1304 - 2nd March 2023

Shw-karma!

Reubens wins Jewish News’ coveted kosher kebab prize at national ceremony P4

Dutch courage

‘Pogrom’

IDF’s dire verdict after Jewish mob sets West Bank village ablaze

@mrconfino

The Israeli army has condemned what it called a ‘pogrom’ carried out by rioting Jewish settlers in a Palestinian West Bank town.

More than 300 vigilantes took part in a revenge rampage on the town of Huwara, setting fire to 75 homes and more than 100 cars in response to a Palestinian terrorist attack that killed two Israelis the same day in the town.

Video documentation showed large parts of Huwara burning, with Israeli soldiers having to rescue a Palestinian family whose house had been set on fire while they were inside. The IDF said it treated the attacks as terrorism.

In addition to setting homes and cars ablaze, a 37-yearold Palestinian man was killed and two others were shot and wounded. Another person was stabbed and one was beaten with a metal bar. More than 100 Palestinians were injured in total. Video shows settlers davening after the riot, as flames engulf cars and buildings.

“This was a pogrom by outlaws, said Maj-Gen Yehuda Fuchs, commanding o cer of the IDF Central Command. “We were not prepared for that amount of people and the extent and intensity of the violence they demonstrated. This was a bad incident that was not meant to happen. I was meant to have prevented it.”

According to Israeli journalists on the ground, it took Continued on pages 2 & 3

Stephen Fry extols wartime heroes P25

The funerals of brothers Hallel and Yagel Yaniv, who were killed in Huwara on Sunday

A woman in Huwara outside her destroyed home and (main image) burned-out cars in the town

by Jotam Confino in Israel jotam@jewishnews.co.uk

Continued from page one

it took some five hours for the IDF to disperse the mob, which had begun marching at around 6pm from Tapuach junction in the West Bank to Huwara.

The IDF was widely criticised for failing to stop the march, which had been announced earlier in the day on social media, with clear intentions of seeking revenge.

IDF chief of staff Herzl Halevi said: “The grave events of lawlessness in Huwara after the severe attack will be thoroughly investigated.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog both condemned the attacks in Huwara. “I strongly condemn the cruel and violent rampage against the residents of Huwara,” Herzog said. “This is not our way. It is criminal violence against innocents.”

Six people were arrested yesterday by Israeli police, all suspects of taking part in the terrorist attacks.

The Huwara rampage was carried out by settlers who sought revenge for the attack that killed Hallel Yaniv, 21 and Yagel Yaniv, 19 (pictured top right), in the town on Sunday. The brothers were killed by a Palestinian who shot them while they were in their car.

The terrorist fled the scene, leading to a widescale manhunt by Israeli security forces.

Hallel and Yagel were resident of the West

Bank settlement of Har Bracha. A family member said “a massive hole” was left in their heart that would never be filled. Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad praised the attack, calling it

Proud homophobe quits

Avi Maoz, leader of the farright Noam Party, has resigned from his position as deputy minister in Netanyahu’s government.

Maoz, who describes himself as a “proud homophobe”, had been tasked with external teaching and partnerships under in the Education Ministry, said he resigned after realising that the there was “no intention to uphold the coalition agreement” regarding the creation of a Jewish National Identity Authority.

He is the first politician to resign from his role in the government, which was sworn in just two months ago, but he promised to continue serving as a coalition lawmaker in parliament where he will support the government’s legislative

agenda, including the judicial overhaul. Moaz’s appointment had caused a huge uproar among opposition lawmakers and high schools in Israel due to his history of homophobia and intention to increase ultra-orthodox “values” in the

educational system, which he said had been targeted by “radical, progressive brainwashing”.

Maoz also opposes women fighting in combat positions and supports legalising gender segregation at public events.

Smotrich: ‘Wipe town out’

Israel’s finance minister Betzalel Smotrich has called for the town of Huwara to be “wiped out”.

Smotrich, who made the comment yesterday, had previously liked a tweet on Sunday in which the deputy head of the Samaria Regional Council, Davidi Ben Zion, called for the town to be wiped out in response to the Palestinian terrorist attack that left two Israeli brothers dead (see tweet, top right).

When asked why he had liked the tweet, which was later deleted, Smotrich replied:

“Because I think the village of Huwara should be wiped out. I think the State of Israel should be the one to wipe it out, not, God forbid, private people,” he added.

Smotrich isn’t the only government official who has made highly controversial remarks regarding Huwara.

A far-right lawmaker from the Jewish Power Party, Limor Son Har-Melech, published a photo of herself at the entrance to Huwara on Sunday as the rampage was ongoing, saying she came to support the “protests”.

a “natural response” to the Israeli occupation.

Separately, a terrorist attack on Monday killed Elan Ganeles (pictured top right), an Israeli American civilian. The 27-year-old was killed in a

drive-by shooting on a highway near Jericho. According to the IDF, the Palestinian terrorists continued to shoot at two other cars on the highway before setting their own car on fire

SECOND UK PROTEST

A second protest against the Israeli government’s proposed sweeping changes to the its legislative and judicial system is due to take place in London this month.

Under the banner ‘Defend Israel’s Democracy’, it is aimed at mirroring the demonstrations that have taken place in Israel, and among smaller expat communities across the globe.

In the first London protest, about 300 secular Israeli expats protested close to the UK’s Israeli embassy late on a Saturday afternoon.

The second demonstration, on 12 March at a location yet to be disclosed, takes place on a Sunday, and organisers hope that this will encourage a larger turnout.

They say the protest is open to all “local Israelis and all supporters of Israel and democracy”. Other banners will read ‘Keep the

Supreme Court independent’ and ‘Criminals should sit in prison, not in government’.

Dr Sharon Shochat, a government specialist and business development expert, said: “What’s going on in Israel since this government took office in December is unprecedented. We are about to witness the country’s institutions disintegrate by an indicted prime minister, who joined hands with extremists and fanatics intoxicated with power, aiming to erode the democratic and liberal values upon which the country was founded.”

Academic Reuven Ziegler, an associate professor at the University of Reading School of Law, said: ‘‘The government states it seeks to reform Israel’s legal system. In reality, the changes it seeks will significantly weaken constitutional review of human rights violations.”

‘A violent rampage by UK OPPOSES BEN-GVIR

Foreign secretary James Cleverly has confirmed the UK government has “no current plans” to work with Israel’s national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Cleverly also reiterated the UK’s stated position that all West Bank settlements are “illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace and threaten the physical viability of a two-State solution.”

But he also said that the UK was looking forward to

working with Netanyahu’s new government to “strengthen our excellent bilateral ties”.

He also rejected the assertion of a letter, sent to him by the Council for Arab-British Understanding, that the situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories could be termed “apartheid”.

“The UK government has not engaged Itamar BenGvir in his role as minister of national security, and we have no current plans to do so,” Cleverly wrote in a letter to

the Council for Arab-British Understanding and published last week.

The foreign secretary was responding to a letter sent to him in December which raised concerns about expected plans by the government to annex parts of the West Bank or expand settlements.

It also mentioned by name two far-right politicians who were given senior ministerial roles: Ben-Gvir and Religious Zionism leader Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister.

Israeli settlers burnt Palestinian homes and cars on Sunday evening in retaliation for the murders of two Israeli brothers in the town

Noam leader Avi Maoz (left) with Benjamin Netanyahu

Israeli outlaws’ ISRAELI HELP FOR HUWARA

More than 11,000 Israelis have donated almost £400,000 to help support victims of the rampage by Israeli settlers in Huwara.

The online campaign was launched by Labor party member Yaya Fink the morning after the attacks.

“As a religious person, as a Zionist, as a Christian, as a human being, I cannot remain silent when my people, with the support of elected o cials, burn villages,” Fink said. He referred to comments made by Jewish Power party lawmaker Zvika Foighel, who said he “looked favourably upon” the terror attacks committed in Huwara.

Hillel Yaniv, 22, and Yagel Yaniv,

and fleeing on foot to Jericho. The IDF is still searching for the suspects.

Ganeles grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut in the United States before but emigrating to Israel, where he joined the army as a ‘lone soldier’. In 2018, he returned to the USA to study for a degree at Columbia University in New York.

Eight Palestinians have been arrested since, but none of them is believed to have carried out any of the two deadly terrorist

attacks.

National security minister

Itamar Ben-Gvir said the only proper way to respond to the attacks was to rebuild an evacuated, illegal settlement outpost known as Evyatar in the northern West Bank.

His call came after a large group of settlers were forcibly removed from Evyatar by Israeli security forces. The group had gathered to

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich liked this tweet (later deleted) by Samaria Council deputy head Davidi Ben Zion: ‘The village of Hawara should be erased today... there is no room for mercy’

reclaim the outpost in response to the killing of Hallel and Yagel.

“I want to see that place burn. Metaphorically,” Foighel, who chairs the Knesset National Security Committee, said the morning after the attacks, causing the opposition leader to call for Foighel to be jailed for inciting terrorism.

The UK ambassador to Israel, Neil Wigan, condemned the killing of the two Israelis while calling on Israel to “tackle settler violence, with those responsible brought to justice”.

The British consulate in Jerusalem issued a strong-worded condemnation of the attacks, saying it was “horrified” by the scenes of settler violence, urging Israel to “hold perpetrators of this dreadful crime to account.”

 Donate here: https://giveback.co.il

20. Their murder sparked violent retaliation

News / Kosher kebabs

Oh my nosh! Reubens wins Jewish News kebab award

by Lee Harpin lee@jewishnews.co.uk

Much-loved deli Reubens beat tasty competition to land the Best Kosher Shawarma Restaurant prize at this week’s prestigious British Kebab Awards.

At a plush ceremony in Westminster’s Plaza Hotel, attended by 1,200 people, including MPs, journalists and many restaurant owners and sta , Reubens became the first winners of the newly-created kosher category, partnered by Jewish News.

The British Kebab Awards has become one of the most popular ceremonies of the year, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Labour leader Keir Starmer among scores of politicians sending messages of support.

Reubens chief Lee Landau was loudly cheered as he collected his award on stage, where he was joined by Jewish News’ Justin Cohen, who had first come up with the idea of introducing a kosher category.

Landau was presented with the award by

Westminster Council leader Adam Hug and Just Eat’s Robin Clark.

After collecting Reubens award, Landau told Jewish News: “It was a real honour and privilege to receive the award. It’s actually 50 years now for Reubens, we opened back in 1973. People ask why our food is special, I say it’s our magic touch. We try our very hardest to give all of our customers the best food we possibly can. It’s just fantastic that we’ve been honoured in this way tonight.”

The event – which saw former Tory Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi and Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner both give speeches – was started over a decade ago as a way of honouring Britain’s kebab industry and its workers, who generate around £3billion to the economy each year.

Golders Green’s Pita, Bricky’s in Shenley, Balgan in Borehamwood, Shefa Mehadrin in Prestwich, Greater Manchester, Balady Alaesh in Temple Fortune, Sami’s Restaurant in Hendon, and Samis, Edgware, along with Saba Borehamwood. Other awards on the night included best restaurant by region, best kebab house by region, and best kebab van, best fine dining, best Lebanese and best chef sections.

Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey was among those to hand out gongs.

British Kebab Awards founder Ibrahim Dogus was loudly applauded after he gave a speech in which he urged attendees to support his charitable e orts to raise money for the victims of the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Dogus, whose father arrived in this country as an asylum seeker from Turkey, has previously spoken of his enormous respect and close friendship with many in the Jewish community in this country.

He said: “We are very proud of launcing the first kosher kebab award in partnership with Jewish News. Reubens is a 50-year-old brilliant business in Westminster and plays a significant role in the local community. Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to Jewish News for supporting the awards.”

Among the MPs at the event were ex-Conservative minister Sasjid Javid, Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker, and MP Caroline Noakes. Jewish Labour MPs Alex Sobel and Charlotte Nichols both hailed the inclusion of a kosher category at the ceremony for the first time. Nichols said: “It feels kind of natural there’s a kosher category at the event after all these years. We all know that kebabs are big deal among the community and in Israel. It’s brilliant that this has been recognised. It feels kind of validating.”

Nichols also said the ceremony was not just about cuisine, but all served as an important reminder of how communities such as Jewish and Muslim ones had strong historic links.

Sobel added: “This ceremony is not just about kebabs, it’s all the traditions of all the countries surrounding the Mediterranean. It’s about Greece, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, we have these shared traditions and should celebrate them.”

@lmharpin

After collecting Reubens award, Landau

Reubens saw o tough competition in the best kosher shawarma category. The other nominees were

Reubens’ Lee Landau with his award-winning dish and (right) at the awards

Staff at Reubens yesterday celebrating their victory in the Jewish News kosher category at the National Kebab Awards

Banning IRGC will have power, says exiled prince BERGER’S BACK IN

Proscribing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) would have the effect of “pulling out the biggest tooth the regime has” Tehran’s exiled crown prince has claimed, writes Lee Harpin.

Reza Pahlavi, the son and heir to the last Shah of Iran, has been living in exile since his father was deposed in 1979.

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph during a trip to London, he urged the UK government to “understand” the impact a full ban of the IRGC would have domestically in Iran.

“It will send a strong message to the regime but at the same time to those who are still part of that organisation to say, maybe it’s time for us to bail out,” he said. “Because as long as we are stigmatised by being associated with it, our fate is sealed.

“In other words, you’re pulling the biggest tooth that the regime has out, you’re weakening it. And weakening the regime has a direct diametric effect of strengthening the people.

“You simply are paralysing them as much as you can, limiting their capabilities while sending a very strong message to the nation and to the regime that we’re not going to take this any longer.”

There are claims that Whitehall is divided over the impact of proscribing the IRGC. Proscription would make it a criminal offence to belong to the IRGC, attend its meetings, carry its logo in public or encourage support of its activities.

The IRGC was founded as an ideological custodian of Iran’s 1979 revolution but has since morphed into a major military, political and economic force in the country. It is claimed that foreign

secretary James Cleverly is among those who believe proscribing the group could impact negatively on British interests. Security official, meanwhile, have shared their own intelligence on the IRGC with home office officials.

Pahlavi also spoke of the shift in opinion over whether it was possible to achieve reforms in Tehran. He said: “A nation now calls ‘death to the dictator’.  Editorial comment, page 18

Luciana Berger has rejoined Labour after Keir Starmer wrote to her and apologised for the “disgusting” antisemitism and death threats she endured under Jeremy Corbyn.

The 41-year-old former Liverpool Wavertree MP told Starmer she wished to “finish what you have started”.

The Labour leader tweeted: “I’m delighted Luciana has accepted my invitation to rejoin Labour. My test for change was whether those who were rightly appalled by how far we had fallen believe this is their party again.

“I know we’ve more to do but we’re unrecognisable from the party that forced her out.”

The Sunday Times said Starmer wrote to Berger the day the Equality and Human Rights Commission gave the party a clean bill of health over its handling of antiJewish racism.

In his letter Starmer wrote: “It is almost four years to the day since you left our Labour Party. I say ‘our’ deliberately.

You left because you were forced out by intimidation, thuggery and racism. Yours was a principled and brave move. But it was one you should never have been forced to take. That day will forever be a stain on Labour’s history.

“I don’t need to explain to you the litany of failures that left you — a Labour MP with a huge future ahead of you — no longer feeling welcome in your own party. Instead, I want to once again apologise.”

Berger replied: “I am looking forward to... working with you to continue what you have started. It is time to replace this reckless and divisive government and ultimately make the difference our country so desperately deserves.” She quit Labour in 2019 over antisemitism and the failure to counter Brexit. Another Jewish former MP, Dame Louise Ellman, has also rejoined the party.

In further good news for Starmer, Lord Sainsbury has donated £2m to the party.

care for complete peace of mind

Qasem Soleimani, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, was killed in 2020

Auschwitz to restore 8,000 pairs of children’s shoes

A Jewish Israeli philanthropist living in Dubai has hailed the work of partners in reaching a sixfigure fundraising target to save around 8,000 pairs of children’s shoes at Auschwitz from disintegrating, writes Joy Falk.

Eitan Neishlos, of the Neishlos Foundation, teamed up with International March of the Living, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, and the Auschwitz Memorial, to raise €500,000 (£438,000) from donors to save the tiny footwear that has become so symbolic for millions of visitors to the former death camp.

“I am so happy and moved that this historic project is happening,” says Neishlos, whose foundation contributed €100,000. “The shoes are a symbol of a life lost and every shoe represents a story that is the whole world. It was very personal for me. The inspiration of the foundation is my late grandmother’s story. I discovered her memoirs in a shoebox.”

Born in Israel, brought up in South Africa, and later a Jewish community leader while living in Australia, Neishlos has focused much of his efforts of late on cementing peaceful relations between Israelis and Arabs, Jews and Muslims, in the Gulf.

This follows the landmark Abraham Accords signed between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco in 2020, which

represents “a gift from the leadership” of these countries, he says.

“Education is a hard power. I made the decision to relocate [to Dubai] because although [the Accords] is a political agreement, we need to sustain it by developing commerce and cultural kinship between our respective communities. I believe it’s a duty.”

In the past 12 months, there have been seismic educational shifts as a result, with Emirati schoolchildren having begun to learn about the Holocaust, while Moroccan children now learn about Jews, Judaism, and the benefits of interfaith relations.

Fighting antisemitism through Holocaust education “under the shaded palm of the Abraham Accords” is a key aim of his foundation, says Neishlos. “And because of the comments made recently by certain leaders, celebrities, and sports people trying to distort history and evidence, the time is now.”

The philanthropist has set his sights on Jewish museums with learning centres, envisioning “digital programmes connecting them to Auschwitz, for example”, but the big prize is weaving Holocaust education into Arab states’ school curriculums. “We have the right formula to inspire a Righteous generation,” he says.

The UAE is known for its tolerance, with

people of 200 different cultures and religions living in peaceful co-existence, so it is little surprise to Jewish interfaith activists that the Emirates have become an Arabic role model in the field.

Just over a week ago, Neishlos was one of several Jewish figures to attend the opening in Abu Dhabi of the Abrahamic Family House, where there is a mosque, a church and a synagogue, all of which sit over a secular visitor pavilion. David Adjaye, the British architect, said the house

“will serve as a community for inter-religious dialogue and exchange, nurturing the values of peaceful co-existence and acceptance among different beliefs, nationalities, and cultures”.

Neishlos says he is “in the right place” to begin to advance plans for an improved educational rollout, referring to the UAE. “The leadership here is setting the right example by allowing me as a Jew and as an Israeli to not only flourish with business here, but to flourish with this particular mission.”

Eitan Neishlos (second right), whose foundation is funding a fifth of the £450k project

In a message to the borough’s Stamford Hill community, Labour mayor Philip Glanville wrote of the need for people to be “particularly

‘Blackface’ warning for Purim costumes Twitter bans group following CST alert

The far-right extremist group Patriotic Alternative has been suspended from Twitter after the Community Security Trust accused it of using social media to promote antisemitism and racism to its followers.

CST had reported accounts run by group activists Mark Collett, Laura Towler and Sam Melia to Twitter, saying they belonged to an extreme right-wing antisemitic organisation.

It followed a series of inflammatory posts by Collett, the group’s leader, and his blue tick status after new Twitter owner Elon Musk allowed users to purchase o cial verification.

Collett, a former chairman of Young BNP, was once recorded boasting: “Hitler will live forever.” He has enjoyed renewed popularity with Patriotic Alternative, which has aimed to stir up hatred in recent weeks toward asylum seekers who are housed in hotels in the UK.

mindful when choosing fancy dress to avoid costumes that can stereotype or o end other communities”.

The warning follows the emergence last year of individuals who were videoed taking part in Purim celebrations in blackface and Rastafarian clothing, which sparked anger.

In a leaflet distributed to the community, Glanville wrote of Purim being a “joyful occasion” and one in which “cultural histories” could rightly be celebrated.

He added that the Charedi community was “such an important part of our unique and special borough” but that there was also a need to “respect the traditions and identity and dignity of other community groups, which is why I am asking for people in Stamford Hill to be particularly mindful when choosing fancy dress”.

On social media Collett has frequently backed ideas around “great replacement theory” along with tropes about Jewish power.

Towler, Patriotic Alternative’s deputy leader, was previously suspended from Twitter, but returned in December 2021.

He recently praised Musk for allowing more anti-immigrant sentiment to be published. Europe’s Jews may feel less attached to their home countries than the general population but are still more inclined towards where they live than other minorities, a new report reveals.

As

JEWS LIKE OWN COUNTRY AND THE EU – NEW POLL

Analysts at the London-based Institute of Jewish Policy Research (JPR) explored data behind the antisemitic trope that Jews do not truly “belong” or have “divided loyalties” between their home countries and Israel, and found a divergent picture.

Across Europe, the study found “a lower proportion of Jews feel ‘very strongly attached’ to their home countries than the general population, but a higher proportion of Jews feel ‘very strongly attached’ to the EU”. Answers from more than 16,300 Jews in 12 EU member states over several years show that views di er greatly from country to country, with researchers also testing European Jews’ attachment to the European project.

In some cases, there is greater attachment to Israel; in others, Jews feel far more inclined toward where they live. Danish and Polish Jews, for instance, feel almost twice as much attachment to Denmark and Poland than to Israel, whereas Jews in Germany feel almost twice as attached to the Jewish state.

Jews’ attachment toward the EU is higher in all 12 states than among total populations, which the study said made Jews “stand out”.

This pro-EU stance was “particularly strong” in central and eastern European states such as Hungary and Austria.

In the UK, 42 percent of Jews felt “very strongly attached” to the country, compared with 54 percent of the total population that felt the same, the report noted.

On the EU, the di erence was much smaller, with 14 percent feeling “very strongly attached” to Brussels compared with only 12 percent of Brits who echoed the sentiment.

To

The mayor of Hackney this week warned against the wearing of blackface as part of fancy dress ahead of the forthcoming Purim festival.

Jewish Swab Week registers 1,000 potential new donors

The Sue Harris Campaign has held its annual Jewish Swab Week. The event took place in 10 schools across London and Manchester as well as an expanded programme in Gateshead in four yeshivot and two girls’ seminaries, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

Between the two events the charity, which has played a major role in the worldwide effort to recruit Jewish stem cell donors, successfully registered more than 1,000 potential life-saving donors.

And, in wonderful news for the organisation, a donor recruited in 2002 is donating his stem cells. Chananya Landau, recruited at Menorah Grammar School for Boys, said: “A few months ago I found out that I was a full match for someone and here I am doing the stem cell donation now. It’s super easy and it doesn’t take more than a couple of days – it’s an amazing thing to do. You are saving a life. You have no idea what you could do for the world.”

Six other students recruited in recent years by the campaign are also known to have donated stem cells. Natalie Deller, coordinator of the Sue Harris Campaign said: “It’s fantastic to see our campaign delivering lifesaving opportunities. For those considering joining the stem cell

register, individuals like Chananya are exemplars of how the small act of swabbing your cheek makes a vital difference.”

A fortnight before Jewish Swab Week, the Sue Harris Campaign initiated a pilot of its recruitment model in Luton, which is one of the UK’s most diverse communities. Blood cancer patients from ethnic

MIGHT YOU BE A DONOR FOR MURRAY?

Murray Foltyn aged 41, formerly of Hampstead, now living in Sydney, Australia, urgently needs an unrelated stem cell donor to help save his life.

Married to Claudia and with two young children – Jamie (three-yearsold) and Georgia (just nine months), Murray’s potential lifesaver is likely to share his Ashkenazi background and have Czech or Russian ancestors. Indeed, he can trace his family back to the village of Trnava (today part of Slovakia) or Morava Ostrava (today close to the border of Poland).

minorities or of mixed heritage in need of a matching unrelated stem cell donor have vastly inferior chances compared to white counterparts.

This is because 70 percent of all registered stem cell donors are white, even though 88 percent of the world’s population is not.

WE PROTECT

The Sue Harris Campaign will be running recruitment drives on the evening of Monday 6 March at Purim events at several sites in London and also at Jewish societies across the country.

 For further details and as well as how to order a postal swab kit if you are unable to attend one of these in-person events, go to sueharris.org.uk

Rachel Riley headlines digital hate talk at JFS

An Israel charity held a firstof-its-kind digital conference at JFS tackling online antisemitism, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

The event organised by StandWithUs, saw more than 200 students from JFS, Immanuel and Yavneh colleges in attendance.

Guest speakers including Rachel Riley addressed the crowd, while workshops were given to help pupils identify antisemitism and disinformation relating to Israel and how to effectively counter it.

The digital conference

‘Swipe Up, Rise Up’ (see page three) sought to provide students with the necessary tools needed to tackle the misinformation and disinformation which is seeped into social media platforms.

Speakers included Noam Koren, director of digital strategy at StandWithUs and Ben Rebuck from the Instagram ‘Ben’s Vegan Kitchen’. They shared personal experiences of countering antisemitic hatred online and what drives their work.

In between each talk, students were put into workshops

giving them hands on practical skills to help cope with the content they face online daily.

Students were given the unique opportunity to partake in an interactive expo showcasing all the different community organisation there to help support them as they progress through their educational careers and beyond.

Organisations like BICOM, UK Lawyers for Israel, Tribe, MASA Israel, We Believe in Israel, Bnei Akiva, FZY, The Warehouse, Magen David Adom, as well as CST were all represented.

YOUNG PATRONS RAISE £140K

Some 400 young Jewish Care supporters gathered at The Londoner Hotel for the charity’s Young Patrons dinner, raising more than £140,000 to support its services.

Guests heard from Kurt Marx, Holocaust survivor and member of Jewish Care’s Holocaust Survivors’ Centre, who arrived in the UK on Kindertransport in 1939.

A short film shared with guests brought to life what the charity’s services and Holocaust Survivors’ Centre mean to the people who need and use them. Nicole Ashton, chair of the young patrons committee and young Jewish Care committee, appealed to guests to give generously, highlighting the need of both financial

support and volunteering from younger members of the community.

Ashton said: “I have been fortunate to witness first-hand how committed Jewish Care is to ensuring that thousands of older people live life to the full.

“I hope you will donate as generously as you can to help Jewish Care through the cost-ofliving crisis so that we can continue to be there for older members of our community and their families.”

Holocaust survivor, Kurt Marx, spoke about the many ways that Jewish Care’s Holocaust Survivors’ Centre members feel supported by the charity and shared his own story.

Setting an example: Chananya Landau donating stem cells

J’lem summit is a ‘dream come true’

Isaac Herzog has praised a summit involving the biggest business delegation from the Gulf as something that “would have been pure fantasy a few years ago”, writes Nicole Lampert.

The Israeli president opened the Our Crowd summit, the biggest investor event in the Middle East for start-up companies, saying he was particularly happy to see so many delegates from Israel’s new partners for peace.

“It is an inspiring reminder of what can become possible with good will, openness and the intention to harness our collective creativity towards finding solutions that benefit us all.”

More than 8,500 people from 80 countries attended the summit in Jerusalem, which was founded 10 years ago by Israeli American Jon Medved. The big focus was on sustainability with about 200 start-ups featuring everything from milk made from cow DNA to drones which can help with reforesting.

This year marks the first Our Crowd event since the Abraham Accords and both Abu Dhabi and Morocco housed large stands.

“This is a dream come true,” said Medved, of hosting the event with so many people from the rest of the Middle East. “We are here in Jerusalem talking about how we cooperate, how the children of Abraham get together to essentially bring goodness to the world. One in which the Middle East, instead of being a source of conflict becomes a source of blessing.”

FINCHLEY MAN FINDS PROOF OF ANCIENT KING OF PERSIA

When two friends went for a walk through an Israeli national park and archaeological site late last year, a piece of broken ceramic they found stood out as being of immediate interest.

The shard in Tel Lachish, an area of ruins with a rich biblical history, bore an Aramaic inscription. In what was once an ancient Canaanite and Israelite city, the pair suspected that they had stumbled across a piece of history.

They sent it o to be studied by experts from the Israel Antiquities Authority, who soon reported that what they had found was evidence for the Persian royal administration at Lachish

in the Archaemenid period around 2,500 years ago.

The inscription reads ‘Year 24 of Darius’, in reference to Persian king Darius the Great, father of Ahasuerus, also known as the biblical Achashverosh from the Book of Esther, read at Purim.

“When I picked it up and saw the inscription my hands shook,” said Eylon Levy, who found the shard while out with his friend Yakov Ashkenazi.

“I looked left and right for the cameras. I was sure someone was playing a prank on me.”

Levy, who grew up in Finchley, now lives in Israel and works as an international media adviser to President Herzog.

Hospital removes Gaza art following complaints

Artwork by Palestinian children at Chelsea and Westminster hospital has been removed after UK Lawyers for Israel raised concerns that it made Jewish patients feel “vulnerable, harassed and victimised”, writes Lee Harpin.

UKLFI wrote to the chief executive of the London hospital’s trust, saying it had been contacted by patients o ended by the display.

The hospital confirmed that the work, a collaboration between children in Gaza and the hospital’s own school, had “o ended some communities”.

It had been displayed at

children’s outpatients and included plates showing the Dome of the Rock, with a Palestinian flag. Another showed Palestinian fisherman, with text suggesting a national coastline ran from Gaza’s

border with Egypt to Israel’s border with Lebanon, contrary to Israel’s 1948 borders.

UKLFI said: “We asked for [it] to be removed because of the propaganda, not because it was by children from Gaza.”

Protecting and securing the Jewish community in the UK against antisemitism is what we do. From the streets of London in the 1950s through to the hate-filled internet chatrooms of today, CST will leave no stone unturned in the fight against those who wish to do us harm. This is not something that we can do without your ongoing and long-term support.

A legacy to CST will ensure that our community is not only protected against the continuous threat of antisemitism but is also given the security necessary to flourish in the future. Contact us on 020 8457 3700 or email legacy@cst.org.uk.

The artwork was at the entrance to children’s outpatients

President Herzog at the business event

The shard found in Israel

German president salutes Kinder memorial

The president of the German federal parliament, the Bundestag, visited the Kindertransport monument at Liverpool Street Station to coincide with the 85th anniversary of the initiative that saved Jewish children from the Nazis, writes Adam Decker.

Bärbel Bas placed a stone beside the famous memorial statue, in the presence of Kinder and their families.

Also attending were representatives from the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) and World Jewish Relief, as well as Lord Eric Pickles, the UK government’s special envoy for post-Holocaust issues.

The Kindertransport rescue programme ran between November 1938 and September 1939 and saw some 10,000 mostly Jewish children carried from their homes and families in Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia to Britain.

AJR, which delivers social, welfare and volunteer services to Jewish victims of Nazi oppression living in the UK, arranged for several Kinder including Kurt Marx BEM, Susie Barnett BEM, Rolf Penzias, Ingeborg Hamilton and Dame Stephanie Shirley, to attend the London tribute.

Bas said: “We must never lose sight of the past, that is my firm conviction. When we talk about the future, we must be conscious of history.

“That is why it was so important to me to come here during my visit to London in order to remember the persecution of the Jews by Nazi Germany, and thank the UK for saving more than 10,000 Jewish children from the prospect of being murdered.

“We remain indebted and immensely grateful to organisations such as the Association of Jewish Refugees and World Jewish

Relief for the important contribution they continue to make today.

“I am deeply moved to stand at the memorial with some of the children who were rescued to talk with them, and remember what happened to them.”

Kinder Kurt Marx who arrived by Kindertransport from Cologne in 1939, said: “It seems incredible that I’m standing here, alongside the president of the German Bundestag. In a climate of rising Holocaust distortion, it is so important the first generation stand alongside today’s German government to remember.”

AJR CEO Michael Newman said: “We are immensely grateful to president Bas for including this visit in her itinerary. It is an important symbol of reconciliation and helps strengthen links today between the AJR, the former refugees and Germany.”

Meals on wheels duo retire after 30 years

The Association of Jewish Refugees has said farewell to two dedicated sta who ran its community meals on wheels service for members, many of whom fled Nazi Europe as child refugees.

After nearly three decades o ering fresh meals and a friendly face on a weekly basis, Annie Hurley and Sid Grant have stepped down because there isn’t enough demand to continue.

The service began in 1998, serving 80,000 meals during its lifetime and often a lifeline for AJR members, especially during the Covid-19 lockdown.

AJR’s service supported 85 people in 2000, but by 2023 numbers had fallen to between 10-14.

With 28 December 2022 marking its last delivery, Annie Hurley told Jewish News: “It could be because of Covid,

because a few people went into homes, but quite a few others passed away.”

She spent nearly 23 years at the service, beginning at the AJR day centre just o West End Lane in NW6, volunteering three times a week as a carer before being promoted to a paid role.

“I delivered twice a week, Tuesday and Friday. Literally all over the place. The furthest was out in Watford. Our

nearest was round the corner. The people we helped were all lovely. They all became my family. I miss them.”

AJR CEO Michael Newman said: “We are proud of our long history supporting members . Annie and Sid are fantastic examples of this dedication.”

AJR has found an alternative meals service for remaining members through local suppliers.

Bärbel Bas at the famous Liverpool Street memorial

Annie and Sid

COMING TO LONDON COMING TO LONDON

SUNDAY 26/03/23 AT THE

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News / Alf Huberman / D-Day memories

RAF hero dies just before turning 100

A Royal Air Force bomber hero who flew a death-defying 38 missions over Nazi Germany has died four months short of his 100th birthday, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

Born in 1923 in West Ham, Alfred (Alf) Huberman enlisted with the RAF in 1941 and joined 576 and 83 Squadron flying Lancasters out of Scunthorpe. As rear gunner, he flew 38 missions when the average number at the time was just five. He told his family he was on training missions so as not to worry them – some 55,573 Bomber Command men died during the war.

Proud daughter Michelle told Jewish News: “Most of my father’s colleagues died after one or two sorties. It was a miracle. His passing hasn’t come as a surprise, although we were hoping that he’d make his 100 birthday as he had always wanted to.”

Some 20,000 Jewish men and women joined the RAF during the war to fight the Nazis. Alf was advised to change the religion stamp on his identity tags before flying over Germany but refused, saying: “I’ve lived my life as a Jew and I’ll die as a Jew.”

“My father was a very complex man,” says Michelle. “He was shaped by his war experiences. He was an artist. He was a fashion designer and businessman. He loved Israel although he never

went. He always followed it very closely but after the RAF he didn’t want to fly. He rarely went abroad – being in an airplane brought back too many traumatic memories.”

Huberman lived with his family in Hampstead Garden Suburb and was vice chairman of the Bomber Command Association (BCA).

His daugher continued: “My dad was a real East End boy and fought in the battle of Cable Street, rolling marbles under the feet of the police horses. He was also involved in fundraising for the BCA monument at Green Park – he worked closely on that with Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees and was upset when Robin died.

“He was at the RAF o ces in Colindale every day. He’d open all the post, write the replies; old -fashioned, hand-written replies to little old ladies who had put £3 in an envelope because that was all they could a ord. He really made a point of thanking everyone and doing all it took. His main focus was to be a proud Jew.”

Alf leaves a widow, Thelma, 93, sons Paul and Peter, daughters Michelle and Corinne, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Daughter Sandy passed away in 2016.

D-DAY VET SUPPORTS £150K MILITARY FUNDRAISER

A JFS student has interviewed a 98-year-old D-Day veteran for a fundraising drive for the Jewish Military Association, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

Part of a 36-hour campaign for AJEX, 18-year-old cadet Edgar Santos and Mervyn Kersh met at the House of Life in Willesden Jewish Cemetery and discussed Kersh’s time as a soldier. Called up to serve at the same age

Santos is now, Kersh spoke of the importance of keeping remembrance through the annual AJEX parade and ceremony and education in schools, and how vital it is today’s youth continue the legacy of Jewish servicemen and women who fought for freedom. He added: “Connecting the older generation with the newer generation is very important. In ten years’ time

there will be nobody left who was in the war [World War II]. It is important education is passed on to a younger generation, so it can be continued. It mustn’t be allowed to disappear.”

In another part of the campaign, AJEX last Sunday, 26 February, hosted an exclusive interview with the charity’s national chair, Dan Fox, discussing with Rachel Riley MBE her thoughts on

combating antisemitism and what she has faced in the public eye.

The two interviews were part of a fundraising campaign to raise £150,000 to ensure AJEX can continue its work.

Chief executive Fiona Palmer said: “Our duty is to care. People rely on our help and we can’t do all of this without the care and help of people from across the community.”

Mervyn with Edgar

involved in fundraising for the

Alfred in recent years and (inset) second right

News / Yoni Jesner Memorial

Mirvis and Welby lament ‘vanishing of religion from our public squares’

by Jenni Frazer @JenniFrazer

The Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, has praised the Archbishop of Canterbury as “one of our greatest friends, a friend of Jews and of Judaism”.

Archbishop Welby, meanwhile, spoke of actions taken in Israel “about which I have heard both the Board of Deputies and the chief rabbi express concern”. Recently this had been the vandalism of Christian graves in Jerusalem. The condemnation of such actions was “hugely appreciated”, said Welby, adding that the Jerusalem church leaders believed such immediate responses helped them in their relationship with Israeli authorities.

The two men were in conversation this week to mark the 20th anniversary of the death of a Glasgow Jewish student, Yoni Jesner, killed in

a suicide bombing in Israel in September 2002.

In an often emotional discussion, moderated by journalist Jonathan Freedland, Welby said he was “privileged” to take part in the memorial for Jesner, and was aware that there would be “families in Israel” currently mourning in the same way the Jesner family had 20 years before.

Both religious leaders were asked what were the most difficult conversations they had. The archbishop said the most pressing problem was not with people of other faiths, but with “religious illiteracy’”.

This sentiment was echoed by the Chief Rabbi, who said he lamented “the marginalisation of religion today, to some extent the vanishing of religion from the public square”.

Friends for more than 10 years, the two men pulled no punches when it came to dis-

cussing how religious belief played out in public. Chief Rabbi Mirvis recalled “the way in which Tony Blair ‘didn’t do God’, his momentous speech in parliament prior to sending British troops o to fight in Iraq. In his prepared script, he was going to conclude, ‘May God bless you’, and it was taken out by his advisers.”

Challenged by Freedland to say how far they might go in expressing controversial views on something like BBC Radio’s Thought for the Day, the two men gently teased each other over their contributions. “I wish I could do it like you,” Welby told Mirvis, who responded that he had enjoyed the archbishop’s message a few days before. “Well, if you swing the bat enough, you’re bound to hit the ball occasionally,” joked the archbishop.

More seriously, the chief rabbi said that while it was

possible to be a crowd-pleaser, it was more important to deliver a spiritual message to encourage people to lead better lives — “Otherwise why are we in the positions we are?”

Welby described antisem-

itism as “the taproot of all racism in European society”.

He recalled a phone conversation with the chief rabbi before the 2019 election in which Mirvis declared his intention to speak out about what was

happening in the Labour Party. “I said immediately, I will support you,” Welby recalled. “I know my history: you have to cut these things o straight away, because if you don’t, they become overwhelming.”

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis with Jonathan Freedland (left) and Archbishop Justin Welby

Photo by Marc Morris

Zelensky wants Bibi in Ukraine for talks Israeli space telescope on launchpad

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has told visiting Israeli officials he would like to see prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu visit Kyiv.

Zelensky extended the informal invitation at a meeting with foreign minister Eli Cohen and repeated the request during talks with Likud’s Yuli Edelstein and National Unity MK Ze’ev Elkin, according to an Israeli official.

The official added there are currently no concrete plans for Netanyahu to visit, although Ukraine has lobbied for Jerusalem to up its level of aid, including providing defensive weaponry.

Another official told The Times of Israel Zelensky is not interested in a photo opportunity with Netanyahu but would host him if Israel delivers on recent promises for more aid.

Ukraine is also asking Israel to speed delivery of a civilian early-warning system Jerusalem has promised in lieu of anti-missile systems. Cohen said it would take between three and six months for the system to arrive.

Ukraine has reportedly yet to send a team to Israel to discuss the matter.

Kyiv and the West have pushed for Israel to provide elements of its vaunted missile defence array, saying it could save countless lives from Russian rocket attacks on civilian homes and infrastructure.

On Sunday, six Ukrainians were killed in the southern city of Kherson when a rocket struck a busy street, underlining the urgency of the requested help.

Israel has stalled repeated requests from Ukraine for military support, arguing that it needs to maintain a working relationship with

FIRST WEDDING HELD AT NEW UAE SYNAGOGUE

The first Jewish wedding to take place at the newly-inaugurated Abrahamic Family House in the United Arab Emirates has been celebrated, writes Jotam Confino.

Avi Berkowitz, former assistant to US president Donald Trump, was married at the Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue, one of three houses of worship in the interfaith building in Abu Dhabi.

Berkowitz worked alongside Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who was the leading force behind the signing of the Abraham Accords which saw Israel normalise ties with the UAE and Bahrain.

The Abrahamic Family

House is the first of its kind in the Middle East and was designed by British architect

A member of the European Parliament was turned round at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport and sent back to her native Spain after attempting to enter Israel on a diplomatic mission to the Palestinian Authority.

Israeli officials said Ana Miranda, from the Galicia region, participated in a 2015 flotilla that tried to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli law bans supporters of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement – US politicans Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar were also refused entry in 2019.

Sir David Adjaye, whose company was selected in 2019 to design the historic and pacesetting building.

“Essentially, the inspiration was to understand that the three religions really emanate from this extraordinary region,” Adjaye said last year.

The synagogue features a main sanctuary, two mikvot, beit midrash and a residence for a young rabbinical couple who will live on site.

It is located in the Saadiyat cultural district in the capital of the UAE with visitors now welcome to pray in the three houses of worship.

Public access and guided tours began this week.

Russia, which controls the skies over Syria that Israel uses to prevent Iran establishing a military presence on its northern border.

Thus far, Israel has agreed to provide Ukraine with $22.5 million in humanitarian aid and set up a field hospital to treat injured Ukrainians during the early days of the war.

NASA is set to launch Israel’s first space telescope in 2026, allowing scientists to observe the universe as never before.

The US space agency and Israel’s Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology have agreed a partnership to send the Ultraviolet Transient Astronomy Satellite, or ULTRASAT, into highEarth orbit.

Israel’s Space Agency and the Weizmann Institute of Science are behind the project, saying the telescope is expected to “revolutionise scientists’ ability to detect and analyse transient events in the universe, such as neutron star mergers and supernova explosions”.

Compared to observatories on earth, ULTRASAT has an unprecedented field of view of 204 square degrees, which is a “100-fold leap in the extra-galactic volume accessible to scientists for the discovery of transient sources”.

ULTRASAT will also be able to measure ultraviolet light that can’t be measured from Earth and help unravel questions such as the impact of black holes on their environments.

However, Miranda’s ban has started a row after the US-based newspaper Politico obtained emails from Israel’s foreign ministry that appear to grant Miranda permission to visit.

Miranda told Politico: “It’s a diplomatic conflict [and] it’s intolerable that Israel exerts control over members of a delegation that’s going to Palestine, not going to Israel.”

EU parliament president Roberta Metsola said she was “deeply disappointed” by the incident and would be contacting Israel’s authorities to clarify what happened.

Netanyahu pictureed with the Ukrainian president during a 2019 visit to Kyiv

Inside the new synagogue

Let’s be role models for adults with CP

A Jewish mum-of-three from Whetstone who has cerebral palsy is urging the community to become a centre of excellence in helping adults with the condition, writes Adam Decker.

Emma Livingstone co-founded UP – the Adult Cerebral Palsy Movement with Miriam Creeger, her physiotherapist, as a resource for adults, in part because the condition is seen as something children su er with.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain that a ects a person’s ability to control his or her muscles. Around 165,000 people in the UK are a ected, and support in adulthood can be lacking.

“If you live in an area with a specialist community neurology team, they may be able to support you,” says Creeger. “If you just have a generic community team, that sees people with all di erent issues, then they may not have those specialist skills.”

NHS community neuro rehabilitation teams are described as “teams of

therapists working with people after a stroke or acquired brain injury”, but Livingstone says even they might not be able to help those with CP.

“They don’t have the resources to support someone with CP, even in these community neuro teams. Because CP is not recognised as a neuro condition, you don’t get seen. The entrance criteria is, you’ve had a stroke or you’ve got a sudden onset condition like Parkinson’s or MS.”

There is, however, an opportunity to roll out a model of best practice in the Jewish community, says Livingstone, and this would help the arguments for resources at a national level. “There must be 700-800 Jewish people in the UK with CP, and 500 probably live in London or the southeast,” she says. “The Jewish community has always been a beacon of support for people. Historically, they have done that really well.”

Livingstone says that when she was a speech and language working with special needs children, if she knew they were Jewish she knew the

“avenues of support” that were available. “Similarly, when I had my own [hip] surgery, I could speak to Norwood and Jewish Care about them supporting my children.

“But much like the rest of society, for people with physical disabilities there isn’t a space for them within the Jewish network. People with physical disabilities do not have a natural home within the Jewish community’s charity sector.”

She and Creeger want to build models of good practice, “whether that’s showing the e ectiveness of a CP nurse or advocate, or else showing the benefits of multi-disciplinary team annual reviews, which they don’t get at the moment”. They want to show the government or the clinical commissioners what works. “We need those models of good practice where we can prove what we’re saying and where we can show it in action.

“There is an opportunity in the Jewish community to do that – to not only serve the Jewish people with CP who are being underserved as things

stand, but also to be a beacon for the UK to show how it can be done both di erently and e ectively.”

Organisations such as JDA (the Jewish Deaf Association) started o serving the Jewish community before growing to have a far wider remit, Livingstone argues. “It’s not about being exclusive, it’s about serving people who are currently underserved.”

It is the latest idea from a busy charity, which is now known as Up – the Adult Cerebral Palsy Movement. In recent months, it has commissioned a report from the AllParty Parliamentary Group on Cer-

jLiving

ebral Palsy, which set out minimum requirements for coordinated healthcare for adults with CP. Recommendations included regional specialised support services, clear care pathways and annual patient reviews. “At present, none of this is available as care drops o a cli face when people turn 18,” says Livingstone.

It has also begun a series of virtual networking events on topics such as adaptive fashion, parenting with CP and mental health, to help those with CP as well as their families and employers. With much more to come in 2023, watch this space.

Charity co-founders Emma Livingstone (left) and Miriam Creeger

A clear message to Iran’s terror army

It seems strange to label a 250,000-strong chunk of a nation’s armed forces as a terrorist entity, but if recent reports are to be believed, that is exactly what the UK will do when it comes to Iran.

Almost 10 years ago, the Zionist Federation began calling for Tehran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to be proscribed by the UK government.

Doing so would limit its supporters’ ability to navigate the world, either physically or financially.

Since then, calls have grown. The Israel Britain Alliance, led by a former MP, has prioritised proscription, while in recent years lobby group Conservative Friends of Israel has picked up the baton.

And last weekend, in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Reza Pahlavi – the son and heir to the last Shah of Iran who has been living in exile since his father was deposed by the current regime in 1979, urged the UK government to “understand” the impact a full ban of the IRGC would have domestically in Iran. It would have the effect, he said, of “pulling out the biggest tooth the regime has”.

The UK already sanctions the IRGC. Calling it a terrorist unit makes it a criminal offence to belong to the group, attend its meetings, or carry its logo in public.

The IRGC was founded as an ideological custodian of Iran’s 1979 revolution but has since morphed into a major military, political and economic force in the country.

According to analysts, it attacks Western oil tankers, shoots down Western drones over international waters, coordinates air strikes on Saudi oilfields and orders its Shia militia proxies to destabilise an entire region, to name but some of its hobbies and interests. Oh, and it is also a deadly adversary of Israel’s.

The UK government’s proscription of the IRGC – if that is what it is – has been rightly welcomed by Jewish community leaders. Its real-world effect may ultimately prove negligible, but as a signal to Israel and the Middle East as to where the UK sits, it speaks volumes.

Reforms are long overdue

Former Board of Deputies presidents Henry Grunwald and Vivian Wineman invoke democracy in their plea to Israel to “respect” its judiciary and not advance the proposed reforms (23 February).

Democracy means those who make laws have been vested with that authority by the majority of citizens by a simple one man, one vote system.

Therein lies the problem. Over the past some 35 years, Israel’s judiciary has abrogated to itself powers to override any laws enacted by the elected government not to its ideological taste, on the undefined basis of “reasonableness”.

The Supreme Court has judicial veto power over appointments to the bench which it uses to exclude jurisprudentially diverse judges, giving itself power unparalleled in any modern democracy.

Thus it’s unsurprising “past attorney generals and former Supreme Court justices” oppose the changes, as do the heads of Israel’s main universi-

ties, who tend towards the left. They are simply clones of one another. There was never any democratic mandate to bring in these changes, which diverged from the status quo ante of the first 40 years of Israel’s existence.

Given Grunwald and Wineman claim to believe in “the balance of powers between the executive, legislature and judiciary”, one wonders why they are so opposed to the reforms that would restore the balance of powers to what prevailed formerly. The “anguish” they claim to feel writing their piece is nothing to do with democracy, and everything to do with the loss of real power by the Left to dictate Israel’s policies, no matter who is nominally in charge, which is the driving force for the anti-government demonstrations.

The long overdue judicial reforms will strengthen democracy, not weaken it.

James R Windsor, Ilford

Henry Grunwald and Vivian Wineman wrote last week in support of the tens of thousands of Israelis who have taken to the streets to protest the legal reforms and asks Israel to respect its judiciary. I am writing in support of the millions who voted for the current government and the implementation of these reforms, and ask people, especially those that don’t live in Israel, to respect their choice.

Ann Cohen, Golders Green

PHOBIA FIGHT JUST SAYING... WHO CARES?

It is no surprise The Guardian praised Corbyn’s values (23 February). It certainly does not seem to be a “guardian” of honest, unbiased reporting and comment, so much so that one has to wonder what values and standards it does guard.

While not making any accusation about the BBC, The Guardian is known as being its house journal and any BBC employees who wish to advance their careers have to read it every day. Indeed, it places its job vacancies in that very newspaper. I’m not making any accusations. Like The Guardian, I am simply commenting.

Geoffrey Benstein, Harrow

In your Survation poll (you are coy about which group within Anglo Jewry was surveyed), 70 percent of British Jews thought Israelis don’t care what diaspora Jews think of Israel’s government or policies.

When Israelis tell diaspora Jews what to do, the diaspora ignores and resents them. Given the diaspora doesn’t care what Israelis think, why should Israelis care what the diaspora thinks?

Leave Israel alone to run its own affairs. It is in a better position to know how to do so than is the diaspora.

Warren S Grossman, By email

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Regarding your interview with Muslim charity boss Asif Aziz, who wants to join hands with Jewish organisations to fight Islamophobia (16 February), I urge caution. Perhaps it would be more fruitful if Muslim charities first dealt with Jew hate dressed as anti-Zionism before joining hands with Jews. Also, the term ‘Islamophobia’ is problematic. A better term would be ‘Muslimophobia’, which would be something we should all fight.

If we are to join hands, we should do so with Muslims who actively condemn Islamism and Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, ISIS and Al Qaeda. If Mr Aziz is sympathetic to this, it would be fruitful to do as he asks.

Wes Horowitz, By email

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Jewish News is owned by The Jacob Foundation, a registered UK charity promoting cohesion and common ground across the UK Jewish community and between British Jews and wider society. Jewish News promotes these aims by delivering dependable and balanced news reporting and analysis and celebrating the achievements of its vibrant and varied readership. Through the Jacob Foundation, Jewish News acts as a reliable and independent advocate for British Jews and a crucial communication vehicle for other communal charities.

‘What do you mean Roald Dahl’s publisher, Penguin Random House, has concluded that using the word ‘fat’ is now acceptable? I’ve just had my schmaltz re-labelled as ‘Rendered Chicken Enormous’!’

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That’s one Ukrainian helped every three minutes.

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Cartoon

We’re safe from AI rabbis for now – and ChatGPT agrees

minister of Israel again, but ask it any general question, and the answers it gives are startling.

If you have been reading the news in the last three months, I am sure you will have come across a new technology being described as “one of the most powerful language processing models ever created”. ChatGPT, as it is known, has passed law exams, medical exams and the Bar. It has been banned by many universities and high schools because students were presenting its auto-generated responses as their complete essay assignments and some teachers were finding it hard to untangle the student from the machine.

In short, ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence (‘AI’) engine developed by a company called OpenAI that has been ‘fed’ with billions of words from a variety of sources on the internet. Its data set only runs up to September 2021, so it knows nothing about the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, or Russia’s war in Ukraine, or the fact that Benjamin Netanyahu is prime

Think of it as a Google search, but instead of returning a list of reasonably prioritised websites or images, it responds with a natural language answer – a short paragraph, or even an essay,

Like all technology shifts, people always worry about how it will change our lives: the printing press, the weaving loom, the steam engine, the mobile telephone, and so on.

But as a community rabbi who is asked questions all the time, do I think that my job will be threatened by AI?

There is no doubt that the AI’s voracious devouring of information makes it sound authoritative, but sounding intelligent and being accurate are very di erent animals.

Many Jews will talk about asking ‘Rabbi Google’ for answers to various halachic or ethical questions; leading to the tongue-incheek response about not needing a rabbi any more. But the questions are generic in scope and, if people had the textual capabilities, it would be no more than an electronic enquiry for a traditionally book-based response, coupled with the fact that without broader

understanding, the responses themselves would not yield a pragmatic answer.

ChatGPT is an order of magnitude smarter in its analysis, speed and sheer access to information than a regular search engine; but beyond sometimes spectacularly missing the point in its responses, it often draws the reader’s attention to its own inherent limitations.

But when intelligence is logic-based, the response may have technical merit, but it severely lacks many things. Ultimately, what makes rabbis worth their salt is their vital combination of empathy, sensitivity and conviction. Without emotional intelligence, answers ring hollow. We all crave human connection. We are biologically, spiritually and emotionally attuned for these aspects of life. They are what is needed to help us with the most important questions that we will ever face: what is the meaning of our life and, ultimately, what is its purpose and ours?

As the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks beautifully described, the di erence between the seductive Ancient Greek culture and our own Jewish culture can be distilled down to fate versus hope, respectively.

In Greek tragedy, there is an inevitability. The hand of fate is set and no possibility exists to change it. In Judaism, there is always hope – the deep-seated belief that everything can be changed for the better. Even the inevitability of death is mitigated through memorials, dedications, legacies, inspiration and the feeling that we are never really left alone; ‘just’ bereaved.

The job of the rabbi, ultimately, is to set a course of fortitude and resilience for a community; to help people to feel supported, loved and guided through life’s challenges, to share in their celebrations and shepherd them through loss and sadness.

In my own experience, and those of my esteemed teachers, these capabilities are drawn from a deep knowledge, appreciation and application of Torah values, transmission of heritage and personally acquired experience of guiding teachers who had a love of the responsibility of passing on God’s Torah to current and future

generations.

Ordination was conferred not because of technical mastery of material, but because of the ordaining rabbi’s belief that the rabbi being ordained is a dedicated student of his master’s mentorship and personal faith. And finally, the ordained rabbi’s assumption and recognition of personal involvement in the lives of the community under their stewardship; to be there for them at all times. A high bar indeed.

In fact, I asked ChatGPT this question – can it ever replace a rabbi ? This was its response:

“While ChatGPT is a sophisticated language model that can provide information on a wide range of topics, it is unlikely that it will ever fully replace the need for a community rabbi.”

Community rabbis play a vital role in providing spiritual guidance, pastoral care, and leadership in their communities. They are trained and equipped to provide individualised support to community members, and to serve as a trusted source of wisdom and guidance in matters of faith, tradition, and community.

While ChatGPT can provide information on these topics, it cannot o er the same level of personalised support and connection a community rabbi can provide.

Additionally, community rabbis often play important roles in the daily life of their communities, leading services, teaching classes, and providing guidance and support during times of celebration and mourning. In short, while ChatGPT can be a useful resource for information and insights on tradition and practice, it cannot fully replace the vital role that community rabbis play in Jewish life.”

It sounds like the ultimate rabbinic speech to conclude a shul board meeting, or to share with the community from the pulpit, in case they – or I – doubt the rabbi’s value.

But my value must be in the connections I build and the vision I forge of a better world for those in my family and my community. How widely that community is defined is only limited by the extent to which I can envisage a bright and hope-filled future for all.

With God’s help, not ChatGPT’s.

When asked, ChatGPT replied that it cannot fully replace the need for a community rabbi

Even Israel’s library isn’t

JENNI FRAZER

What on earth is happening in Israel, I ask myself?

To be honest, no good answers come to mind, except there seems to be an unending debate over what constitutes democracy in the Jewish state.

On one hand, there are the thousands of people who are now turning out, week after week, to demonstrate against the government and its radical plans for judicial reform. Last Saturday night was the eighth week of such protests, and though I feared that people would begin to su er from demonstration fatigue, in fact the opposite seems to be true, with more people showing up every week.

The demonstrators say Benjamin Netanyahu and his government are tampering with democracy. But Netanyahu has complained bitterly that the demonstrators themselves cannot accept the democratic result of the most recent elections.

The poisonous effects of what we must call “judicial reform” — although “judicial

destruction” seems to me to be a more accurate term — is now seeping into many more aspects of Israeli society than simply the Supreme Court itself.

Consider, for example, the musical expert Professor Yehoash Hirshberg, who last week was awarded the Israel Prize for his services to music. The Israel Prize is roughly a more prestigious version of our honours list, the major difference being that there are far fewer such awards.

I am obliged to the writer Norman Lebrecht for pointing out that “within hours of the announcement of his award, social media were filled with demands for it to be cancelled”.

And this, Lebrecht tells me, is because the 84-year-old music scholar has expressed concerned criticism of the attacks on the judiciary. He says he is too old to go out demonstrating himself, but is very anxious about the government’s plans.

In a free-for-all atmosphere where anyone can say anything, hatred and cancellation appear to be the order of the day.

And talking of anyone being able to say anything, what are we to make of Amichai

Chikli, apparently the current diaspora minister, telling the American ambassador to Israel to “mind your own business”, because of his suggestion that Bibi should “pump the brakes”, or slow things down, with regard to his plans for the Supreme Court? Is this a way to speak to the man who, let us face it, is the representative of Israel’s paymaster, the US administration?

I mean, Chikli might think that in private, but surely going on national TV to express such views is the other side of stupid.

Meanwhile, the toxicity rolls on. There is now a government bill, it emerges, to interfere in the leadership and independence of the National Library of Israel – plans so far advanced that last week more than 100 leading Israeli authors and poets signed a petition, warning that if the government proceeded with this action,

they would refuse to donate their archives to the library or allow their publishers to hand over copies of their books.

Among the signatories are David Grossman, Eli Amir, Haim Be’er and Fania Oz-Salzberger.

Israeli media reports on the bill have noted that right-wing politicians have been targeting the library for the past year, since the appointment of former state attorney Shai Nitzan as library rector – because Nitzan was closely involved in preparing the corruption charges against Bibi.

It’s not that long since Bibi himself was praising the importance of an independent national library.

But on this, as with everything, the self-serving prime minister has apparently changed his mind about as often as you and I change underwear.

My grandfather Zigi said to remember, and I shall

DARREN RICHMAN

In the first in a three-part series about what he learned from his legendary grandfather Zigi Shipper, his grandson visits the Seeing Auschwitz exhibition in London and tells Jewish News those who were murdered must be remembered as real people, not numbers.

My grandfather, Zigi Shipper, survived Auschwitz and died on his 93rd birthday last month. Due to the nature of the man and his extraordinary impact on society, the funeral and shiva were not the typical scrabbling around for a minyan one might expect for a man whose contemporaries had, for the most part, predeceased him. The air of a state funeral was only increased by letters of condolence from King Charles and the Princess of Wales, the latter perhaps the most high-profile figure to enjoy Zigi’s penchant for flirting.

Shivas, like Test matches in days of old, have rest days. The Lord and Lord’s took days o and thus we were allowed a hiatus from pressing the flesh and sharing stories. I have

always preferred a kind of immersion therapy approach to di cult times (the lockdown era saw me consume an unhealthy amount of post-apocalyptic fiction) and decided Friday would be the ideal time to attend the Seeing Auschwitz exhibition in London. I invited a friend and he told me he would treat himself by not going before my wife intervened and suggested I let myself o the hook too and go to the cinema (presumably to see something other than Schindler’s List). My wife is not Jewish and noticeably more clear-headed than I am. These two facts may or may not be related but, either way, I acquiesced.

Seeing Auschwitz is now in Johannesburg but I managed to catch it during its final week in London. I was immediately heartened by the number of gentiles in attendance.

Zigi almost never shared his testimony at Jewish schools, arguing that most Jews grow up with at least some awareness of the Holocaust and it was, inevitably, his voice in my head as I made my way through the space.

It was evident the presentation of the material had been carefully considered. There were no images of emaciated bodies, the kind of photographs that, like the words “six million”, are in danger of making us

desensitised through overuse. Instead, we were presented with images captured by victims and perpetrators of everyday life at the hell on earth endured by my grandfather.

Every room brought fresh reminders of Zigi’s words. There was a tableau of the Nazi high command enjoying a weekend away.

I recalled my grandfather’s most rhetorical of questions: “How can somebody do those things by day then listen to music with his family at night?” There was video footage of a survivor, decades on, explaining he invariably breaks down in tears if he hears a child crying in a shopping mall. Zigi couldn’t abide a child in distress on the news or in his own life; if a grandchild was so much as o school with a cold, it was hidden from him.

Next to the pictures of the Nazis on holiday were photographs confiscated from prisoners on arrival depicting their lives before the war. A young woman who wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Noah Baumbach film posed in front of a mirror, a mother hugged her newborn baby, a family enjoyed a day at the seaside. The Nazis had tried to dehumanise the victims entirely but the pictures were concrete proof these people were not simply numbers. It was more a ecting than any number of images of corpses.

The final piece of audio footage was the voice of a woman, clearly late in life. She spoke with none of the neutrality I have come to expect from survivors recounting the horrors they endured. Through tears, she explained her fears this would all be forgotten once the survivors had died out. She implored us to do what we could to ensure people remember.

For that voice and my grandfather’s and the silenced millions, that is what I am trying to do.

After Hawara, the fight is now for Israel’s future

RICHARD MIRON

The news coming out of Israel of settlers running amok in the Palestinian town of Hawara in the West Bank, killing one man, beating numerous others, torching homes and destroying cars, is horrifying. The incident has been widely called a pogrom and that description fits the bill. The rampage by hundreds of armed settlers followed the earlier shooting to death by a Palestinian gunman of two Israelis who came from a nearby settlement. After the fires had been extinguished and the injured had been treated, a few Israeli rioters were arrested, then released without charge. This is shocking but unsurprising.

I spent many years in the West Bank – both as a reporter and later as a UN o cial – seeing the everyday impact of the occupation and the settlement policy. I recall in the late 1990s covering the story of Palestinian olive trees being gratuitously chopped down. This was done by settlers to intimidate and drive Palestinians from the land the settlers desired. I went out to a field out with an old man – a retired school teacher – to see his trees which sat directly next to a small settlement called

Rehalim. Upon arrival we found multiple stunted tree trunks, cut o at their base with branches and olives lying spread on the ground.

The wood shavings were still moist to the touch. Just above us on a slight rise sat a few Israelis next to their large homes. I recall one was in uniform – probably a reservist. I called up to him in Hebrew asking what had happened and why. He cast his gaze imperiously downwards and before turning away he said bluntly that I was disturbing his pastoral view.

This incident was in many respects unexceptional. Most settlers’ contempt for those around them is routine. Palestinians find their water sources suddenly diverted, their fields taken over, and their roads blocked.

To make things worse the IDF stands as a silent accomplice. Its orders (in defiance of international law) are to protect Israeli citizens, not defend Palestinians from abuse.

That is why you will see numerous TV pictures of settlers attacking Palestinians, men, women, and children, while Israeli soldiers look on as bystanders.

The occupied territories really are the Wild West, where there is one law for Jews to do very much as they please, and another for Palestinians to do as they are told – or else. This stands in contrast to the situation within Israel itself where anyone acting with violence or damaging

property will face the legal consequences.

For years Israeli o cials have acted as if these two situations in the West Bank and in Israel can co-exist without one impacting on the other. But now we can see the inevitable consequences of years of occupation, first in acting as a laboratory for nurturing Jewish extremism, and second as a malevolent force in undermining the basis of Israeli democracy.

The physical distance between these two words is small. My morning cup of co ee would still be warm from where I bought it in north Tel Aviv to when I crossed the Green Line into the West Bank. But now the occupied territories have come to Israel.

Those sitting at the highest levels of government have been nourished on a diet of extreme religious nationalism. Itamar Ben Gvir, the new minister of national security, has a lengthy charge sheet for incitement, violence and more.

His cabinet colleague, Bezalel Smotrich, who has called for the ‘ethnic cleansing’ of Arabs, is now largely responsible for the administration of the West Bank, At the head of the table sits Benjamin Netanyahu, who while under indictment for corruption, proposes upturning the judicial system to put politicians like him in charge. Netanyahu has also never given up his ambition to deny the Palestinians a state of their own and stymie any agreement through

settlement building.

So, the growing sense of crisis both within Israel and the West Bank feels inevitable. It is the consequence of decisions by successive governments to maintain two contradictory and irreconcilable realities – and that is a human – and Jewish – tragedy.

Just following the violence in Hawara, I saw a Facebook post from my cousin Tova in Israel. She wrote: ‘I feel the need this morning to apologise to all my friends who left the country because they could no longer bear the burden of occupation. You’ve already seen what I’m only seeing now. You shouted, you cried, but I couldn’t internalise this reality. I told myself that the situation is complex and racism is deep on both sides, but the bottom line is, it can’t be justified. The occupation has indeed corrupted every good part of our people.’

Tova grew up on a kibbutz founded by the survivors of the Warsaw Ghetto. She is named after her grandmother murdered by the Nazis. For her, and for millions of Israelis like her, the current situation presents a choice; occupation or a democratic and decent State of Israel. The choice is now for Israel’s future.

• Richard is a former BBC reporter based in Israel and former spokesperson for the UN Secretary General’s Middle East envoy

Darren with his late grandfather Zigi

More than 5,000 UK youngsters take part

Five actors are staging 75 performances of three short plays in Jewish schools and youth groups across the UK to mark 75 years of Israel.

A collaboration between the London-based arts company Tzemach Productions, the World Zionist Organisation (WZO) and private donors, the festival combines entertainment and the arts with Hebrew. Participating schools are supported with work packs and exercises covering vocabulary and grammar.

Perry Katz, a teacher at Hasmonean school, said: “The festival is simply wonderful, a fabulous opportunity to

acquire new skills and enhance learning. The standard is breathtaking.

“All students, those fluent in the language and those who are not, are able to benefit from this cultural extravaganza.”

Noam Reef, head of WZO, said the organization “continues to strengthen the connection between the Jewish people, Hebrew, and Zionism today. The Hebrew language, one of the foundations of Zionism, is more important today than ever.”

The shows continue their tour on Friday, passing through Cambridge on the way to Liverpool and Leeds.

Ivrit Festival/ Scene & Be Seen

part in fifth WZO Festival of Spoken Ivrit

In a documentary airing tonight Stephen Fry visits Amsterdam to uncover the story of two artists’ heroic act of defiance that saved many Jews from the camps.

By Louisa Walters

During the occupation of the Netherlands in the Second World War, Willem Arondeus, a painter, and Frieda Belinfante, a cellist, used their artistic skills to forge identity cards that saved thousands of Jews from the death camps. This was no mean task because the Dutch had the most sophisticated identity card system in the world, and they had watermarks, making them incredibly had to forge. What’s more, the Nazis had a clever backup: each card they issued had a duplicate stored in the Amsterdam Central Records O ce.

Together with a group of fellow artists, Willem led a daring raid to blow up the Central Records O ce and destroy the duplicate cards. There was only one proviso: no one could be harmed in the process because: “We are not like them.”

Stephen Fry went to Amsterdam to find out why this story has remained largely hidden. He had never heard of Arondeus and Belinfante and neither, it seems, had many Dutch people. “Gerrit van der Veen was a fellow artist and resistance member, but he is well known and has streets and schools named after him,” says

Stephen. “We think of the Netherlands as this wonderfully tolerant, accepting country with all kinds of progressive ideas, but you could say that Willem and Frieda weren’t celebrated until recently because they were gay.”

This made the story personal to Stephen and drew him in. “If I weren't gay and I weren’t Jewish, would I have the same deep sense of wanting to oppose injustice, the same sense of being apart from the main run of humanity? It’s impossible to answer, because your whole identity is bound up in so many di erent things, but one’s minority status does open up a questioning and inspection of the world.”

He says the war gave Willem and Frieda the opportunity to fight for their ideals. “It was a mixture of being able to fight for what they believed in, for the freedom of the oppressed and the Jews in particular, but also a way to belong, as they were both gay. Willem had been thrown out by his family when he came out aged 17, and he left his lover because he didn't want to involve him in the danger that he was embarking on, so he got himself a family, and gay people have always looked for a family.”

Frieda had a flourishing career as a conductor but was outraged by injustice and cruelty and had once suggested forging the papers of a lover who was Russian, so she was always a bit transgressive. She’d exhibited courage by living more or less openly as a lesbian with lovers, and was infuriated by the philistine hypocrisy of the Nazis, who were anti-art but loved to go to concerts.

“In classical music, there has always been a large proportion of orchestras that have been Jewish, particularly in the string sections, so

Frieda knew a lot of Jews who were being bleached out of the orchestra. That enraged her,” says Stephen.

“Eventually, she was smart enough to dress as a man and make her way via Switzerland to America. Her contribution to the film is marvellous – for her to leave a recorded testimony is immensely lucky for us and for the world.”

The element of trust was key to the plan. Money was needed for the paper for the forgeries. Henry Heineken was the richest man in the country and on the board of the Dutch orchestra Concertgebouw, for whom Frieda had played. She sounded him out and found she had his absolute support, but he couldn’t get to his money: huge bank withdrawals would have alerted the Nazis, who had control of the Heineken brewery’s profits. Frieda had a brilliant idea: he could buy her cello and pay a huge amount for it – 1,000 euros. The Nazis would be none the wiser. “This makes me feel better about drinking Heineken!” says Stephen.

Among the resistance artists were writers and printers but, he explains, the problem was that Jews had identity cards with a big J on them. “Someone had a friend at the registry who got a few out-of-date copies to them,

Music to our ears

The music for this documentary has been composed by Debbie Wiseman. She has worked with Stephen Fry before, bringing to life Oscar Wilde for the big screen, plus her work can be heard on TV programmes including Andrew Marr’s Sunday morning show, Wolf Hall and Joanna Lumley’s Nile Debbie was one of 11 composers chosen to compose for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant in 2012

and they started to learn how to do forgeries. However, when some of the forged passes were discovered, the authorities were alert to it and could call up the registry and ask about the duplicate of the pass. Someone said: well, if there’s no registry, how do they check the papers? Let’s just blow it up with an incendiary bomb. I’m filled with admiration for that extraordinary bravery.”

They were determined that no one should die in the bombing. “This is the di erence between the Nazis and the humanitarian poofter artists: you can laugh at us as much as you like, but we actually care about people and about the world. In the end, the way people are treated is the thing, and the artists understood that instinctively,” says Stephen. The bombing worked better as propaganda than as a genuine hindrance, because there were other registries in other cities and only about 20 percent of the documents were burned in the raid.

Stephen says: “I’d love to meet Willem and Frieda and tell them a bit about the present day, that I’m a man who married another man, and that the Netherlands was the first country to allow that. I’d tell them that their little part in that journey towards a more accepting and better world has now been noted.”

� Stephen Fry – Willem and Frieda: Defying the Nazis airs on 2 March at 9pm on Channel 4

and was commissioned to compose for her 90th birthday celebration in 2016. Awarded an OBE for services to music in 2018, she was voted the most popular living composer in Classic FM’s Hall of Fame 2022. She is now working on compositions for the King’s coronation on 6 May.

Stephen (left) asks questions at the De Bazel building, home to the Amsterdam City Archives

Stephen is drawn to Willem and Frieda

Willem, Frieda Belinfante and friends

Dressing in DISGUISE

Green flap hat is £22.99 from Amazon

Festivals can be a competitive time for parents of primary school children. It isn’t necessarily the kids who are consumed by rivalry; it’s the adults. Some grown-ups just can’t resist a craft challenge, so when pupils are asked to create a seder plate, a matzah cover or a replica of Noah’s ark, any mother or father with an artistic streak and ambitious nature will automatically take the lead as project architect. In families such as this, children are lucky if they get to hold a Pritt stick, as the elders dominate while assembling a finished piece that will obviously dazzle the teachers and annoy everyone else.

I will never forget the ark built by a ‘pupil’ at my daughter’s primary school, as this particular biblical boat had working lights, a plywood entry gate for the animals, and frankly put Noah’s e orts to shame. It was the dedication of those annoying parents that eventually nudged my husband towards building a working model of London Bridge for yet another primary school project – and that was followed by Purim. My husband dressed as Harry Potter to commemorate the saving of the Jewish people from Haman, and accompanied our daughter as Luna Lovegood; while I, in a previous year, agreed to be “just like her” as Princess Leia, complete with hair buns. Oh, the lengths we will go to celebrating victory over the Achaemenid Empire; I have even seen mothers wearing their favourite simcha dress to pass muster as Queen Esther.

But parents who don’t take part in the Purim

Be an ubercute Kyle Broflovski with this hat and coat

Parka is £19.50 from Argos

out, because being ridiculed at the school gates in your

costume balagan, using work as the excuse, are missing out, because being ridiculed at the school gates in your Where’s Wally? ensemble is the most fun you can have as an adult while making your child smile. As with the ark building, there will always be parents who hire the full Haman attire from Angels, but most of us make do or try to get inventive.

This Mrs Maisel dress is available from Amazon

Grappling in your wardrobe to conjure up a character is the cost-e ective route in these tough times, so I suggest emulating one of the many available Jewish film or TV characters.

One of the easiest costumes to pull together is that of Margot Tenenbaum of The Royal Tenenbaums

Grappling in your wardrobe to conjure up a charer’s old fur or a similar faux fur is all that’s required.

Played by Gwyneth Paltrow in Wes Anderson’s 2001 film, Margot always wears a mink coat, so your mother’s old fur or a similar faux fur is all that’s required. And the same movie also suits Dad as Ben Stiller playing Chas Tenenbaum is never out of an adidas red tracksuit.

For more current inspiration look no further than Jamie Lee Curtis in Everything Everywhere All at Once You may not own the mustard rollneck, mustard beads or clear frame specs worn by tax inspector Deirdre Beaubeirdre, but all of it can be delivered next day by Je Bezos, and daring to wear it demonstrates your a nity with popular culture.

With the final season of The Marvelous Mrs Maisel set to return this year, a Miriam ‘Midge’ gown is a must, if only to honour the work of series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino. We have yet to discover whether the comedy housewife will wind up with Lenny Bruce in the finale, but 1950s attire will see you through Purim with pizzaz and provide you with a hostess dress for Pesach. There’s every chance your kids won’t know Mrs Maisel, but that’s likely to be the case if you’re not dressed as anyone from Stranger Things or Marvel, so make it simple and go with South Park’s only Jewish kid, Kyle Broflovski, as he crosses generations, plus his green earflap hat and orange parka will be useful– if questionable –additions to your spring wardrobe.

Mustard bead necklace is £17 from Amazon

Mustard rollneck is £7 from Amazon

Clear specs are £2.50 from Amazon

Jamie Lee Curtis as Deirdre Beaubeirdre in Everything Everywhere

A Quick Costume for the kids

Pyjamas are the fast-track way to a fun costume and, to ace a Jewish sensibility, get a white onesie, add stu ed black tights as a tail and finish with a cut-out crown. Ta-da! –your child has been transformed into Max from Maurice Sendak’s Where The Wild Things Are

It’s not too late to pull a Purim costume together. Brigit Grant has snappy suggestions from the world of entertainment

Ben Stiller as Chad Tennenbaum and Gwyneth Paltrow as Margot Tennenbaum

JN Junior

The big question

What kinds of everyday connections are important to you?

Genius Jake says: Happy World Book Day, readers! March is full of special days. On 6 March it’s Purim, when we celebrate the Jewish people living in Persia being saved from extermination by a young Jewish woman called Esther. In shul, we read the Book of Esther (known as the Megillah) and it is customary to hold carnival-like celebrations and dress up. And then there is British Science Week, a 10-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths, taking place from 11 to 20 March. This year’s theme is ‘Connections’. Nearly all innovations in science, technology, engineering and maths are built on connections between people and there are examples all around us. Think about the connections between humans and the climate, using technology to connect with our family and friends, the connections between our brain and different body parts that enable us to move, and between different scientists to create medical breakthroughs like the discovery or creation of antibiotics, medicines and vaccines.

Olivia Murciano, age seven, Hampstead Garden Suburb

I have many types of connections in my life. The most important to me are the connections with my brothers, my sister, my family and my friends. By spending time playing with my siblings and my friends, we make our connections stronger by making new memories together every day. I use technology to connect with my family in different countries. This allows me to see their lives and my cousins growing up, when I can`t be with them. Lastly I connect with myself every day when I play netball, tennis or gymnastics and teach my body new skills to play better.

Rafael Murciano, age seven, Hampstead Garden Suburb

Everyday connections that are important to me include those made with technology, sport, and with my family and friends. I use technology every day: I use an iPad in school to help me learn, I play on my Nintendo, I learn robotics and I use video calling to connect with my family in France every day. When playing football, I connect with my team, working together trying to win a match. Most important for me are the connections I make every day with my family and friends, spending time with them and making new friends and connections.

Good news for..

DODOS... OR IS IT?

A US-based company called Colossal Biosciences plans to bring back the dodo, which has been extinct since the late 17th century. It will use dodo genes in the body of a living relative to create a new type of species resembling a dodo. But not everyone thinks this is good news. Some people say the money spent on doing this should be used for protecting the environment and preserving current living species. What do you think?

How to have a belly laugh at school

Our resident ‘gagster’ Ivor Baddiel has a new book out and it’s full of funnies. Literally. How To Be The Funniest Kid In School, written by Ivor and fellow Jewish funnyman Steven Vinacour, is full of neverheard-before jokes all about school.

Ivor says: “We had a real laugh writing this book. It transported us back to our schooldays when we were both, without doubt, the funniest kids in our schools.

“Whilst school can be great fun, it can also be hard work, so you need a few laughs to help you along the way.

“The book is split into categories such as English, Maths, Break Time, History, School Trips etc. There are loads of great gags, but if I had to choose my favourite, it’d be this one in the PE section: ‘My favourite exercise is a cross between a lunge and a crunch. It’s called lunch.’”

Ivor has written for some of the biggest shows on British television including the BAFTAs, The Voice, and The National Television Awards. Steven Vinacour writes and directs TV shows and adverts and owns a content creation company.

How To Be The Funniest Kid In School is out now and 25p from every copy goes to Comic Relief. There’s also a competition to find the funniest kid in school. All you have to do is get a parent or guardian to film you telling a joke and then send it to competition@awardpublications.co.uk.

The winner will get £150 worth of books for their school and a visit from Ivor and Stephen. So get gagging...

Just for laughs!

With Ivor Baddiel

How did the chazan know that the rabbi was very thirsty on Purim?

Because every time the rabbi finished his drink he asked someone to purim another one

What’s On This Month...

5

Magical Manchester museum

Immersive yourself in Frameless

With tickets currently only on sale until April, don’t miss the chance to go to Frameless, the immersive art exhibition. Journey through four distinctive galleries, experiencing immersive technology in each one. Perfect for all ages. www.frameless.com

Zog flies from page to stage!

1 2 3 4

Everyone’s favourite dragon Zog hits the stage this weekend for an adaptation based on the book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. www.artsdepot.co.uk; www.zoglive.com

An adventure at Wigmore Hall

The London Rhymes team will take you on an exciting musical adventure, meeting instruments, sounds, songs, colours and a few animals along the way. For ages three to seven. 11 March at Wigmore Hall, London. www.bachtrack.com

Now you see it, now you don’t!

Step into mind-altering illusions at the Twist Museum, London (pictured). This immersive, interactive experience explores the power of your mind. www.twistmuseum.com

After a huge refurb, the Manchester Museum has reopened with attractions including its Golden Mummies of Egypt exhibition and a brand-new dinosaur display. www.museum.manchester.ac.uk

Superb care in a setting

when

in

Looking for a care home for yourself or a loved one? Then you could do no better than to join us as part of our Springdene family. Unlike other care homes, which are often part of large corporations, we are a family business. And we’re still run by the same family that founded it more than 50 years ago.

New residents at Springdene can be sure of a warm reception. All our homes – Spring Grove in Hampstead, Spring Lane in Muswell Hill and Springview in Enfield – are rated as good by the Care Quality Commission.

Residents enjoy hotel-style luxury, with their own spacious room, complete with full en-suite facilities, personal telephone and wi-fi. There are three delicious meals a day, with a varied choice of menus.

And there are lots of regular activities, including quizzes, short stories, art competitions and poetry readings, live-streamed concerts and film-showings on a big screen, as well as walks in delightful gardens. We’ve a great team, o ering wonderful care and everyone is brilliantly looked after.

As our motto says:

Muswell Hill

One of the finest and best-appointed homes for older people in North London, Spring Lane is just a short distance from Muswell Hill Broadway.

Hampstead

The ultimate in comfort, Spring Grove is situated on the Finchley Road near to Swiss Cottage and is close to local shops, cultural facilities and a tube station.

Enfield

Standing in tranquil surroundings, Springview is a purpose built home, situated near to Enfield Town with its local shops and public transport.

Business / Tony Danker

With Candice Krieger candicekrieger@googlemail.com

‘WORKING FOR THE CHIEF PREPARED ME TO LEAD THE CBI’

CBI director-general Tony Danker reflects on his previous high-profile roles in the community as he looks ahead to the budget. Candice Krieger reports

The head of the Confederation of British Industry has spoken about how working with the late Lord Sacks and chairing the Union of Jewish Students helped to prepare him for his current challenge.

Tony Danker was appointed director-general of the CBI in November 2020 amid a national lockdown, placing him in a position of prominence at arguably one of the most crucial economic times to take over at the helm. But this is not the first time Danker has taken on a high-profile role.

Speaking of when he was chair of the Union of Jewish Students, he told JN: “In a funny kind of way that was the last time I did a job like this. It was very high profile. I spent a lot of my life with business leaders in the commu-

nity, talking to the media and at dinner tables with the chief rabbi and then I went o and got a ‘real’ job, you might say.”

Danker spent 10 years at McKinsey before becoming a special adviser at the Treasury during the Gordon Brown years. He has also held positions at the Guardian News and Media and has been CEO of Be the Business, a businessled movement created to transform the UK’s productivity, founded by a group of FTSE-100 chairmen and former chancellor George Osborne.

“Now, here we are again,” says Danker, who recently launched the CBI’s calls on the government for next week’s spring budget to get the economy growing again and out of any recession sooner rather than later.

The CBI has identified four key areas where it says the government needs to act in the

budget: get businesses investing, solve labour skills and shortages, help get firms ready for next winter’s energy pressures and boost green growth in the face of international competition.

One of the CBI’s biggest asks is to replace the super-deduction, which is coming to an end, either by introducing full expensing for capital investment or setting a roadmap towards doing so, starting at 50 percent in April. “This would be a huge boost to firms. It would give them a huge reason to believe in the opportunities we still have as a nation and give them the confidence to invest in that future,” Danker says.

This sits alongside the call for the government to tackle the acute labour shortages by expanding childcare support and health support that firms can o er employees and reforming the Apprenticeship Levy.

“The tight labour market and economic inactivity is another big concern for all businesses across all sectors,” Belfast-born Danker notes. “With more than a million vacancies and UK parents facing some of the highest childcare costs in the OECD [group of 38 developed countries], we need to see immediate action to urgently solve the labour challenge. Without it, businesses are left trying to grow, invest and become more productive with one hand tied behind their backs.”

The CBI has also continued its focus on green markets and energy resilience – supporting firms to be more energy e cient as they prepare for next winter, as well as ensuring the UK can grow its energy security and compete for green markets and technologies.

“Because if we fail to grasp the opportunities now, we will damage UK growth today and for decades to come,” Danker says.

Working in the Jewish community gave Danker early exposure to business people and leaders. “I was 21-24 at the time so that was a

really big deal. Whether it was Sir Trevor Chinn or Lord Michael Levy, I was exposed to them from a very young age and I think that had a positive impact on me.”

He spent two years working in the o ce of Lord Sacks, who he a ectionately calls “the Chief”, where he “saw from very young the idea of the public sphere and within national debate how Britain talks to itself about itself”.

He adds: “I learnt that there. Now I found myself in that world but from an economic and business point of view, and it behaves similarly – how Britain talks and debates with itself –and I feel I had a real advantage and privilege to get that insight when I was younger working in the community.”

A member of Barnet Synagogue, Danker says he leant “so much” from Lord Sacks. “He found ways to speak in a way that was incredibly relevant to everybody but was born of Jewish teachings and we were all in awe of that skill.”

The UK’s economy hangs in the balance. While the country may not fall into recession, it is likely to feel like one for millions of people as rising inflation and continued pressures on energy prices makes for a pretty bleak backdrop. Can Danker o er any hope?

“Yes I can,” he responds. “We had a bad 2022, but 2023 has started well inasmuch as we have a prime minister and a chancellor who are completely united in their common policy and putting stability first and I think they have stabilised the situation.

“I am not pessimistic. I have very high expectations and ambitions for UK PLC. We know the economy can, and must, break out of its low-growth trap, but we will need action to achieve it.”

▶ The spring budget is on Wednesday 15 March

Tony Danker

The late Chief Rabbi Lord (Jonathan) Sacks and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt

Remembering and Rethinking:

The International Forum on Collecting, Preserving & Disseminating Holocaust Testimonies

April 19 & 20, 2023 • Lancaster House, St James’s Park, London

The conference will bring together archives, museums and other institutions which hold collections of Holocaust testimonies and feature Holocaust testimonies in their (digital and non-digital) spaces as well as educational resources and next-generation participants. With declining numbers of Holocaust survivors and refugees, the conference will facilitate conversations between world-renowned experts to re-evaluate and assess the many ways Holocaust testimonies have been collected, displayed and curated since the end of the Second World War, and discuss their future usage.

Speakers include: Robert Williams, Executive Director USC Shoah Foundation

Freedland

• Daniel Finkelstein OBE

• Noemie Lopian

• Tony Kushner

• Jonathan

• Andrea Hammel

•

Dan Stone

• Natasha Kaplinsky OBE

• James Bulgin

• Christine Schmidt

• Eva Clarke BEM

• Jackie Young

•

• Rt Hon. Lord Pickles, UK Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues

Lord Ahmad, Foreign Office

• His Excellency

Miguel Berger, German Ambassador

To book a ticket, please register at: bit.ly/TestimonyConference

MAKING SENSE OF THE SEDRA

BY BATSHEVA WOLF HEAD OF EDUCATION, TRIBE

What to do during two minutes of silence

When I was a teenager, two minutes of silence at 8pm meant it was National Holocaust Memorial Day in the Netherlands, which is where I come from. It was a day that always had me wondering: what does ‘remembering’ mean? What do I do with it?

The word zachor (remember) is mentioned twice in this week’s Torah reading, when speaking about the clothes of the Kohen Gadol (High Priest). The instructions for the two

gemstones on the shoulder straps and the breastplate state that these gemstones are there “for remembrance before God at all times”.

Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg (Germany, 19th century) says in his book Haktav Vehakabala that this ‘remembrance’ had two purposes: first, to remind God, so to speak, of the goodness of the Jewish people and thus to treat them favourably; second, as a reminder for the Kohen Gadol.

The stones symbolised the Jewish people and served to remind the Kohen Gadol whom he was representing; a good motivation to invest all he could in the service. The stones therefore served as a hopeful catalyst – for God to treat us with kindness, and for the Kohen Gadol to represent us in the best way possible. They were there to cause something to happen.

In Judaism, commemorating is not necessarily a minute of silence (although that isn’t excluded), but rather a call to action. It isn’t static, rather it is there to trigger movement.

As we read parsha Zachor this Shabbat, my thoughts drift again to this word zachor. Remember. We are reading about the war with Amalek after the Exodus. The passage we read reminds us of what Amalek did to us and our responsibility to make sure this never happens again. And although in the times of the Temple the call to action was to eradicate the evil of Amalek, I believe there is a practical voice in this even for us now. The perspective that Amalek advocated was one of godlessness, a lack of connection between God and humans. Coincidence, agnosticism, happenstance. Steering away from

that, inviting God into our lives and minds, our actions and our beliefs, is a practical answer to the call of the zachor, to act as the antithesis of Amalek. Zachor is a catalyst for movement in the other direction.

It is no coincidence that we read this days before Purim, the story in

which you choose whether you reject Amalek and see God’s hand and act accordingly. Zachor calls us to think and change. It does not simply mean ‘remember’, but instead ‘remember, and…’, for the real commemoration starts when the two minutes of silence end and you start to change.

In our thought-provoking series, rabbis, rebbetzins and educators relate the week’s parsha to the way we live today

Real commemoration begins when the two minutes of silence

Progressive Judaism

LEAP OF FAITH

BY RABBI DANNY RICH SOUTHGATE PROGRESSIVE SYNAGOGUE

in accord with Esther 9:22, which speaks of mishlo’ach manot (‘sending portions’), many Jews send edible gifts to family and packages or money to the poor.

tions of Liberal Judaism “a rm[ed] the importance of the major festivals and Chanukah” and “encourage[d] the observance of other days of celebration, such as Purim”.

Purim falls this year on the evening of 6 March. The biblical book of Esther is its source. Although lacking any historicity, the book tells of Persian king Achaverosh and his Jewish queen, Esther, and an attempt by his chief minister, Haman, to wipe out the Jews on a date selected by the drawing of lots. Esther’s uncle, Mordechai, discovers the plot, advises her to inform the king and, as a result, the Jews are saved at the cost of the hanging of Haman and his 10 sons and the Jews killing 75,000 Persians in defence of their own lives.

At Purim (meaning ‘lots’), Jews are obliged to hear the reading of the Book of Esther, often accompanied by riotous, even drunken, fancy dress parties and the consumption of haman-

Early adherents of Liberal Judaism ignored or in some cases made an overt, articulated decision to reject Purim. In Liberal Judaism: An Essay, Claude Montefiore observed: “Purim and the Fast of Av, which, though not mentioned in the Pentateuch, once played an important part in Jewish life, but… are now dropping into desuetude.”

A generation later, Britain’s first Liberal rabbi, Israel Mattuck, wrote: “There is another traditional feast which, though observed by some Jews, is not observed by all – Purim. The basis for it is the story of Esther. It is a sort of spring carnival with, I think, no particular religious significance. The story upon which it is based is historically doubtful. And there are some objectionable features in its celebration. For these reasons, but particularly because it lacks religious significance, many Liberal synagogues do not observe it.”

Over the years, Purim re-established itself

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Other than being an excuse for a communal party, this coming Purim may be important for two reasons, one ancient and one modern. The Jewish community rightly considers itself secure in modern Britain but perhaps the invasion a year ago of Ukraine and the resurgence in continental European of antisemitism might make an annual moment of reflection on the dual aspects of modern democratic life a relevant one. Perhaps, too, the early Liberal Jews missed a feature of the Purim story in which, in typical fairytale style, there is division between ‘goodies’ and ‘baddies’. If modernity has taught us anything it is that politics, economics, history and the manifestations of human existence are rarely black and white; and in that uncertainty and doubt are challenge and great excitement. Whether Purim 2023 is an excuse for communal celebration or a time for philosophical reflection, may it be a source of strength and an impulse for good in our lives.

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

Purim is back –and it can be a time to reflect

Purim: party or pause for thought?

Ask our

Our trusty team of advisers answers your questions about everything from law and finance to dating and dentistry. This week: Easing menopause symptoms, changes to capital gains tax rules and meeting a long-lost brother

I’ve suffered from severe period pains my whole adult life (currently undergoing tests for endo) and nothing has really been able to help the cramps. Painkillers, exercise, natural remedies have all failed miserably and I lose a weekend every month to the pain. My last cramps were the worst I’d ever had, and I’m feeling utterly desperate with a terrible migraine, feeling sick, etc.

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Dear Vanessa

Period pains and the symptoms you describe are unfortunately su ered by many women

I think I had better come to see you before then as I have a lot of old jewellery that none of my children or grandchildren want.

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The answer is yes, I am interested in all the items you have.

I also have a lot of silverware, again which none of them want.

Finally, I have a very large emerald-cut diamond ring, which I tend never wear and if I do, I’m actually frightened to go out with it, so would like to sell this too.

Shall I make an appointment and can you help?

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Dear Elizabeth You are 100 percent correct with your findings from The Sunday Times

More importantly, now actually is a good time to sell, as the gold price is still very high and diamond prices, although they have dropped a bit in the past 12 months, are still commanding good levels for good stones – we recently sold an 8.08-carat emerald-cut diamond ring for £200,000 !

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exercise: if we fast-forward and you have reconnected with your brother just as you wanted to, how will you know you’ve got there?

Write down on a large sheet of paper everything you will see, say, do, think and feel, when you’ve got back in touch with Yossi.

Dear Ben

I haven’t spoken with my brother for over 10 years. I’d really like to reconnect but there’s so much history and I’m not sure how. Can you help?

Daniel

Dear Daniel

Yes. And we’re going to make it happen by looking forward and getting very practical.

First, we’re going to carry out my ‘Picture of Success’

Put this sheet up somewhere prominent in your house. Whenever you look at your picture of success you will feel hope, energy and motivation.

Next, write down all the most important actions you need to take to get there, and put these actions in order. Don’t worry if you get stuck at certain points, just crack ahead.

When we meet, we will look over this list (I call it

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THE JEWISH NEWS CROSSWORD

11 Door hammer (7)

12 Thing considered inferior to others of the same type (4,8)

16 Building containing rooms for rent (7,5)

20 More robust (7)

23 Phrases (5)

24 Move, shift (5)

25 Remedy for all illnesses (7)

DOWN

1 Heraldic insignia (5)

2 Burden excessively (8)

3 Hidden marksman (6)

4 Furniture timber (4)

5 Triangular Indian pastry (6)

6 Fortune (4)

7 Irksome (7)

13 Heart monitor (inits) (3)

14 Employ (a lawyer) (8)

15 Near at hand (5,2)

17 Is that so? (6)

18 Excursion (6)

ACROSS

8 Income (7)

9 Cause mirth (5)

10 Thick sweet liquid (5)

19 Normal, ordinary (5)

21 Loosen (4)

22 Stout twisted fibre (4)

WORDSEARCH CODEWORD

The listed words to do with bananas 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.

GTNS OT HL OA FW P NS NI MA TI VO TO A

SM OO TH IE YS AL N

BL DE V RUC LN AL C

RA BG SS GI AC IE A

ND KA WT CN IL RY K

DR SE RE AP IB EF E

EA EM DB OR ID LE O

HT TU RR EF CA DI P

SS EF TE LC V HHUN

AU SFEA OO UR TI P

MC EI LD UENE RG Y

GN MN SR KO RT DI E

BAKED

BANANA

BARBECUED

BREAD

CURVED

CUSTARD

Fun, games and prizes

SUDOKU

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

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.

ENERGY FIBRE FLAVOUR LOAF MASHED MUFFIN

PANCAKE PEEL PUDDING SLICED SMOOTHIE STARCH

Last issue’s solutions

Crossword

ACROSS: 1 Aqueduct, 5 Ness, 9 Dress code, 10 Bra, 11 Beau, 13 Dry dock, 16 So-so, 18 Even so, 19 Tender, 21 Zeal, 23 Tighten, 25 Lure, 27 Ape, 28 Showpiece, 30 Yank, 31 Vehement.

DOWN: 1 Aide, 2 Use, 3 Discuss, 4 Clouds, 6 Embroider, 7 Starkers, 8 Rely,

12 Evergreen, 14 Rota, 15 Tertiary, 17 Ooze, 20 Ellipse, 22 Encore, 24 Task, 26 Belt, 29 Eve.

SWEET TROPICAL VITAMIN YELLOW

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.

See next issue for puzzle solutions.

All puzzles © Puzzler Media Ltd - www.puzzler.com

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WESTLON HOUSING ASSOCIATION

Sheltered Accommodation

We have an open waiting list in our friendly and comfortable warden assisted sheltered housing schemes in Ealing, East Finchley and Hendon. We provide 24-hour warden support, seven days a week; a residents’ lounge and kitchen, laundry, a sunny patio and garden. For further details and application forms, please contact Westlon Housing Association on 020 8201 8484 or email: johnsilverman@btconnect.com

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Clear Deliverables Implementation

Business Structure

Ensure that your business has the correct structural parts to operate as efficiently as possible.

Operations

Making sure that the operational side of your business is slick and able to sustainably grow with the rest of the business.

Growth Strategy

Identify ways in which to grow the business, Looking at longer term KPIs and targets

'Ben Robbins Consultancy became an extension of our operational team. They listened and helped us devise operational solutions to build resilience in our organisation. They did the work more efficiently than we were able to do with our existing resources, and were enthusiastic and supportive throughout the process. '

Erica, CEO

Our team of experts have years of experience helping businesses like yours overcome challenges and achieve their goals. Face-time DON'T

Our consultants work closely with you to understand your unique challenges and will develop with you a tailored plan specific to your business needs. When you partner with us, you are investing in your business, and taking the first steps towards achieving your Goals.