Since 1969, University Jewish Chaplaincy has been the primary Jewish charity physically on campus looking after the needs of Jewish students during their time at university. We are proud of being able to offer support to over 9,000 Jewish students in over 100 universities across the UK, especially over the last academic year.
It’s a very worrying state of affairs when 89% of Jewish students reported experiencing antisemitism at least once in the last academic year and 50% noted receiving this abuse at least once a month since October 7th 2023.
The answer to hate on campus has to be more Jewish students doing more Jewish things. And with the relentless challenges that students continue to face, we must ‘ Strengthen our Students’ and ensure our provision continues uninterrupted, through the generous support of people like you.
‘Shiri, I’m sorry I couldn’t
by Jenni Frazer editorial@jewishnews.co.uk
Yarden Bibas made a heartbreaking tribute yesterday over the bodies of his wife and young sons, who were abducted from their home by Hamas and murdered in captivity.
Himself a hostage in Gaza until his release on 1 February, Yarden spoke at the funerals of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir, who were buried together in a single casket. The boys’ red hair became a hostage symbol during their 16-month captivity, something Yarden acknowledged by wearing an orange kippah. The dais he spoke at was covered in orange sunflowers.
He began by addressing Shiri as “Mi amor”, “my love”, saying he remembered the first time he used those words, at the beginning of their relationship, and she had told him not to say them unless he meant them. With his sister Ofri at his side, he said: “Shiri, I’ll confess to you now that I already loved you back then when I said ‘mi amor’.
“Shiri, I love you and will always love you. Shiri, you are everything to me. You are the best wife and mother there could be. Shiri, you
Peace activist Oded is buried
Thousands of mourners, including President Isaac Herzog, gathered in solemn tribute on Tuesday 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz was laid to rest in the kibbutz he helped to build. The earth of Nir Oz, the land he had tilled with hope and conviction, now holds him forever, writes Michelle Rosenberg.
Oded, a pioneer, peace activist and greatgrandfather, was murdered by Hamas after being taken hostage from Nir Oz on 7 October 2023. He endured more than 500 days in captivity before his remains were returned to Israel last Thursday.
His wife, Yocheved, 85, was also abducted and released after two weeks. Together, they had dedicated their lives to building bridges, transporting patients from Gaza to Israeli hospitals for medical treatment.
As the funeral procession made its way from Rishon Lezion, mourners lined the roads, holding Israeli and yellow flags in silent solidarity.
At Sa’ad Junction, voices rose in unison to sing Hatikvah around his coffin. By noon, he reached his final resting place in Kibbutz Nir Oz, where grief and love intertwined.
Dignitaries, fellow former captives, and families of the hostages stood among the crowd. President Herzog, Knesset member Benny Gantz and survivors Gadi Mozes, Tami Metzger, Ruthie Munder, Einav Tsengauker and her daughter Natalie, Ilana Grichevsky and Sylvia Cuneo paid their respects.
In his eulogy, Herzog honoured Oded as
“the embodiment of the Israeli spirit in its purest form – an Israeli, a Zionist, a Jew, a humanist. A man who loved his people and all people. A kibbutznik, a pioneer, a warrior, a settler, a dedicated member of Hashomer Hatzair, a man of conviction and action, and, above all, a devoted family man.”
He apologised that Israel had been unable to bring him home alive, calling for
a reckoning over the failures of 7 October as “a critical milestone on the road to healing, rebuilding, and strengthening our nation”.
Foreign diplomats spoke briefly. German Ambassador Steffen Seibert, addressing the mourners in Hebrew, lamented: “Hamas murdered this man who was a Jew – and did not see the good he had done. His life is the message for me, and it is stronger than terror. To love, to create, to help others.”
British ambassador Simon Walters said: “We hoped he would return. It is a terrible
Yocheved, Oded’s wife of 67 years, and their son Yizhar at the funeral on Tuesday
tragedy for this man of peace, who believed in coexistence—not out of naivety, but out of love for Israel.”
Then came the words of Yocheved, his wife of 67 years. “Dear Oded, it is strange and inconceivable to stand before you like this. The stage was always yours. You wrote, I photographed.
“We built a family, a generation to be proud of. I see you in our children, our grandchildren, our great-grandchildren. We raised them, we raised cacti, we travelled, we gave our grandchildren the world.”
But that world betrayed them. “Our kidnapping and your death shake me. We fought for peace and justice, yet we suffered a brutal blow from those we tried to help.”
Their son, Arnon, spoke with quiet defiance. “You did not seek revenge, only rehabilitation and light. Rest in peace, dad.”
The grave at Tsoher Cemetery, near Kibbutz Nir Oz, where Shiri Bibas and her young sons, murdered in Hamas capitvity were laid to rest yesterday
The coffin of 83-year-old Oded Lifschitz (inset), the former hostage who was buried in Nir Oz, the kibbutz he helped to build
couldn’t protect you all’
are my best friend.
“Mishmish [his nickname for her], who will help me make decisions now? How am I supposed to make decisions without you?”
In the family’s safe room at the kibbutz, he said, the last decision they made together was whether to fight or surrender. Shiri had said to
fight. Yarden, holding back the tears, said: “You said fight, so I fought. Shiri, I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you all. If only I had known what would happen, I wouldn’t have fired.”
He continued: “Shiri, please watch over me… Protect me from bad decisions. Shield me from harmful things and protect me from myself. Guard me so I don’t sink into darkness. Mishmish, I love you.”
Yarden then addressed their sons, Ariel and Kfir, telling his first-born that he hoped he was “enjoying para-
dise. I’m sure you’re making all the angels laugh with your silly jokes and impressions. I hope there are plenty of butterflies for you to watch, just like you did during our picnics.”
He told both children that he loved them “most in the world”.
Earlier, Avinoam Blumenkrantz, of nearby Kibbutz Tse’elim, where Yarden was born, said: “Through the tears it is difficult to see words that will soften the blow. Our torn hearts are with you. We will do all we can to wrap you with love. You are a family
of lions… you fought and did not let up to the last second.”
“The terrible massacre... erased in one stroke three generations of the family.” Shiri’s parents were murdered in the attack on Nir Oz.
Quoting a song by Arik Einstein, Blumenkrantz said: “Fly, little birds, cut across the sky. Fly wherever you please. No vulture will frighten you. Mother is keeping you safe. Mother is with you. And all of us will take care of your dad, Yarden.”
Hen Mazzig, page 18
LSE BACKS ‘HAMAS VILIFIED’ TALK
by Lee Harpin lee@jewishnews.co.uk
The London School of Economics has defended its decision to host the launch of a book which claims Hamas has been wrongly “vilified and demonised” since carrying out the 7 October massacre
The book’s co-authors, Helen Cobban and Rami G Khouri, use Understanding Hamas And Why That Matters to claim the Islamic terror group has undergone a “transformation from early anti-Jewish tendencies” and now “differentiates between Judaism and Zionism”.
The 244-page book claims branding Hamas “as ‘terrorist’ or worse” has meant “demonisation intensified after the events in Southern Israel on October 7, 2023.”
In a promotion for the event on the LSE website, it is claimed Hamas has been “subjected to intense vilification” as a result of the classification in many western countries as a proscribed terrorist group.
The launch on 10 March also features a line-up of other academic speakers who have condemned Israel and Zionism and criticised portrayals of Hamas as “irrational terrorists”.
Asked about the decision to allow its Middle East Centre to host an apparently overwhelmingly one-sided event that sought to question the government’s decision to proscribe Hamas, a spokesperson for the university said: “Free speech and freedom of expression underpins everything we do at LSE.
“Students, staff and visitors are strongly encouraged to discuss and debate the most pressing issues around the world. ”
Promotional text on the LSE’s Middle East Centre web page initially stated: “Across western mainstream discourse, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has been subjected to intense vilification. Branding it as “terrorist” or worse, this demonisation intensified after the events in Southern Israel on October 7, 2023.”
But after Jewish News approached the university on Tuesday morning, the text was altered to begin: “It is claimed in the book that across Western mainstream discourse…”
The website then adds: “This book does not advocate for or against Hamas. Rather, in a series of rich and probing conversations with leading experts, it aims to deepen understanding of a movement that is a key player in the current crisis.
“It looks at, among other things, Hamas’s critical shift from social and religious activism to national political engagement; the delicate balance between Hamas’s political and military wings and its transformation from early anti-Jewish tendencies to a stance that differentiates between Judaism and Zionism.”
Publishers OR Books also include gushing praise from Professor of International Relations at the LSE, Fawaz A. Gerges, in its promotional material ahead of the book’s release.
“Makes the case for engaging the movement as opposed to trying to ostracise it and destroy
Co-authors
it,” the LSE professor says of the book. Cobban’s social media feed on X also confirms she retweeted a post last weekend from Irish comic Tadhg Hickey who claimed to have attended the funeral of the late Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah with “all the best freedom fighters”.
On 23 February, she also retweeted another post from Hickey, in which he was photographed with his “hero” Leila Khaled, who took part in the 1969 plane hijacking as a member of the PFLP terror group.
In response to the confirmation that the Bibas family had been murdered in Gaza, Cobban also shared a post claiming it is “racist and a form of genocide whitewashing to act like
two dead Israeli children is earth shattering news while actively ignoring or justifying the 20,000+ Palestinian children.”
Khouri is a director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut.
A regular contributer to Al Jazeera, last week he wrote: “Effective Israeli propaganda has long demonised Hamas in the West as a reckless and vicious terror group that wants to destroy Israel. The reality, however, is that Hamas has been a successful Palestinian national political organisation.”
The launch event is chaired by Michael Mason, from LSE’s Middle East Centre, while other speakers include the Centre’s Jeroen Gunning, and Catherine Charrett, of the University of Westminster.
Days after the 7 October massacre, Gunning told an event: “If you reduce Hamas to a gang of irrational terrorists, you will never understand why this is happening.” He also claimed: “Normal life does not exist in Gaza. The population are in a de facto open-air prison.”
An LSE spokesperson added: “We host an enormous number of events each year, covering a wide range of viewpoints and positions. We have clear policies in place to ensure the facilitation of debates in these events and enable all members of our community to refute ideas lawfully and to protect individual’s rights to freedom of expression within the law. This is formalised in our code of practice on free speech and in our ethics code.”
Helen Cobban and Rami Khouri say Hamas has been ‘demonised’
Soldiers salute the convoy carryiing the bodies to the cemetery
Yarden, Shiri, Ariel and Kfir
Shiri’s sister Dana Silberman Sitton
Reform UK candidate ‘exploiting Damaris’
Reform UK has been accused of trying to use the Gaza hostage crisis for “narrow political gain” after distribututing local election leaflets featuring a photo of Nigel Farage with Emily Damari’s mother, writes Lee Harpin.
In a campaign leaflet for next month’s Finchley Church End election, Reform candidate Lisa Rutter explicitly attempts to target Jewish voters with a claim that Farage’s party have a “consistent history” for “standing up for Jewish rights”.
Under the headline “A Note to Our Jewish Community”, the leaflet then includes an image of Farage at a meeting with Mandy Damari, Emily’s mother, prior to her release from Gaza.
Elsewhere in the same section, Reform attempts to trash both the Tory and Labour record on antisemitism, referencing the Conservatives’ failure to deal with anti-Israel former minister Sir Alan Duncan and Labour’s “repeated scandals” with antisemitism.
But the leaflet fails to include any reference to the problems Reform faced with numerous candidates ahead of the general election, who were themselves exposed for antisemitism and other forms of racism.
Responding to the leaflet’s contents, a Barnet Conservatives spokesperson told Jewish News: “We can all agree that the paramount priority and desire is that the hostages, alive or deceased, be returned to their families immediately.
“We regret that any party in Barnet should try to use the hostage situation
EMILY TO HAVE HAND SURGERY
An Egyptian NHS doctor who “glorified terrorist violence” by mocking Israeli civilians fleeing Hamas attacks has won a legal challenge against deportation.
In one of three X posts hours after the attacks began on 7 October 2023, Dr Menatalla Elwan, 34, who worked at an NHS trust in Liverpool, reposted footage of music festival-goers running from attackers and wrote “If it was your home, you would stay and fight.” The post was accompanied by a smiling face emoji.
The Home O ce tried to remove her temporary right to remain in the UK, but Dr Elwan, who has lived in the country legally since 2016, challenged the decision and was backed by an immigration tribunal judge.
Judge Stephen Davies said Dr
for narrow political gain, especially since we are all united locally across all parties for the release of the hostages, many of whom are relatives and friends of Barnet residents. ”
A Jewish Labour Movement spokesperson also reacted to the Reform UK leaflet saying: “Such chutzpah from Reform.
“Labour didn’t field a number of candidates at the election last year with abhorrent far-right views – that was Farage’s party.
“Labour under Starmer has rooted out antisemitism and takes the need for continual vigilance on this seriously. Reform has yet to do that.”
The 6 March by-election is being held following the death of the former mayor
Elwan’s reposting of the video along with her comments amounted to “expressions of support and justification for, and indeed glorification of, Hamas terrorist violence”.
In a second post, Dr Elwan said: “Israel was never a country. They illegally occupied Palestine. Would u support Russia invading Ukraine?” She added: “Israel kill Palestinians everyday, didn’t see anyone caring. There are no civilians in Israel.” The doctor also wrote in response to an X post by then-prime minister Rishi Sunak: “Just take all the Israelis to UK away from terrorist Palestine a win for everyone, no?”
Judge Davies found immediate cancellation of her leave to stay “was not reasonable or proportionate” under ECHR and common law.
and Tory councillor of 35 years, Eva Greenspan and will see Josh Mastin-Lee stand for the Conservatives, while Beverly Kotey will fight the seat for Labour.
The Greens, Lib Dems, Rejoin UK and an independent are also standing.
Last year’s general election saw Reform UK winning 14 percent of the vote, although a survey carried out by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research before polliing day found only six percent of Jews said they were intending to vote for the party.
The party’s relationship with the community was damaged by numerous cases of antisemitic conduct amongst candidates who were subsequently dropped.
But under Farage’s leadership, Reform has sought to develop an image of being staunchly pro-Israel.
Several high-profile members of the community, including Suella Braverman’s husband Rael and National Jewish Assembly chair Gary Mond. have defected from the Tories to Reform.
Jewish News has contacted Reform for comment on the election leaflet.
Sacked anti-Zionist professor David Miller has shared video online of himself attending the funeral of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon.
The former Bristol University academic Miller, who works for Iranian state-owned Press TV, shared footage on X as he attended Sunday’s event flanked by thousands of mourners proudly waving Hezbollah and Iran flags.
Emily Damari’s mother has spoken publicly for the first time since her hostage daughter’s release, writes Michelle Rosenberg.
Mandy Damari stood alongside other Israeli women who have returned from captivity, as well as the mothers and family members of hostages who continue their advocacy for the return of those still held.
Together, they received the fifth annual Peres Medal of Distinction which recognises pioneering and influential women who played a role in shaping Israeli society.
Mandy thanked everyone “who played a role in giving Emily her life back”. The 28-year-old was abducted from Kfar Aza and was the last British hostage to be freed from Gaza, after 471 days in captivity.
Mandy added: “From soldiers who sacrificed their lives, to members of the public around the world, and leaders who prioritised a deal – the fight continues until the very last hostage comes home, and Emily and I are with you every step.
“When Emily was in Gaza, my mission was to be her voice on the outside, especially in Britain where the public largely did not know that there was a fellow British hostage in Gaza. She added:
“Unfortunately, Emily did not receive humanitarian aid or the correct medical treatment for her gunshot wounds in her hand and leg and therefore must have corrective surgery this month with a period of recovery and rehabilitation afterwards.
“Many other hostages will be in the same situation as Emily was, in desperate need of food, medicine and more.
“My campaign was nothing next to Emily’s mission. For 15 months, she put her extremely serious wounds to one side and put everything she had into keeping herself and the other hostages with her alive.
“We have had very different experiences over the past 500 days, but we have both learned ... no matter how far you are from your goal, keep fighting and never give up hope.”
He praised attendees at the funeral in the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in Beirut on Sunday. as “a tide of humanity” and described “yellow flags fluttering in the sun”.
Jewish News understands Miller’s attendence at the funeral has been reported to UK counter terrorism police.
Miller earlier posted on X: “Stuck in tra c on the way to the funeral of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Sayyed Hashem Safieddine.
“A few people seem to have made it to the stadium already. But, yeah, the Axis of Resistance is definitely finished.”
A proscribed organisation in the UK, Miller said “it was time the government here start to come to terms with the realities of West Asia.”
Piers Corbyn is set to face trial over his involvement in a pro-Palestine protest outside the BBC’s London headquarters.
Corbyn, 77, the brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, allegedly failed to move on when asked to do so by police during a rally in Westminster, central London, on 18 January.
The Metropolitan Police had blocked plans by organisers to hold a march from Portland Place, near the headquarters of the BBC, because of its close proximity to a synagogue.
At a short hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, Corbyn, of Southwark, south London, spoke to confirm his name, date of birth and address.
The court heard Corbyn has previously pleaded not guilty and maintains he is not a part of the group Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC). He was granted unconditional bail and will face trial at the same court on 22 July.
Mandy Damari with Nigel Farage; inset, the Reform UK leaflet
Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral in Beirut
Dr Menatalla Elwan
Emily Damari with her mum after release
BBC used Hamas minister’s son to narrate documentary
by Jenni Frazer
MPs from the government and opposition raised serious concerns this week about the BBC’s coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict following controversy over its documentary Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone
The corporation eventually removed the film from its iPlayer site last Friday after investigative reporter David Collier exposed that its teenage narrator is the son of a Hamas terrorist.
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy raised the matter this week in a meeting she held with the BBC’s director-general, Tim Davie.
She said: “It is essential that the BBC maintains the highest standards of reporting and governance that the public rightly expects. In my discussion with the BBC directorgeneral, I expressed my deep concern about the issues around-their recent documentary on Gaza and I pressed for answers on the checks and due diligence that the BBC carried out”.
Nandy said she had particularly asked for responses about “the way in which they sourced the people who were featured in the programme”.
Tellingly, she added: “It is paramount that the investigation the BBC is conducting sheds light on what happened, and who knew what, when. I expect to be kept informed of the outcome of their investigation.”
The documentary was made by
Hoyo Films, which has not so far commented publicly on the row, which led to a furious letter to the BBC from 45 prominent Jewish figures, many of them former BBC insiders, including Danny Cohen, the former controller of BBC1.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has also stepped into the fight, writing to Tim Davie to suggest that she might withdraw her party’s support for the BBC licence fee because of the furore over the film.
She wrote: “The BBC must recognise how serious these allegations are for its public standing.
“The BBC’s Middle East coverage is widely regarded as unreliable. The Conservative Party has supported the BBC in government, including
the BBC management to prove the organisation is committed to true impartiality.”
through the current charter, which will end in 2027. I cannot see how my party could support the continuation of the current licence fee-based system without serious action by
Five questions the BBC must answer
Reports suggest £400k was spent on the documentary. How much of this was paid to the family of the narrator?
How was the money sent? How was the rest of the £400k spent?
How much was paid to the cameraman who praised 7 Oct? Were concerns raised internally before the programme aired?
The BBC initially defended the documentary, but shortly after apologised for failing to disclose that 14-year-old Abdullah Al-Yazouri, the film’s English-speaking narrator, was the son of Ayman Al-Yazouri, the deputy minister of agriculture in Gaza’s Hamas-run government.
The BBC insisted that Hoyo Films failed to inform executives about AlYazouri’s father.
The Daily Telegraph added to the complaints about the programme by reporting that at on least five occasions during the film, “the words Yahud or Yahudy – Arabic for “Jew” or “Jews” – were changed to “Israel” or “Israeli forces”, or were removed from the subtitles.
The paper also said that an interviewee praising Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas mastermind behind the 7 October attack on Israel, was mistranslated. He was actually
praised for “jihad against the Jews”. but this was translated on screen as “he was fighting Israeli forces”.
Badenoch added that she was concerned that money could have been provided to Hamas as part of the programme via payment to people featured in the film.
A BBC spokesperson said: “We followed all of our usual compliance procedures in the making of this film, but we had not been informed of this information by the independent producers when we complied and then broadcast the finished film.”
Adding fuel to the fire, the BBC’s reporter Jon Donnison first posted and then removed a comment on Twitter/X in which he wrote that ““propaganda e orts by Hamas and Israel over hostage releases are pretty nauseating”. He later apologised for the post.
On Tuesday, protesters gathered outside Broadcasting House in London, claiming the BBC had aired Hamas propaganda.
The demonstration was organised by the Campaign Against Antisemitism, which has also criticised the BBC’s coverage of hostage handovers in recent weeks.
A spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said the documentary was the “tip of the iceberg. We need to know if licence fee funds went to Hamas and how a Hamas propaganda programme was broadcast... we need resignations.”
THE BBC FAILED TO UNDERTAKE EVEN THE MOST BASIC CHECKS ITS GUIDELINES DEMAND
BY DAVID COLLIER INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST
I didn’t sleep at all after watching BBC2’s documentary on Gaza and begun to look more closely at the children the BBC had placed in front of the camera inside it. One of them had stood out. The more I scratched away at the identity of the narrator Abdullah, the more astonished I became.
It had started at about 11pm with me being led astray by a mistaken identity. In a news clip about Gaza in November 2023, Channel 4 had also featured Abdullah – but had misnamed him, and even claimed another man (who turned out to be his uncle) was his father.
But by 1am I had his real name. By 3am I had identified his father and realised the Hamas connection. And from there until I published my findings at 7am, I kept going back over every
detail because I could not believe the enormity of the error the BBC producers had made.
The BBC had used the son of a Hamas government minister as the narrator for their documentary and neglected to tell the audience.
As my post about all this went viral on X and news of the error began to circulate publicly –the BBC scrambled into defensive mode.
Initially it said it had “full editorial control”, then it began to backpedal and lay the blame at the door of the independent production company – and eventually it apologised for the oversight (yet refused to take the programme o ine).
But the apology just does not even begin to address the problem. The BBC clarification claimed that it did not know that Abdullah’s father was Ayman Alyazuri – the deputy agricultural minister in Gaza. But how can the BBC possibly spend months following a child around in Gaza and put him on camera without knowing who his father is? Where is the safeguarding?
It took me 10 hours to watch the documen-
tary, find major problems and publish my findings. Everything I found was publicly available. This means the BBC cannot possibly have undertaken the most basic checks that are demanded in its own editorial guidelines.
This is not the first time the BBC has been caught publishing things it should not, nor is it the first time the BBC has apologised. But it is the size of the error, the number of mistakes and the fact that this time there is simply no excuse whatsoever that make the episode a landmark one that will long be remembered.
The fact that the BBC used a Hamas family member to narrate the documentary exposes its catastrophic failure to understand the di culties of reporting from Gaza and the depth of Hamas control of Gaza – and so brings into question every report it has produced since 7 October. The BBC’s news gathering pipeline from Gaza is clearly unfit for purpose.
Since I published the original piece, additional problems have been found with a
second child as pictures emerged of this child with weapons and a Hamas fighter.
Questions have also been raised about continuity in the documentary and manipulated footage. Another person featured made triumphant posts on her social media following a terrorist attack that murdered seven Jews in Jerusalem in January 2023.
And one of the two cameramen posted a celebration on 7 October. The longer this goes on the more it begins to look as if the BBC has been duped into producing a propaganda video for an Islamic terror group.
We have the right to demand answers, and in this case expect full transparency in the response. What safeguards were there over the use of children? Did the BBC hand money or gifts to the family of a Hamas minister?
Who knew what and when?
• The BBC pulled the documentary from its iPlayer site last Friday.
Protesters at BBC headquarters on Tuesday and (inset) the Gaza programme before it was removed
Israel-Diaspora plan to promote liberal Zionism
A “revolutionary” movement bringing together influencers in Israel and the Diaspora with the aim of shifting Israel back to its roots in the Declaration of Independence has been launched in the UK, with one of the founders accusing the right of “duping” world Jewry into staying silent in the face of a departure from democratic values, writes Jenni Frazer.
The London Initiative is the brainchild of two Britons who are also Israeli citizens, Mike Prashker and Sir Mick Davis. Their ambitious plan is to recruit 360 global leaders and influencers — primarily Jewish but including Palestinian and non-Jewish thinkers — who will brainstorm in a series of three-day retreats over the next few years.
Prashker and Davis said apart from Democrats Party leader Yair Golan, there was almost nobody in Israeli politics addressing the issue of a “secure and stable peace” for Israel and its Palestinian neighbours.
Davis, a former UJIA and JLC chair, and former chief executive of the Conservative Party in the UK, said: “The Overton Window (a political term to measure what is reasonable to say in society) has moved to such an extent that anybody who attempts to debate that is out of sync with what is considered to be the view of the body politic”.
He added: “You can’t have liberal democratic values if you have to manage the consequences of an unresolved conflict.”
Both Davis and Prashker said
they did not think of the London Initiative as merely “a think-tank”. Rather, said Prashker, an educator and social entrepreneur who founded Merchavim, the Institute for the Advancement of Shared Citizenship in Israel, it was “a think-and-do tank”.
There was the opportunity, they said, “to create a partnership between Israelis and Jews in the diaspora, to create a di erent narrative”.
Prashker said: “Hamas and Hezbollah, our enemies, did the greatest possible damage to the peace camp on 7 October 2023. But it is also true that the peace camp over the years has been subdued and intimidated and put on the back foot… we were told that ‘we’re not going to deal with peace because it’s too controversial’ and that first we had to deal with the internal issues.”
But, he said, “as liberal Zionists, we felt there were very large numbers of like-minded citizens of Israel, of all backgrounds, extremely diverse…and above all we felt as Zionists that world Jewry had been silenced, and its views on Israel had been suppressed, with its very broad allegiance with the liberal democratic values that Mick and I share”.
YOUNG NORWOOD GALA RAISES £150K
More than 400 donors raised £150k at Young Norwood’s 18th annual property awards dinner at The Londoner Hotel.
The evening, championing support for neurodiverse children and their families and people with neurodevelopmental disabilities, was hosted by broadcaster Rob Rinder.
Winners included commercial agent of the year recipients Dean Leslie & Matt Glazer of GLPG for transacting the sale/acquisition of more than £200million of real estate, and property lawyer of the year Daniel Kyriakides of Reed Smith LLP, for acting as lead-lawyer on the £300million acquisition of the Burlington Arcade.
Residential agent of the year winner was Craig Draper of Aston Chase, who personally handled more than £250million worth of property across prime London locations.
The ‘One to Watch’ award went to Sofi Zikerman White of LifeProven, for overseeing £5billion in operational real estate and £350million of development assets.
The evening’s fundraising appeal was introduced by Jonathan Tobin, whose son Jacob attends Norwood’s short breaks services and featured in the fundraising appeal film.
Describing the needs-based community support Jacob has received from Norwood he said: “Norwood’s work is nothing short of life-changing—not just for individuals themselves with neurodiversity, but for their families – like mine – equipping them with the tools to meet their needs.”
Funds raised on the evening will go towards the £12million in voluntary contributions the charity needs each year to support the delivery of its services.
Rob Rinder takes the stage
Mass Israeli flags in Jerusalem
Mick Davis
Mike Prashker
Chief calls for urgent school reforms
The Chief Rabbi has warned Jewish schools require “radical and unprecedented” interventions as he launched his first Schools Review, assessing the state of 33 schools under his religious authority, writes Joy Faulk.
The report outlines concerns spanning financial pressure, sta ng levels and Jewish knowledge. “There is no value to this report if it is just a pat on our backs,” he said, while insisting the system was not in crisis.
The voluntary contribution (VC) system to support the Jewish studies curriculum is “widely perceived to be broken”, with the proportion of contributions collected by schools “plummeting in recent years”.
In London, the average VC request is £2,000, dropping to £600 elsewhere.
The report found no school collected from more than 70 percent of parental contribu-
tions. In London, on average, 52 percent of parents contribute, dropping as low as 20 percent in communities outside the capital.
Describing this as a “brutal situation”, the report found this fall coincided with rising
operating costs and widespread cuts in government support.
Eleven schools reported annual deficits exceeding £100,000, with the average deficit rising to £287,500 in London. Sixteen primary schools reported carrying a deficit averaging at £150,000 and four secondary schools reported a deficit, averaging out at £790,000.
Enrolment in mainstream primary schools has plateaued since 2017/18, with a slight decline in the last couple of years.
Twenty United Synagogues schools reported being unable to fill their places with Jewish students and 13 noted that more than five percent of their student body was non-Jewish due to unmet capacity caused by changing demographics.
Schools are additionally perceived to “fall short” in fostering Jewish literacy, Hebrew
communicative proficiency and religious commitment.
In the words of one observer cited in the report: “Some focus on spirituality but neglect Jewish knowledge, which results in kids coming out as ‘mensches’ but lacking real Jewish knowledge.”
On sta ng, the report notes that most schools struggle to “attract and retain” qualified Jewish studies teachers – nearly a quarter have been in post for two years or less. This has resulted in hours of Jewish studies being cut back or responsibilities being assigned to unqualified sta members.
Nonetheless, the Chief Rabbi was adamant that there was “no crisis” and told Jewish News his o ce would not enforce any impending reforms or forthcoming recommendations.
...AS NUMBER OF PUPILS DECLINES
The number of pupils enrolling in Jewish schools has dropped for the first time in 30 years, according to new research, writes Michelle Rosenberg.
The latest report from the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) finds that more than 36,000 Jewish pupils are registered in 136 Jewish schools in the UK today. However, in both the mainstream and strictly-Orthodox sectors, o -
cial figures show a decrease in enrolment in 2023/24 for the first time since the mid-1990s.
The report, by Dr Carli Lessof and Adam Possener found those 136 Jewish schools (a net increase of three since 2021) are made up of 45 mainstream Jewish schools and 91 strictly-Orthodox schools.
For the first time, the mainstream sector has decreased in secondary
and primary schools and while the strictly-Orthodox sector saw an overall increase the number of pupils in those schools fell by 358.
The report suggests the results are not because of demographic decline or change in parental preference but reflect shifting government policy and practice in schools, reducing the number of children recorded in registered strictly-Orthodox schools.
Overall, the balance between registered mainstream and strictlyOrthodox schools has remained stable – 60 percent of Jewish pupils in Jewish schools are in strictlyOrthodox schools; 40 percent are mainstream Jewish schools.
This is a significant shift since the mid-1990s, when the ratio was 55 percent mainstream to 45 percent strictly-Orthodox.
The Chief Rabbi with schoolchildren
Front page of JPR’s new report
‘I thought of mum and dad as I was sworn in’
Jewish Labour stalwart talks to Lee Harpin about life as a Lord
It’s the day after the Jewish Labour Movement’s national chair, Mike Katz, was introduced to the House of Lords under the title of Lord Katz of Fortune Green.
Speaking from a seat in the surprisingly down-to-earth river restaurant frequented by Westminster peers, the 52-year-old Labour stalwart admits that he was left unfazed by the demands of the elaborate introduction ceremony into parliament’s upper chamber.
He tells Jewish News: “Wearing the robes, being told to walk at a certain time, nod your head at a certain time, you know what? I thought this was a bit like davening at shul on Shabbat while wearing a heavy tallit! I thought to myself, ‘You can do this... you can do this.’”
A long-time West London Synagogue member, invited to address the congregation on the Shabbat after the ceremony, the newly ennobled Katz told how he was determined to pay respects to his two departed parents during the proceedings. “I was sworn in holding the siddur that my grandad had given to my mum,” he said of the moment he swore allegiance to King Charles and his heirs.
“It’s fair to say mum never made that much use of it, so I’m glad it came in useful eventually! I was thinking of both of them as I was being sworn in. I think they would have both been very proud and slightly surprised that their son had just been made a Lord.”
Looking back to his family roots, Katz recalls how a little over a century ago his father’s father arrived “to make a better life in this country” from Bialystok, then in Russia, now in Poland. “Three generations later, who would have thought his grandson would be becoming a member of the House of Lords?”
There is a more serious, political observation Katz now also wants to make. “One thing I can’t deny is my heritage, and I don’t think this is said often enough in the community discourse,” he says.
“Given that every Jew was expelled from
Britain in the 13th century and then let back in under Cromwell, any Jew here is an immigrant, every Jew is part of the immigration story. So, I think we have a really important story to tell on how you can maintain a cultural identity while assimilating into a society.”
Katz, who became JLM chair at a critical time for every Jewish Labour member as Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the party reached its tragic but predictable conclusion in 2019, now has Keir Starmer to thank for his new political home
Since becoming prime minister, Keir Starmer has been determined to increase the number of Labour peers in the Lords, where the Tories have a majority. He also remains fiercely loyal to those who supported his rise to the top of the party and have continued to help him during the first seven months in government.
Katz says: “Of course, I’m in the Lords to speak up about the dangers of rising antisem-
itism, and how to go about tackling it, but I’ll also be pushing this government’s policies around transport, housing and the need for this country to achieve infrastructure growth. This is a key part of the government agenda.”
After recognising Starmer’s determination to root out antisemitism during his leadership campaign as he succeeded Corbyn, Katz has remained steadfastly loyal to the leader, not just through his role with JLM but through his position on the London Labour executive committee, influencing the selection of candidates to make sure the failings of the not-too-distant past in the party are not repeated.
Last July, as Starmer entered Downing Street, the prime minister and his wife Victoria paid their respects back to Katz for his support, greeting him among a select group of party loyalists invited outside No 10.
Would Katz have preferred to have been one of Starmer’s new MP intake? The new peer,
who served as a Labour councillor in Camden and who failed narrowly to defeat ex-Tory MP Matthew Offord in Hendon in the 2017 general election, says: “Even though I might not be able to vote as a Lord, I’ll still be out campaigning, ” For the time being, he says he intends to continue as JLM chair while also knuckling down to work in the Lords. Earlier this month he joined other Jewish Labour members to hold antisemitism awareness training at Labour’s Local Government Conference.
It was a weekend, he notes, that offered further proof that the fight against antisemitism in the party remains a live issue, as openly antisemitic WhatsApp messages from the now-sacked health minister Andrew Gwynne were made public by a newspaper.
“In 2019, antisemitism was a problem for Labour,” says Katz. “In 2024, it’s a problem for all of society, and that includes the Labour Party. I’m not surprised that this still can go on.”
But, he adds: “The only thing I will say, in all my interaction through JLM with MPs and peers, is that I’ve been heartened by the fact that large numbers of people understand the concern, the fear, the distress, that the Jewish community is living right now.
“They understand how antisemitism is impacting our daily lives. It doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges along the way. But we sometimes feel nobody understands us, nobody cares, and that we are very alone as a minority. I do not think that’s the case at all.
“If there’s one good thing that came out of the Corbyn era, it’s that it was a great recruiting cycle for a whole new generation of young, proud, left-wing, Zionist, Jewish political activists, and allies, within the Labour Party – the next generation already inspiring another generation to become active in Labour.”
With this Katz announces his lunchbreak must come to an end, as there is work to be done in his own new political home.
Ironically, youth is now also on his side.
15 survivors attend Jewish Care fundraiser
A packed room of supporters paid tribute to the remarkable work of Jewish Care’s Holocaust Survivors’ Centre at a fundraising dinner on Monday night, where 15 survivors –including Mala Tribich, Kurt Marx, Eve Kugler, Rachel Levy, Maurice Peltz, and Susan Pollack – were among the 250 guests at Finchley United Synagogue, writes Michelle Rosenberg.
The event raised an impressive £150,000 for the unique centre based at the Michael Sobell Jewish Community Centre in north London. Proceedings were compèred by
writer and comedian Ivor Baddiel, who interviewed survivor Manfred Goldberg and his wife, Shary.
Sharing what they love about being members of the centre, 94-year-old Manfred said: “The friendships that develop here are as precious as family, and the staff and volunteers are so caring, they cannot do enough for us. Many of us are by now very elderly, less mobile, and living alone as widows and widowers and the therapeutic effect of this quality of support for survivors is truly unique. It has made the centre into a haven.”
Taking to the podium, actress Tracy-Ann Oberman told guests how her Jewish identity and passionate activism against the rise in antisem-
itism led led to her writing the successful play, The Merchant of Venice 1936, which has been on the West End stage and toured the UK twice.
Developing the character of Shylock for a modern audience, she based it on her great- grandmother, Annie, and the other “tough, strong matriarchs – the balaboostas” she grew up with. She added: “They escaped the pogroms of their roots, they lived in the East End, they knew how to haggle a deal, how to keep their family together, they were tough as nails, and their religion and their identity was so important to them.
“Our survivors are some of the greatest human beings I’ve ever met and tonight we’re here to honour them.”
Lord Katz is introduced to the Lords holding the siddur passed on to him by his parents
Members of Jewish Care’s Holocaust Survivors’ Centre Pic: Justin Grainge
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Jewish creative stars shine at our Netflix HQ reception
More than 100 journalists, designers, social media influencers and actors celebrate industry changemakers
More than 100 stars from the creative and media Jewish world gathered at the Netflix HQ to celebrate Jewish News’ Creative and Media Young Business List. Created in partnership with Dangoor Education, the list showcased ‘60 Under 40’ of the community’s top talents making an impact in the creative and media world. They included dozens of celebrities, social media influencers, journalists, actors and designers.
Among them were content creator Brandon B, actor Emma King ston and journalist Josh Glancy, who took part in a panel chaired by Jewish News editor Richard Ferrer, during which all three reflected on being Jewish in Britain today.
Brandon has created content for some of the world’s most wellknown brands including Sky, Pixar and Adidas. His videos have clocked up over 16bn views. The one where he created a giant ice cream from a statue was YouTube’s third most popular video short of all time.
around us. It’s our network, it’s our friends, it’s our families, it’s our mentors. And that is the only reason I am where I am today,” he said.
Emma, who will be playing the role of Elphaba in Wicked later this year, mentioned her recent role in The Band’s Visit at The Donmar Warehouse, which featured 12 Jewish or Israeli cast members plus an Israeli director and choreographer and Jewish assistant stage mangers.
“I think every Jewish person in the room knows that our secret weapon is the people
The former Immanuel College pupil said: “It was the first time I’d worked with any Jewish people since school and it was a beautiful way to bring everyone together to work on a piece that focused on connection despite differences.”
Josh said: “I think a lot of us who grew up in a fairly golden era for Jewry find [recent antisemitism] quite unsettling. But if you look around the people in this room, and all the people we know, its a very settled, successful, happy way of life. British Jewish life is a great brand and we try and celebrate that as much as we can.”
Journalist Lucy Tobin, who featured on the list, said that amid the “gloom about being Jewish in Britain today”, the reception was a “burst of sunshine”.
She added: “I am honoured to be included in the list and enjoyed a brilliant night at Netflix HQ.”
Jewish News business editor Candice Krieger, who created the list alongside Jewish News news editor Justin Cohen and chair of the list Andrew Gilbert, said: “There really is
by James Shaw Photography
our community and it felt very special to showcase this in such a positive way.
“What became particularly striking during the process was how the creative and media landscape has developed dramatically. While many of us anticipated the rise of those influencing in the social media world, in addition to more traditional industry figures, their prominence on the list has been extraordinary.
“What made this list so unique is that it brought these two worlds together, showcasing in one place Jewish stars excelling and inspiring in both. We are very grateful to Dangoor Education and Netflix for hosting us. I don’t think there could be a more fitting venue to host such a gathering of talent from the cre ative and media world.”
Brandon said: “It was great to chat and network with so many like-minded young creatives.”
The Creative and Media List is the first in a series of Jewish News’ Young Business lists. There has since been a Tech and Digital Young Business countdown with a property and financial services version
The stars of Jewish News’ Creative and Media countdown. Below centre: Brandon B, Emma Kingston, Josh Glancy and Richard Ferrer take part in a panel
Photos
Judy and David Dangoor
Sewer blamed for drownings
Flooding on a Liverpool road where a Jewish couple drowned was caused because the sewer network could not “cope” with heavy rainfall, according to a report.
Emergency services were called to four other incidents of vehicles being submerged in water in the months leading up to the deaths of Elaine Marco, 76 and her husband Philip, 77, according to the independent report published by Liverpool City Council. The couple died days before their 54th wedding anniversary when their black Mercedes became submerged in floodwater on Queens Drive in the Mossley Hill area of Liverpool, on 26 August 2023.
The report, commissioned with engineering firm Mott Macdonald, said members of the public reported a “plume of water” gushing out of the sewer’s inspection chamber, where the manhole cover had blown, causing the water level to rise “extremely
quickly”. The report said: “Due to the force of the water emanating from the public sewer this caused an almost tidal effect within the flood water.”
Emergency services had been called to four
other reports of vehicles submerged in the same spot in May, June and July that year, the report found.
On two occasions, people had to be rescued from their vehicles. All of the incidents took place when yellow or amber weather warnings for heavy rain were issued.
According to the report, an investigation into the flooding and hydraulic modelling carried out by water company United Utilities showed “surcharging of the sewer network” during heavy rainfall was the primary cause of the flooding. It said: “The combined sewer network in the area cannot cope with the volume of water that falls in a short period of time.”
Since the fatal incident, Liverpool City Council has installed measures including sensors to provide early warnings of rising water.
First aider saves Israeli teacher’s life
The daughter of a Hendon rabbi saved a teacher’s life during a first aid class at a school in Jaffa.
Batya Tugendhaft, a first aid trainer with Magen David Adom, was instructing schoolchildren when the incident occurred. Recognising the emergency, she quickly cleared the room and performed the Heimlich
manoeuvre on a teacher with food lodged in her throat. She said: “The moment I saw the teacher struggling to breathe, I immediately followed the protocol I had learned at MDA.
I’m glad I was there to help.”
Batya, 20, who recently made aliyah, is the daughter of Rabbi Dovid Tugendhaft of Nishmas Yisroel in
Her proud father added: “We feel very privileged that our daughter is spending her time volunteering for MDA, saving lives in Eretz Yisrael. She was in the right place at the right time.”
Magen David Adom praised Batya’s resourcefulness and emphasised the importance of first aid training.
SALMAN STABBER: ‘FREE PALESTINE’
The man convicted of the assualt and attempted murder of Sir Salman Rushdie muttered “Free Palestine” as he was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs.
Hadi Matar ran onto a stage at the Chautauqua Institution in New York on August 12, 2022, and attacked Rushdie with a 10in knife as the author was about to speak to an audience.
The Satanic Verses author was left blinded in one eye as a result of the attack.
A jury took just under two hours to convict Matar, 27, after a two-week trial at a county courthouse in Mayville, and he now faces a possible 25 year long prison sentence. But during the hearing he made no secret of his devotion to the Palestine cause saying “Free Palestine” during the proceedings on several occasions, The Times reported.
He also faces federal terrorism charges of attempting to support the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah in the attack on Rushdie.
“We allege that in attempting to murder Salman Rushdie in New York in 2022, Hadi Matar committed an act of terrorism in the name of Hezbollah, a designated terrorist organisation aligned with the Iranian regime,” Merrick Garland, then the US attorney-general, had said.
Matar is from a Lebanese-American family, is facing claims that he was motivated by the fatwa against Rushdie, made by Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989.
Hendon.
Tragedy: Elaine and Philip Marco
Batya Tugendhaft
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Peston joins Jewish News
ITV political editor Robert Peston has become an ambassador for Jewish News. The award winning journalist, author, presenter and podcaster will work with our team as we extends our influence and reach within and beyond the Jewish community.
Three years after making social media growth a strategic priority to engage younger audiences, Jewish News boasts the largest combined audience on Instagram and TikTok – where under 35s increasingly consume news – of any Jewish media outlet in the world with more than 230,000 followers and subscribers.
Meeting the needs of an evolving media landscape, 2025 will also see Jewish News relaunching its award-nominated glossy Life magazine, edited by Brigit Grant, screenwriter of Brian Epstein biopic Midas Man
Robert Peston said: “I have long been impressed with the important work of Jewish News in representing the Jewish community both to itself and the wider world, including its many campaigns to forge important bonds
of tolerance and respect with other communities. It is a privilege to help this brilliant team build on this success.”
The news comes as Jewish community charity The Jacob Foundation, owners of the Jewish News since 2020, appoints three new
join the trustees alongside Lord John Mann, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism who has served as the government’s advisor on antisemitism since 2019. Joining them is founder and chair of multi awardwinning consumer PR firm Frank PR Graham Goodkind. He was also one of the country’s first UK tech entrepreneurs, setting up a free web-based email service in 1998.
trustees. Former Golders Green MP Mike Freer, one of the community’s strongest friends in UK politics over the last two decades, will
Robert Peston has joined Jewish News as an ambassador to extend the brand’s audience and influence
JN has also appointed Mike Freer, Lord John Mann and Graham Goodkind as trustees
Opinion
The Hamas horror show thrives on indifference
HEN MAZZIG WRITER AND SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENTATOR
There are moments in human history when evil announces itself so clearly, so vividly, that silence becomes impossible. Or so one might think.
On 22 February, Hamas released six Israeli hostages, among them Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed – two mentally-disturbed men who had spent a decade in captivity. But this was no act of mercy; it was theatre of the grotesque, designed specifically to humiliate.
The hostages were marched through jeering crowds, including children, their dignity systematically dismantled for propaganda. These images – captured, circulated, consumed – were eerily reminiscent of darker moments from humanity’s recent past, a stark reminder that hatred still thrives, particularly against Jews.
Just days before this spectacle, Hamas had committed an atrocity even more appalling. Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, were returned to their homeland – but not alive. Instead, they arrived in locked coffins, without keys, deliberately sealed to maximise anguish. Their bodies bore the unmistakable marks of brutality, killed not by the impersonal distance of a bullet, but by terrorists’ own hands. And when Hamas initially sent the wrong body instead of Shiri’s, it was not incompetence, it was cruelty layered on cruelty, a final mockery of dignity itself.
Then came the moment Hamas escalated its dark theatre further, releasing a video featuring two young hostages, Evitar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, both only 23. They were paraded at the hostage-release ceremony solely to torment them.
The Red Cross representatives, standing just feet away, said nothing, did nothing, choosing instead silent complicity in the face of inhumanity.
And yet, perhaps the most troubling part of this tragedy isn’t Hamas’s brutality; it’s the global silence that has followed.
While millions around the world marched passionately against military operations in Rafah, chanting “All Eyes on Rafah”, there was barely a murmur of outrage for Shiri, Ariel, Kfir, Evitar or Guy. This absence of empathy is not an oversight; it’s evidence of a chilling truth, that atrocities against Jews have somehow become normalised, easier to ignore, dismiss or rationalise.
Consider Avera Mengistu’s story: 3,821
days spent in isolation, each one an eternity of deprivation and humiliation. Here was a man struggling with mental illness, stripped of dignity, paraded like a trophy. Or Omer Shem Tov, another hostage released, forced at gunpoint to kiss the heads of his captors – an image meticulously designed to degrade, to diminish. Each humiliating photograph, each viral video released by Hamas, quietly erodes the world’s capacity for outrage, gradually numbing the collective conscience until violence becomes routine.
But this cruelty is not random. It is
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WE CANNOT ALLOW HUMANITY’S MORAL COMPASS TO BE RESET ❝
calculated, precise. Hamas understands the power of desensitisation. It knows that every unanswered atrocity shifts humanity’s moral baseline downward, normalising barbarism.
The silence of the world in response is not neutrality – it is complicity. When atrocities against Jews elicit only passive indi erence, they encourage more brutality. When protests erupt worldwide over justified military actions, yet remain silent about slaughtered children, it creates an unmistakable double standard, one that implicitly declares Jewish lives less worthy of global empathy.
‘Never again’ – a solemn promise forged from the ashes of the Holocaust – once seemed immutable. Yet, as atrocities against Jews grow more grotesque and are met only with deafening silence, one wonders if ‘never again’ was ever more than mere words, comforting yet hollow, easily forgotten when the victims become inconvenient.
We cannot allow humanity’s moral compass to be reset in the face of such brutality.
Silence is complicity; indi erence is enabling. As Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel said: “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indi erence.”
We owe it to Avera Mengistu, to Shiri Bibas, to Ariel and Kfir, to Evitar David and to Guy Gilboa-Dalal – to every victim of this unimaginable cruelty – to speak loudly, clearly and urgently.
Because if Jewish dignity is negotiable, if atrocities reminiscent of our darkest past provoke no global outrage, then ‘never again’ isn’t just a broken promise – it’s a devastating lie.
Complicity in the face of inhumanity: Dana Krinsky’s illustration of the Bibas kidnapping
The ‘awkward gesture’ excuse is wearing thin
DAVID AARONOVITCH
In The Man in the High Castle, the dystopian novel by Philip K. Dick, Nazi Germany and Japan have won the war and divided the US between them. So it’s 1960 and all over the Eastern United States people are flicking Nazi salutes. Some readers may have seen the Amazon Prime series based on the books. Perhaps Elon Musk watched it and perhaps he didn’t. In any case his salute was as perfect as any member of the fictional American SS could have hoped to execute. Except was it a fascist salute? Jews might be expected to be especially sensitive to such a phenomenon so it should have been reassuring that the prime minister of the Jewish state declared that those accusing Musk of making such a salute was “falsely smearing” a “great friend of Israel”. And if that didn’t mollify the descendants of those persecuted by the salutemerchants who have not made it yet to the Promised Land, there was the Anti Defamation League declaring that it “seemed” as though Musk “made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute”.
Musk’s “awkward gesture” (mostly awkward for the ADL since it was immediately repeated) was given to one of the big, expensive right-wing gatherings that seem to happen every weekend on both sides of the Atlantic. Two weeks later another such conference in the US another slightly sheepish “awkward gesture” was made by a soi-disant evangelical clergyman from England, Calvin Robinson.
Robinson believes that gays, women, pre-marital sex and drag queens (despite the fact that he always dresses up in a frock) are displeasing to the Lord and was addressing a huge anti-abortion conference. His gesture was greeted by laughter and applause by the militant anti-abortionists in attendance. His church, however, sacked him and last week his US visa was revoked, leaving him tweeting delightedly about his martyrdom.
The awkward gesture trifecta was achieved by the far right gadfly Steve Bannon addressing the “conservative” CPAC conference in Washington DC.
The conference had already listened to a speech by Nigel Farage and would go on to hear from Donald Trump. The attendees applauded Bannon’s salute, which however cost them the chance to listen to the leader
of France’s Rassemblement Nationale, Jordan Bardella, who loudly pulled out; France still apparently remembering the last time that salute was common.
We can dismiss Robinson – an absurd attention-seeker who has transitioned through just about every right-wing party in the UK, each of which has been temporarily delighted to boast an exculpating mixed race cleric in their otherwise undiverse ranks. He did it because Musk did it and it got lots of attention.
Why a whole lot of Catholic and evangelical anti-abortionists would think that a fascist salute was a good or funny thing to do is another matter.
Bannon is a whole different animal.
An admirer of Leni Riefenstahl, indeed compared by colleagues to that execrable genius, Bannon is reported to have remarked on the parallel between Trump’s famous descent on the golden elevator to Hitler’s arrival at the Nuremberg rally.
I’m pretty sure that Bannon will have read the memoirs of Richard Nixon’s most notorious Watergate burglar, G. Gordon Liddy. Liddy used to show Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will to his team in the White House. In his autobiography, titled Will Liddy wrote about growing up prewar
in a pro-German area of Hoboken. This is Liddy remembering how the German nuns at his school had them salute the flag:
“At the words to the flag we shot out our right arms in unison, palms down, straight as so many spears aimed directly at the flag. It was the salute of Caesar’s legions, recently popular in Germany, Italy, and Spain. I enjoyed the mass salute and performed it well, unexcelled in speed of thrust and an iron-shaft steadiness throughout the remainder of the pledge. That habit became so deeply ingrained that even today, at assemblies where the pledge is made or the national anthem played, I must suppress the urge to snap out my right arm.”
Now play back that Musk salute. It is only a “gesture” in the same way that a punch in the face is a gesture, and it gets worse every time you see it. It isn’t just the effort he puts into it, but the look on his face. It’s him celebrating the triumph of his will, conscious or not.
Jews per se aren’t the target this time, but just the collaterally offended. But please don’t make the ADL’s mistake of believing that because these people admire a militant, iron-shaft steady Israel that they like the rest of us Yids.
‘The eruv’s only used on Shabbat and Yomtov. After spending all that money, why not to use it the rest of the time?’
From aid to extremism –pull the plug on UNRWA
DANIEL SUGARMAN DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, BOARD OF DEPUTIES
Late last month, days after her return from Hamas captivity, Emily Damari spoke by phone to the prime minister. We know from her mother, Mandy, that one of the issues the British-Israeli dual citizen raised with Keir Starmer was her incarceration in UNRWA facilities while she was held hostage.
The commissioner general of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, responded by saying this was “deeply disturbing and shocking”. UNRWA, he stated, “was forced to vacate all its installations in the North of Gaza Strip, including Gaza City, on 13 October 2023 and has, since then, had no control over them”.
Lazzarini’s comment raised more than a few eyebrows, because just last month UNRWA tweeted out a graphic which read: ‘In Gaza, UNRWA runs all UN shelters.’
The language alongside this graphic read as follows: “UNRWA is the backbone of the UN humanitarian operation in Gaza. Despite challenging conditions, UNRWA teams run all UN shelters, providing lifesaving support to people in need.”
Unsurprisingly – and correctly – it is now
understood that the UK’s continued funding for UNRWA is now under review.
The president of the organisation I work for, the Board of Deputies, has commended this step, noting that the Board has repeatedly raised concerns about such funding with senior government o cials.
If the UK does decide to pull the plug, it would follow a recent trend – in December, the Dutch parliament voted to phase out aid to UNRWA, with the Swedish government also announcing that it would cease funding the agency while boosting overall humanitarian aid to Gaza via other channels. Italy has also announced that its funding of UNRWA would end.
It is not hard to see why. The idea that there are any serious mechanisms in place to separate UNRWA from Hamas is farcical.
The connections between the two are not an open secret, mainly because they are not secret at all.
We know that numerous UNRWA members took part in the 7 October massacre – UNRWA itself ultimately fired a number of these people, after protesting no knowledge of their terror a liations.
The UNRWA-Hamas crossover is also by no means limited to rank-and-file members.
In September 2024, for example, Fathi al-Sharif, the head of UNRWA’s teaching
union, was killed in Lebanon. Hamas then publicly mourned his death, making it clear that he was their senior commander in Lebanon.
While it is true that you cannot spell the word ‘unaware’ without the letters U, N, R, W and A, this stretches the limits of credibility well beyond breaking point.
But there is a far easier way to demonstrate how UNRWA has been responsible for Hamas’s ability to fund itself.
In an article for The Times last year, Neta Heiman Mina, the daughter of one of the hostages taken by Hamas on 7 October, described this simple yet highly e ective system.
It goes like this: In other jurisdictions where UNRWA operates, such as Jordan, money to recipients is distributed in the local currency.
In Gaza, the local currency used is the Shekel, but in line with Hamas demands, UNRWA distributes payments in dollars, meaning all recipients then have to go to a moneychanger.
Hamas controls all the moneychangers and the exchange rates, skimming a significant fee o the top.
It is estimated to have made more than a billion dollars this way.
Increasingly, UNRWA’s commissioner
general has sounded an alarm about the agency’s future.
Last week he told an audience in Cairo: “The collapse of the agency would create a vacuum in the occupied Palestinian territory and send shockwaves through neighbouring countries.
“An environment in which children are deprived of education, and people lack access to basic services, is fertile ground for exploitation and extremism.”
It would be laughable were it not so deeply tragic. On UNRWA’s watch – there’s enough information on the ‘education’ its schools have provided to fill another article – extremism has flourished to a grotesque degree. UNRWA’s current gambit is clearly to present itself as too big to fail, and hope that its utter cynicism masquerading as realpolitik will be enough to convince various countries – including our own – to maintain funding.
UNRWA likes to present itself as the only game in town; to which the response should be: “Then it’s time to change the game.”
The UK has the chance to play a key role here in a once-in-a-generation move towards peace – it is an opportunity that should be grasped with both hands.
Palestinians – and Israelis – deserve nothing less.
Leadership tools that are driving us forward
JO GROSE CHIEF EXECUTIVE, UNITED SYNAGOGUE
At the bottom of my desk drawer, underneath the pens, paperclips and Post-it notes, sits a rather crumpled A5 envelope that has travelled with me as my roles – and o ces – have changed.
The envelope was one of the takeaways from the final session of the Dangoor Senior Leadership programme (DSLP) in which I was a participant from 2017 to 2018. The cards inside – each written by a member of my cohort – share honest reflections on my strengths, leadership style and areas for development. It is a reminder not only of the lasting impact of the programme but also of the very talented leaders whom I got to know so well.
This month, Lead, the leadership development division of the Jewish Leadership Council, has announced the newest 2025-26 cohort of the DSLP. Participants are drawn
from all sectors of the community: cultural, social care, public a airs and community development.
They hold various roles including senior management, fundraisers, strategists, finance professionals and religious leaders.
The high quality of participants is immediately apparent with a mix of lay and professional participants that makes this programme so unique.
It enables participants to ‘hear the other side’ and for those of us in the community who find ourselves in both camps, to share best practice on how to blend these roles.
What is even more striking this year is the diversity of experience and background of the participants.
The journalist and author Matthew Syed, a champion of cognitive diversity, points out that the most complex problems in society cannot be solved by individuals alone but rather by collective intelligence: “When you can optimise the cognitive diversity – that is to say, the di erent insights, perspectives and information – then you get a stronger result,” he has said.
THANKS TO THE DANGOOR PROGRAMME PARTNERSHIPS ARE EASILY INITIATED
AND MAINTAINED
With strong representation from all parts of the community, including geographically, this DSLP is well placed to achieve this cognitive diversity.
The breadth of the group will lead to rich challenging discussions, and it is likely that there will be less adherence to the communal norms that can hijack creative thinking and ambition in our community.
Aside from the quality of the participants, the DSLP provides its participants with models for strategic planning, envisioning, ideas generation and dealing with challenge and emphasises the need for
reflection, introspection and an evaluation of leadership qualities.
The result of the programme since 2017 has been the development of a language of leadership that is shared amongst all graduates of the programme – a shorthand for communal professionals that is not only employed in our respective charities but has led to greater collaboration.
The mutual understanding and depth of relationships formed through DSLP have reinforced relationships across communal charities.
Thanks to the DSLP, a network of trusted partnerships is easily initiated and cooperation is maintained.
I don’t know whether every Dangoor Senior Leadership programme graduate still holds on to an envelope filled with advice and morale-boosting comments from their fellow participants. However, I am certain, that every one of them leaves the programme with the tools, skills and network to deliver their organisational objectives, drive change, empower others and plan for the future needs of our community.
Ambient antisemitism is all around us, and it hurts
thoughtless comments – or deafening silence – from colleagues, fellow students, and non-Jewish friends.
It was just one example of a hostage poster among many: this one of Tomer Ahimas, an Israeli soldier killed on 7 October whose body was held in Gaza until the IDF recovered it in July 2024. The poster had been so defaced I could barely make out his name or face –both had been scratched out and covered with a ‘Say no to the genocide’ sticker. Whoever was responsible for defacing it will never be convicted of a crime. It’s unlikely anyone would report it to the police, and even if they did, it would never be recorded as an antisemitic incident. It’s impossible to prove it was; it can easily, perhaps even correctly, be dismissed as political activism. O ensive to some, certainly. But it’s not an o ence to o end. If this were an isolated case, perhaps it would go unnoticed. But it’s not. This and other similar acts have become part of the backdrop to Jewish life: Defaced, torn-down posters. Pro-Palestine stickers. But equally,
Longstanding organisational partnerships or funding relationships broken or ‘unfortunately not possible’ this year. Media reporting that feels unbalanced, or too balanced, asserting moral equivalence where there is none. Political commentary that seems deaf to Jewish sensibilities. Wellmeaning demonstrators who don’t chant antisemitic slogans but nonetheless help to swell the numbers of those who do.
None of this is technically antisemitic. Little, if any, of it would meet the IHRA working definition of antisemitism. In some instances, those acting in these ways would be upset to know that Jews had experienced their actions as hurtful. Yet it all contributes to an overarching atmosphere that feels uncomfortable, isolating, alienating, and even hostile. It is what I have called in our research ‘ambient antisemitism’.
Most of it will never make it into o cial antisemitism statistics. It’s too amorphous. Yet many of us sense it around us and feel its e ects within us – in the pits of our stomachs, our midnight thoughts or when we’re simply
out and about. It’s as if the world is closing in on us, not so tightly as to prevent us from continuing our lives, but tightly enough to make breathing a little less easy.
In our summer 2024 survey of British Jews, we explored this notion of ambient antisemitism. As well as asking about any antisemitic incidents respondents experienced that were directed at them personally – clear discrimination, harassment, vandalism or violence – we also asked about any experiences they’d had that were not directed at them but felt antisemitic and a ected them emotionally. We also asked both about the period prior to the 7 October attacks and the period following it.
Just nine percent of British Jews said
they had either ‘frequently’ or ‘regularly’ experienced ambient antisemitism in the nine months before 7 October. But that proportion rose to 45 percent afterwards, with only 17 percent – less than one in five – saying they had not experienced it at all.
Its e ects can also be seen in other data from that survey. 73 percent of us feel less safe in Britain since 7 October; only 1 percent feel more safe. 64 percent feel less confident sharing or displaying their Jewishness openly; only 5 percent feel more. We tend to feel closer to our Jewish friends and less close to our non-Jewish ones. In brief, many Jews feel more misunderstood, more cut o , and more alone.
These are the e ects of ambient antisemitism – those seemingly innocuous words or deeds commonly dismissed as ‘reasonable comment’, ‘political activism’, or ‘fair game’. Maybe they are. But they hurt. As they become part of our day-to-day context, they turn Britain into a more uncomfortable place for Jews to live. Even more perniciously, as they become normalised, they start to provide cover for more heinous forms of antisemitism. And that’s what concerns us more than anything.
1 SUCCESS FOR CAMP SIMCHA SHABBAT RETREAT
A three-day retreat in Warwickshire welcomed nearly 200 Camp Simcha family members from London, Manchester and Gateshead, providing a desperately-needed break from their usual routines of medical appointments and treatments. Deena Manson from North Manchester, whose daughter Basya, 11, has two very rare kidney diseases, said: “At Camp Simcha, every single one of my six children is made to feel special, with each having their own amazing volunteer. Having that community of people who can totally relate to what you are going through is so important.”
2 JFS HARROW RAISES £1,000 FOR DANCE CHARITY
Students at JFS Harrow school showcased their talents in a spectacular gym and dance competition. Judging the performers alongside JFS alumni was former Strictly Come Dancing’s Dame Arlene Phillips. Thanks to generous donations and enthusiastic fundraising efforts, the event raised more than £1,000 for icandance, a charity that empowers children and young people with disabilities through dance.
3 BARNET HONOURS ITS NEW VP MALA TRIBICH
As part of the recent United Synagogue Women’s Shabbat, Barnet shul member and Holocaust educator Mala Tribich was made honorary vice-president. During the service, Mala shared her experiences as the sole UK Shoah survivor representative for the 80th commemorations of the liberation of Auschwitz where she visited the camp along with King Charles and the Chief Rabbi. She was presented with a certificate from shul chair Tony Cohen, alongside a personal letter of thanks from the Chief Rabbi, in which he said of her that there was “no greater role model”. It went on to thank her for her “unwavering courage, inimitable grace and relentless spirit” in her dedication to ensuring that the voices of those who had been silenced by the Holocaust would “forever be heard”.
4 BIRMINGHAM INTERFAITH TREE PLANTING
More than 40 Jews, Muslims and Christians from Birmingham joined with the area’s asylum seekers to celebrate Tu Bishvat by planting 10 fruit trees in a local park. The event, organised by Birmingham Progressive Synagogue’s Tikkun Olam group in collaboration with local charity Fruit and Nut Village, marked the creation of an interfaith orchard. Participants shared stories of trees in their faith traditions, fostering a deeper understanding and connection among the diverse group.
5 GRANDPARENTS’ TEA PARTY AT WOHL ILFORD
As part of their Jewish Studies lessons on middot (values), Year 2 pupils at Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School have been learning about welcoming guests. They put their learning into practice by welcoming their grandparents to an afternoon tea party. The children planned and organised the whole afternoon and enjoyed spend-
ing quality time altogether, eating, singing, dancing and playing games.
6
JWA SCREENS ‘SCREAMS BEFORE SILENCE’ AT JW3
Young people, rabbis, feminists and author Howard Jacobson were among 50 guests who attended a screening of Screams Before Silence earlier this month. The Jewish Women’s Aid event at the JW3 cultural centre in North London was held in partnership with British Friends of Bar-Ilan University and took place during Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week. The hour-long film, led by former Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg, details the horrors and sexual assault that took place after Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on 7 October 2023. The screening was followed by a conversation between award-winning journalist Deborah Joseph and Israeli scholar Prof Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, an international women’s rights activist who appears in the documentary.
7 JEWISH CARE HONOURS EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR
Horace Boston, senior housing manager for Jewish Care’s retirement living apartments, has been named Care Employee of the Year at the Caring UK Awards in recognition of a decade of outstanding service for the charity. Jewish Care’s chief executive, Daniel Carmel-Brown, said: “He truly deserves this award. Horace ensures tenants feel supported, follow their passions and discover new ones.” At Selig Court apartments, Horace leads a team caring for tenants ranging from 66 to 101 years old, several of whom are Holocaust survivors and refugees who fled Nazi persecution during the 1930s.
8 INSPIRATION THE WORD AT MENOPAUSE EVENT
Eighty women from 14 United Synagogue communities attended an empowering menopause evening at St John’s Wood United Synagogue. Attendees heard from Stefanie Daniels, chief executive of Life Begins at Menopause, and Joyce Levy, a participant of The Once Mikvah Experience project, highlighted its transformative power. Rebbetzen Jacqueline Feldman of Bushey United Synagogue said: “The magic that happened in the room when we all came together from different communities across London could be felt. Especially in these challenging times for our people, connecting to each other and to our heritage has never felt more relevant. We all left from the afternoon feeling connected and inspired, and many women have already asked to learn more about the Once Mikvah Project.”
9 FESTIVAL CELEBRATION AT KISHARON LANGDON
The Jewish learning disability and autism provider Kisharon Langdon marked Tu Bishvat with a ceremony at Child’s Hill Library. The gathering brought together pupils from Kisharon Noé School and individuals supported through Kisharon Langdon’s Good Days provision. Participants enjoyed the garden and tasted fruits traditionally associated with the spring festival followed by the charity’s chief executive, Richard Franklin, being joined by individuals the charity supports for a ceremonial tree planting.
by appointment only
Women’s Day Festival Lord Fink
The young ones
Young adults are increasingly being diagnosed with cancer. Fortunately there is somewhere to turn for support. By Sandy Rashty
There was a time when older people were the public face of a cancer diagnosis. It was assumed that the disease would hit people in the winter of their lives rather than in their prime.
But statistics show there has been a steep rise in the number of young adults being diagnosed with cancer. Over the past four years, Chai Cancer Care – the UK Jewish community’s leading cancer support organisation, reported a 311 percent increase in clients aged 18-40. In 2023-24, there were 1,270 appointments for young adults diagnosed with cancer, compared with 309 young adult appointments in 2019-20.
And the impact is clear.
For young people, a diagnosis goes beyond the initial shock and treatment. They say it affects them at key milestones, from impacting their education to their career, friendships, romantic relationships and fertility.
Charlotte Herman, 31, was 23 weeks pregnant when she was diagnosed with stage 3 Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Just a few months earlier, in October 2022, the Manchesterbased dietician married Adam and they went on honeymoon to South Africa and Mauritius. By February 2023, she was pregnant.
“We were on a massive high,” recalls Charlotte. “I had no symptoms or morning sickness. I thought: ‘Great, this is a breeze.’” But later on, she had a cough and noticed some lumps in her neck – believing them to be a side-effect of a viral infection. A GP provided a referral (which came through 18 months later), but it was Herman’s dentist who sent her for a fast-track test and biopsy of the lump. “I thought I was going to be given some antibiotics and sent home,” says the Whitefield Hebrew Congregation member. “I went in with my dad and was told, ‘It’s cancer.’ We both broke down.
“I remember asking horrendous questions: ‘Am I going to die? Do I need to terminate my pregnancy?’
“We had to talk about whether to deliver the baby and then have treatment or have treatment whilst I was pregnant. There were so many unknowns.”
A former student of King David High School, Charlotte says: “It was a total shock. I was always fit and healthy. I ate well and went to the gym. At school, I was on the netball team and took part in cross-country races. I was never overweight, never smoked or did drugs. I would have some alcohol on a night out, but never regularly. I was very conscious of my health.”
A decision was taken for her to have
treatment whilst she was pregnant. “I was having chemotherapy whilst taking pregnancy vitamins,” she says. “On the one hand, you’re told to avoid something like ibuprofen when you’re pregnant, but then I was being given these treatment drugs and chemotherapy.”
Seeking support, her grandmother, who used Chai’s services after Charlotte’s grandfathert died with cancer, encouraged her to contact the charity.
“At first, I was a bit hesitant because I was nervous talking about it,” says Charlotte, but she went on to have counselling and pregnancy massages at the centre in Manchester.
She eventually gave birth to her son, Levi, and was later cleared of cancer. “It was really important I had that support from Chai,” she says.
It’s a sentiment echoed by Benjamin Black, 41. Also from Manchester, the HR consultant was 32 when he saw a doctor for a dry cough and back pain. After an MRI, he was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. “I popped into the hospital for what I thought would be a 10-minute appointment,” he recalls. “They told me I had lesions all over my body.”
Benjamin Black was referred to an NHS fertility service. “In the space of two days, I got my sperm frozen as a precautionary measure before I started chemo, although fortunately I was lucky and this turned out not to have been needed.” He adds: “I think it’s important that young people know and talk about this.”
For the next six months, he underwent chemotherapy – with treatment leading to hair loss, brain fog and short-term memory issues. His social circle narrowed, and he missed travel opportunities, something he had always valued.
A freelancer at the time, he stopped working – becoming financially dependent on his family. “I wanted to move to London, but I had to put that on hold and move in with my parents,” he recalls. “When you’re young, you don’t think anything is going to happen, so I didn’t have a lot of savings.”
Early into his diagnosis, Benjamin turned to Chai for support. Almost 20 years earlier, his mum was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and had been supported by the charity. “I didn’t think twice about calling Chai,” says Benjamin, who had an “amazing counsellor”, complementary therapies and physiotherapy after he was cleared of cancer. He recalls: “A massage didn’t cure my cancer, but it did give me that time to feel like I was being looked after; it was something to brighten up my day.”
Open about his experience, Benjamin is keen to challenge stigma around the disease. “I remember some people saying, ‘if you tell people about cancer in the middle of a date, they’ll think you can’t have kids’”. He adds: “Most people have been directly or indirectly affected by cancer, it’s nothing to be ashamed of or stigmatised by.”
The importance of openness is a message shared by 30-year-old Marc Rister, who works in private banking. A former Haberdashers’ student, Marc, from Hertfordshire, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in early 2023, after noticing a lump on his testicle. After surgery, he underwent chemotherapy to reduce the risk of the cancer returning –leading to hair loss and a period in hospital.
“It was so important to have a strong network around. The food at the hospital was so bad that my mum would bring me chicken soup every day. Things like that – a
home-cooked meal - just made the treatment more manageable,” he says.
For Marc, the diagnosis was a shock. “I ate healthy, never smoked or did drugs. I felt immortal,” he says.
During treatment, he went to Chai’s flagship centre in north-west London, after being encouraged by his mum who received counselling from the organisation after the diagnosis. “I was sceptical but once I was there, I was surprised at how much they do,” said Marc, who had counselling and reflexology. “[Counselling] made me feel a lot calmer, and a chance to say what I was feeling and thinking without worrying about upsetting my family or my girlfriend. It was the same with reflexology and meditation, it really helped me manage and cope with what had happened.
“They also just seemed to ‘get it’ and understand what I was going through.”
Given the all-clear in July 2023, Marc “started refereeing, seeing friends and running again”.
He says: “For me, the most important thing is to raise awareness. If cancer can happen to me – someone healthy, who exercises and doesn’t drink or take drugs – it can happen to anyone. For anyone reading this, especially young men, I feel it’s important that we normalise checking ourselves regularly, talking about lumps we find, and most importantly, going to a doctor and getting it seen to. Getting treatment when I did saved me months of additional intensive chemotherapy, and maybe even saved my life.”
Victoria Portnoi, Chai’s CEO, says: “A cancer diagnosis is lifechanging at any age, but for young adults, it brings unique and significant challenges—impacting their careers, relationships, fertility, and future.
Chai has seen a significant rise in the number of young people seeking support, and we are committed to ensuring they do not face this journey alone.”
Charlotte Herman
Victoria Portnoi
Benjamin Black
Marc Rister
Jewish actresses, singers, artists and writers feature in a London festival marking International Women’s Day, writes Anthea Gerrie
Influential Jewish women of the 20th century, from flamboyant Ballets Russes star Ida Rubinstein to founding feminist Gloria Steinem, are among famous females to be celebrated next month at a three-week festival marking International Women’s Day.
Women’s Voices: A Celebration, created by Jewish producer Naomi Sorkin, honours women of many creeds and nationalities but features an extraordinary amount of Jewish subject matter. Events will include a video poem lamenting the loss of life in the death camps, another set to the words of a teenage poet murdered by the Nazis in Lithuania, and an Oscar-winning documentary about the American bandleader Artie Shaw.
The theme of IWD this year is Inspire Inclusion. For Jewish women in 2025, this resonates more strongly than ever.
The festival takes place at the Playground Theatre (near Grenfell Tower), which has been described as west London’s answer to the Almeida, showcasing innovative work involving performers including Steven Berko , Maureen Lipman and Ruby Wax.
“The theatre was founded by my husband, Peter Tate, in 1998 as a research and development studio and became a theatre in 2017,”
says Naomi, who rose to fame as a dramatic ballerina in the United States before relocating to London.
“We have had many Oscar and Olivier winners coming through, and this festival will be no exception.”
The star performers include the Emmy and Tony winner Stockard Channing, who plays Steinem in the closing event, Gloria: A Life, created by Jewish writer-director Emily Mann, while Celia Imrie, holder of a best performance Olivier, co-stars with Naomi Sorkin in Madame Ida, a film about the final days of Ida Rubinstein, who danced opposite
Nijinsky and for whom Ravel wrote his haunting Bolero. The film, by Jewish writer-director Lisa Forrell, also co-stars former Bond girl Maryam d’Abo.
The festival also features the European premiere of a documentary about the Jewish bandleader Artie Shaw which won its director, the Canadian Brigitte Berman, an Academy Award.
Opening the festival on 2 March will be The Divine Feminine, an exhibition by the New York-born Jewish artist Aimee Birnbaum, a member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours who has had shows in New York, Vilnius, Thessaloniki and Croatia as well as in London, where she has a studio. She has created a series of depictions of women including the Shekinah and Adam’s first wife, Lilith.
“The Divine Feminine is a female counterpart to the masculine worship structures that have dominated organised religion,” says Aimee, who has embodied in paint both the positive feminine presence of God in her Shekinah, welcomed into Jewish homes on Friday nights, and in Lilth, Adam’s first wife, an aspect originally considered evil.
painting spends hours researching the Jewish music of interwar eastern Europe, has included a wistful violinist playing in one of Kovno’s legendary 1930s nightclubs. “I was thinking about the brief flowering of musical life in those lost Lithuanian clubs before the Holocaust,” she says.
It is ballet which introduced Naomi to Aimee, who studied with a teacher from the Royal Ballet in her native Boston before settling in London 40 years ago. “It’s my love of dance and movement which informs my painting,” she says of her ethereal watercolours.
The pair met at the Playground after Naomi’s stage performance as Rubinstein. Dance will feature strongly in the festival, not only in Madame Ida, but in documentaries about the ballerina Lynn Seymour, Naomi’s close friend who died this year, and the groundbreaking dancer Loie Fuller. “Her special e ects incorporating light, movement and fabric still influence everyone from pop stars to radical theatre makers today,” says Naomi.
Of particular Jewish interest are two short films by Hungarian writer and artist Csilla Toldy, including Here I Stand, commissioned in Ireland to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the camps. The other, To My Dear Idealist, based on a poem by another Nazi victim, Lithuania’s Matilda Olkinaite, murdered in 1941, won Toldy the prize for best cinematography at the European Film Union Gala.
Yet another award-winner appearing at the festival is composer and pianist Alla Sirenko, a Ukrainian who has had work performed at the Royal Opera House. She will perform arias, Ukrainian songs and her own compositions with the mezzosoprano Lyubov Kachala.
Other highlights include a screening of Sally Hemings: An American Scandal, starring Sam Neill and Diahann Carroll, after which Tina Andrews, who won a Writers’ Guild award for her interpretation of the enslaved woman’s relationship with US president Thomas Je erson, will host a Q&A session.
Race relations also loom large in Artie Shaw: Time Is All You’ve Got, telling how the swing era maestro hired black performers including Billie Holliday and trumpeters Hot Lips Page and Roy Eldridge. Jewish jazz singer Mel Torme is among the roster of interviewees featured in the film, which has never been shown here despite winning a 1986 Oscar. Naomi intends the festival to be a recurring feature of the London theatrical calendar. “It’s an event I hope we will reprise every year to mark International Women’s Day. At a time when headlines reflect growing violence and abuse against women, it’s crucial to champion the female talent and creativity shaping the arts today. From classic narratives to cutting-edge work, Women’s Voices is designed to reflect the full range of female experience.”
• For timings and tickets visit theplaygroundtheatre.org.uk
“She began as a female demon threatening the sexual and reproductive aspects of life, especially childbirth, but has since been reclaimed by Jewish feminists as a symbol of autonomy, independence and sexual liberation.”
Alongside these biblical icons and fictional heroines like Shakespeare’s Tatiana, Aimee, who when not
Lilith (left) and Shekinah are part of Aimee Birnbaum’s Divine Feminine
where she has a studio. She
feminine presence of God
Toldy the prize for best the European Film Union Gala.
Naomi Sorkin as the dancer Ida Rubinstein in Madame Ida and (inset) the real Ida
Aimee Birnbaum (left) and Gloria Steinem
By Candice Krieger candicekrieger@googlemail.com
THE HEDGE FUND TITAN WHO GIVES MOST OF IT AWAY
Conservative peer Lord Fink still engages deeply in companies he ‘believes in’ and attributes his charitable mindset to his upbringing
n the competitive world of finance, where wealth often equals success, Stanley Fink is a refreshing exception. Sometimes called the ‘godfather of hedge funds’, the former chief of Man Group is anything but a money-obsessed financier.
“Life isn’t a game of Monopoly – the winner isn’t the one with the most money,” he tells me. “It’s about making a difference.”
True to his tune, Lord Fink gives away most of his income to charity. “I’ve been fortunate to have the scale to do it,” he says, mild-mannered and measured. “Most people either have time or money to give something back. If you have money, great. If not, most people have time.”
He notes that while many businesses are “giving back by choice through corporate social responsibility initiatives, there is not much shareholder action pushing firms to do it. And I wouldn’t be surprised if companies cut back. This is what’s happened in the US and the UK tends to follow US trends.”
The list of causes Lord Fink supports (and has supported) is lengthy. He is a trustee of the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies and supports Absolute Return for Kids (ARK). He has also contributed to Cancer Research UK, particularly supporting the Francis Crick Institute’s work, and supports Norwood and Jewish Care. He is president of Evelina Children’s Hospital and chaired the board of the Ark Burlington Danes Academy for several years. He remains involved as an emeritus governor and continues to mentor the principal and support the school where possible. His daughter, a radiographer turned therapist, heads their safeguarding efforts. “She’s dyslexic but has gone on to achieve a master’s degree and retrain to help others,” he shares proudly.
ventures that reflect a commitment to making a difference. “This hasn’t been engineered by me. It’s something they have seen and want to follow,” he says.
Lord Fink attributes his charitable mindset to his upbringing: “My parents weren’t particularly wealthy but believed in tithing when they could.” His mother worked for a Jewish charity in Manchester and later for The Christie cancer centre after her own cancer treatment. These early lessons instilled a strong sense of obligation to give back.
He is also an investor in biopharmaceuticals company EnsiliTech, which is working on a refrigeration-free vaccine storage technology that could revolutionise healthcare delivery in underserved regions – Lord Fink has a particular interest in med tech, which stems in part from his own experience with a brain tumour at the peak of his career.
All three of his children have followed in his philanthropic footsteps and are involved in
A Conservative peer, he began his career at Arthur Andersen, qualifying as a chartered accountant before moving on to roles at Mars Inc and Citibank. In 1987, he joined Man Group, where he served as CEO from 2000 to 2007, transforming it into the world’s largest publicly traded hedge fund company. The following year, he became CEO of International Standard Asset Management (ISAM) and later its chairman until his retirement from the board in 2018. At 67 and with philanthropic commitments aplenty, Lord Fink could be forgiven for stepping back. Not likely.
While he no longer works to earn a living, he remains deeply engaged in the business world, lending his expertise and support to mission-driven companies. Lord Fink concedes that he receives hundreds of pitches a week from founders eager for his backing.
“I don’t join boards to earn fees,” he says. “I want to be interested in the business and add value. And the company has to be making a positive impact to society in some way. I have to believe in their mission.” He adds that he has to have “total confidence in the founder and chief executive – colleagues that I trust with my reputation. My reputation and my family are the most precious things I have.”
Among the companies Lord Fink is invested in are Blackbullion, a financial wellbeing company; eToro, the world’s leading social investment network; the legal tech startup Farillio; and, more recently, the digital payments firm Curve, founded by Israeli entrepreneur Shachar Bialick.
“I was 45 when I was diagnosed. I had a wife, young children and thought my life was over.” After undergoing surgery that temporarily left him with memory loss and speech difficulties, he developed a profound appreciation for advancements in medical science, fuelling his support for innovations including diagnostic tools for conditions such as Alzheimer’s and motor neurone disease.
With business and philanthropy taking up two-thirds of Lord Fink’s week, the remaining third is devoted to politics. A prominent supporter of the Conservative Party, he was appointed co-treasurer in 2009 and was instrumental in fundraising efforts. He played a key role in Boris Johnson’s successful campaign to become mayor of London and was made a life peer in 2011, taking the title of Baron Fink of Northwood, Middlesex (where he lives). He is a member of the Ark Synagogue (former Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue).
So, what does he make of Labour’s first seven months in charge?
“At least it’s not Corbyn,” he says, noting that Starmer’s leadership lacks the “streak of rabid antisemitism,” seen during Corbyn’s tenure. However, he believes Labour has not done enough to reassure supporters of its long-term support for Israel.
Lord Fink warns of the UK’s growing fragility, citing rising costs and the impact of migration. “Covid was a dry run,” he says, highlighting how the rise of remote working allows high earners to leave the UK, further weakening the tax base. “Thirty years ago, many of these people would have stayed and paid taxes. Now they’ll leave.”
Despite the UK’s “fragile state”, he believes that “the damage is not irreparable” but says Labour must stop “scoring own goals” that demotivate its people and diminish its appeal on the global stage. “We have the tools and the talent to succeed, but we need to act before the fragile becomes the broken.”
Stanley FInk
Lord Fink (left) and his wife Barbara with Boris Johnson, and Joy and Richard Desmond
MAKING SENSE OF THE SEDRA
In our thought-provoking series, rabbis, rebbetzins and educators relate the week’s parsha to the way we live today
RABBI DR HARVEY BELOVSKI RABBINIC
HEAD OF UNIVERSITY JEWISH CHAPLAINCY AND EMERITUS RABBI OF GOLDERS GREEN SYNAGOGUE
Why we build sacred spaces
This week’s parsha, Terumah, describes the construction of the mishkan, the portable desert sanctuary built by the Israelites. At first glance, the minutiae – exactly which metals, wood and fabrics should be used, the precise and detailed architectural plans – seem arcane and unrelated to modern life. Yet beneath the surface lies a timeless message about community, generosity, and the sacred spaces we create together.
I find it fascinating that the mishkan was not built through taxes or coercion. God commands: “Take for me an o ering from every person
whose heart moves them” (Exodus 25:2). People gave what they could, motivated by a desire to contribute to building something greater than themselves.
Sacred spaces are built not by obligation but by generosity. The mishkan was a sanctuary for God, but it was also a reflection of the people’s willingness to give of themselves.
The additional reading this week, Shekalim, complements this idea. It describes the annual half-shekel coin given annually for the running and upkeep of the Temple. In contrast to the voluntary terumah gifts, the half-shekel was a fixed amount, the same for everyone, rich or poor. This reminds us that while generosity is essential, every person has an equal stake in the community, and no one’s contribution is too small to matter.
Together, Terumah and Shekalim teach us two vital lessons. From Terumah, we learn the importance of giving from the heart, of contributing what we can out of love and out of a sense of shared purpose. From Shekalim, we learn the importance of equality, of recognising that every person has a vital role to play in building the community, one that no one else can fulfil.
These lessons remain deeply relevant. We may not be building a mishkan this week but we are still called to create sanctuaries, places where people feel safe, valued and connected.
One of the most important sanctuaries we must build today is for our Jewish students on campus.
As the titular head of University Jewish Chaplaincy, I know first-
hand that for many Jewish students, university life is a time of exploration and growth, but it can also be a time of challenge. Rising antisemitism, hostility toward Israel, and the pressures of navigating their identity in a complex world can leave students feeling isolated and vulnerable.
Think of building Jewish student communities on campus as a contemporary version of the mishkan – sanctuaries where students can connect with their heritage, find strength in their community, and feel
proud of their Jewish identity. But just like the mishkan, these spaces don’t build themselves. They require the contributions of everyone, whether through financial support, volunteering, or simply letting Jewish students know that they are not alone.
The Torah’s message is clear: holiness is not something we find, it is something we create. It is created when we come together, when we give of ourselves, and when we build sanctuaries, not just for God but for one another.
Sanctuaries for London students can be seen as a version of the mishkan
Progressive Judaism
LEAP OF FAITH
RABBI MIRIAM BERGER FOUNDER OF WELLSPRING
“Why would you, a rabbi, leave a job you love, to open a mikveh, when Progressive Jews don’t even use the mikveh? Surely it’s tainted by an antiquated misogyny and irrelevant to modern Jews?”
This is a question I’ve been frequently asked since I left my post at Finchley Reform Synagogue. This is the direction in which I have headed after experiences in my own life, and supporting those in my community through tragic experiences of their own, led me to understand how the modern rabbinate has neglected a key part of our role. Wellspring is our way of fulfilling that task.
There are two evolutions I need to explain to demonstrate Wellspring’s pivotal future role for British Jewry.
Jewish practice did not get served up in its entirety in either the Torah at Sinai or the
Talmud in the sixth century. Judaism has evolved as rabbinic responses to the world as we experience it in every age. Consider how we mark the coming of age for our bnei mitzvah and mark the miracle of the oil in what became our Chanukah celebrations. Judaism has responded not just to our relationship with the non-Jewish world but also in its recognition of how to garner the support of each other at momentous times,
stimulating series where our progressive rabbis consider how Biblical figures might act when faced with 21st-century issues
including in mitzvot to visit the sick, assist a bride or make up a minyan to support a mourner.
The modern world has created so many more momentous milestones and the rabbis have not kept up in creating ritual observance to mark, support, process or witness them.
We do not mourn the loss of a loved one until their funeral, but many have by that time felt the loss of a beloved spouse, parent or sibling over many years due to cognitive or physical deterioration. How do we mark this very di erent loss so we can continue to love and care for them whilst also recognising the relationship is not and never will be the same?
The rabbis of old protected us by not treating miscarriage or stillbirth as a viable life which needed mourning again and again. Yet at a time when we can see cells replicating in days, a heart beating in weeks, we may have a very di erent attachment to that longed-for child. Each chapter in life is dominated by the moments which may not be as we thought, hoped or strived for. These setbacks, semi-bereavements or tragic losses build up over time as in this
modern, fast-paced life we are just told to keep going. Some never rebuild after them, others try and build on the shakiest of foundations.
Judaism teaches us to mark moments by being witnessed and supported. But why mikveh? Isn’t it just about periods and purity?
Mikveh was never just about women, but what do seminal emissions and menstrual blood have in common? Both suggest something that had the potential to bring new life but didn’t have the opportunity to realise its full potential. Mikveh acknowledges what could have been, helping us find acceptance in how life is and enables us to emerge into a new day with hope. We are living in a generation where people are often struggling. Judaism needs to step up by providing support, creating communities of people who understand each other’s plight and the ritual to underpin resilience and give hope. One of the first facilities a community is told to create is the mikveh. It’s not just for ensuring we procreate but for ensuring support for challenging moments as a backbone of our lives. wellspringuk.org
We clear houses, flats, sheds, garages etc. No job too big or too small! Rubbish cleared as part of a full clearance. We have a waste licence. We buy items including furniture bric a brac.
For a free quote please phone Dave on 07913405315 any time.
BRIDGE FREE TASTER Tuesday 21st January
Beginners Course Tuesday 28th January
Intermediates Course Monday 20th January Online Beginners Course Monday 20th January
For more details: 0208 905 3877 or schogger@haroldschogger.com www.haroldschogger.com
CHARITY & WELFARE Dave & Eve House Clearance
ARE YOU BEREAVED?
Confidential Bereavement Counselling for adults and children individually. Support Groups available. We offer in person, online and telephone counselling. Contact Jewish Bereavement Counselling Service in confidence. 0208 951 3881 enquiries@jbcs.org.uk | www.jbcs.org.uk
From individuals items and specialist collections to complete house clearances, removals, and probate valuations. We do as much as you need - just ask !!!
• As an independent broker acting on your behalf, I aim to get the highest prices for your pieces
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• Free consultations at your convenience
Antiques Buyers
Wanted all Antiques & furniture including Lounge Dining and Bedroom Suites. Chests of drawers. Display and Cocktail Cabinets. Furniture by Hille. Epstein. Archie shine. G plan etc in Walnut. Mahogany. Teak and Rosewood.
We also buy Diamonds & Jewellery. Gold. Silverware. Paintings. Glass. Porcelain. Bronzes etc.
All Antiques considered. Full house clearances organised. Very high prices paid, free home visits.
Check our website for more details www.antiquesbuyers.co.uk
Email: info@antiquesbuyers.co.uk
Please call Sue Davis on Freephone: 08008402035 WhatsApp Mobile: 07956268290
Portobello Rd London. By appointments only.
Please note rather than acting as agents for other organisations and charging you commission. Please be assured that in dealing with Antiques Buyers we deal directly with our clients and pay in full at the time of the transaction.
89% of students experienced antisemitism last year
W h t su t my C pla s y r, my me uni rs y w ld b n i surably diff t –not a g d way.” ACT NOW BY SC N G QR CO
41% of students were afraid to return to campus in 2024-2025
