1406 LIFE magazine - 13th Feb 2025

L IFE MAGAZINE

Pair up for padel

February 2025

Sweet on Seinfeld Jessica’s recipes for husband Jerry It’s a match!

PLUS

Love and loss in Israel

Win! Luxury spa day at Sopwell House

JSwipe founder seeks soulmate

25 LOOKING FOR LOVE

Editor’s letter

Many of our Life cover choices were inspired by my late mother, Carole. Fiddler on the Roof, Joel Grey in Cabaret, Streisand and Redford in The Way

We Were – these were some of her favourite films and their 50th anniversaries made them cover-worthy. That she wasn’t here to hold two of the three magazines was heartbreaking, and true of our Clueless cover as Carole introduced the film to my daughter. Feelgood cinema (and TV) has been scarce

POV: YOU MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH 17

WHERE ART MEETS LIFE INSIDE

and Clueless director Amy Heckerling (on page 34) laments the gloom of today’s Oscar contenders as only Jesse Eisenberg’s brilliant A Real Pain brings humour, and it’s a Holocaust film. Eisenberg deserves credit for honouring his heritage – and so does David Schwimmer, who called out Elon Musk for allowing Kanye West to rant about us. Many should stay silent, like Clueless actor Wallace Shawn, who went viral comparing Israel’s fight for survival to the Nazis. Perhaps he missed the return of hostage Yarden Bibas, who came home without his wife and children or he should read about Nova victim Shirel Golan (page 22), whose parents

struggle to live in the home where their daughter took her life.

This letter is meant to encourage you to turn the pages – and you must, as there’s much to enjoy in the Love issue, including a chance to find love with JSwipe founder David Yarus or be partnered with the help of comedian/ matchmaker @zachmargs.

That special someone is out there. And we want to remind all our readers, advertisers and supporters that you are also very special to us. supporters that you are also very special to us.

FOR THE LOVE

IT’S ALL NEW COMING TO YOU

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR THE UPCOMING MONTHS

Friends Fear Not

It may be a false flag, but it’s hard to believe that the supernatural series Goosebumps: The Vanishing on Disney+ will be anything more than a bit spooky with Ross from Friends as the lead. The series is based on the bestselling novels of American Jewish author RL Stine, who is dubbed “the Stephen King of children’s literature”, with David Schwimmer playing the divorced father of fraternal twins who takes a sabbatical as a botanist to care for his ailing mother at his childhood home. As he takes his kids inevitably things take a turn for the worse when they become entangled in the chilling tale of four other teenagers who mysteriously vanished in 1994. It takes a lot to make younger viewers hide behind the sofa these days, so the timid person is more likely to be you, although Schwimmer was surprised the horror show wasn’t scary to shoot – “which sounds naïve”, he admits, but loves being scared. “And scaring others. Growing up, my greatest joy was scaring my sister and I would hide under the covers on her bed, lying completely flat, for up to 45 minutes until she turned o the light and climbed into bed – then up I jumped up. She would pee herself!” Hopefully Schwimmer gave Elon Musk goosebumps when he railed against the tech giant for allowing Kanye West to spout Jew-hate on X. That’s what good ‘friends’ do.

Cheers Eric

Bridget Jones is back for Valentine’s and she’s Mad About the Boy so we thought it was time to raise a glass to Jewish producer Eric Fellner of Working Title who, together with partner Tim Bevan, has given us all the Jones films – Yesterday, Les Misérables, Baby Driver, About Time and so much more splendid cinema. We’re o icially mad about him.

TOO LONG LOST LILLY

The paintings and sculptures of Lilly Fenichel have long been celebrated in America, but the artist beloved by the Beat Generation had to wait until now to get her first solo show in the UK. Only what she would have expected – despite already being hailed a star in the 50s, the abstract expressionist had to turn to Hollywood 20 years later to make ends meet in an era when this school of contemporary art was very much a boys’ club. Born in 1927 to a fashion designer and a doctor, Fenichel fled Nazi Vienna with her family and, a er touching down briefly in the UK, settled in California, where she studied painting before moving to New York and was immediately accepted into a rarefied circle by Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock. Highlyrated enough to be teaching others at the Museum of Modern Art, she struggled to support herself and she returned to Hollywood, where she parlayed her talents into art direction and costume design, most famously creating the gowns for Liza Minnelli and her co-stars in the 1975 film Lucky Lady

Considered part of the LA Cool School in California, she got to mingle with West Coast artists such as Ed Ruscha and Rudi Gernreich and positively Jewish starchitect Frank Gehry, who described her as “sexy, seductive, extraordinarily talented and one of the smartest women I have ever known”. Aldous Huxley and Noel Harrison were also fans, but it was New Mexico that became her spiritual home and where she settled until her death in 2016 at the age of 89. Her work is in permanent collections at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the New Mexico art colony where she lived, and nearby Albuquerque, where she died. Finally gaining posthumous recognition with British curators in 2023, her work was shown at the Whitechapel Gallery, and later at the Gazelli Art House in Mayfair, with other female abstract expressionists overlooked in their lifetime. The Gazelli Art House has honoured her with the one-woman show Against The Grain, which runs until 15 March. gazelliarthouse.com

FOR THE LOVE

CHECKING IN

Hide the remote if the other watchers in your house are not partial to The White Lotus because it is back on Sky from 17 February. There is much anticipation about the third season as during the second was the awkward and unwanted demise of tumultuous Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge), and only Belinda (Natasha Rothwell), the spa manager in season one at White Lotus resort, Hawaii, returns. There is a welcome addition to the guest list, however, as the White Lotus in Thailand will be hosting wealthy businessman Timothy Ratliff (played by Jason Isaacs), who is holidaying with his wife, Victoria (Parker Posey), and their three children. As spoilers are not an option when it comes to this compelling satirical comedy-drama series created, written and directed by Mike White, the only hint comes from the creator himself, who says it is a “funny look at death and Eastern religion”. Nuff said, so we’ll move to Mr Isaacs who, before dipping manicured toes in Thai pools, was treading UK coastal paths for the upcoming The Salt Path with Gillian Anderson, based on Raynor Winn’s book and written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz. Always appreciated on screen, it was off-screen that Isaacs, who has family in Israel, had his biggest hit in December when he wore a yellow ribbon to the British Independent Film Awards. The pin was a visual allegiance that was much praised by his of-the-faith fans, who wished Australian actor Guy Pearce’s star of the Oscar-nominated Holocaust epic The Brutalist had worn the same to the Golden Globes, instead of wearing the red hand Artists4Ceasefire pin. At the risk of repetition, Isaacs should have been Oscar nominated for the film Mass but, for now, surviving a stay at White Lotus will suffice.

Listen up

I think it was Israel Guide Dogs’ Rebecca Segal who first told us about Noga Erez, the super talented Caesarea–born singer, songwriter and producer. Erez caught the ear of Apple who then used her song Dance While You Shoot for its music streaming service. Watch the videos, hear the beat and enjoy her most recent album Vandalist with her partner in life and music Ori Rousso.

The

And the winner is…

The Oscars on 3 March will be a subdued a air, we’ve been told, as the host city is su ering, though this was not conveyed by the red carpet pomp at the Grammys, where the only su ering was sharing space with antisemite Kanye West before he was ejected. Speeches will be more reflective at the Oscars, where there will be some Jewish wins; try as they do to ‘arts’ cancel us in the UK, in Hollywood it is still acceptable for films with Jewish themes and creatives with Jewish names to be nominated and even win.

Up for a whopping 10 awards is The Brutalist, starring best actor nomination Adrien Brody as a fictional Hungarian Jewish architect and British composer Daniel Blumberg is nominated for original score.

Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain based on his own experience reconnecting with his family’s Polish Jewish heritage is up for original screenplay and Kieran Culkin, who plays his Jewish cousin, is a safe bet as best supporting actor.

September 5, a docudrama about the journalists who covered the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage crisis and massacre of Israeli athletes, is up for Best Original screenplay and the best documentary category includes highly controversial No Other Land, which depicts the Israeli settler displacement of Palestinians in villages in the West Bank. It is co-directed by Palestinian Basel Adra and Israeli Yuval Abraham.

Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown based on the book Dylan Goes Electric! by Jewish author and musician Elijah Wald has eight nominations, including best picture, and best actor for Timothée Chalamet.

Jewish Better Things

star Mikey Madison is nominated for lead actress in Anora in which she plays a stripper and sex worker of Russian descent and Jeremy Strong – who has Jewish heritage – has a best supporting actor nomination for playing Jewish lawyer and Donald Trump’s mentor Roy Cohn in The Apprentice

Other nominees with Jewish connections include producer Marc Platt for Wicked and its composer Stephen Schwartz who also wrote the Broadway musical, while in the best original song category, Diane Warren – who has been nominated 16 times without winning – has received a nod for the Second World War film The Six Triple Eight

Composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein has a connection to best documentary short nominee The Only Girl in the Orchestra, which is about bassist Orin O’Brien, who became the first woman in the New York Philharmonic when Bernstein hired her.

The year’s most-nominated film, Netflix drama boss - has the most unexpected Jewish connection in the including debut as Marcel Goldberg in Steven Spielberg’s in its campaign

The year’s most-nominated film, Netflix drama Emilia Pérez –the Spanish-language French musical about a trans cartel boss - has the most unexpected Jewish connection in the form of Israeli actor Mark Ivanir, who plays the Tel Avibased doctor (the city’s name flashes in a big font on the screen) who performs the gender-reassignment operation on main character Emilia (Karla Sofía Gascón). Ivanir, who is fluent in six languages, including Yiddish, made his film debut as Marcel Goldberg in Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List which won seven Academy Awards in 1994. Emilia Pérez has 13 Oscar nominations. The gender fluidity of the Oscar statue was a sign of what’s to come.

Adrien Brody

Timothée Chalamet

Jeremy Strong

Mikey Madison

Mark Ivanir

LIGHTING THE WAY

Etan Smallman feels connected to a new exhibition about the Austrian refugee theatre troupe that paved the way for Monty Python

There was a time, in the late 1930s, when you could find Adolf Hitler ranting on the Finchley Road.

He stood behind a lectern and – based on the fact that Columbus’ discovery of America was only possible “using German equipment” – declared his territorial claims on the US. Among his demands: to rename the White House the Brown House.

When the speech was later broadcast on the BBC, it was so convincing that the American CBS network mistook it for the real thing.

In fact, it was the work of actor Martin Miller who, with a small band of other Austrian émigrés, had imported a new type of cutting-edge satire to Britain at a time when it needed it most.

As Europe was plunged into darkness, Das Laterndl (The Little Lantern) theatre brought a ray of illumination to London and to the 30,000 Austrian Jews who had fled there before the war. It made light of the plight of refugees from Nazi Europe and kept alive the fight for a free and democratic Austria, after Hitler’s Anschluss had wiped it from the map.

seats for only 60 people. Yet the first show was attended by the crème de la crème of Austrian and English intelligentsia, from Robert Neumann and Stefan Zweig to HG Wells and JB Priestley.

“We should be grateful to Herr Hitler for the Lantern,” gushed a review in The Spectator. “Austria’s loss has been our gain.”

The critic noted that it was a sketch titled Bow Street that made the biggest mark. “There is a real and unforced pathos that brought tears to the eyes of the weaker members of the audience.” It is set in the immigration court and addresses the struggles borne by the refugees.

Just two months later, my grandfather would be fleeing Berlin for Swiss Cottage. Rendered stateless, he needed a Naziissued Fremdenpass, or aliens’ passport, to get out. But in Britain, he was an extraterrestrial too. His document bears a stamp from the Aliens Registration Office at Bow Street police station. He would probably have raised a smile at the parody version.

153 Finchley Road. The opening revue-style show, Blinklichter (Beacons), would feature the famous Martin Miller spoof (leading the BBC to commission its version for the European Service to go out on April Fool’s Day as part of the propaganda war against Germany).

If Hitler had forced the first closure, it was Churchill who precipitated the second. The last show on the highway that had become known as Finchleystrasse was Bertolt Brecht’s Dreigroschenoper in May 1940. The part of Mack the Knife was played by three different actors as each was locked up as an “enemy alien” and had to be replaced. In the end, the theatre would close for 15 months because of mass internment.

Its final home was at 69 Eton Avenue NW3, where the focus switched from sketches and songs to full-length plays that represented Austria’s struggle for liberation. But the theatre would not outlast the war. This September marks 80 years since the final performance, when a little light in London finally went out. As peacetime loomed, the Laterndl pioneers had to turn away from their refugee identity and focus on how they were going to build a sustainable life in what now became clear was their permanent home.

Archivist Kat Hubschmann, who created the exhibition, points out that, in Britain, there would be “no real cabaret – this sort of madcap sketch tradition – until early Monty Python. So it was a big jump. It was definitely ahead of its time”.

A new online exhibition, A Light In Dark Times – by the Research Centre for German and Austrian Exile Studies at the University of London – tells the story of this little theatre. The first and most successful German language kleinkunstbühne (small arts stage), it opened at the Austrian Centre, 126 Westbourne Terrace, in June 1939, with

Reading matter

The judge concludes by ignoring “General Bias” and siding with “Mrs Charity” in granting asylum to all three refugees on the cramped 5m x 3m stage.

Just days before he passed through the real Bow Street, the German invasion of Poland had triggered the Second World War – and the closure of the Laterndl, along with all theatres across the UK.

It would be reborn, in January 1940, at

The history of the Laterndl was “a page of honour”, wrote Egon Larsen in the Association of Jewish Refugees’ journal in 1957, not just for the performers but “for our English hosts”. He added: “After the panic of the internment era had passed, we met nothing but sympathy and tolerance. Technically, we were still ‘enemy aliens’; but we had already been accepted as allies. Perhaps our little theatres helped to achieve that end.”

For the online exhibition, visit: exileresearchcentre.omeka.net

For info about the Insiders/Outsiders festival, visit: insidersoutsidersfestival.org

tells the story of sisters Ruth and Miriam Green, who spent their childhood in turns loving, hating, treasuring and

If movies aren’t your thing, two new books out this month might be. Tamar Hodes’ Mixed (Legend Press Ltd) tells the story of sisters Ruth and Miriam Green, who spent their childhood in turns loving, hating, treasuring and resenting each other. As they grew up, their lives took them on very di erent paths, creating a ri . While Ruth has followed her traditional Jewish upbringing, Miriam has married but wants to instil her heritage in her children; they, however, just want to fit in. As resentment, tension and divisions build within the family, can the sisters overlook their di erences or will their family be torn apart?

A er the Second World War, Gershom Scholem, the magisterial scholar of Jewish mysticism, was commissioned by the Hebrew University to si through the rubble of Europe in search of Jewish books stolen by the Nazis or hidden by the Jews. Steve Stern’s A Fool’s Kabbalah (Melville House Publishing), a novel featuring numerous real-life historic figures, reimagines Scholem’s quest and how it sparked in him the desire to realise the legacy of his friend, the philosopher Walter Benjamin – the idea that humour is an essential tool of redemption. In a parallel narrative, Menke Klepfisch, self-styled jester and incorrigible scamp, attempts to subvert the cruelties of the Nazi occupation of his native village. As Menke’s e orts collide with the monstrous reality of the Holocaust, we see that Dr Scholem has begun to develop the anarchic characteristics of a clown. The book intertwines the stories of these two characters and their tragicomic struggles to oppose the evil of history.

Image credits Martin Miller and Hannah Norbert-Miller Archive, University of London

Das Spiel von Sodoms Ende (The story of Sodom’s End), by Hugo Königsgarten, 1940

Peter Preses, Jaro Klüger and Marianne Walla in Der Lechner Edi, by Jura Soyfer, in Von Adam bis Adolf, 1940

Performance of Volpone, Laterndl 1942, Photograph by Annelie Bunyard, © Peter Bunyard

FOR THE LOVE

It’s good to be the king

Before David ever laid a finger on Goliath, he was a teenage outcast. This changed when the prophet Samuel headhunted him to be the successor for King Saul and it is this bit of the Bible that Jon Erwin has adapted into the new historical drama House of David, which starts on 27 February on Amazon Prime. This most Jewish of stories has an eclectic cast, notably with Egyptian-born Michael Iskander playing King David, which is ironic considering the objections raised when Gal Gadot was announced as Cleopatra. Those of Israeli parentage in this production are Yali Topol Margalith (granddaughter of the late Chaim Topol), who plays Mirab, and Ayelet Zurer, who is Queen Ahinoam but we know her best as Elisheva the widow in Shtisel. Told in three episodes, which will be shown in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide, let’s hope King David makes us look good.

Let’s eat

What a shame it didn’t happen sooner. With (it seemed) the entire community flocking to the Marylebone Theatre last year to see What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, Tony Page’s new restaurant in Paddington Street would have been ideal for pre- or post-show dining. But Tony Page Marylebone only opened last month, promising a beautifullydesigned dining room and – music to our ears – ‘fabulous acoustics’. We’ve got our eye on seabass ceviche, duck à l’orange and lemon meringue pie. tonypagerestaurant.com

Deal or no deal

What do a Jewish jeweller, a Nazi officer and a Matisse painting have in common? One of France’s most long-running plays, Farewell Mister Haffmann, opens at the Park Theatre next month. Set in 1942 in Nazi-occupied Paris as Jews are being rounded up for deportation, Joseph Haffmann (played by Alex Waldmann) turns to his trusted employee Pierre Vigneau for help. In a risky deal, he transfers ownership of his jewellery shop to Pierre in exchange for being hidden from the Nazis. But the deal comes with an unexpected condition: in return, Pierre requests that Joseph enter into a particular arrangement with his wife, Isabelle. A Matisse painting, an art-loving Nazi officer and his flamboyant wife complicate matters further and as the marital pressures and absurd demands pile up, their deal teeters on the edge of collapse. Blending dark humour with suspense against an all-too-familiar background, this play is bound to sell out fast so book early. Running from 5 March – 12 April. parktheatre.co.uk

Keeping it kosher, the team behind the fabulous Mazal in Camden has launched Mesiba (meaning party in Hebrew), a catering company focused on “Middle Eastern classics, along with impressive food fusions, which are sure to brighten up any party or ‘Mesiba’ you’re hosting”.

Neta and Aviv have tonnes of hospitality experience, and we already know their food is fab, so we have every confidence in this great new venture. mesiba.london

Having totally fallen in love with Claro in St James’, we are excited to go back to try out the brunch menu. It features all the usual suspects – shakshuka, egg dishes, pancakes and French toast – but with an Israeli twist and cocktails! Plus there’s a full-on breakfast tray, which is big enough to keep you going all day. claro-london.com

Everyone’s favourite vegan chef, Ben Rebuck, has taken the Belsize Park

site previously occupied by Freddie’s to launch his own restaurant Goldie’s Kitchen later this month. Ben announced the opening on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen in December. Named after his daughter, it will “have food lots of Jewish people will be familiar with”, says Ben. Somewhat controversially it is not going to be totally vegan but will have a plant-based menu. Follow @goldieskitchenldn for updates

The writer’s writer

Woody Allen will be 90 in November and is still making plans to shoot a new film in Barcelona. Ahead of that hopeful happening, there’s a new meticulouslyresearched biography about the auteur by Patrick McGilligan. Word is it’s a comprehensive account of Allen’s life and career, revealing the writer’s life beyond the smoke and controversy, painting a compelling portrait of the most creative, productive and influential film-maker who gifted us Annie Hall and more. Woody Allen: A Travesty of a Mockery of a Sham (published by Harper, £40) is out this week.

Alex Waldmann

Yali Topol Margalith

FOR THE LOVE & COMPETITION

MAMET MOMENT

Kieran Culkin, the “live wire act” and a front-runner for best supporting actor as Jewish cousin Benji in Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain, will keep his acting chops fresh on taking the stage as Ricky Roma in David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning GlengarryGlenRoss

The Broadway revival, directed by Tony & Olivier Award-winner Patrick Marber, who recently gave us What We Talk About When We Talk AboutAnneFrank, will preview at the Palace Theatre near Times Square in Manhattan from 10 March.

Love of learning

Nice n Easy

Jewellery shops can be daunting. The Jewellery Cave is anything but. Once inside this bijou gem on Hendon Lane, it’s okay to ask to look at a bracelet, ring or chain without any pressure to buy. The third generation family business gets rave reviews for service and the selection of jewellery scales in price, so it’s the place to buy a keepsake batmitzvah gift or that forever engagement, wedding and eternity ring. You need to feel comfortable buying a keeper, so get in there! jewellerycave.co.uk

At the heart of my role at London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS) is the privilege of supporting individuals who play a vital role in our community – educating, inspiring and strengthening Jewish life. Engaging with centuries of wisdom alongside some of the world’s leading educators, we continue the legacy of Rabbi Sacks, whose vision for Jewish education and leadership resonates deeply in everything we do. I am proud that as an institution we champion women’s leadership and ensure access to learning at the highest levels. At LSJS we ensure excellence in Jewish education, which shapes lives and identities: Jewish continuity depends on it.

WIN

HOME BOY

We love all things boutique, so a boutique property company is right up our street. Former JFS boy Adam Nachman has just launched ADN in Hampstead Village, aimed at shaking up the industry by o ering sales, lettings, management, investments and design and build, promising to be a one-stop shop for owners and developers. Specialising in north-west London, Adam has been based in Hampstead since 2014. “There was never a question of where I’d open the flagship ADN o ice,” he says. “Hampstead is a very special place for me. I’m excited to redefine the traditional agency model and plan to create an environment for like-minded creative people to thrive.” adnresidential.co.uk

Happy anniversary

EastEnders celebrates 40 years since its first episode on 19 February with an hour-long edition. The Jewish contribution over the years has included the late Leonard Fenton as Dr Harold Legg, the late Felix Kawalski as Harry Landis, Robert Kazinsky as Stacey Slater’s brother Sean, and Tracy-Ann Oberman, who briefly returned last year as Den’s murderous wife, Chrissie Watts. And looking on from the market is Rachelle Lynne who, after being an extra for 20 years, became a stall holder in 2022. Mazeltov to Rachelle and Walford!

Spa day for two at the Cottonmill Spa at Sopwell House

Seamlessly blending historic country house splendour with luxury, the award-winning hotel Sopwell House and elegant Cottonmill Spa provide the perfect and idyllic retreat for rest and relaxation in the heart of Hertfordshire. Located just 25 minutes from central London, the vibrant haven features beautiful facilities and worldclass treatments using the very best British brands.

The hotel boasts 126 rooms and suites, including 16 individually-designed Mews Suites. There is also the stylish Omboo restaurant, which o ers an elevated Asian sharing plates dining experience, the Brasserie, Conservatory Bar, Octagon Bar – with a curated, bespoke cocktail list –and 15 event spaces perfect for meetings, conferences and spectacular weddings.

Furnished with state-of-the-art facilities, cutting-edge fitness, decadent spa experiences delivered by world-class experts and gorgeous

private gardens and poolside terraces, the award-winning Club at Cottonmill Spa promises the ultimate sanctuary for those wanting to unwind.

One lucky winner will enjoy a spa day for two including a choice of one 60-minute spa treatment per person, a three-course lunch in The Pantry and full use and access of the spa facilities at The Club at Cottonmill –available Monday to Thursday.

sopwellhouse.co.uk/cottonmill-spa

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Entrants must be aged 18 or over. The prize must be redeemed within six months of the winner being notified and cannot be redeemed on Bank Holiday weekends. Prize is not transferable and cannot be exchanged for vouchers or monetary equivalent.

To enter the competition to win a spa day for two at the award-winning Cottonmill Spa at Sopwell House, visit jewishnews.co.uk/ spaday

Where ART

An art exhibition in Jerusalem created before October 7 took on even greater significance a er the Hamas attacks, writes Charlotte Henry

Locked away behind a rather intimidating metal gate in

West Hampstead is the studio of Zadok Ben-David, one of Israel’s most successful artists, who is largely based in the UK and Portugal. The magnificent London space is covered in his work and each circuit of the studio reveals something you will have missed the previous time.

Ben-David’s output ranges from tiny figurines to enormous metalwork pieces. Small in size doesn’t necessarily mean small in nature – for example, he has created more than 9,000 figures of people he has seen but never met. It is a privilege to see where much of this was created, but it feels as if it needs to be out in the world.

And so it is, at a new exhibition at the recentlyrenovated Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem, where it will remain until the end of April. On the Other Side is made up of iron sculpture and video installation.

The looping video, entitled This Is – Same Place Other Times, is also extremely moving.

“The cycle of life [is] shown very clearly in the sequence of the Cypress Trees that start with few figures on the trees and ended up like a bush, like spring,” says Ben-David. “But it’s also [a] cycle of season, cycle of the year.”

Indeed, nature is a major theme across much of BenDavid’s work, with butterflies o en appearing. One of the most dramatic pieces in the show is a huge circular sphere comprising the winged butterflies in an array of colours.

And while the exhibition showing in Jerusalem was created before the October 7 atrocities, it has taken on more

significance since the attacks that le humans massacred and scorched. Looking at it now feels almost prophetic.

“It just become extremely relevant,” acknowledges Ben-David, “especially with the video, the panorama that when you see a green field with beautiful flowers and all blooming and

suddenly… they turn into black, kind of like after fire or destruction.”

It took a decade for BenDavid to agree to have his art on show at the Tower of David. For years he was concerned that it was not the right spot for his pieces. However, “after the renovation [there] was a big space that I could show the video and I could show my other work”, he says.

The government also asked Ben-David to create something at one of the sites of the Hamas attacks, but understandably he found the task impossible. “I

Zadok Ben-David and The Other Side of Midnight, 2012

On the Other Side by Zadok Ben-David

was really moved by it,” he says, recalling a visit to the south. “I thought that there was no way that we could do something aesthetic, or something very nice out of this horrendous experience that people had.”

Instead, at his suggestion, scores of burnt-out and bullethole-ridden cars remain in place, a monument to those who faced the brutality of Hamas that fateful day.

Attempts to impose boycotts have long been something with which Israelis involved in cultural and artistic life have had to contend. Ben-David says he has not personally fallen victim to this but recalls having to have extra security when showing in Milan and notes that for “other people, especially those who come from Israel, it’s much harder for them”.

Ben-David is as passionate about progress and peace for his country of birth and its neighbours as he is about his art. Speaking before the deal

that was agreed last month, he says: “I hope there can be a solution which is not a military on because a military solution is like a cycle. It keeps on, another war, another war, another war. More killing, more dead on both sides. Israel seen as aggressor.

“People don’t even see that Israel can be also victim… And unless there is a solution, which is political solution for the region, I can’t see its ending.”

Despite these troubled times,

Ben-David is confident that there is a new crop of Israeli artists coming through and gaining prominence.

“There are quite a few Israeli artists who are very successful doing things abroad. Some of them operating like me, mostly from abroad, but very well connected to Israel.”

There is also more to the current exhibition than sadness and destruction. “I ended up with a hope, so it ends up

with the hope that it’s coming to colour again, to blooming again,” he says.

Placed in the ancient tower, itself a symbol of Jewish survival, the work serves as a reminder that we can dream of a better future ahead.

Meets LIFE

Another perspective of On The Other Side

Ben-David and his Cypress Trees/Fringe of the Field

Above and opposite: Same Place Other Times at Jerusalem’s Tower of David Museum

POV: YOU MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH

Instagram comedian Zach Margs and his Israeli alter egos are bringing joy to people all over the world.

And now he’s performing

live, too. By Louisa Walters

When Zach Margs was three years old he was at nursery school with my son. One day he pricked his thumb with a pin to draw blood and persuaded my son to do the same. He solemnly pushed their thumbs together and said: “This means we are school brothers.”

This was an early sign of the cute, funny, passionate, expressive man he is today, who has attracted 153,000 followers to his Instagram platform (@ zachmargs), where his frankly hilarious comedy creations are providing a frisson of joy almost every day.

Zach says this has happened because his popularity stems from Jews all over the world feeling under-represented and hesitant to reveal their identity, so when they find someone on Instagram making light-hearted Jewish-related content to which they can relate there is an instant connection.

His connection to us is via a hysterical series of Israeli personas he has created. There’s the Israeli beach waiter who gives terrible service, takes your food while you’re still eating, but still expects a 20 percent tip; the taxi driver who doesn’t believe in Waze, will try to set you up with someone every journey and will always smoke in the car; the shuk vendor, who is a fierce negotiator known for bending the truth and will say anything for a sale. Then we have the ‘knee drop’ – a flirty Tel Avivian with one objective: to date American women, who is best known for kneeling down on the beach next to cute girls.

And there’s the infamous beach worker who is supposed to help you with your sunbeds, but is always on a break.

Zach doesn’t stop at Israelis. He has also created some brilliantly exaggerated British-Jewish personas: the nice Jewish boy looking for love, the neurotic serial complainer Jewish dad and, of course, a typical Jewish mum – an over-dramatic hypochondriac always looking to set her daughter up. Each of the videos has a ‘POV’ headline to show that this is how Zach sees life.

Keeping it in the family, his older sister Tanya, who has been working in the entertainment industry for 12 years, is his manager, and his younger sister Zoe does much of the filming.

Zach, 30, has loved comedy since he was a small boy and his idols are Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld, Elon Gold and Modi. “But before them came my grandpa Gerry. He was a professional stand-up comedian, and he used to tour around the UK until he wanted to marry my grandma. Her father

laughs so he gave it up, but it was always his passion. “He’s the one who really showed me about comedy, because he used to take me to shows and, when I was at his house, he would sit me down and make me watch episodes of Sergeant Bilko and Only Fools and Horses – things no one else my age was watching!” Nothing says comedy like watching 1970s sitcoms with your grandpa.

Zach followed a slightly more conventional path. He went to Immanuel College and Nottingham University and then did a Master’s in real estate management. He is a qualified surveyor with a full-time job and fits in filming, editing and producing his videos around that. His motto is: “If you are driven and passionate, if you believe in yourself, you can make it work.”

Zach’s biggest audience is in the USA and, at the end of last year, he did his first stand-up show at a deli in New York. Because where else would a Jewish comedian’s career take o ? “That’s the beauty of social media – you can reach the world!

He has no shortage of material as there is a lot of behind-the-scenes stu he hasn’t posted on Instagram, plus he has a lot to say! He sold out a show in Tel Aviv in January (and is doing another there in March), plus two shows in London this month to raise money for Beit Halochem, while sorting dates for shows in Paris and Australia.

Zach travels to Israel every couple of months to create his videos and now has a huge network of friends in Tel Aviv. The first time he went a er October 7 was in December 2023 and he was invited to see two of the kibbutzim that were attacked. He posted a moving video about what he saw there and regularly uses his platform to advocate for the hostages.

One reason Zach’s content resonates so well is his improvisational style. He doesn’t use actors or scripts – he uses real people and real moments. The first time he did a ‘date’ video he recruited his friend Ariella and, he says, she made it 10 times better because she was coming out with her own experiences.

“So then I created a running theme – nice Ashkenazi Jewish boy goes on a date with fiery Israeli girl.” The next one was Donna, who he met on the street in Tel Aviv. “I said to her, ‘You’re so funny. Want to be in a video?’ We went for lunch to talk about it and then on the way there I realised the lunch itself would be the ‘first date’ scenario.”

I’m making relatable content for Jews everywhere – not just in

Live shows were the

someone who used to do them at university and he has been toastmaster

weddings, including his sister’s last year.

Balancing comedy and tragedy is no easy task. “There’s always been a fine line between being respectful of what’s going on and not wanting to release a comedy reel when something might have happened in Israel,” he says. “When we found out last summer that six hostages had been murdered, I didn’t want to post anything – I felt like all the Jews around the world wanted to grieve.

“But, on the flip side, we need to find moments of joy and the feedback I’ve had is that we’ve had such a di icult year that we want some relief, even if it’s only for 30 seconds.

“Those of us who are doing stu like I am are playing a really key role in making Jews feel represented, bringing joy, bringing light, and influencing people to connect.”

“Sometimes I’ll DM someone and say ‘I love your videos. Let’s do it together.’ And sometimes they’ll reach out to me and say, ‘if you’re in Israel, let’s collab.’ We’ll film a 10-minute video, and in that will be 10 seconds that are just gold.”

It’s not all fun though – Zach is subject to lots of trolling and hate messages, including death threats.

“But I do have a loyal fan base of non-Jewish followers who love Jewish people and Judaism or really love Israel.”

Whether he’s embodying an overbearing Jewish mum, an infuriatingly chill beach worker, or an Israeli waiter with a PhD in customer neglect, Zach Margolin is making people laugh – and in a world that could use more joy, that gets a thumbs up – even without the pinprick.

Zach Margs’s alter ago of an Israeli beach waiter

Zach’s catchphrase ‘Where you from?’

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‘Act

the role of the believer and a believer you will be’

Currently playing Polonius at the RSC in Stratford Upon Avon, actor Elliot Levey draws parallels between Hamlet and Judaism

I’m writing this from the RSC’s rehearsal room in Clapham. We’re three weeks into Hamlet I have just watched an extraordinary scene where Jared Harris’ Claudius –wrestling with his guilty conscience for killing the king – clumsily attempts to pray for forgiveness. And I am suddenly transported back in time to my childhood shul in Leeds. Not because I was regicidal – anti-monarchical thoughts came later –but despite my religious upbringing, I was simply hopeless at prayer. Claudius just can’t pull it together either. The act of praying embarrasses him. He feels self-conscious. Fraudulent. He says: “My words fly up but my thoughts remain below: Words without thoughts never to heaven go.”

And that was me. Standing next to my dad. Davening the congregation facing east towards Jerusalem, and however fervently my lips whispered those familiar words, my heart was empty and a cold self-consciousness seemed to jeer at my efforts. It’s not that back then I had rejected God, as I would as an adult, but that my inability to communicate with him made me feel lost. Lost and faintly ridiculous.

lips

trying. I attempted to switch off my mind and just say the words. Follow the advice of the opening line of the Amidah –“open my lips and my mouth shall praise” – and perform a literal lip service. You’ll forgive the Biblical allusion when I tell you my heart turned to stone.

Like Philip Larkin’s visitor in Church Going, this house of prayer seemed too serious a place to be unserious in. If I was going to dissemble and say things about the ‘Lord God Almighty’ I really didn’t believe, it seemed inappropriate to do it in his own home. And so this pious little boy stayed away.

I asked my dad if I could go to the Lubavitch shtiebel instead – Shomrei Hadass. A run-down Victorian

town house in Moortown on the Harrogate Road. I was exhilarated by the seeming lack of decorum. The

I had genuinely considered becoming a rabbi until this overwhelming wave of awkwardness at shul started to gnaw away at me. Nothing pushed me further from connecting with divinity than the moment when contemplative access to the Presence was most expected. When the Ark was opened, or we turned east. I just couldn’t do it. I looked at the congregation and envied the ease with which they davened. And so I stopped

the ease with which they

passion, the joy. But

who was I kidding? I was never going to fit in there. The service may have been more

He in

vibrant and the atmosphere more relaxed, but the problem remained the same – connection to the words recited. My doubt-ridden inner monologue would drown out the whispered words on the page. The niggunim I loved – the chanting, the swaying, the celebratory improvisation of it all – but when it came to actual prayer it was the same, maybe worse. These guys believed that the act of prayer was the prayer itself. Saying the words was what mattered. They had turned prayer – or so it seemed to me – into a sort of magical incantatory experience. It baffled me. It was as if we were being called to act the state of prayer. Don’t think about the words, just say them and their meaning will resonate. With God? With the congregation? With oneself? I think I was being told to stop thinking. And just act. Hamlet is a play about acting. And the inability to act. He can’t bring himself to action – and revenge his father – and so he decides to act mad. Hamlet “puts on the antic disposition” and arguably becomes mad in the process. Were those Lubavitch guys right? Didn’t they have a similar psychology in mind? Act devoted and devotion will come? Act the role of

the believer and a believer you will be?

As Hamlet tumbles deeper into the abyss of procrastination, he even questions the nature of acting itself. He instructs the players how best to perform a speech. How best to convey authenticity. Judaism, too, has its own instructions for those about to pray – Mishnaic advice on how best to prepare oneself for prayer.

Like an acting company doing a warm-up before a show, the Siddur has preliminary prayers to get you in the mood. Foreplay prayer. The Shema, for example, has a little amuse bouche pre-prayer to whet your mental appetite: “Teach us that the mind, whose seat is in the brain, together with all the sense and faculties be subjected to prayer.”

Jewish tradition has long recognised that prayer can be a struggle: Kavanah is the concept of ‘intention’ or ‘sincerity’ or ‘direction of the heart’ during prayer. How best – as it were – to get into character. Perhaps if I’d known about this as an awkward boy, I’d have pursued my career as a rabbi? As an avowed atheist, however, I can now say with some conviction:“Thank God I didn’t.”

Hamlet runs until 29 March. rsc.org.uk

Jared Harris (Claudius) and Elliot Levey(Polonius) in rehearsals for the RSC’s Hamlet

Sorrow Saviour of the

Out of love for the sister he lost three months ago, Eyal Golan is fighting to stop Nova survivors becoming Nova victims. By Brigit Grant

Around his neck Eyal Golan wears a medallion engraved with a lotus flower and the words “In every smile of yours, there is a world of love”. He chose the flower and inscription to “sum up the essence of Shirel”, his little sister who took her own life on October 20 last year, on her 22nd birthday.

“Shirel was like was a beautiful flower, full of light, full of happiness, full of life. She was the youngest of five – the baby.” Eyal looks

away. After hundreds of interviews with journalists globally he can deliver facts about his sister’s suicide, but more personal details about who she was and what she meant to him hurt deeply. “The connection between me and Shirel was strong. We were 14 years apart but only 10 days between birthdays.”

As one of the 4,000 people at the Nova Festival on October 7, Shirel it seemed was one of the ‘lucky’ ones. She had escaped the fate of the 364 who were murdered, and she

was not one of the 44 who were abducted to Gaza – but she could have been. Shirel and boyfriend Adi were briefly in the car of murdered hero Ben Shimoni, 31, who made repeated journeys to rescue desperate strangers before being shot by Hamas.

“My sister and Adi got out just before and were rescued by Remo Salman El-Hozayel, a Bedouin police officer who saved many,” says Eyal of another Israeli hero he now calls ‘brother.’ “But Shirel had been in Ben

Shirel Golan

Shimoni’s car with Romi Gonen, who was taken hostage.”

This weighed heavily on the Golan family on January 20 when Romi was freed, alongside hostages Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher. Eyal understood the joy and relief for her family, but didn’t watch the news that day. “It was very di icult for me. For my heart. Shirel and Romi didn’t know each other, but there is a Hebrew song that says, ‘Two souls meet for one second and say goodbye forever.’ This song played in my head all that day.”

The relief that Shirel had survived the Hamas attacks was, tragically, an illusion for her parents, as it masked the trauma that engulfed her a er everything she witnessed. Eyal recognised her PTSD symptoms from those he experienced in 2021 a er a missile landed 200 metres from his home.

“Shirel didn’t want to talk. She shut down, and I told her because I knew, that it would be disastrous if she didn’t deal with it. But she didn’t want to hear.”

A er splitting from boyfriend Adi because of what they had been through, he was called for reservist duty, which sent Shirel into a panic as she didn’t want him to go. Though the couple would reunite, and her troubles eased a er therapy with other Nova survivors at the Secret Forest in Cyprus, further problems surfaced.

The Golans are Libyan Jews whose grandparents founded the moshav Porat, near Netanya, in 1950. For parents Meir and Yafa who still live there Arabic is the first language, but they speak Hebrew, unlike Shirel’s paternal grandmother who, a er October 7, never saw her granddaughter again.

“She couldn’t hear Arabic,” says Eyal, who is also fluent. “We grew up beside an Arab village, and they were our friends, but

the language was unbearable for Shirel because of what it triggered.”

It was overhearing a discussion in Arabic between two medics when she was admitted to Lev Hasharon Hospital in Pardesiya that took the young woman who had big plans for her jewellery business, loved camping and the colour twilight red, to a critical juncture, which Eyal blames on the hospital.

“When she heard Arabic she was back in October 7,” he recalls. “She started shouting, ‘Terrorists. They are coming to get me. To kill me.’ And the security sta came to restrain her and then beat her.”

Eyal produces photos of the bruises on his sister’s arms and face. “From punches, fists, you name it. My mum saw her next morning and I wanted to go to the media. But Mum was scared because Shirel was still under the hospital’s care and she didn’t want her harmed more.”

Eyal is still pursuing claims against the hospital, which has denied the allegations of abuse and told Israeli TV channel KAN that it “provides a therapeutic response to every patient who needs it, taking into account their medical, emotional, and mental condition, in accordance with the law”.

28 soldiers are believed to have died by suicide since October 7 2023. On January 8, Asaf Ben David, the uncle of former Hamas hostage Mia Shem, also took his own life.

The Golan family had a plan to keep Shirel safe, involved, alive.

“To try to li her up,” says her devoted sibling. “Shirel lived in a unit behind my parent’s house and with my wife Mor, we went o en or asked her to come to us. She had a special connection with my daughter, Gaia, who she loved very much, so insisted I didn’t visit without her. But as much as I tried to make her get more help she didn’t want to know.”

Eyal paints the darkest picture of this time. Of in his mind seeing Shirel standing on a cli , waiting to jump, and the family unable to stop her. He takes out more photos – a shot of him sitting with Gaia in his parents’ garden, which includes a view of Shirel’s little house, and a palm tree and a metal post. There is no attempt to hide the hideous truth of what Shirel did on that Sunday in October when she said she was too tired to go with her parents to Jerusalem for Succot and would be waiting to enjoy her planned birthday party when they got home.

towards their families and friends, causing incalculable harm and damage .” Eyal is certain that without proper mental health support, the October 7 attacks will create a broken generation “who will be unemployable and a burden on society”.

With the return of hostages who have endured more than a year of horror in captivity, Eyal’s predictions seem premature, even cruel as those hostages have not yet fully shared their stories. Because of his sister, Eyal fears some never will. “Shirel’s mental health treatment was equivalent to treating cancer with paracetamol,” he says.

Eyal received EMDR (eye movement desensitisation reprocessing) for his PTSD and wants the treatment to be more available. “It helps people to recover and no longer have a debilitating reaction when they think about the traumatic event.”

Israel has faced so much trauma since October 2023 and the toll, both physical and mental, on its people requires costly care. Eyal has visited the Knesset eight times to lobby members. “I told them to stop blaming each other and take action. They need to set up phone lines for every single survivor to assure them they are supported and to call if they need help.”

But Eyal, as a grieving brother, wants answers, as he and his family watched Shirel regress a er she was released from hospital. They had to witness her decline a er the social worker she relied on was called to the army, and thinking she had no one, Shirel took an overdose of lithium pills prescribed by the psychiatrist. That was on September 19 last year. Discovered in time by her mother, Shirel survived her first attempt to end her life.

In April 2024 the Israeli Health Ministry rejected claims that there had been 50 Nova survivor suicides, and checks confirmed that the rumours were untrue. But according to data published by the IDF,

But Shirel wasn’t at home when Meir and Yafa returned. Instead of seeing their daughter they saw relatives who had been invited to the party and police o icers. The Magen David Adom ambulance had already gone. “My mother saw me, and asked only one thing,” Eyal whispers. “Where is my baby daughter? And I couldn’t answer.”

The Israeli Health Ministry has o icially confirmed only one suicide among Nova festival survivors, Shirel Golan. For the love of Shirel – her brother is on a campaign to save the other Nova survivors and the release of the hostages fuels his resolve.

“We have 4,000 Nova survivors who are ticking time bombs. But they won’t explode outwardly, they will implode

To take better care of them is Eyal’s message. “And not only them, as the whole country is su ering from trauma. Nothing will bring my sister back to my parents, to me, but I want to save the other 4,000 souls.”

In many ways Eyal has been preparing for the role of savior since 2005, when he supported his family a er his first cousin was murdered at Netanya’s HaSharon Mall by a Palestinian suicide bomber. Eyal doesn’t say it but like too many Israeli families, his own has been beset by tragedy and because of Shirel, his parent’s home is now only a place to shower and sleep.

“Too much pain,” says Eyal. “But we have a phrase in Israel – If we don’t laugh, we will cry, and if we cry, we will die. That’s the motto, so we have to laugh as we don’t want to die.”

Eyal will always cry for Shirel, because he couldn’t save her. His love for her is pushing him to save others.

Yafa and Meir Golan with Shirel to the right of brother Eyal on his wedding to Mor

Shirel with brother Eyal and his wife Mor

Remo Salman El-Hozayel, who saved Adi and Shirel

THIS MAN IS LOOKING FOR JSWIPE FOUNDER

DAVID YARUS SPEAKS TO CANDICE KRIEGER ABOUT FINDING HIS PERFECT PARTNER

“Super-loving, caring, sweet, so , adventureloving, curious, passionate (about something), growth-minded, lover of travel with the freedom to work from anywhere, and a desire to see the world.”

That’s the type of woman David Yarus has always envisioned for himself. Honest and good-humoured about his fulsome wish list, despite his best e orts, finding someone who ticks all those boxes has proved more elusive than he expected.

David, now 38, moved to New York in his early twenties with a simple plan to “find a nice Jewish girl”, but he quickly met with disappointment – especially a er his experience on a certain app (rhymes with cinder).

So, what does an entrepreneur do when faced with a challenge? He creates his own solution, of course.

That was when JSwipe was born. The revolutionary app connects Jewish singles around the world but, while it has brought countless couples together (around tens of thousands, in fact), there’s one match it hasn’t quite

achieved: for David, who is still single, and looking...

“I was doing all the things you would do to meet someone on the Upper West Side dating scene, but it didn’t feel authentic or natural,” says David. “Around that time, Tinder came out and disrupted the entire industry and fundamentally changed how people could connect.”

David saw a gap for a ‘Jewish Tinder’. “Any Jewish person on Tinder must have thought of the idea. We just did it.”

JSwipe was born in April 2014. It attracted 50,000 users in its first four weeks.

“It blew up,” he recalls. “It was the right place, at the right time. It was astonishing, inspiring and deeply meaningful.”

The following year, JSwipe was sued by JDate’s parent company, Spark Networks, over the use of the letter J, which Spark claimed was its trademark.

As part of the legal settlement, Spark Networks acquired JSwipe for $7 million (about £5.6 million), allowing JSwipe to continue operating under its umbrella. David left JSwipe and Spark Networks in 2020.

Although he is no longer involved with the company, David still gets messages from people who have met via the app. That said, he acknowledges a growing fatigue with traditional dating apps, noting that while they offer plenty of possibilities, there’s also a sense of burnout among users. “Everyone is a bit sick of them,” he says, although he doesn’t foresee people abandoning them entirely. Instead, he highlights the need for innovation, criticising platforms such as JSwipe and JDate for stagnating over the years. “I don’t think the app has been

touched since I left. It’s embarrassing for the Jewish community.”

Friendly and affable, David points out a shifting trend where dating is increasingly moving away from traditional apps and on to Instagram and other social platforms. “They [social media] are the biggest dating apps today.”

“We wonder why younger people aren’t engaged, but many Jewish organisations are out of date,” says David. “We use our

best-in-class marketing and storytelling to meaningfully reach and engage the younger generations.”

While David may have stepped away from fostering other people’s romantic connections, he remains committed to uniting Jewish people worldwide through his other startup, mllnl (pronounced “millennial”).

Founded in 2014, at about the same time as JSwipe, mllnl helps Jewish and non-Jewish organisations to harness technology to reach and engage meaningfully with millennial audiences “in a way that really resonates”, as he puts it. Clients include the President of Israel’s O ice, Birthright Israel and Jewish Federations of North America.

DAVID’S TOP TIPS FOR GETTING THE BEST FROM A DATING APP PROFILE

Be very clear with what you’re looking for and be discerning about whatever that is

Be honest and upfront about what you want – people will respect that

Clear space, energetically. You can’t be texting your ex and be truly ready to call in ‘the one’

Have an open mind – you never know what’s around the corner, and have fun with it!

David is looking for a ‘nice Jewish girl with range’, one who can embrace Burning Man one week and a formal dinner the next

JSwipe founder David Yarus

Growing up in a Jewish community in Miami, David later transferred to a Christian preparatory school in Washington. This experience, where he was among the few Jewish students, helped to shape his Jewish identity, which became a fundamental part of his personal and professional life. “At that moment, Jewish identity shifted for me in a very powerful and formative way,” he says.

David went on to study entrepreneurship at Babson College in Boston, which is renowned for its focus on business innovation.

His time there set the foundation for his passion for start-ups and using technology to make a meaningful impact.

Fast forward, and David, who refers to himself as the “wandering Jew” because of his nomadic lifestyle, extensive travels and efforts to connect Jewish communities

worldwide, is working on his latest soonto-launch venture.

While he can’t give too much away at this stage, it’s definitely not another dating another app. But it is within the Jewish space and it is likely to reflect his commitment to using his technological background and entrepreneurial expertise to ensure the sustainability and vibrancy of Jewish life in a rapidly-changing world, something he acknowledges has become increasingly important since October 7.

“Unfortunately [before October 7], we were already at a time where systems in the Jewish world were breaking and now we are at an unprecedented time of antisemitism and mis/disinformation. I feel a serious responsibility to take action and help save the future of the Jewish community.”

David says there has been a shift

says he feels a ‘serious responsibility’ to help save the community’s future

towards in-person connections since the war broke out, with many people feeling a stronger pull to gather in real life. “People have felt called to – and confronted with –their identity, for better or for worse, more than ever before and people want to meet in person in more authentic ways.”

He says there has been a resurgence of Shabbat gatherings in cities worldwide.

“These ‘renegade Shabbats’ are being hosted by individuals in Jewish communities. They are not only fostering a deeper sense of authenticity and tradition, but are emerging as unique and meaningful social settings – often serving as great venues for meeting new people and even dating.”

So, back to dating... David’s love life has taken a back seat in recent years, but he is now ready to meet someone special.

And, as he plans to head back to New York again to try to find that “nice Jewish girl – someone with range, who can embrace Burning Man one week and a formal dinner the next; someone spiritual who loves hosting Shabbats and gatherings; someone confident, self-assured and beautiful inside and out” – we can’t help but wonder: could she be reading this right now, perhaps in the UK?

JN would love to play matchmaker (without inciting a law suit for the letter J) and help David finally find his perfect match. Perhaps his great love story starts not in New York but with a Jewish News reader…

If you think you could be the perfect match for David, send us up to 150 words explaining why, along with a picture. If we hear from potential suitors, David will come to London for up to three dates organised by Jewish News

Please email:

David

CELEBRATION OF HERITAGE AND MODERN ELEGANCE

Love is a wonderful thing

App, agency, set-up, social event – there are many ways to make meaningful connections, writes Debbie Collins

In December 2023, newly-separated from my husband, I was set up on a date by a good friend. “Not my type,” I said when I saw the photo.

“What if we have nothing to talk about?” I threw out every excuse I could think of, but eventually agreed because the apps weren’t ’appening.

A year on, I’m still seeing him, and my friend regularly reminds me that she could give Aleeza Ben Shalom (Jewish Matchmaking on Netflix) a run for her shekels.

In a world in which we run our lives online, is it too hard to admit that it is the good old-fashioned introduction that has the best chance of success?

Culinary traditions

Denise Phillips thinks so. She has hosted Date on a Plate for 30 years – a simple concept whereby six men and six women aged 25 to 65 cook a meal in the comfort of her home. “It brings together two things Jewish people are generally good at: talking and eating,” says Denise. If connecting over a crumble sounds good to you, Denise has it down to a fine art, ensuring the right people are sitting at her table. “I teach my guests how to cook a delicious three-course meal, which we then sit down and eat together. The men move round after each course, so there is the opportunity to meet everyone and, in between serving the meal, I join the table to keep things relaxed.”

Denise came up with her plate dates after her husband passed away, “leaving

me with three young children to raise, so I threw myself into my work”, she explains. “My passion was cooking and I loved matchmaking, so I decided to start DOAP.”

A few years later, in 2004, Denise caught the eye of one of her guests and they eventually married. “Many women have unrealistic dating expectations, such as ‘tall, dark and handsome’. Let’s live in reality – the people who connect are often the most unlikely and this is where missed opportunities happen all the time.”

Such love stories include Lauren and Laurence, who met at DOAP and are now married, along with Lucy and Scott who have adorable baby Abigail.

Don’t fancy cooking? Denise also offers the online service ‘Zoom Date’ (speed dating), which sees the men break off into an online waiting room to meet each individual woman, prepped by Denise with some openers to avoid awkward silences. And talking of awkward, what if your ex-wife is contestant number two in the waiting room? “There’s a detailed

application form, including questions about ex-partners, and confirming they’re Jewish, as I have quite a few Orthodox clients,” she says.

Real connections

Here’s a love story for you: Sarah Harouni Davies worked in marketing and Geneviève Gresset was running a matchmaking service. Friends through work, and both disappointed with what

Lucy, Scott and baby Abigail

Lauren and Laurence met at Date on a Plate

Denise Phillips matchmakes with food

full potential with suitors pulled from the singles database.

The Facebook page is a hive of activity, with Shabbat Shalom check-ins, event updates and new member welcome posts. Sarah is no-nonsense about the group’s ethics. “This is a safe space for members to find wonderful connections. We have built the most amazing community, so if you’re not going to be kind, please leave.”

Lid for every pot

Aimee Belchak works a high-profile job in theatre while managing The A-gency, helping Jewish singles find love. “I’ve always been really good at connecting people,” she says. “I once met a girlfriend for a drink a er work and thought, ‘She’d be a great match for my friend’. I suggested it to him the next day and the connection worked. I messaged all of my Jewish contacts and it just went from there.”

specific physical attributes, then maybe a blind date isn’t for you.”

Perfect first date? “My rule is no longer than 90 minutes, the optimum time to suss out if you want to see them again. I like to leave wanting more.”

was “out there”, this led to a cupid moment where they set up the Jewish Community Singles page on Facebook, a private group with a thriving community that now has almost 3,000 members across the UK ranging from 21 to 80+.

These ladies can fill your calendar in seconds with age-specific events centred around diary markers such as New Year’s Eve or Valentine’s Day, plus regular ‘open mixers’ where everyone is welcome, no age parameter set. Sarah and Gen are always present at the events to ensure everything runs smoothly on the night and maybe see their hard work come to life with real-life connections. Knowledge is power, and Sarah says: “Because we know the guest lists, it’s easy to spot if there’s a good match for someone and it’s lovely to get feedback the next day. At our first event, Peter and Helen, both 82, hit it o , went on a cruise and now live together. Then there was Daniel and Miranda who are a real item, a er meeting at our Valentine’s party. And Hayley and Jason, who met last March, are engaged.” (Naturally Sarah is going to the wedding.)

In addition to events, they o er a (paid-for) coaching, mentoring and matchmaking service with Gen. Highly confidential and very discreet, the Schmingle Package helps applicants (o en high-profile celebrities) reach their

Aimee’s dating service is specifically about blind dates for 22- to 62-yearolds. “I had a couple on my books but hadn’t set them up because they hadn’t been in the dating pool in the same month. They’ve now been together since July and are very happy. Three couples I’ve set up are married, with another engaged to be married in September. I believe there is a lid to every pot.”

Single herself, Aimee understands about dating app burnout and how daunting blind dating can be. Candidates complete a detailed registration form and then Aimee speaks to each one to ensure they are legitimate. “I always say, ‘What’s the harm in a drink?’ But if someone’s sign-up form has very

Spotlight moment

Zach Margolin, currently gaining huge popularity as a comedian with more than 150,000 followers on Instagram, is now playing Cupid o the back of his Shidduch of the Week (SOTW) that launched from his platform. “I was in NYC with my good friend Rochelle, who was making aliyah. She wanted me to introduce her to people in Israel, maybe find a boyfriend. I said, ‘I’ll do one better – I’ll post you on my Insta story’. I posted a photo of us, gave the spiel and it was my most viewed story at the time. I asked my followers if it’s something they

date first and giving full credit to Zach’s matchmaking skills.

Zach’s advice for an ideal first date is to keep things simple. “Go for a drink. If it’s going really well, then maybe continue the date and do something spontaneous,” he suggests.

But does he keep the best potentials for himself? Zach laughs. “Ha. No, honestly I don’t. It’s a bold move to apply – I rate that.”

wanted to see more of and it was an overwhelming ‘yes’.”

So, what’s in it for you then, I ask. “I predominantly see myself as a comedian bringing people joy. But I love connecting people. ‘Three shidduchs and you go to heaven’, Aleeza Ben Shalom told me. She’s become a really good friend.”

With a database of more than a thousand Jewish singles ranging from 18-60+, the concept is simple: one girl, one guy, one gay, listed on a weekly basic, picked at random, and given their spotlight moment. The fun concept seems to be working, with Rochelle now dating someone and recent SOTW Menashe Rossouw connected with a girl in Israel, even posting live from his first

But what about your own shidduch? “I’m convinced the girl I end up with won’t be in London. That’s why I like this platform. You could meet someone in Australia who you didn’t know existed.”

Wise words. The guy I went on the date with? He lives in Australia.

jewishcookery.com

Facebook: Jewish Community Singles thea-gency.co.uk

Instagram: @shidducho heweek

Sarah and Geneviève

Aimee Belchak

Menashe on his date

Zach Margolin

L VE WE ARE IN

We’re Ben and Alex. We have lived together in our Norwood home since we were four years old. We have been boyfriend and girlfriend for ages. For Valentine’s Day we’re spending a romantic evening together and we’re also looking forward to enjoying a pre-Valentines party with our friends and support workers.

To find out more about how neurodiverse adults, children and families enjoy independent lives with Norwood’s support, or to donate, please visit norwood.org.uk

TOUGH LOVE

In a book published 80 years a er the liberation of Auschwitz, Keren Blankfeld reveals a perfect match made in hell. By Jenni Frazer

Among the settings associated with people falling in love, concentration camps are rare. But Jews did have romances there and, in her mesmerising new book Lovers in Auschwitz, Keren Blankfeld gives an account of an extraordinary relationship.

Blankfeld brings her considerable skills to bear in telling the story of Zippi Spitzer, a Czech graphic designer aged 25, and David Wisnia, a 17-year-old Polish Jew with an enviable singing voice.

Even in civilian life, in so-called normal times, these two would have been an unlikely match. Blankfeld, to her credit, does not put the two lovers front and centre to begin her story. Rather, she concentrates on setting the historical context of how Auschwitz came to be built, before telling us of David and Zippi’s separate journeys to the death camp and how they survived.

Blankfeld, an award-winning journalist who teaches at the Columbia School of Journalism, is the granddaughter of four Holocaust refugees from eastern Europe who escaped the Nazis and made it to Brazil, where she was born. “I’ve always been fascinated by stories about new beginnings, about people who have lost everything and everyone – and manage to start again,” she says.

In this spirit, researching for a book on refugees, she went to Pennsylvania to meet David, then in his early nineties, because she had been told he had an amazing story – within six months he had survived Auschwitz, the subsequent Death March out of the camp, and had become an American soldier after being “adopted” by a liberating American army unit.

“I met him, he told me his story, and I was about to leave, when he casually mentioned that he’d had

a girlfriend in Auschwitz,” Blankfeld recalls.

Stopped in her tracks, she returned to her seat and turned her tape recorder back on. David told her about Zippi, a “special, privileged” prisoner in Auschwitz.

At first, Blankfeld admits, she thought he was “a little confused”. She adds: “But then [after leaving David] I started reading about her and, the more I read, the more I thought this was a story I needed to write.”

Zippi was indeed special, a woman who, even as the Nazis closed in on Czechoslovakia, was determined to qualify as a graphic designer, and who was musically talented, both things that stood her in good stead when imprisoned in Auschwitz. She even became, temporarily, a member of the camp’s notorious Women’s Orchestra, playing the mandolin.

“I wish I had been able to meet her,” Blankfeld says now. “I have so many questions I would have liked to ask.” But Zippi, who became an admired Holocaust expert after the war, died in 2018, a few months short of her 100th birthday, and David died in 2021.

What strikes one when reading about Zippi Spitzer is her determination and singularity.

By the time her eye landed on David Wisnia in Auschwitz, she had worked herself up to almost unheard-of freedoms for a Jewish prisoner. She had her own private office and was relied on by Nazi officers to provide impeccable records – a surprise for anyone used to believing in Nazi meticulousness.

David, for his part, had worked his way from the lowest of the low to a trusted attendant, first at ‘Canada’, the sorting warehouse where incoming prisoners’ possessions were combed through, with valuables sent on to Berlin; and then to running the ‘Sauna’, a shower unit that really was a shower unit, rather than a preface

to being gassed. Both David and Zippi, at this stage in their time in Auschwitz, were in rather better health than many, better fed and with a highly developed sense of what was safe and what was dangerous, even to these privileged prisoners. So Zippi – who had been engaged before entering the camp in 1942, and whose fiancé met a horrible end – did not need to embark on a perilous love affair, which could so easily have been found out, resulting in instant death for both of them.

But she calculated the risk and went ahead anyway. Though at the start of their incarceration neither Zippi nor David could think of anything except food, by the time their affair began each was ready for human touch. “Part of the reason I wanted to write this book,” says Blankfeld, “was that this story was about real human beings, a way to make new generations who don’t have the connections I had with my grandparents learn about the reality of what was. And I wanted to write a non-fiction book that read like fiction, but knew I couldn’t make mistakes. There are [Holocaust] deniers and I had to make sure the facts were right.”

In that regard she has something in common with Zippi, who was “very protective” of what she did in Auschwitz and spent much time after the war keeping tabs on historians “to make sure the details were correct”. David, who became chazan of Har Sinai Temple in New Jersey, was “much more used to audiences and telling his story”.

If this were a Hollywood film the audience would be clamouring to know what happened next. Were they really in love? Did they marry after the war? In fact there is a film element: the Cary Grant film An Affair to Remember Grant’s character and the heroine (Deborah Kerr) arrange to meet at the top of the Empire State Building. But she has a car accident

en route and no way of letting him know why she can’t be there.

In real life, Zippi and David arranged to meet after liberation. She went to Warsaw to wait for him – but he, working with the American army, did not turn up.

Some years later, David tried to meet her but this time she did not come. Perhaps she was angry at his previous behaviour, but both of them were already married to other people at that stage.

Finally, 72 years after they had last seen each other, Zippi and David met, at her home in New York. It was 2016 and he, accompanied by two of his grandsons, was extremely nervous. “Avi [David’s grandson] said that when they first got there Zippi didn’t recognise him, and that was his worst worry,” says Blankfeld.

two of his grandsons, schmaltzy, cheesy, Hollywoodised Lovers in by Keren by paperback)

“But then her eyes lit up. As soon as his grandfather leaned in and said his name,

it was like she was transported back. They just connected.” In the book, Blankfeld tells the reader that Zippi gives David a hard time about why he hadn’t turned up in Warsaw. Then, after the couple had exchanged some reminiscences, David could not help himself – had Zippi, the supreme “organiser”, had any hand in helping him to survive Auschwitz? Avi Wisnia told Blankfeld that Zippi held up five fingers. “I saved you five times,” she said. “Whenever they selected prisoners, I looked for you.” And the couple finally confessed that they had loved each other. So no, Lovers in Auschwitz is not a schmaltzy, cheesy, Hollywoodised novel. But it is a genuinely beautiful love story. Lovers in Auschwitz, by Keren Blankfeld is published by Penguin Books (£10.99, paperback)

Zippi Spitzer David Wisnia

BASED ON A JANE AUSTEN NOVEL, BRIGIT GRANT REDISCOVERS CLUELESS AT 30 AS IT OPENS AS A MUSICAL

Iactually have a way normal life for a teenage girl,” says Cher Horowitz at the start of Clueless

‘Normal’ for Cher is a mansion, a maid, a digitally-collated wardrobe and a 4x4 Jeep for cruising Beverly Hills on a provisional licence. Cher’s life is other people’s wishlist, but no one was bitter when she made her debut in July 1995 as Clueless, a 90s interpretation of Jane Austen’s Emma, was a box office triumph.

On the street, Cher imitators wore knee-high socks with tartan mini skirts (Americans say plaid) as the soundtrack went platinum and “As if!” and “Whatever!”became common parlance. Clueless didn’t invent the sarky shortcuts for dismissal and indifference, but the film’s Jewish writer and director Amy Heckerling can be credited for getting them out there just as she launched the careers of Sean Penn and Jennifer Jason-Leigh in her first film

Fast Times at Ridgemont High in 1982.

“I get them while they’re young,” chips Amy, who did the same 30 years ago for Paul Rudd, now Marvel’s Ant-Man, and our Clueless cover star Alicia Silverstone. Pictured in signature Cher apparel, Alicia once stood outside the window of a New York high-rise for a Crunch mag cover shot at my behest, but at 48 she can still pull off cute in plaid, as can Emma Flynn, who is playing

Neatly synched with the 30th anniversary, the show’s music is by KT Tunstall and Amy, who has written the book for the musical, worked closely with lyricist Glenn Slater. She tells me: “The words had to reflect the dialogue and what I know the characters are thinking.” Reasonable Doubts is one

Cher in Clueless: The Musical at the Trafalgar Theatre.

Alicia Silverstone, Brittany Murphy and Stacey Dash

Emma Flynn and Amy Heckerling

MUSICAL

CLUELESS COSTUMES

there are still Clueless tributes to Mona May’s costumes on Instagram.

The Jean Paul Gaultier yellow plaid, the Austen cap sleeve dresses and mobile phones on chains were all Mona – and with no budget and no internet help. “I was dressing a cast of unknowns and hundreds of extras, so PRs sent nothing for free,” says Mona, who is doing her own fashion book on the film and had just spoken to Paul Rudd for his memories.

about Hitler and the Second World War when the world gets too much. “Sounds crazy, but they make me think things could be worse.”

my career wouldn’t have

“We talked about how happy we were to have that job, to be the cool kids. Without Clueless, my career wouldn’t have been the same.”

of her favourites and the solo is sung by Josh (Cher’s law student ex step-brother and eventual love interest). Amy is in London for all the rehearsals and thinks Keelan McAuley is wonderful as Josh –“but I’d love to hear Paul Rudd sing the song”, she says of the actor who is also one of many of the faith in this film.

A Minyan and then some!

Born in the Bronx, Amy Heckerling grew up in a building filled with Holocaust survivors, including the parents of her two best friends. “Holocaust Remembrance Day is every day for me,” says the director, who strangely watches documentaries

In spite of her baked-in Jewish heritage, Amy has always denied that her Clueless protagonist is Jewish, saying: “I wasn’t thinking in terms of it being a Jewish story. I was just taking the plot of Jane Austen’s Emma and translating it into that world.” This has never washed with world Jewry as reinvented Emma Woodhouse became the spoilt but well-meaning daughter of a litigator Mel Horowitz (played by Sephardi actor Dan Hedaya), who has a mezuzah on the door of his mansion (pictured).

Cher in that jeep with Amy

Cher, ex-step brother Josh (Paul Rudd) and the class

“Do you know any non-Jews with the name Horowitz?” I ask gingerly. Amy laughs. “Blame Wally Shawn,” she says. “He added Horowitz when we were shooting the registration scene.” So Cher was ‘surnamed’ by Jewish actor Wallace Shawn who, as her teacher Mr Hall, is manipulated by her into a romance with fellow educator Miss Geist played by Twink Caplan, also of the tribe and an associate producer.

As mentioned, Clueless was heavy with Jewish talent, from Oscar-winning producer Scott Rudin (who took on the film when others declined) to newbies Breckin Meyer as skateboard stoner Travis and Brittany Murphy as his girlfriend Tai, the new pupil who becomes Cher’s project. Tai was Brittany’s breakout role and her death in 2009 at the age of 32 from disputed causes is the dark shadow over Amy’s joyful film. “When I met Brittany, I was like, ‘I love her. I want to take care of her’,” says the director, who kept the silver Doc Martins Tai wears to the dance as her only memento. “It is frustrating and sad, and I feel like we don’t really know the real answers. And the things going on with her at that time just made me crazy.”

Amy created more than a film; she created a family 30 years ago – and that they stay in touch is unusual in an industry where “it’s a wrap” means The End. Amy and Alicia bonded when the director spotted her in the Aerosmith video Cryin’ and knew she was Cher. Alicia was married to musician Christopher Jarecki and they have a son, Bear, who will be 13 next month. For her, Amy will always be “the brilliant writer and director who captured something so special and fun – it’s just a really good movie”.

When I last met Alicia, she was surrounded by dogs in Central Park, including her own rescue, the late

Samson. The strident animal rights campaigner wanted to highlight homeless pups and asked for a pack to be brought from New York’s Animal Haven for the shoot.

Rolling on the ground with the dogs, Alicia was the sweetheart then that she is now as an author and founder of thekindlife.com, where she promotes saving the planet, health, animal welfare and veganism, although admits in her pre-vegan days she loved the gefilte fish served at her California synagogue Shabbat dinners in San Mateo.

up for Oscars,” she says. “I didn’t find myself chuckling a lot.” Clueless delivers chuckles, but would Jane Austen find it funny? “It would make me very happy if she saw it,but it probably wouldn’t make sense to her,” thinks Amy. “I love all her books but have a soft spot for Emma who Jane thought was a character no one but herself would like. I don’t think she could have been more wrong.”

From 17 February cluelessonstage.com

Alicia still makes movies – the most recent is comedy Krazy House – and she voiced a snake in Gracie and Pedro, Pets to the Rescue. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always loved what I do as I have a great life,” she told me. “But it’s mindboggling to me that anyone would spend their time obsessing about movies when there is so much suffering in the world. Don’t people have hearts?”

Towards the end of Clueless, selfobsessed Cher thinks the same way, sets up a school fundraiser and gives away her clothes, then realises she loves her geeky Jewish ex-step brother, who just happens to look like Paul Rudd.

Back at rehearsals for Clueless: The Musical Amy is kvelling (as Dionne says in the film) over smiling leads Emma Flynn and Keelan McAuley – ”they’re adorable together,” she says and I ask if she thinks young people were happier in the 90s. “In a lot of ways,” she replies. “Maybe they had a better reason to be happy. I mean, I find these very troubling times and back then there was a sense of hopefulness. At least in America.” Perhaps the new musicals, including her own, will lighten the mood as happy films are now rare. “Yeah, I just watched a slew of films

Alicia’s Cher reprise for the Super Bowl advert

Director Amy calls the fashion shots

Happy as Horowitz: Emma Flynn

Clueless Donald Faison (Murray) Paul Rudd, Alicia & Breckin Meyer (Travis)

The mezuzah at the Horowitz home

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HAVE YOU FALLEN FOR THE SOCIABLE SPORT THAT MIXES FUN WITH FITNESS?

BY CANDICE KRIEGER

It’s no secret that we Jews are not at our most comfortable on a sports field. Rugby? We’ll pass, thanks. Basketball? We might fall a bit short. And football? Well, Barry Silkman did play for Manchester City in ’79. We do swim, but mainly in a pool in Marbella. So the field was wide open to sporting temptation. Entering from the baseline came padel tennis – a social, strategic sport sweeping through Jewish circles faster than a rugelach disappearing at a kiddush.

Padel fever has captured the community – and nation. 2025 is on target to be the sport’s biggest year yet. With courts springing up across the country and players scrambling to book slots, padel, (pronounced “paddle”), has

gone from a holiday hobby to a widespread obsession.

Its winning mix of fast-paced play and doubles camaraderie has players of all ages and abilities picking up a racket. Among the game’s celebrity fans are sports stars David Beckham, Serena Williams and Lionel Messi, comedians Michael McIntyre and Jason Manford and actor Eva Longoria.

For those who have yet to pick up a padel (it probably won’t be long before they do), the game that is now outpacing tennis in Spain and other countries, and is the second-most played sport after football in Spain is a fusion of tennis and squash. Played in an enclosed court (smaller than tennis and bigger than squash), it is typically a doubles game, with players hitting a ball (similar to a

ball but less pumped up) over a net with the added fun of the walls being in play.

Originating in Mexico in the 1960s before taking off in Spain, where many Jews first discovered it on their summer holidays, padel has exploded in popularity in recent years and we are among the most enthusiastic adopters joining more than 30 million amateur players worldwide.

The first UK courts were built by David Lloyd Leisure in 2011 and are now popping up at an incredible pace – from 40 in 2019 to more than 500 today. Among the court builders is Jonny Magnus, the founder of Padel Pod, which is on a mission to revolutionise the UK’s padel scene by creating accessible, community-focused clubs across the country.

Last year, Jonny launched Padel Pod’s debut site in Crouch End, north London, which quickly became a hub for Jewish players. He will imminently open indoor courts in Shenley, Hertfordshire, and the Hackney Wick Padel Pod is on target to open later this year. Still exploring potential UK sites (particularly in areas with large Jewish populations), Jonny, 43, believes the sport’s inclusivity, coupled with its fun and social nature, is the reason why it’s been a hit with the community.

“Jewish people love to socialise and community is a big part of the culture – this aligns perfectly with padel, which is all about playing

with other people. Oh, and not forgetting FOMO (fear of missing out)!” he jokes.

Jonny hopes to have 23 courts in operation by the end of 2025 and a total of 12 Padel Pod ‘micro clubs’ over the next five years. Each club will feature four or five courts either indoor, or outdoor under canopies, alongside essential facilities.

“It’s about building cool, accessible places to play. We want to create great spaces with

no frills, just good courts, and a strong community vibe.”

Padel Pod also runs summer camps for children and tournaments for players of all ages.

Jonny discovered padel while he was living in Lisbon during the pandemic. “A French guy walked past me with his padel racket and I had to ask what it was. We got chatting and he invited me to play and, from there, I was hooked.”

Jonny returned to the UK in 2023

tennis

Padel Pod founder Jonny Magnus with comedian Michael McIntyre

and saw an opportunity to bring the fast-growing sport to British shores. “I knew it would do well here, but it was about finding the right time.”

By January 2024, he had teamed up with top UK padel coach Toby Bawden, also the owner of courtbuilding business Hexa Padel, and Padel Corner, an online retailer, before opening Crouch End, where comedian Michael McIntyre is a regular.

“I popped into the club one day and saw Michael on the court playing with his son and a friend and his son. One of the things that’s so great about padel is how accessible it is for all ages and di erent abilities. Anyone can play with anyone.”

The global padel industry is projected to triple from $2 billion (£1.6bn) in 2023 to $6bn by 2026, according to The Global Padel Report 2023, published by

Playtomic and Deloitte. Tennis supremo Novak Djokovic has even cautioned that it could usurp his sport’s top spot.

Husband and wife Daniel and Ilana Epstein have been playing padel several times a week for the past few years at David Lloyd in Bushey, and say they now prefer it to tennis.

“I used to play tennis but hadn’t in years, then everyone was talking about padel so I gave it a go, which was the best and worst thing, as I am now completely addicted,” says Ilana, 49, who runs her own post-production script services company. “I would play every day if I could. It’s fun, sociable, unisex and great for all ages. I’ve met so many people through it.”

Daniel, 56, a partner at TK International estate agency, feels like he is “getting more cardio out of it than tennis as it’s fasterpaced”. He says it is a “great way” to stay fit as you age. “I used to run, but I’ve had to cut back due to my knees. This, however, is much gentler (on the knees) and still keeps me active.” Daniel is part of a growing David Lloyd padel WhatsApp group full of players looking for games.

Yet is the rapid growth now outpacing the availability of courts? “Members of clubs are struggling to find available slots,” notes Daniel, with Ilana adding that David Lloyd players are setting their alarms to book courts.

Mum-of-three Sarah Rubin is a more recent convert. “I’ve only been playing since December but I’m hooked.” Sarah joined a ladies’ social group at The Padel Hub in Whetstone, which has become an increasingly popular indoor location for the Jewish community’s north London ‘paddlers’, who include James Lazarus, a 42-year-old father-of-three. His love for the game was rekindled during a recent family holiday to

LAST MONTH I TOOK TO THE COURTS FOR THE FIRST TIME to see what all the fuss was about. Four of us played at The Padel Hub in Whetstone, which has become a popular north London venue. Arsenal midfielder Jorginho played there shortly after us.

The scoring is just like tennis: games, sets, 15/0, 30/0, 40/0, and so on… We played “golden deuce” where the winner of the next point after deuce wins the game. There is also the option of a silver deuce and bronze deuce, but we weren’t quite ready to overcomplicate things just yet.

The main difference is the walls – they’re part of the game. Hence tennis meets squash, with a bit of added chaos. You can hit the ball off the glass wall, but if it hits the wall before bouncing first, it’s out, and if you’re hitting it back after it’s hit the wall, it can’t bounce first.

As someone who grew up playing tennis, it took a little bit of getting used to. Serving is underarm – less topspin, more slice. Placement and control are key. The racket? Short-handled and no strings – somewhere in between a tennis racket and table tennis bat.

The game was fast-paced, comical at times. There was a lot of: “Sorry, sorry!” whether we missed the ball, ducked to avoid our partner’s swings, hit the net, or left it for our partner while yelling: “Yours!”– only to watch it bounce past the both of us. The real winner was probably the ball, which at times managed to escape the court entirely. But despite all the apologies and mishaps, there were also lots of laughs and even time for the odd quick schmooze between points.

I loved it (it really is fun) and, within a few hours of my first rodeo, I had arranged another game, joined a padel WhatsApp group and tried to book onto a padel social. Fully booked.

Spain. “I played it years ago but we were at a resort this summer with courts and I started playing daily with other people.” When he returned home, he couldn’t stop raving about it to his friends.

“We set up a WhatsApp group just for padel, then more and more groups popped up. I’m now on five or six with people looking for others to play with. I also got my wife involved. She loves it too. It’s bizarrely addictive.”

The padel craze is also spreading to university campuses, where students are trading study breaks for rallies. Jacob Brand, 20, is studying business management and entrepreneurship at Nottingham Trent and plays three or four times a week at the National Tennis Centre in Nottingham or on the courts near the Notts County football ground. He says: “I got hooked about two years ago.” For Jacob, the appeal lies in both the social and competitive elements. “It’s a great way to stay active with friends. Otherwise, we would probably just be sitting around doing what students usually do.”

Three lucky Jewish News readers can each win a one-hour court booking for up to four people at a Padel Pod of their choice.

To enter visit: jewishnews.co.uk/ padel

If you fancy a game, a quick search on Google, the Lawn Tennis Association website or on the Playtomic or Padel Mates apps will throw up many options.

With the sport set to debut at the Brisbane 2032 Olympics, there may just be time for you to be that Jewish presence on the Aussie court. thepadelpod.co.uk @padel.pod / padelmates.se

Candice picks up a PADEL

Jacob Brand (right) with with Arsenal footballer Jorginho at Whetstone

James Lazarus and friends at The Padel Hub

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For the LOVE of charity

Communal charities demonstrate love every day. What makes their leaders, volunteers and beneficiaries tick?

By Louisa Walters

United for love Israel is the heart of who I am and joining British Friends of United Hatzalah is a chance to live my values through a cause that embodies everything I hold dear. United Hatzalah is about one simple yet profound mission: saving lives. More than 8,000 volunteers –Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druze, and Bedouins –drop everything at a moment’s notice to respond to emergencies in an average of three minutes or less. As a child in Israel, I often accompanied my older sister, a medic, on trainings and I watched her lead a training session in Zefat for a very religious group that would go on to become the first Hatzalah unit in the city. Those trainings shaped my understanding of the human drive to help others and the profound impact of saving lives.

Five years ago, my husband Alon and I moved to the UK, but Israel remains the soul of our family and United Hatzalah feels like a natural extension of that connection, reflecting compassion, resilience and the unwavering belief that every life matters. Supporting this

extraordinary work is a privilege, because every second – and every act of kindness – saves a world.

Yael Mohaliver Brif, executive director

Love in action

Love is the guiding force that shapes our actions and responses and this is what inspires me to lead World Jewish Relief. I often travel to Ukraine, where we have supported hundreds of thousands of people since the war began. Take Hanna’s story – aged 76, she resides in Kherson. When the war broke out, frequent shelling made her living conditions terrifying. She survived the harsh winter without heat, relying on the kindness of neighbours and the warmth of bonfires to stay alive. When our team was able to assist her by repairing her windows, we not only made her surroundings a little warmer and more secure but also brought her a sense of hope amid despair. Hanna’s gratitude and persistence remind me why, despite the challenges we face daily, and the range of emotions I feel as a result, I love working at World Jewish Relief.

Paul Anticoni, chief executive

The people factor

At Jewish Blind & Disabled, our committed and passionate team often tell me the main reason

they love their job is that they can see first-hand the difference they make for the tenants in our developments and the clients we support in the community. What I love most is seeing how we transform people’s lives, enabling Jewish people with disabilities to live independently with dignity and choice. Seeing the smiles on the faces of those we help, hearing their stories of resilience and recovery, and knowing that we played a part in their journey, is incredibly rewarding. I feel privileged to be working alongside a great team of people who are

supporting hundreds of extremely grateful Jewish people every day of the week. Lisa Wimborne, chief executive

Jumping for joy

Being the ORT UK chair is the most fulfilling role I’ve ever had,” says Annette Kurer. “It’s such a vibrant, responsive and nurturing organisation. Our ORT JUMP Mentoring and Employability Skills Programmes help young people fulfil their potential, which transforms lives. ORT UK is bridging the gap between school and the workplace.

WJR chief executive Paul Anticoni with Hanna in Ukraine

ORT UK helps to transform young people’s lives, says its chair Annette Kurer

More than 8,000 volunteers of all faiths work as first responders for British Friends of United Hatzalah

Jewish Blind and Disabled’s HR assistant Laurie Sherman, chief executive Lisa Wimborne, and head of HR Yvonne Ellis

CHARITY

We’re helping students to be more communicative, identify their strengths and learn to network, while exploring possible career paths. It’s so fulfilling to follow the course of the students’ journeys.

Annette Kurer

I’m so lucky to love what I do. It’s also very special working within a global network – helping to support more than 350,000 beneficiaries through World ORT’s schools and training programmes in Israel, Ukraine and beyond. We really are making an impact through education and it’s an honour to play a part in that.”

Dan Rickman, CEO

Volunteering for love

Volunteers at Jami, the mental health service for the Jewish community and part of Jewish Care, all have one thing in common – they love giving their time and skills to support Jami.

Whether they are helping out at Jami’s hubs for people with long-term mental health needs, alleviating loneliness through befriending or hospital visiting, providing admin assistance, or raising money to fund the charity’s mental health services, volunteers help Jami to reach more people living with mental illness and distress in the community and to provide much-needed support.

Among Jami’s 285 volunteers is Dinny Charkham, who joined the charity 25 years ago. She volunteers at Jami’s hub in Finchley, which provides a safe space and social connection for people with long-term mental

illness and distress. “When I walked into the hub, it was love at first sight! I love being there, surrounded by people who, despite whatever may be going on in their lives, find the courage to get out of bed and come to the hub to talk, play, laugh or cry. Coming here expands my horizons, brings another dimension to my life, allows me to mingle with people I might not meet ordinarily, and was invaluable when I was going through a tough patch in my own life,” says Dinny.

Legacy of love

As director of legacies at JNF UK, I am privileged to meet members of the community who share a commitment to making their mark on the future by leaving a legacy to Israel in their will. For more than 75 years, JNF UK’s legacy department has provided will and estate administration services to clients, alongside pastoral care. In the course of this work, I met Roger Wallis (not his real name), who was born in Berlin but in 1937 was sent to a school in Sweden to flee the Nazis. Roger’s family later settled in the UK, and Roger joined them in 1947 and became a teacher. Despite having little connection to his Jewish roots he was a staunch supporter of Israel, spending time teaching in a school in the Golan in the ’70s, where his love for the country flourished. Through engagement with KKL, he slowly embraced his Jewish roots and left a letter asking to be buried in Israel. When he died last year, we worked tirelessly under difficult circumstances to make the necessary arrangements.

Through Roger’s love of the Jewish homeland, his memory will live on in the projects created in his name in Israel.

Carolyn Addleman, director of legacies, KKL executor & trustee

Childhood sweethearts

Ben and Alex, who both have neurodevelopmental disabilities, met when they lived together in a Norwood home aged four. Now in their late 40s, they’ve lived together ever since.

“We were friends first and then became boyfriend and girlfriend. We like to do the same things,” says Alex. They are going to a Valentine’s

disco with their housemates, but they’ll spend the day itself enjoying a romantic dinner at home. Their story is just one of the ways that Norwood supports and empowers neurodiverse children and their families and people with neurodevelopmental disabilities to live their best lives. Norwood supports 186 adults in 15 residential and 11 supported living homes across London and Berkshire. Residents receive support according to their needs and enjoy being part of a community.

Kitchen table love

It began as a labour of love 30 years ago, but Camp Simcha is now a vital charity for the Jewish community, supporting families with seriously ill children. Rachely and Meir Plancey had not long been married when they began to grow the charity from their kitchen table, supporting a handful of families in their local community who had a child with cancer.

Meir says: “With zero experience, we had zero expectations. We just set out to help and see where it would take us.”

Rachely, who now heads up the family liaison team, says: “Camp Simcha is not a luxury when someone’s child is going through a serious medical challenge – but a necessity. We

shine a bright light into a very dark period and we see time and again the resilience of our amazing families that we support and are constantly learning and being inspired by them. Plus our incredible volunteers who give of their time to the whole family are truly unique.”

Love and hate

It is strange to be writing about love when our world since October 7 has felt at times to be overflowing with hate. At CST, we confront hate every day. Whether propelled by a hate of the Jew, Judaism, everything that the world’s sole Jewish state represents, or a combination of all the above, it is rarely clear cut. One thing has become increasingly clear: Jewhate is not an innate part of the human condition – it is learned. The one thing that unites every single one of us at CST is a shared and profound love of British Jewish life. This is what brings us to CST and what brings CST to action. The future remains uncertain, but together we will keep on facing whatever lies ahead.

Yoni Gordon-Teller, incidents data analyst

Members of the community make their mark by leaving a legacy in their will for JNF UK

Rachely and Meir Plancey set up Camp Simcha from their kitchen table

Volunteers help Jami to reach more people living with mental distress

CST has a shared and profound love of British Jewish life

ERIC LEFT A LEGACY TO SECURE ISRAEL’S FUTURE

For over 120 years JNF UK has worked tirelessly to develop the Land of Israel.

Much of our work has only been possible thanks to the generosity of our legacy donors like Eric, who regarded the work of JNF UK as vital to realising the Zionist dream. Leaving a gift in your Will, no matter how small or large, is one of the most valuable ways you can forge an everlasting bond with Israel.

Our professional and caring Legacy Team offer a range of professional services and first-rate pastoral care.

To

PEER SUPPORT GROUPS

Jewish Blind & Disabled are excited to announce our monthly Peer Support Groups for people with visual impairments.

Finchley

The second Thursday of each month 11.30am – 1.00pm

Borehamwood

The second Tuesday of each month 11.30am – 1.00pm

Sessions are designed for meeting new people and sharing experiences of living with sight loss in a safe environment. Family members, friends or carers are welcome to join.

To join a session or find out more information, please contact Toni Lewis on toni@jbd.org or 020 8371 6611 ext 620

FIGHTING ILLNESS WITH LOVE

Camp Simcha is the Jewish community’s charity for families with a seriously ill child. We are a lifeline, providing love, hope and unconditional, bespoke practical and therapeutic support at the darkest of times. Please help us to continue to be the lifeline for EVERY family who needs us. campsimcha.org.uk/love

Learn Ivrit with great teachers in an

Classes run at a range of times and levels from beginners to advanced, including specialist classes such as GCSE Ivrit, Young Professionals Ulpan, and Ulpan for Medics. We match you with the right class to help you achieve your goals.

Lessons are interactive and include a mixture of written and spoken activities, debates, reading newspapers and watching video clips, all designed to help you develop your language skills.

Love and Care

Love is at the heart of all we do at Jewish Care. It’s tangible when we celebrate birthdays, second barmitzvahs, anniversaries and even weddings. Not long ago, Doris Rose, one of our 104-yearold community centre members, was asked to be the matron of honour at a Jewish Care volunteer’s wedding.

The sense of being part of one big Jewish family is especially apparent every Shabbat. Our Holocaust Survivors’ Centre members love the Yiddish with Kiddush group. At our care homes, residents make Kiddush together and can enjoy the inclusive dementia-friendly Shabbat morning services together as a community. At Jami’s community hubs for people living with mental illness and distress, members celebrate at Shabbat and Yom Tov meals.

Relatives of those we support in our care homes consistently express deep gratitude for the compassionate, personalised end-of-life care their family member has received. The love is also found in our JC Explore service, where older people learn to use technology to connect independently online with their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

All those who live in our care homes and retirement living schemes, and visit our community centres, have a unique history behind them. It is a privilege to see the warmth, dedication and Jewish values demonstrated by everyone involved in their care. I am so proud to play a

them through various services, including one-to-one advice and guidance, workshops, training courses, focused support groups, a live jobs board and our Wohl Enterprise Hub shared workspaces in both London and Manchester. What I love most is seeing people find their dream jobs, create successful businesses and earn a living to support themselves and their families. A common sentiment we hear is: “I couldn’t have done this without the team at Work Avenue,” and it fills me with pride to lead such an incredible and important charity for our community.

Debbie Lebrett, CEO

The sound of love

part, alongside so many others, in ensuring that Jewish Care continues to be the beating heart of the Jewish community.

Marcus Sperber, chair

Working for love

At Work Avenue, we help people from throughout our community obtain long-term sustainable incomes through creating employment and building businesses. We support

A few years ago, the Jewish Deaf Association (JDA) was making a film and the director asked Janet, a support worker, why she works so very hard for the members. She replied: “That’s love – that’s JDA love.”

It has been said that JDA is a great dating agency, and many members met in the early days and have been married for well over 50 years. The challenge as they get older is keeping them together. JDA often has to battle with the authorities to keep these love birds together in their own homes. As we age, losing our hearing can be a major stumbling block to love. When your partner becomes less able to engage conversations, frustration can turn to resentment. Nearly 50 percent of people with hearing loss have experienced negative attitudes from their family in the past 12 months. JDA helps couples to accept that living with hearing loss takes understanding, tolerance and effort from everyone involved to sustain happy, healthy relationships.

Loving it large

Magen David Adom UK is all about people, which is why I love my job as its chief executive. As Israel’s only national medical emergency and blood service, our role is to respond to people in their time of need, doing everything from delivering babies to saving lives.

And, as Israel’s largest volunteer organisation, we depend on more than 30,000 people to be there for one another. As Israel’s national Red Cross organisation, MDA goes to places that other ‘official’ organisations cannot; we are lifesaving ambassadors for Israel in countries such as Turkey and Lebanon. One of the highlights of the past year has been taking donors to see MDA’s impact post-October 7. To see the look on people’s faces as they come into contact with the beneficiaries of their generosity is priceless.

Perhaps the thing I love most about my job is its diversity. The power of the MDA brand is such that it allows us to call on Israel’s ‘First Lady’ one day and the CEO of Virgin Atlantic (to request planes be ‘donated’ for humanitarian projects in Ukraine and Turkey) the next. Having the opportunity to tell people about what we do and the lives we save is a true privilege.

Daniel Burger, chief executive

Changing lives with love

Never have I felt more love for WIZO than I do now, having just returned from Israel, where I met so many exceptional individuals working to build futures for vulnerable and disadvantaged Israeli citizens, providing vital social welfare needs at every stage. Their passion, commitment and love for those who depend on them is remarkable. WIZO is a global family, which is what I value, admire and love about it, all of us with one objective: to change lives and strengthen Israel society. WIZO’s expertise is even more vital now, dealing with the increased needs since October 7 while ensuring no one already depending on us slips through the net. I love the ‘love’ it shows and the impact it has, hand in hand with unparalleled expertise to ensure the wellbeing and strong future of our Israel family. Maureen Fisher, CEO

Jewish Care’s chair, Marcus Sperber, with Jewish Care Holocaust Survivors’ Centre members Henny Franks, 101, and Miriam Freedman

Saving lives is MDA’s privilege

Debbie Lebrett of Work Avenue helps people find their dream job

WIZO has one objective: to change lives and strengthen Israeli society

JDA helps couples with hearing loss sustain healthy relationships

FOOD

Seinfeldwas and remains one of America’s favourite sitcoms and its creators, Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, would be the first to concede it was food obsessed.

Over nine seasons and 180 episodes, the ones that stand out for eaters – and that’s us – are the shows in which consumption or a lack of it was the running gag.

There was the one about the Calzone (season 7/episode 20);The Chicken Roaste (season 8/episode 8) The Pie episode 15 and the unforgettable Soup Nazi (season 7/episode 6) when Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer encounter the dogmatic owner of a soup stand with strict rules about who buys his soup.

Although Jerry’s eponymous show had ended by the time he married Jessica in 1998, his comedy life of pie, big salad and mu in tops clearly le a taste in his mouth for all things edible and Jessica, as the author of five cookbooks, three of which are NewYork

Married to the man who made soup a laughing stock, Jessica Seinfeld tops that with dessert. By Alex Galbinski

Timesbestsellers, she was anything but a reluctant soup seller.

Acknowledged as a powerhouse in her own right, Jessica Seinfeld is not only a good cook, but also the president and founder of Good+ Foundation, a non-profit organisation that partners with a network of leading programmes to break the cycle of family poverty through donated goods and services. Being helpful and understanding are also features of the cookbooks created by the mother of three (plus two cats and two dogs) as a portion of the royalties for her first went to GOOD+, and The Can’t Cook Book – “100 recipes for the absolutely terrified!” – was for those who aren’t Nigella. Even her vegan cookbook, Vegan at Times, is supportive as it is for those “who cannot quite commit” to a vegan diet all the time. Jessica adopted a plant-based diet in 2021, but she is also married to a guy who devoted an entire episode of Seinfeld to Kramer’s meat slicer.

As we stand on the threshold of the romantic day that is not on the Jewish calendar, but we still participate, we took the liberty of asking Jessica to share some of the sweeter dishes she prepares to keep life with Mr Seinfeld… sweet, but within reason according to her new cookbook, Not Too Sweet: 100 Dessert Recipes for Those Who Want More with Just a Little Less

The book is described as an inclusive, all-new collection of dessert recipes for

everyone to enjoy, no matter their age, dietary restrictions or skill level in the kitchen. Phew!

Appreciated by her readers for showing them that healthy eating need not be a chore or a bore, attaching this truth to dessert is a timely Valentine’s perk.

Vegan, gluten-free, less-sugar, no-sugar, nonuts or one with no restrictions, Jessica has it covered, with step-by-step instructions for making all types of treats – chocolatey, fruity, traditional, quirky – that will satisfy every (not too) sweet tooth.

“I love the excitement that dessert brings to daily life,” says Jessica. “A week-night dinner feels a little more special topped o by dessert.” Or a Valentine’s dinner topped o with a slice of Crustless Apple Pie followed by episode 15/season 5 of Seinfeld. See overleaf for recipes.

Not Too Sweet: 100 Dessert Recipes for Those Who Want More with Just a Little Less by Jessica Seinfeld with Sara Quessenberry (Simon & Schuster, £20 WHSmith). jessicaseinfeld.com

Jessica Seinfeld has written five cookbooks

The comic and the cook, Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld

Food obsessed: Jerry Seinfeld and Kramer

FOOD

Kids delight in these as much as adults do. It’s fun to get your family and friends to build their own. They’re refreshing, light, and lovely on a summer day.

MAKES: 10 | GLUTEN FREE

INGREDIENTS

Spring Rolls

1 cup (170g) fresh, ripe pineapple, peeled and cut into 2-inch sticks

1 cup (152g) watermelon, cut into 2-inch sticks

1 apple, such as Honey Crisp (or Fuji), cut into 2-inch sticks

Finely grated zest of 1 lime

Finely grated zest of ½ navel

orange

8 fresh mint leaves, chopped

Ten 9-inch spring roll rice paper wrappers

2 fresh kiwis, peeled and cut into thin rounds

1. For the spring rolls In a large mixing bowl, combine the pineapple, watermelon, apple, lime zest, orange zest and mint. Gently toss to coat.

2. Fill a large bowl with very hot water. Dip a rice paper wrapper into the water until it just starts to so en (this should take 15 to 30 seconds). Shake o excess water. Lay the wrapper on a smooth work surface.

3. Place a small, tightly-packed pile of the mixed fruit in the middle of the wrapper. Lay 2 kiwi rounds on top. Roll up like a tiny burrito: fold the ends over, then roll up tightly. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and fruit.

Dipping Sauce

1 cup (220g) full-fat or low-fat cottage cheese

2 tablespoons honey, plus more for drizzling

Ground cinnamon, for sprinkling

4. For the dipping sauce In a blender, combine the cottage cheese and honey. Blend until smooth and flu y. Scrape into a small serving bowl and top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a drizzle of honey.

5. Serve the spring rolls with the dipping sauce.

6. The spring rolls are best served the day they are made but can be wrapped individually in cling film and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. The dipping sauce can be made ahead, up to 3 days in advance, and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Our vegan friends will especially enjoy these, but of course they are for everyone. Cashews make a wholesome base, sweetened only with black cherry fruit spread. The Graham cracker “cups” also add some sweetness to this delightful treat.

SERVES: 8 | VEGAN

INGREDIENTS

Non-stick vegetable oil cooking spray

Crust

13 Graham Crackers*

6 tablespoons (84g) coconut oil, melted Mousse

½ cup (60g) raw cashews ¼ cup (60ml) coconut

1. Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Spray 8 cups of a 12-cup mu in pan with cooking spray.

2. For the crust In a food processor, grind the Graham Crackers into fine crumbs. Measure 1¾ cups (175g) and put them in a small mixing bowl. Add the coconut oil and stir well to combine. The crumbs should hold together when pressed against the side of the bowl.

3. Divide the crumbs among the 8 prepared mu in cups and firmly press them over the bottoms and up the sides. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until set. Place the pan on a wire cooling rack and let cool completely.

4. For the mousse Put the cashews in a small saucepan and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Place over medium-high heat and let come to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the cashews into a strainer and pass under cold water to cool. Shake out excess water.

5. In a blender or food processor, finely chop the

milk, well shaken/whisked ½ cup (160g) black cherry fruit spread ½ tsp pure vanilla extract ¼ cup (60ml) aquafaba

(the le over water from canned beans) Fresh berries, for serving *Digestive biscuits are the nearest UK equivalent

cashews. Add the coconut milk and purée for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides with a silicone spatula as necessary. Mix in the fruit spread and vanilla until well combined. Scrape the mixture into a medium mixing bowl.

6. Add the aquafaba to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or to a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer. Beat the aquafaba on mediumhigh speed for 5 to 8 minutes, until sti peaks form.

7. Fold half of the aquafaba into the cherry mixture, then gently fold in the remaining aquafaba. Divide the mousse among the Graham Cracker crusts. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until chilled and set.

8. Using the tip of a paring knife, slide it between each crust and mu in cup to pop out the pies. Serve the pies topped with fresh berries.

9. Keep stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

FOOD

No crust, just a little crumb topping keeps this dessert well within the range of ‘moderation’. It can be made dairy-free as well.

SERVES: 8 | GLUTEN-FREE, DAIRY-FREE (OPTIONAL)

INGREDIENTS

Non-stick vegetable oil cooking spray

Crumble

½ cup (54g) super-fine ground almonds, spooned and levelled

¼ cup (37g) gluten-free baking flour, spooned and levelled

⅓, cup (65g) coconut sugar

½ teaspoon kosher salt

4 tablespoons (57g) cold unsalted butter or vegan butter, cut into small pieces

½ cup (64g) walnuts, coarsely chopped

Apples

3 ½ pounds (1.6kg; 6 or 7) apples, such as Honey Crisp (or Fuji)

3 tablespoons coconut sugar

1 tablespoon honey

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

1. Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray (this will help the parchment paper stick to the pan). Line the bottom and up the sides of the pan with a large piece of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang all the way around the rim of the pan (you may need to use 2 pieces of parchment, depending on the width of your roll).

2. For the crumble In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the almond flour, baking flour, coconut sugar and salt. Add the butter and, using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the dry mixture until large moist crumbs form. Mix in the walnuts. Refrigerate while you slice the apples.

3. For the apples Peel and core the apples. Thinly slice the apples to about 1/8 inch thick (a mandoline slicer really helps) and put them in a large bowl. Add the coconut sugar, honey and cinnamon and, using

your hands, gently toss to coat the apples.

4. In the prepared pan, add one quarter of the apples at a time in an even layer, making sure the apple slices are compact before you add the next round of apples. The apples should just about reach the top of the pan.

5. Scatter the crumble topping over the apples. Place the springform pan on a large rimmed sheet pan to catch any juices that may escape and slide into the oven. Bake for 55 to 70 minutes, until the apples are bubbling and tender when you insert the tip of a paring knife into them. Tent a piece of foil over the top if the crumble starts to brown too much.

6. Place both pans on a wire cooling rack and let the pie cool completely. When ready to serve, remove the ring. Slide the pie onto a serving plate or a cutting board.

7. Slice the pie and serve with vanilla ice cream (if using).

8. The pie is best served the day it’s made.

SCULPTING flavours

Artist, restaurateur and recipe creator Limor Chen brings creativity and passion to all her projects.

By Louisa Walters

You think you know someone and then you think again.

I know Limor Chen as cofounder (with husband Amir) of Delamina restaurants (Shoreditch, Marylebone and now Covent Garden) and writer of cookbook My Tel Aviv Table but before all that she was – and still is – an artist and sculptor. All three of her restaurants feature her art.

A quick look at Limor’s website (limorchenart.com) reveals an impressive artistic pedigree, including studies at Chelsea College of Art & Design, Central St Martins and an MA at Middlesex University.

If you’ve ever been to Delamina Marylebone – which dishes up Middle Eastern food bursting with flavour – you may have noticed the installation of ropes and flowers above the stairs to the basement. The restaurant opened during the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the start of the #MeToo movement. “It was a very powerful, emotional time for every woman,” says Limor. “We could all relate to what was going on. And I thought, ‘I have to be true to myself and my art. And if I’m making something, I have to feel something.’”

In Limor and Amir’s first restaurant, Delamina East, in Shoreditch, she installed a multi-sensory piece, BoundbySpice, which features ropes and knots to reflect how we are all connected by the spice route. Beakers full of spices are inserted into the knots.

“Now the talk is all about food appropriation but that’s ridiculous because in truth we’re so influenced by everything, she says. CinnamonRoot, with sacks of cinnamon, is another nod to the spice route connection.

Limor and Amir, both Israeli, live in north London. They have been looking to open a third restaurant for several years but never found the right site. “We always said our next site is going to be a massive space on one floor which makes a big impact. But then we were we were shown a listed Georgian townhouse in Covent Garden and as soon as we went in, we said this place is magical. The amount of light that comes in and all the panelling – we just loved it.

turmoil. But my piece o ers a glimpse of hope among the chaos. The pieces coming out of the canvas are the glimmers of hope, the change in the road. This is a slightly di erent interpretation of what has happened since October 7 – the turmoil I’ve been through, and all the things that the whole world had to deal with, and the people in Israel have had to deal with, all the layers of that, which are reflected in the many of layers of paint.”

The townhouse is a listed building, so there were limits to what the Chens could do but they have created a series of intimate rooms. Downstairs has a small bar and a large dining space with a semi-private room at the back, but it’s upstairs where the magic really happens, in rooms with high ceilings, wall panelling, lots of natural light and nooks, crannies, alcoves and even a fireplace.

“We e ectively have four rooms (the dining room, the arts room, the drawing room and the snug) and we had to follow the vibe of the place and then make it our own,” says Limor. Her creativity is everywhere, in the lovely fabrics, the unusual lights, the muted paint colours and of course the artworks.

Limor says she is not a chef, but last summer she released a recipe book based on her family heritage. Her cooking is deeply influenced by her Iranian father’s spice-laden dishes and her kibbutz-raised mother’s quick, comforting Ashkenazi meals.

Each of the three restaurants has a slightly di erent menu “because we’re not a chain” but the hero dishes - the cauliflower, the shawarma and the cheesecake – always feature. “The key thing is that we use the same flavours, the same style of cooking,” she says.

“We wanted to create our restaurants in the way that we like to experience restaurants,” says Limor. “We don’t want leave hungry – we’re Jewish! When we go to restaurants, we want to eat. We don’t want to think about how much we’re ordering. You might end up spending £60/£70 a head at Delamina, but we don’t have a single dish that’s over £30.

“We always like to make the restaurants feel like an extension of our home, and here we knew we could do that even more.”

To that end, Limor brought in some of her sculptures from home and some personal photos of their family including her grandmother and Amir’s grandfather. She also created a spectacular 3m x 2m canvas, Seeking Hope, which hangs in one of the rooms on the second floor. “October 7 created a lot of

The resulting piece, Daughtersof Zelophedad, reflects a biblical story about five sisters who challenged the law barring women from inheriting land. “They brought their case in front of the congregation and in front of God, and they won,” says Limor. “It was the first time that women stood for their rights. The flowers peeking through the ropes symbolise strength and the hope and how we move on.”

The townhouse’s elegance inspired them to elevate the dining experience. “There were things we wished we could have done in our other sites that we can do here – we have sofas, armchairs, so furnishings. It’s just that bit more luxurious.”

aromatic dishes, and you can do it

that a lot of people won’t be able

“We have to be smart in the way we create the dishes – we don’t use cheap ingredients, but we make sure that we have control over them. We are careful about wastage and so we order small amounts. If an item becomes too expensive we look for an alternative. But it’s very important to have the right seasonings to create beautifully aromatic dishes, and you can do it without it being so overly priced that a lot of people won’t be able to come. Because that would be a shame.”

Indeed it would. Because this is food from the heart, with art to match.

delaminakitchen.co.uk

Marylebone installation

Cinammon Root

Limor with husband Amir

Seeking Hope canvas at Delamina Townhouse

EDITOR’S & FASHION BEAUTY BOX

(BECAUSE THEY BELONG TOGETHER)

Hey Ste a

We needed a jolt to realise Stella McCartney should be included in our fashion content and buying back a stake in her business from LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) is what it took.

Evidently the luxury clothing giant is experiencing a slowdown and happily allowed McCartney to repurchase the minority stake she sold five years ago. The daughter of Sir Paul and the late Linda Eastman, who had a German Jewish mother and Russian Jewish father, has always identified as a tribe member, telling Glamour in 2002: “Maybe I’m a really bad Jew because I’m always so excited to say that I am, but don’t live and breathe the religion.”

She may not, but Stella does love a bagel as do younger sister

Asy are

Mary and Sir Paul, who buys the sesame kind at Panzer’s in St John’s Wood and tops them with hummus and Marmite. Linda introduced Paul to bagels, and it would be nice to think it was after they met officially at the Sgt.Pepper album launch party at Brian Epstein’s Belgravia home (cue to mention Brian’s biopic Midas Man on Amazon Prime). These are clothes from Stella McCartney’s Spring 2025 collection which, in the light of her taking back control, is a celebration of the “familiar becoming fresh again”.

Jewish Princess

Reunited with survivors she photographed for a Jewish News project for the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Princess of Wales was moved when she greeted Yvonne Bernstein on January 27.

In the glow of flickering memorial candles, Kate and William were a picture of respect at the 80th anniversary Holocaust Memorial Day service at Guildhall and what they felt was felt by those watching at home.

Kate’s return to duties since her cancer treatment has raised the antennae of royal fashion watchers, who swiftly identified her memorial attire – the Catherine Walker suit and Bahrain pearl drop earrings gifted by the late Queen – only to be told a few days later that Kensington Palace will no longer be revealing details of her clothes. This is Kate’s decision as she wants her work not her wardrobe to be the focus in the future which will be a blow to unknown designers hoping for the royal boost that others have enjoyed, including the Jewish cou-

turiers David Sassoon, Victor Edelstein and Jacques Azagury who dressed Lady Diana. Fortunately Kate’s decision to ditch fashion details was after the memorial service so everyone knew her 1970s Vintage Five-Strand Faux Pearl necklace was from vintage jeweller Susan Caplan, who told People magazine: “To wear it on a day that for myself and for the whole Jewish community holds such great significance felt very special.” Obviously we trawled Susan’s website and were glad to see Kate’s necklace in the Rediscovered Collection for £275, which is not a King’s or Princess’s ransom, but it’s out of stock. Until it’s available the 1970s chandelier earrings (£225) could be a Valentine’s purchase out of love for Susan, who told Financial Times about her love of “gifting meaningful treasures, like vintage Star of David necklaces, to those closest to me”. We need displays of Jewish pride and we are proud that the last shout out for brands by the Princess of Wales was for us. susancaplan.co.uk

As Bridget Jones is remembered for applying too much blusher and using a real iron on her hair, she was never going to be the face of her own beauty line to launch film Mad About theBoy, so here’s a romcom substitute from revolutionbeauty.com – the Love Actually self-care pack. It includes a hydrating sheet mask, red velvet headband, and bath fizzer for a Bridge night in. And if work pal Miranda (played by Sarah Solemani) joins her there’s the more upscale GentleCare GC Bundle

(£64.97, gentle-care.com), an all-in-one set of nourishing face cream, hand cream and hydrating body lotion to share. Bridge can’t cook and they say food is the way to a man’s heart, but so is a good wash with Dermatology M Soothing Bath and Shower Oil (£32 dermatology-m.com), a bespoke blend of herbal actives – gan cao root (liquorice) to reduce redness and organic Shea Butter to calm, nourish and soften dry, sensitive skin. Last, but not least – lips in need of volume. Lots. HydroPeptide Perfecting Gloss (£34 hydropeptide.co.uk) does that in minutes and it hydrates and improves suppleness with a tingly gloss in six suggestive

Bridget (Renée Zellwegger, le ) and Sarah Solemani

Love the UK

We are staying true to our favourite brand, Cara and the Sky (caraandthesky.com), where Valentine’s passion extends to the red and white Candice cardi (£85), which will be useful long after 14 February. Also available in green and purple check, the chunky knits are all, unusually, made in the UK, so your purchase will be patriotic, making both Sir Keir and Cara happy.

Kate’s Susan Caplan faux pearl necklace

Spring 2025 style by Stella McCartney

Strong Shoulder Polo Shirt by Stella McCartney, £690

Linda and Stella in Jamaica in 1995

HydroPeptide Perfecting Gloss, £34

GentleCare GC Bundle, £64.97

Dermatology M Soothing Bath and Shower Oil, £32

Home for YAD SARAH means HOUSEPITALS FOR LIFE Each housepital offers:

Hospital bed + mattress, chair with seat lift, wheelchair, emergency alarm response system, pressure sore relief mattress + motor, oxygen generator, bath/shower chair, pulse

Yad Sarah has pioneered the Housepital, a home-hospital service that provides patients, such as the terminally ill and elderly holocaust survivors, with end of life care and enables a dignified death at home. The Housepital enables patients to be discharged early from hospital, freeing beds for the war wounded.

PERSONAL STORY OF MIRI AND HER GRANDMOTHER

“She was increasingly frail but Savta loved to be at home, and because she was at home, we were able to be with her all the time. It was an incredible gift for her and our family… my last memories of her are beautiful. Yad Sarah made it beautiful, at home.”

Scan here to donate

Scan the QR code or visit www.yadsarah.org.uk/donation/

www.yadsarah.org.uk | 020 3397 3363 | Reg.

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GREAT EXPET

We are feeling the love for Teddy, the dog named in memory of Martin Segal, who was the UK’s executive director of Israel Guide Dog Centre.

Seeing Teddy, now almost eight months, out and about in Jerusalem on Ben Yehuda Street and in front of the Military Legal A airs Building, shows how far he has come in his development.

The puppy is much more relaxed and quiet in his manner, according to his trainer. “Teddy no longer messes about with other dogs and small children as he used to. He also behaves well at my place of military reserve service, as I’ve been doing a lot of reserve service lately and Teddy comes with me to the office.

“Everyone enjoys being with

ATIONS

him and having him there. During walks he now can go for 45 minutes to an hour without being distracted and remains focused on the task at hand.”

With love in the air, acting executive director Hazel Kaye wants to champion the puppies as perfect for Valentine’s Day, but to also emphasise that the centre has created 96 life-transforming partnerships between owners and dogs.

Such is the demand for posttraumatic stress disorder service dogs and emotional support dogs, the centre has greenlit an ambitious five-year plan so that by 2029 it will almost double the number of partnerships achieved – with 165 to 170 clients having dogs – and an expanded Veterinary Clinic and Breeding

It’s a dad’s life

America’s Got Talent stars’ Roni Sagi and her dog Rhythm were our December Life cover and now they are celebrating: Rhythm has become a dad. He fathered the puppies with Maze, who lives in Omez in Israel. Owned by Sarit Fanti Levi, Maze is also the daughter of Roni’s dog Bailey, so this is truly a family affair. Roni and Rhythm will be heading to the UK in March to complete in the freestyle category at Crufts – a first for Israel – and we Jews will be cheering for them, no doubt across the globe.

FOR TED

Centre is in the final stages of construction.

“UK donors have funded a significant part of the project in memory of Martin Segal as well as equipment and furniture for the new complex,” says Jon Benjamin, chair of trustees.

“For those living with visual

impairment or crippling PTSD, life can be lonely and isolating and a guide or service dog changes that. Clients gain independence and the freedom to pursue their careers and studies, to socialise, to raise families and to contribute fully to society.

“For the families of children with autism, a dog breaks down seemingly impenetrable barriers that even parents struggle with. All of these services are provided free to clients and funds we raise here in the UK from our generous supporters are so important.

“It’s a real privilege to play our part in the life-changing work of the centre, and even more so as Israel rebuilds its future and the futures of those affected by the terrible events since October 7.” israelguidedog.org.uk

Kosher canines

Jewish comedian Eitan Levine posed a challenge to his 52.4K Insta followers when he showed them a selection of hound shots and asked them to decide which dogs were Jewish. According to Eitan, pugs are definitely Jewish “because they are small and have breathing difficulties” and Lassie is not Jewish. Obviously.

But the dogs from Homeward Bound are because “the entire Jewish experience is about finding a home”. A German shepherd pictured is “definitely not Jewish and looks like it chased my grandparents through Czechoslovakia in the 1930s”. And then there’s the dog who looks like “the lady who wears too much fur to synagogue even in the summer!” The Chou is definitely Jewish, insists Eitan. @eitanthegoalie

KABBALIST CAT

It has taken us longer than it should to discover The Rabbi’s Cat (Le Chat Du Rabbin) and for that we apologies to the book’s author, Joann Sfar, who is one of France’s most celebrated comic artists. Sfar is also the son of an Ashkenazi Ukrainian mother and Sephardi Algerian father, and this heritage has informed some of his comics. The Rabbi’s Cat, set in Algeria in the 1930s, is the unique story of a rabbi, his daughter Zlabya and their talking cat – a scathing, witty, but surprisingly tender philosopher – who gained his ability to speak by eating the family parrot. To his master’s consternation, the cat immediately begins to tell lies (the first being that he didn’t eat the parrot). Rather than stand for the feline’s unacceptable

behaviour, the rabbi vows to educate him in the ways of the Torah, while the cat insists on studying the Kabbalah and having a barmitzvah. This makes the book a purrfect gift for every Jewish cat owner in the land. Available from abebooks.co.uk, priced £16.

Mother Maze with pup

Puppy love

Roni and Rhythm

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Winter by THE SEA

Grey skies, plummeting temperatures, bracing winds – escape or embrace?

Living in London there is a point in February when blanket grey can really start to drag you down. Even in the greener suburbs, a dart of sunlight on slate roo ops fails to li the mood, but we know what will: the sea. Enjoying winter by the sea has long been the preserve of the wealthy – it’s when we see Simon Cowell et al in Barbados – but there are a ordable places to go closer to home where the sight of the sea, however brief, will motor you through to spring.

Tracie Elmaleh went to SITGES

Only 30 minutes from Barcelona’s Sants station, Sitges is the perfect quick European getaway. Just hop on a flight and spend the first (or last) day touring the Gaudi buildings you’ll know from Woody Allen’s Vicky, Christina,Barcelona and then what remains of the Jewish quarter, which emptied during the Inquisition.

You’ll need an expert guide to point out

hidden gems, but not the gem along the coast that is Sitges.

Popular for a century as a summer resort for the Spanish, in winter the charming, historic town o ers the same perks –picturesque lanes, artisanal boutiques, tapas cafés curving around the moonshaped beach – but without the crowds.

On recommendation, I stayed at the Sabàtic hotel, which is part of Marriott’s Signature Collection.

My friend was right about the oh-sochic rooms (there’s a telescope for star gazing) and the sta were as friendly and accommodating as described. The hotel has a top-notch spa, fitness centre and blissful yoga sessions and fresh co ee and pastries to fuel your day. There are two separate pool areas and, in late November, it was warm enough for a brisk (daring) dip and the great bar menu (too many cocktails to try in a weekend) and restaurant were a reason to linger.

Complimentary bikes or the free shuttle get you into town, and let’s just say Sitges doesn’t hibernate. With 365 restaurants, one for every day of the year, you’re spoilt for choice and yes, even in winter most

places are still open, as are the water sports, incredibly, and wine-tasting vineyard tours.

The local church is truly stunning, and there is more than enough to keep a shopaholic entertained, but the town in winter is about parking yourself on the seafront with a glass of something delightful and enjoying Sitges’ laid-back vibe. Winter could not have felt further away. Sabàtic is from €156 a night. marriott.com

Annie Shaw went to the ALGARVE

Portugal should really big up its suitability as a winter sun destination. Golfers know about it, but have kept quiet about waking up to sunshine in February a er a quick flight to Faro. Since December, the temperature has not dropped to less than double figures (think 60° Fahrenheit/ 15.5° Celsius) and a late-a ernoon walk on the beach is the norm. There are fewer

restaurants open, but Gusto’zza in Loulé is one of them and it has the best pizza. Many hotels and resorts o er amazing deals in the low season, with discounts of up to 50 percent and, if you venture o the beaten track into the hillside villages, there are better bargains and you are surrounded by orange groves.

Sitges is a perfect quick European getaway

Albufeira in the Algarve is stunning in winter

Casa de Mondo’s lemon trees dazzle in winter

The Sabàtic Hotel lobby area

The pool at the Sitges Sabàtic Hotel

TRAVEL

In February, at Casa de Mondo in Boliqueime, the lemon trees dazzle in the sunlight and the bed and breakfast hosts Portuguese cookery courses throughout the winter. Recently featured on Channel 4’s A New Life in the Sun, the property has also teamed up with Sound Bunker to host retreats for musicians and would-be musicians to record in the studio and get one-on-one mentorship from some of the industry’s most seasoned pros. The next retreat runs from 24 February to 7 March, but go later and Casa de Mondo will book a session and host your stay. £319 for a three-night stay casademondo on booking.com

Rachael Gold went to BRIGHTON

The benefits of enjoying winter by the sea in Brighton is there’s no airport nonsense and you don’t need euros. But I’m selling it short. A walk along the Brighton front on a blustery day puts colour in your cheeks and wind in your sails – there’s a reason

Fattal ATTRACTION

why people who live by the sea look healthier year-round.

There are many reasons to go to Brighton beyond having a child at Sussex University – comedian John Bishop is at the Theatre Royal on 27 February as an example, but a TikTok that popped about BNJC’s Novellino is a better reason.

The BNJC (Brighton and Hove Jewish Community) building has been a synagogue for the community for more than 60 years but, in 2023, a er big renovations, it was transformed into a hive of cultural activity with pottery classes, concerts and arts as well as giving the area and visitors Novellino, a kosher restaurant par excellence as conveyed by the recent TikTok film, which shows the presenter consuming the Sunday roast then burger and fries followed by fish and chips and several dairy-free desserts that are described as “almost too nice to be parev”.

Novellino is that rare find by the sea – a contemporary café serving delicious breakfasts and lunch by day that becomes a tantalising bistro restaurant serving a fusion of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine at night. And to emphasise, it is kosher – and operates under the motto of ‘we don’t want anyone to go’. Should you decide to stay longer, BNJC has apartments, townhouses and kosher holiday rentals for those who need a bit of winter rejuvenation by the sea. Enough with the grey already! bnjc.co.uk

Operating in 132 cities in 21 countries with 52,000 rooms, Israel’s Fattal hotel group is more than the country’s success story; it’s the world’s.

There’s the NYX in Munich, the Leonardo Royal in Amsterdam, also Berlin and seven properties in Cyprus that you really have to see. In Israel obviously you are spoilt for choice as they are everywhere you’d want to stay and right now the newly opened Sam & Blondi, a stunning European-style, 45-room design hotel on Shenkin Street in Tel Aviv is pulling us in with the added thought of making it a twocentre trip with a stop at Herods Palace in Eilat, as it’s 26 degrees now and there’s a 10 percent discount booking direct on leonardo-hotels.com

TELL me about it

There should be more noise about Secret Forest. Set in the hillside above Paphos in Cyprus, the hotel is a space for total rejuvenation surrounded by greenery. Staying in wooden, well-finished and heated small houses among the trees overlooking the pool, there is minimal need for interaction beyond the resident peacock. Each day is about wellness, dividing your

time between massages, mindfulness seminars, mineral baths and yoga.

A walk or bike ride in the forest, a pamper treatment and then lunch and dinner, in an Israeli-style kosher bu et. The sta are attentive when required, as is Israeli founder and owner Yoni Kahana.

Since October 7 he has hosted holistic retreats for Nova survivors and bereaved parents, which have now been implemented as five-day holistic Choose Life programmes to help those with deep scars le by the terror of war. But this sanctuary is open all year round for anyone in need of downtime who wants to stop the noise and hear a di erent song: birdsong.

secretfo.rest/en

Brighton beach is just as attractive in the colder months

Apartments for rent in Brighton

Sam & Blondi in Tel Aviv

Novellino restaurant, Brighton

Secret Forest in Cyprus

Co ee in bed in Brighton

Herods Palace in Eilat, and its pool (right)

WHETHER YOU’VE COME TO PROPOSE IN THE UFFIZI OR JUST TO FOLLOW IN DANTE’S FOOTSTEPS, THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE RENAISSANCE OOZES ROMANCE.

BY BEATRICE SAYERS

An enduring desire and a heroic Jewish nude bring lovers to Florence. In a house in one of its narrow streets the poet Dante was instantly smitten with Beatrice, and in a workshop a few minutes’ walk away Michelangelo freed from white marble the carnal force of his David.

All the senses are satisfied here: smell the leather from the stalls in Piazza del Mercato Nuovo, touch the statue of the cinghiale(wild boar) to bring luck, gaze at the ice-creams and chocolate on sale at Venchi opposite, and taste the schiacciata, olive oil bread that makes heavenly sandwiches.

FALL FOR Florence

While some visitors just bask in the romance others arrive with a purpose: so popular are the U izi Galleries as a venue for marriage proposals that it has banned accompanying professional photographers, though it is happy to welcome those who get down on one knee – perhaps in front of Botticelli’s BirthofVenus

Lovesick singles as well as couples flock to Dante’s Church, the Chiesa di Santa Margherita dei Cerchi, a building dating to

the 11th century and said to be where the poet married his wife, Gemma Donati. It contains the tomb of Beatrice and other members of the Portinari family from which she came.

Nearby and well worth a visit is the Casa di Dante, an interactive museum over three floors of a townhouse. Visitors can experience an immersive Divine Comedy and see editions of Dante’s masterpiece in 49 languages; a Hebrew translation is prominently displayed. Dante himself (1265–1321) may not have known any Jews, and it was not until the century a er his death that a community began to flourish in Tuscany, albeit concentrated for more than 250 years in the Florentine ghetto.

Thirty years a er the ghetto was abolished, in 1882 the copper-clad dome of the Great Synagogue joined Brunelleschi’s giant 15th-century cupola on the city’s skyline. A recently renovated museum on the building’s upper floors pays tribute to David Levi, a president of the community who bequeathed his possessions for the

construction of a synagogue “worthy of the city”. Now Florence also has its first Jewish mayor, Sara Funaro, elected last June.

Couples who aren’t yet engaged can browse for a ring in the jewellery shops that line the Ponte Vecchio before continuing to the Giardino di Boboli, established by the Medici behind Palazzo Pitti and a wonderful place to unwind. Around every corner is a surprise: sculptures, fountains, an amphitheatre and a chestnut meadow. From the Giardino del Cavaliere, the highest point, you can gaze across to the hills south of the city.

Stay in the historic centre of Florence and you will walk to most of the sights, in which case some luxury is deserved. I sampled fivestar hotels old and new.

At La Gemma, which o ers a spa with sauna, steam and treatment rooms, a 60-minute massage melted away the hours spent on my feet. Fuel for the next day’s

walking is inventive, and prepared in a cucina a vista (open kitchen) overseen by Michelinstarred chef Paulo Airaudo. La Gemma, which opened in 2023, works hard to ensure your comfort and my suite had an iPad on which to discover more about the hotel, two large TVs, an espresso maker and, on the shelf above, an English translation of the Divine Comedy, a history of the fashion house Prada and a pop-up book on Florence. A heady mix. Away from the bustle of narrow streets is the Antica Torre di Via Tornabuoni 1. This historic mansion, which hosted aristocratic guests in the early 20th century, reopened in 2001 following careful restoration and has a professionalism born of experience. My room had shelves lined with antiquarian books and a breathtaking view over the Arno. Along with the 25 rooms and suites the Antica Torre has a large apartment for rent and is experienced in hosting weddings and engagement parties.

A er dinner I enjoyed a walk across the Ponte Santa Trinita, rebuilt a er its destruction by the Nazis, to Oltrarno, the lively area south of the river, which houses the wine bars of Piazza Santo Spirito and a chocolate and gelato shop still open at 10pm. Come to Florence with a lover or come with your curiosity and be seduced by the city. You will leave wanting more.

Hotel La Gemma, from €666 a night: lagemmahotel.com Antica Torre di Via Tornabuoni 1, from €395 a night: tornabuoni1.com

Michelangelo’s David

Breakfast at La Gemma

Terrace at Antica Torre di Via Tornabuoni 1

Lovers say a prayer at Dante’s church Schiaccia in Oltrarno

The Great Synagogue

The bar at La Gemma

WE BELIEVE IN ISRAEL: Advancing Truth, Justice, and Policy Change

AT WE BELIEVE IN ISRAEL (WBII) , we stand at the forefront of advocacy, ensuring that Israel’s truth is heard, history is defended, and policies refl ect justice, not propaganda. In a time of increasing misinformation, rising antizionism, and political bias, WBII is taking action—through rigorous policy briefi ngs, high-impact campaigns, and unrelenting advocacy at the highest levels.

Here’s what we’re fighting for right now:

 The Emily Damari Provision: Emily Damari, a British citizen, was taken hostage by Hamas and held in Gaza—a chilling reminder that even British nationals abroad are not immune to the dangers of terrorism. Her ordeal has exposed a critical flaw in the UK’s foreign policy: the absence of a clear and consistent framework for protecting British-Israeli dual nationals when they face hostage situations, terror attacks, or international crises.

 Defending Holocaust Memory & Fighting the Genocide Libel: History is under siege—not only by denial but by inversion. The very people who su ered the horrors of genocide are now being accused of committing it. WBII is standing against this grotesque distortion of reality, pushing back against the weaponization of Holocaust memory, and ensuring that the UK takes a firm stance against antisemitic blood libels.

WE ARE NOT JUST ADVOCATES — We Are a Movement

WBII’s work is making waves: Whilst identifying the problem is important, we are determined to advance implementable solutions. We bring our work to policymakers, the media, and the public, and need your support to push our campaigns forward. We are fighting for a UK that stands for truth, justice, and unwavering support for Israel.

Join us. Speak up. Take action.

 Learn more at www.webelieveinisrael.org.uk

 Support our campaigns and make a di erence today.

TOGETHER, WE ARE STRONGER.

DONATE

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