Jewish News issue 1003

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16-page education supplement Inside

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BRITAIN’S BIGGEST JEWISH NEWSPAPER 18 May 2017

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Issue No.1003

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Jewish News 18 May 2017

www.jewishnews.co.uk


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A 21ST CENTURY CITIZEN

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16-page education supplement Inside

OUR EXPERIENCED TEAM CAN HELP YOU WITH: COMPANY COMMERCIAL & EMPLOYMENT FAMILY LITIGATION PROPERTY PRIVATE CLIENT & ELDER LAW

BRITAIN’S BIGGEST JEWISH NEWSPAPER 18 May 2017

24 Iyar 5777

Issue No.1003

T: +44 (0)20 8349 0321 www.ogrstockdenton.com

@JewishNewsUK

School refuses pupil time off for batmitzvah

BARMITZVAH BRAVERY:

Parents say harsh decision sends a ‘negative message’ BATMITZVAH BROIGES:

A batmitzvah girl’s parents have angrily complained to her school for not allowing her time off to prepare for her big day, writes Stephen Oryszczuk. Senna Camp, who has a 99 percent attendance rate, was refused last Friday off school for preparations and to spend time with family members who had flown in ahead of the ceremony on Saturday. Yet despite the protestations from the girl’s parents and the leaders of Liberal Judaism, state-funded Wymondham High in Norwich refused to budge, saying that while time off was granted for religious ceremo-

Senna reading from the Torah on her big day

nies, extended leave was not. In an angry letter, Annie Henriques, chair of Norwich Liberal Jewish Community, told the nonJewish secondary school it was “very, very wrong” to refuse Senna time off to prepare, saying it sent a “negative message”. The letter, signed by Liberal Judaism chief executive Rabbi Danny Rich and the shul’s Rabbi Leah Jordan, said Senna was “a positive young woman who has had a remarkable start to life in a supportive family which values education highly”. It adds: “It’s wrong the school has chosen to take a contradictory attitude to a special event in her life. The school’s failure to authorise her absence sends a negative – and we believe wrong – message to Senna that her absence is not about learning when learning could not have been a more central component.” In response, the school’s principal, Jonathan Rockey, said standards must be maintained, adding: “Absences for important religious observances are often taken into account but only for the ceremony and travelling time, not extended leave.” Senna’s paternal grandparents are devout Christians, while her maternal side are observant Jews, with her maternal gran father having been a professor and well-known activist for human and animal rights. Continued on page 8

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NATHAN THE BRIS-MITZVAH BOY Nathan Cohen, pictured above on his barmitzvah day with proud father Anthony and sister Esther, has spoken about why he decided to undergo a belated circumcision to mark his religious rite of passage. See page 28

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Jewish News 18 May 2017

News / General Election 2017

New manifesto softens Labour’s Israel stance

Jeremy Corbyn holds aloft his party’s new manifesto

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of anti-Semitism within the Labour Party, which were investigated in the Chakrabarti Report, published last June. The report found the party was “not overrun by anti-Semites”, but made a number of recommendations, including resisting the use of Hitler, Nazi and Holocaust metaphors in debates about Israel and Palestine. Labour’s manifesto outlines that “commissioning a report on our own party was an unprecedented step in British politics, demonstrating a commitment to tackling prejudice wherever it is found”. It added: “Labour is already acting on recommendations, including reform of internal disciplinary procedures to make them firmer and fairer, and expansion of training to tackle anti-Semitism. “On a matter of such importance, Labour urges all democratic political parties to do the same.”

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crisis” in Palestinian Territories and branded settlement-building in the West Bank as “wrong, illegal and a threat to the peace process”. This caused controversy after it became apparent the draft was different from the version signed off by Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry that was more similar to the last manifesto under former Labour leader Ed Miliband. Following the leak, the Jewish Labour Movement wrote to all members of the Shadow Cabinet and National Executive Committee involved in the final decisionmaking process after the uproar. This version went further than Labour’s 2015 election manifesto, which made no mention of illegal settlements or the crisis in the Palestinian territories. On tackling anti-Semitism, the manifesto says Labour is “the party of equality and seeks to build a society and world free from all forms of racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia”. The manifesto addresses allegations

Direct criticism of Israel has been watered down in Labour’s manifesto, amid concerns that a draft version indicated a hardening of the party’s stance. Labour has called for an end to rocket and terrorist attacks by Palestinians andpledgeditwill“immediatelyrecognise” a state of Palestine. Revealed by leader Jeremy Corbyn in Bradford on Tuesday, the manifesto was altered from a leaked version that was accused of having an anti-Israel ‘bias’. The final version calls for “an end to rocket and terror attacks” by Palestinians, as well as “both an end to the blockade, occupation and settlements” by Israel. Labour says it is “committed to a comprehensive peace in the Middle East based on a two-state solution – a secure Israel alongside a secure and viable state of Palestine”. It adds that, should Labour be elected, it would “immediately recognise the state of Palestine”. The earlier leaked version of the party’s manifesto highlighted the “humanitarian

community and while Jeremy Corbyn remains leader. Asked by Jewish News about the reticence of many in the Jewish community to vote for a Labour candidate in the wake of the anti-Semitism scandal, Cooper urged voters to focus on the local picture. “Mike and Jeremy are brilliant candidates and are standing up for Labour values fighting injustice, tackling inequality, standing up for

Yvette Cooper has suggested the fight against anti-Semitism in the party would be boosted by the election of leaders of the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) to Parliament, writes Justin Cohen. The claim by the former Shadow Home Secretary comes amid criticism of Jeremy Newmark and Mike Katz, the organisation’s chair and vice-chair, for standing against strong friends of the

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our health service,” she said at Katz’s campaign launch for Hendon on Monday. “Theresa May wants a landslide and that will be really bad for Britain and for this area.” Cooper, who has been tipped as a leadership contender if Labour loses, said: “You’ve got so many people like me at the heart of Labour who believe so strongly in fighting against anti-Semitism and have done so all their lives. I hope people will see that.” Katz made clear Brexit would be a centrepiece of his campaign against Matthew Offord, who backed Britain’s exit from the EU. “If the deal

doesn’t meet the six tests Labour has laid down, and there’s a clear change in public opinion, we should have a second referendum. If not, I’ll hold one in Hendon and be guided by its result.” Sixty-two percent of Barnet residents voted to remain in last year’s EU referendum. Katz hailed proposals in the party’s manifesto, including decreased class sizes and a minimum wage, but acknowledged the struggle he faces with Jewish voters in the area. He said: “If we don’t have people like us standing in seats like this, there’s no future for the Labour Party at all.”


18 May 2017 Jewish News

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General Election 2017 / News

MPs clash at hustings

LIB DEM MANIFESTO BACKS TWO STATES

Tory minister Sajid Javid and Labour’s Brexit chief Sir Keir Starmer clashed on child refugees and boycotts of Israel at a feisty election hustings in London, writes Stephen Oryszczuk. Starmer and Javid were debating issues affecting the Jewish community in a panel convened by the Board of Deputies which included Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Sarah Ludford and Kirsten Oswald of the Scottish National Party. The minister and shadow minister first clashed on a question about the Dubs Amendment, under which the government committed to taking 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees fleeing war in the Middle East. However, only 350 children have been admitted. When asked if the UK should admit – and provide homes for – the 3,000 children as promised, Javid said the government had a good record on refugees, but did not commit to taking in any more. To widespread applause, Starmer said: “The answer is yes, and Sajid did not say yes, and that’s disgraceful. It’s disgraceful we have a policy that says if you’ve arrived somehow in Europe, you don’t need our protection. That’s completely unacceptable.” The pair also clashed on Israel, with Javid accusing Labour and its leader

The Liberal Democrats have pledged to recognise Palestine “as and when it will help the prospects of a two-state solution”. The commitment comes in the party’s manifesto, launched two days after Labour vowed to recognise the state “immediately” should it come to power. Saying the party remained committed to a negotiated peace settlement leading to two states, it adds: “We condemn disproportionate force used by all sides. We condemn Hamas’ rocket attacks and other targeting of Israeli civilians. “We condemn Israel’s continued illegal policy of settlement expansion, which undermines the possibility of a twostate solution.” During the last Gaza conflict, then-leader Nick Clegg drew anger from Israel’s supporters by describing Israel’s actions as “disproportionate”. Farron, speaking to Jewish News last week, said he would defend Israel’s right to defend itself, but reserved the right to

Board chief Gillian Merron, Labour’s Keir Starmer, Lib Dem Peer Baroness Sarah Ludford, Board president Jonathan Arkush, Tory politician Sajid Javid and SNP’s Kirsten Oswald

Jeremy Corbyn of supporting boycotts. Starmer said: “The Labour Party is against boycotts and I am against boycotts.” But Javid said that when he introduced rules forbidding town halls from boycotting countries last year, Labour’s spokesman at the time said councils had the right to do so. “Keir, it’s just not right to say the Labour Party does not support boycotts of Israel” he said. “Jeremy Corbyn has said, when asked about the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign [BDS], ‘BDS is part and parcel of a process to be adopted’.” Javid added: “When he was asked about it again, [Corbyn] said, ‘I believe sanctions against Israel are an appropriate way of promoting the peace process.’ That’s Labour’s position and if Labour were ever

near power, they would boycott Israel.” To widespread derision, Starmer said: “Labour Party policy is absolutely clear, and we don’t help by this juvenile throwing around of phrases.” He was further harangued by audience members who described themselves as Labour supporters, including Simon Hochhauser, deputy for South Hampstead Synagogue, who said Starmer was the only party representative who had not mentioned anti-Semitism in the opening remarks. Hustings chair Gillian Merron, chief executive of the Board of Deputies, said: “There was a real buzz in the room... and robust debate ensured candidates left with little doubt as to the commitment of the community to the main issues of the day.”

t. Es

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron

call out the government “when it makes decisions we think are excessive and may actually make the situation worse”. He said many people were too quick to condemn Israel’s failures “but very quiet when it comes to the terrorists that attack Israel and claim innocent lives”. The manifesto also pledges to campaign to reduce intolerance including anti-Semitism with groups including the Anne Frank Trust.

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Jewish News 18 May 2017

News / General Election 2017

Who gets your vote in... Hampstead and Kilburn? CLAIRE-LOUISE LEYLAND CONSERVATIVE

The home of Jewish landmarks such as JW3 and St John’s Wood Synagogue, voters in Hampstead and Kilburn have an all-female choice when it comes to the main parties’ candidates. Labour’s Tulip Siddiq had a slender 1,138 majority in 2015. Candidate interviews by Marc Shoffman

KIRSTY ALLAN LIBERAL DEMOCRATS Kirsty Allan has worked in the offices of veteran Liberal Democrat politicians, including Lynne Featherstone and Norman Lamb, but is ready to step into the limelight. “It’s no good standing on the sidelines feeling aggrieved at your country heading in a direction that you don’t like. Democracy is about participation; if you want change, then you have to work for it, so I am,” she says. Allan says a vote for her would be backing for a “committed local MP that works hard on behalf of everyone, who listens to their concerns and represents their concerns in Westminster, who is available to them and does whatever I can to help. That means being active in the community, working closely with local groups, and responding to residents’ needs. ” She says the government, MPs and media must do more to tackle rising anti-Semitism and hate crime, which she says has, “to a degree”, been fostered by the Brexit vote. Allan expresses support for properly-funded faith schooling, adding: “I understand the very important and formative role faith schools play in not only providing an excellent education, but also in teaching kids about their own faith, culture and identity, even though my personal preference is for children to be educated in a multi-faith environment as I believe it helps to encourage greater tolerance and understanding of different faiths and practices at a young age. To my mind, that can only help in creating a more tolerant, accepting and inclusive community.”

ELECTION NEWS BRIEFS

LABOUR DENIES TIM LEZARD IS ADVISER

CORBYN PLAN TO REVIEW PREVENT

ELECTION GURU IS FIERCE ISRAEL CRITIC

Labour has denied that an activist who questioned if shul security should be tax-funded, is an official aide of leader Jeremy Corbyn. Activist Tim Lezard was allegedly brought into the Labour leader’s inner circle as a trade union adviser. However, a Labour source told Jewish News: “He’s not an adviser, either paid or unpaid.”

Policy-makers and security experts in the Jewish community this week raised eyebrows at Labour’s promise to “review” the Government’s Prevent strategy, which aims to tackle radicalisation. The party says it would give agencies the powers they need but “ensure such powers do not weaken individual rights”.

Jeremy Corbyn’s new general election campaign guru once warned Israel that the country was “digging its own grave” by taking action in Gaza. Andrew Murray, 59, a long-time Communist Party member and current head of staff at Unite, spoke out against Israel’s “bloody aggression” in a Stop the War speech in 2012.

Conservative councillor and leader of the opposition on Camden Council, Claire-Louise Leyland is looking to narrow the gap in Hampstead and Kilburn. Labour held a majority of just 1,158 in 2015 and Leyland says she is ready to step up from local politics. “I have enjoyed living and working here for the past 13 years. I’ve represented our diverse community and fought hard for the things people care about,” she says. “I’ve run campaigns against the HS1-2 link, overdevelopment, Labour’s bin chaos, supported parents who wanted to set up free schools, and I fought to keep libraries open. I’m now standing as part of Theresa May’s team, because I know she is the right person to lead our country and I can ensure our voices are heard in Westminster. ” A Tory government, Leyland says, would continue to support the community on issues of security, shechita and schools. “I’m a great believer in the faith schools that form part of the fabric of our educational landscape. Every parent who wants to send their child to faith school should have the opportunity to, and if that means creating more school places, then I’m a supporter of that. I am really proud there are two Jewish primary schools in Hampstead and Kilburn, which serve the community,” she says. But she adds that there is always more that can be done. “The Conservative government’s pledge on security for Jewish schools and community centres is welcome, and I would be a tireless advocate for the community to ensure this is reviewed as regularly as necessary, alongside working closely with the Community Security Trust locally and nationally to combat anti-Semitism. We also need a strategy for tackling online anti-Semitism, which the proliferation of social media has made far more prevalent. “The Conservative government has a strong track record in tackling anti-Semitism wherever it is found and, as MP for Hampstead and Kilburn, I would ensure we continue to do everything possible to combat it, and keep the Jewish community safe.”

TULIP SIDDIQ LABOUR Tulip Siddiq slipped into the big shoes left by Labour stalwart Glenda Jackson at the last election and is looking to hold the marginal seat. She has many happy memories from her first term as MP, “from singing with residents at Spring Grove care home for Mitzvah Day, to my lively question and answer sessions at Shomrei Hadath and Hampstead Synagogue”. Her highlight so far was interviewing Professor Yehuda Bauer at JW3. But while she is proud of her relations with local rabbis and community leaders, her support for fighting antiSemitism on and offline, she recognises the community feels let down by Labour, particularly in the aftermath of Ken Livingstone’s Hitler and Zionism comments. “He has trashed his own record,” she says. “He brought great offence to the Jewish community and I cannot tolerate his presence in our party any longer.” Looking back on a difficult 18 months, Siddiq says: “Reassurances have not been given to the community as quickly as they should have been, and if I could go back in time, I would step in and suggest a wholly different course. However, Jeremy Corbyn is pitching his vision for a fairer society at this election, and I believe his policies for the health service and our education system are something the Jewish community could comfortably support.” Asked if she had any regrets over nominating Corbyn for the Labour leadership in 2015, she says: “I nominated Jeremy to ensure the widest possible debate for Labour members. In the second leadership contest, I supported his opponent, Owen Smith – it would therefore be bizarre to revert to my position of two years before. However, it is now pleasing to see the Labour family has come together to take our case to the British public. “For all the focus on Corbyn, the Government has done a pretty horrific job in managing our health service, our economy and of course, the Brexit process. Local residents know it will be my name on the ballot paper and that I will continue to give them a strong voice in Parliament, whoever our party leader is.” Also seeking election in this constituency: Green Party: John Mansook; Independent: Hugh Easterbrook; Independent: Rainbow: George Weiss.


www.jewishnews.co.uk

18 May 2017

Jewish News

5

Six Day War anniversary / Rare art showcase / Footballers raise £11k / News

MPs urged to oppose Israel’s 50-year ‘occupation’ A campaign launched this week calling on community members to contact their MPs and sign a declaration demanding an end to Israeli’s

occupation of the West Bank, 50 years after it began. Supporters of Yachad are being encouraged to ask their local parliamentarians about

their views on the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the run-up to next month’s landmark anniversary of the Six Day War. A spokesman for the organisation said: “Israel’s future is threatened by 50 years of military occupation of the West Bank and the continued lack

of progress towards a political resolution between Israel and the Palestinians.” While acknowledging that victory in the Six Day War “ensured Israel’s survival,” they said this year’s anniversary also “signals 50 years of Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, 50

years of Palestinian life controlled by a foreign military and government over which they have no say, 50 years of a purportedly temporary system that has morphed into a seemingly permanent regime, which threatens Israel’s very being”. They added that contacting

MPs was important because “Parliament has become a battleground, with MPs who see themselves as supporters of Israel and MPs who see themselves as supporters of Palestine competing to host and respond to debates, Early Day Motions, and Parliamentary questions”.

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Moshe Dayan, Yitzhak Rabin and Rehavam Zeevi in the old city of Jerusalem after it was retaken in 1967

RARE AUERBACH ART AT BEN URI GALLERY A portrait by artist Frank Auerbach described as “rare and important” is to be unveiled at the Ben Uri Gallery in London later this week, as part of an exhibition profiling the lives of refugees. Berlin-born Auerbach’s Head of Helen Gillespie, on loan from the collection of Richard and Julia Anson, was painted in the 1960s and is to go on show at the St. John’s Wood venue on Friday, alongside work by his contemporary Lucian Freud. “Their careers frequently suffered through the experience of exile,” said a gallery spokesman. “In an era of intense political debate around migration, this is the first of a series of exhibitions presented by Ben Uri marking the wide contribution of refugees and

immigrants to British art.” Auerbach was born into a Jewish family in Berlin in 1931 and sent to England in 1939, his parents remaining in Germany, where they were later killed in concentration camps. Naturalised in 1947, he moved to a studio in Camden in 1954, where he has remained ever since.

JOEL’S FOOTBALL FRIENDS RAISE £11K Friends of JFS pupil Joel Ingram played a charity football match in his memory last week. Organisers Dani Lazard, Josh Caplan and Daniel Smith have so far raised £11,000 for YoungMinds, which supports the mental health of young people. Joel, 17, died last month.

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Jewish News 18 May 2017

News / Cambridge apology / News briefs

POSITIVE OUTCOME SETS AN EXAMPLE BY SHLOMO ROITER-JESNER STUDENT, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY

The conclusion to the anti-Semitic incident that took place last October at Cambridge University attracted much attention. Some would say too much, as nobody was hurt and the event was comprised of slurs being slung at Jewish students on a Friday night. This ending however, including a formal apology from the college, a decision to rewrite the code on how to handle such incidents as well as the ban on the societies involved being extended for two years, has wider significance than simply bringing this saga to a close. The primary message to be taken from this outcome and which is significant given the rise in anti-Semitism on campuses, is that Jewish students should not be afraid to speak up. Whether we are talking about an anti-Semitic incident, or an event on campus whose goal is to intimidate Jewish students, it is our obligation to speak out. Jewish students should not feel afraid to say loudly and clearly that anti-Semitism is intolerable and should be stamped out. Often, there is a lack of institutional support, be it from the campus Jewish society or the community on a national scale, who prefer to look the other way. I received the full support of London-based Jewish Human Rights Watch who, in my opinion are the unsung heroes of this episode. Often, it is those who don’t scramble for credit when a task is completed to whom we must be most grateful.

Cambridge college ‘sorry’ after anti-Semitic conduct The Master of a Cambridge college has apologised to two students whose complaints of anti-Semitic abuse were inadequately handled. Master of Christ’s College, Professor Jane Stapleton, said on Thursday it now “accepts that racist and anti-Semitic conduct occurred and has apologised to the students who reported it”. She also announced changes to the College’s complaint procedures. The two students reported suffering racist and anti-Semitic abuse last August while at a college party organised by two sports clubs. The college’s initial investigation failed to identify any perpetrator but disciplined two students for swearing and physical aggression, and restricted the societies’ social activity. The complainants were unhappy with the findings and how the process had been conducted and communicated. A contrite statement was issued last week by the college, summarising the problems and issuing a new disciplinary code. “The Master inadvertently gave the seriously misleading impression that the reporting students’

Two Jewish students at Christ’s College complained of anti-Semitic slurs

account of anti-Semitic abuse had been rejected by the College,” it read. “This caused considerable hurt to the reporting students and others in the Jewish community.” After meeting with representatives from the Board of Deputies, the Community Security Trust and the Jewish Leadership Council, who were unhappy with the way the initial investigation had been conducted, the College agreed to an independent review of its complaint handling, which revealed “significant deficiencies in College procedures.”

Stapleton said: “The college is overhauling its entire complaints, training, investigation, recordkeeping and disciplinary machinery with the assistance of external legal experts. The Jewish community can be reassured that if there were to be a similar incident in the future, the college would address it robustly.” Student Shlomo Roiter-Jesner, said: “We are satisfied Christ’s is now comfortable giving credence to our story, admitting anti-Semitic conduct occurred and taking decisive steps to improve disciplinary system.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

PRISONER SUES JAIL OVER KOSHER FOOD A prisoner in Lancashire who claims he is Jewish is suing the prisons service for demanding that he “prove” he was Jewish before giving him kosher food. John Reuben, currently serving time in HMP Lancaster Farms, says he was told he had to have his faith “confirmed by a rabbi” before officers would provide kosher food, which is four times more expensive than standard-issue meals. Some prisoners have been known to claim they are Jewish in order to get better meals.

SHUL MEMBERS AT LOCAL MOSQUE Members and students of Wimbledon and District Synagogue have been welcomed into a mosque in Forest Gate in an “unprecedented” moment for the local Muslim community. The Jewish delegation visited Minhaj-ul-Qur’an in Romford Road, where they met the mosque’s members and compared the writing of the Talmud and the Qu’ran. The mosque’s Asif Shakoor said: “The group came together in peace and unity.”

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18 May 2017 Jewish News

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Jewish News 18 May 2017

News / Stamford Hill celebrates / Charity tribute

SINGER’S WHIRLWIND TRIBUTE TO GRANDMA A talented singer has paid tribute to the grandmother who “meant the world to her” by releasing a poignant charity single in aid of the hospice where she spent her final weeks, writes Naomi Frankel. Michaela Silverstein, 24, a professional Michaela, right, with her sister singer from Shenley, Amy, and grandmother Judy penned Whirlwind in memory of her grandmother, Judy Newman, who died from pancreatic cancer 18 months ago. The former JFS and Sinai student now hopes to raise money for the Peace Hospice in Watford, where Newman was looked after for six weeks. Silverstein, who now works as a music teacher at her old Kenton primary school, said: “She was only 72 and meant the world to me and my family. I spoke to her almost every day and saw her at least two to three times a week. “My grandmother was a massive part of the reason we are such a strong family unit. She and my grandpa brought us all together.” In another nod to her grandmother, the song also features a picture of a stick woman. “Every card my grandma ever wrote to her children and grandchildren would be signed off with a stick woman and a chubby stick man. She would pretend it was her and my grandpa.”  Whirlwind is available now on iTunes for 79p

20,000 cheer rebbe’s visit Thousands of people flocked to Stamford Hill last weekend to celebrate the arrival of one of the Belz community’s leading religious figures, Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeach, on his first UK visit in 23 years. The rabbi’s week-long trip culminated in the opening of a new Belz educational complex in Stamford Hill as the leader spent one night among an estimated 20,000 Chasidim as well as members of the wider community. Organiser Rabbi Ahron Klein said: “The rebbe’s visit was a huge success. We are deeply grateful to him for attending and we are sure this will stay long in the memory of all those who took part.” However, there were clashes at the event, between members of the Satmar and Neturei Karta groups and the Belz community, leading police to be called. One eyewitness to the disturbances, who claimed a teenage boy was bundled into a car and physically attacked, described the clashes as “one of the most sickening and shocking things I’ve seen in a long time”. She added: “There are always going to be people who are on the other side and who don’t like a sect.” No injuries were reported and no arrests were made. The incident failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the Belz community. Rabbi

Some 20,000 people celebrated Rabbi Rokeach’s visit, which saw protests by other Chasidic groups

Yidel Baumgarten said: “This is a special year for Belz in the UK. To be able to open a state-of-the art facility within our community was testament to the dedication of our community. “To have the rebbe come here to open it transcends Belz and affects the whole area. This is something our children will remember and I hope will lead to our continued success.”

Tourist office puts Israel on show

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With a generous £4million budget to promote the Holy Land in the UK, the Israel Government Tourist Office (IGTO) invited travel agents and journalists to meet hoteliers and executives at a champagne buffet at No 1 Whitehall Place on Tuesday. A 17 percent year-on-year increase on visits by UK residents to Israel and a new advertising campaign on British television made it the right time to bring representatives from many of Israel’s most luxurious hotels in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to talk about the facilities they offer visitors. Among the visiting directors was Moshe Elazar of the American Colony in Jerusalem, which only last month hosted actor Richard Gere for a week.

The property also provided regular rooms for former prime minister Tony Blair before he resigned from his post as Middle East peace envoy. Yossi Navi of the Carlton Tel Aviv on the Beach Hotel, and Benny Levy of Isrotel were among others present to introduce their properties to travel agents who had not previously worked with Israel. Sue Bryant of The Sunday Times gave a an encouraging talk on the year-round appeal of Tel Aviv as a weekend destination. The attendance of veteran marketeer Rafi Baeri of Dan Hotels, who is about to welcome US President Donald Trump and his 600plus entourage to three of the company’s Jerusalem properties, reinforced IGTO’s message of Israel as the perfect host.

Family blasts school HOME HELP CHARITY over batty decision IS GOOD, SAYS OFSTED Continued from page 1 The shul said Senna and her family have lived all over the world, including Rwanda, with her mother, Nicole Gross-Camp, a senior university researcher and her father, who is a Forest School leader at Robert Kett Primary School. Describing her daughter as a “model student,” Gross-Camp this week said the school’s stance was “unfair,” adding that the Friday would have been “a chance to do any last-minute preparation, relax and spend time with her family” ahead of her batmitzvah, colloquially know as a ‘batty’. She said: “It’s a very big life event and it is so rare and significant that family are coming over from America, bringing us together for the first time in nine years.”

A Jewish charity providing help to Orthodox families in their own homes was celebrating this week after being awarded a ‘Good’ rating following its latest inspection by the Care Quality Commission. Inspectors gave Ezer Leyoldos the thumbsup on safety, effectiveness, care and responsiveness, in a report published this week after visiting in March. “The service was proactive in encouraging people to socialise and maintain their independence,” they said. “People using the service and staff gave positive feedback.” The grade will come as a relief, after the last inspection in October 2015 found three breaches of regulations in relation to safe care and treatment, staffing and good governance.


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Israel in 2059 / Cyber attack / Missing man / News

Charedim and Arabs set to dominate Israel population Half of Israel’s population will be either Arab or strictly Orthodox by the year 2059, researchers say. Analysts reacting to the findings from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), said the most shocking statistic was the projected growth of the Charedi community, with “almost one million more than expected”. The last CBS report in 2012 predicted Israel’s Charedi population by that date would total 4.5 million, but latest figures have risen dramatically to almost 5.3 million from a projected total of 18 million people. Of these, 3.6 million are expected to be Arab, meaning the combined proportion of Orthodox and Arab Israelis will be 49 percent of the total. Dr Gilad Malach, of the thinktank The Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), told the conference politicians and academics “must wake up to the need to integrate Charedim and Arab citizens into the economy and society, giving equal opportunities for success”. Malach was speaking at a World Union of Progressive Judaism conference in Jerusalem to 450 lay leaders, rabbis, students and congregants from Progressive, Reform, and Liberal communities worldwide. “It is time to stop treating Arabs and Charedim as liabilities who produce a drag on economic perfor-

Charedi and Arab populations experience low employment

mance and treat them as resources that could vault Israel’s economy into the top 10 [countries] of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development,” he said. Only 10 percent of strictly Orthodox students gain Israeli matriculation certificates compared with 70 percent of their non-Charedi peers, Malach said. Likewise, while half of all Arab students gain matriculation certificates, Arab leaders say they subsequently face additional challenges not faced by Jewish students in finding highly-skilled work The country’s top economists have long warned that low employ-

ment rates within both communities are unsustainable. Only half of Israel’s strictly Orthodox men of working age are employed, and whereas three quarters of strictly Orthodox women have jobs, fewer than a third of Arab women have an income. However, Nasreen Hadad HajYayha, head of IDI’s Arab-Jewish Relations programme, said there had been a 57 percent growth in Arab women’s employment over the past decade, while employment among Charedi males was also on the up. “The investment in these communities over the past decade has led to positive results,” said Malach, “but there is still a long road ahead.”

ISRAELI FIRM WARNED OF NHS CYBER ATTACK An Israeli cyber security firm was among the first to spot the huge ransomware attack that paralysed much of the NHS and some of the world’s biggest companies last weekend, but only told its clients. Israeli firm Radware advised its clients about the attack when the first ‘phishing’ emails Malware has infected more than 200,000 computers were detected, almost a week before hospital systems to ensure we are protected against this crashed. The malware quickly spread new type of attacks.” around the world, hitting public and priIn an interview with technology vate sector organisations. news site NoCamels, industry veteran Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Einat Meyron said: “This was a dormant Netanyahu said this week that the worm that just waited to spread, and global cyber attack encrypting files then then infected hundreds of thousands of demanding a ‘ransom’ had caused only computers in a matter of hours.” “minor damage” to Israel so far. The malware, which spreads The ransomware, known as ‘Wan- through a flaw in Windows software, has naCry,’ demands computer users pay infected more than 200,000 computers hundreds of pounds worth of online in 150 countries, with the UK and Russia currency Bitcoin to decrypt their files. particularly hit. The identities of the Computer analysts describe the mali- instigators are unknown, but the motive cious code a self-replicating ‘worm’. appears to be financial, not political. Netanyahu told his cabinet: “We’re Uri Ben Yaakov of the International in the midst of a global cyber attack, but Institute for Counter-Terrorism at IDC Israel has suffered only minor damages, Herzliya said that while there was “no to date. We foresaw this threat and knew indication that terrorist organisations we needed to be prepared for the future. were behind the attack,” it is not yet Obviously, there’s more work to be done known what the money raised will fund.

UK ENVOY ‘UNAWARE’ Missing Scottish man found dead OF HANNAH MURDER The Palestinian ambassador to the UK has said he was “not aware” of a deadly attack on a British exchange student by a Palestinian man in Jerusalem last month. Professor Manuel Hassassian, the Palestinian Authority representative in London, astonished an audience of students at Imperial College on Thursday last week when answering a question about the attack on the 20-year-old, and payments subsequently made to the attacker. “I’m not aware of this incident,” he said when asked about Jamil Tamimi, 57, a Palestinian man with a history of mental illness, who told authorities he had attacked Birmingham University student Hannah Bladon because he wanted Israeli police to shoot and kill him. Tamimi, who attacked and killed Bladon on the Jerusalem Light Rail just hours after being told by his son that the family wanted nothing

Unaware: Manuel Hassassian

to do with him, had previously received treatment in the Kfar Shaul Mental Health Centre. He had sought to kill himself before and since the attack has been deemed unfit for trial after undergoing a psychological assessment. The 14 April killing received widespread media coverage in the UK. Among tributes to Bladon, footballers from Derby County, which she supported, held a minute’s silence before a recent match against Huddersfield Town.

A Jewish man from Scotland who went missing last week has been found dead. Alexander Singerman, 31, (pictured) was last seen in Auchincruive in Ayrshire on 10 May. Following his disappearance, a video appeal was launched by his sister featuring his parents, urging people to help find him. Yesterday, Police Scotland issued a statement saying a body had been found in the coastal town of Ayr, where

he had been working as an archivist. “Around 11.15 [on Wednesday], the body of a man was found in the area of Auchincruive Estate,” it said. “Formal identification has

still to take place, however, police believe the body to be that of Alexander Singerman and his family have been informed. A post mortem examination will be carried out to establish the exact cause of death, however, the death is not being treated as suspicious.” Singerman was due to run in the Edinburgh marathon next Sunday and had raised almost £850 for the Scottish Refugee Council.

Fire hits landmark New York shul A fire has seriously damaged an historic synagogue on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The blaze at Beth Hamedrash Hagadol burned for several hours and it took firefighters at least two hours for to bring it under control, according to reports.

It is not clear how the fire started. An investigation is under way, although the fire chief has said the blaze started inside the building, NBC New York reported. The Gothic-style building was empty at the time of the fire. Built in 1850 as a Baptist church, it was bought in 1885 to become the first Eastern European congregation founded in New York City. The congregation closed the synagogue in 2007 after determining it did not have the £2.3million-£3million needed for repairs. The building was declared a city landmark in 1967 and was designated an endangered historic site in 2003. [JTA]

NEWS IN BRIEF

TRUMP OFFICIAL ANGERS ISRAEL Reported remarks by a Trump administration official rejecting Israel’s claim to the Western Wall were “unauthorised” and do not represent the position of the president, the White House has said. The remark that the Western Wall “is not your territory, it’s part of the West Bank” reportedly arose during conversations between a team planning Donald Trump’s visit to Israel next week and Israeli officials. Israel’s Channel 2 said the Israeli delegation was so angry that members started shouting.

BIN LADEN’S SON CALLS FOR ATTACKS A son of Osama bin Laden has called on Muslims and followers of al-Qaeda to carry out attacks on Jewish targets around the world. In a 10-minute video, Hamza bin Laden urges Muslims in “America, the West and occupied Palestine” to carry out attacks where they are. Bin Laden says it is not necessary, or even preferable, to travel to Syria and join the Islamic State. “Inflicting punishment on Jews where you are is more severe for the enemy,” he says. [JTA]


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Israel intelligence leak / Eurovision chaos / World news

ISRAEL MAY STAY WITH EUROVISION

It may well be goodnight, but the closure of the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) might not spell the complete end for Israel from Eurovision as has been widely reported, writes Francine Wolfisz. Media outlets were thrown into a frenzy when IBA host Ofer Nachson sensationally announced “tonight is our final night” during Saturday’s show. He was revealing the closure of IBA, rather than the withdrawal of the country from the competition. The IBA closed as part of Israel’s public media reform, under which the broadcaster will be replaced by a new corporation known as Kan. Kan has said it will take over the broadcasting rights to Eurovision if it is able to qualify as a member of the European Broadcasting Union, but it could be a problem since Kan does not have a news division. That component is being run by a separate entity following a government compromise on the issue. IBA signed off permanently at the end of the Eurovision broadcast at 1.45am on Sunday morning.

Imri Ziv performed I Feel Alive at Eurovision and was placed 23rd of 26

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Outrage over Trump sharing Israeli data Israeli and American leaders were left aghast this week after Donald Trump shared highly-classified Israeli intelligence with Russia without Israel’s prior authorisation. Analysts said Trump’s indiscretion could cost the life of the Israeli spy inside Islamic State who shared details of an upcoming terrorist plot with Israel, but Trump was bullish in response, saying he had “an absolute right” to spill the beans. The diplomatic shudders were felt widely as America’s allies quietly confessed reservations about sharing their own secret information with the US while publicly putting their trust in the relationship. Israeli ambassador Ron Dermer sought to allay concerns, saying Israel has “full confidence in our intelligencesharing relationship with the United States and looks forward to deepening that relationship in the years ahead”. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forced to confirm that a hastilyarranged phone-call between himself and Trump on Tuesday

afternoon – hours after the story broke – was not about Trump’s loose lips but about the US leader’s visit next week. However, Israeli military experts were less diplomatic, with Brig Gen (res) Michael Herzog saying: “There is a code of conduct in intelligence cooperation that when you get sensitive intelligence from a partner you do not share it with a third party, unless the partner that gave you that information allows or permits you.” The Israeli security establishment was left apoplectic, with Buzzfeed reporter Sheera Frankel tweeting her morning had been spent “trying to find the right translation for the expletives being used by Israeli officials”. According to ABC News, the plot revealed by Trump was a developing Islamic State plan to sneak explosives inside a laptop, while it was The Times that first revealed the intelligence came from Israel. “My own assumption is [Trump] was probably unaware of the source of this information and who provided it, and probably acted out of a lack of experience,” Herzog added.

WORLD NEWS IN BRIEF

Your weekly digest of stories from the international press... TUNISIA

Tunisia is to ask for Unesco World Heritage status for the island of Djerba, where thousands of religious Jews travel every year for the traditional Lag B’Omer pilgrimage at the El Ghriba synagogue, which dates back to 586 BC. Last year, Israel issued a ‘severe travel warning’.

UNITED STATES An American Jewish group is to train staff in 50 Mexican consulates around the US so they can help Mexican nationals who have suffered

from attacks and harassment. The Anti-Defamation League said it was happy to use its experience in dealing with hate crime, and that training would be ‘hands-on’.

HUNGARY

Far-right activists in Budapest who filmed themselves targeting a Jewish community centre acting as the base for ethnic and refugee groups have posted the videos online. The thugs defaced posters of Jewish philanthropist George Soros and message boards of a group affiliated to the Masorti movement.

Bonfires and dancing making a sight in Brooklyn as hundreds of Orthodox Jews celebrated Lag B’Omer


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Jewish News 18 May 2017

Jewish News meets... Jerusalem’s would-be mayor

From Smurfette to the new suffragettes Stephen Oryszczuk speaks to Fleur HassanNahoum, who wants to be the next mayor of Jerusalem, about her mission to get Charedi women involved in the country’s politics

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o Jerusalem’s religious Jews, her long blonde hair, luscious eyelashes and blue furry body were a step too far, so they took a knife and scratched her face from the billboard advertising her. Who was this blonde bombshell? Smurfette – a character from the latest Smurfs film. Thankfully, not all Jerusalem’s Orthodox Jews are alike. Pluralism comes first and foremost for some, who find solace in the Jerusalem Movement, Women Changing Jerusalem, and the political party Yerushalmim, whose leadership now includes a prominent British-born woman who made aliyah in 2001. Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, an advocate of immigrant and women’s rights, is of good stock,

being the daughter of the late Sir Joshua Hassan QC, Gibraltar’s first mayor and four-time chief minister. A Sephardi Jew of Moroccan origin, he was central to the British colony’s civil rights movements, which just goes to show that it’s in the blood. Nowhere were her sentiments better expressed than after the Jerusalem Gay Pride attack in 2015, when she wrote: “Despite the chorus of bigoted and extreme voices we sometimes hear, we are not giving up on our city as a city belonging to all its residents regardless of religious and sexual persuasion, gender, race, colour or political belief system.” Now, with Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat gunEverything you need

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• 24% of American Jews voted Trum p • ‘End of era’ for Pales tinian state hopes • Fury over UK Jewis h ‘congratulations’

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SALES EXECUTIVE The popular consensus elect Donald Trump’s on Presidentsurprise

march to the White House has been shock and horror. How can a man who says what he says and behaves how he behaves

– while displaying the emotional maturity of a 12-year-old – be allowed to have his finger on the nuclear codes? He may have looked and sounded a little

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more like a statesman during his victory speech on Wednesday somehow managed to gain the trust morning, but this and won’t begin to wash votes of 50 million Pragmatic politicians away the unstatesAmericans – a quite are, of course, manlike bravado that staggering statistic. making the best marred his campaign of it, insisting the from start to finish. new leader of the free Most politicians – world should be judged Vladamir Putin and Nigel Farage aside If this man has any on future actions – didn’t want to see hidden depths they rather than the wicked the words that certainly didn’t emerge billionaire reality brought him to power. TV star anywhere during his battle near with Hillary Clinton. the White House. Theresa May said Now that’s where the UK and US he’s will remain heading, The often-vile personality “strong and close we witnessed knuckle the world will simply have to partners on trade, down and deal with security and defence” him. Continued on page 12

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Fleur Hassan-Nahoum argues the Torah does not say women cannot run for political office

ning for national office but taking flak from all sides, Hassan-Nahoum has her sights set on the city’s top job when it’s next available in October 2018. But who is she? Born in London, she grew up in Gibraltar before returning to London to study law at King’s College. She qualified as a barrister, practicing in the capital, and then became the campaign director of World Jewish Relief. Along with her husband, she made aliyah from Britain in 2001 during the second intifada. Her legal experience complemented her later work in Israel at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, where she helped new immigrants, known as olim, from distant shores. They need help acclimatising to Israeli society, she says, because, unlike European or American Jews, who often have ready-made networks, they usually know no one. “You know what it’s like in the Jewish world,” she says. “You always know someone, especially in Israel. But for those from Ethiopia or northern Russia, or Jewish orphans from Odessa, what network do they have? We became their network.” She joined the Yerushalmim (Jerusalemite) Party in 2013 and ran for the city council, but did not succeed because the party won only two seats. Still, she was impressed with the party’s

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ethos promoting pluralism in the city and by party founder, Rachel Azaria. An “Orthodox feminist” committed to allowing harmonious living between Orthodox Jews, secular Jews and Arabs, Azaria is now a member of the Knesset for the centrist Kulanu Party. “It’s a path I may take,” considers HassanNahoum, “but right now I’m very much committed to the city.” Among her campaigns is an effort to persuade more of Jerusalem’s Charedi women to become involved in politics. “At the moment there are none, but many want to be political representatives,” she says. “But the Charedi parties don’t allow women to run with them for any office in the country. “They claim there’s something in the Torah against it, but that’s complete nonsense. There’s nothing. So you have these modern suffragettes in Israel.” At a recent political conference, she says she was rubbing shoulders with female Arab political representatives but there were no Charedi women at all, because Charedi men – according to Hassan-Nahoum – won’t allow it. “They simply want to hold all the power,” she says. “The women – their women can work, bring in the main income, have 10 kids, have a top job in high-tech, but God forbid they should be political representatives! “I know Orthodox feminists who want to run, who want the situation to change, who say this is like the Taliban, and who think their community is becoming more and more extreme, so I’m helping them. I see this as one of my main fights right now. I think it is as important as the suffragette movement was in the 1920s.” She says part of this involves awarenessraising and education, and part is legal. “Declare that parties who do not include women on their lists are illegal and will not get government funding. If we manage to do that, we’ve won,” she says. Her father, you suspect, would be extremely proud.


18 May 2017 Jewish News

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Limmud FSU – New York conference / News

Students ‘must learn early to combat anti-Semitism’ by Leon Symons In New York

Jewish students need to be educated on how to deal with anti-Semitic and antiIsrael situations long before they get to university. This is the view of Martin Yafe, a leading educator in New York’s Jewish community and a security affairs specialist. Argentinian-born Yafe has written a strategy, Leading on Campus, to help students to deal with anti-Israel and antiSemitic situations plus activities of the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement at universities and colleges. Yafe was a panel member at what was arguably the stand-out session of the 120 at Limmud FSU for Russian-speaking Jews in Westchester, New York. Only a month ago, a National Union of Students report – The Experience of Jewish Students – revealed more than two-thirds of those “whose students’ union had a BDS policy or campaign did not feel comfortable or comfortable at all with it”. Speaking exclusively to Jewish News later, Yafe said the approach that had worked in the past to counter antiSemitism based on facts and history was now “a myth, it’s wrong that what you need to know to counter these groups is just the facts and history. That’s bull****.” Now, he says, “the starting point should be training students to stand up for their Jewish identity, to have their own culture accepted, rather than accepting the culture of others first”. Once that has been achieved, moving on to enable students to deal with issues surrounding Israel becomes easier to accomplish. However, where BDS is concerned, Yafe says matters become more complicated.

Claims Conference vice president Sandy Cahn, Greg Schneider, Holocaust survivor Roman Kent with his honorary Limmud FSU award, and Chaim Chesler

Students should not decide their own reactions to BDS activities, which can be very provocative. In one case, hoax leaflets delivered by Students for Justice for Palestine to predominantly Jewish student dormitories told them their building was going to be demolished. “I asked students what their reaction would be. Some said they would punch the perpetrators, some would talk to parents or the administration. What is right and wrong? If you write a letter, it would be seen as weak. What we have to assess is the forcefulness of the reaction. “Students should not plan their own reaction. They should look to communal organisations to help them to forge a co-ordinated response. There are people paid to work out the strategy for these

events. They know how to deal with the threats. That way students don’t get hurt but get stronger.” Yafe, consultant and lead educator for New York’s Jewish Community Relations Council, also advocated Jewish students engaging other groups representing ethnic and other minorities to enlist their support. He said he would be happy to pass on his strategy to help students in Britain. The latest Limmud FSU was hailed a success by founder Chaim Chesler, who said: “The  New York  Russianspeaking Jewish community is thriving and Limmud FSU New York has become an integral part of this exciting growth.” The event was organised by volunteers headed by FSU US project manager Noam Shumach-Khaimov.

IDF TROOPS RISK LIVES TO GET AID TO SYRIA VICTIMS Israeli soldiers have been ferrying humanitarian aid to civilians in war-torn Syria, one of Israel’s leading diplomats told an audience at Limmud FSU. Dani Dayan, consul general of Israel in New York, told a standingroom-only session that soldiers both in and out of uniform were risking their lives taking food, medical equipment, blankets and clothing to victims of the ongoing conflict. “They have even ripped labels in Ivrit out of clothing so that the people receiving them are not put at risk,” he told a hushed room. This was in addition to medical treatment given to hundreds of Syrian casualties in the past three years by hospitals in northern Israel, he added. In a wide-ranging address, he said that the shekel was now one of the world’s strongest currencies and that those who had thought Israel might become isolated were wrong. Economically and technologically, he continued, Israel was doing very well. He took his audience on a brief world tour of countries which a quarter of a century ago had little or nothing to do with Israel, but are now

WIESEL AND COHEN LEGACIES ON SHOW by Leon Symons In New York

What have Elie Wiesel and Leonard Cohen in common? At first glance, there seems to be little that connected the late Holocaust survivor and fighter for Soviet Jewry and the Canadianborn iconic balladeer and poet, but you might be wrong. First and most obvious is the fact they were both Jewish. Second, they both came from observant Jewish families. Third and most recently, they both figured in exhibitions on show at Limmud FSU last week-end, both of which were curated by the same man, Dr Yoel Rappel. Rappel was arguably the person closest to Wiesel during the Nazi hunter’s working life, an association that began 35 years ago. Their collaboration reached its zenith in 2007

when Wiesel asked Rappel, himself an author of 32 books, to curate his archive – thousands of documents which were stuffed floor to ceiling in an office. Such was the size of the task that Rappel and his wife moved from their home in Israel to Boston. Six years later, he had navigated his way through around a million documents including manuscripts of Wiesel’s books, more than 250,000 letters, and some 300,000 newspaper cuttings about Wiesel There were also items from his work as a journalist for Israeli paper Yediot Achronot – “more than Shimon Peres”, quipped 70-year-old Rappel. Wiesel was also a big supporter of Limmud FSU, regarding it as a vital tool through which young Russian Jews could find and develop their Jewish identity and culture. The Wiesel exhibition that greeted Limmud participants has been touring previous

Dani Dayan, consul general of Israel in New York, spoke at a standing-roomonly session in Westchester

significant trading partners. Examples quoted included India, China, Argentina, Brazil and a number of countries in Africa with whom Israel now had important trade agreements in place. However, other than an alliance with Mediterranean neighbours Greece and Cyprus, he failed to mention the European Union. When asked why, he conceded that it was a “weak spot”. The main economic contacts were with East European countries, he noted, while others tended to be with individual countries rather than the European bloc as a whole.

Romance in the air for Limmudniks

Nita Lowey, Chaim Chesler and Sandy Cahn at the Cohen exhibition

conference venues and this was its final destination. The Leonard Cohen exhibition in its turn presented Rappel with a very different challenge. First, he recalled, he was given only two weeks’ notice to put it together. “I decided that I couldn’t do an

exhibit covering his whole life, so I decided to concentrate on his Judaism because he came from a religious family and was a Jew throughout his life. Even when he became a fully-ordained Zen Buddhist monk, he never renounced Judaism,” he said.

It seems that Limmud FSU is not just for extending the boundaries of Jewish learning and broadening the mind. According to founder and executive committee chairman Chaim Chesler, there’s a fair degree of romance involved. Opening the conference in Westchester, New York, last weekend, Chesler told participants: “Now we have been operating for 10 years. “In that time, 300 couples have been married and 100 children have been born – Limmudniks. “We are not only educating about Jewish history, now we are creating new Jewish lives and families.”


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Jewish News 18 May 2017

Editorial comment and letters ISSUE NO.

1003

VOICE OF THE JEWISH NEWS

Israel: Dateline 2059 It is boom time for Israel’s strictly-Orthodox. Population boom, that is. New projections for 2059 – published today – predict that Israel’s Charedi population will number almost one million more than researchers expected just five years ago. In just over 40 years, almost one-in-three Israelis will be Charedi. Together with Arab Israelis, they will comprise half the population. The concern, therefore, is economic. Currently, only half of Israel’s Charedi men work, and less than a third of Arab women are employed. This is self-evidently unsustainable. Such a small country cannot afford to support such large sections through welfare, as those who do work cannot support the rest through taxes. The government’s own economists have said that within a generation, Israel will be trying – and failing – to support a ‘first world’ army with ‘third world’ productivity levels. And it is highly unlikely that the Jewish Diaspora will fund the difference. What to do? The most obvious thing is to help get Charedi men and Arab women into work. It is not necessarily a cultural shift we need – contrary to popular myth, most Arab women want to work and organisations helping them do so have had some initial success. Yet, while there is anecdotal success of encouraging strictly-Orthodox men into the workplace, employment levels are still very low in this sector, in part because of cultural resistance to higher (secular) education. Cynics sneer that you can’t get a well-paying job in a thriving sector if they don’t know use computers, converse with the opposite sex, speak anything other than Yiddish and pray for much of the day. The reality is much more subtle. Peak inside the Charedi community and you’ll see that once these young men finish yeshivah in their mid-20s, many are desperate to get training and a well-paid job to support their family.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Send us your comments PO Box 34296, London NW5 1YW | letters@thejngroup.com

POLITICIANS ARE JUST OLD MAGICIANS It seems the triple whammy of another UK election, Trump in the White House and the eclipse, permanent or not, of Marine Le Pen in France arrived just in time to rescue politics as a subject of dinner party chatter. Friends who have long observed the ‘no sex, no religion, no politics’ rule at cosy round-table gatherings are suddenly back on their soapboxes, inspired this time not by the casting of votes but the personalities of the past few years. The cult of celebrity has much to answer for, but nowhere is its insidious creep more threatening than in this arena. As certain people have shown us, it is no longer enough to have sensible policies that you hope will benefit the people you are striving to represent. You now have to have a gimmick as well. And sometimes you don’t even need the policies anymore – you just pretend you do.

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THIS WEEKEND'S SHABBAT TIMES... Shabbat comes in Friday night 8.36pm

IF THE ROYALS CAN MANAGE TO VISIT SAUDI ARABIA, SURELY THEY CAN GO TO ISRAEL! letter, if the Prince of Wales can do a sword dance with the Saudis, whose human rights record is beneath contempt – yes, I know we need their friendship – he can jolly well go to Israel on state business. They won’t ask him to dance the Hora.

Barry Hyman Bushey Heath

NEWMARK IS PICKING THE WRONG FIGHT

Shabbat goes out Sedra: B eharSaturday night 10.00pm Bechukkotai

Printed in England: West Ferry Printers Limited Published by: The Jewish News & Media Group. www.thejngroup. com. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form of advertising without prior permission in writing from the editor. Registered as a newspaper by Royal Mail. The Jewish News reserves the right to make any alterations necessary to conform to the style and standards of The Jewish News and does not guarantee the insertion of any particular advertisement on a specified date or at all – although every effort will be made to meet the wishes of the advertisers. Further it does not accept liability for any loss or damage caused by an error or inaccuracy Member of in the publication of an advertisement. Signatures of both parties involved are sometimes required in the case of Audit Bureau some announcements. An order for an advertisement shall amount to an acceptance of the above conditions. Hotels, products and restaurants which are not supervised are marked with an [N]. The Jewish News reserves the right to edit of Circulations letters for size and content without prior consent. Submission of letters is no guarantee of publication.

Richard Cosner By email

Why, I ask Alex Brummer, does no one expect Princes Charles or William to visit Israel, but to ‘make do’ with Andrew or Edward (Jewish News, 11 May)? They have no credibility on the international diplomatic scene. As an Israeli prime minister, I would find that more insulting than no visit at all. As I said in a recent

CONTACT DETAILS Publisher and Editor Richard Ferrer richardf@thejngroup.com

It’s the old magician’s trick: do something with one hand to distract the audience while the other hand is up to something else entirely. I can think of no way out. The audience has fallen in love with the illusion. I can promise the earth to get elected, enjoy my spell in power, make millions afterwards in fees for after-dinner speeches (or become editor of a newspaper) and leave whoever follows to clean up my mess. Help!

“Isn’t it great that a Russian has influenced the outcome of such a big contest in a western country, Mr President?!”

I read with absolute amazement and horror that Jeremy Newmark, chairman of the Jewish Labour Movement, has decided to stand for Parliament against Mike Freer. He is so bound up in the Labour

Movement that he is not aware or understanding of the importance of keeping a true friend like Mr Freer in Parliament.

Sadie Allen Edgware


18 May 2017 Jewish News

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17

Editorial comment and letters

Wedding tables have turned Reading Isaac Cohen’s letter about his lack of success finding suitable Jewish women to date, I felt sorry for him, as he really sounds a nice fellow (Jewish News, 11 May). However, ‘what goes around comes around’. Going back decades, I recall how young Jewish women often encountered unpleasant questioning when brought to meet prospective in-laws. The man’s families asked the most intrusive

questions about her family’s financial status, and it was made plain they alone would bear any wedding costs. Through pure greediness, many prospective weddings never took place, and many youngsters finished up in mixed marriages. Today we see how another version of the old expression can be applied: ‘What’s good for the goose is good for the gander’.

the Oxford University Labour Club, which has no connection to either the esteemed Oxford Union or indeed the entirely separate Oxford University Students’ Union.

Some people would vote Labour if they stuck a red rosette on a donkey, which is not dissimilar to Comrade Corbyn – but at least a donkey has a use. All you need to know about a Labour Government with the people surrounding Corbyn is Tim Lezard, a new ‘advisor’ to the Labour leader. He stated: “When anti-Semitism rises as a result of Israel bombing Gaza, should UK taxpayers fund security for synagogues?” According to the International Definition of AntiSemitism, “Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel” is anti-Semitic. That is before he has any power.

Jon Benjamin By email

Russell Ballen By email

A W Kaye Stamford Hill

NO LINK TO OXFORD UNION In referring to concerns over anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, Sidney Sands mentions “the suppressing of the Oxford Union verdict” [Jewish News, 11 May]. He is, one suspects, referring to the failure to publish Baroness Royall’s report into alleged instances of anti-Semitism within

LABOUR’S NEW ADVISER IS ‘GUILTY’ OF ANTI-SEMITISM

FLYING A FLAG WON’T HELP The official announcement about flying the Palestinian flag over Dublin City Hall by a vote of 42 to 11 with seven abstentions, includes the curious statement ‘with the Palestinian citizens of Israel denied basic democratic rights and with the over seven million displaced Palestinians denied the right of return to their homeland’ (Jewish News, 11 May). About 25 percent of Israeli citizens are Arabs and they have the same legal rights as all other citizens of

Israel. In 1937, the British Mandate offered a two state solution, which was rejected by the Arabs. In 1947 the UN offered a two state solution, but the Arabs rejected it. Israeli Prime Ministers Ehud Barak and Olmert have offered two-state solutions with US support, rejected by the PLO. Flying the Palestinian flag over City Hall will not solve the Palestinian Authority’s problems.

Joseph Feld By email

Tune into this Friday’s Jewish Views podcast! • Our political expert on Donald Trump’s disclosure of Israel intelligence to Russia. • Artist Tracy Conway on a powerful new Holocaust art exhibition at New North London Synagogue. HOW TO LISTEN... PODCAST: Fridays iTUNES ‘The Jewish Views’ MW RADIO: Sundays 558AM at 12 noon WEB RADIO: Sundays at 10pm on Wandsworth Radio ONLINE: jewishnews.co.uk and spectrumradio.net

• Jewish News journalists review this week’s issue plus we debatet the week’s hottest topics on The Jewish Schmooze.

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Jewish News 18 May 2017

Opinion

As Queen of the world, one will not suffer fools JENNI FRAZER

R

ight, listen up: there has been a revolution. I am now officially Queen of the world. And, as such, I am issuing a number of decrees, effective immediately First, social media is banned. Mark Zuckerberg and his Silicon Valley associates are going to be sent away to a handy salt mine I have found somewhere, and Facebook and all the other stuff is going offline for an unlimited period. This will have several instant effects. It will stop idiotic world leaders – you know who you are – from issuing blithering pronouncements on Twitter so that every other world leader knows exactly how stupid you are. It will stop dozy teenagers from walking around, eyes glued to tiny screens, bumping into people, and prevent said dozy individuals from cataloguing life in terms of the number of “likes” and little emojis that they receive. Oh, and while I am at it, my subjects

are never going to be asked ever again how they “rate” a service — BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE BEING PAID FOR. Second, BBC Question Time is going to stop. It is a festering swamp of a programme, giving airtime to self-indulgent fools and leaders of UKIP. Oh, and for that matter, no Kippers are ever going to be asked their opinion on air about anything, ever again. So we won’t have any unpleasantness about Kippers bigging themselves up and pretending they are what they are not. Third, anyone who seeks to “apologise” for having written vile anti-Semitic stuff online by saying they “have no memory” of ever having gone near these kind of sentiments and oh, no, sir, it wasn’t me, sir, the bad boys did it, these people are going to be taken away to a place of my choosing and have their memories electronically wiped. Of everything. They will forget how to dress themselves in the mornings, and more. Then they’ll be sorry. If they can remember what “sorry” means. And the ones who “apologise” for having

been found out? Since I am Queen, I can dispatch them to a place where they will feel much more comfortable, such as Iran or North Korea. The mad, bad, and dangerous to know ‘AsaJews’ (copyright novelist Howard Jacobson, whom I have decided to ennoble as Lord Jacobson of Prestwich) who lose no opportunity to demonstrate against Israel, are also in line for a trip. I’m sending them, wholesale, to Sderot to see how they like having rockets fired at them at random intervals, only this time they don’t get to find a place in the shelters. No, AsAJews will just have to take their chances.

Some, of course, might survive Sderot and those who do will have the opportunity of spending time in Tel Aviv to find out what “normal” society looks like. Whisper it, but they might find Israelis are just like them – but, of course, they are afraid of finding out. I’ve also decided, naturally enough, that none of the “antis” are going to benefit from Israeli or Jewish ingenuity in medicine, science, technology, agriculture, etc. We are frequently accused of ruling the world – but this time I mean it. See how you like them apples, antis. I’m rather taking to this Queen lark, actually. Just call me Ma’am.

THE MAD, BAD, AND DANGEROUS ‘ASAJEWS’ WHO LOSE NO OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE AGAINST ISRAEL, ARE ALSO IN LINE FOR A TRIP

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19

Opinion

Christians will also celebrate Balfour’s 100th anniversary NICK GRAY

ORGANISER, BALFOUR 100

W

hat a year of anniversaries for the Jewish community! One hundred and twenty years since the first Zionist Congress; 70 years since UN Resolution 181; 50 years since the reunification of Jerusalem and, of course, the centenary of that little piece of paper so controversial yet so dynamic in history: the Balfour Declaration. As a Christian, I lament that most of my co-religionists have never heard of the Declaration, the foundation stone of today’s Jewish state and all its achievements. Yet in this centenary year, thousands of Christians across the UK are getting as excited about the Balfour Declaration as our Jewish friends. Major events in UK cities involve both Jewish and Christian organisers and participants working together. This could prove to be the biggest year yet for Jewish-Christian cooperation in Britain.

BISHOPS AND MINISTERS TAUGHT, PREACHED AND WROTE ABOUT THE PROPHESISED RETURN FROM EXILE TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL So why are Christians so enthusiastic about a particularly Jewish anniversary, besides recognising the chain of events that led to the creation of our favourite pilgrimage destination? Backtracking from 1917, we should realise that back then, British Christians generally took the Bible much more literally than today, especially the prophecies in the Tanach, of God’s intention to restore Israel to her land. In fact, this literal acceptance of the

prophetic writings concerning Israel was almost the default position among Biblebelieving Christians. Would that it were so today. This worldview meant British Christians were generally supportive of Jews. Bishops and ministers taught, preached and wrote about the return from exile to the land of Israel. Charles Wesley even wrote hymns about the restoration of the Jews. One of Theodor Herzl’s closest friends and mentors was an Anglican clergyman, Rev William Hechler. Lord Shaftesbury, known as a philanthropic Christian, also advocated for the return to Zion. He even wrote an address to the leaders of Europe challenging them to produce a “second Cyrus” to deliver the Jews from exile. One impact of these beliefs was that, amazingly, seven out of 10 of the wartime Cabinet that issued the Balfour Declaration were Christians with this biblical worldview. Clearly, strategic and political factors also drove the government of the day to issue such a declaration of support to the Jewish community, but we cannot dismiss the

underlying faith and devoutly-held beliefs of these powerful men as they deliberated. Lord Balfour himself, who did not hide his Christian credentials, began his address to the Zionist Federation in 1920 with the words: “For long I have been a convinced Zionist…” He reflected British Christian beliefs of his time. In the same speech, at the Royal Albert Hall, he referred to Britain and the Jews as “partners in this great enterprise” of recreating the Jewish homeland in Israel. Balfour’s speech is one reason Christians have organised Partners In This Great Enterprise, a unique event at the Royal Albert Hall on 7 November to mark the Balfour Declarations’s centenary. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Jews and Christians to celebrate together the partnerships that led to the Balfour Declaration and its eventual outcome in the modern state of Israel. With both Jewish and Christian performers, and through music, dance and drama, we have created an unmissable evening in an iconic venue worthy of this historic centenary for both our communities.


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Jewish News 18 May 2017

Opinion

MS is part of who I am, but does not define me RABBI GIDEON SCHULMAN FORMER TRUSTEE, MS SOCIETY

M

ultiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks its own healthy cells. Nobody is sure what causes it and there is no cure. The result is the nerves become damaged, affecting people in different ways with differing severity. My first memorable symptoms were at Yom Kippur 1998, while I was at uni in Hull. I experienced numbness and pins and needles in my hands and from the waist down. I put it down to fasting but it was still there a few days later so I went to my GP, who said it was psychosomatic relating to stress and would go away. It did, after a couple of months. Similar symptoms came and went but I ignored them and tried to have a ‘normal’ student life, co-hosting a show for the university radio station, becoming a member of Hull Race Equality Council, diversity officer for the students union, working with NUS and University staff equalities group, and more. Helping others is intrinsic to me, my

AT HOME OVER THE COURSE OF ONE DAY IN SUMMER, MY VISION TURNED GREEN BEFORE GOING ALTOGETHER parents having always been active in the Leeds community in various ways, plus helping to set up an Anthony Nolan branch and more. In turn, my sister and I were involved in youth clubs, I ran the shul youth services and taught at the chader with my cousin Dan, and so on. In summer 2001, I was at home in Leeds when over the course of a day my vision turned green before going altogether. A&E diagnosed optical neuritis and referred me to the neurologist. In October, my appointment

came, my sight had returned and so had the pins and needles and it was at this appointment I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. At that moment I decided although MS was part of me, it would not be what defines me. I relocated to London and built a career in HR. I continued having relapses that would go into remission but around 2010 the remissions stopped. The condition became progressive and constant and I again had problems with numbness, pins and needles, balance and more. Constant pain became my new norm. In 2015 I was no longer able to work full time, and so I found a new direction creating a home care agency. I don’t know why I have MS and believe HaShem only gives you challenges that you can cope with, however impossible it may seem. In some ways I feel my MS is a positive – it makes me a stronger person, more resilient, more appreciative of life. I studied at Yeshivat Darché Noam, attained Smicha (rabbinical ordination) from Rav Daniel Channen, Rav Erez Elcharar and Rav Aharon Schenkolewski with the help of my chavruta, Rabbi Chaim Kanterovitz. I attained

Fellow status at the CIPD, CMI and ILM professional bodies. I joined the Disability Committee for Jewish Care, helped to create a Jewish MS support group and volunteered for the MS Society, eventually becoming a trustee, and I have more to achieve. For the past 15 years hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been used to treat MS. The process in effect wipes and reboots your immune system by harvesting stem cells and using chemotherapy. To date, more than 2,000 people have received HSCT with a 75%-plus success rate in halting further progression. If the immune system is prevented from attacking itself, there is a chance some of the nerve damage can be repaired and/or regenerated. Although several centres around the world offer the treatment, Clinica Ruiz in Mexico is one of best and is why I am planning to go in July. The overall cost for the for pre-tests, treatment, further infusions after treatment, flights and travel is just over £60,000. I am being supported by the charity Briut VaOsher – www.briut-vaosher.co.uk. Any help you feel you can give will be greatly appreciated.

Those who can’t support Corbyn may vote tactically ERIC MOONMAN

FORMER LABOUR PARTY MP

I

s it conceivable that the opinion polls could possibly get it wrong in forecasting Theresa May continuing as prime minister or will Jeremy Corbyn defy all the odds to win a mandate to run the country? We are told by the prime minister that it was necessary to call the general election at short notice to speed up some of the Brexit negotiations and that the decision was not a personal one. Yet her audiences have heard in no uncertain terms that the election call was “to make me stronger”. From Churchill to Attlee and Blair, no one ever put forward such a cry. So who is ready and alert for this election? Labour has not yet recovered from the big reduction in the support gained by Tony Blair. Corbyn concentrates his campaigning and newly-released manifesto on his favourite negative message: attack the middle classes. Suzanne Moore, writing in the normally sympathetic Guardian, said: “Labour is stuck with Corbyn and the party is

hamstrung by the inflexibility of the leader and his vainglorious egotism.” Strong stuff, but similar comments may be heard in Parliament and at many constituency Labour Party gatherings. Corbyn’s campaign concentrates on himself as the man to oppose the establishment and the system. His speeches echo strongly those of Bernie Sanders when Sanders was bidding to become president of the US. He, too, spoke with some anger against the middle classes and said he was “sick and tired of establishment economics, establishment policies and the establishment media”. Sanders failed and now Corbyn fails to realise that to win an election, you need to gain the support of all sections of the community and not to alienate any. For the Jewish community, there will be few supporting Corbyn with any enthusiasm. He has had numerous opportunities to recognise and condemn the anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli discrimination taking place on campus. His failure to speak out robustly and provide leadership within the ranks of the higher echelons of Labour and its advisory committees has saddened Jews and non-Jews alike.

He shows no desire for building bridges towards Israel, a country that historically has such strong natural links with Labour and working class movements.

The friendship has been a longstanding and valuable one, comprising joint visits and conferences, all of which now sadly find themselves under strain. I have much admiration for those non-Jewish Labour MPs holding marginal seats who have made such a powerful contribution in speaking up for Israel when walls of silence prevailed. So then a coronation for Theresa May seems on the cards. The snap General Election will allow her to control the hotheads in her party. Importantly though, concentrating on the European issue has left her vulnerable to the charge that resolving serious domestic issues, with health, education and social services that are high on the agenda appear to have been sidelined. And the game changer? In the absence of clear support for either of the main parties, tactical voting may provide an answer.

BERNIE SANDERS FAILED AND CORBYN FAILS TO REALISE THAT TO WIN AN ELECTION, YOU NEED TO GAIN SUPPORT FROM ALL SECTIONS OF SOCIETY


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Community / Scene & Be Seen

1FAMILY FUN DAY

More than 450 people celebrated Lag B’Omer on Sunday by attending Seed’s Family Fun Day, which was held at a private home in Totteridge. As well as a barbecue, families – in particular young children – were kept busy with go-karts, inflatables, a pop-up laser quest and mobile petting zoo.

And be seen

2 CAMPAIGN VISIT

The latest news, pictures and social events from across the community

Matthew Offord, Hendon’s Conservative parliamentary candidate, enjoyed a Lag B’Omer celebratory garden event in Edgware, in the course of his campaign trail. Pictured with him, from left, are Cllr Brian Gordon, Rabbi Eliezer Schneebalg and Rabbi Rephoel Godlewsky.

3 ANIMAL ANTICS

Tuffkid Nursery, the Kisharon nursery based in north London for both mainstream children and children with special needs, went on a special Lag B’Omer trip to Woodside Farm in Luton, where they met a variety of animals.

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Photo by Asher Finchas

Chabad of Finchley celebrated Lag B’Omer by sponsoring a community-wide family festival event, which took place at Windsor Open Space in Finchley. Welcoming more than 500 people, the free gathering saw hundreds of families enjoy a range of activities, shows and food.

Photos by Blend Video

4FESTIVE CHABAD

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Jewish News 18 May 2017

Scene & Be Seen / Community

MEMORIES 1 MUSIC FOR HAMPSTEAD

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1

4

IT’S A BOOST FOR PARENTS TO SEE THEIR CHILDREN ENJOYING THEMSELVES AT SUCH A DIFFICULT TIME

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Photo by Grainge Photography

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creative projects exploring the theme of recovery.

Hampstead Synagogue’s 125-year celebrations enjoyed a lively start with a klezmer jazz concert given by Troika in the community centre. Wally Fields (piano) took the audience of more than 130 people on a musical journey from Paris and the US of the 1930s to the wild steppes of Cossack Russia and into the Jewish Odessa of the 1920s. The other players were Paul Gregory (jazz manouche guitar), Matthew Heery (guitar and mandolin), Mark Armstrong (trumpet) and Allan Stratton (bass guitar).

TRY OUT 4 KIDS IDEAL JOBS

Camp Simcha took a group of children to try out their ideal jobs at KidZania London. The youngsters enjoyed nearly 50 different pursuits, from firefighters to pilots, journalists to TV presenters. Camp Simcha chief executive Neville Goldschneider said: “For the youngsters it is pure fun and for the parents it’s a real boost to see their children enjoying themselves at such a difficult time.”

WALK 2 MITZVAH RAISES £3,000 ERIC ON 5 SIR FORM AT AJR Ten Year 7 and Year 8 pupils from schools including JFS, JCoSS and Fortismere completed the second annual Jewish Care 10K B’nei Mitzvah Walk, raising almost £3,000 to help support older people in the community. Jewish Care director of fundraising and marketing Daniel CarmelBrown said: “We’d like to say a big thank you and well done to all the participants.”

The Kindertransport, a special interest group of the Association of Jewish Refugees, welcomed Sir Eric Pickles, special envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues, to its monthly meeting at the New North London Synagogue. Sir Eric met more than 45 Kindertransport refugees and spoke about anti-Semitism in the UK and Holocaust denial.

CARE’S NORWOOD HOST 3 JEWISH TREE OF POETRY 6 ISRAELI OFFICIALS Jewish Care marked Mental Health Awareness Week by installing a tree in the garden of the Sidney Corob House. Inspired by the poetry etched into the branches from the creative writing group and the artwork created by a resident which forms the leaves, the installation celebrates the culmination of a number of

Norwood hosted a delegation of senior Israeli government officials as part of their study tour to Europe, where they’re discussing new models of social care and welfare funding in Israel. Norwood CEO Elaine Kerr said: “It has been an absolute pleasure to spend time with the delegation.”

Your simcha announcements Harry Brandman celebrated his barmitzvah at Cockfosters and N Southgate Synagogue.

Abi Heimann celebrated her batmitzvah at Bushey United Synagogue.

Photo by Gander Photography

Photo by Gary Perlmutter Photography

Sandra & Martin Coleman celebrated their golden wedding anniversary at The Haven.

Photo by Paul Lang Photography

Photo by Kate Swerdlow Photography

Sophie Stark celebrated her batmitzvah at Bushey United Synagogue.

Have you had a recent simcha? Send your picture to picturedesk@thejngroup.com


18 May 2017 Jewish News

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25

Community / Scene & Be Scene

Actress Joanna Lumley condemned cultural boycotts of Israel as “appalling” after addressing charity Tikva’s annual dinner in central London. “I hate barriers, I hate walls, I hate boycotts,” she said when questioned on the subject. “It’s appalling. I would never join in such a boycott.” The Absolutely Fabulous star delighted more than 200 guests with tales of her 40-year career, from model to Bond girl to the hit sitcom. She also successfully led a campaign for Gurkha veterans who served in the British Army to have the right to settle in the UK. The dinner raised £1.1m for Tikva children’s homes in Odessa, with the funds going towards continuing the search for atrisk Jewish children in the region. Tikva also operates schools and a university there.

Photos by Blake Ezra Photography

Lumley stars at Tikva’s glittering annual dinner


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Jewish News 18 May 2017

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Life

27

Being gay and Catholic / Lifestyle

IN THIS SECTION: Nosh 29 / Win! 38

My big gay Jewish conversion Simon Atkins speaks to Francine Wolfisz about his new BBC Three film exploring whether Judaism is more accepting of his sexuality than his Catholic faith

H

aving grown up with a strong Catholic faith, Simon Atkins says he still looks back on his younger years “with fondness”, but became disillusioned when he realised being gay meant he could never marry in the eyes of God. That changed when he met Jewish boyfriend Matthew, whose synagogue allows same-sex marriage. It offered an answer Catholicism could not, but it would mean becoming Jewish and renouncing his former beliefs, including that Jesus is the son of God. Was this something he could really do? Atkins’ poignant journey exploring this question is revealed in My Big Gay Jewish Conversion, on BBC Three from Tuesday. In the one-hour documentary, the Irish presenter and film-maker speaks to other gay Jewish men who have converted, then flies to Israel, where attitudes towards homosexuality vary from overwhelming acceptance to strong resistance. Atkins, born in London to an Irish mother and Burmese father before the family moved to Castlebar in west Ireland, wanted to make the film to help other gay people struggling to reconcile religion and sexuality. “They are afraid to be who they are because of their religious background

and afraid they may be shunned from their communities if they act on their sexual impulses,” he tells me. The ex-altar boy, who played flute in a folk group at weekend at mass and serenaded couples as they walked up the aisle, reveals he too struggled with the conundrum for years. But when he met Matthew nearly three years ago, he discovered more accepting attitudes from the Jewish community. “What I believed to be lacking in Catholicism seemed abundant in Judaism,” he says. “Not only could you marry in his synagogue, but you could even be preached to by a gay rabbi. This existing in the Jewish faith seemed like progress to me.” Matthew, who has never asked

Atkins to covert, supported his partner in finding out more about Judaism, but also had reservations. “Early on, I think he recognised that although I loved so much about his culture, what was really driving me was a search to reconcile feelings of isolation and rejection stemming from my youth growing up as a gay man in a straight, Catholic world.” Hoping he can find the answer, Atkins travels to Israel, birthplace of both Judaism and Christianity. He first journeys to Tel Aviv, where Gay Pride has been celebrated since 1979, joins three friends on a night out in the city, where one in four identify as gay, and meets serving soldiers who are open about their homosexuality. He discovers gay soldiers have been

Simon Atkins joins friends in Tel Aviv while on his visit to Israel

allowed to serve openly in the Israeli army since 1994, almost a decade before the UK allowed it. But where Tel Aviv showcases the best of Israeli tolerance towards the gay community, he discovers attitudes vary widely across the rest of the country. In Ofra, he speaks to Aron, a member of the strictly Orthodox community in the West Bank settlement, who is clear in his views on homosexuality: “Your way of life is forbidden.” Although taken aback, Atkins remains unshaken. “While I respect his views and understand that he lives his life by the strict guidelines of the Torah, his viewpoint does not resonate strongly with me,” he says. But he meets even greater hostility on a visit to Mea Shearim, where by his own admission he “stuck out like a sore thumb, being the only nonreligious person there”. Speaking to community leader Joel Krauss left Atkins feeling not all strands of Judaism are as accepting. “God did not make you like this, you made yourself like this, that is a fact,” Krauss declares. “You can treat it. It’s a disease like any other disease and you can take medication.” “I felt really sad coming away from that chat,” Atkins concludes. “I felt deflated that such homophobic attitudes still exist in the world today.”

As he moves on to Jerusalem, he discovers although the city has hosted an annual gay pride parade since 2002, the event has twice been marred by violence. In 2015, a strictly Orthodox man stabbed six people, one, a 16-year-old girl, fatally. “What made it even worse was the attacker, Yishai Schlissel, was from a strictly Orthodox community and declared that he had been doing God’s will,” Atkins says. “I thought ‘What God would ever will that upon somebody?’ She is someone’s daughter.” A visit to the places where the son of God is said to have been crucified and resurrected proves overwhelming. As he walks out of the church unable to speak, it’s clear his visit to Israel has posed more questions than it answers. There’s certainly much to gain from converting to Judaism, including being allowed to marry in the eyes of God. But there are sections of the community that would never accept his lifestyle and he would have to turn his back on the core religious beliefs he has known all his life. Are the sacrifices simply too great for Atkins to take the next step? Viewers will have to watch this compelling documentary to find out.  My Big Gay Jewish Conversion is available on BBC Three from Tuesday, 23 May, 10am


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Jewish News 18 May 2017

Lifestyle / Rites of passage

I was circumcised for my barmitzvah Having a brit milah later in life is a nerve-racking experience, especially for a 13-year-old boy about to reach his religious milestone. By Naomi Frankel Nathan Cohen faced a profound dilemma ahead of his Jewish coming of age. The youngster, who attends King David High School in Liverpool, explains: “My dad isn’t Jewish and my family isn’t observant, so I was not circumcised as a baby. Before the big day my mum and I agreed that if I was to have one for my barmitzvah it had to be entirely my own decision. Other people just have it done at eight days old and it’s forgotten about. I actually chose to do it, so I feel like it’s more special in that way.” Nathan says he always felt like he was different, especially among his peers at a Jewish school. “People would talk about it and I would feel left out,” he says. “I kept quiet, though, and no one knew I wasn’t circumcised. But I had this

uncomfortable feeling that I didn’t belong, that I wasn’t properly Jewish.” Although he never converted, Nathan’s father, Anthony, underwent a circumcision in recent years to encourage his son to do the same. But it was a chance encounter on a plane five years ago with Berish Dresdner, a Belz Chassid from Manchester, that finally convinced Nathan to take his first steps towards having a circumcision. Dresdner introduced Nathan and his family to the wider Belz community and he began to learn more about the religious significance of having a brit milah. “My dad definitely inspired me, but I also learnt so much about Judaism from Berish,” he explains. “I felt like I owed it to myself and him.

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I thought, ‘It’s just a simple surgery, I can do this.’” Last year, Nathan decided to undergo a circumcision, but the procedure had to be halted when the local anaesthetic failed, leaving him in pain. He waited another year before attempting a second surgery, performed this time under general anaesthetic. “I went from 100 percent to 65 percent sure, but I told myself I may as well just do it, it’ll be over and done with. Plus it coincided with my barmitzvah.” Despite overcoming his reservations, Nathan admitted he experienced extreme anxiety before the procedure. Although the surgery went well this time, it was a week before Nathan, a keen swimmer, could even get out of bed. “It was really difficult,” he recalls. “I started walking and running after two-and-a-half weeks, but only restarted swimming two months later.” He does not regret going through the procedure and advises others in a similar situation to “just do it and don’t put it off, because it’s more painful the older you get”. He adds: “It’s definitely worth it, because you become part of the covenant with God. You can literally feel the difference afterwards

Above: Nathan Cohen with Rabbi Yochanan Pereira. Below left: Nathan with Berish Dresdner and, right, with Rabbi Shlomo Angel

and not just in a physical way.” Nathan’s spiritual journey continued over Passover during a holiday to Salou, Spain, with his family, where the other guests at Hotel Best Negresco found out about his amazing story. “I didn’t have a proper barmitzvah, so they decided to throw me a massive celebration. I was just expecting to say a few prayers!” he laughs. Back in Manchester, the Belz Chasidim rallied round the teenager, lavishing gifts, speeches and good wishes upon Nathan, who is now also known as Moshe. “It was a bit weird as a non-religious boy to meet the important heads of the community,” he admits. Nathan received shocked reactions from his friends, who were astounded he had never had a brit. Today he is proud of his decision and since his brit he wears his tzitzit and kippah every day. He is also making efforts to improve his Hebrew reading. “I was disconnected, but now I’m reconnected,” Nathan says proudly. “I’m part of the Jew crew.”


18 May 2017 Jewish News

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29

Nosh / Lifestyle

PLATEExpectations

Caramel apple cheese cake tart

Denise Phillips

PREPARATION TIME 40 MINUTES,

Caramelised apples make a very impressive topping to a regular cheese cake. Cooking the base ensures the biscuits don’t go soggy and there is a distinct separate layer between the two mixtures. Choose a medium fat cheese for a good flavour and texture. The low fat varieties often make the cake watery.

SERVES

8-10

COOKING TIME 1 HOUR 15 MINS (Plus 8 to 12 hours chilling time)

Base: 200g finely ground gingersnap biscuit crumbs 75g finely chopped toasted pecans 50g butter, melted Vegetable cooking spray

spray) 22 cm loose based cake tin.

Filling: 900g cream cheese 100g light brown sugar 1 large egg 1 teaspoon mixed spice or cinnamon

4 Bake for 15 minutes and then remove and set aside. 5 Prepare filling: Whisk cream cheese, sugar, egg and mixed spice with an electric mixer until smooth.

6 Pour cream cheese mixture into prepared base and spread evenly. 7 Bake at 170°C for 20 to 35 minutes or until centre is almost set. 8 Cool completely on a wire rack (about 40 minutes). Chill 8 to 12 hours. 3 4 5 6 7

Microwave apricot jam in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 20 to 30 seconds or until melted. Brush apples with half of the apricot jam. Preheat grill with oven rack 15°cm from heat/ middle shelf. Grill tart 3 to 5 minutes or just until apples begin to brown. Remove from oven, and brush apples with remaining apricot jam mixture. Chill 1 hour before serving.

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Jewish News 18 May 2017

Lifestyle / Poland and her Jews

‘And the Poles didn’t

murder?’ M

any years ago, David Blumenfeld read a testimony from one of the sole survivors of his grandfather’s shtetl, Ivansk (Iwaniska), near Kielce in south-central Poland. The survivor, Yitzhak Goldstein, recalled how the day before the Nazis deported the village’s remaining Jews in October 1942, they gathered in the local Jewish cemetery to bury the community’s Torah scrolls. “The whole shtetl participated. Each one saw themselves as though they were at their own funeral. The rabbi turned to us – the young ones – and swore on our behalf: All of those who survived the war should dig out the Torah scrolls and tell the world what the German nation, with the help of a large part of the Polish population, did to us,” Goldstein wrote. Blumenfeld, a Jerusalem-based photographer and film-maker was intrigued. Then, when he learned a decade ago that descendants from Ivansk planned to restore the village’s Jewish cemetery, he decided to grab his camera and film what would happen. The Toronto-born film-maker, who lived in Canada and the United States before settling in Israel in 2000, thought he would essentially be documenting family history, creating something to hand down to his three children about where their great-grandfather, Max Carl Blumenfeld, came from. However, as the cemetery work began and

Blumenfeld saw the reaction of the local residents, the 49-year-old realised his film would have to deal with explosive issues of memory, responsibility and victimhood in modern-day Poland. Over the course of the decade it took to make Scandal In Ivansk, the Poles, whose national narrative had been one of victimhood and suffering under the Germans and later the Soviets, began to confront the uncomfortable fact some among them had not been only victims or innocent bystanders, but also perpetrators of atrocities against Jews during the Holocaust. In the film, which premiered at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival last week, Blumenfeld does discover what happened to the Torah scrolls buried by the Jewish community on the eve of its destruction. But, more crucially, he digs up differing perspectives on history — especially when the rededication of the Jewish cemetery unexpectedly becomes a national headline-grabbing scandal. It wasn’t really the 2006 restoration that was the problem. By that point, Poles were relatively used to neglected Jewish graveyards being cleaned up, and desecrated headstones returned to their proper place by activists, such as photographer Lukasz Baksik, seen in the film expertly negotiating with an elderly Ivansk resident for a headstone fragment stashed in his basement. Rather, the issue was the inscription on the

A Jewish gravestone sits in a resident’s garden, in Ivansk, Poland, as shown in the documentary directed by David Blumenfeld, top

Photos by David Blumenfeld

Renee Ghert-Zand speaks to the director of Scandal In Ivansk, an explosive documentary charting the Poles’ difficult relationship with the word ‘collaborators’ Above: Stills from Scandal In Ivansk, a documentary about the restoration of the central Polish village’s Jewish cemetery

memorial prepared and erected by the organisers at the rededication ceremony. A single word was highly problematic: Collaborators. “Finally, on 15 October 1942, Jewish life in Iwaniska ceased when the Nazis and their collaborators brutally transported the town’s Jews to their deaths in Treblinka,” the inscription read. “We had been received quite nicely by the locals up to that point. There had been a lot of cooperation with the cemetery restoration project, and the school even held an essay contest with the kids interviewing their grandparents about what they remembered about the Jews who used to live in the village,” Blumenfeld said. “Then the monument was unveiled and all hell broke loose. None of us had realised how explosive this word was,” he said. The local Polish residents would not tolerate the “collaborator” reference and wanted it removed immediately. The film, co-directed by Ami Drozd, includes interviews with noted Polish academics, such as Jan Grabowski from the University of Ottawa and Princeton’s Jan Tomasz Gross, whose 2001 Neighbors: The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedwabne, Poland, provided evidence that Poles murdered several hundred of their Jewish neighbours in July 1941. The work ignited Polish historical introspection. One gets the impression, however, that Ivansk’s residents would side more with Polish nationalists – such as the ruling Law and Justice party, which has outlawed the use of the term “Polish death camps” – than with these academics trying to get their compatriots to face painful truth. Poignantly, the only Ivansk resident who speaks about Polish responsibility without reservation is a drunk in the village square. “The Germans wanted to exterminate the Jews. All of them. And the Poles were helping them with it. I know it from my home,” he says. When his companion suggests that a proposed (and so far unrealised) memorial plaque for the village square could state the

Germans murdered the Jews, the drunk asks, “And the Poles didn’t murder?” Blumenfeld was educated in Jewish day schools and participated in one of the first organised teen trips to the death camps in Poland in the 1990s. Before making this film, he would never have thought twice about the rabbi’s words in Goldstein’s testimony. It was unquestioned, given the prevailing belief that Poland was a terrible place and the Poles were collaborators with the Nazi occupiers. However, the film-maker no longer sees things in black and white. He found evidence of both real heroism and real cruelty in Ivansk’s history. “Polish-Jewish relations are not something I really understood before. Memory and how we remember is subjective. The stories we pass down to the next generations are based on how we perceive ourselves as victims, and we all have stains we want to cover up,” he said. The many trips Blumenfeld made to Ivansk to make this film taught him that while there may be a single truth, there can be many different perspectives on it. More than a decade after the memorial plaque was unveiled, the word “collaborator” is still there. However, this is not necessarily a sign that Ivansk’s residents have fully reconciled with its meaning. “The last time I visited, it looked like no one was really taking care of the cemetery. There was already a lot of overgrowth and the inscription was hidden from view,” he said.  Scandalinivansk.com


18 May 2017 Jewish News

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31

Sedra: Behar-Bechukkotai / It’s Biblical / Orthodox Judaism

It’s Biblical

SEDRA

Behar-Bechukkotai BY RABBI YONI BIRNBAUM

BY RABBI ARIEL ABEL

The first of this week’s sedrot contains a requirement to leave the entire land of Israel fallow every seventh year, or Shmita. During Shmita, a farmer must demonstrate complete trust in God, without intervention in crop production. Emphasising the importance of this commandment, the Torah states: “You shall perform My statutes, keep My ordinances and perform them, and you will live on the land securely” (Leviticus 26:3). This mitzvah exemplifies the essence of the relationship between the Jewish people, the Torah and the land of Israel. The Zionist poet Naftali Hertz Imber is renowned as the author of the beautiful words of the Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem. The modern version of the Hatikvah, however, is based on the first two stanzas of an earlier, longer, poem written by Imber in 1877, called Tikvateinu, meaning “our hope”. The song’s second stanza reads: “Our hope is not yet lost, the ancient hope, to return to the land of our fathers, the city in which David dwelt.” This line captures the essence of the eternal relationship between the Israel and the Jewish people. Israel is so much more than a country. It is even more than the “land of our fathers”, a place with which we have a historical connection. It is the land in which people such as King David lived, people who embodied what it meant to live as the People of the Book in the Land of the Book. The land is not just a land. It is inseparably connected to the mitzvot, as epitomised by Shmita, and to a constant awareness of the fact that it is, in Imber’s beautiful words, “the land of our fathers, the city in which David dwelt”.

 Yoni is rabbi of Hadley Wood Jewish community

Everything you need

Everything you ever wanted to know about your favourite Torah characters, and the ones you’ve never heard of...

to create the perfect

THIS WEEK:

MIRIAM

At the tender age of six, Miriam saved the life of her brother Moses. When male Hebrew newborns were condemned to death in Egypt, her brother was put in a floating casket on the River Nile. Miriam hid by the banks of the Nile to see what would become of him. When Pharaoh’s daughter came to wash in the river, she was overcome with pity for the crying child. She was sure that baby was a Hebrew, for if not, why else would it have been thus abandoned? Miriam sprang into action and offered to find a Hebrew mother to suckle the child. That mother was none other than their own, Yocheved, the wife of their father Amram. Miriam re-emerges years later as the

proud sister of Moses, redeemer of Israel. She led the women in song by the seashore after the crossing of the Red Sea. Miriam is one of a limited number expressly named a prophet in the Torah. In Judaism, spiritual attainment is open to men and women, and Miriam is one of seven prophetesses who were given messages by Divine communication. Miriam and her brother Aaron were punished by God for criticising their brother Moses for having married

a non-Semitic Cushite woman. Moses had married twice and on neither occasion had he married an Israelite. God inflicted Miriam with leprosy for speaking about Moses behind his back. God reiterates that it is Moses’ loyalty to Him that mattered, not whom he married. This teaches that it is none of our business to criticise people’s private lives and not mix racial prejudices into religious values. Out of respect for Miriam, the people waited until she was healed before journeying onward.

MIRIAM IS ONE OF A LIMITED NUMBER NAMED  Ariel is rabbi of Liverpool Old Hebrew Congregation and A PROPHET IN THE TORAH. SPIRITUAL Ecumenical Chaplain to the ATTAINMENT IS OPEN TO MEN AND WOMEN Forces, Merseyside Army Cadets holiday

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BRITAIN 10 November 2016

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OF THE JEWISH The popular consensus NEWS elect Donald Trump’s on President- more like a statesman surprise march during his victory to the White House speech on Wednesday somehow managed has been shock and to gain the trust morning, but this horror. How can and won’t begin to wash votes of 50 million Pragmatic politicians a man who says what away the unstatesAmericans – a quite are, of course, he manlike bravado says and behaves making the best how he that marred his campaign staggering statistic. of it, insisting the displaying the emotionalbehaves – while from start to finish. new leader of the free Most politicians – world should be judged maturity of a Vladamir Putin and 12-year-old – be Nigel Farage aside If this man has on future actions allowed to have his – didn’t want to see rather than the wicked fin- certainly didn’t any hidden depths they billionaire ger on the nuclear reality TV star anywhere the words that brought him to codes? emerge during his power. battle the White near with Hillary Clinton. He may have looked Theresa May said House. Now that’s and sounded a little the UK and US where he’s will heading, The often-vile personality remain “strong we witnessed knuckle the world will simply have to and close partners on trade, down and deal with security and defence” him. Continued on page 12

DAILY! Reports and reaction,

pages 2, 3, 4, 5,

6 & 12

Keep up-to-date with the latest news, opinion, features and sport by signing up to our daily edition! Visit jewishnews.co.uk/ the-daily-edition

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32

Jewish News 18 May 2017

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Progressive Judaism / The Bible Says What? / Progressively Speaking

The Bible Says What?

Progressively Speaking

You can charge interest to a non-Jew?

Should there be songs or silence at Auschwitz?

RABBI DEBBIE YOUNG-SOMERS In a rather uncomfortable moment at an interfaith meeting, a non-Jewish member of clergy pointed out that only Jews (not Muslims and Christians) are permitted to charge interest on loans, perpetuating the imbalanced financial systems of today. It smacked of so many anti-Semitic tropes around money, but from a textual point of view is entirely accurate. In Deuteronomy 23:20-21, we read that we are forbidden from lending to our brothers with interest, but can to a foreigner. This injunction formed part of the arsenal used by Christian rulers to force Jews into becoming medieval moneylenders. This is how Jews have become so negatively connected to money and banking in Europe – no one likes the person who wants their money back. At face value, it’s pretty hard to deny the negative claim made at the meeting. So why the difference between those to whom we live close and those we don’t?

If we lend someone money without interest, we are likely to know them and be able to go back to them when it is needed. They have to live with us, so will be more likely to pay it back responsibly. A foreigner may only be passing through; you might not know when they will return and therefore it is a much greater risk. No one verse of Torah is ever the end of the discussion. Nahmanides quotes Deuteronomy 6:18: “You shall do that which is right and good in the sight of the Eternal,” arguing that this is a reminder that all our business dealings must be done with integrity. If we are going to charge interest, it must be done with absolute clarity and kindness, and not with the intention of squeezing the borrower. The Talmud (Shabbat 31a) says: “In the next world, the first question you shall be asked in judgement is: ‘Were you honest in business?’”

 Debbie is Reform Judaism’s community educator

RABBI LEAH JORDAN “To write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric.” So goes Naziexiled German philosopher Theodor Adorno’s famous dictum. Aversion of this debate is ongoing. What is the appropriate response to Auschwitz? Can there even be an appropriate response? The debate this time is how Jewish participants should behave on the annual March of the Living. As 11,000 participants from across the world gathered to memorialise the Shoah – and specifically the death marches concentration camp prisoners were forced into – some worried that, this year, too much of a carnival atmosphere prevailed. Jewish News’ Jack Mendel wrote

last week: “While March of the Living is a celebration of life, having a party in a place of unimaginable death steps over the line. It makes you lose perspective of where you are and why you’re there. It banishes the sincerity required to process what took place.” Yet, as Jack acknowledges, some of this atmosphere was ideological and intentional. Jewish youth movements have a long tradition

HOW DO WE LEARN FROM COLLECTIVE SUFFERING IN A WAY THAT ENNOBLES?

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Communicationswho Offi 21 hours perviolence. week - £27,000 (FTE) arecer affected by domestic Qualifi Counsellor 10counsellors hours per week 2 days) fromcomplementary £25,000 (FTE) Weed are looking for qualified (diploma level)(over and qualified and insured therapists who have some experience in working with vulnerable adults, have a good Safer Dating Coordinator 14 ofhours percommunity, week from £22,956 (FTE) understanding the Jewish and are aware of the issues faced by Jewish women Educational experiencing Sessionaldomestic Worker Adand hoc - £25 per hour violence abuse. Counsellors will see a minimum of two clients on a weekly basis to fit around their commitments. JWA offers regular supervision and CPD.

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of reclaiming places of suffering, by bringing life back to those places, through song, prayer, and ritual. March participant and LJYNetzer movement worker Hannah Stephenson argues singing Oseh Shalom as part of an international gathering of Jews at Auschwitz is a radical act of reclamation and pride. She said: “We remember those who lost their lives and do what they couldn’t do, in their honour and memory.” The question of how to memorialise the Shoah is a profound one. How do we remember and learn from collective suffering so great in a way that ennobles rather than embitters? I often think of Nietzsche’s quote: “And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.” That is, sometimes reclamation in the face of an abyss needs to be more than silent gazing to be overcome.  Leah is Liberal Judaism’s student chaplain

Hillside Ave, Borehamwood, Herts WD6 1HL

Yavneh Primary School is looking to recruit

Learning Support Assistants for September 2017

This is a unique opportunity for innovative and creative practitioners with a drive and passion to ensure that all children achieve and to be part of our pioneering team.

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To request an information pack contact: admin@yavnehprimary.org call 020 8736 5580 or visit our website on www.yavnehprimary.org.

This post is advertised in accordance with section 7.2 (e) of the Sex Discrimination Act. Only women need apply.

Closing date: 9am Monday 5 June 2017

For more details and an application pack please visit:

Please go to jwa.org.uk/about-jwa/job-vacancies for full details on Or contact Lee/Anat 020 84458060; Lee@jwa.org.uk, Anat@jwa.org.uk each post and to download an application pack. This post is advertised in accordance with secti on 7.2 (e) of the Sex Discrimination Act. Registered charity number: 1047045 Only women need apply. Registered charity number: 1047045

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced DBS check.


18 May 2017 Jewish News

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33

Professional advice from our panel / Ask Our Experts

Ask our Our trusty team of advisers answer your questions about everything from law and finance to dating and dentistry. This week: Fertility worries, concerns over teenage bullying and telephone amplification CAROLYN COHEN SOCIAL WORKER

CHANA

Dear Carolyn I’ve recently been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and am concerned how this may affect my longterm fertility. What can I do to improve my fertility prospects? Helen Dear Helen It is difficult to know exactly how many women have polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, but it is a common condition and is thought to affect about one in five women, with more than half having no obvious symptoms or fertility issues. There is also a familial predisposition

ELAINE KERR CHARITY EXECUTIVE

NORWOOD Dear Elaine I’m worried my teenage son is being bullied owing to his disability, but every time I try to talk to him about it he becomes distant. What can I do? Frances Dear Frances It’s always distressing for a parent to suspect their child is being bullied. Initially, it’s important to try to establish

the facts before doing anything else. Many teenage boys become distant to their parents during this period in their lives and can be unhappy for a number of reasons. Don’t immediately rule out other causes not related to his disability without more information. If your son won’t talk to you, is there someone else you believe he might talk to or has already confided in? Try to find out what is happening by talking to a sibling, friend or teacher. You may find including someone else in the conversation will help your son to open up. If you then believe that bullying is the reason for your son’s unhappiness, the next step is to establish what type of bullying he is suffering.

to PCOS, although the underlying cause is related to hormone imbalance. The symptoms can be varied to include hirsutism (excessive body hair), weight problems (over or underweight), irregular cycle and in some cases, fertility issues. Polycystic ovaries contain a large number of small, harmless follicles. These are under-developed sacs in which eggs develop. In people who have PCOS, these sacs are often unable to release an egg, which means that ovulation doesn’t take place. The management of PCOS revolves around weight optimisation; ovulation induction agents and IVF are not always required. A Chana support worker, as well as our medical panel, can provide you with emotional and practical support and information. Please call us on 020 8201 5774.

It can be face to face or, increasingly, it may be through social media. Understanding what form the bullying is taking will help you formulate a plan to stop it. When you feel you know enough about what’s happening, you can speak to the head of the school or any other professional responsible for caring for your son when you’re not there. If at that stage you feel you and the school are unable to resolve the bullying, you can seek further professional help. Norwood’s education psychology team and specialist teaching services can help with situations such as this. They can assess the risk of harm to your son, the impact on his schoolwork and other issues that play a part in these situations.

SUE CIPIN CHARITY EXECUTIVE

JEWISH DEAF ASSOCIATION Dear Sue I bought a phone with a volume amplifier as I’ve been finding it more difficult to hear on the phone. But it hasn’t made it any easier – I still can’t hear clearly. I don’t understand why. Can you help? Marion Dear Marion If you’ve bought a phone

Man on a Bike will get you working fast! Rapid Response IT support for your PC & Mac • networks • virus problems • • broadband & wireless systems • New computers and everything else you may need for small businesses & home users Call Ian Green, Man on a Bike on

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with high amplification but still find the sound unclear, it may be that the high volume is not sufficient for you. There are many amplified phones with different levels of volume and clarity – it is really important to get one that is not just loud, but also has the best quality of sound for your hearing loss. Our Technology and Information Centre has many phones you can try out (both corded and cordless) so you can make an informed choice, rather than looking through a catalogue and hoping for the best. If you wear hearing aids, holding the phone handset in the right place makes a big difference. If you wear behind-the-ear aids, you’ll be hearing from

a microphone on the aid rather than from the mould in your ear, so always lift the phone slightly higher and hold it to the microphone. All specialist amplified phones are equipped with induction loops, so if your aid has a loop setting, press the button at the top to turn it on and you’re likely to be able to hear more clearly – particularly if you have a severe hearing loss. Induction loops transmit sound directly to hearing aids rather than it passing through air waves, so there’s less chance you’ll have problems with whistling or distortion. If you’d like to make an appointment to try out some phones, call Gabrielle Radnor on 020 8446 0214 or email info@hearingconnect.org.uk


34

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Jewish News 18 May 2017

Ask Our Experts / Professional advice from our panel

Our Experts Do you have a question for a member of our team? Email: editorial@thejngroup.com

JEWELLER

SOCIAL WORKER

JONATHAN WILLIAMS Qualifications: • Jewellery manufacturer since 1980s. • Expert in the manufacture and supply of diamond jewellery, wedding rings and general jewellery. • Specialist in supply of diamonds to the public at trade prices.

CAROLYN COHEN Qualifications: • Supports couples dealing with infertility and reproductive health. • Strictly confidential helpline. • Specialist medical support and information. • Counselling for individuals and couples and educational events. • Expert medical advisory panel.

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

CHANA 020 8203 8455 Helpline: 020 8201 5774 / 020 8800 0018 www.chana.org.uk info@chana.org.uk

CHARITY EXECUTIVE

ESTATE AGENT

CONSULTANT PAEDIATRICIAN

ELAINE KERR Qualifications: • Able to draw on the expertise of Norwood’s professional staff team, including social workers, educational psychologists, drug and alcohol specialists, speech & language and occupational therapists, teachers, psychologists, benefit advisers. • Expertise in services available for children and their families and young people with special educational needs, and adults with learning disabilities.

STEVE WAYNE Qualifications: • Owner of Benjamin Stevens established in 2004 with offices in Edgware and Bushey and dealing with all surrounding areas. • Specialist in buy 2 let investments and managing lettings portfolios. • Deals with residential sales locally and an expert on all things property in North West London. • Partner at Frederick George & Co

DR PIYUSHA KAPILA Qualifications: • MB ChB (Man) MD (Lon) FRCPCH; trained in the Childrens’ Hospitals in Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and London. • Looks after children and newborns with all sorts of general problems. • Specialises in endocrinology and diabetes in children. • Works at N Middlesex University NHS Hospital; private sessions at the Wellington Centres and Hsopital of St John and St Elizabeth.

NORWOOD 020 8809 8809 www.norwood.org.uk elaine.kerr@norwood.org.uk

BENJAMIN STEVENS ESTATE AGENTS 020 8950 7777 www.benjaminstevens.co.uk Steve@benjaminstevens.co.uk

TELECOMS SPECIALIST MAXI ROSE Qualifications: • MD at RCUK since 1999. Grown the business into three substantial UK branches serving clients worldwide – USA, Europe & Middle East. • Telecoms specialist in business & consumer mobile solutions, landline and broadband services and Ofcom Telecoms registered reseller.

RCUK 020 8815 4115 www.rcuk.biz maxi@rcuk.biz

MOBILITY SPECIALIST ELAINE FERGUSON Qualifications: • 20+ years experience with mobility and independent living products and services. • Expert advice to make life easier whether you have restricted movement, are disabled or elderly. • Manager of north London’s largest mobility centre, member of British Healthcare Trade Association (BHTA). • Training provider: First Aid, carers, health and safety.

FORTUNA MOBILITY CENTRE 020 8344 4820 www.fortunamobility.com info@fortunamobility.com

LANDLORD EXPERT

TRAVEL AGENT

DR PIYUSHA KAPILA 07741 416557 enquiries@doctorpiyushakapila.org.uk

CHARITY EXECUTIVE SUE CIPIN Qualifications: • 18 years’ hands-on experience, leading JDA in significant growth and development. • Deep understanding of the impact of deafness on people at all stages of life, and their families. • Practical and emotional support for families of deaf children. • Extensive services for people affected by hearing loss/tinnitus.

JEWISH DEAF ASSOCIATION 020 8446 0502 info@jewishdeaf.org.uk www.jewishdeaf.org.uk

SOLICITOR ADVOCATE

PAUL SHAMPLINA Qualifications: • Over 25 years in the legal field helping landlords with problem tenants. • Founder of Landlord Action • Star of a Channel 5’s Nightmare Tenants and Slum Landlords • Brand ambassador for Hamilton Fraser.

DAVID SEGEL Qualifications: • Managing director of West End Travel, established in 1972. • Leading UK El Al agent with branches in Swiss Cottage and Edgware. • Specialist in Israel travel, cruises and kosher holidays. • Leading business travel company, ranked in top 50 UK agents. • Frequent travel broadcaster on radio and TV.

CARL WOOLF Qualifications: • 20+ years experience as a criminal defence solicitor and higher court advocate. • Specialising in all aspects of criminal law including murder, drug offences, fraud and money laundering, offences of violence, sexual offences and all aspects of road traffic law. • Visiting associate professor at Brunel University.

HAMILTON FRASER 0345 310 6300 www.hamiltonfraser.co.uk Paul.Shamplina@hamiltonfraser.co.uk

WEST END TRAVEL 020 7644 1500 www.westendtravel.co.uk David.Segel@westendtravel.co.uk

NOBLE SOLICITORS 01582 544 370 carl.woolf@noblesolicitors.co.uk

DIRECTOR OF LEGACIES

BARRISTER

PRINCIPAL, PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOL

CAROLYN ADDLEMAN Qualifications: Lawyer with more than 15 years’ experience in will drafting and trust and estate administration, eight years at KKL Executor and Trustee Company. Keeps in close contact with clients to ensure all legal and pastoral needs are cared for. Member of Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.

MICHELLE FREEDMAN Qualifications: • 15 years’ experience as a family law barrister, specialist in divorce and financial relief. • Approved by the Bar Council to undertake public access work. • Can be instructed directly by the public for legal advice and representation without having to go through a solicitor. • Appearances in the media, including BBC World Service, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Newsroom Southeast.

LOUISE LEACH Qualifications: • Professional choreographer qualified in dance, drama and Zumba (ZIN, ISTD & LAMDA), gaining an honours degree at Birmingham University. • Former contestant on ITV’s Popstars, reaching bootcamp with Myleene Klass, Suzanne Shaw and Kym Marsh. • Set up Dancing with Louise 10 years ago.

KKL EXECUTOR AND TRUSTEE COMPANY 0800 358 3587 www.kkl.org.uk wills@kkl.org.uk

MICHELLE FREEDMAN 07465 880 123 www.clerksroom.com freedman@clerksroom.com

DANCING WITH LOUISE 020 8203 5242 www.dancingwithlouise.co.uk louise@dancingwithlouise.co.uk

• • •


18 May 2017 Jewish News

www.jewishnews.co.uk

35

Professional advice from our panel / Ask Our Experts

ACCOUNTANT

IT SPECIALIST

TRAVEL MEDICINE

MELVYN SOBELL Qualifications: • Chartered accountant FCA. • Accounting, taxation and business advisory services. • Specialises in forensic accounting. • CEDR accredited mediator. • Expert witness advice for all financial matters.

DR JANE ZUCKERMAN Qualifications: • Certified from Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine in 1987 and practising travel medicine since 1995. • Expertise includes immunisations, malaria prophylaxis, altitude medicine and advising patients with underlying health problems. • Awards include Excellence in Medical Education, UCL 2007.

IAN GREEN Qualifications: • Launched Man on a Bike IT consultancy 15 years ago to provide computer support for the home and small businesses. • Clients range from legal firms in the City to families, small business owners and synagogues. • More than 18 years’ experience.

SOBELL RHODES 020 8429 8800 www.sobellrhodes.co.uk m.sobell@sobellrhodes.co.uk

ROYAL FREE PRIVATE PATIENTS 020 7317 7751 www.royalfreeprivatepatients.com rf.privateenquiries@nhs.net

MAN ON A BIKE 020 8731 6171 www.manonabike.co.uk mail@manonabike.co.uk

ALIYAH ADVISER

CHARITY EXECUTIVE

BUILDING CONTRACTOR

DOV NEWMARK Qualifications: • Director of UK Aliyah for Nefesh B’Nefesh, an organisation that helps facilitate aliyah from the UK. • Conducts monthly seminars and personal aliyah meetings in London. • An expert in working together with clients to help plan a successful aliyah.

BAYLA PERRIN Qualifications: • Free professional service delivering immediate practical help with domestic administrative matters, assisting those alone and in crisis. • Providing workable solutions for debt management, budgeting, bills, utilities, insurance, welfare & benefits, form filling, financial correspondence, bureaucracy and divorce procedures. Cross communal and throughout London.

HOWARD GOLD Qualifications: • Member of the Federation of Master Builders. • Member of the Consumer Protection Association offering an underwritten insurance backed guarantee of 5 years on all projects. • Providing a tailored end-to-end property service for residential property clients in north and north-west London. Focusing on a quality service.

NEFESH B’NEFESH 0800 075 7200 www.nbn.org.il dov@nbn.org.il

THE PAPERWEIGHT TRUST 020 8455 4996 www.paperweighttrust.com info@paperweighttrust.com

HPS 077 1005 7233 / 020 8457 1320 wwww.hpsuk.com howard@hpsuk.com

MEDIATOR

CHARITY EXECUTIVE

ANDREW MILLER QC Qualifications: • Mediator with more than 25 years of experience of using mediation to economically resolve commercial disputes. • Queen’s Counsel (Barrister) with 25+ years legal experience of conducting commercial cases. • Providing a cost-effective and time-efficient alternative to the court litigation process.

HAZEL KAYE Qualifications: • Able to draw on the charity’s 45+ years of experience in providing specialist accommodation designed to enable independence. • Knowledge of the features and innovations that can empower people to undertake everyday tasks and awareness of relevant grants and benefits available. • Understands the impact of a diagnosis of disability.

STEPHEN MORRIS Qualifications: • Managing Director of Stephen Morris Shipping Ltd. • 45 years’ experience in shipping household and personal effects. • Chosen mover for four royal families and three UK prime ministers. • Offering proven quality specialist advice for moving anyone across the world or round the corner.

AMQC MEDIATION @ 2TG 020 7822 1260 www.2tg.co.uk amqc@2tg.co.uk

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

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

KITCHEN SPECIALIST

SPECIALIST CAREER ADVISER

BERNARD MIEL Qualifications: Managing Director of Kitchens Continental, an independent design company specialising in function and form for bespoke high quality kitchens. More than 30 years in the industry, providing both retail and contract kitchens. Familiar with German, Italian and English kitchens. Full service including cabinetry, worktops, appliances, sinks, taps, floors and fitting.

• • •

ERIC SALAMON Qualifications: • Career in corporate management working for among others Mars Confectionery, CBS Entertainment, Storehouse Retail & H.J. Heinz Foods, holding director level marketing, commercial and general management roles. Provides specialist advice to help unemployed get work. Free one-to-one mock interviews and workshops on making an impact.

KITCHENS CONTINENTAL 020 8203 6033 www.kitchenscontinental.com hendon@kitchenscontinental.com

RESOURCE THE JEWISH EMPLOYMENT ADVICE CENTRE 020 8346 4000 www.resource-centre.org office@resource-centre.org

FAMILY SOLICITOR

• •

CARE SERVICE MANAGER

REBEKAH GERSHUNY Qualifications: Member of Resolution, Law Society Accredited and registered with the Family Mediation Council. Collaborative family lawyer, with more than 20 years’ experience and founder of family mediation practice, Evolve Family Mediation. Promotes a constructive and non-confrontational approach.

POLLY LANDSBERG Qualifications: • 35 years care experience in supporting elderly people at home and in the community. • Qualified nurse, providing advice and support for individuals with a range of needs. • Providing care at home for those requiring reassurance and companionship, assistance with personal care, help around the house and specialist services for those living with long-term conditions.

FREEMANS SOLICITORS 020 7935 3522 www.freemanssolicitors.net rg@freemanssolicitors.net

SWEETTREE HOME CARE SERVICES 020 7644 9554 www.sweettree.co.uk info@sweettree.co.uk

• •

REMOVALS MANAGING DIRECTOR

Got a question for a member of our team? Email: editorial@thejngroup.com


BUSINESS SERVICES DIRECTORY 36

Jewish News 18 May 2017

Business Services Directory

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Jewish News 18 May 2017

Fun, games & prizes

WIN A STYLISH £200 WOMEN’S WATCH FROM WATCHSHOP.COM! Jewish News and WatchShop.com, the UK’s leading online watch and jewellery retailer, have teamed up to offer one lucky reader the chance to win this beautiful and stylish women’s timepiece from Italian fashion house Furla, worth £215. The Furla Metropolis is all about rose gold. It has a stainless steel rose gold plated bracelet strap, case and even a beautiful rose two-tone sunray dial. The dial features rose gold tone hour markers, but two unique large numbers where the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock hour markers would

be, making this a stand-out and eye-catching piece. It has a quartz movement and is water resistant to 30 metres. If you’re not the winner of this competition, be sure to check out WatchShop.com, where you can purchase this and other watches (and jewellery) for either yourself or gifts for loved ones. There are more than 16,000 styles available, so there should be something for everyone.

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Hilarious Hebrew Hilarious Hebrew Word of the Week Word of the Week

THE JEWISH NEWS CROSSWORD THE JewishNews CROSSWORD 1

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The ELEPHANT is ill, he needs to take a PILL The Hebrew word for 'elephant' is… pil ‫פִּיל‬ *** From the book Hilarious Hebrew – the Fun and Fast Way to Learn the Language, available on Amazon and in book and gift shops around NW London. www.hilarioushebrew.com

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ACROSS 1 Pointless, devoid of purpose (6) 4 Edible shellfish (4) 8 Young tiger (3) 9 Keep secret or hidden (7)

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Last issue’s solutions ACROSS: 1 Downs 4 Slash 7 Vibrate 8 Tar 9 Tri 11 Sifted 14 Zephyr 17 Sit 19 Hit 20 Replete 22 Chasm 23 Yours DOWN: 1 Devote 2 Web 3 Stars 4 Sheaf 5 Actress 6 Hare 10 Inertia 12 Icy 13 Stress 15 Harem 16 Reply 18 Chic 21 Eau

See next issue for solution.

18/05

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By Paul Solomons

The WZO and ZF run subsidised Ulpan (Hebrew language) classes across the UK. For more information, contact ulpanuk@wzo.org.il or call 020 8202 0202

19 Food item which can be cracked (3) 20 Printed matter in a book (4) 21 Metal alloy for beer tankards (6) DOWN 1 Confronted (5) 2 Striking artistic grouping (7) 3 Nearby pub (5) 5 East Sussex town near Winchelsea (3) 6 Fat protruding over the top of a belt (5) 7 Disdain (4) 12 Increase (7) 13 Person or point that is crucial (5) 14 Fall (4) 15 Moisten with hot fat (5) 16 Sweet substance (5) 18 Woodwind instrument, familiarly (3)

One reader will win a Furla Metropolis watch in rose gold, worth £215. No cash alternative. Prize delivery to mainland UK only. Prize is as stated and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or exchange in whole or in part for cash. By supplying your email address you agree to receive marketing information from the JN Media Group or any of its affiliates and carefully selected third parties. The promotion excludes employees of Miroma and the promoter, their immediate families, their agents or anyone professionally connected to the relevant promotion. Proof of eligibility must be provided on request. Normal T&Cs apply and can be found at jewishnews.co.uk/about-us/promotionsterms-and-conditions. For full Ts and Cs see jewishnews.co.uk. Closing date: 1 June 2017


18 May 2017 Jewish News

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39

Visit: www.jewishnews.co.uk for latest sports news / Sport

Israel proposes Palestine peace match

jewishnews.co.uk/topic/sport

The chief of the Israel Football Association has proposed staging a ‘match for peace’ between Israel and Palestine, to use it as a tool to ‘bring people together’. Ofer Eini suggested the idea prior to a vote taking place at FIFA’s annual Congress in Bahrain, where the Palestinian FA lost their bid to remove six Israeli teams from playing in the West Bank after a 73 percent majority voted to delay the issue until next March. Eini said: “Let’s use football as a bridge to bring people together. Let’s hold a football

Milch set for return to the ring Tony Milch will be returning to the ring for the first time in six months next weekend as he looks to maintain his 100 percent winning record and gain useful preparation for a second title fight. The 36-year-old is set to face a fellow Brit in a six-three minute round encounter at York Hall and says he’s raring to go after enduring a ‘frustrating’ six months out of the ring. “It’s my first fight since my big November knock-out win, I’ve been waiting for this fight for a long time.”, he says. “I’ve also been waiting to get on a big show – bigger than this one – but that fell through. But I need to keep active, which is why I’ve decided to take on this fight. I think it will be a tough one, it’s not going to be easy, but I’m [using it as] training for a bigger fight. My ranking has slowly been increasing and I should be fighting for another title soon.” Appearing on a card entitled ‘High Stakes’ – the busy night of action features ten fights, including an English title. “It’s important that I get the 13th win as I’m now pretty much on the verge of big titles”, he says. “I won the entry one last year, and now we’re looking at Southern Area and British titles. I didn’t have to take this fight, as every one’s a risk, but I wanted to keep active, and thought if my next one is going to be a big one, I need this one just to keep me on my toes.” His first fight of the year, after suffering a perforated eardrum while sparring – which put pay to him fighting in April – the importance of this fight is integral for the long-term future of his plans. “It’s important I get one under my belt, just to keep the momentum up and to keep things ticking over,” he explains. “I’ve found it frustrating having this long wait, which is why I’m eager to get back out and into the ring. My coach has helped to keep me

match between Palestinians and Israelis, that will be called the match for peace. All revenues will go to build a football school for Palestinians and Israelis.” Rajoub replied: “Football cannot serve as a bridge between Israelis and Palestinians as long as Israel exercised military control of the West Bank. I have no problem of using football as a bridge, I believe in that, but first of all treat me as a partner, as a neighbour, let us pave the road for that so great target...But as occupier and occupied I do no think that we can meet.”

WORLD ROUND-UP

Jewish sporting stories from around the globe... CHINA

Israel will face Great Britain, Greece and a pre-qualifier, having been drawn in the same qualifying group to reach the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in China. Israel and GB will also play two friendly games in August, prior to the EuroBasket 2017, which they’re co-hosting for the first time.

ISRAEL

on track, keeping me in shape, keeping my mind focused, it can be frustrating but that’s the sport. Looking further ahead than this fight, and his aims for the year ahead, he adds: “I’m on the radar now for [fighting for] national titles. It will be either the Southern Area or British – that’s what’s on my mind though – or even the English one, which is being fought on the same night. “But now I just want to get a good win on 27 May and make a statement that I’m ready to fight for national titles. I feel fit and strong and am looking forward to putting on a good performance.”

 Buy tickets for the fight at:

Hapoel Tel Aviv have been relegated from the top tier of Israeli football for only the second time in their history. Just six years after appearing in the Champions League, the team’s 1-1 draw against Hapoel Ra’anana confirmed their bottom place finish in the Ligat Ha’Al.

SARDINIA

Israel failed to win a fifth quad wheelchair tennis World Team Cup after they were beaten 2-1 by GB in the final of the tournament. Coach Marin Gilbert said: “We had an excellent championship, the players gave their all.”

HUNGARY

Hungarian-born Ágnes Keleti has been awarded The Israel Prize – regarded as the state’s highest honour – for her “exceptional achievements as an Olympic athlete”. The 96-year-old former gymnast won 10 Olympic medals – including 5 gold, while representing Hungary at the 1952 and 1956 Games. She emigrated to Israel in 1957.

ITALY

Paralympic-gold medallist Moran Samuel won another gold at the 2017 FISA International Para Rowing Regatta, which was held in Rome. She rowed her 2,000 meters in a time of 11:22.03.

SOUTH KOREA

Dudi Sela reached the quarterfinals of both the singles and doubles competitions at the Challenger Open in Seoul, only to have to retire injured from both matches. He’s next competing at the Busan Open as preparation for the upcoming French Open.

www.superset.london/tickets

Lions enjoy cup win with Spurs star Spurs’ first team player Harry Winks presented London Lions U9’s with their Watford Friendly League Cup. Samuel Burkeman’s hat-trick, along with Ollie Warren’s strike saw them beat Colney Heath in the final, which they reached after winning a tense penalty shoot-out in the semi-final.

Jets secure high-powered finish

Double delight for HMH youngsters

North West London Jets finished off their season by winning the Watford Friendly League U12 Spring Plate. Yoni Marcus and top scorer Daniel Attar both scored in their 2-1 win over Hadley Wood and Wingate Eagles.

HMH Fire U13’s completed a league and cup double by beating Whetstone Wanderers Leopards to win the WFL Spring Plate. Nathan Gellman’s double and Saul Norton’s strike saw them to a 3-1 win, to go alongside their Yellow Division title.


40 Jewish News

www.jewishnews.co.uk

18 May 2017

Sport / Raiders showdown / Young player award

This Sunday’s big match result...

RAIDERS WIN THE CUP!

Showpiece end-of-season football final is inter-club contest By Andrew Sherwood andrews@thejngroup.com @JewishNewsUK

Raiders Masters’ main goalscoring threat Lee Cash

North London Raiders will claim this season’s final piece of silverware on Sunday morning when their master’s side take on their men’s side in the MMFL/MGBSFL Invitational trophy final. The former will be looking to complete a league and cup double having already won the Division One title, while their men’s C team who finished their Division Two campaign in seventh place will be looking to secure their first piece of silverware. While saying Sunday will be a “special day for the club”, masters joint-manager Elan Ovits insists not only will any friendships be forgotten once the game gets underway, but that the experience in his side will see them to the win. He said: “It’s fantastic for a young Raiders C side to make the final and make it a special club day out for family and friends. However, when that whistle blows for the start of the game, all the niceties will go out of the window and no doubt our experience will shine through to lift yet another trophy. Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing!” Sam Rose believes victory on Sunday will be reward for all the hard work his side have put in this season. But admitting to not knowing too much about their opponents, he said: “I don’t know much about them other than they are a very strong squad and we expect a tough game. But we’re a fit and young team and we’ll be using that to our advantage on Sunday.

“It’s great for Raiders to have two teams in the final and we look forward to pitting ourselves against them. “For us to win this tournament would mean a huge amount and be rightful justification for the hard work we’re putting in every week. We know this is just the beginning of this team’s journey, we want more next season and to build on this. But for now we’ll take the 90 minutes and give everything for the taste of victory!” Ovits’ side booked their place in the final by beating Scrabble Masters 4-1, Gideon Gold, Andrew Wolfin, Lee Cash and James Cartmell all scoring. He said: “I thought we deserved the victory against a resolute Scrabble side. We played some great intricate passing across the pitch and scored some excellent team goals. “We have a very experienced team who have all played at a decent level for many years with a competitive mentality to still add trophies to the cabinet.” Rose’s side overcome MGBSFL opposition in their semi-final, Jordan Nathan’s double, along with strikes from David Domb, Alex Sherr and Josh Green seeing them defeat Faithfold B 5-3. He said: “Having gone 1-0 down in the game we showed desire to fight for the win, stick to the football we know we can play and grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck – everything that’s served us well in the latter stages of the season. “We continue to lay down markers for next season. This end-of-season competition is the perfect opportunity to show what we’re all about and how far the squad has come this season.”

Liam Stein has been one Raiders C’s key players

Division Two star crowned season’s top youngster

Avi Garson presented with his award by League chairman David Woolf

Faithfold B midfielder Avi Garson has been named as the MGBSFL Young Player of the Year. Presented his award by League chairman David Woolf after his side’s MMFL/MGBSFL Invitational Trophy semi-final defeat on Sunday, Garson said: “I had no idea that I was going to win it, so it took me completely by surprise.” Starring for a side, which finished in the lower echelons of Division Two, he crowned off

his debut season in England by winning one of the top accolades from his peers. The 22-year-old said: “I’m grateful to all those who voted for me and would like to thank all those at Faithfold, including gaffers James Stanton and David Garson, as well as a special mention to Richard Fogelman who converted so much of our playmaking into goals.” It’s been a really enjoyable first season in England and I have certainly improved many aspects

Published by Jewish News Ltd, PO Box 34296, London NW5 1YW

of my game.” Looking to enjoy reflecting back on this season, before thinking about next, he added: “I haven’t given too much thought about it. My immediate focus now are my exams, the cricket season and the upcoming Maccabiah games in Israel in the summer.” League chairman Woolf said: “Avi’s performed great this season, and was voted this award by his peers which is great for him. “It’s also nice to see the awards spread across the divisions, and

Email info@thejngroup.com

Tel 020 7692 6929

not just for those who play in the top-two.” Elsewhere, Ric Blank and Daniel Kristall have been named joint-managers of the year, having led Oakwood A to the Premier Division title. Garson’s teammate Richard Fogelman won the golden boot award for being the league’s top goalscorer. The winner of the (senior) Player of the Year will be announced within the next couple of weeks.


www.jewishnews.co.uk

18 May 2017 Jewish News

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Jewish News 18 May 2017

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