1411 - 20th March 2025

For the families of the hostages, this week’s return to war brought the arrival of the unspeakable.

The fragile two-month ceasefire, which allowed for the return of 33 of their loved ones, proved a painful truth: the homecoming of even one hostage is worth more to the soul of Israel than the eradication of any number of Hamas terrorists.

Now, that soul has been wounded

Head girl

Costumed kds embrace the Purim spirit Pages 22 & 23

Costumed kds embrace the Purim spirit

Nicole Farhi goes from fashion to figurines Page 26

even deeper. With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to only continue negotiations for their release “under fire”, the prospect of being reunited with the remaining 59 hostages – 24 of whom are believed to still cling to life – grows more distant by the day.

Of course, it’s hard to see a scenario in which Israel does not eventually return to war. For the sake of Israelis

Is this how it ends for the hostages? Is this how it ends for the hostages?

VOICE OF THE JEWISH NEWS

and Palestinians, Hamas cannot be left standing. But no military victory will heal the gaping wound left by the absence of those spending their 531st day being brutalised in the tunnels of Gaza. With each airstrike and missile launched since the ceasefire broke on Tuesday evening, their families are left to bear the unbearable and wonder: is this how it ends?

The battle will be won when Gaza

is freed from the grip of medieval monsters. But the battle for Israel’s soul will not be won until the last hostage – alive or dead – finally returns home.

As freed hostage Yarden Bibas, whose wife Shiri and children Ariel and Kfir were killed in captivity, put it this week: “The military pressure endangers the hostages while an agreement brings them home.”

Einav Zangauker (centre), mother of Israeli hostage Matan Zangauker, who has been held in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, with relatives at the Gaza border this week, hours after the ceasefire came to an end

Ceasefire is shattered: Hamas claims 413 killed

Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted Israel “will continue to fight” until all of its war goals are achieved in Gaza, returning all the hostages, destroying Hamas and ensuring that Gaza will never again constitute a threat to Israel, writes Adam Decker.

Speaking hours after Israeli warplanes bombed Gaza, bringing an end to the ceasefire with Hamas after two months, Israel’s prime minister said: “My heart, all of our hearts, are with the hostages and their families.

“They are going through an inhuman nightmare every day, every minute,” he said of the hostages still in Gaza. He said that his commitment was to work tirelessly to free all the hostages, living and dead.

Netanyahu criticised the media for “lies” and denied any political considerations were behind the resumed military operation in Gaza.

“They have no shame, they have no red lines,” he asserted, referring to critics in the media. “They simply echo Hamas’s propaganda time and time again,” he said. “So I want to say to Hamas – don’t rely on this. Because nothing will stop us from achieving all the goals of the war.”

Netanyahu praised the IDF and other branches of the security establishment, including the Shin Bet, whose director Ronen Bar he has told he intends to fire this week.

Regarding the renewed fighting in the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu insisted that “military pressure is a necessary condition” for further hostage releases. “Hurting Hamas militarily and the freeing of our hostages are not contradictory goals. They are goals that complement each other.”

According to Hamas officials, at least 413 Palestinians have been killed, including women and children.

On a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis in Yemen at Israel on Monday, Netanyahu said he “greatly appreciates” US military cooperation against the “Iranian axis in Yemen”.

“We still have a great deal of work to do against other parts of the axis of evil,” he says before his customary sign-off that a unified Israel will defeat its enemies. “With God’s help, united we will act, and we will win.”

STARMER REJECTS LAMMY AID CLAIM

Downing Street this week rowed back on Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s claim that Israel broke international law by blocking aid shipments to Gaza.

After questions were raised about the government’s position following Lammy’s remarks, No 10 said instead Israel was “at clear risk of breaching” its legal obligations.

Asked by Labour MP Rupa Huq what the consequences would be for the “provocative action” of blocking aid during the holy month of Ramadan, Lammy told the Commons: “Well, my honourable friend is right. This is a breach of international law.

“Israel, quite rightly, must defend its own security, but we find the lack of aid ... unacceptable, hugely alarming and very worrying.”

The prime minister’s

official spokesman was asked whether Lammy had been speaking for the whole of the government.

He replied: “As the foreign secretary said, and CDL (the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster) said on the morning round, our position remains that Israel’s actions in Gaza are at clear risk of breaching international humanitarian law.

“And we continue to call on the government of Israel to abide by its international obligations when it comes to humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza.”

Downing Street declined to say whether the foreign secretary had misspoken and would correct the record, insisting that “parliamentary issues” were a matter for the Foreign Office.

The Foreign Office has been contacted for comment.

Meanwhile, the UK’s ambassador to Israel, Simon Walters, has issued a strong statement voicing his opposition to the renewal of the fighting. In a post on social media, he said Israel’s latest onslaught would lead neither to the defeat of Hamas, nor the return of the hostages. “Instead, there will be more death: of hostages, of Palestinian civilians, of IDF soldiers,” Walters said.

He added: “I have worked in and around conflicts for 30 years, and grew up in Northern Ireland during the height of the

US in new move to hunt down Hamas

A US Justice Department taskforce will seek redress for victims of the Hamas 7 October attack on Israel, in the latest Trump administration move demonstrating support for Jews and Israelis.

The taskforce, announced by attorney-general Pam Bondi, will bring together federal lawyers, FBI agents and intelligence analysts to prosecute people who took part in the attack as well as Hamas leaders who orchestrated it.

Many of those have been killed in the subsequent war in Gaza.

The group will also “investigate acts of terrorism and civil rights violations by individuals and entities providing support and financing to Hamas, related Iran proxies and their affiliates, as well as acts of antisemitism by these groups”.

Among others, this

includes campus agitators the US has accused of being “aligned to Hamas”.

The announcement reflects the latest way the Trump administration is devoting considerable energy to showing support for American Jews alarmed by the 7 October attack and its aftermath in the US.

Trump has pledged to deport non-citizen pro-Palestinian campus protesters, a process the government has already begun; has issued an executive order on antisemitism and has opened new investigations into alleged antisemitism at colleges and medical schools.

“The victims of Hamas’s decades-long violent campaign of terrorism against Israel will always have the support of the US government,” deputy attorney general Todd Blanche said.

terrorist campaigns. One of the main lessons I take from that experience is that at some point the fighting has to stop and the diplomacy begin. That point is now.”

Tuesday’s statement came as Israel’s military confirmed it has dismissed a reservist serving as a combat navigator who announced that he would not report for duty in protest of the government’s conduct and the renewed fighting in the Gaza Strip.

While this was a lone case, reports from Israel said there is concern that refusal to report for duty will become more widespread. Military chiefs are set to speak with reserve personnel in various squadrons to prevent this. Walters’ concern came as Foreign Office minister Lord Collins branded the end of the ceasfire “appalling”. He told the House of Lords: “We do not want to see a return to fighting. The reported civilian casualties resulting from these strikes are appalling.”

MP HITS AT 7 OCT0BER SEX CRIME ‘SILENCE’

A government minister received a standing ovation this week after denouncing women’s groups for their silence on Hamas’ sexual violence against Israelis on 7 October 2023.

Alex Davies-Jones, minister for victims and violence against women and girls, was speaking at a Jewish Women’s Aid event in London for International Women’s Day.

She praised the charity for its work supporting Jewish survivors of domestic abuse and antisemitism.

Davies-Jones – who wore a yellow ribbon pin in support of Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza – also called out antisemitism and commended the charity for raising awareness of sexual violence carried out by the terror group.

The violence, DaviesJones said, consisted of “acts

of exceptional brutality. These were war crimes carried out in a systemic and pre-emptive manner... but these were atrocities which the world – including those supposedly committed to human rights and the safety of women and girls – has decided to downplay and ignored.”

She added: “It is difficult to escape the conclusion that the denial, disinformation and disbelief surrounding Hamas’ atrocities stems directly from the nationality of the victims.”

A body of a Palestinian killed in airstrikes on Tuesday is brought to Shifa Hospital

Einav Zangauker, mother of Israeli hostage Matan Zangauker, climbs through barbed wire during a protest on the Gaza border

Alex Davies-Jones MP

Hamas an ‘existential threat to Palestinians’

Hamas represents an “existential risk to the very existence of the Palestinian people” a leading Gazan-American writer and advocate for co-existence with Israel has warned, writes Lee Harpin.

Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib told a Realign For Palestine (RFP) event in the US hosted by the Atlantic Council: “Hamas has been a useful idiot to the far-right in Israel to just make our people vulnerable such that we are even talking about their potential expulsion.

“Hamas’s base was weaponised as a useful idiot to keep the Palestinians politically divided, to keep the Palestinians away from realising the two-state solution.

“That’s not blaming Israel for all our problems [but] simply saying Hamas was very valuable for some extremists in Israel. That alone should delegitimise Hamas, make it worthy of contempt, worthy of being completely rejected.”

RFP is a first-of-its-kind project to elevate pragmatic Palestinian voices committed to nonviolence, coexistence and a two-nation solution.

It aims to redefine pro-Palestine advocacy by amplifying Palestinian voices that reject armed resistance narratives and extremist ideologies in favour of constructive solutions that lead to a viable Palestinian state and a secure Israel.

Appearing with Alkhatib was Kamal Mashharawi, a 25-yearold who worked for his family’s solar company in Gaza City before escaping the region as Israel responded to the 7 October attacks.

Both agreed pro-Palestinian activism elsewhere often had a damaging e ect on those it sought to help, particularly through support for Hamas and calls for “armed resistance” as the only way forward.

Mashharawi said: “Basically a lot of these people are either born here (in the US) or born outside Palestine. They have never seen how armed resistance never served any mission in the entire world... most major conflicts in the entire world were solved by diplomacy and negotiation – in Northern Ireland, South Africa and other places in the world.”

He bemoaned the fact that instead, pro-Palestine activists outside Gaza and the West Bank

Peer pushes Bill for Palestine recognition

Lib Dem peer Baroness Northover has attracted crossparty support for a Bill calling for immediate recognition of a Palestinian state – but opponents warned it would act as a “licence for further terrorism”, writes Lee Harpin.

The former minister tabled the Palestine Statehood (Recognition) Bill in the hope of pushing the UK government to act on its ambition for a two-state solution by recognising Palestine as a sovereign and independent state.

Introducing the Bill, she said: “Some say that recognition is merely symbolic, not changing anything on the ground, but recognition has importance – that Palestinians have the right to self-determination, just like Israelis.

“The actions and words

of the current Israeli government seem intent on making it even less likely ... several Israeli ministers have been clear they will never accept such an outcome.”

The Bill was backed by several Labour and Conservative peers, although it also faced strong opposition.

Conservative former minister Baroness Altmann

warned that Hamas wanted to “wipe Israel o the map” and had spent years preparing the 7 October attack.

If one side did not seek peace there would be a repeat of “past failures”, she said, adding: “This Bill, if passed, would be a licence for further terrorism I’m afraid ... a signal that deliberately killing, torturing and murdering Jews and promising to do it again and again will bring rewards from civilised countries whose emotions you have deliberately manipulated.”

The Bill received an unopposed second reading, as is convention for private members’ bills in the upper house, and will undergo further scrutiny later, but faces a battle to make progress due to a lack of parliamentary time.

BIBAS CHARITY RAISES £1.5M

A fundraiser for former hostage

has raised £1.5m after passing the £1m

less than a day after launch.

The funds, collected via the Lehosheet Yad (Lend A Hand) foundation, will assist with “professional support, mental health assistance and financial resources to gradually regain a sense of normalcy”, Yarden’s father Eli wrote on the campaign page

had been “not only supporting armed resistance, but also promoting radical and extremist ideologies that don’t actually serve the Palestinian cause.

“And a lot of it is based on misinformation and a lot of misunderstanding of what the Palestinian conflict is about.”

He added: “Having armed resistance in the form of Hamas or other groups, is basically destroying all the goals that we have.”

Before his release six weeks ago, Yarden endured almost 500 days as a hostage in Gaza’s tunnels, only then learning of the loss of his wife Shiri and their sons Ariel and Kfir, all murdered in captivity.

At a video launch Yarden’s sister Ofri Bibas Levy called for support to “try and heal Yarden, and to fulfil his wish of eternalising the memories of Shiri and the boys”.

She added: “It’s important to us, in the way we choose to memorialise their memories, to remember them as who they were prior to October – as sweet, happy children, as an 7 amazing and happy family.”

Yarden Bibas

mark

Yarden Bibas with his sister Ofri

Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib (centre), joined by Merissa Khurma, left, and Kamal Masharawi.

Right: Hamas terrorists oversee a hostage release

Baroness Northover

Parliamentary report names all UK victims of 7 October

All 18 British nationals killed in Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023 have been named for the first time in a report commissioned by MPs and peers, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

Rotem Kalderon, a 66-year-old dual UK-Israeli national, had not previously been named in lists of British casualties.

A teacher and lifelong resident of Kibbutz Be’eri, a settlement about three miles from the Gaza Strip, she lay unidentified for two weeks after the attack on her home on 7 October 2023.

Her name appeared for the first time among the list of British casualties with the publication of a report on the 7 October attacks commissioned by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Israel and led by historian and Conservative peer Lord Roberts.

Some 16 British nationals killed in the initial attack had already been identified, along with a further UK citizen, 51-year-old Nadav Popplewell. Israel announced in June last year that he had been murdered by Hamas while being held hostage.

His brother, Roi Popplewell, 54, was killed at his home in the initial attack, and their 79-year-old mother

Channah Peri was taken hostage but released in November 2023. Lord Roberts’ report was com-

that much of the evidence for the massacres derives from film footage from cameras carried by

Some of the 18 British victims, clockwise from top left: Lianne, Noiya and Yahel Sharabi; Yonatan Rapoport; Yannai and Liel Hetzroni-Heller; Dor Shafir –with his girlfriend Savyon Kipper, who was also killed

missioned in January last year as an attempt to establish the exact sequence of events that took place on 7 October and counter misinformation about the attacks.

The historian said Hamas and its allies “have sought to deny the atrocities, despite the ironic fact

the terrorists themselves”.

He added: “The present report has been undertaken to counter such pernicious views, and to lay down incontrovertible proof – for now and for the years to come – that nearly 1,200 innocent people were indeed murdered by Hamas and its

allies, and very often in scenes of sadistic barbarism not seen in world history since the Rape of Nanjing in 1937”. Lord Roberts’ report found 1,182 people were killed in a “largescale, coordinated assault” by about 7,000 Hamas militants that had been years in the planning.

Civilians accounted for 73 percent of the victims, the report found, with the youngest being a newborn baby and the oldest a 92-year-old Holocaust survivor.

It also found evidence of widespread sexual violence and desecration of corpses including mutilation, beheadings and booby-trapping of bodies with grenades.

Lord Roberts added: “The purpose of commissioning our report has been to chronicle the events of 7 October with clarity and meticulous, fact-checking precision, to ensure it is never forgotten.”

Along with Rotem Kalderon and the Popplewell brothers, the other British nationals killed by Hamas were: Bernard Cowan, 57; Sgt Nathanel Young, 20; Danny Darlington, 34; Jake Aaron Marlowe, 26; Aner Shapira, 22; Sgt Maj Dvora Abraham, 40; Yonatan Rapoport, 41; Lianne Sharabi, 48; Noiya Sharabi, 16; Yahel Sharabi, 13; Maj Benjamin Trakeniski, 32; Yannai and Liel Hetzroni-Heller, both 12; Sgt 1st Class Joseph Malachi Guedalia, 22; Dor Hanan Shafir, 30.

MIRVIS PULLS OUT OF ISRAEL ANTISEMITISM CONFERENCE OVER FAR-RIGHT INVOLVEMENT

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has withdrawn from an Israeli government-organised conference on antisemitism over concerns about invitations to far-right European political figures, write Lee Harpin.

His spokesman said: “Having been made aware of the attendance of a number of far-right populist politicians at the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism, the Chief Rabbi will no longer be attending.”

The announcement came shortly after Jewish News revealed that Lord Mann and the leading academic David Hirsh have also both cancelled their participation at the event.

The trio join a growing list of invited speakers and participants in the conference who have announced in recent days that they will not be attending because of participation by representatives of extremist political parties.

A senior UK o cial told Jewish News the event, and the decision to invite figures from far-right parties in Europe, had become a “diplomatic nightmare” for Israel’s foreign ministry.

Jewish News understands the Board of Dep-

uties has also opted not to send its own representative to the event.

The conference on 26 and 27 March has been organised by Israeli diaspora minister Amichai Chikli with a stated aim of providing a platform to discuss e orts in combating antisemitism.

Rabbi Mirvis and Lord Mann are both understood to have had speaking roles at the event.

Attendees are also o ered a tour of the West Bank, where participants “shall explore the diverse aspects of life and coexistence in the region, delve into ancient biblical sites and gain a comprehensive understanding of the region’s strategic importance”.

Far-right political figures invited include Jordan Bardella, president of the French National Rally party; Marion Marechal, a French member of the European Parliament; and Hermann Tertsch, a Spanish MEP.

Chikli has previously signalled his support for e orts to strengthen Israel’s ties with Europe’s far-right parties, which had previously been boycotted because of their associations with antisemitism and Nazism.

In the run-up to the event, the UK government’s antisemitism adviser Lord Mann and Goldsmiths University professor Hirsh have joined French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy and two German o cials in turning down invi-

tations. Lord Mann said: “The quality of some of the opposition politicians speaking is not su ciently high enough to entice me from competing priorities. There is nothing for the UK to learn about tackling antisemitism from some of these characters.”

Hirsh said there were too many speakers who “associate themselves with anti-democratic and anti-egalitarian movements”.

He added: “It is clear to me that anti-democratic thinking is fertile ground for antisemitism and that the best way to undermine antisemitism is to support democratic thinking, movements and states.”

Volker Beck, a former German Bundestag member, added his voice to the backlash, writing: “If we associate ourselves with extreme right-wing forces, we discredit our common cause; it also goes against my personal convictions and will have a negative impact on our fight against antisemitism within our societies.”

Other attendees at the event include President Isaac Herzog, Benjamin Netanyahu and Argentina’s President Javier Milei.

Some of the speakers at next week’s event

Peace camapigners win first Vivian Silver award

by Annabel Sinclair

Two peace activists at the forefront of Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation have been awarded the inaugural Vivian Silver Impact Award in recognition of their work towards a shared future for both peoples.

May Pundak, an Israeli Jew, and Dr Rula Hardal, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, serve as co-directors of A Land for All (ALFA), a joint movement advocating a new political model based on two independent states, Israel and Palestine, within a shared homeland.

The award, named after the late Canadian-Israeli activist Vivian Silver, is given annually to two women, one Jewish and one Arab, who have made significant strides in advancing peace, gender equality, or Arab-Jewish partnership.

Silver, 74, who was murdered in the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, spent her life promoting equality, coexistence and a shared future between Israelis and Palestinians.

Speaking to Jewish News, Pundak and Hardal described

receiving the award as both an honour and solemn responsibility.

“Vivian was a trailblazer, an incredible leader,” Pundak reflected.

“She was a believer, and she was persistent. She didn’t run away from conflicts or difficulties.

“She lived on the border of Gaza and was constantly moving forward when it came to imagining and doing the work for a better future for Israelis and Palestinians.”

Hardal echoes these sentiments, highlighting the emotional weight of receiving an award in Silver’s name. “It’s also sad that we are holding this award in the name of such an incredible woman who was killed by my people on 7 October,” she said. “She invested her life in creating a better life for both sides.”

Silver’s commitment to peace was rooted in pragmatism and collaboration, principles that guide ALFA’s work. The organisation aims to move beyond the stagnation of past negotiations by proposing a confederal model that acknowledges the interconnectedness of Israelis and Palestinians.

“She [Silver] was an idealist, but she was very much a realist,” Pundak noted. “She was pragmatic and looked for dramatic ways to do important political and idealist

work. She knew that if Israelis and Palestinians don’t find a way to live together, we’re just going to kill each other, which is what’s happening right now.”

This ethos is embedded in ALFA’s two states, one homeland model. The initiative recognises both people’s claims to the land while ensuring that mutual recognition, power-sharing and free movement replace the rigid barriers of previous peace proposals.

While some critics argue that peace efforts should be postponed in light of recent violence, Hardal

Charities voice concern at impact of welfare reforms

Norwood chief executive Naomi Dickson has expressed concern about the impact of the government’s welfare reforms on people with neurodevelopmental disabilities who face cuts to their benefits, writes Lee Harpin.

In a statement released in response to radical changes to the welfare system announced by work and pensions minister Liz Kendall, Dickson said: “We are really concerned that the government’s plans to cut disability benefits will place substantial financial constraints on people with neurodevelopmental disabilities.

“People with significant disabilities already face increased costs in their daily lives to perform everyday tasks and to lead fulfilled lives.

“We regret that this latest round of welfare cuts will do nothing to achieve the government’s stated aim of supporting

more people with disabilities into work and instead risks further marginalising them and hampering their prospects.”

Kendall announced £5bn of savings on Tuesday, which will come largely from changes to eligibility for the personal independence payment (PIP), but also from a reduction to the health element of universal credit.

More than two million people are likely to see reductions in their income as a result of changes to incapacity and disability benefits and a million people are set to be affected by toughened tests to qualify for PIP, the main disability benefit.

Dickson added: “We welcome the government’s commitment to supporting people with a range of disabilities into the workplace. We hope that this will translate into support to empower those that are able into appropriate employment that allows them to make a mean-

ingful contribution and enriches our society as result.

“We add our voices to calls from our partners in the sector for the government to work with us to affect real change.”

Ahead of Tuesday’s Commons announcement, Paperweight, the leading Jewish charity providing practical support across a spectrum of legal, financial, welfare, postbereavement and administrative matters, hosted Lady Elaine Sacks and David Pinto-Duschinsky, MP for Hendon and on Pprliament’s work and pensions committee, where welfare reforms were discussed.

Paperweight CEO Bayla Perrin said: “At a time when there’s uncertainty around benefits and the bar is reportedly likely to be set a much higher level in the future, expert, empathetic guidance has never been more essential to ensure an individual’s voice is heard, needs recognised and rights upheld.”

rejected this notion outright.

“Maybe we need another two, three, or four decades until we are emotionally able to speak about peace,” she said. “That is something I cannot accept. Nobody has the right to tell us it’s not the time. The time was before 7 October. And it is definitely the time now.”

For Pundak, the war and its atrocities have only reinforced the need for an urgent political solution. “The only way to truly win against Hamas is through a political solution,” she said. “They are dragging us into an impossible

military cycle, and the only way to resist that is by choosing peace.”

Looking ahead, Pundak and Hardal hope to make ALFA’s vision the leading political framework for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Their organisation has already garnered international support, including backing from Virgin Unite, the philanthropic arm of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group.

“Our goal is to ensure that people who choose life, between the river and the sea and around the world, have a political vision they can rally behind,” Pundak said. “We need to end this conflict once and for all and not take any less than that.”

While their movement is still growing, the award has only strengthened their determination to push forward.

“Vivian was much more of a visionary than we are,” Pundak said. “We are pragmatists. We see ourselves as doing the political work that our leadership has failed in. That is how we will honour her legacy.”

With growing momentum and renewed international focus, Pundak and Hardal are committed to ensuring that Silver’s life’s work does not end with her but instead continues to inspire a future of peace, dignity and equality.

May Pundak (left) and Dr Rula Hardal are directors of A Land for All

Vivian Silver

Gal Gadot cemented her place in Hollywood history on Tuesday, unveiling her star on the Walk of Fame in a heartfelt ceremony that paid tribute to her Israeli roots. The Wonder Woman star addressed her family in Hebrew and reflected on her journey from the town of Rosh Ha’ayin to international stardom

Dad would be humbled by all the love, says Oded’s daughter

The daughter of Oded Lifshitz, the 83-yearold peace activist and kibbutz pioneer murdered in captivity by Hamas, says she is “humbled” by the “extraordinary” wave of love and support from the global Jewish community, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

Speaking to Jewish News in her first interview since sitting shiva for her father, London-based filmmaker and academic Sharone Lifschitz reflected on the immense solidarity that has surrounded her family.

Thousands, including Israel’s president, gathered to honour her father as he was laid to rest in the kibbutz he helped build.

He was taken hostage from Kibbutz Nir Oz on 7 October. His wife, Yocheved, 85, was abducted alongside him but released after two weeks. His remains were returned to Israel more than 500 days after he was kidnapped.

Sharone says she remains resolute “the fight is not over”, emphasising the urgency of bringing home the remaining hostages.

“Some of them are no longer alive,” she says, “but there are families that need them back so they can bury them and feel the certainty that their loved ones are not suffering.”

Saying she feels deeply connected to “God’s community”, Sharone expressed pro-

found gratitude to Jewish groups in both the UK and Israel: “People are looking after me, sending food, organising events and sharing incredible messages of support and love. It’s extraordinary,” she said Sharone hopes for the chance to thank everyone personally. “Some never met my father,

yet he was a loved member of their family in so many ways. That means everything to me.”

She says she remembers her father as “unwavering, clear-headed and loving. He said to me quite a few years ago that you’re never too old to feel like an orphan, and I’m very much feeling like an orphan.

She said Oded’s wife Yocheved hoped against hope for good news, despite “somehow anticipating” what the devastating outcome might be. “It still takes you by surprise, the blow of the relief knowing he’s not suffering and on the other hand, the finality of our loss.”

She was at Kibbutz Nir Oz last Shabbat and says: “It’s somehow almost surprising that we have a grave, because for so long we were in limbo and wanted to visit the grave in a quiet moment. I wanted to see the grave again before the stone is set.”

Her father, she says, “would be amazed; he would be humbled” by the public response. “We buried my father, then we went to the funeral of Shiri and the kids, Ariel and Kfir. We are part of a tribe, but also part of a small community that has lost so many people. My father would certainly feel he had a full life.”

Sharone says she believes firmly what Oded stood for was the realisation “opportunities to make the world a better place are not infinite, and you must use the good.

“The clarity of his voice touched so many people, and I hope will continue to be a guiding light to look at the world with compassion, looking at all of us, our own tribe and other tribes, and seeing how linked we are.”

Oded Lifshitz was taken hostage from Kibbutz Nir Oz (Picture: Amiram Oren)

‘Compelled to help’: the ex-MP now living in Kyiv

Brooks Newmark tells Annabel Sinclair he has relocated to Ukraine where his charity is shifting its focus on to youngsters with PTSD

Brooks Newmark isn’t just donating to Ukraine’s war e ort – he’s packing up his life and moving to the front lines. The former Conservative MP for Braintree will relocate to Kyiv next month to expand his charity’s work, helping children scarred by three years of war.

His charity, Angels for Ukraine, which has helped evacuate more than 35,000 civilians since Russia’s invasion, is now shifting its focus to supporting children su ering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Newmark, who has spent the past three years travelling frequently to Ukraine, said his decision to relocate was driven by a belief that direct action is more meaningful than o ering support from a distance.

“Things happen when I’m there,” he told Jewish News. “I’m not someone who just

writes cheques. I want to be on the ground, making a di erence.”

For Newmark, the war in Ukraine is not just a humanitarian crisis but a personal calling shaped by his Jewish heritage.

“I grew up on stories about Oskar Schindler and Sir Nicholas Winton, two figures who risked everything to save Jews,” he said. “One of Ukraine’s chief rabbis once called me a modern-day Schindler, which was incredibly flattering, but I told him it’s actually the opposite. I’m a Jew helping gentiles who need support.”

Newmark acknowledges Ukraine’s complex history with its Jewish community, noting that 25 percent of the Jews murdered in the Holocaust were Ukrainian, and some Ukrainians played a role in betraying Jewish communities. “But that was generations ago,” he said.

Right now, there are people su ering, and as a Jew, I feel a compulsion to help.”

Since working in Ukraine, Newmark has developed strong ties with the country’s Jewish community, particularly Rabbi Moshe Azman of Kyiv. It was through these relationships that he found himself reconnecting with his Jewish identity.

“I wasn’t particularly religious before, more culturally Jewish,” he said. “But Rabbi Azman pulled me into a synagogue, made me read the prayers, and made me reconnect with Judaism in a way I never expected.”

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Email a brief paragraph about yourself (and attach your CV) to Richard Ferrer – richard@jewishnews.co.uk

While many Ukrainian Jews fled at the start of the war, those who remained have been at the forefront of humanitarian e orts.

“The Jewish community in Ukraine isn’t just looking after itself,” Newmark said. “They’re doing incredible work for the broader population, and that has built a lot of goodwill between Jews and non-Jews.”

He also noted that the war had prompted a greater recognition of Jewish contributions to Ukraine, particularly with President Volodymyr Zelensky, himself Jewish, leading the country’s resistance against Russia.

Newmark’s decision to relocate to Kyiv follows the completion of his doctorate at Oxford, where he has been studying education reform in Rwanda. His experience working in post-conflict societies has influenced his latest initiative: a nationwide PTSD training programme for Ukrainian teachers and school sta .

The programme, developed in collaboration with Ukraine’s Department of Education, was originally based on an Israeli model designed to support children living under constant rocket fire. “We first worked with an Israeli charity near Sderot, which has years of experience helping children cope with the trauma of missile attacks from Gaza,” he explained. “We’ve adapted that model for Ukraine.”

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The goal is to train at least one adult in every school across Ukraine to provide psychological support to children experiencing PTSD. “With nightly missile and drone attacks, children are constantly being woken by sirens,” Newmark said. “Over time, that takes a huge toll. Our programme is designed to help them cope.” His move comes at a time of increased uncertainty for Ukraine, with ongoing Russian attacks and the potential threat of reduced Western aid under Donald Trump’s presidency.

Newmark warned that a shift in United States policy could leave Ukraine permanently weakened. “Trump is more interested in striking a deal than holding Putin accountable,” he said. “Ukraine risks losing 20 per cent of its country with no consequences for Russia’s war crimes.”

Newmark, who previously co-founded an education charity in Rwanda, said that his work in Ukraine is not dependent on how long the war continues. “Whether the war ends tomorrow or lasts another five years, these children will still need help,” he said. “That’s why I’m going.”

While he remains focused on expanding Angels for Ukraine, his long-term vision may also include supporting education e orts in Ukraine, similar to his work in Rwanda. “I see so much that needs to be done, and I want to do more,” he said. “I feel very fortunate that I have the freedom and resources to dedicate myself to this work.”

For now, he hopes others will continue to support Ukraine through charities like Angels for Ukraine and World Jewish Relief, which have been heavily involved in aid e orts.

“As Oskar Schindler said, ‘If you save one life, you save the world,’” Newmark remarked. “That’s what motivates me.

“I don’t know how many lives I’ve saved, but I know that I’ve helped, and that’s enough to keep me going.”

Brooks Newmark helping to evacuate Ukrainian refugees

mother and daughter evacuated from a Russian-controlled area near Pechenihy

Media award back following Gaza row

The Royal Television Society has committed to the return of its special journalism award following pausing the prize over “recent controversy around some Gaza coverage”.

News veteran Jonathan Dimbleby, Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan GuruMurthy, Sky News journalist Alex Crawford and BBC journalists Fergal Keane and Orla Guerin are among 300 media figures who signed a letter expressing “shock and disgust” at the failure to recognise the journalists of Gaza.

The Royal Television Society ( RTS) had been due to honour the “journalists at the television journalism awards on 5 March but subsequently reversed this decision” on the day, the letter said.

The BBC had apologised for and removed the documentary Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone from iPlayer, saying it had “identified serious flaws” in the making of the programme.

C4 News admitted that the son of a Hamas official, who narrates the BBC programme, was briefly part of its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.

Following the broadcasters’ letter, an RTS spokeswoman said: “The society remains committed to recognising the work of journalists in Gaza

and will be making the special award. It is discussing how this will take place.”

The letter from broadcasters – including Channel 4’s chief correspondent Alex Thompson, executive producer and former editor of Channel 4 News Ben de Pear, Oscar-winning directors Kevin MacDonald and Asif Kapadia, and RTS and Emmy-winning director Ramita Navai – said they were concerned by the RTS’ “lack of transparency”. They copied in the King, the royal patron of the RTS, and requested to meet with him.

“Journalists in Gaza have indeed achieved this with exceptional coverage that, despite unimaginable challenges, has brought the reali-

ties of the war to a global audience,” the letter also said.

“Their work has made a profound impact, showcasing resourcefulness, creativity and enterprise under extreme conditions, which the RTS itself values in its awards criteria.”

The UK Screen Industry, which coordinated the statement, said it welcomes the “U-turn” but said the “charity’s statement does little to address or allay our concerns”.

It added: “It is clear to all that this award must be presented at the RTS Programme Awards on 25 March with the full recognition and honour these journalists deserve.

“Any further delay would only serve to undermine the RTS’s credibility further.”

IMAM WON’T BE CHARGED Six months for Mann

The Metropolitan Police has decided not to pursue charges against a London imam who delivered a sermon invoking curses on Jews and calling for the destruction of their homes.

The Jewish Chronicle reports that the sermon, delivered soon after the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks, was found not to have broken the law, despite including statements such as: “O Allah, curse the Jews and the children of Israel. O Allah, curse the infidels and the polytheists. O Allah, break their words, shake their feet, disperse and tear apart their unity and ruin their houses and destroy their homes.”

Following the initial decision not to treat the sermon as a crime, police faced criticism and agreed to review their stance. However, after further investigation and consultation with independent counsel and an unnamed academic expert, they reaffirmed the original decision.

A police spokesperson told the newspaper that offense had been caused by the language used, particularly among London’s Jewish communities, but emphasised their investigations concluded the legal threshold for action was not met.

The government has confirmed it has extended Lord Mann’s role as its independent adviser on antisemitism for a further six months.

But Jewish News understands discussions are also continuing to take place on changing the way the government communicates with the community on antisemitism in the future.

Mann was appointed in 2019 by then Conservative prime minister Theresa May on a five-year basis. His work has since ben praised by successive governments, with Keir Starmer among those praising his “important work”.

After Labour came to power last July, it was confirmed that Mann was being reappointed in the role up until the end of March this year.

Asked for an update on the position, a spokesperson at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed that “Lord Mann’s role as independent adviser on antisemitism has been extended for a further six months”.

The short extension will fuel speculation that Deputy PM and Communities Secretary Angela Rayner is now planning to change the way the government’s works on tackling the scourge of antisemitism.

The BBC has admitted to flaws in its Gaza documentary

‘I thought I would die’, says kidnapped music producer

When Itay Kashti accepted an invitation to a music workshop in Wales, he thought it was a promising career opportunity, writes Annabel Sinclair. Instead, he found himself in a terrifying ordeal, handcuffed to a radiator, beaten and fearing for his life. Now, after his attackers have been jailed, the Jewish-Israeli music producer is speaking out about the trauma that has changed his life forever.

Kashti, 45, who moved to London from Israel in 2007 to expand his music career, was lured to a remote cottage in Llanybydder, Wales, in August 2024. The invitation had seemed like a routine professional opportunity, but it was a carefully orchestrated trap.

Three men, Faiz Shah, Mohammad Comrie, and Elijah Ogunnubi-Sime, had posed as representatives of a reputable music company, having meticulously planned his kidnapping in a Telegram group chat.

Speaking to Jewish News, Kashti recalled, “As soon as I stepped into the cottage, something felt off.

Within seconds, they attacked me.” His kidnappers restrained him, kicking him in the head and handcuffing him to a radiator. “I was told if I tried to escape, I’d be killed.”

Although the group’s plan was to coerce money from him, their scheme quickly collapsed when the taxi driver who had brought Kashti to the cottage managed to escape and alert authorities. The attackers fled but were later found hiding in a

nearby field by the police.

Reflecting on the attack, Kashti said that the moment immediately reminded him of the Hamas-led 7 October massacre in Israel.

“When this happened to me, I thought, ‘This is like they’re doing to me what they did to them,’” he said. “I was helpless and being threatened, and the horror of that day was very prominent in my mind afterwards.”

The court later heard that Kashti

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had been targeted not just for financial gain but because of his Jewish identity. Messages between the attackers referenced his Israeli heritage, made false accusations about his wealth and showed “no remorse” for their actions.

“They saw this as a legitimate cause to do all these horrible things to me,” Kashti said.

Since the attack, he has struggled to rebuild his confidence, particularly in his professional life. “My job requires me to reach out to new people, but now I hesitate,” he admitted. “It’s not just about safety; it’s about trust.”

Despite support from the Community Security Trust (CST), which provided therapy, he said financial compensation from the government remains uncertain. “I had to stay quiet about what happened for so long, and picking up the pieces has been difficult.”

Last week, Swansea Crown Court sentenced Shah, Comrie, and Ogunnubi-Sime to eight years and

one month in prison. The judge condemned their actions as “utterly abhorrent” and confirmed that Kashti has been targeted due to his Jewish identity. A 15-year restraining order was also imposed.

The response to the sentencing has been mixed. While UK authorities considered the punishment severe, Kashti noted that Israeli media viewed it as too lenient.

“From an Israeli perspective, eight years doesn’t seem like enough,” he said. “But I can’t control that. I just hope they’ve learnt from this and that they never do it again.”

When asked what he would say to his attackers, his answer was simple: “Goodbye.”

After everything, he refused to let the attack define him. “I don’t want people to lose trust in the places they live,” he said. “The Jewish community is a huge source of support. We must never feel alone.”

As he continues to rebuild his life, he hopes his experience serves as both a warning and a message of resilience.

Faiz Shah, Mohammad Comrie and Elijah Ogunnubi-Sime

Special Report / University safeguarding

Empowering students on healthy relationships

Jewish Women’s Aid has expanded its university ambassador programme amid rising campus concerns, writes Sandy Rashty

For many students, going to university brings a sense of freedom and anticipation of the unknown. Some enjoy the independence that comes with living away from their parents’ home, while others focus on pursuing an education that could lead to their dream job.

But some describe campus as a pressurecooker, saying it’s hard to navigate healthy relationships amid the drinking culture and open attitude towards sex at campuses across the UK. Statistics show 16-24 year-olds are the most likely to experience relationship abuse, to face issues around healthy relationships, consent and derogatory language.

That’s why Jewish Women’s Aid (JWA) has launched its JWA University Ambassadors’ programme, a peer-to-peer prevention initiative that encourages university students to inform and educate peers on a range

of issues, including healthy relationships, consent, and language. Since JWA launched its programme in 2023, the number of university ambassadors has increased by 150%from the initial eight to the 20 now at campuses across the UK.

It’s purpose? To encourage fellow students to take up leadership positions and prevent issues that could lead to abuse and relationship violence.

“I’ve spoken to students who are nervous before they come to university,” says former JFS student Ellie Greenberg, who is reading medicine at Exeter University. “At university,

there’s a big drinking culture and a big ‘hook-upculture. Some people find it difficult to say ‘no’.”

In her second year as a JWA university ambassador, the 20-year-old says a move to university dorms can be a big transition for some students.

“It’s different when you are at school and living at home, compared to meeting someone at university. They’re not meeting your parents first and they might not know your friends. At university, you are meeting people from all over the country, there’s more of a sense of freedom around sexual interactions.”

Greenberg, who attends Cockfosters and North Southgate Synagogue, says a Jewishbased support system around healthy relationships is key. “It’s important to have a Jewish organisation, or representative, who can help you,” she says.

It’s a sentiment echoed by fellow JWA ambassador Lucy Pollock, 19. Pollock, who is reading history at Oxford University, was “shocked” when she saw figures on abuse in young relationships.

She says: “Students have a lot more privacy at university than they do at home, so it’s not surprising that a lot of young Jewish students have their first sexual encounters at university.

“I think a lot of people are quite uninformed about things like consent and what they should or should not accept from a partner.”

Pollock, a member of Elstree and Borehamwood United Synagogue who also attends the Oxford Jewish Congregation, says a JWA university ambassador’s role is key: “Sometimes you just want to be able to talk to someone who is your own age and understands what you’re going through.”

For 20-year-old Liat Sherbourne, an Aston University psychology student, it is also important to get men involved in JWA’s education and prevention programme.

“When I became a JWA ambassador, I was surprised at how many issues around relationships and consent there are on campus,” she says. “There are still issues around so-called ‘banter’ and jokes about women, which do not help the issues JWA is there to combat. So I

think it would be good if more male students joined the Ambassadors’ programme.”

A former Hasmonean student and member of Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue, she says: “There is a lot of pressure on campus to be in a relationship. Sometimes, it can feel like a huge rush. If you have friends that are all in couples, you can feel like a ‘third-wheel’ and then maybe also feel like you should get in a relationship for the sake of it, rather than it being a healthy relationship.”

She adds: “That’s why I think it’s important to have a JWA university ambassador on campus, to be able to tell peers that you don’t have to cave to peer pressure if it’s not the right time or the right relationship for you.”

Reflecting on the programme, Sara Peacock, JWA’s schools engagement worker, says: “I am incredibly proud of our university ambassadors and their passion for creating safer spaces on campus. This programme is about empowering students to lead the way in fostering healthier relationships and creating a culture of consent. Creating a healthy culture is something everyone must play a part in, regardless of gender, and it’s inspiring to see our university ambassadors using the knowledge and skills they’re gaining to make a positive impact in their university community.”

Ellie Greenberg

Liat Sherbourne

Sara Peacock

Lucy Pollock

Picturing Purim a century ago

by Michelle Rosenberg michelle@jewishnews.co.uk

These incredible images documenting Purim celebrations in Israel during the 1920s have been made public by the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) archive.

The pictures were captured by Shmuel Joseph Schweig, one of the most wellknown photographers during the early years of Zionist life in Israel.

In the first photo, taken in March 1928, a young child is dressed as a sailor, wearing a uniform and hat. The costume represents a KKL-JNF ship, symbolising the arrival of Jewish people to Israel.

Another photo shows a child dressed as a citrus tree, with the costume crafted from leaves and branches, adorned with real oranges.

The third, taken in 1926, captures two children in original costumes. One child is dressed

in a split costume, with one half in black and the other in white, while the second child is wearing a dress decorated with Jewish symbols, including Stars of David.

Efrat Sinai, head of the archives department at KKLJNF said: “These photographs provide a fascinating historical window, not only into Purim celebrations but into the early days of Israeli society.

“They show how both children and adults created colourful, imaginative celebrations with the limited resources available to them— long before costume stores or a commercial industry surrounding the holiday. They capture the natural joy, Zionist values, and the sense of community that was being formed during that time.”

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

Leaving a gift in your Will, no matter how small or large, is one of the most valuable ways you can forge an everlasting bond with Israel.

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

Much of our work has only been possible thanks to the generosity of our legacy donors like Eric, who regarded the work of JNF UK as vital to realising the Zionist dream.

Tel Aviv 1928: A child dressed as a citrus tree, a symbol of Israeli and Zionist identity

Tel Aviv 1928: Two children in Purim costumes, one in a split blackand-white outfit, the other wears a dress with Jewish symbols

pictures: Joseph Schweig, KKL-JNF Photo Archive

Trump’s contempt for allies threatens Israel

BEN KENTISH

WRITER & LBC RADIO PRESENTER

You can accuse Donald Trump of many things. Wasting time is not one of them.

Trump has been back in o ce for two months and has spent much of that time rapidly unravelling America’s historic diplomatic ties and trashing its alliances.

He has repeatedly threatened not to come to the defence of NATO allies if they are attacked, undermining the very purpose of that military alliance. And he has hit close US allies and neighbours like Mexico and Canada with punishing tari s.

Then, of course, there is Ukraine. In barely any time at all, Trump halted American support for that country’s heroic defensive war against Vladimir Putin’s aggression and is now bullying and blackmailing Ukrainian president Volodymr Zelensky to try to force him to surrender to Russia. The Western consensus in favour of Ukraine’s right to defend itself has been swiftly demolished.

Ukraine is a US ally, heavily reliant on American weapons, fighting a war it didn’t start against an enemy of the West that appears to want to destroy it. Sound familiar?

It is, and that’s why anybody who cares about Israel’s long-term security and wants peace in the Middle East should be concerned by this new US approach to countries that are supposed to be America’s friends.

Trump has shown it does not matter how long-standing an ally a country is: he is ripping up the rulebook, and nothing is sacred or safe.

Threatened with the prospect of trade tari s and the unprecedented unravelling of US support for NATO, Britain can no longer a ord to treat the US as a reliable ally. Nor can Israel.

Under his “America First” doctrine, Trump will seek to cut American financial and military support to other countries where he sees an imbalance or thinks the benefits to the US aren’t great enough.

He has already decided, disastrously, that Ukraine falls into that category. It is perfectly possible that, at some point in the future, he might come to the view that Israel does too.

Any initial optimism about Trump’s

apparent support for Israel’s security needs should therefore be tempered by the reality of how shaky is the ground on which any of his allegiances are built.

To put it bluntly: a friend as unreliable and unpredictable as Trump is no real friend at all.

Already there are signs Trump’s support is superficial. His plan for Gaza isn’t really a plan at all. His unserious, unfeasible and almost certainly illegal proposal to forcibly deport the entire population of the Gaza Strip and take the territory under US control is nothing more than a gimmick designed to fill a vacuum where proper, grown-up leadership ought to be.

What Israel needs is a workable, US-facilitated, internationally-backed diplomatic agreement to rid Gaza of the scourge of Hamas and ensure the Strip no longer poses a security threat. Instead, from Trump, there is just blu , bluster and bravado.

Trump is approaching this issue, as he seems to approach most issues, from a place of personal self-interest. Where most people see a desperate situation, an intractable problem, a decades-long conflict causing endless su ering on all sides, Trump sees a business opportunity.

He may be the leader of the Free World but, before all that, he is a property tycoon.

Watch closely when he talks about his plan for Gaza and you can virtually see the dollar signs in his eyes. Rather than bringing a renewed drive for permanent peace and the removal of Hamas once and for all, he shares spoof AI-generated videos about a new Riviera.

Of course, it hasn’t all been bad. Trump deserves credit for his role in helping to secure the ceasefire deal that triggered the release of 33 hostages. But then he puts that fragile truce at risk with his out-of-the blue and widely condemned announcement about wanting to deport all Gaza’s current inhabitants.

In times as fearful as these, it is natural to want to snatch at what seems like a hand of solidarity and support. Still, we should not kid ourselves about Trump’s trustworthiness. His moods change with the wind, his foreign policy is based on whims and his friendships rarely last. His unpredictability can be a strength, but it is also a threat, especially to those who make the mistake of thinking he can be relied upon.

I just hope more US allies don’t have to learn that lesson the hard way.

A safeguarding revolution at the United Synagogue

CLAUDIA KITSBERG UNITED SYNAGOGUE HEAD OF SAFEGUARDING & WELFARE

People say no two days are the same at work. In my role as head of safeguarding and welfare at the United Synagogue, that couldn’t be more accurate. There is no typical day and I certainly couldn’t predict what or who my team and I are going to be working with. The only predictable aspect is we are making real differences to people’s lives.

An example is the day we spoke to Jackie (not her real name), a member of one of our synagogues. She was in a manipulative, financially-abusive relationship.

After recognising its harmful nature, she decided she wanted to leave, but faced significant obstacles. Her partner had isolated her from friends and family, leaving her without support or knowledge of available resources.

Desperate but uncertain where to turn, Jackie asked to her rabbi, who connected her with my department. Our conversations were a safe space where she could share her experiences at her own pace.

Through patient listening, we built trust

and eventually secured her agreement for a referral to Jewish Women’s Aid, which provided specialised support.

This exemplifies the power of our community connections. Our relationships with numerous charities and authorities enable us to signpost e ectively or collaborate with specialised organisations while providing crucial direct support ourselves.

It’s quite di erent from how things once were at the United Synagogue. Before the pandemic, when we practised “reactive safeguarding” (responding primarily to incidents), we required only a part-time safeguarding professional.

Today, we’ve established a comprehensive system built on “active safeguarding”, a philosophy that embeds safeguarding as everyone’s responsibility.

At the heart of this transformation is our full-time team of three safeguarding professionals, which I lead as the designated safeguarding lead (DSL).

My core team is supported by DSL-trained senior managers who meet monthly and trained community safeguarding coordinators who serve as vital “eyes and ears” in every United Synagogue community.

To ensure objectivity, we retain an independent safeguarding consultant from

outside the Jewish community who regularly audits our policies, practices and incident responses.

Our enhanced approach includes mandatory accredited training tailored to different roles, regularly updated policies with clear reporting procedures, quarterly newsletters sharing safeguarding updates and community resources that reinforce the reality that, sadly, abuse “can and does happen here”.

The results are telling. An average of four safeguarding concerns annually has grown to approximately 10 monthly, indicating a community where individuals feel safer coming forward. Cases involve members, volunteers or employees seeking support, though the alleged perpetrators are not necessarily connected to United Synagogue or the wider community.

Our safeguarding support encompasses the full spectrum of vulnerability. While we actively assist adult and child victims of physical, emotional, sexual and financial abuse, coercive control, domestic violence and sexual assault, our work also includes supporting families facing complex challenges with loved ones – from hoarding and dementia to suicidal ideation and other mental health crises.

We’ve implemented technological advancements to maintain vigilance: specialised software for documenting issues, a volunteer management system and an interactive platform delivering targeted training.

Our commitment extends throughout the wider Jewish community. We’re grateful to the JLC, with whom we have helped establish a cross-communal safeguarding forum that shares knowledge and best practice.

We exchange insights with other faith organisations and our relationships with local authorities have made us a valued resource in investigations requiring cultural or religious context.

While aware of our progress, we remain vigilant. Seminars bring sta and volunteers together with external experts and authorities, strengthening relationships.

The message is clear: safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

Nothing surpasses the importance of ensuring our synagogues and programmes remain safe spaces for all.

 Claudia is running the London Marathon for United Synagogue to enhance the services it provides.

Donate via www.theus.org.uk/claudia

US green card a privilege, not an inalienable right

JONATHAN HAROUNOFF

ISRAEL’S INTERNATIONAL SPOKESPERSON TO THE UNITED NATIONS

Iam honoured to be both a green card holder and an alumnus of Columbia University’s esteemed journalism school. This past week, both Columbia and the issue of permanent residency in the United States have dominated headlines for all the wrong reasons. Last week, Mahmoud Khalil, a Syria-born graduate of the university’s School of International and Public A airs (SIPA), was detained by federal agents after being accused of orchestrating campus “activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organisation”.

The White House further noted that Khalil, a green card holder – or legal permanent resident – had organised violent protests where pro-Hamas propaganda was distributed. He was subsequently designated a national security threat. President Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated: “This administration is not going to tolerate individuals having the

privilege of studying in our country and then siding with pro-terrorist organisations that have killed Americans.”

The White House and State Department also referenced a rarely-invoked provision allowing green card holders to be evicted if they pose “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States”.

Public opinion has since been divided around the nature and constitutionality of Khalil’s arrest and the evidence pointing to his material support of a terrorist organisation.

The green card is a coveted golden ticket to the American Dream, o ering a clear path to citizenship. Every single American citizen and legal resident in the US is entitled to the full scope of legal privileges and First Amendment protections. These protections are robust and firmly enshrined in law. Khalil is no di erent. However, if a fair and thorough legal process finds he has violated US law – such as by providing material support to a terrorist group like Hamas – then he should be deported.

While I find much of the extreme rhetoric espoused by Khalil and his supporters to be reprehensible, political speech and grassroots activism are core American values.

Such protections, however, do not shield anyone from engaging in illegal activities. Holding a green card is not an inalienable right;

it can be revoked if the holder commits a felony or provides false information in the application documents.

Though I strongly oppose many of Khalil’s views, he has the right to protest peacefully.

He does not have the right – green card holder or not – to engage in violence, harassment, trespassing, property damage and sending public safety o cers to the hospital.

Jewish-American and Israeli Columbia students, with whom I have spoken extensively over the past 16 months, have been terrified to attend class for fear of being tormented or attacked by agitators. Universities have an obligation to ensure their campuses are not breeding grounds for antisemitism.

To claim Khalil’s detainment was purely down to him speaking up is inaccurate. He is indeed entitled, as is any American citizen or resident, to express his views. As hard as it may be to hear, in the US the speech we most despise is often the speech that warrants the greatest protection. However, the Khalil case goes beyond mere speech.

He was a lead negotiator for Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), which has fashioned itself as a revolutionary movement hellbent on the destruction of the US, Israel and Western civilisation. Earlier in 2024, a CUAD member proclaimed “Zionists don’t deserve to

live”. Another CUAD Substack article eulogised Hamas leader and 7 October mastermind Yahya Sinwar as a “brave man”.

Groups like the Columbia Jewish Alumni Association applauded Khalil’s detainment not as a crackdown on free speech but because, “we have a problem with students taking over buildings, which prevents students from going to class, and distributing pro-Hamas materials which advocate for violence.”

The media and Twittersphere are abuzz over Khalil’s fate but a clear distinction is emerging: whether individuals like Khalil should be allowed to remain in the US from a moral standpoint versus a legal one. The moral debate will continue to unfold in public discourse, and will have no legal basis. As for the legal question, only a fair and rigorous legal process will determine whether Khalil will be deported.

An overlooked and frankly disheartening aspect of this entire saga is those who have passionately defended Khalil have been so conspicuously silent on the matter of the 59 hostages who have been held in Hamas terror tunnels for more than 530 days, five of whom are US citizens.

To those calling for Khalil’s return, where is your outrage over the unlawful detainment of Edan Alexander, Itay Chen, Omer Neutra, Gadi Haggai and Judi Weinstein Haggai?

Why London deserves a physical Shoah memorial

ALEX BRUMMER

CITY EDITOR, THE DAILY MAIL

At my grandson Benjamin’s barmitzvah recently, there was an unexpected guest. My 97-year-old aunt, Sussie, my father’s youngest sister and a survivor of the horrors of Auschwitz and Belsen, was brought to shul by her carer and daughter. She and my first cousin Sheindy, also a survivor, who I had visited earlier the same week, not only displayed a fighting spirit but also provide living testimony to the Shoah’s barbarism.

The barmitzvah also reminded me of the golden chain of Judaism. When Benjamin read from the Torah at Western Marble Arch synagogue and put on his tefillin for the first time on the Thursday before his o cial bar mitzvah, it brought many memories flooding back.

Some three decades earlier my late father Michael (z’’l), a refugee from 1930s war-torn Europe, had stood at the same Bimah as my son Gabriel chanted.

He too had a biblical-scale story. As a young Zionist-trained naval o cer, he was

turned back from pre-Israel Palestine by the British. He eventually found refuge in Britain, and has been a witness to events which one fears are fading into history.

The movie industry does its best to keep memories of tribulations alive with films such as The Brutalist and The Zone of Interest. But maintaining the lambent flame of memory becomes ever harder.

As personal recall fades, physical memorials will become ever more important. London has a brilliant exhibit on events leading to the Shoah, how it happened and its aftermath (largely due to the donations of sanctioned oligarch Roman Abramovich) at the Imperial War Museum.

It has a superb documentary repository at the Weiner Library. And for those with an exploratory bent, there is a simple granite memorial to the six million of two boulders in a bed of gravel in a quiet glade in Hyde Park.

But the UK still lacks a fitting and profound central London monument to the Holocaust of the kind to be found in Berlin, Washington DC and other capitals.

It is 80 years since the liberation of the camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau and visitors to Britain are still deprived of a constant and

ever-present reminder of ‘never again’ for future generations.

Britain’s planning laws, currently being bulldozed by Keir Starmer’s government, provide part of the answer. Deeper forces also have been at work. Indeed, the failure to deliver – until now – was the subject of a lengthy essay headed Why it is so hard to build a Holocaust Memorial in London? in the New Yorker magazine in January.

Finally, after a decade of intransigence, disputation and sheer bloody-mindedness, the House of Lords will get to grips, in detail, with the Holocaust Memorial Bill. Passage was never going to be easy: each time I have written in favour of the memorial, as designed by architects Adjaye Associates and Ron Arad, creators of the National Museum of African History in Washington, there has been a torrent of criticism. One acquaintance in my local Jewish community took to a WhatsApp group for members to describe my advocacy of the proposed memorial as chillul Hashem, a desecration of God’s name.

Baroness (Ruth) Deech, a known opponent, wrote me a lengthy email saying how I should realise it would be much better to spend the

funds on sustaining Holocaust education. In my view it is not one or the other. The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, of which I am a former trustee, already does a terrific job in that regard.

Another Jewish peer, Lord (Alex) Carlile, argues that the memorial in Victoria Palace Gardens will become an invitation to antisemitic daubing and demonstrations.

Veteran author and journalist Tom Bower suggests that the latest incarnation of the project is inadequate because of its diminished underground displays and failure to commemorate subsequent genocides properly. Another dissident group opposes it on aesthetic grounds arguing the structure, a series of rugged metal sails, is in the wrong place and plain ugly.

Be that as it may, there is no shortage of Shoah study facilities in the UK from Nottingham to the Imperial War Museum. The industrial-scale loss of Jewish lives and the sacrifice of the British to defeat Nazi evil deserves remembrance in the heart of London.

My courageous survivor relatives will not be with us for ever. The memory of their hardship and that of my grandparents who were burned in the ovens of Auschwitz in their prime deserves commemoration.

Whether it’s been a while since you last heard from your JFS friends or if you’re still in touch with those you went to school with, we want to reconnect with you.

JFS is relaunching its Alumni Network and we would love to keep you informed about reunions, events, and other activities.

To join thousands of JFS alumni from across the decades, just scan the QR code or visit j fs.brent.sch.uk/j fs-alumni

Once-in-a-generation call for us to remember

NEIL MARTIN

Five years ago, on the 75th anniversary of the end of the Shoah, our community came together for the largest-ever virtual Holocaust commemoration. The pandemic forced us apart, but didn’t stop us uniting. From living rooms across the country, thousands of people logged-on to honour our survivors, lighting yellow candles in their homes as a solemn tribute to those who perished.

Last year on Yom HaShoah, it felt important to stand together in person once more –at Victoria Tower Gardens with the Houses of Parliament as our backdrop, shoulder to shoulder, in defiance and unity.

We had just witnessed the darkest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. The pain of 7 October was raw, yet as a community we stood firm, ensuring as proud British Jews our commitment to remembrance and hope remains unwavering.

Now, as we reach the 80th anniversary,

we stand on the cusp of history once more. On Wednesday 23 April, the eve of Yom HaShoah, thousands will return to Victoria Tower Gardens for what possibly will be the last major anniversary where Holocaust survivors and refugees are present in meaningful numbers, a defining once-in-a-generation moment – not just of commemoration, but of commitment.

For 80 years, Holocaust survivors and refugees have willingly carried the burden of memory. They have spoken in schools, in synagogues, in parliament, told their stories with unimaginable strength not for themselves but for us, to ensure we would never forget.

But in the years ahead, their voices will sadly fade. The responsibility of remembrance will no longer rest with them. It will be ours alone – and they want us to continue their legacy.

It is said every Jewish soul was present at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah. This 80th-anniversary National Commemoration is our Mount Sinai moment.

Future generations will ask us where we were when the last survivors bore witness. Did we stand alongside them? Did we hear

their testimony? Did we take the flame of remembrance into our own hands?

Victoria Tower Gardens is not just any venue. It is the proposed site of the new UK Holocaust Memorial, where the memory of the Shoah will stand in the heart of British democracy. On this historic evening, we’re asking our community to gather there in unprecedented numbers. Holocaust survivors, refugees, young leaders, dignitaries and families will stand together in a solemn yet powerful act of remembrance. We will hear from some of the last witnesses. We will watch the next generation of British Jewish children perform a moving musical tribute, lifting their voices in a solemn pledge: Never Again means Never Again.

And through the power of technology, our commemoration will be amplified beyond the park, ensuring Yom HaShoah is not just seen and heard by those in the physically present, but by the Jewish world.

This is not just another event. This is not just another Yom HaShoah. This is the moment for our community to come together in numbers never seen before. If we don’t, when will we?

In 2015, 5,000 people came together for the 70th anniversary. Last year, thousands stood in unity following 7 October 7. This year, we must surpass them all. We need everyone – synagogues, schools, youth movements, charities, families – to make it a priority to attend. We need leaders from every corner of our community to mobilise, spread the word and ensure no one is left asking: “Why didn’t I go?” We need you!

In years to come, when people speak of the 80th anniversary, they will ask who was there. They will look to the images, the recordings, the testimonies of that night. They will see thousands of British Jews, standing before Parliament, standing before history, standing before our inspirational survivors and refugees – pledging we will carry their memories forward.

And when the question comes, ‘Did you stand with them?’, let our answer be ‘Yes. In our thousands. We stood together, as one.’

 Join us on 23 April. Make history, honour the past and inspire the future. Book your free tickets now at www.yomhashoah.org.uk

CHAIR, YOM HASHOAH UK

Scene & Be Seen / Community

1 DICKENS OF A SHOW

Oaks Lane Reform Synagogue’s Purim celebrations started with nosh and drinks before a Megillah reading and Purim spiel performance of Oy!Liver! that an enthusiastic audience reckoned would have impressed Charles Dickens himself.

2 A CAT AND TWO THINGS

RSY-Netzer movement workers Carrie, Katie and Josh dressed up as the literary and film favourites Thing 1 and Thing 2 from The Cat in the Hat as part of the Reform youth movement’s Purim festivities.

3 CARNIVAL CORNUCOPIA

Sinai (Reform) Synagogue Leeds put on an evening of Purim splendour featuring a traditional Megillah reading and spiel, followed by a weekend festival carnival for all the family.

4 MINIONS, BEES AND BANANA

Wimbledon (Reform) Synagogue welcomed a whole load of new members on Erev Purim to enjoy a feast of pizza, soup and hamantaschen, helped along by two minions of Despicable Me film fame, three bees and a banana.

5 VODKA COOKALONG

Edgware and Hendon Reform Synagogue held four days’ worth of special events, including a Wicked Purim Party in the land of Oz for all the family, and a flavoured vodka cookalong.

6 RETURN OF THE JEWDI

East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue put on a Megillah reading in six languages, a costume competition and a Star Wars-themed spiel entitled Return of the Jewdi.

7 HARLOW MUSICAL CHAIRS

Harlow Jewish Community attracted an attendance of more than 40 adults and children come to hear the Megillah being read on Purim, followed by hamantaschen and party games including musical chairs.

8 FUN FACES FOR NW SURREY

North West Surrey Synagogue families celebrated Purim with a variety of festive activities, including face painting. The celebration featured a lively reading of the Megillah, along with an entertaining spiel.

9 SUPER TROUPERS

Newcastle Reform Synagogue enjoyed two Purim events this year: a study session and Megillah reading on Thursday, and then a Friday-night family party with pre-Shabbat Israeli dancing, led by a member who had previously been in a dance troupe in the Israeli army.

10 TEVYE SINGS AGAIN

Members, volunteers and staff celebrated the festival at Jewish Care’s Redbridge Jewish Community Centre with a Fiddler on the Roof theme.

11 FANCY DRESS AT WOHL

Excited pupils at Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary school pulled out all the stops this year, dressing up as cheerleaders, footballers, characters from Harry Potter, bunny rabbits, superheroes, ladybirds, cowboys and Queens to celebrate Purim.

12 GLAMOROUS KINGSTON

Kingston Liberal Synagogue enjoyed a fabulous and glamorous Purim full of fancy dress and dance.

13 A BRIGHTER FESTIVAL

At Brighton and Hove Reform Synagogue members of all ages, including its young educators and cheder helpers, came together for a Megillah reading with the with the Rome nusach (version).

14 THE HILLS ARE ALIVE IN YORK’S JEWISH COMMUNITY

York Liberal Jewish Community held a ‘Purim in Austria’ event in the city’s Church of English Martyrs. The fun service, based on the Sound of Music, was a brilliant example of interfaith engagement with the full participation of the nuns from the local convent.

15 ELSTREE CELEBRATES

At the Liberal Synagogue Elstree Megillah reading and spiel Rabbis Gershon Silins and Anna Wolfson got in on the action.

16 KIDS JOIN PURIM ZUMBA

Two thousand children danced their way through Purim at Jewish Care’s ninth Purim Zumba in sponsored sessions led by Mouve by Dancing with Louise. Funds raised will support Dance Therapy sessions for Jewish Care’s centres for people living with dementia. Participating were primary schools and nurseries Beit Shvidler, Nancy Reuben, Eden, Sacks Morasha, Hasmonean, Kerem, Mathilda Marks, and Akiva as well as Little Bicks Borehamwood, Little Bicks Mill Hill Shul and Little Bicks Stanmore.

17 HAMANTASCHEN GALORE

Pupils at Tuffkid Nursery and Kisharon Noé School enjoyed preparing and celebrating Purim with themed activities. People supported by Kisharon Langdon packed and sold hundreds of Mishloach Manot and ‘make your own hamantaschen sets’ as part of a festive social enterprise project. They dressed up, made hamantashen and heard the megillah.

18 CAMP SIMCHA AT GOSH

The Camp Simcha team brought a wild and whimsical Purim takeover to Great Ormond Street Hospital. They created festival fun with Purim-themed arts and crafts, hamantaschen and a photo booth.

19 ALL THE FUN OF THE FACULTY

Leo Baeck College’s faculty, staff and student rabbis got into the festive spirit with a selection of wonderful and varied costumes worn in classes during Purim.

20 LEICESTER RAISES ROOF

Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation (Neve Shalom) raised the roof with raucous responses to a dramatised Megillah reading led by Dumbledore, with Pippi Mordechai and a Pharaonic Haman; followed by a sumptuous feast.

21 DEFYING GRAVITY AT KOL CHAI

Kol Chai Hatch End Jewish Community had a Wicked-themed Purim spiel and party, including making Mishloach Manot.

New initiative to support the charity’s research unit recording the Jewish, Refugee and Immigrant contribution to British Art since 1900. You donate your no longer treasured art and Ben Uri sells them to fund our important work representing the community in the centre of the mainstream British museum sector.

This week we present for sale two important examples by the famous Israeli artist Moshe Castel (1909-1991) of Jerusalemites painted in 1926. His work is held in the Israel Museum, Tel Aviv Museum of Art and MoMa in New York to name just three. For further information on these and other works please email donatedartsales@benuri.org

Visit the museum’s gallery and extensive art research library at 108a Boundary Road, off Abbey Road, St John’s Wood every Wednesday to Friday from 10 to 530pm.

Franciszka Themerson

Stories from the life

Marvel at Franciszka Themerson’s early, never previously exhibited pre-war drawings and paintings from Warsaw juxtaposed with her later pioneering work from London.

Ben Uri online 24/7

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900+ Collection artworks on benuricollection.org.uk

3300+ Reseach Unit profiles on buru.org.uk / diaspora-artists.net

10,000 Pages of archives from 1915

Britain’s only dedicated museum and research centre studying, digitally recording and celebrating the Jewish, Refugee and wide Immigrant contribution to British Art since 1900

Dance, 1929, © The Estate of Franciszka Themerson

Oriental Jews, Jerusalem, 1926

Contemplation, 1926

look

Nicole Farhi Mothers and daughters Inside A

Get your Phil

Everybody’s favourite American food and funny man is going on tour. He tells Darren Richman what audiences can expect

Phil Rosenthal is exactly the person you think he is. Speaking from his home in Los Angeles between sips of morning coffee, the presenter of Somebody Feed Phil patiently explains that he can hear me but he can’t see me. Cleary I’m less tech savvy than Rosenthal’s octogenarian parents in the early seasons of his Netflix travel show and I cannot help bemoaning my luck at having these issues when speaking to perhaps the world’s most famous Zoom user.

and you’ve got to give the people what they want.”

The comedy writer who created Everybody Loves Raymond clearly can’t resist opening with a joke: “I’m only telling the Jewish News this because I want people to have something to complain about. We enjoy nothing more than saying, ‘That wasn’t worth the money. Why would we pay to see that?’”

This is a man who clearly knows his audience but he does eventually explain the actual contents of the show. “We show a little highlight reel of the series and then I come

season 8, which will

The second half of the Somebody Feed

produced Exporting Raymond , an extraordinary documentary about efforts to create a Russian version of his beloved American sitcom. Watching the film a decade and a half later, it is clear his destiny was to step in front of the camera. He remains warm and amicable even when faced with constant provocation as the Russian crew, from writers to costume designers, question and belittle his magnum opus while attempting to adapt it for a Soviet audience. One suspects his old friend Larry David would not have behaved quite so magnanimously.

When the film aired on HBO, many people felt its star was a natural and should do more work on camera. Rosenthal had always dreamed of making a food and travel show but “the hard part was getting people to back it because they don’t like you switching lanes in Hollywood”. The transition from writer to presenter was one he relished since “writing is hard, eating is easy”. What viewers respond to, across all Rosenthal’s work, is the sanguine nature of the man.

He insists he’s not always as cheerful as he seems on screen. “I’m cheery and happy doing the show. This is a dream of mine and I happen to love most other people so you’re seeing me at my best. I’m still a person, I’m still Jewish and I still watch the news. The happy and cheery part is my escape. Laughing is the great escape because, when you’re laughing, you’re literally forgetting your troubles.”

Inspired by his father, the young Rosenthal came to the conclusion that “a sense of humour was the greatest human trait you could possess”. He would still like to do more scripted comedy and finds the lack of new sitcoms and comedy movies baffling, “especially at a time when we need them”.

The television veteran believes that

necessity is the mother of invention, though, and: “The worse things get in the world, the more people will be seeking out escapes… Great sitcoms will return.”

One return that is not imminent involves Somebody Feed Phil and Israel. Rosenthal says he “would love to return to the Middle East in general” when he considers it safe to do so and just wants “an end to suffering”. He is, he adds, “on the side of all the innocents”.

He does not believe that Jews have a unique relationship with food since his travels have shown him that a love of eating is universal. The food in the show, however, he considers of secondary importance: “The real message of the show is connecting with people who aren’t exactly like me. That’s the point. Food is the great connector but laughs are the cement.”

This leads us to comedy icon Elaine May, Rosenthal’s great friend, who has a memorable cameo in the New York episode of his show in which, like a character in one of her movies, she somehow ends up with an ice cream cone in her hair: “When you eat with Elaine, you won’t believe how she’s managed to become a placemat.”

When a member of his team interrupts to tell us we’ve run out of time, Rosenthal is generous enough to complain before offering me a ticket for the Palladium show with the instruction that I come backstage to chat more. It is further proof that he deserves all the success even if he considers himself “the luckiest man” I will ever speak to. On the night, he will undoubtedly prove, once again, that he is a mensch. I will be able to prove, if nothing else, that I have a face.

• Phil Rosenthal is at the London Palladium on 2 April and then on tour

Phil Rosenthal, and in his Netflix documentary Somebody Feed Phil

In her latest collection Nicole Farhi rails against injustice and antisemitism. By Anthea Gerrie

Head girl

Best known as a fashion designer and for her fabulously cool store in Hampstead, Nicole Farhi gave up fashion in favour of sculpture more than a decade ago.

Given that her new exhibition, J’Accuse, is named with reference to allegations of antisemitism levelled against the French by novelist Emile Zola, there was never any doubt that Jewish victims of injustice would loom large in her latest work.

But it was not the wrongly accused soldier Alfred Dreyfus who inspired Zola’s open letter and Farhi’s commemoration in clay of appallingly treated innocents but a more recent Jewish victim: Ethel Rosenberg, the mother of two who was executed as a spy in New York more than 70 years ago.

“I was so upset when I read what happened to this woman who was innocent of the crimes she was accused of, I had to go and sculpt a small head of her to get rid of my emotion,” says the designer, who works out of the Hampstead home she shares with her husband, the playwright Sir David Hare.

“In spite of having nothing to do with passing information to the Russians, she was put on the electric chair. It was a botched execution; smoke was coming out of her head when she was not even dead – it was too awful.”

The horror is reflected in Farhi’s interpretation: “She is the only figure in my collection who is completely white, because she was made dead in the worst possible way. While all the other figures show signs of life with colour in their faces I just saw her in ashes, white as a sheet.”

From Rosenberg, Farhi’s thoughts turned to the Dreyfus scandal, which consumed a France notorious for antisemitism. In 1894, Jewish o cer Dreyfus was convicted of being a German spy and imprisoned on Devil’s Island for five years, long after evidence of a coverup proved his innocence.

Although Farhi, who was born in Nice in the south of France, remembers only one incident of antisemitism growing up – “I was horrified to hear one of my cousins called a ‘bad Jew’ during a fight with another girl at school” – she has been thinking about it for a while, sculpting Anne Frank for a previous collection, Pioneers, “because she taught us so much of what we know about the Holocaust”.

Anne Frank is not in this show, as the subjects in J’Accuse are specifically victims of a flawed legal system. “They include a 14-year-old boy executed in South Carolina for a crime he did not commit, like a girl hanged in public in Iran. The series reflects my pain, anger and frustration that I could not do anything

for them but sculpt, and I wanted people to remember them.”

Another Jew commemorated, the victim not of antisemitism but politics, is Major Meir Tobianski, an o cer in the IDF accused of spying for Jordan during the 1948 Arab-Israel War. “He was courtmartialled, convicted of treason and executed the next day. Too late it was realised the accusation was false. It was a grave miscarriage of justice with no procedure in place to prevent wrongful conviction.”

Although one might expect all the hostages taken by Hamas to have been commemorated by Farhi, they are not on show at London’s Pitzhanger Gallery. “I don’t want to talk about the war because I am too upset,” says the 78-year-old, who lost relatives in the Holocaust.

She was helped in her mission to expose flawed legal systems around the world by law firm Mischon de Reya, which is sponsoring the show: “I know some of the lawyers there and they helped me with my research. In some places, when mistakes were recognised the law was changed.

“In England the death penalty was abolished because of what happened to Timothy Evans and others and in New York they don’t use the electric chair anymore. But in South Carolina they are carrying on – they executed someone just two months ago.”

Farhi is particularly incensed by the case of Atefeh Rajabi Sahaaleh, hanged in Iran for no proven crime “except being raped time and time

again for years, and the judge did not want to believe her. Out of frustration she removed her hijab, and he condemned her to be hanged in public.”

It was playwrights’ busts created in miniature for her husband which started Farhi, who has been sculpting for 35 years and studied under Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, on her themed series. “I do these little heads for my on pleasure; I have done pioneers, my favourite writers and now I am doing women in art. “They are generally very joyful and it feels like a great way to spend my life.”

Certainly more than flipping through magazines to follow fashion, although Farhi makes an exception for American Vogue, as editor Anna Wintour, one of her early subjects –“for a series I called From the Neck Up because I spent years dressing people from the neck down”, has

become a friend.

But the interest in what’s in Vogue does not extend to her own wardrobe; Farhi is bored of clothes shopping. “My daughter gets them for me or I go to Uniqlo, or Toast if I really need something.” Really, after a lifetime of dreaming up her own garments? “I spent 40 years doing it; I’ve turned the page,” she shrugs. She hopes all her figures will end up in a museum, ideally the National Portrait Gallery. There are 150 so far; some standing sentry on the steps of her elegant Hampstead staircase, others arranged in rows in her studio, yet more in the custody of family and friends. “Whether they ever reach the 1,000 I originally envisaged depends on how long I live,” she says.

J’Accuse is at the Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery, Ealing until 15 June

Nicole Farhi: act of remembering

Another Jew commemo-

spying for Jordan during the 1948 and executed the next day. Too late false. It was a grave miscarriage

Alfred Dreyfus

Anne Frank

Ethel Rosenberg Meir Tobianski

Photo by Iona Wolff

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Mum and ME

There’s a Yiddish saying that God couldn’t be everywhere, so he created mothers. But not every mother-daughter relationship is the same. By Louisa Walters

If you’re watching BBC1’s Amandaland you’ll be all too aware of the fractious relationship between Amanda (Lucy Punch) and her mum Felicity (Joanna Lumley): constant sparring, much getting on nerves, but deep down a sneaking admiration, shared values and unbreakable bond, as is so often the case in a motherdaughter relationship.

My relationship with my mum, Sandra, who I lost in 2011, was entirely uncomplicated. I always felt – and still do – that she was the perfect mother. Despite being like her in so many ways, I have not been able to replicate fully her total selflessness, constant stoicism and unerring ability to always see the good in everyone. But when it comes to mothering, I have always endeavoured to emulate her methods.

When my daughter was born, my mother wrote me a card that said “be generous to her”. It took me a long time to understand why she said this about my daughter and not my son. The simple truth is that girls demand more from their mum. They are more complex, more emotionally needy and require more careful handling. Do it right and the rewards can be huge.

BEST FRIENDS

Jemma, 34, who lives in Finchley, was a hellish teenager who “really put my mum through the mill”. Now she has four children under five and she and mum Sheryl are “actual best friends and I couldn’t survive without her.” The closeness was deepened further when Jemma’s father died three years ago and soon after the family moved in with Sheryl while their house was being built. “Mum is very special, devoted to caring for everyone around her. She is living a whole

new unexpected life that involves dating and I’m very happy we are so close and open with each other so I can support her with that,” says Jemma. “We belly laugh together, we cry together, we are each other’s therapist whilst also genuinely loving spending time together. She was and is a very present and involved mum and I take that into my motherhood journey.”

Sheryl, 60, says:” Jemma is my best friend and our relationship means the world to me. I really do not know how I would have dealt with my new way of life without her.”

MISSING MUM

Charlotte, 28, lost her mum Michelle two years ago. She lives in Hendon with her husband and their two children, aged 19 months and five months. “Mum was my best friend. We did everything together and I wanted to be with her 24/7 as she made me so happy. My mum was so wise and I confided in her about everything. She always gave the best advice. People say our mannerisms are

the same as well as our laugh. She had the most amazing ability to make everyone feel special and her heart was full of love for everyone, although it was annoying how she was always right about everything!

“It’s very hard to accept that my children will never know how wonderful she was and heartbreaking not to see her share her magic with them. Last Mother’s Day was the first one without her and I remember feeling so empty. Now that I have my own children, Mother’s Day is bittersweet. It highlights the fact that I don’t have a mum but it also makes me feel blessed to have my own wonderful family.”

TAKING CARE

Karen, 60, lives with her mum Sonia, 95, in Radlett. “We share a special bond and are extremely close. We talk about everything and I never realised how strong and tough she was until I moved back to live with her nearly nine years ago. I love to hear about all the old stories when she was growing up. She always samples my soups and cooking, especially when I bake for Pesach. She sits on the sofa and tells me when something doesn’t taste right and what to do to make it improve.

“We have shared many holidays together and special nights out to the theatre, Mother’s

restaurants.”

Sonia says: “We get on very well together. Karen looks after me and long may it continue but I hope she doesn’t find it too hard.”

LONG-DISTANCE LOVE

“We are very di erent although I have always aspired to be more like my mum,” says Olga, 52, who was born in Ukraine. ”She is very beautiful, glamorous, stylish and elegant, and her hair, nails and makeup always look immaculate. Mum is a very special person and she has many friends of all ages, even youngsters. She is a fantastic storyteller and can make any topic sound fascinating. She is very intelligent and well-educated, has almost encyclopaedic knowledge of literature, art, classical music and history.”

Olga came to England in 1996 to study and met her husband. Her mum Larisa, 78, still lives in Ukraine. “There is not one day that I haven’t spoken to my mum. She is my best friend, my confidante and my biggest supporter. We can talk and laugh for hours about anything and everything. She is my absolute idol and role model but I do get annoyed when she lets people take advantage of her kind nature.”

Larisa says: “I find it hard to understand my friends who often struggle in their relationships with their adult daughters – we have never had such issues. Maybe it’s because I have always seen her as an individual, or maybe it’s because we love and understand each other so deeply. From the joy of her first words and amusing thoughts, to the pleasure of communicating with my intelligent, beloved adult daughter, who is also my best friend, being a mother has enriched my life.”

Sheryl and Jemma

Michelle and Charlotte

Karen and Sonia

Sandra and Louisa

Olga and Larisa

MAKING SENSE OF THE SEDRA

BY RABBI BRENDAN STERN HENDON UNITED SYNAGOGUE

months after its dedication, on the 9th of Av, Am Yisrael sinned with the spies and were consequently punished with another 39 years of wandering through the wilderness.

In this week’s parsah, Vayakhel, we read that the work required to facilitate the construction of the Mishkan necessitated an enormous communal e ort, with a fundraising campaign in which everyone participated.

“Moshe commanded, and a proclamation was made throughout the camp saying, ‘Let no man or woman make further e ort toward gifts for the sanctuary!’ The people stopped bringing. Their e orts had been more than enough for all the tasks to be done” (Shemot 36:6-7).

The Mishkan was dedicated on the 1st of Nissan, and just over four

Ultimately it would take another 440 years before King Solomon would build the Beit HaMikdash.

However, when Am Yisrael contributed towards the building of the Mishkan they didn’t know that it would be in use for so long.

From their perspective, it would only be functional for a matter of months before entering Israel and building the Beit HaMikdash.

Moses solicited the services of multitudes of volunteers for many months of continuous labour, for an edifice with a useful life of mere months.

How could such a mammoth

expenditureof time and resources be utilised for such an apparent short-term benefit?

Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky explains that Am Yisrael were simply fulfilling the mitzvah of “they shall make a sanctuary for me so that I may dwell among them” (Shemot 25:8).

Although the anticipated shelflife of the Mishkan was temporary, its impact – just as with every mitzvah – would be eternal and would outlast the physical edifice.

Whenever we are provided with the opportunity to fulfil a mitzvah, instead of approaching it through a cost-benefit analysis, we need to give it our all, with the knowledge that in doing so we have the ability to bring Hashem’s presence into the world.

The impact of every mitzvah outlasts its physical embodiment

Progressive Judaism

LEAP OF FAITH

BY RABBI MARK GOLDSMITH EDGWARE AND HENDON REFORM SYNAGOGUE

Being in touch is a duty

When I was 19, I went to Israel to spend the summer at a job which had been organised by the student society at my university. Upon arrival in Tel Aviv it turned out that the job no longer existed.

This being the early 1980s, before the internet and when phone calls were prohibitively expensive, I sent my parents a Telex from a hotel to tell them what had happened.

I went to the kibbutz representatives o ce and o ered to volunteer. They sorted me out with an invitation to volunteer at ibbutz Degania, near Tiberias. I sent my parents another Telex to tell them this. This second Telex never arrived.

O I went by Egged bus to Degania for a glorious summer planting banana trees and clearing chicken houses, with plenty of time to enjoy swimming in the Kinneret and the glories of kibbutz life.

My parents, meanwhile, were frantic. Was I still alive? What had happened?

Three weeks into my time at Degania, I was called out in the dining room and asked to come to the phone. Through a postcard that I had sent to a friend my parents had tracked me down and we shared a beautiful if somewhat fraught conversation. From that moment on I understood the fifth commandment – honour your father and mother.

Being out of communication is a deep negation of another person. It is quite the opposite of honouring.

By being in communication, we say that another person matters,

even if that communication is dicult or challenging.

I have learned over my years in the rabbinate that it is always the right thing to make that call, even if it is very tough to make. By hearing from each other we acknowledge each other’s existence and value.

Rabbi Alan Mann teaches that the Torah, several times, tells us to “Hear, O Israel”. In order to hear we must be in communication.

Would the actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa have died so tragically if a few people had called them over the weeks before their deaths?

The sound of your voice, the recognition of your handwriting, the ring on the doorbell really make a di erence and are the first step towards fulfilling Shammai’s dictum in Pirke Avot 1:15: “Greet everyone with a cheerful face.”

A stimulating series where our progressive rabbis consider Judaism in the face of 21st-century issues

Torah tells us to ‘Hear, O Israel’. To hear, we must be in communication

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Antique – Reproduction – Retro Furniture (any condition)

Epstein, Archie Shine, Hille, G Plan, etc.

Dining Suites, Lounges Suites, Bookcases, Desks, Cabinets, Mirrors, Lights, etc.

House clearances

Single items to complete homes

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

closed Sunday & Monday

STUART SHUSTER - e-mail - info@maryleboneantiques.co.uk MAKE SURE YOU CONTACT US

ARTICLES WANTED

ARTICLES

WANTED Furs, Jewellery, Old Costume Jewellery, Watches, Silver, Designer Bags, anything vintage. 01277 352560

Dave & Eve House Clearance

Friendly Family Company established for 30 years

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.

CHARITY & WELFARE

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

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