D K E K P

9 Prophet (4) 10 Old Russian ruler (4) 13 Word of affirmation (3) 15 Make less difficult (4) 16 Far from brand‑new (4) 19 Cheap‑rate (electricity) (3‑4) 21 Harmful tobacco element (3) 22 Free from obstruction (5) 23 Before time (5) DOWN 1 Wise person (4) 2 Evening church service (7) 3 Official witness of documents (6) 4 Incisive (4) 5 Open hostilities (3) 6 Dismal (6) 11 Jumper (7) 12 Brave, fearless (6) 14 Take milk at the breast (6) 17 365 days, usually (4) 18 Ancient city of Asia Minor (4) 20 Adversary, opponent (3)

In this finished crossword, every letter of the alphabet appears as a code number. All you have to do is crack the code and fill in the grid. Replacing the decoded numbers 3, 11 and 13 with their letters in the grid will help you to guess the identity of other letters.

The creatures beginning with B can all be found in the grid. Words may run either forwards or backwards, in a horizontal, vertical or diagonal direction, but always in a straight, unbroken line.

T C Z

Fill the grid with the numbers 1 to 9 so that each row, column and 3x3 block contains the numbers 1 to 9.

CODEWORD

WORDSEARCH J

SUDOKU

3 7 8 2 6 9 4 5 1

5 1 6 4 8 3 9 2 7

9 4 2 7 5 1 6 3 8

1 2 3 4 3 4

3 4 1 2 1 2

1 2 3 4 5 4

Wordsearch 3 4 1 2 1 3

5 2 5 3 4 5

3 1 4 2 1 2

1 4 5 4 3 2

2 3 2 1 5 1

1 4 5 3 2 4

3 2 1 4 5 3

1 4 3 2 1 2

3 2 1 5 3 4

R E G A N A M R Y B R H H

N O I T P E C E R O A O O

F F E P I A O S T G M R L

L I G I O E P A N B B W I

O V A X R O V S A Y A D D

O E G U K E L L R N H J A

R S G O L F C O U R S E Y

Codeword N T U E V O X A A D G S E

M A L P N P S T T V W M H

Q R L Y E T I U S N E O L

S T A I R C A S E E T O B

A T Z F F S C A R E U R Q

C K U L N T T F L Z J G F

P UM W R OWN E R S U B J H U I N R U P L S EW S S P I QU O U T R E E

P K I N F U N B R C L A S E I M E C T B I E O S H Z OD E Y N D R E D T I A A N T GU X E L A D V E R

A B S O R B I N G

ME T I C H D A A C C E R U A V A S L S E

K I F G E S H L Z T V J Q P R D Y W U C A X B M O N24/09

www.jewishnews.co.uk

Jewish News 24 September 2020

Business Services Directory ANTIQUES 44

The Jewish News 22 September 2016

www.jewishnews.co.uk

BUSINESS SERVICES DIRECTORY

Stirling of Kensal Green

Top prices paid

Antique â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Reproduction â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Retro Furniture (any condition)

Carer

Clothing

WE BUY ANTIQUES Carer FURS WANTED Auxiliary Nurse VERY HIGH PRICES PAID. FREE HOME VISITS.

Epstein, Archie Shine, Hille, G Plan, etc. Antiques

Dining Suites, Lounges Suites, Bookcases, Desks, Cabinets, Mirrors, Lights, etc.

Cash paid for Mink Available support Allto Antique Furniture Hille & Epstein jackets, coats, you in your home. Diamond Jewellery, Gold, Silver,boleros, Paintings, stoles, Porcelain, also fox coats, etc. Glass,Days/nights. Bronzes, Ivories, Oriental & Judaica Antiques jackets etc. Very reasonable rates. Full house clearances organised. Wardrobes cleared Call Please 0208 look 958 at 2939 our website for more details Call 01277 352 560 or 07495 026 168

Established over 60 years. Know who you are dealing with.

Top prices paid

House clearances

All quality furniture bought & sold.

Antique â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Reproduction â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Retro Furniture

Single items to complete homes

(any condition)

Best prices paid for complete house clearEpstein, Archie Shine, Hille, G Plan, etc. ances Lounges includingSuites, china, Bookcases, books, Dining Suites, clothing etc. Also rubbish clearance Desks, Cabinets, Mirrors, Lights, etc. service, lofts, sheds, garages etc House clearances

MARYLEBONE ANTIQUES - 8 CHURCH STREET NW8 8ED

WE BUY ANTIQUES

07866 614 744 (ANYTIME)

www.antiquesbuyers.co.uk

VERY HIGH PRICES PAID. FREE HOME VISITS. All Antique Hille & Epstein 0207Furniture 723 7415 (SHOP) Diamond Jewellery, Gold, Silver, Paintings, Porcelain, closed Sunday & Monday Glass, Bronzes, Ivories, Oriental & Judaica Antiques etc.

Computer FOR APPOINTMENTS CALL SUE ON:

0800 840 2035 or 07956268290

Single items to complete Please contact Gordonhomes Stirling

STUART SHUSTER - e-mail - info@maryleboneantiques.co.uk

Man on aOPEN Bike8am will TOget 9pm 7 DAYS. you working fast! RD LONDON. PORTOBELLO

020 8960 5401 or 07825 224144

Full house clearances organised.

CHURCH STREET ANTIQUES â&#x20AC;? 8 CHURCH STREET NW8 8ED

MAKE SURE CONTACT BEFORE SELLING Please look YOU at our websiteUS for more details

Í&#x201D;Í&#x203A;Í&#x153;Í&#x161;Í&#x161; Í&#x161;Í&#x2022;Í&#x2DC; Í&#x203A;Í&#x2DC;Í&#x2DC; (ANYTIME) Email: gordonstirling65@gmail.com

www.antiquesbuyers.co.uk

Rapid Response IT support for your PC & Mac Networks, virus problems, broadband, wireless systems, new computers and everything else you may need. CHARITY & WELFARE For small businesses & home users.

0207 723 7415 (SHOP)

FOR APPOINTMENTS CALL SUE ON: 0800 840 2035 or 07956268290 OPEN 8am TO 9pm 7 DAYS.

Call Ian Green, Man on a Bike on

PORTOBELLO RD LONDON.

020 8731 6171 â&#x20AC;˘ www.manonabike.co.uk

closed Sunday & Monday STUART SHUSTER â&#x20AC;? eâ&#x20AC;?mail â&#x20AC;? stuart@churchstreetantiques.net

MAKE SURE YOU CONTACT US BEFORE SELLING

WESTLON HOUSING ASSOCIATION

ARE YOU BEREAVED?

Sheltered Accommodation

Charity & Welfare Bereavement Counselling for adults and children individually. Support Groups available. During the pandemic, we offer telephone and online counselling. ARE YOU BEREAVED? Contact Jewish Bereavement Counselling Service in adults confidence. Counselling for & children who are 0208Support 951 3881groups offered. experiencing loss. enquiries@jbcs.org.uk | www.jbcs.org.uk Call The Jewish Bereavement

Labels are forTURN, jars. Refer yourself or aKNOW loved one by IF YOU DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T WHICH WAY TO Not people. calling 020 8458 2223 orOUR visit HELPLINE. REMEMBER www.jamiuk.org

For confidential advice, information and support donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget Jewish Care Direct. REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1003345

020 8922 2222

Counselling Service in confidence

jcdirect@jcare.org

020 & 8951 3881 â&#x20AC;˘ 07765 693 160 CHARITY WELFARE

jewishcare.org/helpline

HOUSE CLEARANCE

E: enquiries@jbcs.org.uk

PLUMBSAFE (UK) LTD Jami supports and represents people with mental illness across Fast & Efficient House the Jewish community.

Clearance

#jamithinkahead We are reliable, cover all neighbourhoods & suit all budgets. Give support â&#x20AC;˘ Get support â&#x20AC;˘ Get involved We also buy good quality furniture, old books & Judaica.

All NW-London postcodes covered

07860 881505 or 0800 610 12 12

020 8458 2223 | info@jamiuk.org www.jamiuk.org

Call: 078 060 79299 Reg Charity No. 1003345

Not shabbat

PLUMBSAFEUK.COM

We have an open waiting list for our friendly and comfortable For further details and application forms, please contact warden assisted sheltered housing schemes for Jewish people Westlon on 020 8201 8484 in Ealing, EastHousing Finchley Association and Hendon. We provide 24-hour warden support, seven days a week; a residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lounge and kitchen, laundry, a sunny patio and garden.

BUY/SELL For further details and application forms, please contact Westlon Housing Association on 020 8201 8484

Charity Reg No. 802559

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Better Safe Than Sorryâ&#x20AC;?

We have an open waiting list for our friendly and comfortable warden assisted sheltered housing schemes in Ealing, East Finchley and Hendon. We provide 24-hour warden support, WESTLON HOUSING ASSOCIATION seven days a week; a residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lounge and kitchen, laundry, aSheltered sunny patioAccommodation and garden.

Town & Country House Clearance We buy quality items, furniture and bric-a-brac We also clear unwanted items and rubbish For free advice or a quotation Are you a Jewish woman experiencing domestic violence? With abuse in your home, do you worry about your children?

We are here to help Contact Finlay with free support, advice and information and confidential counselling. Mobile: 07973 542018 Kosher Refuge available for women and children in need. Email:Freetowncountrymove@aol.com Confidential National Helpline 0808 801 0500 advice@jwa.org.uk â&#x20AC;˘ www.jwa.org.uk

HOME & MAINTENANCE

Home & Maintenance

PLUMBSAFE (UK) LTD

No further, your

LOCAL PLUMBERS

Hall & Randall Plumbers

CENTRAL HEATING, PLUMBING REPAIRS & ADVISORY SERVICE EMERGENCY REPAIRS, BLOCKED PIPES DRAINAGE GUTTERING, ROOFING, CENTRAL HEATING AND BOILERS 12 MONTHS GUARANTEE, 40 YEARS EXPERIENCE

Not shabbat

) *" " - *'

Home & Maintenance

STONEMASON

PROFESSIONAL A. ELFES LTD PAINTING, DECORATING memorials & New PAPER HANGING Additional inscriptions Over & 20renovations years experience Friendly, reliable & Gants Hill service. Edgware personal

The specialist masons in creating bespoke Granite and Marble Memorials for all Cemeteries.

Email : info@garygreenmemorials.co.uk

12Very Beehive Lane 130rates High Street competitive Gants Hill, IG1 3RD Edgware, HA8 7EL Telephone Telephone

STEPHEN: 07973 342 422 0207 754 4659 0207 754 4646

www.garygreenmemorials.co.uk

Gary Green ad 84 x 40mm JM Group v2.indd 1

LOFT CONVERSIONS & UPVC Fitter

+ " ) "# ,! " " ! # !

â&#x20AC;˘DRIVEWAYS â&#x20AC;˘PAINTING London 020 8485 8176 â&#x20AC;˘PATIOS â&#x20AC;˘PLASTERING â&#x20AC;˘BRICKWORK â&#x20AC;˘PLUMBING ADVERTISE IN THE AUTOMOTIVE â&#x20AC;˘ROOF REPAIRS â&#x20AC;˘ALL BUILDING UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BIGGEST â&#x20AC;˘GUTTERING WORKNEWSPAPER JEWISH City and Guilds Electrician MOTOR VEHICLES

PLUMBSAFEUK.COM

office@hallandrandall.com

Edgware Showroom 41 Manor Park Crescent Edgware. HA8 7LY T: 0208 381 1525

! ! # ! " " #

All NW-London postcodes covered

07860 881505 or 0800 610 12 12

020 8953 2094 office

Clayhall Showroom 14 Claybury Broadway Ilford. IG5 0LQ T: 0208 551 6866

HI LINE ROOFING

For all your heating and plumbing requirements

020 8207 3286 home 020 8386 8798 hallandrandallplumbers.com

LONDON

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Better Safe Than Sorryâ&#x20AC;?

18/03/2019 12:50:51

srindsmc@hotmail.com

www.memorialgroup.co.uk

All types of electrical work undertaken

FOR LESS THAN

PURCHASED A WEEK ÂŁ24.00 FREE ESTIMATES & ADVICE Rewiring, extra sockets, BT points, Economy 7 CLASSIC OR CARS storage heaters, Shabbat time switches, security lighting, ALL tests, WORK FULLYCall GUARANTEED for vehicles 10 CCTVportable appliance LED spotlights, over fault finding, Marc today landlord tests and house buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surveys. years old preferably on 020 7692 6943 581 Bowrons Ave, Wembley HA0 4QP withan low mileagereliable and friendly For efficient service.

Call Harvey Solomons on

020 8958 Anthony 6495 / 07836 Contact: â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 648 554

07850 590415

01245 211 002 / 07773 102 386 Jewish hilineroofing.site123.me

24 September 2020 Jewish News

www.jewishnews.co.uk

Business Services Directory SILVER

KITCHEN INSTALLATION

AUCTIONEERS

Bespoke German Kitchens Konig experienced designers will plan, supply & install a stunning new kitchen to suit your lifestyle & budget giving you the best use of space, quality & value. Enjoy your dream kitchen - contemporary or traditional for many years.

ADVERTISE IN THE UK’S BIGGEST JEWISH NEWSPAPER FOR LESS THAN £24 A WEEK

German kitchens at affordable prices. Contact: 020 8946 3539 info@konigkitchens.com konigkitchens.com Instagram: @Konig_Kitchens

Email Sales today at sales@jewishnews.co.uk

OFFICE FURNITURE

LEGACY- LEAVE A GIFT IN YOUR MEMORY

JEWISH WAR VETERANS

Leave the legacy of independence to people like Joel.

& THEIR DEPENDANTS NEED

YOUR LEGACY

PLease remember us in your wiLL.

eNABLeD

Tel: 020 8202 2323 Web: www.ajex.org.uk Email: headoffice@ajex.org.uk

visit www.Jbd.org

Registered Charity

or caLL 020 8371 6611 No. 259480 18-361-JM Small legacy advert v1.qxp_Legacy 09/10/2018 10:27 Page 1

Registered Charity No: 1082148

Need to furnish your home or office? London’s leading supplier of new and reconditioned furniture. Free assembly and delivery next working day on most items – call now!

HELP US CONTINUE TO BE THERE FOR OUR COMMUNITY WITH A GIFT IN YOUR WILL. Call Alison on 020 8922 2833 for more information or email legacyteam@jcare.org Chancellors House, Brampton Lane, London, NW4 4AB Tel: 020 8903 8746 | Fax: 020 8795 2240 www.bﬁwd.org | email: info@bﬁwd.org

Charity Reg No. 802559

Call 0800 559 3917 Email sales@andrewsofficefurniture.com www.andrewsofficefurniture.com

STONE WORKS

Secure our

children’s future

Please include

CST in your Will

Charity no. 1042391

Every gift makes a difference legacy@cst.org.uk

020 8457 3700

www.cst.org.uk

COMPUTER Legacy advert 84x40.indd 1

Man on a Bike will get you working fast!

07/04/2017 14:47

Rapid Response IT support for your PC & Mac Networks, virus problems, broadband, wireless systems, new computers and everything else you may need. For small businesses & home users.

Call Ian Green, Man on a Bike on

020 8731 6171 • www.manonabike.co.uk

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ADVERTISE IN THE UK’S BIGGEST JEWISH NEWSPAPER FOR LESS THAN £24 A WEEK Email Sales today at sales@jewishnews.co.uk

Jewish News 24 September 2020

www.jewishnews.co.uk

Luxury Apartments by the Sea -

Immediate occupancy!

Photo: May 2020

LUXURY APARTMENTS fRoM NIS 5.4 MILIoN 3 to 4-room Garden Apartments with large gardens and spectacular Penthouses The Ofer Investments Group is proud to present their luxury “Pituach by the Sea” project built on one of the most desirable strips of real estate in Israel – Herzliya Pituah, A stone’s throw from the sea. The project was designed by a team of first-class architects and designers. It was built to the highest specifications and includes high-end brands and attention to the smallest detail without compromising on quality and accuracy.

6-Storey Boutique Complex Green Spaces Lively surroundings, with cafes, restaurants and other amenities SWIMMING POOL | MAGNIFICENT LOBBY | LUXURIOUS FEATURES

Tel. +972-73-2767165 sales@oferinvest.com