1334 - 28th Sept 2023

Thechosen paper

Ritual dance

Why Rabbi Miriam Berger is moving on Page 17

Swine!

Roger Waters wanted to write ‘Dirty kyke’ on inflatable pig

by Richard Ferrer richard@jewishnews.co.uk @richferrer

Former Pink Floyd musician Roger Waters planned to write the antisemitic slur “dirty kyke” on an inflatable pig at his concerts and spray audiences with confetti shaped like swastikas and Stars of David.

His sick ideas – clearly laid out in an email he wrote to colleagues ahead of a concert tour – were revealed last night in a new 30-minute online documentary entitled The Dark Side Of Roger Waters. Waters’ email, dated 25 March 2010, reads: “Hey Guys. Who’s going to make pig?... I imagine it black with crossed hammers logo as 1980, but covered with symbols from [his song] Goodbye Blue Sky, crosses, Stars of David (that’s King

Dishing it out

Eyal Shani tells us he loves Londoners’ curiosity Page 33

50 JEWISH EXPERTS WARN OF MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS FOR YOUNG JEWS

by Michelle Rosenberg michelle@jewishnews.co.uk

Fifty leading Jewish psychiatrists have warned of a mental health epidemic among young Jews, with as many as one in four under-25s now living with the condition.

Recently released data from the Institute of Jewish Policy Research found that 26 percent of the Jewish community is living with mental illness, distress or trauma, with these di culties a ecting no less than 55.5 percent of under-25s.

In response to these stark statistics, 50 eminent Jewish psychiatrists have come together to sign an open letter, with a call to action to support Jewish mental health charity Jami. “Investing in supporting mental health isn’t a luxury,” the letter states. “If we are to consider ourselves a kind and just community, it’s a must.”

Where

David not David Gilmour) crescent and star, dollar signs, Shell Oil shell, etc and epithets, ‘my pig right or wrong’ ‘f*** you’ ‘no, f*** you’, ‘dirty kyke’ ‘follow the money’ ‘Scum?’ etc. Roger.”

The documentary, produced by Campaign Against Antisemitism and presented by BBC Panorama journalist John Ware, also features interviews with Norbert Stachel, Waters’ former saxophonist, and legendary music producer Bob Ezrin, who produced Pink Floyd’s celebrated album The Wall as well as hits for U2 and Taylor Swift.

Among various incidents described in

Continued on page 11

For more information, scan the QR code, call +447 939 923 027 or visit www.algoequities.co.uk

They write that “none of us can a ord to ignore these stark statistics” and note that as a Jewish organisation, Jami “understands the cultural nuances of those it supports and “provides its expert support with deep empathy and without judgement”. Jami currently supports more than 1,650 people in the community whose mental illness and distress makes everyday life a struggle. Adam and his wife, Amy (surnames withheld), are just two of them. Adam says: “It’s important that you don’t have to go outside the Jewish community to get that support. I don’t know how I or my family would have survived without Jami.”

Given what signatories of the letter label “a significant increase in the scale and gravity of mental illness and distress” in the Jewish community, Jami says there are many more people who could benefit from its support.

The charity aims to maintain all its adult services despite this increased pressure and grow its children and young person’s services, which provides in-school support at JFS and JCoSS, as well as in the wider community.

As one of the signatories of the letter, Dr Abigail Continued on page 8

Financial Algorithms Drive Profits

Forty percent of disciplinary cases handled by a panel on Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) between January and June this year involved allegations of antisemitism according to newlypublished statistics.

They also confirm 45.33 percent of all cases determined by the NEC complaints and disciplinary sub-committee over the period resulted in expulsion, suspension, or referral to the Independent Complaints Board, while, 28 percent of cases resulted in a formal warning or a reminder of conduct and 26.67 percent in a reminder of values or no further action.

The report shows in contrast to 40 percent of complaints of claims of anti-Jewish racism, 18.67 percent of cases involved allegations of bullying, harassment or intimidation and 9.33 percent allegations of homophobia.

A further eight percent involved allegations of general misconduct, while 6.67 per-

cent involved allegations of sexual harassment, 6.6 percent sexism; 5.33 percvent antiblack racism and four percent other forms of racism.

Four percent of cases involved allegations of misconduct online, 2.67 percent transphobia and 1.33 percent Islamophobia, victimisation, data and procedural matters.

In the first two quarters of 2023, 54 cases were verified by the Independent Review Board (IRB), set up following the recommendations of the equalities watchdog after its damning report into antisemitism in the party, and one case was vetoed.

The new report said the reason given for the veto was the NEC panel was not clear enough as to why it did not consider that a case demonstrated hostility or prejudice based on the protected characteristic in question.

The case was determined by a new NEC panel, whose decision was subsequently verified.

Regev on the attack over treatment of protesters

Former ambassador Mark Regev has described the Israeli government’s approach to anti-reform protesters as “polarising” and “counter-productive”, writes Adam Decker.

Regev, a former adviser to Benjamin Netanyahu, said the premier comparing protesters to the PLO and Iran had “played into the hands of his political opponents”.

Speaking at an online event organised by the Anglo-Israel Association (AIA), Mr Regev, the former Israeli Ambassador to the UK, acknowledged that some of Netanyahu’s coalition allies – which include far-right group Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) - made the Prime Minister look “like the left”.

He said: “A lot of people would agree [that] these are not Netanyahu’s favourite political partners. He has problems with some of these people, they are too extreme for him.

“I always thought that he felt the most comfortable when he was the Prime Minister in a coalition when he had some people to the right of him and some people to the left of him, and he could play them o against each other; he was the conductor of the orchestra so to speak.

“In this current coalition government, he’s like the left. It’s probably a di cult place for him to be.”

Mr Regev, a former senior advisor to Netanyahu, also spoke about the protests across Israel in response to judicial reform policies.

“It is clear that Israeli society is very polarised,” he said, adding: “we do need reform - but with consensus.

“The way that it’s being done in this very polarising way has been totally counter-productive. I would say to people

in the Likud: even if you are right, you have to choose your battles.”

He also appeared to criticise Netanyahu’s comparison of anti-reform protestors with the PLO and Iran, noting: “[Netanyahu] had to clarify that afterwards because he played into the hands of his political opponents.”

Mr Regev, a former senior advisor to Netanyahu, also responded to criticism of the premier. He said: “You can’t be in public life, not in Britain and not in Israel, without being criticised. And when you

Bibi’s UN peace push

Benjamin Netanyahu used his address to the UN to promote the prospect of a diplomatic agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and to broach Israeli-Palestinian peace, a topic he has previously downplayed: .

The Israeli prime minister also used the end of his 25-minute speech to herald the benefits — and warn of the dangers — of artificial intelligence, reprising what he told tech mogul Elon Musk earlier in the week.

He did not mention one burning issue that has preoccupied Israeli politics and led to civil strife the debate over Israel’s Supreme Court.

Opponents of the judicial overhaul plan had been gathering in New York ahead of Netanyahu’s speech to protest and demonstrated outside the UN last Friday.

In the past, Netanyahu has used the address to the UN General Assembly to warn of the threat posed by a nuclear Iran — once famously brandishing a picture of a cartoon bomb to show how close the Iranians were to obtaining a nuclear weapon. He again warned of Iran’s dangers on Friday, and also brandished a prop.

But this time, the visual aid was meant to spread a more optimistic message — demonstrating the growing number of Middle Eastern countries with which Israel has signed normalisation agreements.

“Peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia will truly create a new Middle East,” Netanyahu said, borrowing a phrase the late Shimon Peres, one of his former rivals, had used to discuss Israel-Palestinian peace.

Former ambassador Mark Regev (right) with Netanyahu

‘PINOCCHIO’ DEMO AGAINST JUDICIAL PLAN

Israelis living in London display a giant banner portraying Benjamin Netanyahu as Pinocchio during a protest outside the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office last week against the proposed changes being sought by the Netanyahu government to the power of the Israel Supreme Court.

Hamas war backlash against British Jews

A new report has revealed that 73 percent of all Jews in the UK feel they are being held personally responsible “in some way” by non-Jews for Israel’s 2021 war against Hamas in Gaza, writes Jotam Confino.

The survey, conducted by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR), found 19 percent of respondents marked the highest score of agreement (10) to the contention they felt they were being held responsible by non-Jews.

“The findings in this study should serve as a caution to the mainstream media and leaders in wider British society, as well as to the public at large, about the dangers of equivalising the actions of Israel’s government with Jewish people in the UK,” JPR executive director Dr Jonathan Boyd said.

“These are arresting findings, which shed light on the tone in which the Israel-Palestinian conflict is sometimes presented and discussed during these flareups, and how Jews across the UK experience the related discourse,” he added.

In the study, 56 percent of respondents said they felt public and media criticism of the war made them feel Jews were unwelcome in the UK.

More than 240 Palestinians were killed by Israel during the war, including 129 civilians, 66 of whom were children, according to UN estimates. Hamas fired

4,340 rockets at Israel during the 11-day conflict, killing 13 civilians on the Israeli side.

The Israeli army said it attacked more than 1,500 “terror targets” in Gaza, including underground tunnels and rocket launchers along with other military positions.

Whitehall battle over ‘ethnic cleansing’ claim

UK immigration minister Robert Jenrick has reportedly refused to meet the chief inspector of borders over claims he submitted a draft report that accused Israel of engaging in “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians, writes Lee Harpin.

Jenrick is claimed to have snubbed a meeting with David Neal, the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, over an unpublished Home Office report on stateless individuals which contained the allegation.

Neal has subsequently insisted he did not write the section of the report containing the “ethnic cleansing” reference

The Telegraph reported that the reference in the report was actually picked up by the private office of home secretary Suella Braverman.

The newspaper said Braverman’s office “had concerns it was inappropriate and potentially antisemitic”.

The extract that sparked concerns includes a claim that Israel deprives Palestinians in east Jerusalem of their IDs and residency rights, a situation the academic said amounted to “administrative ‘ethnic cleansing’.”

After a meeting with civil servants, Neal has agreed to remove the allegation, which is said to have been made by an academic writing in another paper.

Neal, a former military police officer

who was appointed chief inspector of borders in March 2021, is responsible for monitoring the UK’s immigration, asylum, nationality and customs operations.

He has reportedly clashed with Home Office officials since taking up the role.

The Telgraph cited claims made by the Anti-Defamation League in America, which suggested that allegations Israel engages in ethnic cleansing against Palestinians is a “fundamentally inaccurate accusation” that is “sensationalist and demonising”.

Ofcom has fined the Islam Channel £40,000 after it broadcast a documentary deemed to have amounted to “hate speech against Jewish people”, writes Lee Harpin.

An investigation by the broadcasting watchdog found Islam Channel Limited (“Islam Channel”) failed to comply with broadcasting rules when, in February 2021, it broadcast The Andinia Plan, a one-hour documentary examining a conspiracy theory which originated in a neo-Nazi publication.

The theory alleged there was a plan to establish a Jewish state in Patagonia, the southern region of South America governed by Argentina and Chile.

In Ofcom’s ‘Breach Decision’, published on 5 December last year, the watchdog found “this programme amounted to hate speech against Jewish people”.

Ofcom added: “We also found that this antisemitic content was highly offensive and not justified by the context. The programme had therefore breached Rules 3.2 and 2.3 of the Broadcasting Code.”

In addition to the financial penalty of £40,000 to be paid by Islam Channel Ltd to HM Paymaster General, Ofcom confirmed it was also directing the

channel not to repeat the programme, and to broadcast a statement of Ofcom’s findings on a date and in a form to be determined by Ofcom.

In response, the Islam Channel said it had been extremely clear throughout its communications with Ofcom that it profoundly regretted the broadcast of The Andinia Plan.

The channel also said it agreed its broadcast was in breach of Rules 3.2 and 2.3 of the Code.

It added it had twice issued full apologies to its audience to this effect, and it had not contested at any point any of Ofcom’s observations regarding the breaches. It welcomed the recognition the Sanction Preliminary View had given to these factors.

However, on the threat of a financial penalty, the channel said it was “currently in an extremely weak financial position” due to the cost-of-living crisis and any financial penalty could prove an “existential threat” to it.

Refusal: Robert Jenrick

People take to the streets of London to oppose an anti-Israel protest

Spurs fans graffiti ‘Yids’ on pub near Arsenal stadium SUNAK CLIMATE U-TURN SLATED

A pub frequented by Arsenal fans located minutes from the club’s Emirates Stadium in Holloway, north London, was daubed with graffiti including the word “Yids” ahead of the derby clash with rival club Tottenham Hotspur, writes Lee Harpin.

Photographs of the incident outside the Two Brewers pub were posted on social media on Saturday night ahead of the game against Spurs scheduled for the next afternoon.

Pictures clearly showed that the word “Yids” had been sprayed twice in yellow and in white paint on the front door and on the window of the pub, along with “THFC”.

Spurs, under chairman Daniel Levy, have come under increased pressure to take further steps to educate the club’s supporters on the antisemitic history of the term “Yids”.

But messages placed in the

match day programme, and on the club’s website, have been ignored by a substantial number of Spurs fans, who continue to use the “Y word” in chants throughout matches.

Fans of both Spurs and Arsenal posted messages on

social media condemning the graffiti incident.

The daubings were removed from the pub’s front before the match kicked off at 2pm on Sunday.

An exciting game ended in a 2-2 draw, with Israeli player

Marlon Solomon coming on as a substitute for Spurs.

Both north London clubs have large Jewish support, and both had placed messages on social media ahead of the Yom Kippur holiday wishing fans well over the fast.

Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg has sharply criticised Rishi Sunak after the prime minister announced a watering-down of the government’s climate change commitments.

The senior rabbi of Masorti Judaism wrote on social media: “I don’t understand why our prime minister has no conscience about short-term selfish decisions which help destroy our children’s future.”

Wittenberg, who is on the rabbinical team of EcoSynagogue, which encourages environmental sustainability and awareness in the British Jewish community, is due to speak at a communal event next week stressing the importance of work to combat the climate emergency.

In further criticism, Rabbi Aaron Goldstein of The Ark Synagogue said: “Whilst Judaism specialises in saying zachor – remember – it is not only to honour the past but to learn for the future.

“Rolling back on climate

and environmental promises guarantee decision makers today will be remembered for ill and clouds the future.”

In his press conference, Sunak said politicians had not been “honest with the public” over net-zero’s cost and the present approach would impose “unacceptable costs on British families”.

He said the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 would be pushed back to 2035, but he was criticised after claiming there was a government “diktat” to force household to use seven bins.

It emerged no one had proposed such a policy, which Sunak said he had “scrapped”.

Business leaders also condemned the announcement, saying they had committed to investment in green products.

Earlier, the Board of Deputies announced its climate emergency committee was partnering with EcoJudaism for online sessions on combating the climate emergency.

The scene at the Two Brewers pub on Roman Way, Lower Holloway, on Saturday afternoon

Communal leaders criticise Braverman over migration

Suella Braverman has provoked communal anger after claiming illegal migration poses an “existential challenge for political and cultural institutions of west”, writes Lee Harpin.

Addressing the American Enterprise Institute in Washington DC, the home secretary referenced the Holocaust before claiming that the UN’s 1951 refugee convention must be reformed to tackle a worldwide migration crisis.

She referred to the UK’s own small boats crisis, telling the right-wing think tank: “Nobody entering the UK by boat from France is fleeing imminent peril. None of them have ‘good cause’ for illegal entry.

“The vast majority have passed through multiple other safe countries, and in some instances have resided in safe countries for several years.

“There is a strong argument that they should cease to be treated as refugees during their onward movement.”

Rabbi David Mason, executive director of HIAS+JCORE, a Jewish organisation campaigning for refugees, was among senior communal figures to react angrily to the home secretary’s speech.

He told Jewish News: “Instead of using refugees and multiculturalism to create more division, surely our government should be thinking about better ways of creating cohesion and a society free from conflict?”

Mason, whose new communal role around refugee matters follows the merger of HIAS (originally the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society), and JCORE, (Jewish Council for Racial Equality), also raised concerns about Braverman’s use of the Holocaust as a means of measuring su ering in the aftermath of the Second World War.

“Surely the lessons we have learned as a people is to understand the su ering of those escaping persecution of whatever nature?” Mason said.

“And with that, we desperately need government policies that are fair on refugees, and which understand the potential that those seeking refugee status can contribute to our society.”

Journalist Hugo Ri ind, who is himself

A Kent synagogue has raised more than £8,000 to improve security after being vandalised a dozen times over the last decade, writes Fergal Je reys.

Chatham Memorial Synagogue began its most recent appeal last month after vandals knocked over and smashed several headstones in the attached cemetery. Last month’s attack left the local community “appalled and deeply upset”, a spokesperson said.

Following an appeal, the synagogue raised £8,500 to fund security improvements,

Jewish, was also among those to criticise Tuesday’s speech by Braverman.

He tweeted: “Remarkable to hear Braverman say multiculturalism has failed.

“She’s a British home secretary descended from Goan Indians from Mauritius and Kenya, married to a Jewish husband, in a government headed by Britain’s first Hindu PM. What would successful multiculturalism look like?”

Human rights barrister Adam Wagner had earlier tweeted: “Suella Braverman is absolutely right that in 1951, when the Refugee Convention was born, many would not have considered being persecuted for being gay, or a woman, was ‘real’ persecution.

“Thankfully, in 2023, we have moved on from that prejudice.”

Setting out her first reason for tackling illegal migration, Braverman said: “Uncontrolled immigration, inadequate integration and a misguided dogma of multiculturalism have proven a toxic combination for Europe over the last few decades”.

During the speech she claimed that her own parents – her father was kicked out of Kenya and her mother was recruited from Mauritius at the age of 18 to work in the NHS – had succeeded because they “came here lawfully, and played by the rules”.

Sam Freedman, a policy expert and former senior adviser government adviser, also tweeted: “Braverman’s speech is a lengthy and tedious attack on her own government’s immigration policy. Apart from anything else it’s an obvious breach of collective responsibility.”

Adam Langleben, outgoing national secretary of the Jewish Labour Movement, tweeted: “A Tory home secretary only flies to the United States to give a controversial, reactionary and populist speech to a rightwing thinktank if she thinks she is going into opposition shortly and there will be a contest. Starting gun on a sprint to the hard right for the Tory leadership.”

In her speech the home secretary argued multiculturalism has failed and that “the nation state must be protected”. She claimed that “uncontrolled” migration was putting unsustainable pressure on the taxpayer in the UK.

with some individuals and organisations donating as much as £1,000.

Trustees are planning to use the donations to build a security gate for the cemetery though they will likely face additional costs due to the site’s historical significance.

The Grade II listed synagogue is the only synagogue with an attached cemetery in Britain. Any construction will have to involve archaeological work as well as gain planning permission from Medway Council.

Previous attacks that damaged CCTV cameras cost the synagogue £5,000 to replace from donations already raised.

Trustee Dr Dalia HalpernMatthews said: “We do a huge amount to try to break down barriers and this kind of attack overall doesn’t diminish our desire to break down those barriers, it makes us want to fight all the harder the pernicious nature of antisemitism and racism and bias.”

A 41-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.

At one point in the speech she suggested that “immigration is behind at least 45 percent of demand for new housing in the UK”. She infuriated campaigners for LGBT+ rights by also claiming: “We will not be able to sustain an asylum system if, in e ect, simply

being gay, or a woman, and fearful of discrimination in your country of origin, is su cient to qualify for protection”

Braverman concluded her speech by calling for an international debate on reform of asylum laws.

Suella Braverman speaks at the Community Security Trust annual dinner this year

RED CROSS TO KEEP MDA IN THE ‘FAMILY’

Magen David Adom and the International Committee of the Red Cross have signed an agreement to continue collaboration in the coming years.

The collaboration will focus on “strengthening community resilience to disasters” as well as developing the next generation of humanitarian leaders.

The agreement also says a “specialised body” will be set up that will deal with strengthening MDA humanitarian activities in Israel and as part of the Red Cross Red Crescent movement.

Alessandra Menegon, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation, said: “The MDA provides an essential service, and we are proud to have MDA as a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement family.

“This continued cooperation will mean improved preparedness and response in the face of complex emergencies that positively impact the most vulnerable communities.”

Senior rabbi urges British Jews to ‘fight for inclusive’ Judaism

One of Reform’s most senior rabbis has used a Yom Kippur sermon to issue a call for his community to be “willing to fight” to maintain a Judaism that is “open, tolerant and inclusive”, writes Lee Harpin.

Rabbi Josh Levy (inset) told the packed congregation at Alyth Gardens synagogue: “We have to acknowledge something…. We have ceded the ground of religious discourse to those whose Judaism does not reflect our values. We can do so no longer.

“If we want a Judaism that is open and tolerant and inclusive, one that reflects those core liberal ideals in our rich

inheritance, then we have to be willing to fight for it. ”

In a sermon delivered as in Israel religious Zionist activists tried to separate genders for prayer in Tel Aviv’s Dizengo Square, the rabbi told congregants at his shul in Temple Fortune: “We are witnessing a decisive moment in Jewish history – the invention of a new kind of Judaism… [This is] a struggle to save Judaism itself… the threat is spiritual destruction”.

The rabbi, cochief of the Move-

ment for Reform Judaism, referred to the “stark warning” given by Israeli historian and author Yuval Noah Harari during his visit to the UK.

“Harari warns of the implications beyond the narrow politics of Israel, implications for the nature of Judaism itself. He cautions that the removal of checks and balances in the Israeli system is designed to allow a determined minority to reshape Israeli society, and that they will seek to do so around a vision of Judaism that is new and highly problematic.

“If Israel,

as the most public expression of our religion and culture in the world, comes to represent a Judaism that is based on, in his words, a principle of Jewish supremacy. If it comes

to represent a Judaism that is discriminatory, intolerant, and oppressive, one that does not have at its heart concern for the vulnerable, then this will redefine Judaism for all of us.”

‘HAPPY YOM KIPPUR!’ SAYS THE GREEN PARTY

The Green Party has apologised after a local branch wished the Jewish community a “happy Yom Kippur” on social media, writes Fergal Je reys.

The message, shared by the Brighton and Hove branch on X (formerly Twitter), read: “Happy Yom Kippur to all those who celebrate! We wish everyone observing this Jewish holiday a very happy and holy

celebration.” Social media users spotted other mistakes in the post, such the use of the standard year 2023 rather than the Jewish year 5784, as well as including an illustration of a Chanukiah, which is used at Chanukah rather than Yom Kippur.

A spokesperson for the Green Party apologised for the post, which has since been taken down.

“Many volunteers help run the local party and sometimes we have the best of intentions but simply get things wrong. That is what has happened on this occasion. We are very sorry for the o ence that will have been caused. We are removing the post and will be sharing an apology on our Brighton and Hove Twitter feed.”

Ashkelon Academic College

British Jews protesting at Tower Bridge last month

Continued from page 1

Swerdlow, psychiatrist at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and Jami trustee, says: “I and many of my peers in the Jewish community felt compelled to raise awareness about the prevalence of mental illness and distress among Jewish young people and adults.

“Many of us are aware that our mental health services are struggling with the increasing demand and complexity. However, it is of the utmost importance that help is provided to those who need it, in a timely manner. This is why Jami, and all the support it o ers, is an invaluable resource that, as a community, we should feel privileged to have and be eager to support.”

Laurie Rackind, chief executive of Jami, said: “Covid exacerbated an existing mental health emergency in our community but, unlike Covid, there is no vaccine for mental illness and distress.

“Addressing our community’s mental health challenge will require a long-term, collective e ort. We are calling on those who are able to do so, to get behind Jami as generously as possible to ensure we can continue to provide vitally needed services for children, young people and adults.”

Louise Kermode, director of services at Jami, says: “It is great to see Jewish psychiatrists and other doctors getting behind Jami and the vital work we do in the community.

“While medical treatment and support are important when it comes to mental illness and distress, Jami’s services have an equally fundamental part to play in supporting peo-

ple’s needs. This is because Jami provides not only psychological, social and practical support that is so important to each individual’s recovery, but it also o ers daily connection with others, a sense of belonging, and a feeling of trust because of its cultural understanding and focus on peer support.”

A co-signatory, Dr Fiona Sim, public health consultant and former chair of the Royal Society for Public Health, says: “It’s imperative that access to e ective, community-based early intervention services, like Jami, is bolstered significantly and urgently, because the demand for scarce specialist NHS clinical services has become unsustainably high.’

Fellow co-signatory Dr Amy Jebreel, consultant psychiatrist at Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust, says: “If the problem is an ever-increasing requirement for mental health support in the Jewish community, I wholeheartedly believe that Jami is a primary solution.

“As a community we must rally behind Jami so that our children, our family, our friends and others impacted by mental health di culties get the support they need.”

Works by previously unseen and sidelined 20th-century British Jewish artists who were immigrants to the UK are included in an exhibition at this year’s British Art Fair which looks afresh at Britain’s cultural identity and heritage.

Crossing Borders: Internationalism in Modern British Art is co-curated by art historian Monica Bohm-Duchen and art market columnist Colin Gleadell.

The curators put out a call this year for works from exhibiting galleries. More than 30 galleries responded, with paintings, sculptures, photography, mixed-media works and drawings by immigrant artists.

Over 50 artists are included in Crossing Borders and the exhibition is divided into

three sections with the first being 20th century British Jewish artists, which features figures both familiar – David Bomberg, Lucian Freud and Frank Auerbach – and less familiar – such as Clara Klingho er and Peter Kinley.

The other two sections are entitled Immigration and Diversity in the Post-War British Art World, comprising work by 20 artists who arrived in the UK from India, Paki-

stan, Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Ghana, Sudan, Algeria, South Africa and the Caribbean and Crossing Borders, Going Global, which looks to the diverse array of artists who arrived from as far afield as Taiwan and America.

British Art Fair director, Will Ramsay said: “Crossing Borders is an important exhibition for British Art Fair that sets out to reveal the internationalism and diversity in modern British art and its enduring impact on the work of the artists of today.”

Crossing Borders is at Saatchi Gallery 28 September to 1 October. Bohm-Duchen is giving a talk on Friday 29 September at 4pm. Entry to the exhibition and the talk is included in the ticket price to British Art Fair.

The letter’s signatories encourage the community to rally behind the charity Jami

A work by Lucian Freud

Baladyt at JW3 forced to close

The Middle Eastern cafe at London’s flagship Jewish community centre JW3 has shut after only nine months over hygiene concerns.

An initial inspection in May by Camden Council found Baladyt, JW3’s food partner since January, “very disappointing”.

It awarded the cafe a ‘1’, the lowest ranking available, with major improvements deemed necessary in food hygiene. In the interests of public health, JW3 commissioned a second independent inspection. The results also found the standards severely lacking.

In a statement seen by Jewish News, JW3 said that with so many people coming through its doors, it was “crucial for us to have the best possible food o ering for what is the beating heart of our community centre”.

However, during the trial period with Baladyt, “we became aware of a very disappointing food hygiene rating by Camden Council of Baladyt at JW3. Because the health and safety of our visitors is our top priority, we immediately began discussions with the Balady management to ensure each of the issues raised by Camden Council were swiftly remedied. Giving time for necessary improvements to be made, we also took the additional step of arranging an independent inspection.”

Following the second report, JW3’s management found that the cafe was still “not o ering the level of quality that is acceptable

from our food partner and su cient remedies had not been adequately delivered. As a result, Baladyt at JW3 has closed.”

JW3 is now focusing on finding a new catering partner “who will be able to serve our busy community to the highest possible standards and we are open to o ers of interest. In the meantime, we will introduce a temporary solution to ensure our visitors are not left without food and drink.”

“We wish the Baladyt team all the best and thank them for all their hard work and e orts during our partnership.”

Baladyt was the fifth branch of the falafel eaterie ‘Balady’, also found at Temple Fortune, Camden, Leather Lane and Barnet.

Rachel Riley hosts survivors’ dinner

More than 220 guests gave a standing ovation to 91-yearold Holocaust survivor and educator, Ivor Perl, at a fundraising dinner for Jewish Care’s survivors’ centre, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

The event at St John’s Wood Synagogue raised £150,000 for the Holocaust Survivors’ Centre, the only one of its kind in the UK. It supports 300 survivors, refugees and their spouses through social, therapeutic and outreach programmes.

The evening was hosted by the TV presenter Rachel Riley, who has visited the centre several times this year, and she introduced the guest speaker, Dame Maureen Lipman.

Ivor Perl, who lives at Jewish Care’s Selig Court apartments at the Maurice and Vivienne Wohl Campus, spoke with Dov Forman, greatgrandson of survivor Lily Ebert Perl said: “The centre is even more important to me and fellow survivors as we get

older. The memories of the Holocaust never leave you and talking about it brought back many traumatic moments, so what followed was me becoming a member of the Holocaust Survivors’ Centre many years ago, where we also have support from the wonderful Shalvata [therapeutic service].

“I’ve since moved to Jewish Care’s Selig Court Retirement Living to be closer to the centre. The centre o ers us so much care and support, a place to be together and what we really need right now, which is an abundance of love that we receive from the sta and volunteers there, who I can only describe as angels.”

Linda Bogod, Holocaust Survivors’ centre dinner committee chair, said: “My involvement with the centre is very personal, it is a service that is extremely close to my heart, and I am immensely proud to be here this evening to help raise vital funds for this very special place.

“Both my mother and my father were born in Germany, my mother in Berlin in 1932 and my father in 1923 in Frankfurt. Whilst my mother’s family managed to leave in the mid 1930s and settled in Israel, my father did not manage to escape until June 1939 when he was 16, just under a year after his father was brutally murdered on Kristallnacht. “My father, who was able to lead a very happy and fulfilled life in the UK, died eight years ago, and after his death my mother started attending the Holocaust Survivors’ Centre.

“I am immensely proud to have my mother here with us tonight. The Monday morning Hebrew speaking group she attends at the centre is the highlight of her week, and the support she and the Holocaust survivors and refugees who are members get from the wonderful volunteers and sta makes a huge di erence to their lives.”

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ISRAELI

ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO SAUDI ARABIA

by Jenni Frazer jenni@jennifrazer.com @Jennifrazer

Britain’s biggest Israel-supporting charity, UJIA, has launched a change of strategy in a re-assessment of its key priorities. More focus will be on the domestic side of its work rather than on capital projects in Israel — and in Israel, there will be “a new way of philanthropy”, in which the charity will support groups bidding for social improvement loans for di erent communities.

Along with the good news and positive vibes for the charity’s future in changing times, chair Louise Jacobs and chief executive Mandie Winston have had to face a drop in income — and seven sta members have been made redundant. Part of that, they say, is because the re-structuring has meant certain roles were no longer required.

“We need to use every single pound that we have for the benefit of the mission,” says Winston. “We’re not sitting on a building, and we need to use our money as wisely as we can. And that has meant sometimes painful decisions.” Over time, says Jacobs, “I would hope we would be able to re-hire — but it would be for di erent positions.”

Jacobs’ and Winston’s double act – two women fronting a major charity in both lay and o cial roles

– is a far cry from the ‘boys’ club’ of previous UJIA incarnations. The two women bring a strong sense of pragmatism and a non-confrontational, business-like approach to their vision for the charity. Their starting point, says Jacobs, “is to spend more money in the UK, because our primary mission is to ensure that our young people have a strong connection with Israel through programmes that we can provide for them. Those families that can’t a ord to send their kids. We want to be able to help them, and that number is growing.”

Deepening young people’s links with Israel, the two women believe, is a core part of strengthening their Jewish identity. Ultimately, they say, this work will form the basis for finding the communal leaders of the future. So there will be new emphasis on working with people in their twenties and thirties, some of whom are now helping to assess bids from would-be projects under the UJIA Si3 umbrella. Si3 stands for Social Impact Investment in Israel, which funds projects that provide high-value social impact. One such project is a chocolate-making factory outside Netanya, run by Charedi boys.

Si3 projects get loans from UJIA and then repay them over an agreed period — and once the money is repaid it is then recycled into a new set of schemes.

Both Winston and Jacobs are aware of “increasing polarisation” in the community as a direct result of the political turmoil in Israel. Their approach is not to ignore the issue — “but to continue to hold the broad tent. Our work transcends any particular government. It’s tough — but our donors are aware of what we do, and we need to double down and get on with it.”

Israel’s tourism minister arrived in Saudi Arabia this week, marking the first official visit by a senior Israeli official to the kingdom.

Haim Katz took part in a United Nations World Tourism Organisation conference, meeting other ministers from Middle East countries.

“Tourism is a bridge between nations,” Katz said. “Partnership in tourism issues has the potential to bring hearts together and economic prosperity. I will work to create collaborations to promote tourism and Israel’s foreign relations.”

UJIA shifts strategy to prioritise UK initiatives Roger Waters’ ‘k***’ email revealed

Continued from page 1 the documentary, Stachel says Waters lost his temper over vegetarian food at a restaurant and demanded waiters “Take away the Jew food”, that Waters mocked his grandmother who was murdered in the Holocaust, and that a colleague warned him not to react if he wanted to keep his job.

Ezrin, meanwhile, recounts an incident in which Waters sung him an impromptu ditty about then agent Bryan Morrison, the last couplet of which ended with words to the e ect of “Cos Morri is a f***ing Jew”.

Gideon Falter, chief executive of

Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Roger Waters has repeatedly used his enormous platform to bait Jews, but he always claims that he is not antisemitic. We believed that there was further evidence out there to the contrary, and the release of The Dark Side Of Roger Waters now puts the evidence we obtained in the hands of the public.

“It is hard to imagine a rockstar emblazoning the N-word above their concerts, but Mr Waters demanded that his crew do exactly that with the K-word. Not only that, but he seems to have spent time humiliating

and harassing his Jewish sta . One cannot help but watch this film and wonder what kind of person uses their power to this e ect. Is Roger Waters an antisemite? Now people can make up their own minds.” Waters, who is due to perform

at the London Palladium on 8 and 9 October, has long denied he is antisemitic, despite his habit of o ending Jews, often appearing to stray beyond his support for Palestinian rights.

In July, the world’s biggest Jewish organisations called on Bertelsmann Music Group to end its relationship with Waters. In an open letter they criticised his performance in Germany in May, when he wore a Nazi-like uniform and compared Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian journalist killed covering the conflict, to Anne Frank.

The US State Department said Waters’ recent concerts “contained

Communications minister Shlomo Karhi is also expected to visit Saudi Arabia next week for the the Exceptional Posts Conference, along with Likud lawmaker David Bitan, chairman of the Knesset economic affairs committee.

imagery deeply o ensive to Jewish people and minimized the Holocaust” and that he has “a long track record of using antisemitic tropes to denigrate Jewish people”.

Waters defended his appearance as a fascist demagogue at his concerts, adding that Anne Frank “became a permanent reminder of what happens when fascism is left unchecked”.

He said this year he had been subject to “bad faith attacks from those who want to smear and silence me because they disagree with my political views and moral principles”.  Editorial comment, page 22

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UJIA chair Louise Jacobs addesses the charity’s annual dinner

The Chai Art Workshop Group (Artist Etty Debourcieu)

Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence agency arrested three Palestinians and two Israeli Arabs allegedly planning to assassinate security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, writes Jotam Confino.

The alleged terrorist cell had its base in Jenin in the West Bank and operated under the direction of an Iranian man living in Jordan. It recruited the two Arab Israelis in the north of the country. It also planned to kill former Knesset member Yehuda Glick.

The order to assassinate Ben-Gvir came from Iran, according to Shin Bet. “This a air once again illustrates Iran’s growing e orts to undermine security, social and political stability in Israel through the recruitment of Israeli and Palestinian citizens for security and criminal activities,” Shin Bet said, according to Army Radio.

Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar telephoned Ben-Gvir on Tuesday to inform him about the exposure of

ON A WING & YOM KIPPUR PRAYER

As Israel comes to an almost complete standstill for Yom Kippur on Monday, and cyclists enjoy the annual absence of motor traffic, acrobat Tel Karassin stages a bit of theatre over a car-free road, against a backdrop of the Azraeli Centre

the cell. Ben-Gvir issued a statement shortly after the arrests were made public, saying: “I thank the Shin Bet and the security forces who led to the exposure and capture of the terrorist cell that intended to assassinate me. I will continue to act fearlessly for fundamental change.”

Likud lawmaker Danny Danon applauded the Shin Bet for arresting the suspects, saying Iran “crossed a red line and will pay a heavy price”. Minister of national security Itamar Ben-Gvir

‘Assassination’ plot arrests GERMAN RIGHT ON RISE – STUDY

A survey by a political think tank shows a big increase in right-wing extremist and antisemitic attitudes in Germany.

The study, published last week, indicates that eight percent of people in Germany have a right-wing extremist worldview, up from three percent in previous years. It was commissioned by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, which is associated with Germany’s center-left Social Democratic Party.

An antisemitic worldview is held by 5.7 percent of respondents, up from 1.7 percent two years ago, and 3.3 percent in the previous survey. The number of those who totally rejected antisemitism dropped to

79.9 percent from 88 percent and 86.8 percent in the previous two studies. In recent decades, many surveys of antisemitic attitudes in Germany and elsewhere in Europe have shown similar levels.

Six percent of respondents liked the idea of a dictatorship, up from 2-4 percent in previous years. More people identify as right or right of centre: 15.5 percent compared with 10 percent in the previous two studies.

Friedrich Ebert Stiftung chairman Martin Schulz told German media that evidently “part of [German] society has less and less trust in democracy and feels threatened socially and economically”.

He suggested that it was important to stand up to the right-leaning trend as represented by the rising popularity of the antiimmigrant, anti-European Union Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in polls.

The study came days after more than 40 gravestones were overturned in a Jewish section of the town cemetery of Köthen, in the former East German state of SaxonyAnhalt. The vandalism, which happened between 15 and 19 September, is under police investigation.

As yet, police have no information about the perpetrators. Restoration costs are estimated at £17,400.

Flying ace’s medals up for auction

Medals awarded to a Jewish WW1 flying ace are to be offered for auction next month, writes Joy Falk.

They were awarded to Capt Solomon Clifford Joseph of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and Royal Air Force (RAF) in the final months of the war in 1918.

The honours – a Distinguished Flying Cross, second award bar, American First World War victory medal and a British War medal – are being sold for a private collector by Noonans Mayfair on 13 October, with an estimate of

between £15,000 and £18,000.

Joseph was the highestscoring Jewish ace of the conflict and the only one from Birmingham. He had at least 13 attributed victories.

Noonans medal specialist and associate director Mark Quayle said: “Joseph was a ‘gung-ho’ pilot whose aggressive flying style and skill accounted for at least 13 aerial victories between May and October 1918. He was no

stranger to taking risks and was wounded and nearly shot down on many occasions.”

Capt Joseph was born to a fine-art dealer in Edgbaston, Birmingham in April 1893 and

joining the RNAS, predecessor to the RAF, in August 1917. He trained at Crystal Palace and Vendome in France.

He was posted to Dunkirk on 16 February 1918 and flew Sopwith Camels from various bases until 28 November 1918, after the war had ended.

His Distinguished Flying Cross – one of about 65 issued during the conflict – came in September 1918, with the London Gazette describing Joseph as “a gallant pilot who has accounted for eight enemy aircraft within the past four months”. The citation con-

tinued: “On many occasions the enemy were numerically superior to Lieut Joseph’s patrol, but this did not prevent his attaining success.”

The second award bar came shortly after, with the Gazette saying Joseph was “a very gallant and skilful officer”, adding: “He led his formation under a large force of enemy aircraft with a view to inducing them to descend to attack him.”

After the war, Joseph returned to his home city, where he died in March 1966.

Bidding information can be found on the Noonans website.

AJEX REUNITES FAMILIES WITH WAR HONOURS

AJEX has reunited more than 100 lost or overlooked war and service medals with Jewish families.

The organisation launched its ‘Family Medals’ campaign in June and has so far identified and returned 118 medals. Eight more cases are being investigated.

The ongoing campaign encourages individuals to delve into family histories to research and claim the well-deserved honours.

A quest by AJEX member and RAF veteran Paul Hyams with 31 years’ service to uncover his family’s

military history led him to a photograph of his grandfather Harold Crozier Hyams and the realisation Harold was entitled to WWI medals as well as the WWII ones he was photographed with.

Thanks to the AJEX campaign, Paul was reunited with his grandfather’s WWI medals and his Commonwealth War Graves headstone. He said: “I am honoured to have served and now my honour is doubled by having my grandfather’s medals.”

Among other cases, when Elliot Goodman’s father Bernard recently visited from Israel, he passed on the

medals of great-grandfather Mick Goodman, who served as a batman during WWII, enabling Elliot to march for the first time in this year’s AJEX parade with sons Jonah, Aaron and Jake who will be wearing their other great-grandfather’s medals.

AJEX national chair Dan Fox said: “AJEX hopes many more first-time attendees can now march proudly wearing these medals at the Annual Remembrance Parade & Ceremony on 19 November. Let us showcase the Jewish community’s medals with pride and clarity.”

Jake Goodman with his mum Natasha and his greatgrandfather’s war medals

Solomon Clifford Joseph and his iconic medals

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“If it wasn’t for Jami, I wouldn’t be where I am now. Jami gave me hope for life and hope for the future”

More people are struggling with mental illness than ever before.

Secular and Orthodox Jews clash over public gender segregation

Hundreds of secular Israeli Jews protested against illegal gender-segregated prayers in public spaces in Tel Aviv and

other cities in Israel on Yom Kippur, writes Jotam Confino.

On Friday, the Supreme Court upheld a ruling by

the Tel Aviv municipality, which said gender-segregated prayers in public places in the city are illegal. Police, however, failed to enforce the ban.

The biggest clashes were on Dizengoff Square in central Tel Aviv on both Sunday and Monday evening when Rosh Yehudi, the yeshiva organising the prayer, defied a Supreme Court ruling and began preparing a gendersegregated prayer session.

Hundreds of demonstra-

tors removed chairs and barriers set up to divide men and women, while chanting “shame” at the organisers. Police, meanwhile, were filmed doing nothing to stop the illegal prayer, while arresting at one protester.

Similar clashes took place in Ramat Aviv, Givataym, Haifa, Herzliya, Hod Hasharon and Zichron Ya’akov. Benjamin Netanyahu called the protesters “leftwing rioters”.

MP QUITS AFTER HONOURING NAZI

The speaker of Canada’s House of Commons resigned on Tuesday after a former Nazi soldier received a standing ovation in the parliament.

Yaroslav Hunka, 98, was introduced in the Commons lower chamber the previous day by the speaker, Anthony Rota, who called him a “Ukrainian hero”.

Hunka was given standing ovations by parliament members for his role fighting for Ukrainian independence against

Russia. But the First Ukrainian Division which Hunka was part of was also known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division and fell under the command of Nazi Germany.

“I must step down as your speaker,” Rota said. “I reiterate my profound regret for my error in recognising an individual in the House during the address to parliament of President Zelensky.

“That public recognition has caused pain to individuals and communities,

including to the Jewish community in Canada and around the world in addition to Nazi survivors in Poland among other nations.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said:

“This is deeply embarrassing to the parliament of Canada and by extension, to all Canadians. I think particularly of Jewish MPs and all members of the Jewish community across the country who are commemorating Yom Kippur today.”

The Orthodox group Rosh Yehudi sets up a gendersegregated prayer session in Dizengoff Square

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Rabbi Miriam embarks on new spiritual journey

Departure from Finchley synagogue sees creation of healing and ritual centre

by Michelle Rosenberg michelle@jewishnews.co.uk

News that communal stalwart Rabbi Miriam Berger is stepping down after 18 years at the helm of Finchley Reform synagogue sent more than a few shockwaves through both the north London shul and wider community.

Next July, Rabbi Berger will officially leave her spiritual home to launch Wellspring, the first of its kind in the UK and a champion of complementary therapies and the ritual of the mikveh.

Wellspring describes itself as “a place where people will find ways to heal and rejuvenate their mind, body and soul” and plans to offer “a preventative and therapeutic approach to good mental health, promoting resilience, building and incorporating Jewish rituals such as immersion into active wellbeing and recovery”.

Speaking to Jewish News, Rabbi Berger makes it clear stepping down from her role as a rabbi who leads the community is very different from leaving the community altogether.

She says working with people pastorally has made her recognise how broken life’s events can leave us, that “some people find it much easier to lean into life following setbacks than others.

“I think there is something around creating individual rituals with people that enables them to take back control.”

She believes “they craft the moment, whether it is in the mikveh or in a specially-designed havdallah ceremony, they take back the power by deciding what they need to say or do in order to think about what they want it to do for them.”

Speaking from intensely personal experience, she confides as part of a happily married couple struggling to conceive and being made miserable by multiple failed IVF attempts, she “wanted to take back control of my body.

“We wanted our relationship to be about what we had and not what we didn’t have and we were committed to closing the chapter of struggle in order to embrace a chapter during which we could choose life”.

Berger continues: “I found the mikveh in that moment was the place I could commit to changing my mindset and outlook.”

She says she has since found she can help others to “make their own moments, take back control of their life after infidelities, bereavements, abuse and periods of ill health”.

As to whether Wellspring is a continuation of her work in ‘ritual’, she says while Jewish life is centred predominantly in the home and synagogue, she hopes to bring another space into people’s lives.

“I am used to creating ritual life-cycle moments in the way that our Judaism has traditionally prescribed, whether it be birth, bnei mitzvah, marriage or death,”she says.

“Yet there are countless other

moments that if we could ritualise as poignantly as we do those ones, people would make transitions in their lives much healthier.

“Our ancient rabbis were also mental health experts; you only have to see our mourning rituals to know that and yet they could never have conceived of retirement as an equally important moment of transition to do well. There are also rituals that need perhaps their own space and the guidance of real mental health practitioners to do really well.”

Could Wellspring serve as a blueprint? Rabbi Berger says Jami, the mental health service for the Jewish community, should “never be underestimated for the incredible support it gives”. However, she knows “we can support people to hopefully not to hit crisis points, if people are held through challenging transitional moments in the best possible way.

“All religions support people at moments of transition, but mostly the ones that were identified in centuries gone by; birth, marriage and death. Wellspring can definitely work as a blueprint to encourage

WORKING WITH PEOPLE PASTORALLY HAS MADE ME RECOGNISE HOW BROKEN LIFE’S EVENTS CAN LEAVE US – THAT SOME PEOPLE FIND IT EASIER TO LEAN INTO LIFE FOLLOWING SETBACKS. RITUALS

ENABLE THEM TO TAKE BACK CONTROL

other religions to see it as their role to innovate and identify the other moments of transition they need to ritualise and support, translating the ideas into their own models of ritual and in their own appropriate spaces.”

As a final thought as to the influence of her biblical namesake, she confides her late mother “really wanted to name me Heidi when I was born after her dad, Hymie, who had recently died”.

She says she often wonders how different her life would have been with such a different name.

“Miriam,” she says, “was not only a strong leader but she pre-

served Jewish identity even as a slave in Egypt and was willing to be uprooted from the familiar to venture into a new land.

“I am also struck by her pivotal moments involving water, whether it was watching over her baby brother when hiding in the bullrushes by the river, singing with tambourine in hand while crossing the sea or being like the nourishing well in the wilderness.

“Maybe my understanding of the power of water runs as deep as the name.”



For more information go to wellspringuk.org

Rabbi Berger: There is something around rituals that enables people to take back control

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European rabbis call Munich home

by Michelle Rosenberg in Munich michelle@jewishnews.co.uk

The Conference of European Rabbis (CER), one of Europe’s most prominent associations of Orthodox rabbis, has opened its new official headquarters in Munich.

Supported by an annual stipend of €1.5million from the Bavarian state government, the new Centre for Jewish Life is part of the CER’s vision to make Jewish life in Europe more visible and open and offer a base for strengthening Jewish religious life throughout the continent.

As reported by Jewish News, CER’s Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt confirmed in May that Brexit was a leading factor in the decision to move from London to Germany.

The new centre will expand its educational offerings, providing training programmes for rabbis and rebbetzins of communities throughout Europe on a range of halachic and rabbinic issues.

It will also host international con-

ferences on current issues affecting Judaism and the contemporary Jewish world.

Munich has become a new focal point for Jewish life in Europe with the construction of the Ohel-Jakob Synagogue and Community Centre, which has brought Judaism back to the heart of the city.

Goldschmidt said: “The relocation of the headquarters to Munich and the opening of the CER is a symbol of hope and a message to all the dark forces that threaten the Jewish people.”

Thanking the Bavarian prime minister and state government for their “commitment”, he continued: “Munich, a place with a tragic history, today shows a flourishing Jewish life. This development is proof that antisemitism will not succeed. ”

Bavarian state chancellery head and minister of state for federal affairs and media Florian Herrmann MP said: “It is a great honour to witness how another beacon of Jewish faith has found a home in Bavaria.

We stand by our promise to protect Jewish life in Bavaria. ‘Never again’ is our reason for being and an eternal mandate for all in politics and society.

“We will ensure Jewish life in all its splendour and diversity has an eternal home in Bavaria. It’s good to have you here. I am glad you are staying here!”

Minister of education and cultural affairs Michael Piazolo MP added: “Hate, intolerance and antisemitism will not be tolerated in our schools. Our teachers in Bavaria are trained to deal with antisemitic

incidents and have recently been supported in their work against antisemitism with a new internet portal.

“Our regional representatives for democracy and tolerance are also doing valuable work: in addition to their prevention work, they also intervene when incidents occur. This is unique in Germany.”

Jewish community of Munich and Upper Bavaria president Charlotte Knobloch said: “With the arrival of the CER, Munich will become even more the capital of Jewish life in Europe: the heart of European Jewry beats in Bavaria.

“In order to strengthen the

Jewish presence in Europe and in the fight against Jew-hatred, all forces must be combined today – and that is exactly what we want to do.”

CER patron Boris Mints noted: “We are celebrating a new year and new period of Jewish communal life in Germany, yet this book remains with a dark past and a sometimestroubling present. Our job is to keep writing these pages in a positive way, actively composing a future chapter of activism and prosperity, authoring new pages and chronicling our future with words and deeds of hope.”

CER had been based in London since it was founded in 1956.  Opinion, page 26

Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis, and the new headquarters

Saudis ‘moving ever closer to Israel deal’

Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman has claimed Israel and the kingdom move closer toward a normalisation deal “every day”, writes Jotam Confino.

Bin Salman said an agree ment would be “the biggest historical deal since the end of the Cold War”, adding: “If we have a breakthrough of reaching a deal that gives the Palestinians their needs and make the region calm, we’re going to work with whoever is there.”

He stressed he wants to see “a good life for the Palestinians”.

The prince dismissed as untrue a report by London-based Arab newspaper Elaph saying Saudi Arabia had asked the US government to freeze normalisation talks with Israel. He also said if Iran were to develop nuclear weapons, Saudi Arabia would “have to get one”.

“Any country uses a nuclear weapon that means they are having a war with the rest of the world. The world cannot see another Hiroshima. If the world sees 100,000 people dead that means you are in

‘PRODUCTIVE’ TALKS AT BIBI-ERDOGAN MEETING

a war with the rest of the world. So to use this effort to reach a nuclear weapon because you cannot use it if you use it, you got to have a big fight with the rest of the world,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported Netanyahu has told Israeli nuclear and security experts to work with the US on proposals for a US-run uranium enrichment operation in Saudi Arabia as part of a normalisation deal with Israel.

WSJ cited an Israeli official saying: “On the nuclear issue, we’ve seen eye to eye right from the start. On what we cannot do and what it is we might be able to do.”

• Analysis, page 26

ADIDAS BOSS DEFENDS RACIST

Sportswear giant Adidas chief executive Bjørn Gulden has defended disgraced racist rapper Kanye West over West’s antisemitic rants saying: “I don’t think he meant what he said. I don’t think he’s a bad person – it just came across that way.”

The comments on the Norwegian podcast In Good Company came as

RAPPER

Gulden, who was not in his job when West launched his attacks on Jewish people, discussed the end of Adidas’ deal with the rapper last October.

Gulden said West created with Adi a Yeezy line that was very suc

cessful but then ”he did some statements, which wasn’t good” and that caused Adi to break the contract – “very unfortunate, because I don’t think he meant what he said and I don’t think he’s a bad person”.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the latest UN General Assembly, in the first meeting between the two.

Netanyahu told the president ties between the two countries were “improving.”

The leaders discussed regional and international issues, including normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia and agreed to continue advancing bilateral relations in trade, economic matters and energy.

Netanyahu also thanked Erdogan for the “productive cooperation by their countries’ security services, which thwarted the malicious intent of terrorist cells to attack Israeli targets in Istanbul, thereby saving lives”.

Netanyahu and Erdogan agreed to

visit each other in Israel and Turkey in the near future. According to Channel 12, Erdogan is planning to visit Israel and Jerusalem as soon as possible and intends to pray at the AlAqsa Mosque.

The meeting marks a positive development between the two leaders, who have previously accused each other of being terrorists.

Anne Frank diary dispute

A school teacher in Texas has been fired for reading a sex passage from Anne Frank’s diary out loud to eighth-grade students.

The passage came from a 2018 graphic version of the diary that restored some portions of the initial book cut from the most well-known editions.

Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation has also been at the centre of several other recent bookrelated controversies in public schools. It was pulled briefly from another Texas district, permanently removed from a Florida district and has spent several months under review at another Florida district.

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Netanyahu with Erdogan

Waters’ dark side exposed to sunlight

Roger Waters has unquestionably left a mark on the music industry. Or rather, many would argue, a stain.

He has a track record as long as a sieg-heiling arm for making statements seen as antisemitic and utilising fascistic imagery – a theme prevalent in his work since the release of his Pink Floyd-era magnum opus, The Wall. He’s always flatly denied being anti-Jewish, despite repeatedly making wild and wicked claims like calling Israelis “Nazis”. In July, after comparing the fate of Anne Frank to the apparently accidental death of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, the US State Department accused Waters of “having a long track record of using antisemitic tropes to denigrate Jewish people”.

This week’s revelations are the most incriminating yet. For many they will be decisive proof of his genuine mindset.

Following a forensic investigation in the United States, for which it must be applauded, Campaign Against Antisemitism has found that, ahead of a 2010 concert, Waters wrote an email to colleagues in which he suggested inscribing “Dirty Kyke”, a notoriously contemptuous term for a Jewish person, on an inflatable pig.

Thankfully, his lighting director made him see sense and this sick epithet was never used.

He also planned to shower the audience with confetti resembling swastikas and Stars of David.

Waters is set to take the stage at the Palladium next month. This prestigious London venue now has a big decision to make about whether it rolls out the red carpet to someone who, for all his genius, has had his dark side exposed to sunlight as never before.

An inversion of the truth

Last week’s interview with author Yuval Noah Harari was one of the most obscene and dishonest expositions of a political or moral position in a long time.

That it should have been made by a celebrated author abusing his reputation to promote a minority partisan point of view is beyond rebuke.

The objections to the proposed judicial reforms, which only go part of the way to returning the Supreme Court to what it was in the first four-plus decades of Israel’s existence, is just a smokescreen for his real gripe, namely, loss of power of the left.

The proposed reforms will mean the left can no longer wield the power it did via the Supreme Court, irrespective of whichever party is in government. It is all about power.

His suggestion that Netanyahu’s government is abandoning “democratic equality for all” is a

hyperbolic inversion of the truth and his statement that “what is at stake is the very meaning of what it means to be a Jew” is pure arrogance. Do he and his fellow ideologues have a monopoly on what it is to be a Jew?

The community splits he laments are fabricated by a fringe minority making a big noise, which refuses to accept the result of a democratic fought election.

The silent majority of diaspora Jews are not sitting on the fence, as he suggests without evidence to back this up, but are expressing their disapproval of the “pro-democracy” antics exhibited at London’s iconic venue by staying away.

I know no one who supports them ... most stand solidly behind Netanyahu’s coalition government and are sickened by this publicity giving all Jews a bad name in the non-Jewish world.

Colin Rossiter, WC2A

THE DIASPORA IN PIECES

Your editorial (“The Jewish state and the state of Judaism”, 21 September) claims the current path of the Israeli government risks pushing the Jewish community toward fragmentation.

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jewishnews.co.uk

Operations Manager Alon Pelta 020 8148 9693 alon@jewishnews.co.uk

THIS WEEKS SHABBAT & SUCCOT TIMES

Succot 1st day and Shabbat

Friday night starts: 6.29pm Saturday night ends: 7.27pm

The fact is the Jewish diaspora almost everywhere is already completely fragmented. It happened prior to judicial reform in Israel becoming an issue and before the present government in Israel taking power. Wherever one looks in Jewish communities, there are massive divisions. Political left against political right, secular against religious, Zionists against nonZionists and anti-Zionists, different concepts of what Jewish values actually mean. There are even big splits on the definition of what antisemitism is.

others in their own communities. This situation is not necessarily bad because it demonstrates that we live for the most part in robust democracies and makes ordinary Jews feel their views can have a voice, even if they disagree with major Jewish bodies. On the other hand, our divisions make it harder for us to speak to diaspora governments with a united voice, as is definitely the case in the UK, and almost certainly in other countries too.

The National Jewish Assembly does not comment on the wisdom or otherwise of the proposed judicial reforms.

2nd day Ends 7.25pm

Furthermore, established Jewish groups – regionally, nationally or internationally – frequently find their voices are forcefully contradicted by

However, to seek to make a linkage, as the editorial does, between the current vigorous debate on this subject and the so-called unity of the Jewish diaspora is completely erroneous.

Gary Mond, chairman, National Jewish Assembly

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BLINDBRITAIN’SSPOT

How on earth could Canada’s parliament applaud former Nazi soldier Yaroslav Hunka? What a foolish and deeply embarrassing mistake to make. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of historical awareness and the responsibility of our leaders to ensure we do not inadvertently glorify those associated with oppression and hatred. Let us hope this regrettable incident prompts a deeper reflection on the complexities of history and a commitment to more informed and thoughtful recognition in the future.

Emma Brentman, By email

THE JACOB FOUNDATION

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.

Sedra Parashat Ha’azinu

‘No, Lionel, the Sukkah is over there’

Journey of remembrance reaches crucial juncture

ALEX BRUMMER CITY EDITOR, THE DAILY MAIL

We know so much about the Holocaust but also so little. The recent BBC mini-series Rise of the Nazis fills in gaps. The production, directed by Julian Jones, is unusual in that it uses a mix of actors, brilliant original film footage and slightly stilted commentary from historians.

The series includes insights into life in Hitler’s bunker, terrific footage and analysis of Nuremberg and insights into Nazi murderers and their legal defences. There is extensive material on the search for Nazis who used the ‘Ratline’ to escape to Latin America.

Readers who recently read or dipped into Danny Finkelstein’s Hitler, Stalin Mum & Dad, will find the grainy, silent film of the Westerbork prison camp in Holland, way station to death camps, eerily brought to life by German footage.

The availability of vast amounts of TV,

literary and historical material on the Shoah and genocide is relatively recent. The wartime Allies, while anxious to expose the evil of Nazism, also acutely were aware of a narrative they didn’t want to publicise.

Franklin D Roosevelt and Americans minimised Nazi evil for political and strategic reasons. Russian internments of Jews in Siberia was as cruel and heinous as German concentration camps.

The Jews escaping Nazism (including my own father turned back from Haifa in 1939) and the German Jewish refugees interned in the UK were treated as an enemy rather than victims.

The BBC series reminded viewers that until the NBC American TV series The Holocaust was broadcast in 1978, the events of the Shoah remained unexplored in popular Western culture. In Germany it dramatically changed the narrative as it forced new generations to confront the evil perpetrated by their parents and grandparents.

In my own Shoah-a ected family the Holocaust remained a largely verboten subject for much of my younger life. My mother, from

an established Anglo-Jewish family, sought to protect my refugee father from being confronted with reminders of how his parents and several of his siblings perished.

When as children we visited my father’s sister, who had survived Auschwitz with another sister and niece, there were whispered conversations in the front of the car. My parents were discussing the ‘miracle’ birth of my young cousins whose mother had been through a medical trauma in the camps.

Little did I know that in Ramat Gan in Israel there was a similar experience for my late cousin Zvi. Every Saturday morning my uncle Martin (my father’s youngest brother) would drink co ee with a fellow survivor on the balcony exchanging memories in Hungarian.

Cousin Zvi would listen (he had picked up Hungarian from his parents).

There were horrific memories including an account on being tied all day to a train line after an escape attempt.

There was no direct conversation about the family experience. It was only a generation later when a younger Israeli cousin, armed with a rough chart drawn by my aunt, found his way to

the remains of the hut occupied by his mother at Buchenwald and recited a quiet prayer.

In their later years my dear Aunt Rose and cousin Sheindy opened up on their experiences as teenagers. They would regularly talk at local schools in the Brighton area. The Shoah was directly confronted. On the afternoon of just passed Shabbat Shuva, after shul in Hove, I visited my admirable cousin Sheindy, now in her 90s but as sharp as a button. On her dining table was Dan Stone’s book The Holocaust: An Unfinished History. Scheindy showed me a letter pushed through her door from a neighbourhood 10-year-old. The child’s class were studying World War II and requested a chat with a living witness. She had no hesitation in saying yes.

The Shoah is out of the cupboard. It took decades to do so and it is so important, as survivors fade away, that the world does retreat back to where it was in the immediate decades after the war when Holocaust disclosure was supressed.

Remembrance, in the shape of museums and prominent memorials as in Berlin, but not yet London, are more critical than ever.

Behind the controversial legacy of Ken Livingstone

Ken Livingstone is 78 and has Alzheimer’s. It brings an end to a political career which has included being mayor of London and an MP. He resigned from the Labour Party, which he has supported all his life, in 2018, and he has been accused on several occasions of being an antisemite and found not guilty of it in court.

Livingstone was MP for Brent East from 1987-2001 and I talked to the former mayor of Brent about him. The Jewish mayor considered Livingstone a friend and certainly not antisemitic, Livingstone having visited him in hospital and taken part in demonstrations against antisemitism in the district.

Livingstone is, however, very much against the behaviour of the Israeli government toward the Arabs in Israel. From our viewpoint, it is easy to turn that into antisemitism. History will distinguish between the two. Is it possible to be anti-Israel but not antisemitic?

If you set out to join the two, you can certainly label Livingstone antisemitic. You can take his comments and twist them to support your case. For instance, when he said that the Nazis cooperated with the Jewish community in Germany before the war. Doesn’t that make him antisemitic?

The Haavara agreement was reached with the Nazis in 1933. It allowed Jews to emigrate to Palestine, so long as they left the majority of their assets in Germany to be looted by the Nazis. More than 50,000 German Jews escaped the coming Holocaust in the next few years in that way. That is the fact.

You can somehow turn this – as Livingstone did – into a belief Hitler supported Zionism, but it isn’t true. The German Jewish community su ered persecution and lost its assets. It, or something similar, has happened countless times over the centuries.

Livingstone has been a thorn in the flesh of his opponents, including Conservatives and Labourites, for years. We’re not discussing politics though. We’re considering the evidence advanced for the accusation Livingstone is an antisemite. He once compared a

journalist, who happened to be Jewish, to a concentration camp guard. In court it was considered not an antisemitic remark. You’d have to label the magistrate antisemitic to query this decision and nobody has.

There was the demonstration in Brent against antisemitism while Livingstone was an MP. He joined the demonstrators. He has denounced antisemitism many times. He says in 47 years in the Labour Party, he never heard an antisemitic remark. In any British political party, this would be di cult to believe.

What would be justifiable is to say antisemites are a very small percentage of the population. Any number of carefully-

organised reports have confirmed this. Many French are coming to live in Britain because of antisemitism in France. British Jews have no such justifiable concerns.

Future political leaders will have to continue to balance Israel as a Westernsupporting nation in the Middle East with the need to agree a peace deal with the Arabs.

Community leaders are now condemning the Israeli government for reducing the power of the Israeli judges. The views of our community will have no e ect on the final decision because we don’t have a vote; the Israelis who do must come to their own conclusions.

In the years ahead, Livingstone will be only a footnote in our political history. Who remembers Ramsay Macdonald, Herbert Morrison and Sta ord Cripps?

Livingstone doesn’t leave us with an innovation like Aneurin Bevan’s NHS.

We do, however, need a steady stream of politicians willing to devote their lives to trying to improve the state of the nation and that is a commendation that certainly belongs to Ken Livingstone.

renowned antiques expert BBC’s Dealing with Dickinson, Antiques Master and ITV’s Storage Hoarders.)

Out in the Gulf, the heat is abating. As autumn and darkness loom back home, the air here is emptying itself of moisture; the summer’s enveloping thickness is di using to a pleasant warmth.

The weather, though, is not the only thing that is cooling. The region has undergone – to continue with this now laboured metaphor – a political seasonal change over the past few years. The 2020 Abraham Accords, the series of normalisation agreements signed between several Arab states and Israel, upended decades of foreign policy groupthink as well as the region’s geopolitics.

Now, it seems, further upheaval may be imminent. Last week, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly that his country is “at the cusp” of a breakthrough that could end in a normalisation agreement with Saudi Arabia.

If geopolitics is characterised by long periods of tedium interspersed with intense drama (usually violent), the reporting of it often carries the stamp of hyperbole and cliche. But this time any outpourings would not be incontinent.

Saudi Arabia is not only now, following the decline of Egypt, the ‘Sunni Lion’ – the foremost Sunni Arab power – but of course the country of Islam’s two holiest sites, Mecca and Medina. Every Saudi ruler, currently Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, is styled the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (Khādim al- aramayn aš-Šarīfayn). Recognising Israel in any form would go against what was once a key principle for Riyadh.

But, after months of negotiations mediated by the White House, a deal of some form may be in sight. We remain a way o . No clear path, or ‘roadmap’, has been publicly outlined. Neither is there any talk of concessions to the Palestinians (let alone the establishment of a Palestinian state, which for decades was the near unanimous condition of the broader Arab world for peace with Israel).

This hasn’t stopped the gushing. Netanyahu told CNN that a deal would “change the Middle East forever,” bringing down “walls of enmity” and creating “a corridor of energy pipelines, rail lines, fibre optic cables, between Asia through Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates.”

From the Saudi side, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said that a normalisation pact with Israel would be “the biggest historical deal since the Cold War.”

In an interview with Fox News, he did also insert the caveat that he hoped a airs would “reach a place that will ease the life of the Palestinians”.

Things are moving. The question remains: will it actually happen? It is a big leap and, in the end, it is 87-year-old King Salman’s signature that will be on the documents, and in the historical record.

Some believe that it may be a step too far right now; especially given the governing coalition in Israel, which contains hard and far-right elements that could make any deal even more controversial right now.

“It may well be that the actual finalities will have to be done when MBS [Mohammed bin Salman] o cially ascends to the throne,” said a regional a airs expert to me last week. “It’s clear he is keen for this. We may have to wait.”

The very fact that MBS, at just 38, could well soon be King of Saudi Arabia is instructive of the changes that have been going on inside the kingdom.

MBS’s father became king at 79, and his father, King Abdullah, at 80. Now, the kingdom is in large part ruled by a millennial and the e ects on everything from allowing women to drive and a more outward-facing foreign policy are plain to see.

If the region is undergoing profound political change, so is the kingdom.

Israel and the Saudis – a geopolitical game Reluctant reflections on Germany’s Jewish future

“The Abraham Accords are here to stay,” an Emirati foreign policy expert recently told me over co ee. Now they may expand to encompass the birthplace of Islam. If this happens, then it can be said, without fear of hyperbole, that those two cliches – historic and unprecedented – would be entirely warranted.

I’m not sure what my late grandmother would have thought.

Around the table on Friday nights

when she was alive, all were adamant that we would never travel to Germany.

Yet here I was, despite a panic attack the day prior, on a Lufthansa flight to Munich for the celebratory launch of the new headquarters of the Conference of European Rabbis (CER).

In an historic move, the organisation had decided to move their base of operations from London to Germany. It was being hailed as a positive and welcome step for German and Munich Jewry.

From the instant I touched down in Munich, it was impossible not to view everything through an historic prism. My glasses could have been a black and white filter to the past.

Airport arrivals were extremely e cient in moving swathes of people in di erent directions. Triggered.

On the drive from the airport, we passed

through thick woodland. Instead of trees, I saw the last living moments of Jews murdered in forests across Europe.

Tall manufacturing towers looked horrifically ominous. The driver must have been in his 60s and I wanted to ask what his father had done in the war.

I felt sick when we passed signposts for Nuremberg.

The lobby of the Westin Grand hotel was full of men in full-on laderhosen, felt hats with feathers and women in traditional dirndl dresses – a tight fitting bodice worn over a white shirt; all were visitors to Munich’s Oktoberfest beer festival.

Trains and trams – quick, methodical, well-organised.

The buildings en route to the CER Jewish centre were clean, grandiose and very new (not surprising considering an estimated 50 percent of the city was bombed to oblivion during World War Two).

At the o cial opening of the building, a petite 91-year-old woman held centre stage. Described by one guest as the ‘Iron Lady’, she was the indomitable Charlotte Knobloch, president of the 9,000 strong Jewish community of Munich and Bavaria, who survived the Holocaust in hiding with a Christian family.

Presiding over a table of male digni-

taries including CER President Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, she addressed the audience in German, saying: “I’m still overwhelmed. This is a dream. To have a centre of Jewish life in Europe.

“Together we can withstand the challenges of our time. Bavaria is where the heart of European Jewish life beats. My home city is now again an important centre of Judaism.”

Rabbi Goldschmidt said he linked the historic event to the new year, adding: “We thank God that we have come to see this day. It is a blessing of God.

“It is our duty to come back to Germany. We are here to contribute to rebuilding Jewish life in Germany.”

While the move is certainly historic, there is still a lot of work to be done.

The Jewish Museum, owned not by the Jewish community but by the state authorities, was eerily quiet.

The Jewish cultural centre opposite, guarded by security guards (just some of the young Israelis who have chosen to move to Germany), has the city’s only kosher restaurant, where you can get a challah.

There is no kosher butcher. No traditional Jewish bakery.

New buildings constructed over old, but for me shadows in every corner.

Antisemitism never disappears. It has re-emerged in Germany in the form of the ever-rising far right, namely the Alternative for Germany party, or AfD.

The Jewish Telegraph Agency reports that since its creation in 2013, it has doubled its membership to 32,000.

It garnered 10 percent of the vote in the 2021 federal elections and polls for the forthcoming 2023 state elections in Bavaria place it with 13.9 percent.

One of the reasons President Knobloch has a retinue of security o cers at all times is because of threats made to her life by neoNazis.

And yet. My choosing not to go to Germany would have been an opt-out. The CER’s decision to transfer its HQ to Munich may have strong roots in the financial implications of the fallout of Brexit, but it’s a brave and bold move.

In order for Jews to survive, we must look to the future and determinedly, defiantly and courageously rebuild our once-thriving communities while remembering and never forgetting nor forgiving the past.

That night, 78 years after the end of the war and the murder of six million Jews, I ate by myself. A Jewish woman alone at a cafe in Munich. Who would have thought?

Certainly not my grandmother.

DAVID PATRIKARAKOS FOREIGN NEWS, UNHERD

MICHELLE

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1CHAIR GOES INTO FREEFALL

Jonathan, Lord Morris of Kenwood, chair of the BBYO UK board of directors/trustees completed a tandem skydive to launch the BBYO Centennial campaign in the UK. Taking the leap from 13,000ft, he was tethered (very tightly!) to an experienced skydiver. Together, they performed a freefall at 120mph for 60 seconds, followed by a five-minute descent under a parachute canopy, before a ‘relatively’ soft landing in a seated position. The jump has to date raised £4,500.

2

ISRAELIS TALK AT MOSAIC

Mosaic Jewish Community on Stanmore Hill held an event with two Israeli speakers: Ofer Fohrer, deputy Israeli ambassador and head of economic and trade to the UK, and Arnon Pearlman, the European and South American head of Israel Bonds. The evening was part of a programme provided at Mosaic in which speakers are invited to discuss matters of importance across industry, commerce, and technology.

3

13 CHALLENGES FOR BEING 13

Mazeltov to Jacob Krotosky who celebrates his barmitzvah on 21 October. He’s attempting 13 challenges for 13 charities, hoping to raise £1,300. They include cycling 130km on the gym exercise bike, taking 13,000 steps for 13 consecutive days, running 13 laps of his local park, visiting 13 football stadiums in one day and being quiet for one day during the summer holidays. His family are asking for the community to sponsor him for that final little push. Visit www.givewheel. com and look for Jacob’s name.

4SHOFAR SO GOOD AT NURSERY!

Throughout the week leading up to Rosh Hashanah, Tuffkid Nursery in Golders Green embarked on a special themed week. The children learned songs about apples, honey, and the shofar. As part of their experience the young learners also had the opportunity to blow the shofar, delve into the world of pomegranates and learn about mitzvot.

5 MINDFUL START TO THE YEAR

This Rosh Hashanah, Moishe House Clapham held a Rosh Hashanah intention setting event, Moishe House Hackney a New Year walk and picnic, Moishe House Camden partnered with GIFT to deliver food packages and Moishe House Kilburn hosted a pre-chag reflection and mindfulness event for their community.

6 TOURNAMENT’S £82,000

Last week a record number of golfers took part in the 18-hole Willow course at Hartsbourne Country Club. This is the fourth year that dedicated volunteer Tony Franks has organised the event for the charity Langdon, sponsored by Steven Eagell Group. This year was the biggest and best yet, with 200 participants raising more than £82,000 for the newly merged Kisharon Langdon. Pictured: Paul Rogers, Samuel Castle, Daniel Green and Harry Fine.

7 NEW YEAR FUN IN ESSEX

There were plenty of games and toys on offer as the youngest members of East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue enjoyed the children’s service for Rosh Hashanah. Alongside, some of the older children dressed up, and among the grownups there was no shortage of volunteers for blowing the shofar.

Photo by Godfrey Dyan

A look

Interview: celebrity chef Eyal Shani

The joy of mess

Not just any etrog...

Not just any etrog...

The enchanting Riviera del Cedro coast lies in the north-west of Calabria, on the toe of Italy’s boot. It is a region teeming with medieval castles perched on mountainsides, fortresses jutting out of rocks and a glistening emerald sea. Brightly painted houses cling to hilltops as if, at any moment, a slight gust of wind could blow them away.

Tucked away in the relatively unknown town of Santa Maria del Cedro is a hidden gem; the Museo del Cedro, museum of the citron, or etrog, as Jews know it. Here, between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the mountains, etrogs benefit from the warm air and the cool mountain breeze. Calabria, with its fertile soil and temperate climate, provides the ideal conditions for cultivating the fruit.

For rabbis across the world the cedro or etrog is known as etz hadar, the precious fruit of the Garden of Eden.

The Calabrian etrog, known for its distinctive shape and fragrant scent, is intertwined with the history of Jewish communities that flourished here more than 400 years ago. In 1541, the last Jews were ordered to leave or to convert to Catholicism. A Jewish presence

has not been visible in this area since the middle of the 16th century.

Originally known as Cipollina, the town of Santa Maria del Cedro changed its name in 1968 to honour the importance of the precious diamond citron renowned for its perfect shape. In July and August, rabbis from every corner of the world flock to the town to examine, cut and cultivate the etrogs, ready for the festival of Succot. This tradition is beautifully illustrated When Life Begins, which was shown at the UK Jewish Film Festival last year.

As we drive through a valley lined with citrus and olive groves into Santa Maria del Cedro, we spot some farmers and ask them about the importance of the cedro to the town. They hand us a beautifully shaped etrog and tell us to visit the Cedro Museum, nestled in the 15th century Palazzo Gabriele Marino, also known as the Carcere dell’Impresa (workhouse prison). Here, the history of the etrog, its symbolic importance and its ties to Jewish culture are celebrated.

As we explore the Museo del Cedro, we are invited to reflect on the significance of the etrog as more than just a fruit. Consuela,

our guide, explains that the cedro or etrog is a symbol of the “unwavering spirit of the Jewish people”. The museum o ers visitors a glimpse into the cultivation, harvesting and preparation of the cedro, as well as its profound importance in Jewish ritual.

I ask Consuela: “Why here? Why are the etrogs in this tiny village so special to the rabbis?” With a smile full of pride, she tells me: “Because we have the most perfect etrog, the diamonds of all the etrogs in the entire world.” These are, by all accounts, the most sought-after etrogs worldwide.

After a short film and explanation, we are invited to sample the di erent products and are astonished by the versatility of the fruit we have only ever equated with use during Succot. We sample etrog cordial, etrog liquor, etrog oil, candied fruit, jam and etrog biscuits, as well as beauty products and cosmetics. Later we notice how etrog granita is a popular source of refreshment in cafes and restaurants along the coast.

The taste and aroma of the fruit are reminiscent of intense lemon with a hint of sweet freshness. As well as its sensory appeal, the etrog is said to be bursting with anti-ageing properties. It is staggering to see how many beautiful products can be made from one relatively unknown and mysterious fruit and we wonder why more products are not made from this precious fruit beyond this town.

As we leave the Museo del Cedro armed with etrog goodies, we celebrate not only the fruit’s importance but also the enduring strength of Jewish culture. In a region virtually devoid of Jews, the annual appearance of rabbis to harvest this ancient fruit bridges the past with the present.

I hug my very own diamond etrog in my arms knowing that this year, it will bring a slice of Calabrian warmth to the festival of Succot.

 museodelcedro.com

The Museo del Cedro (Museum of the Etrog) is housed in a 15th-century palazzo in Santa Maria del Cedro

‘An intense lemon with a hint of fresh sweetness’

Etrog cordial, liquor, jam and biscuits are for sale

Rabbis come to examine the fruit in the summer

Amanda Weinberg visits Calabria to find out about the fruit’s secrets

of the citron, or etrog, as Jews

shape. In July and August,

in the movie

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YEARS

Lilienblum is the fourth restaurant that Israeli celebrity chef Eyal Shani has opened in London in just under a year. Tonight he is hosting a special post-Rosh Hashanah celebration dinner there. The City Road restaurant is the first ‘full service’ venue in the UK, following the success of three branches of his pita chain Miznon (Hebrew for ‘kiosk’) here.

The simplicity of Shani’s cooking techniques belies his culinary genius. He likes to keep things simple, using limited seasoning and herbs to let the natural flavours of the ingredients shine through.

After all, this is the man who originally brought us the whole roasted cauliflower –boiled, then baked in the oven with just olive oil and salt. He gives his rationale: “If I will cook something with tomato, it will carry all the information of that original tomato. I swear to it that nothing will be changed; the texture will remain, the flavours, the aromas, the shapes, so when you are eating my food, it looks very simple [but] it’s not simple. I just represent the tomato in the way it wants to be [represented].”

Hands that do dishes

Celebrity chef Eyal Shani

“People in Israel admired me and hated me because they pay so much money for my food,” he says, explaining that he didn’t benefit from the high prices as he paid for the most expensive ingredients and for his chefs.

High prices do not appear to deter diners in London, and with a reputation this good plus a growing interest in Middle Eastern cooking, Shani’s culinary equivalent of green fingers are likely to be working their magic here for a long time to come.

What made you want to open restaurants in London?

The English are very curious people who have travelled the world and as a result many cultures have been absorbed into its own. I believe in the curiosity and that we will attract people to Lilienblum because they consider Israel to be from the East and English people are attracted to things from the East.

Louisa Walters

It was Shani’s vegan grandfather who first got him interested in food, taking him to markets and vineyards. But when he decided he wanted to cook he knew nothing about it. When he was in the Israeli navy he “invented a terrible thing – a chicken dish cooked with black co ee where the co ee was glued to the skin. I saw that people were opening their windows [in the ship] and throwing the chicken out!” he recalls. He refined the recipe and says it is now the “most traditional” dish the navy serves.

By 1989, he had perfected enough recipes to open his first restaurant, Oceanus, in his hometown of Jerusalem.

At Lilienblum, which takes its name from the Tel Aviv street that is home to Shani’s restaurant North Abraxas, other expert hands are at work. Head chef Oren King (also Israeli) has worked at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Roka and Hide, and general manager Kitty Sparks has been at Fifteen and Aquavit. While the concept is more elevated than at some of his other eateries, in true Eyal Shani style the ethos is laid back, with sharing platters knocked up in an open kitchen. The menu is based around the main ingredients – ‘breads’, ‘vegetable creatures’, ‘cow and lamb fed in flowered fields’, with humorous commentary such as “It’s a very bad idea to eat this [bruschetta], but there will be no regrets”; hummus is served “just the way we like it”; while asparagus is “exemplarily arranged inside a paper envelope”.

It would be fair to say that tomatoes play a big role in Shani’s world and indeed at Lilienblum they are used to hold the brown paper tablecloths (a Shani trademark) in place. At his HaSalon restaurant in Tel Aviv, he perfected the art of fine dining, but was castigated for serving a $24 tomato.

What’s di erent about Lilienblum?

Lilienblum at the moment is like a newborn baby and it’s an opportunity. In the minute that a baby is born you can see its character, its smile, the way it looks at things, the feelings it has. I think that there is a big contrast between the sunny food that we create at Lilienblum and the surrounding area.

Why do you want to celebrate Rosh Hashanah at Lilienblum?

Because when you celebrate it in Israel everyone is celebrating it. But when you celebrate it outside of Israel someone is framing it for you. A di erent culture is framing your own culture and it’s a really beautiful position to be in.

What’s your favourite restaurant in London?

River Cafe. I have loved it for decades and it’s made special because of Ruthie (Rogers). It is her home and you can feel that, which makes it extra special. I think it’s outstanding.

What’s your favourite thing to do in London?

To walk the streets because you never know what is going to be around the next corner. How does it feel being a Jew in London? I feel like there are a lot of Jewish people in London so I never feel alone. I feel English people are completely open to any religion and culture. England is blessed with such a large variety of people. It’s the same when I do menus. I need to absorb so many new ideas, ingredients and cultures into my food because without moving ahead I cannot continue. What chefs inspire you?

Raymond Blanc. He is very di erent from me and he is very classic but he knows how to put his own character inside his food. He has a great restaurant. A lot of chefs inspire me but my first answer is Raymond Blanc.

QUICK-FIRE ROUND

Wine or cocktails? Wine

Hummus or labneh? Hummus

Challah or pita? Tough, but pita Beach or skiing? Beach

Rosh Hashanah or Passover? Passover  lilienblum.co.uk

tells

why Londoners appreciate his ‘eastern’ food

The Lilienblum restaurant in City Road follows the success of his pita chain Miznon

Eyal Shani

Shani gave us whole roasted cauliflower

Focaccia, Eyal Shani-style

If you’re anything like me, you might watch those Insta reels with envy. The ones with rows upon rows of clear glass jars, flawlessly aligned on tidy shelves, neatly labelled with healthy foodstuffs such as aduki beans, quinoa and wild rice. You might then look around your cluttered home and feel a sense of inadequacy, or even shame.

Well, according to Kerri Sackville, author of The LifeChanging Magic of a Little Bit

of Mess , you mustn’t feel that way. In fact, Kerri rages against those who say that nothing is more satisfying than a beautifully organised pantry. “Oh, please,” she writes. “There are about seventeen billion things

more satisfying… Sex, for example. A nap. Chocolate biscuits. Holding a newborn

I tolerated it more and more because I was so busy with the kids and work. And then I had my third and it all fell apart.”

desperately important?” she writes.

Kerri wrote the book during lockdown in her native Sydney (she lives in the city’s eastern suburbs) and her daughter Saachi drew the illustrations.

her

Kerri, 54, who has three children aged 24, 22 and 15 (she lives with her youngest two), does, however, want to assert: “I’m happy with a little bit of mess, but I’m not talking about dirt.”

Nevertheless, she writes: “Cleanliness is not linked to godliness at all… the Bible contains no mention of neat

homes, neat tents or even neat yurts for that matter.”

In her book, she details her cleaning mishaps, including

“I wanted to write something really positive to make people feel good and give them a laugh,” she recalls.

“I thought we needed a bit of levity.”

projects and sharing them online. “A lot were getting into deep cleaning and there was so much about having your desk perfectly tidy if you’re working from home and everyone was showing off their aspirational pantries,” she recalls.

“I was like, we’re in lockdown – most of us are barely surviving. And now, on top of needing

She jokes about how neat people probably hate puppies and how messy people have more fun, telling me: “We don’t need to have everything perfect before we can relax and enjoy ourselves. It’s not relaxing being with someone who is that stressed [about tidiness]. When I go to my friend Kylie’s house [to whom she has dedicated her book], I will sit down, drink a cup of tea, and she’ll whisk it away before I’ve even finished. I once spilled red wine on somebody’s white sofa and was never invited

Chocolate biscuits. Holding a newborn baby. Buying a pair of shoes…” stressed her book], I will sit down, drink a cup of tea, body’s white sofa and was never invited back. It’s stressful.”

the time when she accidentally blocked a lavatory with cat poo and found herself retching (she has a sensitive gag reflex) while trying to repair it.

dentally blocked a lavafound herself retching time she attempted to clean her oven and oven door only

There was also the time she attempted to clean her oven and disassembled her oven door only to put it back together and have it explode glass all over her kitchen.

columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald and the Melbourne Age and started her career at the Australian Jewish News – generally writes about life, relationships, women’s issues, opinions and about what she calls the messiness of life.

of needing to exercise and have these perfect bodies and nutritious meals, we need a perfectly tidy house as well?”

same

But Kerri does reveal that she was quite tidy as a child. What happened, I ask. “I had three children,” she says, only half-jokingly. “Interestingly, the same thing happened to [professional declutterer] Marie Kondo.

The Life-Changing – she was all for keeping your house spotlessly tidy. After her third child she said, ‘I get it now, I’ve become a

“My book is a riff off Magic of Tidying – she was all for keeping little bit untidy.’

“I remember, even with my two kids, struggling to put all the toys away and the mess crept in and

“Who knew be so

“Who knew a little seal could

While this is indeed a humorous book, Sackville – who is a doing

“I’ve always tried to connect with other people by sharing the things I struggle with. And I think everybody struggles and life is really messy, difficult and challenging for most of us.”

During lockdown, Kerri was noticing increasing numbers of people doing home

She doesn’t judge Instagram influencers or home organisers, but their life is definitely not for her.

“There are people who take enormous pleasure in having a

who take enormous pleasure in having a beautiful pantry or cleaning their toilet ’til it sparkles. And they’re using the platform [Instagram] to share that with the world. But I find it really unhelpful because it’s just another unrealistic beauty standard.

[Instagram] to share that with the world. just another unrealistic beauty standard.

“So that’s what I was pushing back that it’s okay to be imperfect. We don’t

“So that’s what I was pushing back against, with the underlying message being that it’s okay to be imperfect. We don’t need perfect homes, we don’t need perfect bodies, we don’t need perfect lives.”

She continues: “For me, a little bit of We can all have perfectly tidy homes – all we have to do is clean 24 hours a day. It’s a

She continues: “For me, a little bit of mess is not needing to tidy all the time. We can all have perfectly tidy homes – all we have to do is clean 24 hours a day. It’s a never-ending treadmill I have opted out of – I don’t want to live like that.”

And, through her book, she’s entreating

And, through her book, she’s entreating us to do the same. Amen to that!

The Life-Changing Magic of a Little Bit of Mess published by HarperCollins, £12.99

tle Bit of Mess by Kerri Sackville is

‘A perfectly tidy home is a neverending treadmill I have opted out of’

Hundreds of influencers have found fame by showing o their perfect pantries but author Kerri Sackville assures Alex Galbinski that being untidy is nothing to be ashamed of

youngest two), does,

Kerri

Sackville:

‘Life is really messy and difficult for most of us’

As interest rates have risen sharply, you may now be seeing your mortgage payments shoot up and wonder how you will be able to a ord them.

The Government has agreed a Mortgage Charter with most lenders, and this gives you a number of options. These include extending the mortgage term, thereby reducing monthly repayments, or having a period of paying interest- only. Both of these can be done without a ordability checks or a ecting your credit score.

The important thing is to actively address your situation, not let it linger or go into arrears which reduces your options considerably. At Paperweight, our Money Advice Team can take you through your various choices (we are accredited by the Financial Conduct Authority, which means we are authorised to give debt and financial advice).

To access our free services call 0330 174 4300 or visit paperweight.org.uk

MAKING SENSE OF THE SEDRA

BY REBBETZEN ILANA EPSTEIN COCKFOSTERS AND SOUTHGATE UNITED SYNAGOGUE

Usually in life we celebrate the achievement, the graduation, the election win, the paying o of the mortgage. It’s rare to celebrate while in the middle of a degree, while on the campaign trail, or while making the monthly repayments. Yet Succot is just that: a celebration of the journey.

At Succot we read from two Sefer Torahs. In the first Sefer Torah we read from Exodus chapter 33. It’s a really interesting place to start a story. We meet Moses just after he has witnessed the Children of Israel sinning with the Golden Calf. He has smashed the first set of tablets, the wrongdoers have been punished

and Moses has interceded with God on behalf of the people.

We enter the story as Moses is climbing Mount Sinai again to plead the case for the Children of Israel.

Moses asks God to re-a rm that he remains close to the people, that this latest episode has not caused Him to walk away. Moses asks God the unthinkable: that God show his face to Moses. God responds: “You will see My back but My face may not be seen.” In Rabbi Sacks’ words, this is “a metaphorical way of saying that only in retrospect do we see the presence of God. We live life forward but understand it only backwards.”

We then read of Moses inscribing the second set of tablets, of the three main holidays, and of the injunction against mixing meat and milk.

One may think it strange to go

from raging anger to setting up a schedule of dietary laws, but if we understand Succot for what it is –the celebration of the journey – this all makes sense.

While Pesach celebrates our leaving Egypt, and Shavuot celebrates the receiving of the Torah, Succot does not celebrate us entering the Promised Land. In fact, we don’t have a biblical holiday that does celebrate that. Rather, Succot celebrates our journey in the desert.

Is a journey worth celebrating? This one was. We were in the desert for 40 years, and during that time, though we did a fair bit of complaining, by and large we were protected during the day by clouds and at night by pillars of fire. Food was manna from heaven. And all we had to do was have faith; faith that,

step after step, we would be looked after and protected.

When we sit out in our succahs in 2023, in rain or shine, with curious neighbours or disgruntled ones, we are celebrating that we are still on the journey. Had we celebrated the end of the journey, then perhaps

we would have expected perfection, but we are not there yet. For now, the journey continues, but as we are told in the Torah it is a joyfilled journey – Succot is known as zman simchateinu, the season of our happiness. Because a good journey

At Succot we celebrate still being on the journey in the desert

Progressive Judaism

LEAP OF FAITH

BY RABBI RABBI RICHARD JACOBI EAST LONDON AND ESSEX LIBERAL SYNAGOGUE

What would the prophet Micah say about Progressive Judaism?

Progressive Judaism came to being because 19th century Jews found themselves unable to reconcile the beliefs and practices of Judaism with the new knowledge emerging through the Enlightenment. Advances in all areas of science and the arts, notably Darwin’s theory of evolution and the advent of Bible scholarship, challenged the normative statement of pre-modern Judaism. Many Jews needed a Judaism that better matched what they learned in schools, universities and general life.

Judaism gradually split between those who wished to reform and evolve Judaism more speedily and those who wished to conserve it as

it had been or, at best, develop it slowly.

In that period, and even more so in our time, such advances accelerated and were widerreaching in their implications.

There were those back then who, faced with a choice between traditional Judaism and what was going on in the world, chose to abandon Judaism completely. That is still the reality today, yet we o er an understanding of Judaism that enables Jews to both engage with the wider world and have their Judaism inform that engagement.

Progressive Judaism’s role, in the vanguard of change, has been to use our best endeavours to determine what new wisdoms emerge into our world and how they demand that we evolve our Judaism by each new step.

Thus equality for women, allowing all to sit together in services, recognition of people in the LGBTQI+ communities, access for people with disabilities, interfaith initiatives, social action and campaigning for social and economic justice have been and are areas where we lead and others follow.

We don’t always get things right – no experimental and leading group can – but we seek to continually update the balance of continuity and change. Nor do we always apply our principles fully, as tradition can exert a powerful influence. But it is in the e ort, the challenge, that our approach to Judaism sits.

We take upon ourselves to regularly re-ask the question of Deuteronomy: “V’ata Yisrael, mah Adonai Elohecha sho-el mei-imach?” (“And now, O Israel, what does the Eternal your God ask of you?”) What is it that the force for what is good and right in this world needs us to say and do in this age?

But what would the prophet Micah say?

Micah suggested, in answer to the Torah’s question, principles and underpinning values that are timeless: “To do justly, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.”

The manifestations of this answer are also timeless – how do we address and ideally eliminate poverty; how do we treat the stranger, the outsider, the refugee, the asylum-seeker; how do we prevent corruption; how do we eliminate

discrimination; how do we improve our stewardship of planet Earth, and so on.

As Jews in the best of Progressive tradition, we begin this New Year by heeding Micah’s question and asking what we can do di erently and better in 5784 than we managed in 5783.

where our progressive rabbis consider how Biblical figures might act when faced with

A packed Progressive congregation

Ask our

Our trusty team of advisers answers your questions about everything from law and finance to dating and dentistry. This week: The art of business networking, lipreading and employment contracts

on your behalf.

LYNNE GAYER CAREER ADVISER RESOURCE

Dear Lynne

Everyone keeps telling me to network in my job search. Why is it so important?

Carly

Dear Carly

Up to 70% of jobs are never advertised and come through what we call the hidden job market, for example; where an ex-colleague refers you as a strong candidate, or when a speculative application leads to success, or when a volunteer role turns into a permanent position.

Networking is about having conversations and these conversations increase your credibility and visibility and get others networking

Networking is a great opportunity to gain information to help in your job search such as seeking advice on an industry, a company or a specific job role.

For those that are looking to change career have had a career break or are older, networking becomes increasingly important.

Resource can help with this through our network seminar and via our Relationship team. Visit our website www.resourcecentre.org or call 020 8346 4000.

Networking is about connecting and reconnecting with people, be it friends & family, ex-colleagues and community members. You can keep in touch via social media, LinkedIn is especially good for this, via email and all importantly face to face. Let people know about your situation and how they can help.

SUE CIPIN CHARITY EXECUTIVE JEWISH DEAF ASSOCIATION

Dear Sue

Since I started losing my hearing, I’m finding it more difficult to enjoy socialising. I don’t have the confidence I used to have. I’m worried if I don’t do something about it I’m going to become isolated and I don’t want that to happen.

My husband is trying to persuade me to go to lipreading classes. I’m not

sure. Do you think I’ll find learning to lipread helpful?

Valerie

Dear Valerie Definitely! Lipreading classes will enable you to meet other people living with hearing loss and develop new ways to cope socially in a fun, lively and stimulating way. You’ll improve your communication skills, discuss common issues and access lots of useful information.

Our classes are held on Monday mornings and afternoons at JDA’s community centre in North Finchley.

If you would like to observe a class, or for more information on the course, please contact Jodie at JDA on 020 8446 0502 or jodie@ jdeaf.org.uk

We look forward to welcoming you to the JDA community… you’re going to love lipreading classes –everyone does!

Dear Donna I’m moving from a zero-hours contract to a permanent contract with the same employer. My employer has told me that my employment started on 1 September, but I have already been working for them for 18 months. Is this right?

Dear Philip

If you have been employed and on payroll throughout the last 18 months, then your employment commenced 18 months ago, regardless of how much you have worked in that time period. The new contract is in e ect a new assignment, just like a promotion or a transfer would be, but you keep your original continuous employment date. This means you have accrued 18 months of employment protection which counts towards any redundancy payments in the future.

It also means that if you get increased benefits with length of service, such as holiday entitlement, you

have 18 months of service which must be included when calculating your annual leave entitlement.

Depending on when your holiday year runs, you will have accrued annual leave up to 1 September based on your zero-hours contract, and your annual leave will need to be recalculated from 1 September onwards

In both cases you are entitled to 5.6 weeks of leave pro-rated for the year. For the part you were a zero-hours employee this will need to be based on average weekly earnings. For the time you are employed full-time, it is based on your contractual salary.

Ask our experts / Professional advice from our panel

PRIVATE HEALTHCARE SPECIALIST

TREVOR GEE

Qualifications:

• Managing director, consultant specialists in affordable family health insurance

• Advising on maximising cover, lower premiums, pre-existing conditions

• Excellent knowledge of health insurers, cover levels and hospital lists

• LLB solicitors finals

• Member of Chartered Insurance Institute

PATIENT HEALTH

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

HUMAN RESOURCES / EMPLOYMENT LAW

DONNA OBSTFELD

Qualifications:

• FCIPD Chartered HR Professional

• 25 years in HR and business management.

• Mediator, business coach, trainer, author and speaker

• Supporting businesses and charities with the hiring, managing, inspiring and firing of their staff

DOHR LTD 020 8088 8958 www.dohr.co.uk donna@dohr.co.uk

ACCOUNTANT

FINANCIAL SERVICES (FCA) COMPLIANCE

JACOB BERNSTEIN

Qualifications:

• A member of the APCC, specialising in financial services compliance for:

• Mortgage, protection and general insurance intermediaries;

• Lenders, credit brokers, debt counsellors and debt managers;

• Alternative Investment Fund managers;

• E-Money, payment services, PISP, AISP and grant-making charities.

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

MENOPAUSE CHAMPION LABALANCE

ANGELA DAY-MOORE

Qualifications:

• Founder & CEO Sassy La Femme Women’s Wellness

• Passionate about women’s wellbeing

• Home to LaBalance

• Recommended by fellow women for period, perimenopause & menopause

MENOPAUSE CHAMPION LABALANCE 0333 188 6580 www.sassylafemme.com hello@sassylafemme.com

JEWELLER

CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIST

DR MONICA QUADIR

Qualifications:

• Consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist with more than 12 years of experience in treating young people and their families, both in the NHS and privately

• Expertise in assessing neurodevelopmental conditions, such as ADHD and autism, and supporting families to manage these conditions

• Medical director at Psymplicity Healthcare, a private mental health clinic based in London, with a national online presence

PSYMPLICITY HEALTHCARE 020 3733 5277

www.psymplicity.com

FINANCIAL SERVICES

ADAM SHELLEY

Qualifications:

• FCCA chartered certified accountant

• Accounting, taxation and business advisory services

• Entrepreneurial business specialist including start-up businesses

• Specialises in charities; personal tax returns

• Maurice Wohl Charitable Foundation Volunteer of the Year JVN award

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

CHARITY EXECUTIVE

JONATHAN WILLIAMS

Qualifications:

• Jewellery manufacturer since 1980s

• Expert in the manufacture and supply of diamond jewellery, wedding rings and general jewellery

• Specialist in supply of diamonds to the public at trade prices

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

DIRECTOR OF LEGACIES

JOE OZER

Qualifications:

• Executive director for the United Kingdom at DCI (Intl) Ltd

• Worked in finance for more than 20 years

• Specialists in distribution and promotion of Israel Bonds

DEVELOPMENT COMPANY FOR ISRAEL 020 3936 2712

www.israelbondsintl.com

joe.ozer@israelbondsintl.com

GOAL ATTAINMENT SPECIALIST

DR BEN LEVY

Qualifications:

• Doctor of psychology with 15 years’ experience in education and corporate sectors

• Uses robust, evidence-based methods to help you achieve your goals, whatever they may be

• Works with clients individually to maximise success

MAKE IT HAPPEN 07779 619 597 www.makeit-happen.co.uk ben@makeit-happen.co.uk

CHARITY EXECUTIVE

LISA WIMBORNE

Qualifications:

Able to draw on the charity’s 50 years of experience in enabling people with physical disabilities or impaired vision to live independently, including:

• The provision of specialist accommodation with 24/7 on-site support

• Knowledge of the innovations that empower people and the benefits available

• Understanding of the impact of a disability diagnosis

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

CAREER ADVISER

CAROLYN ADDLEMAN

Qualifications:

• Lawyer with over 20 years’ experience in will drafting and trust and estate administration. Last 14 years at KKL Executor and Trustee Company

• In close contact with clients to ensure all legal and pastoral needs are cared for

• Member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners

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

REMOVALS

STEPHEN MORRIS

LESLEY TRENNER

Qualifications:

• Provides free professional one-to-one advice at Resource to help unemployed into work

• Offers mock interviews and workshops to maximise job prospects

• Expert in corporate management holding director level marketing, commercial and general management roles

RESOURCE

020 8346 4000

www.resource-centre.org

office@resource-centre.org

Qualifications:

MANAGING DIRECTOR

• Managing director of Stephen Morris Shipping Ltd

• 45 years’ experience in shipping household and personal effects

• Chosen mover for four royal families and three UK prime ministers

• Offering proven quality specialist advice for moving anyone across the world or round the corner

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

SUE CIPIN OBE

Qualifications:

• 24 years+ hands-on experience, leading JDA in significant growth and development.

• Understanding of the impact of deafness on people, including children, at all stages

• Extensive services for people affected by hearing loss/tinnitus

• Technology room with expert advice on and facilities to try out the latest equipment.

• Hearing aid advice, support and maintenance

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

PRINCIPAL, PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOL

LOUISE LEACH

Qualifications:

• Professional choreographer qualified in dance, drama and Zumba (ZIN, ISTD & LAMDA), gaining an honours degree at Birmingham University

• Former contestant on ITV’s Popstars, reaching bootcamp with Myleene Klass, Suzanne Shaw and Kym Marsh

• Set up Dancing with Louise 19 years ago

DANCING WITH LOUISE 075 0621 7833

www.dancingwithlouise.co.uk

Info@dancingwithlouise.com

ANTIQUES

Top prices paid

Antique – Reproduction – Retro Furniture (any condition)

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

House clearances

Single items to complete homes

MARYLEBONE ANTIQUES - 8 CHURCH STREET NW8 8ED 07866 614 744 (ANYTIME) 0207 723 7415 (SHOP) closed Sunday & Monday

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

MAKE SURE YOU CONTACT US BEFORE SELLING

WANTED

Mink, fox, coats, and jackets

Designer bags and clothes

Costume jewellery and watches etc 01277 352560

COMPUTER

HOUSE SALE

4 Bed House for sale, Hendon, NW4 £1,100,000 Contact Clive 07970510656

Private sale

for sale: holly park gardens, n3 spacious 1,938 sq. ft

Unique, purpose-built, ground/ first floor duplex within the eruv. Three double bedrooms, two bathrooms. Reception 21’9”x18’3”. Fully fitted kitchen 14’10”x11’0. Utility room 15’x10’11”. Private, secluded garden 34’x28’, mainly lawn. Two integral garages, one with direct access into utility room. Ground floor ideally suited for conversion into independent granny flat. Off-street parking. £850,000 freehold. contact: alan on 07504 952 815

LAW MENTOR

LAW MENTOR

Former “Magic Circle” solicitor offers help with:

• CVs and personal statements

• interviews and assessment days

• coping with stress and workload

• promotion and new opportunities

For more information contact Tom lawmentor@btinternet.com / 07590 057097

LAW MENTOR

Former “Magic Circle” solicitor offers help with:

• CVs and personal statements

• interviews and assessment days

• coping with stress and workload

• promotion and new opportunities

For more information contact Tom lawmentor@btinternet.com / 07590 057097

THE JEWISH NEWS CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1

Fun, games and prizes

SUDOKU

___, name for New York (5) 11

10

7 Eat less than usual (4)

8 Small handgun (6)

11 Newborn infant (4)

13 Defeat (4)

16 Have a drink (6)

17 David ___, TV’s Poirot (6)

19 Advanced (5)

21 Hairy primates (4)

24 Common drink (3)

WORDSEARCH CODEWORD

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.

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.

TD

AFAR

AFRIKAANS

AMHARIC ARABIC

Last issue’s solutions

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

1 3 141 3 242 3 5 2 5 1 5 41 3 4 3 2 3 24 2 5 14 5 1 14 3 2 3 2

2 5232 4 1 3451 3 4 2134 5 1 3452 1 2 5214 3 3 1432 1

SWAHILI XHOSA YORUBA ZULU SE NO TS E NIH R BWE HO UNDD OG PD TS YT RA PRS NRN OSQ AAEY U OM I AOE MD TA S O ELSL MN Q AWP MM OT CEU NE YI EP OL RIC CE MC U HFRFU LA HT I LI UF TA HLR BO BS IN GE RI AG N

See next issue for puzzle solutions.

FRENCH IBO PORTUGUESE SOMALI Sudoku Suguru Wordsearch Codeword Crossword ACROSS: 1 Accompanied 9 Event 10 Retract 11 Reproof 12 Balsa 13 Hard-boiled egg 16 Icing 18 Sunspot 20 Heave-ho 21 Burma 22 Bestsellers. DOWN: 2 Creeper 3 Outdo 4 Paraffin stove 5 Notable 6 Email 7 Searchlight 8 Straight man 14 Biggest 15 Emperor 17 Inane 19 Nobel.

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

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

Green gemstone in Chinese art (4)

3 Held in contempt (8) 9 Crying (7)

SINAI JEWISHPRIMARY SCHO

Event

Wednesday