1250 by Jewish News

All over bar the shouting?

Spurs takes on its own fans, p2, 3 & 22

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17 February 2022

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16 Adar rishon 5782

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Issue No.1250

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@JewishNewsUK

The return of Mrs Maisel, p30-31

1,000 shivas

Community marks tragic pandemic milestone British Jews this week marked the sombre milestone of 1,000 deaths linked to coronavirus, writes Jack Mendel. The latest data by the Board of Deputies revealed that six funerals took place last week, bringing the total number of fatalities in which the pandemic was a factor to 1,002. Writing in this week’s Jewish News, Board of Deputies president Marie van der Zyl reflected on the first wave of the virus in early 2020 “where Jews seemed to be disproportionately at risk of dying from this awful disease”. Five hundred deaths were reported in the first 109 days of the pandemic, with more than 110 deaths during Pesach 2021 alone. The Board has compiled mortality figures with the main synagogue movement burial boards, as well as regional organisations, such as the Jewish Small Communities Network. Van der Zyl said that initially the Board figures on deaths “tallied with ONS statistics, indicating that Jews were far more likely to have died of Covid in the initial wave than the general population”. But she said genetic factors were the “least likely explanation”, with high death rates instead probably linked to communities being “located in major metropolitan areas, particularly in London and the south-east, and this was where Covid first struck in the UK”. She added: “We are also an older demographic than the general population. As we soon discovered, Covid finds its victims disproportionately from the aged.” Van der Zyl reflected on the start of the pandemic coinciding with Purim, a “very sociable time for the Jewish community” which had “devastating consequences”. A total of 457 deaths were recorded between 2 March and 15 May. Regarding the communal response to the second lockdown, she said all sections of the community were “very enthusiastic” about vaccines and the “vast majority of the Jewish population followed lockdown regulations”.

May their memories be a blessing...

Rabbi Neil Kraft

Rabbi Avrohom Pinter

Yechiel Yosef Rothschild

David Lazarus

Lilian Black

Rabbi Stanley Michaels

Melvyn Sher

Irving Carter

Rabbi Uri Ashkenazi

❝

500 JEWISH COMMUNITY DEATHS WERE REPORTED IN THE PANDEMIC’S FIRST 109 DAYS

Guido Castro

The rate of deaths massively slowed, with the 900 mark being passed in March 2021, and 950 in November. “The numbers of members of our community dying in the current Omicron wave have

sadly increased, this number is not disproportionate to the general population,” she added and praised those who “selflessly came forward to support those in their local communities, delivering food and medi-

FEW OF US HAVE BEEN UNTOUCHED... WE MUST NEVER FORGET THOSE WE HAVE LOST cine, telephone-befriending and working to transform community spaces to be virtually accessible”. “Few, if any, of us have been untouched by this pandemic. It is my earnest hope that we will be

soon able to create a proper memorial to those who died. “While we carry on with our lives, we must never forget those whom we lost in the worst health crisis of any of our lifetimes.” The Board is liaising with seven of the largest denominational burial boards to collate an indicator of deaths where Covid-19 was a factor. These denominational burial boards are: The Adath Yisroel Burial Society, the Federation of Synagogues Burial Society, the Joint Jewish Burial Board, Liberal Judaism, the Spanish and Portuguese Sephardi Community, the United Synagogue Burial Society and the Western Charitable Foundation. United Synagogue chief executive Steven Wilson said: “This is a heartbreaking milestone and a sombre reminder of the devastation wrought by the virus. We hope and pray all those who have lost a loved one are spared further suffering.” He thanked the United Synagogue Burial Society and burial boards across the country, saying: “Colleagues have had to conduct hundreds more funerals... a figure tragically exacerbated by Covid-19, particularly in 2020. Despite these intense and unparalleled pressures – on our rabbis, chevra kadisha volunteers, gravediggers, administrative team and cemeteries staff – every family was afforded time, care and attention.” The Movement for Reform Judaism said it was “devastated by the news of 1,000 Covid deaths within the community”, adding: “Just as we are by the tens of thousands from all other faiths and none who’ve been lost to this terrible pandemic.” Rabbi Charley Baginsky, chief executive of Liberal Judaism, said: “It’s easy to forget, as the world eases itself into a new reality of living with Covid, that people are still dying. Reaching this figure is a humbling reminder of all those we have lost, how hard our community – alongside every other one – has been hit and also the continuing impact this virus has on our lives.”  Opinion, P22

www.jewishnews.co.uk

Jewish News 17 February 2022

News / The Y-word

‘Chanting the Y-word will become a thing of the past’ We reveal the extraordinary behind-the-scenes story of how Tottenham Hotspur finally took a stand against its own fans’ use of the antisemitic slur by Lee Harpin lee@jewishnews.co.uk @lmharpin

Lord Mann has said he expects Metropolitan Police officers to take increased action against away fans using antisemitic chants at Spurs matches as a direct result of the club’s call for its own fans to “move on” from using the Y-word. The government’s independent adviser on antisemitism said the announcement by Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, which called on its own supporters to stop using the word “Yid” in songs and chants, had “made it easier for police to intervene with fans from other clubs”. Mann, former chair of the powerful All Party Parliamentary Group on Antisemitism, spoke after playing a leading role in talks with Spurs over the past decade on the need for culture change over supporters’ use of the word ‘Yid’.

PRECIOUS STONES

Assessing the impact of Spurs’ new approach – which was made after a survey of 23,000 fans showed that “a significant section of our fanbase feel uncomfortable with the Y-word’s continued use at matches” – Mann told Jewish News: “It is much easier now for the police to intervene with other fans from other clubs. “If someone is shouting antisemitic insults in a public arena, in the ground or in a pub, the police can do something. When non-Jewish football fans use these insults, I’d expect the police to act now. They no longer have the mitigation they had before.” He also called for stewards and police to prevent fans from taking national flags, such as the Israeli and of Palestinian flags, into games. “Flags being used as proxies at football is not helpful,” Mann said. “The fewer Israeli or Palestinian flags we see in stadiums the better.” The Met have been approached for com-

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Spurs fans make frequent use of the word

ment on whether Spurs’ instruction to fans will impact on their approach to policing games in and outside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. To understand why the north London club posted on its website at 9am last Thursday that it was “time to move on from the Y-word”, Jewish News spoke to sources connected to the club, and to those such as Mann who have called for it to act decisively on the issue. It became clear that the battle over use of the word ‘Yid’ stretched back over decades, with senior figures at Spurs, including those close to chairman Daniel Levy, steadfastly resisting outside calls for change until fairly recently. In 2010, the comedian David Baddiel and his brother Ivor, both Chelsea fans, had worked on a short-film – featuring Spurs legend Ledley King, Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, and Stamford Bridge hero Frank Lampard – which was aimed at heightening awareness that the Y-word was a racist slur. One leading communal source recalled attending a screening of the film in the company of a representative from Spurs. “Nobody in the room disputed the fact that the film accurately got across the message that the Y-word was a racist word,” recalled the source. “But the Spurs rep was very much still of the belief that their fans had adopted the word in a defiant, and yes, if it is possible, in an anti-racist way. “I would describe their mood as dismissive and combative to the Baddiel brothers’ message, which was that it was time for all fans, be they Spurs or Chelsea to stop using the Y-word.” To understand Spurs’ reluctance to tell their own fans to stop using the term, one needs to look back at the history of use of the Y-word. In the 1930s it had been Oswald Mosley’s fascists who had marched through areas of London’s East End in which the Yiddishspeaking Jewish community lived chanting: “The Yids, the Yids, we gotta get rid of the Yids.” There were also Jewish authors such as Leo Rosten using the word to portray antisemitic speech, or in self-deprecating humour. An episode of the popular TV sitcom Till Death Us Do Part in the 1960s would feature Warren Mitchell as Alf Garnett, with West Ham scarf wrapped around his neck, screaming about

“those Spurs Yids”. The fact that Mitchell was in real life a Spurs fan himself, who had been attempting to poke fun at the rivalry between the two London clubs, was lost on most viewers. But for Mann, it was the 1981 FA Cup Final replay between Spurs and Manchester City that explained why fans of the London side adopted the Y-word so protectively for the next four decades. This was the year Spurs had recorded one of the most popular football songs ever – Ossie’s Dream, written by Chas & Dave in tribute to the club’s Argentinian star Osvaldo Ardiles – with its “Spurs are on their way to Wembley” refrain. Mann, a devoted Leeds United fan, had been invited to attend the replay of the match at Wembley, and recalls the shock of hearing drunken City fans changing the words of the song after drinking in central London, and chanting: “Spurs are on their way to Auschwitz.” For most Spurs fans, the biggest culprits of all when it came to singing antisemitic songs at matches though were not City but their London rivals Chelsea and West Ham. Spurs fans would respond loudly back to these clubs with their own chants of “Yids!” and of “Yid army” – as a means of taking ownership again of a word spat at them with threats of violence and malice. As well-intentioned, and indeed as wellmade as the Baddiel brothers’ anti-Y-word film was, the duo’s link to Chelsea would count against them in terms of convincing a lot of Spurs fans to stop using the word. Anthony Clavane, a lecturer and Sunday Mirror journalist, and a Spurs fan, wrote in 2012: “I feel uncomfortable walking to White Hart Lane and hearing the ‘Yid Army’ chant. I feel it gives racist fans the licence to respond with offensive songs like ‘Spurs are on their way to Auschwitz’ and ‘He’s only a poor little Yiddo.’ “Yet I also understand why Jewish Spurs fans, like my friend Ivan Cohen, argue that supporters have ‘reappropriated the Yiddo slur as a badge of honour’.” Even hardened Spurs fans concede that Chelsea have improved the situation with regards to antisemitic chanting at their Stamford Bridge ground in recent years. Chairman Bruce Buck and the Chelsea FC Foundation have challenged the racist element among fans – and Holocaust Memorial events are

Players take a knee, then fans yell ‘Yiddos’

www.jewishnews.co.uk

17 February 2022 Jewish News

The Y-word / News

Spurs flatter to deceive BY RICHARD FERRER

EDITOR, JEWISH NEWS

Tottenham fans cheer on their team in the club’s new stadium

staged yearly. But antisemitism has not been eradicated entirely. So what convinced Spurs to change its mind on the issue? High on the list of contributing factors comes the rise in reported incidents of antisemitism, including mounting anti-Jewish threats to Spurs chairman Levy and other figures at the club, often from individuals or groups claiming to be loyal followers of Tottenham themselves. It was pure coincidence that Spurs made their Y-word announcement last Thursday, on the day the Community Security Trust released its annual Antisemitism Incidents report, which confirmed record high figures. At Spurs, a thoroughly unsuccessful season on the pitch, in which the club dropped out of the Champions League spots, led to a surge in antisemitic abuse directed at Levy and others in senior position, with many of the slurs centring on tropes of tightness with money in response to the failure to sign top quality players. In August, Spurs were left appalled when a caller to a TalkSport radio show was allowed to make an antisemitic remark about Levy. Tottenham condemned the station for “failing to call out an antisemitic trope” on Levy, and later accepted an apology from the broadcaster. Then there were the incidents that circulated on social media. In November, a video of West Ham fans singing an antisemitic song to a Jewish passenger on a plane appalled all who saw it. That same month, a Chelsea fan was jailed after posting a photo of the train tracks to Auschwitz on Twitter in a message to Spurs fans. In a climate in which others forms of racism were being challenged, Spurs’ attempt to retain ownership of the Y-word seemed increasingly fragile. “We are living in times of heightened awareness of cultural appropriation and sensitivities. It is therefore crucial to the values of our club and our fans that we are even more mindful of the controversial nature of this term,” the club said in its statement last week. The influence of Spurs’ own supporter surveys which gauged fans views on the use of the Y-word should not be overlooked either. In 2019, the club found that 33 percent of respondents in a survey used the ‘Y-word’ in a footballing context, and nearly half of respond-

ents wanted to see it used less, or not at all. The club also held focus groups about the use of the word, which concluded in the summer of 2020. The results of their most recent survey confirmed 94 percent recognised the term ‘Yid’ could be racist. Sources at Spurs confirmed they were also convinced into their rethink by a series of media articles by supporters, including Times columnist David Aaronovitch. Jewish News has campaigned on stopping the Y-word being used at football for more than 10 years. Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust welcomed the “measured statement and clear position” the club took last week but added: “It has long been our opinion that any move away from using the term needs to come from the fan base. “The club’s latest statement indicates a growing number of fans are willing and able to conduct the discussion on that basis. It will now take time for the club’s request... to have any effect. During that time, we restate our principle that any change should be achieved through consent and not through sanction. “ Another factor in convincing Spurs to end the Y-word chants is the success the Premier League has enjoyed with anti-racist Taking The Knee initiative. Despite the odd instances of booing – and criticism of the move from some in government – the move has been hailed as being remarkably successful in this country. “There will be incidents, it will flair up now and then over the next few years,” said Mann, in regards to continued Y-word chants. “But the Y-word will die a death. “In 10 years time, someone chanting the Y-word... people will look at them just puzzled.” Danny Stone, chief executive of the Antisemitism Policy Trust, whose group has been involved in talks with Spurs added: “Tottenham is right to be phasing out the Y-word and putting an end to what has become an inspiration for antisemitic behaviours and discourse. “Cultural change of this type takes time and consistent educational effort, and so I hope the club will inject energy and enthusiasm into the project,” he added. “I hope too that the fan base will support the club that they love in doing this. Certainly the true fans will.” Read the full report at jewishnews.co.uk

When news broke last week of Tottenham Hotspur taking a stand against the vile word ‘Yid’ being used by its fans, I emailed the club for comment and received an immediate reply. Not from the head of media but from his email security software. The bounceback reply said: “Your email to Tottenham Hotspur was found to contain profanity. Content policies triggered: Policy (Bad words) found term [“yid”] in body text, score is 10”(presumably out of 10). Wonder of wonders! So it was true. After years of kicking the issue into the long grass, the club was finally doing the right thing. That delusion lasted until the following day’s pre-match press conference when manager Antonio Conte was asked for his considered opinion on the club telling its fans: “It’s time to move on from the Y-word.” Rather than hammer the message home, Conte feebly and excruciatingly denied any knowledge. He said he hadn’t been briefed so did not know enough to comment. It was a facepalm moment that proved the club still lacks the courage of its convictions, despite having its reputation trashed by its own supporters. With the manager incapable of an opinion and none of his players being offered up to speak about the issue, it was no surprise that

the chant rang out as boldly and loudly as ever during Sunday’s home game against Wolves. The club has tip-toed around this reputational risk for decades, hoping in woke times the penny will drop for the philosophers in the South Stand who claim to use the word as a ‘badge of honour’ – freeing it from its tragic history on behalf of us Jews. Like reclaiming the swastika as a Buddhist symbol of peace, that ship has sailed, been stripped of parts and converted into a floating hotel off the coast of Dubai. No amount of reclamation by kindly deep-thinking Spurs fans will change that. In truth the word has been hijacked as a cheap trigger to goad Arsenal, Chelsea and West Ham fans. Everyone who chants it knows the dark arts they are conjuring and to hell with what Jews, who must clean the word off synagogues and gravestones, have to say. Football fans convince themselves of a great many silly things out of blind loyalty to their beloved team (QPR will get promoted this season), but making asinine excuses for a sick word – as the tens of thousands of fans on Facebook groups like Yid Pride, North London Yids and From One Yid to Another do with great pride – is something else again. Yes, Tottenham Hotspur has finally piped up and uttered some words of vague substance, but it’s not the studs-showing tackle required. Like the Labour Party under Corbynism, a decent brand has been held hostage by a rogue faction for too long. It’s time for Tottenham to put the ‘Yid Army’ on notice. It’s all over. Bar the shouting.

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Jewish News 17 February 2022

News / Peace Fund / Ministerial role / Death threats / CST report / Local elections

Truss urged over Fund Labour Friends of Israel’s vice-chair has urged the foreign secretary to start discussions “as a matter of urgency” on the UK taking up an international seat on the board of the International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace, writes Lee Harpin. Catherine McKinnell MP wrote to Liz Truss following confirmation that president Joe Biden’s US administration had appointed an advisory board tasked with recommending how £220 million of funding for coexistence projects would be spent. The board was picked by US lawmakers including Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell. The Labour MP is now Liz Truss was warned over the UK’s role

calling for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to “seize the moment” by approaching the Biden administration to discuss the UK taking up one of two vacant international seats on the Fund’s board. McKinnell, a champion of the Fund in Parliament, warned Truss that “time is running out for the UK to take up a leadership role”. In her letter, she wrote: “As a global leader in development, with our experience with the International Fund In Ireland, and deep links with the Middle East, the UK is an obvious partner.” She also warned that if no approach for was made for a place on the advisory board in the near future it would be become “too late” to reverse the decision.

Former Tory co-chair given Cleverly’s Middle East role Former Conservative Party co-chair Amanda Milling is to replace James Cleverly as the Middle East minister, the Foreign Office has confirmed. In a confirmation of new ministerial positions after Boris Johnson’s latest reshuffle, it was announced that Milling, the current minister for Asia, will also take up the Middle East brief. Cleverly has been moved to the minister of Europe and North America role and he has also been handed the brief to deputise for foreign secretary Liz Truss on the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Milling has previously strongly defended Israel, Minister Amanda Milling

including last December when criticism was raised over the designation of six Palestinian non-governmental organisations as terrorist groups. Responding to Labour MP Marsha De Cordova’s concern that Israel’s move represents “a clear attempt to silence the peaceful defence of Palestinians rights”, Milling said the issue was “a matter for the government of Israel”. The MP revealed: “One of my first overseas visits as a parliamentarian was to Israel with the Conservative Friends of Israel. It was the first time I’d been, a real privilege, especially in terms of the digital and technology stuff. And the medical innovation.”

POLICE PROBE DEATH THREATS AT LABOUR LEADER

Sir Keir Starmer with wife Victoria

geted with an upsurge in antisemitic hate on social media after the prime minister claimed Starmer had “spent more time prosecuting journalists and failing to prosecute” child sex offender Savile. Last Monday outside Westminster, a hard-line group of conspiracy theorists and anti-

The Metropolitan Police have confirmed they are investigating death threats made against Sir Keir Starmer in the wake of Boris Johnson’s claim he “failed to prosecute” Jimmy Savile, writes Lee Harpin. Jewish News revealed last week how the Labour leader was tar-

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Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, shared footage of the confrontation on his channel on the Telegram web service. One supporter of the far-right activist wrote that Starmer and Lammy should be detained “until preparation can be made for their execution”.

Tories ‘failing’ over racism

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vaxxers surrounded the Labour leader, who was with Labour shadow justice minister David Lammy, and shouted insults at him, including the claim he was a “paedophile protector”. After the incident, English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson, whose real name is

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Liberal Democrats equalities spokesperson Wera Hobhouse has accused the Conservatives of “failing to keep anti-Jewish hate incidents under control” following the release of the latest report from the Community Security Trust (CST). In a tweet posted in response to CST’s Antisemitic Incidents Report 2021 showing a 34 percent rise in antisemitic incidents to 2,255 incidents last year from 1,684 the previous year, Hobhouse (pictured) wrote: “The statistics in this report are shocking. The Conservatives are clearly failing to keep anti-Jewish hate incidents under control. “My heart goes out to anyone affected by these incidents.” Home secretary Priti Patel has been out-

spoken in her condemnation of antisemitism – but the Lib Dems have repeatedly questioned the ability of foreign secretary Liz Truss to combine that role with the equalities minister brief, which also involved focus on community issues. Hobhouse told Jewish News: “[The] figures show that part-time equalities minister Liz Truss has let the Jewish community down. “The Liberal Democrats are calling for her to step down to let someone more dedicated do the fulltime role and for an urgent strategy on how to tackle rising anti-Jewish hatred.” Patel last week attempted to blame London Mayor Sadiq Khan for the slow rate of arrests by the Metropolitan Police of those involved in antisemitic incidents in the capital.

LJF founder to stand in elections London Jewish Forum (LJF) founder Adrian Cohen has been selected to stand as a Labour candidate in Camden’s Hampstead Town ward in the forthcoming local elections. Cohen, who represents Highgate Synagogue on the Board of Deputies, and is a trustee of the Jewish Leadership Council, was confirmed last week as a candidate for the local government elections in May. Hampstead Town has historically proved a difficult ward for Labour – even though it

holds the majority of seats on the north London council. Labour election chiefs hope Cohen’s selection will help win over new voters to provide a clear signal of the success of Sir Keir Starmer’s attempt to win back Jewish voters to his party. The bank and finance law expert has long been connected to Labour – and is lay chair of Labour Friends of Israel – and a member of the Labour Party Antisemitism Advisory Board, set up as a result of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s devastating report.

The Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) was also celebrating further successful Camden candidate selections. Its national organiser, Rebecca Filer, was selected to stand for Labour in the Haverstock ward and Izzy Lenga, a member of its national executive council, was selected to stand in the South Hampstead ward. Existing Jewish councillors Georgia Gould, leader of Camden Council, Larraine Revah and Jonathan Simpson, have all been selected to stand again in the May elections.

www.jewishnews.co.uk

17 February 2022 Jewish News

Meeting anger / Corbyn canned / News

Chabad-Lubavitch UK met ‘get back on the plane’ MK by Lee Harpin lee@jewishnews.co.uk @lmharpin

Representatives from ChabadLubavitch UK met with farright Israeli Knesset member Bezalel Smotrich during his visit to the UK last week, Jewish News can reveal. It is understood that representatives from the learning and outreach group were with Smotrich at a meeting in London last Wednesday at the same time as the Board of Deputies voiced their disgust at his visit in a post on Twitter. Jewish News has learnt that an initial approach was made

to Chabad-Lubavitch UK chief executive Rabbi Bentzi Sudak – although the request was for representatives of the organisation to meet with an unnamed member of the Knesset, who wished to learn more about its activities here. During the meeting, Smotrich – a Religious Zionist Party MK who is renowned in Israel for his inflammatory views on the Arab and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities and his refusal to accept Reform Judaism – posted a response to the Board’s tweet, which had urged him to “Get back on the plane, Bezalel, and be remembered as

a disgrace forever”. He wrote: “The entire UK Jewish community, I love you all!” Confirming the meeting with him, a spokesman for Chabad-Lubavitch UK said: “MK Smotrich asked to meet with Chabad in the UK to learn about our activities here. Chabad-Lubavitch welcomes all Jews from across the spectrum, regardless of whether we share their opinions or beliefs. History has taught us sowing division among Jews only strengthens our enemies.” In Israel, an analysis of recent election voting showed the far-right religious parties picking up a

significant number of votes from the Chabad movement. Some say that this has been driven by the emphasis of the last leader of Chabad, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, on preserving Jewish control of the biblical land of Israel. In an interview with Israel’s i24 news last Thursday, Michael Wegier, the Board’s chief executive, reiterated its criticism of Smotrich, saying his “views are not normal views”. He added: “We should not allow ourselves

Above: Bezalel Smotrich and, inset, in London

to become normalised to racism, which is why we took a clear view about his visit.” Smotrich had been pictured at a meeting with Mizrachi UK chief executive Rabbi Andrew

Shaw and two emissaries from youth movement Bnei Akiva UK. Both groups released statements distanceing themselves from the meeting. • Opinion, page 26

STARMER: ‘CORBYN STAND AGAIN FOR LABOUR? NOT POSSIBLE’ Sir Keir Starmer said he does not see how it is possible for Jeremy Corbyn to stand as a Labour candidate at the next general election. Asked in an interview with Channel 4 News if he could foresee a scenario in which the former leader could stand under the Labour banner at the next election, Starmer said: “Well at the moment he is not a Labour MP so

I don’t see how that is possible.” Starmer was quizzed by presenter Cathy Newman on reports that he was looking to deselect Corbyn as candidates were selected for the Islington North seat. “Well, Jeremy Corbyn’s position at the moment is that he’s not got the Labour whip for reasons that everybody understands in

relation to his response to the antisemitism report,” said Starmer. “That will remain the situation until something’s done about it.” Newman attempted to suggest Starmer should show “leadership” by deselecting Corbyn. But the Labour leader explained Corbyn was “not a Labour MP at the moment”. This means it is impossible to deselect him – and

he still has the opportunity to apologise in full to the Jewish community and the Labour chief whip if he wishes to have the whip restored. Starmer added:”We’ve been in this position for over a year now.” All Labour MPs have to go through the socalled trigger balllot process with their local parties if they wish to stand again as candidates.

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Jewish News 17 February 2022

Special Report / Kosher meat crisis

‘We’re clinging to existence’ Amanda Ferguson speaks to Jews in Belfast about kosher food shortages caused by Brexit that threaten the future of their shrinking community

Deliveries ofADVERT kosher food to Northern1Ireland are few and far between since the red tape following Brexit HALF PAGE JAN 2020:Layout 09/01/2020 16:04 Page 1

The dramatic reduction in kosher food deliveries to Northern Ireland under the post-Brexit trade protocol is embarrassing and stressing its small Jewish community. Over the years, the community had dwindled from a peak of around 1,500 people in the 1950s to fewer than a dozen families. There has not been a kosher butcher in the UK jurisdiction for many years, so supplies are sourced from England. From a pallet of chickens and deli products being delivered to the synagogue in north Belfast every couple of months, last year only three deliveries were received – in March, July and December.

Families have been finding it hard to make kosher food stretch and have had to borrow from each other. Michael Black, chairman of the Belfast Jewish Community, said: “The problems started with the protocol, which the government signed. For us, all sorts of red tape and bureaucracy was introduced, and we got caught up in bigger issues. Even with the grace periods, it has been a problem. There is still paperwork. Our suppliers are small businesses. We are not a very big customer. “Similarly, with the carrier. One pallet every eight or 10 weeks is not meaningful. “Both the carrier and the sup-

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17 February 2022 Jewish News

Kosher meat crisis / Special Report pliers wince when we make a phone call. It is not an attractive proposition to them.” Black says the three deliveries that made it to Northern Ireland last year were a result of goodwill and pushiness from the community and government. The minister to the Jewish community, Reverend David Kale, has been among those providing assistance, as has the UK government’s Northern Ireland Office, and Stormont’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. Black says the community has been “cutting back” since the supply issues and “communal meals aren’t happening because of the void”. “People are eating less meat,” he explained. “It has been very embarrassing having to push this issue. “As an Orthodox community, it is in our constitution, the provisions of kosher food. It is an obligation to have kosher food for the people who need it, who are very observant. I can live without it, but there are some people who need kosher food.” Black says the prime minister is aware of the ongoing issues, and the community will continue to “rattle cages to raise the problem”. Retired architect’s secretary Norma Simon says that “before

Brexit there was no problem getting the meat from Manchester”. The 91-year-old says the variety of kosher food is “not great at the moment”, and that at her day centre for older people she is now being given vegetarian meals. “I was brought up in a traditional Jewish home. In those days, you went to the butchers every day. I was brought up in Dublin and there was three or four butchers, so you had your choice. I moved to Belfast in 1957. There were two butchers here, but they don’t exist now. As the Jewish population decreased, children went away and didn’t come back.” Former retail manager Yvonne Danker said the kosher food supply issue has been “stressful”. “We are an elderly community so it was affecting our day to day life trying to think up different meals. It has a very big impact on us. “We have been borrowing a bit of chicken here and there from friend’s freezers. I tried a couple of vegetarian options, which didn’t go down well with my husband. “The delivery in December was limited, with no processed meat like mince and sausages, but it came just in time.” Her son Tony Danker, the director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) in

Geraldine McGahey, chief commissioner, Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, Michael Black, chair of the Belfast Jewish Community, and Alyson Kilpatrick, chief commissioner of the The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. The UK government and EU have been urged to find an “urgent solution” over the shortages of kosher food in Northern Ireland

London, is a frequent visitor to 10 Downing Street, and has also “casually raised” the issue with the Northern Ireland Secretary of State Brandon Lewis and others. “I think it is our right to have access to kosher food,” Yvonne said. “What is happening should not happen. The Jewish community is clinging on to our existence. “We also depend on meat for the synagogue so are hoping for a practical solution. It is a terrible situation to leave us in.” Professor Katy Hayward, a Queen’s University Belfast academic and senior fellow with the UK in a Changing Europe think tank, acknowledges there is a problem but

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says there are solutions. “It is happening because they need to now operate the rules of the protocol, of goods coming into NI from GB, as if they were a third country coming into the EU, so there is an awful lot of paperwork associated with that. Mostly with agri-food. “There is some relief available, but it only really makes sense for larger suppliers. It is much more difficult for smaller businesses.” Hayward said the logical alternative from the EU perspective would be to source the meat from the Republic of Ireland. “There would be no problem there at all. How viable that is, is the next question. A

consequence of Brexit and the protocol is the disruption of goods and supply chains. People are having to change providers. We have seen this over time with more sourcing from the EU. There aren’t any exemptions that can made on the grounds of religious purposes. There are strict rules around meat products so there isn’t a possibility of an exemption. This is particularly the case because the UK is intending to diverge from the EU more over time.” A UK government spokeswoman said: “It is unacceptable that the Jewish community continues to face challenges accessing kosher food and it demonstrates how the protocol is impacting the everyday lives of people across Northern Ireland. This is why we continue to work urgently to resolve these issues in our intensive discussions with the EU.”

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News / Amnesty International

Amnesty’s Israel apartheid report funded by ‘charitable donations’ EXCLUSIVE by Lee Harpin lee@jewishnews.co.uk @lmharpin

The Charity Commission has confirmed to Jewish News that it is looking into whether charitable donations were used to fund Amnesty International’s controversial “apartheid state” report on Israel – and, “if so, whether this is of regulatory concern”. Amnesty raises money in Britain as a charitable trust, meaning that it receives tax benefits such as gift aid from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). However, it published its reports through a limited company, Amnesty International Ltd, which it funds. Charity Commission rules say that when charities do this, they must ensure the company uses its funding for charitable purposes and the “public benefit”. In a report published this month, the organisation said Israeli laws, policies and practices against Palestinians in Israel and the occupied territories amounted to “apartheid”. It alleged that the state of Israel maintains “an institutionalised regime of

Jonathan Turner, of UK Lawyers for Israel, was among those who raised the issue of who was sponsoring the report. He said: “The Commission and HMRC should consider whether the sponsorship of this report by Amnesty International’s UK Charities is compatible with their charitable status and tax benefits.” Lord Carlile, QC, the former government reviewer of anti-terrorism legislation, called the report “overtly political”. He said: “This is on the very edge of their permissible role as a charity.” Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies, and Keith Black, chairman of the Jewish Leadership Council, said in a joint statement: “At a time of rising attacks on Jews around the world, Amnesty’s report is not just an attack on the state of Israel. It is an attack on the very concept and existence of Jewish sovereignty and on the Jewish people.” A Charity Commission spokesperson said: “We are aware of this matter and in line with our standard process, are assessing information to determine if charitable funds have been used to fund the report Main image: An Amnesty UK protest against travel to Israel-controlled parts of the West Bank. and, if so, whether this is of regulaMain inset: The organisation’s Iiyas Nagdee and two of his tweets. Inset left: Lord Carlile tory concern.” An Amnesty International oppression and domination of the Pal- Jewish state was guilty of human rights estinian population for the benefit of breaches, but critics said it showed bias by spokesperson told Jewish News: “We will barely mentioning violence against Israeli be happy to work with the Commission to Jewish Israelis”. The report repeatedly said the civilians and manipulating facts and quotes. answer any questions they might have.”

AMNESTY OFFICIAL: ISRAEL SMEARS US EXCLUSIVE by Lee Harpin

An Amnesty International UK employee has told Jewish News that the global human rights organisation is the victim of “smear campaigns by the Israeli government and their supporters”. Ilyas Nagdee (pictured in main image, top), employed as Amnesty UK’s racial justice lead and listed among the “media spokespeople” on the group’s website, also said: “I am not going to turn a blind eye to the Israeli state’s crushing system of apartheid against Palestinians.” The author, who has previously called for the “defunding” of UK’s antiterrorism programme Prevent, hit back after being approached about a series of openly anti-Israel posts he had made on Twitter – including

a demand for “all Palestinian prisoners” to freed. Jewish News also asked Nagdee about a statement he shared last year on social media that claimed teachers in the UK were being subjected to “heavy-handed censorship” by the government, preventing them discussing the Palestinian issue in schools. The statement was released as an attack on a move to allow Solution Not Sides – an organisation attempting to counter rising Islamophobia and antisemitism among young people through dialogue – into our schools and is backed by controversial Islamist groups including MEND, CAGE and Friends of Al-Aqsa. Amnesty’s website confirms Nagdee’s role focuses on “civil liberties, policing, counterterrorism, securitisation and movement building relating to racial justice.” But asked by if his apparent

one-sided approach to the issue of Israel/Palestine would impact on his work for Amnesty on this topic, and whether his call for all Palestinian prisoners to be freed included those guilty of terrorism, Nagdee said: “I am proud to be part of a global human rights movement that heeds the call for justice for all people in the region, which

is why I’m not going to turn a blind eye to the Israeli state’s crushing system of apartheid against Palestinians. “I’ve long spoken out about Israel’s illegal settlements and the Israeli military’s endless cycle of killing unarmed Palestinian protesters. “The tide is beginning to turn on these issues. I think the smear campaigns against

Last week’s Amnesty report accused Israel of ‘apartheid’

Amnesty by the Israeli government and their supporters in these past weeks only shows that.” An Amnesty report released earlier this month sparked fury among Jewish communities across the globe after it claimed Israel was now operating as an “apartheid state”. Announcing the publication of the report Nagdee tweeted on 1 February that: “Israel is enforcing a system of Apartheid against all Palestinians (In Israel, Occupied Territories & refugees) as Palestinians have been saying for decades. It is their call for justice & freedom that we should centre today (sic).” He added: “The report is helpful to combat some of the most spurious attempts to criminalise discussion on Palestine which has ramped up.” Amnesty’s racial justice lead has a lengthy history of

posting one-sided attacks on Israel on his Twitter platform. Some of the posts have been deleted, but archived versions were shown to Jewish News. In one post, still visible on Nagdee’s Twitter page from June last year, he appeared to cast no distinction between Palestinians jailed for terrorist activity and those in prison on less clear charges writing: “Free all Palestinian prisoners. Free Palestine.” In a now deleted message from January 2019, Nagdee wrote: “Israel you seem to be lost. You’re in Palestine.” Meanwhile in another deleted post from May 2019, Nagdee said he was “proud” that the National Union of Students had “voted to keep BDS against Israel as policy”. Detailing allegations of Israeli sniper attacks against Palestinians in 2018, he wrote: “We support the rights of Palestinians to resist occupation.”

17 February 2022 Jewish News

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Jewish News 17 February 2022

News / Statue installed / Campus upset

Statue of financier Licoricia unveiled A life-size statue of a medieval Jewish woman who financed the building of Westminster Abbey has been unveiled in her home town of Winchester. Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and a representative of the

Royal Family joined more than 1,000 people in the city’s Jewry Street, to see the statue of Licoricia of Winchester being inaugurated. Licoricia was a prominent Jewish moneylender who was

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murdered in 1277 during a period of antisemitism in the reign of Edward I, which culminated in the expulsion of Jews from England in 1290. The project to install a statue, crafted by sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley, was launched to help mark the presence of a medieval Jewish community in England’s former capital city. Prince Charles had originally been due to unveil the statue, but he tested positive for coronavirus and was unable to attend. The Queen’s representative in Hampshire, Lord Lieutenant Nigel Atkinson, read

Ephraim Mirvis with the statue of Licoricia and her son Asher

out a message from him, which said: “I am so sorry I cannot be with you today. I am desper-

ately disappointed as I was so looking forward to marking this historic occasion with you.”

Mirvis said: “In many ways, the story of Licoricia shines a light on the nature of the medieval Jewish community. “Despite living in a society that was frequently hostile to Jews, Licoricia was totally committed to raising her family, building a successful enterprise and contributing to the prosperity of the country. “As such, the unveiling of this significant statue sends a powerful message to contemporary British society of the importance of industriousness, generosity and respect for all people.”

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The head of a pro-Israel organisation was branded “worse than Hitler” by Palestine activists on a leading university campus, writes Sabrina Miller. Director of StandWithUs, Charlotte Korchak, was confronted by around 12 protesters while manning an antisemitism awareness stall on the Manchester university campus. According to witnesses, campaigners from the University of Manchester

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Palestine Society began chanting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, forcing the stall to shut down early. Anti-Israel protesters also daubed walls outside the student union (SU) with “Israel = Apartheid” and “Free Palestine”. The official Palestine Society has distanced itself from the vandalism. According to StandWithUs, some of the Jewish students who had organised the stall were brought to tears by the inci-

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dent. The stall, which was organised by Manchester Jewish Society, in collaboration with the Union of Jewish Students and StandWithUs, aimed to educate non-Jewish students about Jewish self-determination. The clash comes just after the university of Manchester SU voted it was officially “pro-Palestine” and recognised a Palestinian state. Jewish News contacted the university for comment.

www.jewishnews.co.uk

17 February 2022 Jewish News

Financial strain / Special Report

‘Food parcels keep us going’ Sabrina Miller speaks to charities and those badly affected by the cost of living crisis Charities helping thousands of Jewish families in need expect rising demand in the coming months as the cost of living crisis bites and energy bills soar. One million people reported missing food for the whole day because they could not afford it, a survey from The Food Foundation has revealed. The data shows that 10.8 percent of households suffered from food poverty between August 2021 to January 2022 compared with 7.6 percent pre-Covid. This comes as inflation reaches its highest for 30 years, at 5.5 percent. The United Synagogue (US), which provides just under 200 families with weekly food packages, says demand will soar amid the cost of living crisis. Its food parcel programme, which is staffed by volunteer packers and drivers, has cost £400,000 since it started in March 2020. US spokesperson Richard Verber said: “The raising of the energy price cap and the increase in the cost of living are causing great concern. Families who were already unsure how they

The United Synagogue provides nearly 200 families with weekly food packages

were going to make ends meet now need to find even more money to feed themselves and heat their homes.” Sara* from Hertfordshire, who has been receiving food parcels through the US Chesed programme, said: “We are a large family and the regular deliveries relieve significant stress, worry and financial burden. I am unable to articulate the delight on my children’s faces (and the relief on mine) while unpacking the deliveries. They keep our family going.”

Rachel*, who is retired and lives in north London, has also been receiving parcels. She said: “US Chesed works so hard to make sure everyone gets enough food to live through these awful times, especially with energy bills about to double, it will be even harder for us all.” Rabbi Chapper, of Borehamwood and Elstree United Synagogue, said: “From the number of requests to our hardship fund for financial assistance, we’ve seen that the rise in the cost of living is having a real impact on our members.”

Other Jewish aid charities, including GIFT and Paperweight, are experiencing an increase in demand. Paperweight, which helps with paperwork, including bills, is taking on five new cases a day as families struggle with their finances, and GIFT is receiving an increasing number of referrals from Jewish Women’s Aid as single mothers fleeing abusive relationships are made homeless. Yasmine Itach, the GIFT family liaison officer, said: “Many [of our recipient families] have mentioned how difficult it is to stay kosher due to premium prices, particularly meat and fish. The rise in fuel prices is going to literally mean a matter of choosing between heating or eating for some.” Many within the community are concerned about the rising energy prices, which are growing on average by £420 per household. JW3, which runs a food bank for non-Jewish families in Hampstead, has hired a food bank coordinator to manage demand. Since its foundation at the beginning of the pandemic, the food bank has delivered about 135,000 meals, which has cost about £60,000 a year. Rabbi Herschel Gluck, of Shomrim in Stamford Hill, said: “I don’t think one needs to be a rocket scientist to figure out that the people who were struggling even before this situation [rise in energy bills] are being impacted to an even greater degree.” *Some names have been changed

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Jewish News 17 February 2022

News / Israel trips / Lacrosse champs / Jimmy Carr

Tour returns to give teenagers life-changing Israel experience by Jack Mendel jack@jewishnews.co.uk @mendelpol

Teenagers will be able to go on Israel tour this summer for the first time since the start of the pandemic, it has been announced. Trips to the Jewish state will return in August, with thousands who missed out in 2020 and 2021 able to apply for extended programmes. The announcement was made by Jewish charity UJIA Israel Experience, as it launched a fundraising bursary to support participation over the next three years. It will be backing 12 Jewish youth movements to take thousands of 16-year-olds to Israelafter they finish GCSEs. Israel tour, seen by many young people as a rite of passage after exams, was put on hold in 2020 in the wake of pandemic travel restrictions. With most of these restrictions on international travel now lifted and a widespread vaccination programme in Israel and the UK, tourism is getting back on track. The 18-year-olds who missed out in 2020 will not able to go on Israel tour this year, but a

series of initiatives will be supported, including Birthright trips and investment in gap year programmes. Applications for Israel tour will open on 1 March, while families can apply for a bursary to help with the cost. UJIA is looking to raise £1 million to go towards bursaries by holding a match-funding campaign in March. UJIA CEO Mandie Winston said: “UJIA Israel Experience and our partners in the Jewish Agency for Israel are working tirelessly to make sure teenagers will once again have those formative, life-changing experiences in

Above: Israel tour participants pose near the Kotel and Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem

Israel. Israel Tour is one the best tools we have available to ensure a thriving and dynamic future for our community, so we encourage the community to get behind our forthcoming fundraising drive.

“Families are facing increasing pressure on their finances, but we passionately believe that every Jewish teenager should have the chance to go on Israel Tour, regardless of financial circumstances.”

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Two Jewish women are hoping to represent England in the lacrosse World Championship this summer, writes Sabrina Miller. Juliette Wise, a classics teacher from Borehamwood, and Ella Cohen, an architecture student from Radlett, are trialling for the England lacrosse team this spring to compete against 30 other national teams in the USA. Cohen, 21, thinks that more Jewish women should be inspired to compete at an international level. Wise, 25, who has been in the England squad for almost two years, will also be representing Great Britain in the World Games. She has already started fundraising the £10,000 she needs in order to compete, by hosting coaching clinics after work. All lacrosse athletes are self-funded so Cohen will also need to raise sponsorship if she is to compete in the World Cup. Wise concedes that balancing her teaching

Juliette Wise, Ella Cohen and Izzy Brand

job, training and fundraising can sometimes feel like “too much”. Both women represented Britain in the JCC Maccabi Youth Games. Ex-JFS student Cohen said this was “a massive stepping stone” in her personal sports journey. They train alongside Jewish player Izzy Brand, a student at Nottingham University, who is in the U23s squad.

CARR PROMISES LIGHTER MATERIAL Jimmy Carr’s managers have said none of the controversial material from his Netflix special will be used when he performs in Cambridge this week, the city council said. Council leader Anna Smith said she shared the “outrage” about his one-hour special His Dark Material, and “genocide is not a subject for mockery”. The council said the comedian will perform at the Corn

Exchange on 16 February and 30 March, dates agreed before he prompted criticism. Smith said: “I share the outrage felt by so many in Cambridge and beyond, regarding these unacceptable remarks. “As a council, we are committed to working with and supporting marginalised communities.” The venue will be illuminated during Carr’s performance as a mark of soli-

darity with the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities and in remembrance of victims, the council has said. It will distribute leaflets about historic and current racism. In the clip, the 49-year-old joked about the horror of the Holocaust and “six million Jewish lives being lost” before making a remark about the deaths of gypsies at the hands of the Nazis being a “positive”.

www.jewishnews.co.uk

17 February 2022 Jewish News

Man assaulted / Dowden speech / News ‘Convoy for Palestine’ proceedings continue

Legal proceeding involving four men charged with yelling antisemitic abuse from a car in a ‘Convoy for Palestine’ continued last week. Mohammed Iftikhar Hanif, 27, Jawaad Hussain, 24, Asif Ali, 25 and Adil Mota, 26, all from Blackburn were not required to attend Wood Green Crown Court in person. They are all charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words, or behaviour, with intent, likely to stir up racial hatred on 16 May. They deny the charges.

Golda producer: I’m stirring controversy

Film producer Michael Kuhn said he was “stirring” the controversy around whether non-Jewish actors could play Jewish characters in his latest film. The 73-year-old, who on Tuesday collected his CBE for services to the film industry, said the controversy over Golda, a biopic about Israeli first female PM Golda Meir, was good for publicity. Dame Helen Mirren plays the lead character of Meir.

CCTV captures vicious attack

Police are investigation an incident in which a visibly Jewish man is attacked in a block of flats in north London after his phone is taken

This is the shocking moment a Jewish man was attacked in a north London block of flats, seconds after his phone appeared to be snatched. CCTV cameras were filming as the suspect reached forward to take the device from his victim. A struggle then ensues, with the two

men exchanging blows in the building’s communal area and on the doorstep. It happened last Friday afternoon at around 1.45pm at an address on St Ann’s Road, Haringey, according to the Shomrim security service, which first shared the images. The Metropolitan Police told Jewish

News it was investigating an allegation of theft but said there was nothing at this stage to suggest the attack was racially or religiously motivated. It added: “It was reported that a man in his 30s was assaulted by a man who stole his phone. Officers attended, but the suspect had left the area before they

arrived.” Anyone who recognises the male in the footage is asked to contact police, quoting reference number CAD 3703 11/02/22. JN video report at jewishnews.co.uk

TORY CHAIRMAN HAILS ‘LARGE JEWISH COMMUNITY’

Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden has raised the example of the “large and growing” Jewish and Hindu community living in his Hertsmere constituency as he criticised claims UK society is structurally racist.

Dowden had flown to the US to give a speech to the Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington DC on Monday – in which he called for Conservatives in the US and UK to fight “woke” ideology and safeguard freedom and criti-

cised a left-wing fixation with alleged divisive issues and with “cancel culture”. Asked what the British government was doing in terms of combating the rise of critical race theory (CRT) – a school of thought that suggests social

institutions are structurally riddled with racism – he said “it was very important” the UK government “challenged” CRT that, he said, “created divisions when they were not there in the first place”. Speaking about his own

constituency, he said: “It is wonderful we are such an open and welcoming society. I have a massive and growing British Hindu community and… I have a large and growing Jewish community, many of whom escaped persecution.”

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Jewish News 17 February 2022

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! O G O T E I T'S T I M

Special Report / Historical resource

Refugee jo ‘reconnect An interactive resource has been made available, allowing users to view and hear the stories of refugees who fled Nazi antisemitism and persecution in what’s been hailed as a ‘powerful and illuminating project’, writes Stephen Oryszczuk

Left: Berta Bienenstock pictured on the left with a friend in Siberia, 1941. Right: Berta in an interview with the Association of Jewish Refugees in 2004

HMC Independent Jewish Day School for Children aged 4-18

Director of Finance and Operations (DFO) Immanuel College has grown enormously over recent years and now educates some 700 children and young people, employs 150+ adults and has a turnover of nearly £13m. The school’s sole purpose is to help the children to be successful, joyful learners and to lead fulfilled lives. The College has built a strong reputation and, with demonstrably impressive ‘added value’, has exceeded expectations in terms of its exam results although not at the expense of the pupil’s welfare, which has continued as a central pillar of its approach.

school community whilst building and leading a team of capable colleagues to manage the non-teaching functions of the school.

The successful candidate will bring a proven track record of successfully managing finance and other operational resources, as well as the delivery and implementation of significant organisational change. A commitment to the values and mission of the College and a collaborative and enabling style of leadership will be key elements. Applications are encouraged from candidates with significant educational experience, business or public Following this period of growth and educational advancement, Immanuel College sector backgrounds, who bring a high level of is now on the cusp of a period of development commercial acumen, a proven track record of change management and a genuine passion which will include a substantial building and for education. refurbishment programme over the next five years. The Director of Finance and Further information on Immanuel College can Operations will therefore play a pivotal role be found at www.immanuelcollege.co.uk in helping the Governing Body and the Head A candidate brief can be downloaded from to realise their long-term objectives for the www.odgers.com/82064 future development of Immanuel College. Letters of applications and CV’s should be Working in close support of the Head, the DFO will act strategically and commercially sent by 09.00 GMT on Friday 4 March 2022 to Peter Lawrence at Odgers Berndtson as the facilitator of these aims working in a way which builds trust and confidence across the quoting reference PWL/82064. Immanuel College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

The Fergana Valley in central Asia covers east Uzbekistan, south Kyrgyzstan, and north Tajikistan. Its people include Kashgarians, Romani and Kipchaks, and they speak not only Uzbek, Kyrgyz, and Tajik, but Russian, Turkic, Persian, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese and Dungan. Ever since Alexander the Great, conquerors have sought its minerals, leaving the valley’s mainly Muslim peoples to their farming and crafts. It is, in short, about as far from a Jewish hotspot as you are ever likely to get. Yet there are very few blades of grass or inches of tundra in this world not graced at one time or another by Jews, and a newly-available online resource tracking worldwide Jewish refugee journeys helps to show that far from being Jewless, the Fergana Valley has in fact been home to Bukharan Jews for centuries. In the 1940s, when Germany attacked Russia, it hosted Polish Jews who fled there from Siberian gulags hundreds of miles to the north. One such was Berta Bienenstock and her family. In 2004, many years after marrying to become Berta Klipstein, the UK-based Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) recorded a conversation with her talking about her time and friends in Siberia, growing potatoes, looking back over old black and white photos of classmates, and recalling the day the Soviets told them they were free to leave. “We were all called into the clubhouse, a leaky barn, and one of the militiamen said, ‘Look, we’re now at war with Germany, you’re our friends and allies, so the Soviet Union has said you are allowed to leave Siberia, only we don’t advise it because there’s a war on and wherever can you go? There’s no transport, there’s nothing to eat, but legally you can go.’ That was Saturday morning.” Between then and noon, Berta

recalled, “something indescribable” happened. “Suddenly, everyone seemed to have something left from civilisation, like a suit, and people started dressing up. They looked like Europeans. Someone even had a camera and we took a picture with our commandant who came over and wiped his mouth. “There we were, Europeans, allegedly free people, but the problem remained – how are we going to get away, where do we go, what do we do to eat? Dr Rosenberg came to the rescue. He said that in the First World War he was a prisoner in Kokand in central Asia, a wonderful place full of fruit and sun, it’s the place to go to, so we decided that’s what we’re going to do.” That interview is one of hundreds now uploaded and made available for anyone with an internet connection to view and hear using the Refugee Map, an innovative new digital resource by The Wiener Holocaust Library. This interactive tool can take users with people like Berta, through the frozen forests near the city of Barnaul, past the nuclear testing ground of Semipalatinsk, the mountainous foothills of Almaty, the latter-day Uzbek capital of Tashkent and, finally, in 1941, to Kokand in the Fergana Valley, where she lived with ‘Aunty’ Dunya, a washerwoman, for three years in primitive conditions. While her mother made dresses, users learn that 13-year-old Berta attended the Petroleum Institute School, where she learned how to measure using the latest Soviet technical equipment, which was a far cry from her learning the piano four years earlier at the Jewish school back in Poland. Sharing Berta’s story and journey digitally has been a joy for people such as Lord Alf Dubs, the refugee rights campaigner and politician who came to the UK on the Kindertransport. “This beautiful map stirred two emotions in

17 February 2022 Jewish News

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Historical resource / Special Report

urneys map helps to our scattered pasts’ me,” he said. “First, sadness at all the lives torn up by war and persecution, but also happiness that at least some of these lives have now been carefully pieced back together. “Losing connection with the past is a common experience for many refugees. This map helps people reconnect with their scattered pasts.” Drawn from the library’s Family Papers, each collection on the map traces a refugee’s journey, with individual records – such as handwritten diary notes, Red Cross letters, photo albums, ID cards, audio files and emigration papers – relating to a specific location and period within their travels. For the ultimate ease of use, everything is searchable. Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, called it “an extraordinarily powerful and illuminating project that has great relevance to today’s world with people who have fled persecution and oppression desperately seeking safety in the UK having made dangerous journeys over land”. Historian Dr Rachel Pistol said the resource “shows the diversity of circumstances of individuals across Europe, India, China, and

The Wiener Holocaust Library’s Refugee Map uses various documents and sources to trace refugee journeys in the years before, during and after the Second World War

THE STORIES OF SOME OF THE REFUGEES WHO FLED Case Study 1:

Henny Jacoby moved to Berlin in 1928 aged 12 with her parents, Ludwig and Dorothea, and younger brother, Hans-Bernd. In 1936, Henny immigrated to Czechoslovakia where she worked with resistance groups. She fled to Poland in 1939 before finally escaping to England with the help of the British Embassy. Her parents and brother stayed behind in Berlin. They were deported to Auschwitz in March 1943 where they were killed. Case Study 2:

Pauline Markstein (née Okonski) was born in Poland in 1915. In the 1930s, she moved to Berlin where she worked as an office clerk and married Herbert Markstein. They immigrated to Shanghai in 1939 to escape the Nazis. Under Japanese occupation in 1943, refugees were forced into a one-mile area called the Hongkew District. Case Study 3:

Dr Alfred Wiener, founder of the Library, was able to escape Nazi Europe in 1939. His wife, Dr Margarethe Wiener, and daughters Ruth, Eva and Mirjam, were trapped in the Netherlands following the outbreak of war. They were first sent to Westerbork transit camp before being deported to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1944. In January 1945, Margarethe and her daughters were chosen for a rare opportunity to be part of a prisoner exchange scheme. Margarethe died on 25 January 1945 in Switzerland, just a few days after regaining freedom. Ruth, Eva and Mirjam boarded a Red Cross ship bound for New York and were reunited with their father.

America” and was “for anyone wanting to learn more about the experiences of refugees from Nazi oppression”. The Wiener Holocaust Library’s map can be explored at: www.refugeemap.org

‘My First Impressions of America’, a school essay written by Ruth Wiener, 16 April 1945. Wiener Holocaust Library Collections

ISRAEL T OUR

RETURNS

SUMMER 2022 FOR YEAR 11

AND YEAR 12 It’s back! After two cancelled years, Israel Tour will return in the summer of 2022. We are anticipating a bumper year as youth movements and organisations run programmes not only for Year 11 but also for those in Year 12 who missed out in 2021. Applications will formally open on Tuesday 1st March 2022 when the enhanced UJIA Israel Tour Bursary Fund becomes available too. We can’t wait to take our community’s teenagers and young adults on The Journey Home this summer – it’s been way too long!

To find out more, visit ujia.org/israeltour22 UJIA Israel Experience is organised by the Jewish Agency for Israel and supported by UJIA.

Jewish News 17 February 2022

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News / Historic meeting

Board delegation holds first talks with Pope in 260 years The Board of Deputies president and chief executive met Pope Francis at the Vatican on Wednesday, the first official Board delegation to hold talks with a serving pontiff in its 262-year history, writes Richard Ferrer. Marie van der Zyl, together with chief executive Michael Wegier, were in the front row for the Pope’s weekly general audience. Once Pope Francis finished his opening remarks, they were the first individuals to be approached by the pontiff and spoke with His Holiness for a few minutes. A spokesperson said: “Marie thanked the Pope for the warmth of the relationship between Catholic and Jewish communities in recent decades and stressed the importance of that relationship, particularly in the UK. She also thanked him for his efforts towards Holocaust Remembrance and speaking out against antisemitism. “Marie presented the Pope with a gift of a rare signed volume of the History of the Great Synagogue, by renowned British Jewish historian, Cecil Roth. The Pope, speaking in English, thanked

the Board’s representatives for visiting him and was delighted to accept the gift. He said he would pray for them and asked them to pray for him as well.” Van der Zyl said: “As two historic religious communities, the relationship between the Jewish and Catholic communities is of great significance and particularly in recent decades since Nostra Aetate, since when it has grown from strength to strength. “As faith communities, we will continue to build on this relationship and work together to further combat bigotry, protect religious freedoms and create bridges of understanding.” As part of the Board’s visit to Rome the pair also met the city’s Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni and other Jewish communal leaders, and received a tour of the Great Synagogue of Rome, as well as the Jewish Museum. Former Board president Jonathan Arkush met Pope Francis back in 2016 as part of a World Jewish Congress delegation, but this is the first occasion in which the organisation had met the pontiff independently.

Faithful friends: Pope Francis greets Marie van der Zyl and Michael Weiger (Picture: Vatican Media)

17 February 2022 Jewish News

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Jewish News 17 February 2022

World News / Goldberg back / Anne Frank / Gargantuan fruit

‘I listened,’ says returning Whoopi Whoopi Goldberg returned to her hosting chair on The View on Monday after a two-week suspension for her muchcriticised comments about the Holocaust, pledging to “keep having tough conversations”.

“I listened to everything everybody had to say, and I was very grateful,” Goldberg told her viewers in a brief address at the top of the talk show as her co-hosts told her they missed her.

“It is an honour to sit at this table and be able to have these conversations, because they are important,” Goldberg said, without offering another direct apology or mentioning the Holocaust or Jews at all. “Conversations,” she said, “are important to us as a nation, and to us more so as a human entity”. Goldberg’s suspension had followed her remarks on 31 January on the programme that “the Holocaust is not about race”, but rather about “man’s inhumanity to man”. Many groups, including

the Anti-Defamation League, objected, saying that Hitler saw his planned extermination of the Jews as a racial project. Goldberg apologised, but further comments she made on the subject – including on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – continued to add fuel to the fire, leading to ABC News president Kim Godwin announcing her suspension the following day “to take time to reflect and learn about the impact of her comments”. Jewish figures across the political spectrum, even those angered by Goldberg’s com-

The actress is back hosting The View after her suspension

ments, objected to her suspension, saying the network’s decision destroyed what could have been a learning

opportunity. Goldberg herself expressed an eagerness to use her platform to wade into pointed conversations.

COSTCO VALIDATION The American retailer Costco has named as its February ‘buyer’s pick’ a book about Anne Frank that has been taken off the market in the Netherlands. The Betrayal of Anne Frank, by Rosemary Sullivan, made waves on its release last month because of its conclusion that a Jewish notary, whom it named,

had betrayed Frank’s family to the Nazis. But in the weeks after its release, historians, Jewish leaders and authors protested about the book, saying it impugned a long-dead Dutch Jew without adequate evidence. The book’s publisher suspended sales of the Dutchlanguage translation.

A STRAWBERRY AS BIG AS YOUR HAND A 289g/10oz strawberry grown in Kadima-Zoran, Israel, has become the world’s heaviest, Guinness World Records confirmed

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17 February 2022 Jewish News

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Chickpea endeavours / Synagogue restoration / Youth conference / Diaspora News

Hummus: will it be the final frontier? An Israeli team is aiming to plant its culinary flag in space by growing chickpeas to make hummus 300 miles above the Earth. More than two dozen chickpea seeds and a special greenhouse will this week be flown to the International Space Station in the hope of growing the protein-packed food source as a fresh food for astronauts. The team is led by Yonatan Winetraub, 35, one of the three founders of SpaceIL, the Israeli non-profit behind the unsuccessful attempt to land the Beresheet spacecraft on the surface of the Moon in 2019. Astronauts eat packaged and dehydrated meals, but NASA recently grew lettuce, cabbage, and kale aboard the ISS to add a fresh food source to their diets. The Israelis now hope to add their national dish to the menu, with chickpeas high in phosphorus, iron and folic acid. The ideal fresh food production in space should need minimal resources and result in minimal waste, while the plants must be easy to grow and quick to mature, but the lack of natural light and gravity first needs to be overcome. The Israeli team of scientists and engineers have been working with peers from Stanford University in the US to create and deliver a sealed miniature greenhouse on a NASA cargo shuttle taking off on Saturday. They plan to grow 28 chickpea seeds selected by the company behind Sabra Hummus for one month. Israeli schoolchildren are also involved, growing control group plants on Earth, and managing the growth of the chickpeas remotely. “You can’t let plants grow wild because they could run out of water or oxygen,” Winetraub told JTA. “The challenge is not just how to grow as many chickpeas as possible, but how to control the way they are grown, so we maximise our limited resources. “The more we learn to grow food with fewer resources, the more prepared we will be for the challenges that await us on Earth as well.”

Chickpea seeds will be sent to the International Space Station

He said the team was eager to understand not just how a space-grown chickpea will taste, but how its roots will grow, given that gravity on Earth means they grow down. The seeds have been chosen for their resistance to temperature change, among other things, and an Israeli fertiliser company has come up with a nutrient gel in which they will grow. Tiny cameras will monitor their progress. Ariel Rosenthal, co-author of the book On the Hummus Route, described the famous dip as “the perfect food”, adding: “It will make the Moon a better place. Imagine if Eve [in the garden of Eden] had eaten a chickpea instead of an apple.”

IZMIR SYNAGOGUES TO REOPEN AS MUSEUMS As part of a Jewish heritage project in Izmir, Turkey, nine historic synagogues will be reopened as museums. From June, visitors to the old bazaar of Kemeralti can get a taste of life as it was when this buzzing area on Turkey’s Aegean coast was home to 30,000 Jews, a community that was boosted in 1492, when Jews were expelled from Spain. While the town’s skyline is now dominated by minarets and spires, the restoration of Jewish buildings means visitors will see how Jews lived in big numbers. Six of the nine synagogues being

Inside the Signora Giveret shul

restored are grouped together “practically wall to wall” around a courtyard. Work is also ongoing to restore the former office of the city’s chief rabbi and a building

that once housed a kosher winery. It was the third largest Jewish community in the Ottoman Empire and historians have recorded a remarkable 250-period of stability for the region’s Jews, largely free from persecution and harassment. In the middle of the 19th century, the 17,000-strong Jewish community began moving to the nearby town of Karataş, starting a slow departure from Kemeralti. There remain about 1,000 Jews in Izmir. The oldest of the restored synagogues, Etz Hayim, dates to the 1600s, but local historians have recorded a Jewish presence there since the Byzantine Empire. In 2004, the World Monuments Fund added ‘Central Izmir Synagogues’ to its World Monuments list, calling them “an unparalleled testament to the city’s rich Jewish heritage”.

Young urge action on anti-Jewish hate

A delegate at the Nevatim meeting in Berlin

Young Jewish leaders aged 18 to 30 from mainland Europe met in Berlin last month to crystallise action plans aimed at tackling radicalism and antisemitism across the continent. Delegates from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Serbia attended presentations, workshops and panel discussions on the rise of racial hatred and the challenges to Jewish life today. Michael Yedovitzky, of the Jewish Agency for Israel, said: “A meaningful meeting of young Jewish leaders in

the place where, 80 years ago, the Wannsee Conference for the implementation of the Final Solution took place is the symbolic and practical way to remember, learn and contribute to shaping the future.” The Nevatim conference is supported by Genesis Philanthropy Group (GPG) and the Claims Conference. GPG director of global grant-making Natalie Shnaiderman said it “signifies both a perseverance over the pandemic and the immense resilience of the new generation of the European Jewry”.

WORLD NEWS IN BRIEF

Your weekly digest of stories from the international press FRANCE

GERMANY

INDONESIA

UNITED STATES

An exhibition in Paris is examining the role of diplomats in the Holocaust, exploring what they knew, who their sources were and what action they took to save Jews. Curators have included envoys from both Allied and Axis powers and have shown what the diplomats did when they realised what was going on.

Imams have urged the closure of the country’s first permanent Holocaust exhibition in Sulawesi, which was launched on International Holocaust Remembrance Day on 27 January this year. Indonesia’s Ulema Council, a top Islamic clerical body, cited ‘brutal acts by Israeli Zionists against Palestinians’ for the decision.

A new survey of young Germans aged 16-25 has shown that they remain interested in learning about the atrocities of the Second World War but want more ‘snackable’ content. The findings will be of interest to Holocaust educators as they aim to adjust and adapt in their efforts to attract ‘Generation Z’.

The Anti-Defamation League has changed its definition of racism to include both race and ethnicity after comments by Whoopi Goldberg. The actress, who was suspended for two weeks from the programme she co-hosted, said the Holocaust ‘isn’t about race’, but a conflict between ‘two white groups of people’. She has since apologised.

‘Gazpacho Police’ is gaffe-inspired hit klezmer song A Jewish American musician has seized on an unfortunate mistake by far-right US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and turned it into a klezmer song. Greene, a Republican conspiracy theorist and Trump supporter, was speaking about the investigation into the failed insurrection at the US Congress on 6 January last year when she referred to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s “gazpacho police”. She meant “Gestapo”; gazpacho is a cold soup. Greene’s gaffe inspired Brooklyn-based clarinetist

Michael Winograd, 39, whose new klezmer song, Gazpacho Police, has been an online hit. “She was encroaching on my territory,” Winograd told The New York Jewish Week. “What was I supposed to do? It would be a shonda [shame] to let it go to waste.” Greene believes in QAnon conspiracies, has likened mask mandates to Jews being forced to wear yellow stars during the Holocaust, and said “Jewish space lasers” started the 2021 California wildfires. “While it’s funny, it’s obviously about more than just the music,” said Winograd.

RACISM CLAIM AFTER CONVERSION SNUB Israeli officials have rejected an American basketball player’s conversion to Judaism for a second time because the study was done with a Conservative rabbi. Jared Armstrong has spent months studying and has travelled to Israel on the Birthright trip, with a view to moving to Israel to play for the Hapoel Haifa basketball team, but has now been denied by Israel’s Interior Ministry. Rabbi Michael Beals, the Delaware rabbi who supervised Armstrong’s conversion and who has a long-standing relationship to US president Joe Biden, told Haaretz: “This decision shows so much disconnect,” and added that he felt it was “racist” because Armstrong is black. It adds to pressure on Israel’s Interior Ministry, after its supreme court ruled late last year to recognise non-Orthodox conversions. And, last month, a black Jew originally from the US was told he would get Israeli citizenship after he began a hunger strike following his refusal on the grounds that he had not spent adequate time in the community where he converted.

Jewish News 17 February 2022

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Editorial comment and letters ISSUE NO.

1250

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

VOICE OF THE JEWISH NEWS

Time to decide, for the diaspora’s sake It’s been a successful seven months on the international stage for Isaac Herzog. Since he became Israel’s 11th head of state last summer, he has visited old friends like Britain, newer ones such as the United Arab Emirates, and now hopes to rebuild a frayed friendship with Turkey. One of Israel’s most cherished institutions, its presidency, has fresh wind in its sails. The same cannot be said of another beloved organisation, the Jewish Agency, which Herzog chaired until he became president. There is still no successor and, it seems, no urgency to pick one. Part of this is because there are so many candidates: nearly every party in Israel’s governing coalition has put a name forward. There is also the appointment process, which is breathtakingly opaque. The decision should be taken by the Agency’s executive, but that group has met multiple times, including this week, and not made progress. The Jewish Agency is too important to be left rudderless for so long, and not just because it helps hundreds of Jews around the world to make aliyah each year. The diaspora’s relationship with Israel is evolving — indeed, more and more non-Israeli Jews see themselves as critical friends of Israel, rather than a part of a diaspora — and it is vital that the Jewish Agency has a strategy to engage them for decades to come. That is not possible without a permanent leader. Several compelling candidates have declared an interest. It is now time to decide.

Send us your comments PO Box 815, Edgware, HA8 4SX | letters@jewishnews.co.uk

Bamber starter for 10... It may be a surprise to learn that although the family of Bamber Gascoigne, TV quizmaster, author and playwright, who died on 8 February, originated from 13th century Normandy, he had a Jewish ancestral line. His Jewish ancestry starts with the Mendes da Costa Villareal family, who came to England from Portugal, and settled in London in the early 18th century. Bamber became the unexpected recipient of West Horley Place, in Surrey, won the death of his great-

Sketches & kvetches

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THIS WEEKEND'S SHABBAT TIMES... Shabbat goes out Saturday night 6.10pm

Sedra: Ki Tisa

“With National Insurance, energy bills and interest rate rises, perhaps he should have called it ‘Operation Kosher Meat’, as it looks like we’re all going to be paying more”

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Regarding a recent request for ideas for a dessert to celebrate the Queen’s 70 years on the throne: in April, there will be a concert just after Pesach, so maybe she would like some Pesach matzo pudding? On 2 June, just before Shavuot, her majesty’s birthday parade takes place; surely she would like some cheesecake? Sometimes, when celebrating a simcha, we eat tasty, if unhealthy, foods. The Jewish diet can be rich and I am sure that whichever recipe she chooses, her slice of Platinum Pudding will be minimal.

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aunt, Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe. The duchess was part of his extended family and half-sister of his greatgrandmother, Annabella Crewe-Milnes. She was, also, the granddaughter of the Earl of Rosebery and Hannah de Rothschild, and provides another link to Anglo-Jewish history. The house, with its walled gardens and beautiful grounds, is now the home of Grange Park Opera, remodelled on La Scala in Milan, as a 700-seat opera house. Doreen Berger The Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain

I stopped attending games at Tottenham Hotspur’s former home ground of White Hart Lane as it turned my stomach to hear my fellow fans yelling the word ‘Yid’ every five minutes. The blame for this lies squarely with the club’s Jewish fans for allowing it to happen in their name. I will return when that sickening word is no longer sung. Sid Wallach, By email

17 February 2022 Jewish News

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Editorial comment and letters

SO MISLEADING

A LOYALTY ISSUE

Readers should not be misled by the letter from Fraser Michaelson claiming only Yitzhak Rabin was prepared to accept a state of Palestine (Jewish News, 3 February 2022). That’s simply not historically correct. Only 24 years ago, Ehud Barak offered some 97 percent of the West Bank to form Palestine. This had been endorsed by US President Clinton. Once again, the offer was refused. On every single occasion the Palestinian Arabs have refused to accept these offers because they want the lot.

When the Britishness of Jews in the UK is questioned, all hell breaks loose. Yet when it comes to Ukraine, Jewish News finds it acceptable to print the offensive views of the American Jewish Congress that “the Jewish community will go to Israel” in the event of conflict with Russia. This implies that despite professing loyalty to the Ukraine, the Jewish community is being readied to evacuate, leaving fellow citizens, ‘real’ Ukrainians, to stand alone. Are gentiles justified in thinking that Jews care only about themselves?

Malcolm Factor, Enfield

David Chesler, By email

Open Day

Social, Wedding & Events

Come along and join us at the DoubleTree by Hilton London Elstree on Sunday 20th February between 11am – 3pm. See our large function rooms set up throughout the day and meet with our dedicated Events team who will be on hand to help you envision your next event. Whether it’s a wedding, bah or bat mitzvah, birthday party or even a corporate event, we have an experienced team who would be delighted to help make your event a success. Come and view our multi million pound refurbishment, discuss your requirements with us and we will give you two complimentary bedrooms when you book your next event.

I’d never chant ‘Y’ word I recently watched a television interview with your editor, Richard Ferrer, during which the recent football match between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur was brought up in relation to the use of the chanting of the ‘Y’ word. Mr Ferrer stated: “To a man and woman, the visiting Spurs fans chanted the ‘Y’ word.” This is wholly and completely incorrect and I take exception to his sweeping comment. None of the fans I was around took part in the chant. Furthermore, I resent being labelled by association some sort of racist and feel compelled to defend myself. I have been a Spurs season ticket holder for 22 years, so it would be clearly wrong of me to say that I have never heard the ‘Y’ word chanted. Of course I have; however, I have never, and will never, take part.

TO BOOK OR TO FIND OUT MORE, EMAIL ENQUIRIES@DTELSTREE.COM OR CALL 02082149988 (OPT 3) T&C’s Please pre-book your attendance to the Open Day. To claim your 2 complimentary bedrooms, book and confirm your event with us by 1st March 2022. The bedrooms will be for the night prior or the night of your event, for 1 night bed and breakfast in a standard room for double occupancy.

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Christopher Daniels, By email

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Jewish News 17 February 2022

www.jewishnews.co.uk

Opinion

Horrific milestone after two years of pain and sacrifice MARIE VAN DER ZYL PRESIDENT, THE BOARD OF DEPUTIES

his week we reached a sombre milestone. Two years since the coronavirus pandemic reached the UK we have recorded the 1000th death in the Jewish community where the deceased was diagnosed with Covid-19. Covid has had a devastating impact on our community – particularly in the first wave, when Jews seemed to be disproportionately at risk of dying from this awful disease. The Board of Deputies decided to record death figures that could inform our discussions with government departments as well as recommendations and advice. Initially, the numbers were alarming. Our figures (which tallied with those of the Office for National Statistics) indicated Jews were far more likely to have died of Covid in the initial wave than the general population. Could it be there were genetic factors in the Jewish community predisposing us to severe Covid? It now seems this is the least likely expla-

nation. The Jewish community is located in major metropolitan areas, particularly in London and the south-east, and this was where Covid first struck in the UK. We are also an older demographic than the general population and Covid’s victims are disproportionately from the aged. Because the first wave of Covid coincided with Purim, a very sociable time for the Jewish community, many could have been infected before lockdown regulations were introduced, with devastating consequences. Whatever the reason, the figures were depressing. Between 2 March 2020 and 15 May 2020, the Board recorded 457 deaths. Almost half of all Jews in the UK who succumbed to Covid did so in the first two months of the pandemic. From the second lockdown onwards, the picture has looked very different. All parts of our community, from the completely secular to the strictly-Orthodox, proved very enthusiastic about vaccination. In the first three months of 2021, the most vulnerable in the community were inoculated, giving them a high degree of protection against hospitalisation and death. The vast majority of the Jewish population followed lockdown

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ALL PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY PROVED VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT VACCINATION regulations, meaning that in later waves Jews were not exposed to the virus any more than others. Although the numbers of members of our community dying in the current Omicron wave have sadly increased, this number is not disproportionate to the general population (and while every death is a tragedy, the number of deaths is now far smaller than early on in the pandemic). From the start of the pandemic, where we were able to help, we did. With Muslim communities, the Board of Deputies managed to avert emergency legislation that could have meant bodies being cremated against their families’ will. We shared our Thank you Thursday posts, highlighting the enormous amount of volunteering happening across the community. Members of the Jewish community came forward to support their local communities, delivering food and medi-

cine, telephone-befriending and working to transform community spaces to be virtually accessible. Along with physical illness, there was an inevitable rise in mental health problems as individuals were faced with isolation and economic hardship. Organisations across the community stepped up and gave help and offered friendship wherever necessary. As of this week, Covid cases are falling and Omicron is proving to be less lethal than previous variants. But we need to be on our guard so we are ready to take whatever precautions are required if there is a resurgence. Few, if any of us, have been untouched by this pandemic. It is my hope that we will soon be able to create a proper memorial to those who died. We must never forget those whom we lost in the worst health crisis of any of our lifetimes. May their memories be for a blessing.

Change takes time, but we’re moving in the right direction IVOR BADDIEL WRITER & FILM-MAKER

hange, real change, generally doesn’t happen overnight. It needs discussion, thought, reflection, assessment, reassessment, more discussion, bravery, openness, compassion and many other things. Back in 2011, after an antisemitic incident at a football match, my brother David and I released The Y Word, a short film addressing the use of the word “Yid” at football matches. You can watch it on YouTube. Until that point, to the best of our knowledge, this was something that had gone unchallenged and our aim was to raise awareness and to ask people to think about the word’s use. In that respect, we were pretty successful; the issue was even commented on by then prime minster, David Cameron. We never for one minute expected people to watch the film and go: “Oh, I see, thanks for raising the issue, I’ve taken your points on board and on balance, I think I’ll stop using the word.” Indeed, often the very opposite happened and there was a lot of resistance

to what we were saying. Which was fine. We wanted to start a debate and while it may have got heated on occasion, for the most part it was respectful and thought-provoking. Over the ensuing decade, the issue raised its head from time to time and, in 2018, we released another film (www.kickitout.org/ news/kick-it-out-release-film-urging-fans-toreport-antisemitism) , this one more hard-

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WE WANTED TO START A DEBATE AND, WHILE IT MAY HAVE GOT HEATED, FOR THE MOST PART IT WAS RESPECTFUL hitting. Then, this week. Tottenham Hotspurs Football Club, the club for which the issue is most relevant, announced that after a consultation with its fans, it believes “it is time to move on from associating this term with our club”. Given that many of its fans still chant

Spurs fans proudly wave a flag with the word ‘Yids’ – the club has now asked them to stop

the word at matches, this is a brave thing for Tottenham to do and we applaud it. There is no sense, however, of this being a victory for us. It is part of the process, a process that is still ongoing, in which we, as human beings, make decisions about what is and isn’t appropriate in life. There are many, many things we all said and did in the past that were deemed acceptable,

but now, after a similar process to the one we’ve been through with the Y-word, they no longer are. And there will be many, many things that we still say and do that require reflection and rethinking. The point is that this is a step, a very welcome step, in a never-ending process. The debate will continue, it will be refined and then another step will be taken, and so it goes on.

17 February 2022 Jewish News

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Achashverosh on Trial

Bringing passion and expertise to our community Prosecution and defence barristers

A festive courtroom drama

Adam Gersch Barrister, Goldsmiths Chambers London

27.2.22 | 7:30pm

Rachel Marcus Barrister, 1 Crown Office Row, London

FREE event as part of the LSJS 36 hour fundraiser. Prepare for Purim with a trial which show cases LSJS Jewish education at its best.

Joanne Greenaway International Arbitration lawyer, now CEO of LSJS

Was the Persian king of the Purim story a bumbling fool or a conniving despot? Did Haman manipulate him to destroy the Jews or was he an antisemite himself? And what of his treatment of Vashti and Esther?

Dr Harris Bor Barrister, 20 Essex Street London

Drawing on contemporary and traditional arguments, and driven by eloquence and humour, this courtroom drama will deepen our appreciation of the Book of Esther.

Presiding Judge: Rabbi Dr Harvey Belovski Golders Green Synagogue; expert in Jewish Law

Book your free place at www.lsjs.ac.uk/bookings or call 020 8203 6427

27.2.22

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Jewish News 17 February 2022

Opinion

Do we really know how to keep children safe? YEHUDIS GOLDSOBEL CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MIGDAL EMUNAH

ast month an independent panel of experts at the Teaching Regulation Authority (TRA) heard evidence from two male victims, both active members of the Orthodox Jewish community in Manchester. The allegations against Yankel Shepherd – also an active member of the Orthodox Jewish community – involved inappropriate touching, stroking and acts of a sexual nature. Shepherd himself was not present during the hearings, nor was he represented; however, after hearing from both victims and considering the evidence, the panel decided he was a risk to children and banned him “indefinitely” from teaching, with no hope of him working as a teacher again owing to the seriousness of the allegations and his lack of remorse. It is important to highlight that there are numerous facts within the report that should concern us all. As this newspaper’s columnist,

Jenni Frazer, mentioned two week’s ago, the very idea that Shepherd was able to obtain glowing recommendations to secure a teaching role in a new school, after there were known allegations, is unfathomable. Did no one consider the risk he posed to children? The panel found Mr Shepherd had clearly developed a pattern of behaviour in which he used his role as teacher, a trusted position of authority, to gain access to children with the intention of sexually abusing them. Of the two victims from whom the panel heard, one (known as Child A) alleged that the abuse occurred in the 1980s, while the other victim (Pupil X) made his allegations in 2018. In 2010, Child A and his wife began the process of accessing appropriate support within the community, with the intention of securing permission from a senior rabbi to report the allegation to the police. After two years of being sent on a fool’s errand, with false promises of internal communal investigations and interventions, Child A, with the practical support of his wife, reported the incidents to the police.

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SAFEGUARDING MEANS COMING TOGETHER TO PREVENT HARM AGAINST CHILDREN He shared that this was when an “intimidation campaign” began on him and his family, with the end goal being the withdrawal of his statement. When I first spoke with Child A a number of years ago, his only wish was that Shepherd be removed from teaching in order to protect other children from potential harm. When our synagogues do not address alleged offenders until they have a criminal conviction; do not possess safeguarding policies as live working documents that are accessible to service users; and when communal organisations are ‘proud’ to meet the national minimum standard of safeguarding, I question whether our religious and communal organisations genuinely understand what it truly means to safeguard our children from

harm. This is all combined with what we now know from the TRA report about Shepherd, and the recent events in a United Synagogue nursery, resulting in Ofsted shutting it down with immediate effect. Safeguarding means people and organisations come together with the shared goal to prevent and stop harm against children and young people. Despairingly, the impression is that our community is missing this collaborative approach and a real understanding of what is possible. There are resources available to help our community build better safeguarding, many of which are easily accessible, especially this week, and can be found on Twitter on the #itsnotok hashtag as part of the Sexual Abuse & Sexual Violence Awareness Week.

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17 February 2022 Jewish News

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Opinion

A Valentine’s Day massacre of simple common decency JENNI FRAZER

his week it was Valentine’s Day, once a relatively innocuous date in the calendar that got hijacked by commercial interests – such as greeting card companies – and soon became a tacky byword for processed vulgarity. As it happens, there were two such examples to underline that, and it’s almost wearying to discuss which was the more repellent. First was the couple who decided to have a Valentine’s weekend visit somewhere really romantic, and take selfies, as you do these days, to confirm that they’d actually been there. And where was this romantic destination, I hear you inquire? Why, none other than Auschwitz. That’s right, Auschwitz, against whose gates an ex-British boxer, Jamie McDonnell, chose to pose with his girlfriend, radiantly smiling into the sun. As if the pictures weren’t nauseating enough, McDonnell, when challenged, took umbrage. He told critics: “Ok, mate, it’s a tourist place, is it not, so if we visit we can’t smile?

Come on, pal. That’s why I am there, obviously, I have a weekend away with my girlfriend, I’m not going to not smile, am I, but I understand what’s happened, chill out a bit [sic].” The kindest construction I can put on this is that McDonnell must have been hit on the head once too often, though the girlfriend plainly needs her bumps reading, too. But hey, chill out, as McDonnell would say, it’s Valentine’s, so love is in the air. And love is what the deeply unpleasant Israeli far-right Knesset Member, Bezalel Smotrich, who “honoured” Britain with his unlovely presence late last week, wished Anglo-Jews. He loved us all, he insisted, after an unmis-

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‘OK, MATE, IT’S A TOURIST PLACE, IS IT NOT, SO IF WE VISIT WE CAN’T SMILE? CHILL OUT A BIT’

Jamie and girlfriend at the death camp

takably clear message from the Board of Deputies that he was an unwelcome visitor and should “get back on the plane”. In case there are those still wondering why the Board reacted so strongly, Smotrich’s track record of hatred of Arabs, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender minorities and Reform Jews should be evidence enough. Good on the Board and its chief executive, Michael Wegier, for stating loudly – and in Hebrew, so there should be no confusion – that racist politics has no place for the majority of British Jews.

But some obviously respond to Brand Smotrich, otherwise he would not have been here in the first place. I wonder if home secretary Priti Patel was asleep, because he should never have been allowed in to Britain at all. There is precedent: in 2008 the then home secretary Jacqui Smith banned far-right Israeli Moshe Feiglin, saying his presence was not conducive to the public good. The same should have been done with Smotrich. As it is, his loathsome message can only have served to underline the message claimed by Amnesty International that Israel is an apartheid state. Meanwhile, Smotrich was welcomed by Mizrachi UK’s Rabbi Andrew Shaw, and, allegedly, members of Bnei Akiva and Chabad. Bnei Akiva, I understand, is an affiliate of the Board, in which case some tough questions need to be asked. That noise in the background is the sound of serious back-pedalling by Mizrachi and BA, each claiming “It wasn’t me, miss, who invited him.” Yeah, yeah. As with McDonnell, some people no longer understand what is acceptable and what is beyond the pale. But, you know, chill out. Bezalel loves us, so it’s all okay.

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Jewish News 17 February 2022

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Opinion

I’m proud we stood up to hateful demagogue HEN MAZZIG

WRITER, SPEAKER AND A SENIOR FELLOW AT THE TEL AVIV INSTITUTE

moved to London just over a year ago from Israel to live with my British partner. We plan to stay in the UK for a few years and move back to Israel to start a family someday. We are both strong Zionists and I love my country and my people with all my heart. I served for five years in the Israel Defence Forces as a commander and still serve as captain in reserves. Yet the Israeli leader of the far-right wing Religious Zionism party, MK Bezalel Smotrich, has compared my partner and I to animals, blamed us for the Covid-19 outbreak and said us raising children is unnatural. This is why when Smotrich arrived in the UK this week (during UK’s LGBT History Month) I was appalled. Not only does he hold repugnant views of the LGBTQ+ [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, queer/questioning] community, he has made some abhorrent statements about Arabs and Palestinians. This hate-mongering demagogue is responsible for some of the worst rhetoric ever expressed in Israeli politics. Just a few years ago, he claimed that his wife had outright refused to give birth alongside an Arab mother owing to the “mental gap” between Arabs and Jews.

To say he is not welcome as an official Israeli representative in the UK is an enormous understatement. In fact, he is not even a part of the government as he sits on the opposition, so why arrive on an official visit at all? I was so happy to see so many British Jewish voices coming out against him and his visit. I was especially happy to see the Board of Deputies of British Jews saying this far-right MK was not even welcome in the country whatsoever. In other words, the reason this visit is so contentious is that Smotrich has spewed hatred against communities and peoples who still live in fear because of his statements. I know many young LGBTQ+ Jews who already experience bigoted hatred, and seeing a politician like him arriving to meet with Jewish leaders in their community will cause nothing but further distress to them. Furthermore, his diabolical ideas about Arabs create more division and could incite more hatred against Jews in this country and everywhere else. The criticism voiced by many British Jews is laudable because it reminds LGBTQ+ Jews that they are not alone and that hatred against any of us will not be tolerated by our leaders. It also

Smotrich has made discriminatory comments about Arabs and people identifying as LGBTQ

sends a clear message that we will not accept any form of racism or bigotry, even if the propagator is an Israeli politician. As an Israeli Jew living in the UK, this outcry made me feel a lot safer and I’m certain many others would agree.

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IT SENDS A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT WE WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY FORM OF RACISM OR BIGOTRY

Jews are not a monolith. We are a beautiful community, a diverse one and an embracing one. But like any other people and communities we, too, have members who go far beyond any acceptable norms of criticism and speech. This is not “cancel culture”, it is accountability. We don’t roll out a red carpet for bigots who have never shown even a modicum of remorse, let alone think twice about making the lives of millions much harder and much more frightening. This is why I am so proud of our people today, and you should be too.

British Jews will not be pawns for Israel’s far-right RABBI LAURA JANNER -KLAUSNER FORMERLY SENIOR RABBI TO REFORM JUDAISM IN THE UK

am especially proud to be a British Jew. Last Wednesday, I felt anger and then relief as other British Jews refused to be used as pawns for Israel’s far-right. I was appalled to see far-right Israeli Knesset member Bezalel Smotrich try to drag us into his campaigns of racism, homophobia and religious intolerance. His visit to the UK to stoke opposition to religious reforms in Israel is based on a hateful ideology. Previous comments that Reform Judaism is a ‘fake religion’ are not only demeaning, but fly in the face of inclusive values dearly held by British Jews. Even worse, Smotrich’s track record of hate and discrimination against Arab Israelis

and LGBTQ+ [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, queer/questioning] people is, in the words of the Board of Deputies, “abominable” and “hate-provoking”. I am heartened that the Jewish community here has rejected Smotrich outright. The Board of Deputies speaks for the overwhelmingly vast majority of British Jews when it tweeted in no uncertain terms: “We call on all members of the British Jewish community to show him the door. Get back on the plane Bezalel, and be remembered as a disgrace forever.” As well as the Board of Deputies, the Zionist Federation was also happy to nail its flag to the mast. Speaking out against Smotrich’s rhetoric of division, it said that “far-right politics of hatred... have no place in our country nor in our community”. There is a long overdue move in Israel to break the strictly-Orthodox monopoly on conversion, kashrut certification and who can

officiate at life cycle events. Currently, the strictly-Orthodox chief rabbinate has absolute control over these areas. But many Jews across Israel and the diaspora identify outside of this narrow definition. New laws proposed by religious affairs minister Matan Kahana would weaken the hegemony of the chief rabbinate, a move opposed by Smotrich and his abhorrent ideology. As if Smotrich’s exclusionary policies weren’t enough, the MK’s long history of hateful remarks would turn your stomach. Smotrich calls himself a “proud homophobe” and has been condemned by many across Israel’s political spectrum. He told Arab MK’s during a Knesset session in October: “It’s a mistake that Ben-Gurion didn’t finish the job and didn’t throw you out in 1948.” Can you imagine the justified outrage if an MP victimised another like that in our Parliament? The state of Israel was founded as a Jewish

and democratic state upholding the rights of all its citizens: Jewish, Arab, religious, secular. Israel has a duty to protect LGBTQ+ people and its religious, cultural and ethnic minorities as enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. The values of Bezalel Smotrich are neither Jewish nor democratic. Smotrich consistently derides Reform Jews, LGBTQ+ people and Arab Israelis. This defies the Torah, which tells us that each person was made in the image of God. Even though Smotrich calls for the imposition of a theocracy run according to Jewish law, he doesn’t seem to understand that we were strangers in Egypt, or appreciate the many incredible contributions made by Arab, LGBTQ+ and Reform citizens of Israel. The only difference is that those people are not strangers; Israel is their homeland. I can only commend the Board for unequivocally standing up for my values.

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17 February 2022 Jewish News

Jewish News 17 February 2022

www.jewishnews.co.uk

17 February 2021 Jewish News

LI FE

my Anzel, 48, prides herself on being as hard as hard as nails when she needs to be and presents herself as a tough boss. Over the past few weeks, we certainly saw a steely determination from the redheaded beauty who runs her own beauty brand, Hollywood Browzer. But what really goes on behind the boadroom?

Tell me about your family I grew up in Yonkers, New York. My mother is from Brooklyn and my father, who passed away in 2019, was from the Bronx. His Polish parents spoke Yiddish at home, so he liked to use a few words here and there. I moved to the UK with my husband, Oliver, in 2009 and we live in West London with our five-year-old son, Jacob. Oliver is Scottish and I’m Jewish so we always joke that we had a ‘Skewish’ wedding. It was hard being away from my family for so many weeks, but I was at least able to speak to them every week. How did you feel about being the oldest ever Apprentice candidate? I went in feeling older and wiser and I hoped that this would help me out. The younger candidates tended to jump head first into things – I took more calculated risks. You run your own business so how did you find it working in a team all the time? I treated every task like it was my own business – it was like a real business to me. As much as you work in teams, ultimately you are desperate to save yourself. Very early on I put myself forward as team leader but that wasn’t shown, which annoyed me! Did you ever feel totally out of your comfort zone? Designing the branding for a non-alcoholic beer was a completely foreign concept to me but you are there to show that you can contribute to each task equally. The brief was for something clean and sophisticated and I was really happy with my design but, unfortunately, it was not too well received! We still won the task though, so it wasn’t all bad. Which was your favourite task? I’ve worked on a cruise ship in the past, so I loved this challenge. I really enjoyed directing the commercial and when we won the task, there was a real sense of achievement. The toothbrush task was fun, too.

Inside A look

Mrs Maisel Who, what & where Israeli restaurant

What do you feel that you brought to the boardroom table? I’ve had lots of roles over the years – from a bar tender, waitress and flight attendant to appearing on TV, producing shows and now running my own business, so I had a wealth of experience to bring to the table.

Did you get hair, make-up and wardrobe assistance? Nope – we did it all ourselves. Sharing a bedroom and bathroom with 24-year-olds was an eye-opener. They were busy swapping clothes and make-up as they tend to do at that age. We had to have our wardrobe items approved before we moved into the house. We were told no patterns, no black and no white as none of this works well on camera. There was a little professional touching up before going to the boardroom, but that was all. Who did the cooking? We all did. There were some good cooks in the house and most were into healthy eating. I tended to be the Jewish mother, but I didn’t go as far as making chicken soup! I kind of took Navid under my wing – at 24, he was the youngest and still lives at home with his parents. He’s a lovely young guy with an old soul. Was it a gruelling schedule? We were often up at 4am. The days were long with a huge amount of filming and sometimes we didn’t get back until really late. We were pretty sleep deprived and we had to be very organised. I got into the habit of laying out my clothes the night before. What did you do when there was no filming? Non-filming time was a bit like lockdown. The house we stayed in, which is in north London, has amazing facilities so we hung out in the screening room or the sauna, or did workouts in the garden. How were the Covid restrictions? They were very vigilant about Covid. We were tested all the time and made to keep our distance from others all the time. It was remarkable that with more than 100 people involved, nobody tested positive during all the weeks it took to make the show. How did you get on with Lord Sugar? We all found him intimidating. He’s tough and gruff, but I’m a New Yorker – I can take

APPRENTICE

AMY

Last week, nice Jewish girl Amy Anzel was fired from Alan Sugar’s boardroom. She chatted to Louisa Walters about her time on the show it. He’s also a really nice man and obviously a fantastic businessman. Not only did I want the investment for my business, I also really wanted to work with him. Ultimately, though, it’s like dating – the relationship has to make sense and if they don’t want to be with you, then you can’t force it. What did you make of Karren Brady? I love Karren – she is a woman of few words, but she would drop pearls of wisdom all the time. I could relate to her as a working mum. I looked up to her and I often found myself thinking what would she do in this situation? Did you interact at all with Tim? I was sad that Claude wasn’t on the show this

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year, but I think Tim was great and the younger guys really connected with him. How do you feel about having been fired? I feel it was unfair and unjustified. In the 10 years I’ve watched The Apprentice, someone has always been project manager in week seven or eight, and it’s not as though I didn’t ever put myself forward – they just didn’t show that. I feel Lord Sugar came up with a reason to fire me just to get me out of the competition as he simply didn’t see me as his business partner. What will you take away from the show? I have a new-found appreciation of what goes into the show. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I made lifelong friends.

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Jewish News 17 February 2022

JN LIFE

OUR HOUSEWIVES’

CHOICE

Brigit Grant heralds the return of Mrs Maisel and talks to her father and machatunim

ue the drum roll and sound the shofar… SHE’S BACK. Our favourite Jewish housewife and mistress of the ballsy barb and bountiful brisket returns to Amazon Prime tomorrow night, and it’s not a day too soon. Truth be told, it’s actually two years late, and that’s because, well, we all know why, so let’s not pour pandemic misery on the season four premiere of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (MMM). In the absence of mirth-maker Midge – who first grabbed our attention by turning her husband’s affair into a career opportunity as a stand-up – much has happened. And it is still happening, as the cultural discourse (largely between networks, terrified casting agents and job-seeking thesps) about who can play a Jew directly impacts on MMM as the hilarious Hebrew Midge is played by non-Jewish Rachel Brosnahan. Are we bothered? No, but seriously are we? Hasn’t Brosnahan proved herself sufficiently as the jesty JAP to silence the protestors? That the actress grew up in Chicago and went to lots of barmitzvahs is enough for most of the show’s fans, who were challishing for something upbeat and loved the ‘spotted on location’ pics of the cast in costume when filming started last year under Covid restrictions in New York. A few months earlier, Caroline Aaron, who plays Midge Maisel’s mother-in-law (the formidable Shirley), invited me to Zoom and moaned about the delays like the rest of us. “In order to keep everyone invested in the story, they showed one episode every week from season three and, while it was on, cast members had to live tweet. You know, those sort of ‘inside the set’ facts the fans enjoy.” As it turned out, Caroline enjoyed it as much as the fans – “but I was laughing so much I forgot to tweet”. However, thrilled as she was to be rejoining the Maisel gang after

Thanksgiving, Caroline was worried about the wardrobe. “I told them: ‘You’d better give me some warning so I can lose the weight.’ I have been noshing in lockdown to make myself feel better. Eating never disappoints.” With Donna Zakowska’s magnificent period clothes, an intrinsic part of the series’ appeal, the move from the fitted fifties to the even more clinging jumpers of the sixties would make any eater nervous. But not Midge. The stand-up with a passion for fashion is set to make the most of 1960 and, as the sell line says, “claim her creative freedom”. It’s hard to imagine how the housewife – who made her comedy club debut drunk on 11 percent Manischewitz wine and flashing her bra – could be more creative, but it would give any father cause for concern. Which leads us to the fathers, one of whom is an ex-in-law but still a presence in her life because of the grandchildren, Ethan and Esther, and her ex, Joel (played by Michael Zegen).

When an invite came to talk to the two dads about the troublesome titular comic and the new series, it was perfect timing. Until I was told it would be a 10-minute chat, which was far from perfect. How would 600 seconds be enough to ask Abe Weissman (played by Tony Shalhoub) about the ‘Joel fiasco’ or his new job as The Village Voice theatre critic and then quiz Moishe (Kevin Pollak) about the schmutter business and sleeping ‘in the buff ’ beside Shirley? To then be unable to follow on with more questions about the sterling careers of these two esteemed actors was a travesty, but there was no negotiating on the 10 mins, so I had to Zoom literally and this is the condensed conversation between Tony Shalhoub, Kevin Pollak and me. ME: Great to meet you both. It’s a great honour. I’m a huge fan of the show. We haven’t got much time so we have to talk very fast. KP: We’re used to that. (TS nods and smiles) ME: Who in your opinion is the best father? KP: Between the two characters? Well, Mosh is just riddled with love while he’s yelling and screaming, whereas Abe seems very stern and difficult to get along with. TS: I would have to agree with that. (KP laughs) KP: I honestly think that Mosh is the better father. I mean, both of these guys have a certain level of pragmatism and they’re kind of no-nonsense guys, but I think Moishe has a little bit more of a centrifugal force of patriarchy in that character. I see Moishe as a protector and caretaker

17 February 2022 Jewish News

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JN LIFE (They both laugh) KP: Ah well, I started out in stand-up becoming professional at age 17. And it’s been an entire life. In my case, my children are two cats. So I would be wildly impressed if either one of them could tell us one damn joke. But yeah, how do you feel about rejection? Would you like it on a moment-by-moment basis, and unavoidably in your face? That’s what waits for you on the stage as a stand-up. Here’s what you think is funny. And here’s what the audience thinks is funny – it’s a very immediate thing. Tony has done a great deal on stage and he’s a Tony Award-winner, so he can tell you what it means to live and die on the stage. To bare all in front of a live audience. TS: Brutal. Yeah, it can be. I have two daughters, and Josie did go to the California Institute of Arts thinking she would follow in her mom’s [Brooke Adams] and my footsteps. Once she got out of school and spent a year or two doing the rounds trying to get representation and auditioning, she realised that it was not for her. She loves the work, she’s a very industrious kid and very bright and she did not want to spend a lot of her life waiting for someone else to determine what her path was going to be or the work she would get or not get. And so she took a hard right turn and pursued another interest of hers – writing, which led her to various other things. And she’s a writer today. We did not discourage the stand-up path for her, but we did encourage her to move off it when it didn’t work for her. through all of his bluster. And so I have to say, you, sir, are the better dad. ME: If you had to give Midge the same advice your fathers gave to you, what would it be? TS: Oh, I would say as Abe, what my father told me: “Save your money.” (We all laugh) KP: Explore and pursue whatever makes you happy? ME: That’s lovely. KP: Yeah, it’s very difficult to find any happiness in life, especially of your own making. Tony and I and the rest of the cast have talked often about a level of gratitude that we have for our lives and careers based on the happiness we draw from work. And that we get to make a living pursuing something that makes us happy. ME: How happy would you be if your own children wanted to be stand-up comedians?

ME: Dare I sympathise with anyone who becomes a writer? (They both laugh) ME: Does Mrs Maisel creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, as matriarch, let you have views on where your characters go? KP: I think the overriding answer is that Rachel Brosnahan as Midge probably has the most to say, because after all, the entire show is really her journey. And I think they do spend a goodly amount of time allowing her to weigh in. And I think for many of us, I’ll speak for myself, they’ve always been open to any input. But what they have created and written from word one through to four seasons, is just a cut above almost anything I’ve ever read or been a part of. So in that regard, I learnt pretty early on to be challenged by whatever comes your way with this part. It has been the most challenging and the most rewarding work I feel I’ve ever done, honestly. So yeah, I feel a sense that we’re allowed to participate in the creative process but, at the same time, I kind of want to stay out of the way. TS: Well, yeah, we have a lot of trust in our creative team and in our writers, although I will say that there have been moments – not many – where I have had discussions

when certain lines or just a moment didn’t feel completely consistent with what we’ve established. I could count these times on two fingers. But I did feel that I could go to them and say could we make an adjustment here? I feel like this might be a little jarring. And they’ve really been open to our input and feelings. At this point, a two-minute warning appears in the chat box and I expect to hear the warning music played at the Oscars. ME: Have you ever left the set still wearing the costume? It must be tempting. KP: It’s difficult to go home in clothes from the early 60s, but I’ve certainly coveted several things and specifically the shoes, because they can live throughout generations more than giant lapels. TS: I have not, but it’s still early. (We all laugh) The 10 minutes were up and I didn’t get to ask who they hoped would be Midge’s new beau. Among this season’s new faces, Milo Ventimiglia as ‘a well-dressed man with a dog in a park talking to Mrs Maisel’ seems a more likely suitor than Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander, who only has a cameo. Evidently, he plays Asher, an old friend of Abe Weissman, but I never got to ask Tony about that. I’ll add it to my list for season five. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel premieres on 18 February on Amazon Prime

Jewish News 17 February 2022

JN LIFE

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WHO WHAT WHERE CONCERT

Thoroughly modern music When Julie Andrews started singing in Yiddish at a Jewish Millie, we could’ve named wedding in Thoroughly Modern Millie the segment ‘Tales of the Unexpected.’ American singer Shana Farr is celebrating the songbook of Andrews at The Pheasantry next month, bringing to life the story of a young English star who became America’s sweetheart and influenced the great songwriters of Broadway and Hollywood. Inspired by the rich collection of lyrics and melodies that have become synonymous with Andrews, this will be an evening of songs that represent not only great American standards by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, the Gershwins and the Sherman Brothers, but also beautiful numbers by Henry Mancini, Arthur Schwartz, Jimmy van Heusen, Noël Coward and more.

Whistling Away the Dark – the Songbook of Julie Andrews is at The Pheasantry on the Kings Road, Chelsea, as part of Pizza Express Live on 4 & 5 March. www.pizzaexpresslive.com

NETFLIX

Dating Disaster Anyone still looking for love after Valentine’s Day may be tempted to increase their swipe right activity, but Shimon Hayut (alias Simon Leviev) may find his hit rate somewhat diminished now that millions of people have seen a Netflix documentary about his crimes. The Tinder Swindler is a dramatic account of the shocking story about the young Israeli Casanova who wined and dined Scandinavian women, proclaiming his love and commitment before convincing them to give him money he said he needed to escape his ‘enemies’. A handful of victims linked up with each other and Norwegian journalists to reveal his scam, which amounted to a Ponzi scheme as he stole from one woman to support a lavish lifestyle with the next. Hayut, whose father was the chief rabbi of El Al, was arrested in Greece and returned to Israel, where he was wanted on years-old fraud charges. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison, but served only five before being released early during the pandemic. Not everything that Israeli media has

ART

From Russia with love Julius Alexander Rappoport was born Isak Abramovich in Kovno, Lithuania, in 1851. He was a skilled silversmith and, after opening a workshop in St Petersburg in 1883, moved to Moscow to become a Fabergé workmaster. Trained in Berlin, he was one of Fabergé’s rare craftsmen of Jewish origin and from 1886 until 1908 was one of the four main leaders of Fabergé workshops, specialising in large silver objects. He is best known for his naturalistic animal figures, but he also executed special commissions for the Imperial Family. Rappoport’s work is among 200 stunning pieces on display at the Fabergé exhibition at the V&A. The exhibition also includes a display of the legendary Imperial Easter Eggs, several of which are being shown in the UK for the first time. Carl Faberge’s only branch outside of Russia opened in London in 1903 and the works were as popular in Britain as they were in Russia.

Fabergé in London: Romance to revolution is at the V&A until 8 May. www.vam.ac.uk FILM

Beautiful news Having won our hearts in the West End and on Broadway, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is heading to the big screen. Sony Pictures announced plans to turn it into a film, which shouldn’t prove too difficult as Sony owns the musical rights to most of the songs in the show. “Audiences have responded to Beautiful not only to relive Carole King’s timeless classics, but to experience the ways they illustrate her triumphant and joyful life story,” says Sony Pictures exec Michael De Luca. No cast decisions have been made, although Tom Hanks will co-produce. King and songwriting partner

REALITY TV

reported about Hayut made it into the documentary, such as the fact that he reportedly posed as a medical professional to jump Israel’s coronavirus vaccine queue, or allegations that his father had helped him flee the country previously and may even have participated in his fraud schemes. Hayut is living as a free man in Israel, and seemingly has a new Israeli girlfriend. We still think it might be best to lock up your daughters. A companion podcast, The Making of a Swindler, explores Hayut’s business associates, and his upbringing as the son of a rabbi in Bnei Brak, the largely Orthodox city near Tel Aviv.

Gerry Goffin penned the Drifters’ Up On the Roof and Aretha Franklin’s (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman. The musical also delves into tracks from King’s solo career such as Tapestry’s So Far Away and I Feel the Earth Move.

Change of Haart

In the first season of Netflix’s My Unorthodox Life, Julia Haart had a loving husband, a thriving career and a family that seemed to deftly navigate varying levels of Jewish observance. Filming has just started on season two and it all seems to have gone horribly wrong. Julia has been fired from Elite World Group, the fashion company where she became co-CEO in 2019, filed for divorce from her husband of two years, co-CEO Silvio Scaglia Haart and, alleging abuse, has sought a restraining order against him. “I hate Shabbos and I don’t want it in my house,” Scaglia Haart said, according to Haart’s petition. Julia’s children, who range from 15 to 28, were born while she lived in an Orthodox Jewish community. Notably absent from season two will be Ben Weinstein, husband of elder daughter Batsheva. The couple announced their split in November, saying their marriage at a young age, reflecting their community norms, had been a strain. Younger daughter Miriam, 22, appears to be luckier in love. She revealed last July she was in a relationship with a Swedish woman named Nathalie Ulander. Lots of changes afoot, but Netflix promises the show will feature all our favourite F-words: “fashion, family, female empowerment, faith, fabulousness”.

17 February 2022 Jewish News

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JN LIFE

Six Israeli restaurants have been ranked among the top 50 best dining establishments in the Middle East and North Africa. Louisa Walters visits the finest one in London

t’s 20 years since Ottolenghi opened a Middle Eastern restaurant in London and from Honey & Co to the Palomar, from Bubala to Delamina there’s now a multitude of them. I love them all but, until now, Middle Eastern restaurants in London have all been very similar. Not any more. Jeru has taken things up a notch. Jeru is to Coal Office what Benares is to Bhageecha. What Roka is to Oka. It’s fine dining Middle Eastern food in Mayfair. And it’s absolutely incredible.

menu. Soft and creamy fried halloumi ring doughnuts - just think about that. Potato-fermented wood-fired bread with sweet truffle honey and lamb pancetta (Roy does not use pork in his restaurants) – like the most magnificent pizza you ever tried. Hassleback Jerusalem artichokes (if you’ve ever cooked with them you’ll know what a labour of love that is). Jeru has a fridge for dry ageing fish… another for doing so with meat encased in chocolate to keep it moist. Which is why the kingfish with tahini, chickpea and bisque was so full of flavour, and the short rib with muhammara Israeli-born chef Roy Zer has spent the last 18 years in salsa so incredibly tender. There was cured Sydney being awarded Michelin stars for his innovative, yellowtail with date and persimmon energetic, inspired cooking. Five months ago, and bone marrow with mustard he was approached to bring his brilliance chickpea miso - oh my what to London. I took my daughter on this a flavour hit. (It’s basically outing. It’s Mayfair – dress up, I said. It’s beef fat, Mum, said my Aussie/Israeli, Mum – keep it casual, she daughter. Exactly, I said, said. She was right. Despite a (clearly) spooning it in.) Baby megabucks stunning fit out, the vibe is gem lavishly topped with Parmesan and informal and jeans will do, although indulgent crispy potato gratin. AuberI imagine it switches up a gear at gine and chocolate work magnificently weekends when there is music and in a brownie-like cake topped with baba a nightclub vibe on the ground floor. ganoush ice-cream; I loved the nonJournalists are given a chef’s selection sweetness of it. The goat’s cheese ‘stone menu so we get to try a little of everything. sculpture’ ice-cream with a sharp hit of In all my years of reviewing restaurants mango was a perfect slate cleaner. that hasn’t happened before. It’s We drank pomegranate and rose Hasselback Jerusalem artichokes genius. As is the composition of this

Above: Roy Zer outside Jeru and, below: Halloumi doughnuts

cocktails, Sicilian white wine from Etna, and people-watched the team of chefs – the kitchen stretches right along the restaurant. The day after our visit, the bakery at the front of the restaurant opened – follow Jeru on Instagram to see the incredible things being produced there. Jeru means old city and it’s a joy to have it in our old city. It’s refreshing to have something relaxed and informal on Berkeley Square. And it’s a privilege to have Roy Zer cooking in London. I’m quite sure a Michelin star will be shooting over here for him soon. Price – it’s not cheap, but then really good food isn’t. I’d say it’s not crazy for Mayfair in 2022. But expect close to three figures a head.

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Wanted all Antiques & furniture including Lounge Dining and Bedroom Suites. Chests of drawers. Display and Cocktail Cabinets. Furniture by Hille. Epstein. Archie shine. G plan etc in Walnut. Mahogany. Teak and Rosewood. We also buy Diamonds & Jewellery. Gold. Silverware. Paintings. Glass. Porcelain. Bronzes etc. All Antiques considered. Full house clearances organised. Very high prices paid, free home visits. Check our website for more details www.antiquesbuyers.co.uk Email: info@antiquesbuyers.co.uk Please call Sue Davis on Freephone: 08008402035 WhatsApp Mobile: 07956268290 Portobello rd London By appointments only.

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Orthodox Judaism

MAKING SENSE OF THE SEDRA In our thought-provoking new series, rabbis and rebbetzen relate the week’s parsha to the way we live today BY REBBETZIN RACHIE LISTER CRANBROOK UNITED SYNAGOGUE

Women of Worth In this week’s Parsha, Ki Tisa, we learn that after the Jews left Egypt, God commanded them to build a Mishkan, a portable Temple, which they were to take with them on their journeys through the Sinai desert. Part of the Mishkan layout was the kiyor, a large copper water basin in the forecourt (pictured). It was filled with water every morning so that the priests could pour water over their hands and feet before they performed the day’s Temple rituals. When Moses appealed to the people for donations of precious metal for the construction of the

Mishkan, many women brought their copper mirrors to be used as building materials. When Moses saw these, he thought: “How can I accept them? Women use them to beautify themselves and to be attractive to men.” God rebuked Moses for seeking to reject these gifts. The Jewish women used them not for immorality but to be attractive to their own husbands. The men were so exhausted and demoralised by the slavery in Egypt that they no longer had any regard for their wives. The future of the next generation of the Jewish people hung in the balance. The midrash [interpretation] teaches that the Jewish women used their mirrors to reawaken their husbands’ attention. They sat with their husbands and looked at their reflections, saying: “I look nicer than you!” This breathed new life into their

relationships, and babies were born as a result. God commanded Moses: “The mirrors were used for beauty and spirituality and will have an honoured place in my holy dwelling place.” It is a tragic reflection on our society that women are still so at risk that our Parliament is currently debating whether misogyny ought to be classed as a hate crime. Feminine beauty, which the Torah presents as a key to holiness is, for some, a cue for immorality and assault. Women are the people who are naturally the closest to God’s own standard of perfection, and a man who harms or insults a woman tramples underfoot the natural perfection that God has granted to him as a guide.

But we Jews still nurture the spirituality of the kiyor in our daily routine. Every morning, we wash our hands in the same way as the priests did on entering the Temple.

A memory of the kiyor’s respect for proper feminine beauty starts off every Jewish day, and we are reminded each day of the holiness of every woman.

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Jewish News 17 February 2022

Progressive Judaism

LEAP OF FAITH BY RABBI SYLVIA ROTHSCHILD KINGSTON LIBERAL SYNAGOGUE

Food banks and benefit cuts. What would King Jehoash say? Every year around this time we read about the money given by the people to build the Mishkan (the tent of meeting that will travel with them) and the work of creating it. At the end of Exodus, we read Pikudei – “the accounts of the tabernacle… as they were rendered according to the commandment of Moses”. From here comes the imperative that public money has to be accounted for in detail, with transparency. Centuries later, King Jehoash expected Temple donations given to the priests would be used to keep it in good repair. Discovering that money was given, but the Temple was not maintained, he installed a large chest with a small hole in it near the altar, where donations were deposited. Then “the royal scribe and the high priest would come, put the money into bags, and count it”. They would deliver the money to the overseers of the work who would pay the carpenters and labourers, and make “every other expenditure needed to maintain God’s House”. (2Kings12 10ff ) The imperative for transparency and proper use of public

money may have been natural for Moses, but by the time of Jehoash, structures were needed to protect public funds. The Talmud tells us: “Money for the charity fund is collected by two people and distributed by three people. It is collected by two people because one does not appoint an authority over the community composed of fewer than two. And it is distributed by three people, like the number of judges needed in cases of monetary law, since the distributors determine who receives money and how much.” (Baba Batra 8b) There is a long-standing Jewish tradition that those who collect or disburse public money must be provably honest and doing it l’shem shamayim – not for their own benefit, but for the public good. They had to not only be honest but be seen to behave honestly. As Maimonides writes: “A city with a Jewish population must establish men who are known and reliable, who will go about among the people weekly, taking from each their fixed amount, and giving to each poor person enough food for seven days: this is called kupa.” Likewise, they established “gabbaim who will take daily, from each courtyard, foodstuffs or money from whoever donates, and distribute the collection in the evening among the poor, giving to each a day’s sustenance, and this is called tam’hui.” While Mishna Avot may tell us “everything belongs to God”, the reality has always been that some accrue wealth at the expense of others, misappropriating public funds.

Headteacher, Etz Chaim Jewish Primary School Start date: September 2022 Salary: L15 – L21 - £51,314 - £69,509 (Outer London) Closing date: Monday 7th March 2022 at 9am Interviews: Monday 21st March 2022 Etz Chaim, opened in September 2011, was the first Jewish Free School, specifically designed to serve the local community of Mill Hill in North London. We are a successful and well-respected school, with high levels of academic achievement. Our school represents a broad spectrum of backgrounds, nurturing and catering for children between the ages of 4-11. A brilliant opportunity has arisen to lead our talented and hardworking team. After 10 successful years, the founding and current Head teacher is stepping down at the end of this academic year. In order to lead and inspire the school in its next phase, we are looking for someone with a passion and fierce commitment to providing the very best education for our children. Etz Chaim is committed to the practice of Modern Orthodox Judaism but we welcome children and staff from all faiths who share and support our ethos. We are proud of our school, open to new and creative ideas and believe in the potential of every child in our care. We are seeking an ambitious and inspirational leader who has high expectations for all and will: • Be a great role model and bring a fresh perspective to leading our ambitious school. • Share and embrace our commitment to the practice of Modern Orthodox Judaism although it is not necessary to be of this faith. • Have excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively and forge positive relationships with pupils, staff, parents, governors and other stakeholders. • Share our passion and enthusiasm for all pupils: their learning and ability to reach their full potential must be at the heart of all school decisions. • Maintain and progressively build upon our school’s broad and balanced curriculum with extra-curricular and challenging opportunities for our children. • Outward facing, able to represent the school’s interests in the wider

A stimulating new series where our progressive rabbis consider how biblical figures might act when faced with 21st century issues

Public funds are used to support food banks for the poor

So, given our texts exhorting public service over private gain, never allowing the control of public money to fall to an unaccountable elite, legislating communal responsibility to feed, clothe, house and maintain the poorer in society (defined as not having enough for two good meals a day), what would Jehoash or Moses say about today’s homeless, our food banks, the benefit cuts, or the writing off of fraudulently misappropriated public funds?

community and continue to strengthen relationships with a wide variety of external partners. • Support the wellbeing and continued professional development of staff and pupils. We celebrate the Jewish values we share, and explore the differences that make each of us unique What we offer the successful candidate: • A fully inclusive and welcoming school with children who are enthusiastic about school and relish a child-centred approach to learning. • A passionate and dedicated staff team who are highly motivated to provide our children with stimulating, challenging and memorable experiences. • An engaging and approachable Governing Body who are ambitious for our school and want to ensure that Etz Chaim can continue to thrive and offer the best education for all children in our community. • A positive environment where your career development will be championed. We welcome applicants of all faiths and job share applicants. If you think you have what it takes to lead Etz Chaim Jewish Primary School into the future, we would be delighted to hear from you. To ﬁnd out more please visit our website and see our latest Ofsted and Pikuach reports. If you wish to discuss the role please contact Chair of Governors, Marc Meyer at mmeyer@etzchaim-primaryschool.org.uk to arrange a time. To arrange a visit to the school, please contact Governor, Sam Shaerf at sshaerf@ etzchaim-primaryschool.org.uk Thank you for your interest in Etz Chaim. We look forward to meeting and interviewing motivated candidates interested in taking on this important and exciting new challenge. To request an application pack, please email leadership.recruitment@ hertsforlearning.co.uk Please note late applications will not be accepted. Important dates to be aware of: • Closing date: Monday 7th March 2022 at 9:00am • Shortlisting: Thursday 10th March 2022 • Interviews: Monday 21st March 2022 Etz Chaim Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and visitors to share this commitment. Appointment to this post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS) as well as other pre-appointment checks outlined in Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2021).

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17 February 2022 Jewish News

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ADW CONNECT

Dear Benjamin The internet at our office has been really slow recently. How can we can improve it or can you recommend a better solution? Daniel Dear Daniel The first step I would recommend is for you to check what speed you are currently getting (do this by running a speed test on Google). If you are getting less than what you are paying for, we can either check your internal network or raise a fault with your supplier. If you currently have standard ADSL broadband, the maximum speeds you can get in are up to 24Mbps download and 2Mbps

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JEWISH DEAF ASSOCIATION Dear Sue My mum lives alone and is housebound. She often doesn’t hear the phone ring and I panic when I can’t get hold of her. When she does answer, she can barely hear me and it’s so hard to have a conversation. Can you help? Linda Dear Linda Yes, we can help – our home visiting service is for people just

like your mum. We’ll send someone to visit her at home to demonstrate amplified phones with loud ringers – she’ll be able to try them out and see which one she hears best with. They’re much louder and clearer than ordinary phones, so she’s likely to notice a big difference between them and the phones she currently has at home. If she decides to buy a phone, we’ll then help her to order one for delivery to her home address. Once it’s installed, we’ll visit again and make sure she knows how to use it. Do let us know if your mum is struggling with anything else, such as hearing the television or simply having a conversation.

upload. If you want to upgrade to a faster service, we would be looking at either a new high-speed fibre broadband service, which can provide speeds of up to 1,000Mbps download and 115Mbps upload. These services are suitable for most companies up to 25 staff; however, like ADSL, this is still a shared network service, meaning multiple users will be accessing the same street cabinet, therefore the speed will fluctuate dependant on concurrent usage. If your company has more than 25 staff, or you have heavy internet usage, then I would suggest an advanced service, known as a leased line. This is a dedicated internet connection to your office and the speed can be much greater. The cost may be higher but, as so often, you get what you pay for. As well as a faster, more reliable connection, these services also have service level agreements in place to guarantee uptime.

We’ll take along whatever she needs to try, and we’ll patiently explain how to use it. If social services can provide any of the equipment she would benefit from, we can also make a referral to them to make sure she gets everything required to help with her hearing loss. Please call Gabrielle at JDA on 020 8446 0214 or email gabrielle@jdeaf.org.uk. We look forward to helping your mum and alleviating stress for the whole family.

ADAM SHELLEY ACCOUNTANT

SOBELL RHODES LLP Dear Adam As we approach the tax year-end, I am keen to understand further about planning your estate and gifts. Are you able to provide any guidance? Katie Dear Katie Inheritance tax is usually charged at 40 percent on the value of your estate (your property, money, and possessions) over the £325,000

eNABLeD PLease remember us in your wiLL.

Visit www.jbd.org or call 020 8371 6611

1 Cornhill London EC3V 3ND 0207 781 8019 info@richdale.co.uk

nil-rate band. There’s an additional allowance of up to £175,000 if you pass your family home to children or grandchildren. If you’re married, you can effectively combine your thresholds and transfer assets between each other tax-free. When one dies, the surviving spouse can inherit without any inheritance tax liability, and you can utilise their unused thresholds on your death. Writing a will is the most basic, but also one of the most neglected forms of estate planning. For some, there’s a misconception that there’s no point in making a will if you’re married as your surviving spouse will get everything anyway. That’s not necessarily the case, particularly if you

have children and hold joint assets with other individuals. Without a legally valid will, your estate could be distributed according to intestacy rules and a larger portion might be taxable. Outside of having a legally valid will, one of the simplest ways to protect your estate can be to put assets into trusts. This can mean they fall outside of your estate when you die, but there can be tax charges for gifts into trust. Placing insurance policies into trust is a tax-efficient estate planning strategy. Gifting assets over time is an option, such as using your annual exemption to give away £3,000 worth of gifts in 2021/22 without them being added to the value of your estate.

www.jewishnews.co.uk

Jewish News 17 February 2022

Ask Our Experts / Professional advice from our panel

Our Experts Got a question for a member of our team? Email: editorial@jewishnews.co.uk Got a question for a member of our team?

PRIVATE HEALTHCARE SPECIALIST

Email: editorial@jewishnews.co.uk

TREVOR GEE Qualifications: • Managing Director, consultant specialists in affordable family health insurance. • Advising on maximising cover, lower premiums, pre-existing conditions. • Excellent knowledge of health insurers, cover levels and hospital lists. • LLB solicitors finals. • Member of Chartered Insurance Institute.

EMMA GROSS Qualifications: • Specialist in claims of unfair dismissal, redundancy and discrimination. • Negotiate out-of-court settlements and handle complex tribunal cases. • HR services including drafting contracts and policies, advising on disciplinaries, grievances and providing staff training. • Contributor to The Times, HR Magazine and other titles.

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

SPENCER WEST LLP 020 7925 8080 www.spencer-west.com emma.gross@spencer-west.com

JEWELLER

Computer problems solved PC, Mac, WiFi, Laptops & Desktops Remote Support and On-Site

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.

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

Man on a Bike IT Consultancy Call now 020 8731 6171 www.manonabike.co.uk

DIRECTOR OF LEGACIES

Stephen Morris Stephen Morris Shipping Ltd 020 8832 2232 (Direct line) www.shipsms.co.uk

ISRAEL ADVERT 2 100X84.indd 1

ADAM LOVATT Qualifications: • Lawyer with more than 11 years of experience working in the legal sector. Specialist in corporate, commercial, media, sport and start-ups. • Master’s degree in Intellectual Property Law from the University of London. • Non-Executive Director of various companies advising on all governance matters.

LOVATT LEGAL LIMITED 07753 802 804 adam@lovattlegal.co.uk

CHARITY EXECUTIVE

• •

SUE CIPIN Qualifications: • 20 years+ hands-on experience, leading JDA in significant growth and development. • Understanding of the impact of deafness on people, including children, at all stages. • Extensive services for people affected by hearing loss/tinnitus. • Technology room with expert advice on and facilities to try out the latest equipment. Hearing aid advice, support and maintenance.

KKL EXECUTOR AND TRUSTEE COMPANY 020 8732 6101 www.kkl.org.uk enquiries@kkl.org.uk

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

If you are making Aliyah or just need to ship some odds and ends, books etc. to Israel…….. Just call me!

COMMERCIAL LAWYER

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.

•

Flights to Israel are becoming possible again!

EMPLOYMENT LAW AND DATA PROTECTION

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 19 years ago.

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

DANCING WITH LOUISE 075 0621 7833 www.dancingwithlouise.co.uk Info@dancingwithlouise.com

11/04/2021 18:40

17 February 2022 Jewish News

www.jewishnews.co.uk

Professional advice from our panel / Ask Our Experts

FINANCIAL SERVICES (FCA) COMPLIANCE

ACCOUNTANT

CHARITY EXECUTIVE

JACOB BERNSTEIN Qualifications: • A member of the APCC, specialising in financial services compliance for: • Mortgage, protection and general insurance intermediaries; • Lenders, credit brokers, debt counsellors and debt managers; • Alternative Investment Fund managers; • E-Money, payment services, PISP, AISP and grant-making charities.

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.

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.

RICHDALE CONSULTANTS LTD 020 7781 8019 www.richdale.co.uk jacob@richdale.co.uk

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

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

INTERNATIONAL PAYMENTS SPECIALIST

IT SPECIALIST

LEE SHMUEL GOLDFARB Qualifications: • Hands-on service, with full and personalised support for international transfers. • Get the most out of your currency exchange with regards to pension income, when purchasing your first house in Israel or benefitting from an inheritance from aboard. • UK leader in financial exchange and partner to brands such as St James Place and Hargreaves Lansdown with industry-beating Trustpilot score.

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 0786 0595 890 / 0207 847 9400 www.currenciesdirect.com/jn lee.goldfarb@currenciesdirect.com

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

ISRAELI ACCOUNTANT

Email: sales@jewishnews.co.uk

INSURANCE CONSULTANCY

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.

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

ALIYAH ADVISER

If you would like to advertise your services here

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 mock interviews and workshops to maximise job prospects. • Expert in corporate management holding director level marketing,

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

Lloyd Platt & Co. Family Law Solicitors

We are pleased to help with all aspects of Family Law, including:

• Divorce

• Pre/Post - Nuptial Agreements • Cohabitation Agreements • Domestic Violence

DIVORCE & FAMILY SOLICITOR

TELECOMS SPECIALIST

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, pet disputes, family disputes. • Frequent broadcaster on national and International radio and television.

BENJAMIN ALBERT Qualifications: • Co-Founder and Technical Director of ADWConnect – a specialist in business telecommunications, serving customers worldwide. • Independent consultant and supplier of Telephone & Internet services. • Client satisfaction is at the heart of everything my team and I do, always striving to find the most cost-effective solutions.

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

ADWCONNECT 0208 089 1111 www.adwconnect.com hello@adwconnect.com

• Children’s cases • Grandparents’ rights to see grandchildren • Pet disputes • Settlements for Cohabitees • Financial Settlement on Divorce • Family disputes To make an appointment please telephone 020

8343 2998

Lloyd Platt & Company, Third Floor, Elscot House, Arcadia Avenue, London N3 2JU Website: www.divorcesolicitors.com Email: lloydplatt@divorcesolicitors.com Regulated and authorised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority

40 Jewish News

17 February 2022

www.jewishnews.co.uk

17 February 2022 Jewish News

www.jewishnews.co.uk

Fun, games and prizes

THE JEWISH NEWS CROSSWORD 1

11 14 17 19 20 22 23

18 19

ACROSS 1 Exhume (3,2) 4 Sound of complaint (5)

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

Ordained minister of the Church (6) Metal beam on a building or bridge (6) Zero score in football, for instance (3) Adam’s wife (3) Dull, flavourless (7) Radio 4 morning programme (5) Climb up (5)

9 1 7 2 8 8 6 5 4 2 8 3 4 1 7 9 4 5 7 9 1 5 4 7 3 8 7 3 2 6

DOWN 1 Give a less important job and rank to (6) 2 Room with cross-trainers and treadmills (3) 3 Loss of self-possession (5) 4 Fairy-tale dwarf (5) 5 Rousing applause (7) 6 Cervical spine area of the body (4) 10 Liquorice-flavoured pip (7) 12 Side away from the wind (3) 13 Snow transport (6) 15 Mat made of lace (5) 16 Popular flowers (5) 18 Whisk (eggs, eg) (4) 21 Part of a whistle (3)

13 14

SUDOKU

7 Souvenir (7) 8 Line of a circle (3) 9 Common drink (3)

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.

WORDSEARCH

CODEWORD

The listed dances 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.

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 with their letters in the grid will help you to guess the identity of other letters.

A Y W J

A W P X

B N A C N A C

M P O L K A

O B S E A B

M E S E M

E P

K B N A E E

M E T S E R A R R V N M T M

S E B V T U L G C E

S U G

R T

S H U F F

BALLET BEGUINE BOLERO CANCAN FLAMENCO

FOXTROT GAVOTTE HORNPIPE JITTERBUG LANCERS

MAZURKA POLKA RUMBA SAMBA SHIMMY

Last issue’s solutions Crossword ACROSS: 1 Deck 3 Egg-cup 8 Zealous 9 Rod 10 Impressive 13 Accidental 17 Orb 18 Eternal 19 Fennel 20 Blue DOWN: 1 Doze 2 Charm 4 Gas 5 Corgi 6 Padded 7 Torrid 11 Sunset 12 Lay off 14 Cabin 15 Annul 16 Floe 18 Eye

9 6 3 4 5 2 7 1 8

6 3 9 7 8 4 5 2 1

5 25

4 1 2 5 6 3 8 9 7

3 2

9 21

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 1

Suguru 8 7 5 1 2 9 6 4 3

23 19

1 18

E P SHUFFLE STOMP TANGO VOLTA WALTZ

5 2 8 6 7 1 4 3 9

Sudoku 1 4 7 3 9 8 2 6 5

N A G S N B S K R L E

L R

O O R F

E O A G E N O H C A N M E T A T

P N R O H R U L N L

Y T R B O T

E N S S Y E C U G C L I

A R H F O X T R O T Z O A S

3 8 1 2 4 5 9 7 6

2 5 6 9 3 7 1 8 4

7 9 4 8 1 6 3 5 2

1 3 2 3 2 1

5 4 1 4 5 3

3 2 3 2 1 4

Wordsearch 1 4 1 5 3 2

5 2 3 4 1 4

3 4 1 2 5 2

2 5 3 1 3 2

3 1 4 2 4 1

4 2 3 1 3 5

3 1 5 2 4 1

2 4 3 1 3 2

1 5 2 5 4 1

Y R T S E P A T H G L H R

W S Q P O L B B N S G C E

A V C O L A D I U K E A U

H W D I T A T E A O Y R Q

S J E I M T I T E R S P C

M E K A I A A T E N I E A

I M M N V K R N I N O N L

Codeword R O K A A I I E L N E T I

C S U N R O N A C E G R A

S A A D J F Y G E D L Y S

D I P A T C H W O R K U N

U C L S L T E H C O R C O

R A F F I A R E K C I W B

C R L AR E NA R J V BR I GA O G N I GH T E R POD O U U R OWA N I E C T RA P E Y R D

S A S ABDOM N O O ND RUG A A C L UB S L P V E R E X E A C R EQU I N U F Z E A L I D D C

E E N Z B Y M E E R T E EM P K E R

HWJ Z QK R CON Y B E 17/02 GV U S DMA X I L F T P

Jewish News 17 February 2022

www.jewishnews.co.uk

Business Services Directory HOUSE CLEARANCE

ANTIQUES

Stirling of Kensal Green

Top prices paid Antique – Reproduction – Retro Furniture (any condition)

Epstein, Archie Shine, Hille, G Plan, etc. Dining Suites, Lounges Suites, Bookcases, Desks, Cabinets, Mirrors, Lights, etc.

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

Dave & Eve House Clearance Friendly Family Company established for 30 years

House clearances

All quality furniture bought & sold.

Single items to complete homes

Best prices paid for complete house clearances including china, books, clothing etc. Also rubbish clearance service, lofts, sheds, garages etc

MARYLEBONE ANTIQUES - 8 CHURCH STREET NW8 8ED

07866 614 744 (ANYTIME) 0207 723 7415 (SHOP)

Please contact Gordon Stirling

closed Sunday & Monday STUART SHUSTER - e-mail - info@maryleboneantiques.co.uk

020 8960 5401 or 07825 224144

MAKE SURE YOU CONTACT US BEFORE SELLING

Email: gordonstirling65@gmail.com

CHARITY & WELFARE

We clear houses, flats, sheds, garages etc. No job too big or too small! Rubbish cleared as part of a full clearance. We have a waste licence. We buy items including furniture bric a brac. For a free quote please phone Dave on 07913405315 any time.

HOME & MAINTENANCE

ARE YOU BEREAVED? Bereavement Counselling for adults and children individually. Support Groups available. During the pandemic, we offer telephone and online counselling. Contact Jewish Bereavement Counselling Service in confidence. 0208 951 3881 enquiries@jbcs.org.uk | www.jbcs.org.uk

Labels are for jars. Not people.

Refer yourself or a loved one by calling 020 8458 2223 or visit www.jamiuk.org REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1003345

CHARITY & WELFARE

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For further details and application forms, please contact Westlon Housing Association on 020 8201 8484 or email: johnsilverman@btconnect.com

UTILITIES

Are you happy paying big household bills?

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!

Would you like to pay less?

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call Jeff on 07958 959 822

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Call 0207 205 4229 Email sales@andrewsofficefurniture.com www.andrewsofficefurniture.com

The specialist masons in creating bespoke Granite and Marble Memorials for all Cemeteries. Clayhall Showroom 14 Claybury Broadway Ilford. IG5 0LQ T: 0208 551 6866

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

Email : info@garygreenmemorials.co.uk

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

18/03/2019 12:50:51

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

17 February 2022 Jewish News

www.jewishnews.co.uk

Business Services Directory LEGACY- LEAVE A GIFT IN YOUR MEMORY

JEWISH WAR VETERANS

Leave the legacy of independence to people like Joel.

YOUR LEGACY

PLease remember us in your wiLL.

& THEIR DEPENDANTS NEED

legacy@cst.org.uk ►

eNABLeD

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

visit www.Jbd.org or caLL 020 8371 6611

Registered Charity No. 259480

Legacy Classified advert v1.qxp_Legacy 16/06/2021 10:57 Page 1

Registered Charity No: 1082148

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Together

we protect our children’s future Please include CST in your will

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COMPUTER

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Legacy advert 84x40.indd 1

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THE PERFECT GIFTS FOR

PURIM

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ILLAH THE COMPLETE MEG ! UG M ON A

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Jewish News 17 February 2022

THE GREAT

REAL ESTATE EVENT

SAVE THE DATE WHAT? THE GREAT ISRAELI REAL ESTATE EVENT WHEN? SUNDAY, MARCH 27, 2022 WHERE? KINLOSS GARDENS, LONDON, N3 3DU LEARN ABOUT THE ANGLO COMMUNITIES IN: JERUSALEM, TEL AVIV, RAANANA, RAMAT BEIT SHEMESH, MODIIN, GIVAT SHMUEL Our experts will discuss, explain and answer your questions about:

Apartments & buildings

Assisted living

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Moving your assets

Aliyah consulting

Communities

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PARTICIPATION IS FREE! TO LEARN MORE AND RESERVE YOUR SPOT VISIT: REALESTATEISRAEL.ORG