1365 - 2nd May 2024

London stage all set for Israeli star Page 25

Schools shun Shoah education over Gaza

Charity founder tells of ‘heartbreak’ after 85 percent fall in bookings for play about survivor Susan Pollock

EXCLUSIVE

by Lee Harpin lee@jewishnews.co.uk

Schools nationwide have snubbed a play about Holocaust survivor Susan Pollock amid claims by teachers of a “contemporary political agenda” and even threats of parent protests.

The founder of a charitable organisation that works with schools to ensure the lessons of the Holocaust are taught to students through the voices of survivors this week revealed a “shocking” drop in bookings since the 7 October Hamas terror attacks on southern Israel.

Cate Hollis told Jewish News that numerous schools had postponed or cancelled staging a drama made by her Voices of the Holocaust organisation telling the life story of Auschwitz-Birkenau survivor Susan Pollock.

Hollis, who left 15 years of

classroom teaching having gained postgraduate qualifications in genocide and human rights history, to set up the charity said there is now a disturbing “conflation of Holocaust education with contemporary Middle Eastern politics” among school leaders as a result of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The play was adapted by Hollis, the theatre’s founder and artistic director, and British playwright Mark Wheeller.

A special performance of the play, Kindness: A Legacy of the Holocaust, takes place in St John’s Wood, north London, next

week to mark Yom HaShoah, with Pollock also attending to take part in a question and answer session.

She has previously described the production as “excellent” and “very faithful” to her experiences. It was adapted by Hollis, the artistic director, and the British playwright Mark Wheeller.

Revealing that schools had now shunned putting on the play in response to 7 October, Hollis told Jewish News: “How do I look Susan in the eye and tell her [that] senior leaders are turning away from this fundamental period of human history?

“It’s honestly heartbreaking, and frankly frightening for the future. And the distortions and denials are going to wriggle further and further in the absence of true knowledge and remembrance.”

Hollis also revealed she had clashed with one school head after Continued on page 3

A scene from Kindness: A Legacy of the Holocaust. Insets: Cate Hollis and (below) Auschwitz survivor Susan Pollock, who is the play’s inspiration

Play tells Susan Pollock’s story

Bibi cornered as Hamas considers ceasefire deal

by Jotam Confino in Israel jotam@jewishnews.co.uk

As Israel awaits an answer from Hamas on the latest ceasefire proposal, Benjamin Netanyahu is facing two ultimatums from opposing members of his government.

Finance minister Betzalel Smotrich and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir both said they do not support the ceasefire deal currently being assessed by Hamas.

Smotrich went as far as threatening to topple the prime minister if he agrees to a “humiliating surrender to the Nazis on the backs of hundreds of IDF soldiers”.

He said: “If you decide to fly a white flag and cancel the order to conquer Rafah immediately to complete the mission of destroying Hamas and restore peace for the residents of southern Israel and all of the country’s citizens and return our abducted brothers and sisters who are held hostage to their homes – then the government you head will have no right of existence.”

Ben-Gvir echoed those words, saying that a “reckless deal equals the dissolution of the government”.

War cabinet minister Benny Gantz issued his own ultimatum to Netanyahu, saying: “If a responsible outline is reached for the return of the hostages with the backing of the entire security establishment – which does

UK-Israel

Downing Street has said the continued progress of ongoing trade negotiations with Israel should not be linked to any concerns about Benjamin Netanyahu’s military campaign in Gaza, writes Lee Harpin.

A spokesperson for Rishi Sunak was asked whether a threatened invasion of Rafah would affect negotiations on the UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement (FTA), as trade secretary Greg Hands issued an update on the fifth round of negotiations, which  ran from 8 to 17 April.

Asked if trade discussions would continue if Israel “moves on Rafah”, Sunak’s spokesperson said: “I wouldn’t link the two.”

In a written statement published yesterday, the trade secretary confirmed that the

not involve ending the war – and the ministers who led the government on October 7 prevent it, the government will have no right to continue to exist and lead the campaign.”

The debate about how to proceed with the war and whether to strike a deal with Hamas continued yesterday, when far-right settlements and national projects minister Orit Strock backed her party leader, Smotrich, in issuing an ultimatum. Calling it a “terrible deal” in an interview with Army Radio, she said: “A government that sends people into combat, that calls up thousands of

latest talks on the FTA were hosted by the UK and conducted in a hybrid manner.

A delegation of Israeli officials travelled to London for in-person discussions, with further officials attending virtually.

During this round, officials held technical text-based dis-

soldiers and reservists who left everything behind and went to fight for the goals that the government set, then it tells them, ‘Never mind, we’re throwing it all in the trash.’ There is no right of existence for a government that tells soldiers who went to fight that it’s throwing it all in the trash to save 22 or 33 people.”

Strock’s comments were condemned by members of the government and opposition. “A government with 22 or 33 extremist coalition members has no right to exist,” opposition leader Yair Lapid said.

Minister Chili Tropper from

cussions covering 27 policy areas across 63 sessions.

“This round of negotiations discussed a range of policy areas, with a particular focus on services, which are not covered by our current agreement,” said the statement.

“Services comprise around 80 percent of both the UK and Israel’s economies but, because of our outdated trade agreement, services only make up just over one third of total trade between us.

“The trading relationship between the UK and Israel is valued at £6.4bn (as of September 2023) and there is significant room for growth.

“An upgraded trade deal will play to British strengths and unlock trade for our world-leading services and digital sectors.”

the only reason that that wouldn’t be achieved is because of Hamas.

“There is a proposal on the table. And as we’ve said, no delays, no excuses. The time is now. And the time is now long past due to bring the hostages home to their families.”

Benny Gantz’s National Unity party also lashed out at the far-right minister, saying the “fundamental Jewish precept ‘whoever saves a single life, it is as if he saved an entire world’ should spare us obtuse and blunt statements regarding the terrible suffering of the hostages and their families, like the words of minister Orit Strock.”

US secretary of state Antony Blinken arrived in Israel yesterday, his eighth visit since 7 October. In a meeting with President Herzog, he said Washington is “determined to get a ceasefire that brings the hostages home, and to get it now. And

The deal on the table only includes about 33 hostages, according to New York Times. The number discussed in the past months of talks was 40 but has been lowered as some of those expected to be part of the first batch (women, elderly and ill) have died.

Netanyahu meanwhile said Israel would enter the city of Rafah in southern Gaza no matter what the outcome of the ceasefire talks.

“The idea that we will halt the war before achieving all of its goals is out of the question,” he said. “We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there – with or without a deal, in order to achieve the total victory.”

PC’S TERRORISM CHARGE

A West Yorkshire police officer is to appear in court today charged with two counts of publishing an image in support of Hamas, writes Lee Harpin

PC Mohammed Adil, 26, from Bradford, was charged with two counts of publishing an image in support of a proscribed organisation, contrary to section 13 of the Terrorism Act.

The offences are alleged to have taken place in October and November 2023.

Yeshiva

The Independent Office for Police Conduct had directed an investigation, carried out by Counter Terrorism Policing North East, into messages shared on WhatsApp. On conclusion of the investigation, the case was referred to the Crown Prosecution Service.

PC Adil, who is based in Calderdale, is currently suspended by West Yorkshire Police. He is due to appear before Westminster magistrates on 2 May.

pupils, not the army, protecting Israel, says rabbi

Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef sparked ridicule this week by claiming yeshiva students had protected Israel from thousands of rockets since 7 October.

“Thirteen thousand missiles lobbed at our country; thank God for the miracles and wonders we had. Thanks to what?

Thanks to the IDF chief of staff?

Thanks to the Torah students and yeshiva students, who sit

and study the Torah,” Rabbi Yosef said.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid told Kan public radio: “I wonder whether he would agree to not have the Iron Dome in his neighbourhood, seeing as how their prayers will protect them.

“The people who applauded him should enlist like any other young Israeli.”

The UK’s foreign secretary Lord Cameron, right, with his United States counterpart, Antony Blinken

Benjamin Netanyahu with a hostage deal delegation

Boris Johnson opens trading at Tel Aviv’s Stock Exchange

Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef

American universities / Holocaust education /

Anti-Israel campus havoc

Pro-Palestinian protesters and Israel supporters clashed at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) yesterday as anti-Israel demonstrations continued to wreak havoc across US campuses, writes Joy Falk.

Violence was sparked at UCLA after the university chancellor Gene Block called the proPalestinian encampment “unlawful” and said it “violates university policy”.

Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass announced that LAPD riot police would arrive at UCLA to stop the violence. “The violence unfolding at UCLA is absolutely abhorrent and inexcusable,” the mayor said.

Officers were also seen clashing with proPalestinian demonstrators at Columbia University on Tuesday evening.

The university, which has been at the centre of the protests, saw more than 100 arrests on Tuesday night after students barricaded themselves inside Columbia’s Hamilton Hall, causing NYPD officers to breach the barricade.

More than 1,000 protesters have been arrested at 25 campuses across at least 21 states since 18 April, as violence, support for terrorist groups and antisemitism spiralled out of control. Signs with swastikas and antisemitic slurs have been reported at university demonstrations as well as protesters openly supporting Hamas and calling for the group to kill Israelis.

Other protesters were chanting that Tel Aviv should be bombed, or chanting: “There is only one solution, intifada revolution.” Several incidents of masked protesters blocking Jewish students and “Zionists” from entering campuses were also documented on video.

National Security Council spokesman John

Kirby said the White House absolutely condemns “the antisemitic language that we’ve heard of late and certainly condemn all the hate speech and the threats of violence out there”.

Iran, Hezbollah, PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) and Hamas have all praised the protests at American universities.

Nasser Kanaani, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said: “What we have witnessed in American universities in recent days shows the awakening of global society and the world’s thoughts regarding the Palestinian issue and the depth of public hatred toward the crimes of the usurping Zionist regime and the genocide sup-

‘How do I look

Continued from page 1 he suggested the play would come to the school with “some kind of contemporary political agenda”.

The drama is an account of Pollock’s life story, and she openly collaborated with those making it.

Meanwhile, when a school in Buckinghamshire said it was going to stage the play, Hollis, who is not Jewish, confirmed that this prompted a parent-led campaign and the threat of a protest outside the gates. Emails asked when the “voices of the Palestinian Holocaust” would be heard.

Hollis has advised the Holocaust Educational Trust, the Holocaust Education Centre, and worked with the Arts Council on using drama to team history in the past. She said that prior to the 7 October Hamas massacre the Voices of the Holocaust charity would stage up to 20 productions of the Kindness play at schools across the country in a single term, reaching up 4,500 youngsters.

Bookings have now dipped so dramatically that this summer term, they will be staging the production at just three schools, reaching only 650 kids.

“We have had withdrawals from bookings, a number of schools openly say, ‘Now is not the time, maybe next

year,’” revealed Hollis, who founded the Voices charity in 2012, and who then received support from the European Jewish Fund.

“We’ve got three school bookings for the whole school term, that’s it... shocking.”

She condemned what she said was “the conflation of Holocaust education with contemporary Middle Eastern politics”, adding that it “blows my mind, and yet it doesn’t because we teach antisemitism day in day out”.

ported by America and some European governments.

Hamas said: “Today’s students are the leaders of the future.”

Israel, meanwhile, condemned the demonstrations, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labelling them antisemitic.

He said: “What’s happening in America’s college campuses is horrific. Antisemitic mobs have taken over leading universities. They call for the annihilation of Israel. They attack Jewish students. They attack Jewish faculty.”

The Simon Weisenthal Center, the Holocaust-education and human rights organisa-

tion, also weighed in, calling on Columbia University to protect Jewish students.

Reflecting on how the protests were being viewed by Jewish students in the UK, the Union of Jewish Students told Jewish News: “UJS is aware of small numbers of students and others on UK campuses looking to replicate scenes of protest, encampment and occupation. We are in contact with Jewish students and JSocs on every campus, monitoring individual situations and providing welfare support where necessary.

“While we respect and uphold the absolute right to protest, UK and Irish campuses must remain safe for Jewish students.”

Susan in the eyes?’

Hollis continued: “I had it out with one school. I will not name the school because they’ve had us back since.

“I had a very free and frank conversation with their headteacher for making an assumption that we were going in with some kind of contemporary political agenda. [That] was per se an antisemitic decision.

“Actually, now more than ever, we need to be engaging young people with what the Holocaust means to us, and for us.”

Hollis said she did not want to

appear to suggest a systematic failure among school leadership teams but she believes “they are scared of getting it wrong” in relation to conflict in Gaza and its impact on students here.

“We have to be able to have dialogue with schools,” she said. “We can guide those schools, we can lead schools on what is out there. But they have to be willing to listen and to talk.

“Our specialism is Holocaust education, not contemporary Middle East politics. We have had to learn

hard and fast over the last six to seven months how to direct schools to the support that they need in the hope that they take it.”

But she also spoke of the ugly response to the staging of the play, which the charity worked on in collaboration with Pollack for several years before it was premiered after the pandemic to hugely positive reviews, Hollis told of protests at a school in Bucks.

She said of the school:

“They thought parents would picket the gates when we arrived. The senior leaders were really strong and urged us to still go. Some students were withdrawn from school for the day so we didn’t reach those hearts and minds. But we did reach 250 students and made a difference to them.”

Hollis said she later learned that the school had not discussed the issues arising in the Middle East in assemblies, accusing it of “running scared” of the topic. She added: “This is what happens if a school isn’t

willing to educate on something that is difficult and complex. If you are not going to teach it, then you are leaving a void. And we know what happens in that void, it’s full of social media nonsense and bias. We are not doing justice to young people. We are failing to educate because the senior leadership team is scared because it’s complicated. But actually, is it?

She revealed that there were schools still wanting to stage the play but who were unable to afford the £900 fee to pay for the four cast members, two technicians and the hire of a van needed to stage the production.

“We are not cheap,” she accepted, stressing that the fees only covered the cost of putting on the production.

She added that her mission now was to be free at the point of use.

“Because we know for every school that has turned away from us there are others begging for us, they just don’t have the money.”

Hollis first met Pollock at a conference. Hollis gave her a lift home, and Pollock suggested she write her life story as a play. “She is extraordinary,” Hollis said of Pollock, who has attended performances of the play, which also incorporates stories of other survivors.

A scene from Kindness. ‘We are not doing justice to our young people,’ said its co-author Cate Hollis

A protester smashes a door at the Columbia campus before police stormed the university A Jewish student is refused entry to campus

Green candidate says sorry for Hamas post

by Lee Harpin lee@jewishnews.co.uk

@lmharpin

A Green Party candidate in today’s local elections has apologised after claiming he “unwittingly” shared footage of a Hamas press conference on social media.

Bristol Greens candidate Abdul Malik, standing in the Ashley ward, showed part of the Hamas briefing in the aftermath of the terrorist group’s 7 October massacre.

Mohamed Makawi, standing in Bristol’s Cotham ward, was said to have also undertaken social media training after making false claims about the killing of Israeli citizens.

Both cases were flagged to the Greens by the government’s antisemitism adviser, Lord Mann.

A Green Party spokesperson said it has responded to Mann with “evidence of the actions we have taken to remove these ill-judged and o ensive communications” and o ered to meet him to continue discussions. In one case, it appears the candidate was unwittingly tagged into an o ensive post that he assures us he did not himself publish, they said.

“He deleted this post from his timeline as soon as we made him aware of it. In the other case, the candidate gave credence to some egregious misinformation by sharing it online. He has since apologised and undertaken social media training.

“In our response to Lord Mann we also reiterated that the Green Party has repeatedly condemned the appalling Hamas

attacks of 7 October, and called for the unconditional release of Israeli hostages, as well as calling for a bilateral ceasefire.”

Malik told the BBC he condemns the attacks on Israel.

Jewish News was also alerted to o ensive posts by another Green candidate, Mohammed Aziz Munir. Munir,

standing in Peterborough’s Central ward, wrote: “F*** The Zionist state of Israel! To Hell with the Zionist state ….” in one Facebook message. In another he wrote of concerns that in “our very own community” there are people who have become “Zionist sympathisers”.

Last year the Jewish Labour Movement wrote to the Green Party urging it to do more to clamp down on issues around antisemitism in the party. But as thousands of candidates prepare to stand at the local elections, Jewish News has learned about concerns over further candidates in Labour, the Conservatives and among those standing as independents.

Geo Budd, standing for Labour in the Eastleigh Borough Council election, previously claimed that antisemitism under former leader Jeremy Corbyn hand been “completely and utterly manufactured”.

Christine Thomas, standing for Labour in Coventry, once used the term “Jewess” to describe a colleague.

Thomas was suspended by Labour at the time pending an investigation. The party has been contacted for comment about Budd and Thomas.

Shajan Ali, who is standing for the Conservatives in Rochdale, has shared a video by a leading figure in the proscribed group Hizb ut-Tahrir calling Israel “the occupying entity”. Ali is standing for the Tories in the town’s Central ward.

A Conservative spokesperson said: “Any form of discrimination or abuse is wrong and where cases have been reported to CCHQ the party has acted decisively.”

Arrests after alleged Stamford Hill kidnap

Five teenagers have been arrested in connection with an alleged kidnap attempt last week of a Jewish man in Stamford Hill.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed three 17-year-olds, a 15-year-old and an 18-yearold had been arrested following reports of the incident on Moundfield Road at about 5:24pm on 26 April.

In a video posted on X/Twitter by the neighbourhood watch group Shomrim a black car drives down the narrow street before at least two males get out. One of the other males is opening the boot of the car.

The victim can be seen speaking on his mobile phone, and the males turn around and get back into the car before attempting to drive o backwards down the road.

According to the Met the victim was approached and told to get into the boot of the car.

In a post on X/Twitter the police said on Monday evening: “O cers in Hackney are investigating the incident which happened on Friday in Moundfield Road, N16.”

The Met’s initial statement on the incident read: “An investigation is under way after a reported kidnapping attempt of a male in

‘PUT HISTORY OF ISRAEL IN CLASS’

Schools should be required to teach the history of Israel amid concern about a rise in antisemitism, MPs have heard.

Bob Blackman (Con, Harrow East) asked for a review of the curriculum to ensure youngsters are “properly educated” about Israel’s history as he warned there is “widespread ignorance”.

Schools minister Damian Hinds said the existing history curriculum o ers scope for pupils to learn about Israel.

At education questions, Blackman told the Commons: “The rise of antisemitism in schools and anywhere is absolutely unacceptable.

“One of the causes for this is the failure of schools to teach children about the history of Israel; the fact that Jewish people have occupied Israel for over 3,000 years and indeed the Balfour Declaration set up the creation of the modern state of Israel.

“Because that is not actually communicated there is widespread ignorance and people don’t believe that Jewish people have occupied that land for so long. Can he therefore conduct a review of the curriculum to ensure young people are properly educated in the history of Israel?”

Hinds replied: “I appreciate what [Blackman] says and obviously history is a very important subject for many reasons.

“Learning about Israel and the wider region can be covered in history, for example, in the theme that is called ‘Challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world since 1901’.

“In general in our national curriculum we do not specify individual historical events, the sole exception – as he will know – being the Holocaust.” Hinds earlier said he has been “horrified and appalled” to see a rise in antisemitism in education settings.”

‘Apologetic’ DJ gives fee to anti-Zionists

Stamford Hill.” In a statement they added: “The victim was approached by one of the males and allegedly told the victim to get into the boot of the car, shortly before driving o .

“The incident was reported to the police and an investigation was launched by o cers based in Hackney.

“We are aware of a video being shared online and this will form part of our enquiries. We are in contact with the Shomrim and our enquiries are ongoing.”

Anyone with information should call 101, giving the reference CAD 5836/26APR. Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

The LBC presenter at the centre of a media storm for denying Hamas perpetrated sexual violence on 7 October has posted an apology online, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

Speaking to listeners on Saturday 27 April about the rapes and mutilations, Natasha Devon tried to correct one caller, Lucy, saying: “There are conflicting stories about that. There are some academics saying that there is absolutely no evidence that any sexual assaults took place.”

Apologising “unreservedly,” she said journalists and broadcasters were under “immense pressure” every day “not to put a foot wrong and mis-speak”. She added: “I will do better in the future.”

Devon concluded by saying she will repeat her apology on air on 4 May and is donating her fee for last week’s show to Diaspora Alliance, an international Jewish organisation that promotes anti-Zionist views.

In her apology on X/Twitter on Tuesday, Devon wrote: “I made the point that it is sometimes di cult to establish precise facts when reporting or discussing the situation in Israel and Gaza.”She agreed there was “credible evidence some of the hostages taken on 7 October were subject to horrific sexual violence. I believe them and I don’t dispute their testimonies.”

Speaking to Jewish News, Lucy said: “If this was a genuine apology there was no need for Natasha to qualify it by reiterating her views on Israel’s response. “It may be a good idea that if Natasha Devon is really sorry for her horrific misjudgment that she contacts the Israeli embassy and asks to see the footage that Hamas filmed on that fateful day.”

Labour candidate Christine Thomas

Munir wrote: ‘F*** the Zionist state’

David Ben Gurion signs Israel’s declaration of independence

Police at the scene in Moundfield Road

Natasha Devon

Jewish News presents

Event

Wedding and bar/batmitzvah show

Sunday 12 May 2024

DoubleTree by Hilton London Elstree WD6 5PU

Show sponsors Music by Food by 11am - 4pm

Khan says sorry to Chief Rabbi over ceasefire ‘slur’

Sadiq Khan has apologised to the Chief Rabbi after implying Ephraim Mirvis’s criticism of his call for a Gaza ceasefire was influenced by Khan’s Muslimsounding name, writes Lee Harpin.

In an interview with broadcaster Mehdi Hasan, London’s mayor said he was “disappointed” when Jewish leaders and “friends” including Mirvis condemned his decision to speak out on Gaza, while a similar ceasefire call by Manchester Metro mayor Andy Burnham was ignored.

In comments that immediately sparked anger in the community, Khan told Hasan: “What motivated them to come out in the way they did against the mayor of London, and the mayor of Greater Manchester – I’ll give you a clue, he’s not called Ahmed Bourani, he’s called Andy Burnham, whereas I’m called Sadiq Khan.”

The interview was promoted online with the title “Islamophobia is now being normalised: Sadiq Khan talks to Mehdi about Gaza and Trump”.

Khan said he had heard of the comments about his remarks but added: “I’d ask those Jewish people to just pause and reflect on their response to me calling for a ceasefire.”

Jewish News has learned Khan has now expressed regret over the remarks

made about Mirvis, and in a statement said: “I have been in contact with the Chief Rabbi to apologise for my comments, which I deeply regret.

“He has, along with other Jewish leaders, been a friend to me, and we have worked hard together to unite our city and celebrate our diversity.

“At times it is clear to me, and others, that as a mayor of London of Islamic faith, I am held to a different

standard and that can be frustrating – particularly during a divisive election campaign. But, it wasn’t fair of me to have levelled that frustration at the Chief Rabbi. I am sorry for any hurt this has caused and will continue working with Jewish leaders to build a safer London for everyone.”

In the interview, aired on Hasan’s new Zeteo network, the presenter noted that when Khan came out for a

ceasefire he was accused of being “no friend of the Jews” and the Chief Rabbi labelled him “irresponsible”.

Khan said the “very first event” he attended after being elected in 2016, was Yom HaShoah, adding: “Since then, I’ve spent a lot of time with Jewish friends, neighbours and colleagues – been their mayor, because I’m mayor for all Londoners, which is really important, as well as all the

other religions and those who aren’t members of an organised religion.

“So I’m fully cognisant of the strong feelings there, of the strong feelings there are on all sides in relation to these sorts of issues. But I’ve got to say and do what I think is right.”

Asked about people carrying ‘From The River To The Sea’ placards at pro-Palestine demos, Khan stressed freedom of protest was a human right, and said the police could ban demos only if there was a serious threat of violence, but added: “A small minority have said things that in my view are antisemitic” and called for protesters “not to say” chants they recognised as “being upsetting” to Jewish people.

PEER ASKS: SHOULD UK JEWS BREAK WITH ISRAEL?

A Home Office minister has refused to answer a “deeply inappropriate” question asked in the House of Lords about British Jews and Israel.

Lord Singh of Wimbledon is a journalist and broadcaster known as the editor of Sikh Messenger and a presenter of Thought For The Day on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

The independent crossbench peer asked Home Office minister Lord Sharpe of Epsom whether he agreed British Jews should issue a statement dissociating themselves from the government of Israel.

Lord Singh asked: “Would the minister

agree that it would enhance the image and security of the wonderful Jewish people if the Jewish people in this country were to issue a strong statement disassociating themselves from the policies of the Netanyahu government, the atrocities that have been committed on the people of Gaza, who are also human?”

Lord Singh said the Board of Deputies had instead “unfortunately” sent a delegation to Tel Aviv showing solidarity with the

It was last February that I was diagnosed with high risk Neuroblastoma.

Netanyahu government while “atrocities include the destroying of hospitals and the firing on aid convoys, killing even British people.”

Lord Sharpe replied: “I think that’s a deeply inappropriate question and I’m not going to stoop so low as to answer it.”

Labour frontbencher Baroness Sherlock, an ordained Church of England priest, said: “Perhaps I can.

British Jews are no more responsible for the actions of the state of Israel than I am!”

The diagnosis was a real shock as I had no symptoms apart from a tummy ache.

I knew about Chai because they’d helped us when my grandpa was unwell, so it felt really good to know that they would be able to help us all again.

For Dad it was counselling, for Mum it was therapeutic massage and for me and my siblings, a combination of talking, music, art and play therapy.

Thank you Chai.

Ari, 13 To

Conservative peer Baroness Altmann, who is Orthodox Jewish, agreed the British Jewish community have “no responsibility for the actions of an overseas government”.

The comments came in a discussion on enhancing the safety of London’s Jewish community amid a rise in antisemitic abuse.

Several peers referred to footage released by the Campaign Against Antisemitism which showed its chief executive, Gideon Falter, being told by a police officer that his “openly Jewish” appearance risked antagonising pro-Palestinian protest marchers.

It felt really good that Chai was there for me and all my family

Sadiq Khan during the interview with broadcaster Mehdi Hasan

Khan with the Chief Rabbi

Lord Singh

NEW PEER SUPPORT GROUPS

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

Finchley

The second Thursday of each month

11.30am – 1.00pm next group on 9th May

Borehamwood

The second Tuesday of each month 11.30am – 1.00pm next group on 14th May

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

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

Schools protest grows

A large contingent of strictlyOrthodox protesters staged a renewed demonstration outside Parliament against attempts to regulate religious Jewish schools, claiming the proposals amount to “cultural genocide”, writes Lee Harpin.

More than 500 arrived in Parliament Square for the demo at what is claimed to be a critical juncture for the Charedi community with the proposed Register Bill looming

Placards declared “Stop The Cultural Genocide” while others claimed the community’s children faced being “indoctrinated by the state”.

The Register Bill is being described by community leaders as repressive and a form of religious persecution, because it seeks to alter fundamentally the community’s way of life with yeshivot.

Rishi Sunak’s government is stepping up e orts to create a register of children “missing” from schools in England.

The database was mooted in the Schools Bill laid before parliament in 2022 but the

draft legislation, which also included proposals to regulate academies and change school funding models, was later dropped.

Campaigners have long argued for the creation of a register of children not in school to address the risks posed to children by unregistered faith schools.

Some children who are supposedly home-educated are said in fact to be enrolled in unregistered schools, including those catering for the Charedi community.

The protesters urged members of parliament to protect the rights of all British parents by opposing the Bill.

They also want covered any future legislation proposed by the Department of Education that they say threatens to place the state between children and their parents.

Many religious leaders have supported the protest, with notable figures like Rabbi Elyokim Shlezinger, aged 102, and Rabbi Krausz, the former head of Manchester Beis Din, joining the call.

A spokesman for the Rabbinical Committee of the Traditional Charedi Chinuch (RCTCC), stated: “This is not really about establishing a register for the welfare of children in the UK. It is a direct extension of the decade-long onslaught against the strictlyOrthodox Jewish community.

“Disguised as an attempt to promote tolerance and educational reform, the Department of Education has been engaged in relentless e orts to undermine our precious educational traditions, handed down over generations.”

“Our Torah education is not only known for its safety and e ectiveness but has a proven reputation of delivering a model of excellence.”

The statement continued: “We cannot and will not give way to those who aim to reshape our identity. These e orts only instil fear and apprehension within our community, hinting at an ominous slide towards cultural eradication. Our Torah education is here to stay.”

HOW 3000 YEARS OF JEWISH CIVILISATION IN THE ARAB WORLD VANISHED OVERNIGHT

Lyn Julius author of the critically acclaimed book Uprooted will talk on the uprooting of almost a million Jews from the Arab and Muslim world and why the Hamas massacre of October 7th makes the story of the ethnic cleansing of the MENA Jews more relevant than ever

All Guests will receive A Signed COMPLIMENTARY COPY OF LYN’S BOOK “UPROOTED” ALL FUNDS RAISED ARE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE ISRAELI’S DISPLACED THROUGH THE CONFLICT IN ISRAEL

Scan here to visit our website

Lyn Julius will present her book UPROOTED: How 3,000 years of Jewish civilisation in the Arab world vanished overnight’ (Vallentine Mitchell).

She will explain how the 7 October Hamas massacre has to be seen in the context of decades of antisemitism in the Muslim world.

MP OSAMOR MAY BE REINSTATED

Reports that Labour is considering restoring the whip to suspended MP Kate Osamor three months after she made offensive comments on Holocaust Memorial Day have sparked “anger and disbelief”.

The member for Edmonton was put under investigation for a social media post which likened Israel’s war in Gaza to the Holocaust. But a report in the Independent claimed that she would be welcomed back by Labour, possibly by the end of this week. Labour sources say the process is still ongoing.

Jewish News understands that any decision made about Osamor is likely to be the result of independent advice offered on disciplinary matters, which is then relayed back to the party whips

BRIGHTON SHUL RECEIVES £40K

Three leading heritage funding bodies have agreed to contribute £40,000 to help to safeguard the future of a synagogue in Brighton.

The money will go to help identify a viable future use for the Middle Street shul, which is currently closed.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has committed £20,000 and both the Architectural Heritage Fund and the Pilgrim Trust are contributing £10,000 toward the building survey aspect of the feasibility study.

The funding was secured as a result of the owners of Middle Street synagogue, the Brighton and Hove Hebrew Congregation (BHHC), entering a partnership with the London-based Foundation for Jewish Heritage to conduct a review of the building and its future.

20th May 2024, 7:30 PM MAIDA VALE VENUE FOR COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS PLEASE EMAIL MICHAEL MARKS AT michael@yadsarah.org.uk - light refreshments - no ticket price but there will be an appeal at the event

Lyn Julius

The British-born daughter of Iraqi - Jewish refugees, Lyn Julius is a journalist, speaker, blogger and founder of Harif, the U.K. association of Jews from the Middle East and North Africa. Her work has appeared in JNS News, Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, Jewish Chronicle, Fathom, The Article, The Guardian, etc. Her book Uprooted: How 3,000 Years of Jewish Civilisation in the Arab world vanished overnight was published in 2018 (Vallentine Mitchell) and has been translated into Norwegian, Portuguese and Arabic. Hebrew translation is in progress.

The group says the plans amount to ‘cultural genocide’

MPs’ Shoah memorial warning

MPs reviewing legislation designed to clear the way for the building of a Holocaust memorial and learning centre in Westminster have criticised the government for mistakes with the project and a lack of proper planning, writes Beatrice Sayers.

The Holocaust Memorial Bill select committee also issued warnings about the rising costs of the project in Victoria Tower Gardens and how it will be protected “in light of current circumstances”, a reference to the recent proPalestinian marches in central London.

The MPs did not, however, make amendments to the legislation, pointing out that instructions to them agreed by the Commons e ectively prevented them from doing so.

In their report, the MPs said: “It seems to us that the true cost of this project has not been established,” noting that expenditure had risen from £50m to £137m since the proposal for the memorial was announced in 2015.

They urged ministers to consider who would fund ongoing costs and whether the plans are “an appropriate use of public money”.

Security warnings by two petitioners, Lord Carlile, a former reviewer of terrorism legislation, and Lord Blencathra “ought to be taken seriously”, the MPs said. “Security is likely to be required around the clock and this is, as yet, an unknown cost. Clear proposals should be published which show what steps the government intends to take around the security of any memorial and learning centre. Such consid-

erations ought to be undertaken expeditiously before any planning application is progressed.”

The five MPs on the committee – three Conservative and two Labour – with John Stevenson (Con, Carlisle) in the chair, also expressed strong disapproval of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation’s failure to consult on the choice of a site and criticised the way the government had managed the consequences of the hybrid nature of the bill.

The committee expressed “surprise” that

Victoria Tower Gardens had not been chosen “via a thorough consultation”. It added: “Instead, we understand that the prime minister’s Holocaust Commission Report identified a shortlist of sites in 2015, but that Victoria Tower Gardens did not appear on that list.”

Petitioners against the bill, introduced to the Commons in February 2023 and drafted to repeal a 1900 Act that provides for the gardens to be kept for public use, which had not been known about when the site was chosen, wel-

comed the committee drawing attention to “so many important areas of concern”.

“The committee has, in e ect, concluded that petitioners’ concerns are valid,” said Baroness (Ruth) Deech.

She was speaking on behalf of a number of survivors and educators as well as London Parks and Gardens; the Thorney Island Society and Residents of Westminster; the Buxton Family, and the Thomas Fowell Buxton Society. Deech added: “Everyone involved must be relieved that the serious concerns relating to this project have at last been brought to the attention of the government. When the bill goes to the Lords’ select committee we will continue to expand on these points made in our petition and to challenge the proposal through the planning process.”

Do

Why choose Squires?

Established in 2004, we advertise on all the major property portals including Rightmove and Zoopla and have 3 linked branches within North-West London.

Why choose me?

With 15 years experience I have a deep understanding of the local property market and living in Hendon means I have a wealth of useful contacts.

Opponents of the proposed Westminster memorial at the Royal Courts of Justice in 2022

Survivor Ben Helfgott at the proposed site

Struggling to hear the TV? Missing out on family phone chats? Hearing just not what it used to be?

Anger at Holocaust memorial covering

Yad Vashem has condemned the covering of the UK’s main Holocaust memorial in Hyde Park after authorities feared it would be vandalised by pro-Palestine demonstrators, writes Joy Falk.

The memorial was hidden under blue tarpaulin. Its inscription, in English and Hebrew, reads: “For these I weep. Streams of tears flow from my eyes because of the destruction of my people” – a quotation from the Book of Lamentations

Yad Vashem said in a statement: “Holocaust memorials serve as solemn reminders of the unparalleled horrors perpetrated during one of the darkest chapters in human history. They stand as testaments to the millions of lives lost and are beacons of hope so that such atrocities cannot and will never be allowed to occur once more.”

The decision to cover Holocaust memorials and exhibitions out of fear from the scourge of global antisemitism is “deeply troubling”, it added. “By concealing these historical reminders, we are only addressing the symptoms while

ignoring the root cause of the issue. That a monument remembering the Holocaust should be under attack is a stain on society and will be distressing to all who lost loved ones.”

The covering of the memorial comes after weeks of pro-Palestine demonstrations in London in which a antisemitic posters have been seen, as well as widespread shows of support for Hamas.

Earlier this month Gideon Gisdeon Falter, who leads the Campaign Against Antisemitism, was told by police not to enter one of the demonstrations because he appeared ‘openly Jewish’ by wearing a kippah.

• Editorial comment, page 16

TWO MEN ARRESTED AT PALESTINE MARCH

Two men were arrested at a proPalestine march last weekend, one for holding a placard showing a swastika and another for an alleged racist remark toward counter-protesters, writes Joy Falk.

Thousands gathered for the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) demo in London on Saturday to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

A static demonstration organised by the pro-Israel group Enough is Enough took place at the same time along the route.

Scotland Yard said o cers arrested a man holding a placard with a swastika at Parliament Square, from where the PSC march set o . Another man was taken into custody later for shouting a “racist remark” toward the Enough is Enough protesters.

Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn was among those holding banners at the front of the pro-Palestine protest.

Chants of “Stop bombing Gaza, stop bombing children” were sung by the crowds and placards saying “Free Palestine, smash the racists” were displayed.

Speaking on stage at Hyde Park, Palestinian ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot said: “Change will

HOME SECRETARY HOLDS TALKS WITH

James Cleverly met the chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) Gideon Falter ahead of last weekend’s pro-Palestine march for talks about policing and the safety of the Jewish community, writes Lee Harpin.

The meeting, which came after the home secretary held talks with Board of Deputies president Marie van der Zyl, saw Cleverly repeat his pledge that it “will never be right for anyone of any religion to feel the need to stay away from anywhere in the public realm”.

Crime minister Chris Philp also attended the meeting, which the CAA later said was a ”very positive

meeting about what can be done to improve the policing of protests”.

The meeting took place ahead of the latest pro-Palestine demo in London, which Falter, having previously urged supporters to join him, cancelled plans to attend.

Jewish News understands senior police chiefs discussed detailed plans for policing the event over fears those seeking confrontation might wish to exploit the situation, especially with the demo taking place just before today’s London mayoral election.

Meanwhile, a report in The Guardian revealed the Home O ce had considered appointing Falter an adviser to its counter-extremism

come, campus by campus, city by city, country by country. The tide is turning because this is a global movement for change, a global assertion of popular power, of people’s power.”

Protesters could be heard chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.

The PSC march was the 13th national protest since the first on 9 October. The Met said these kinds of gatherings had cost about £38.4m to police and required 44,722 o cer shifts, while 6,399 o cer rest days had to be cancelled.

Assistant commissioner Matt Twist said the force aimed to police “without fear or favour”, adding that protests in London had “been a particular cause of fear and uncertainty in Jewish communities”.

CAA CHIEF

unit but had been warned against the appointment by the government’s antisemitism tsar.

The newspaper claimed there were strong objections to Falter being o ered the part-time civil

service position advising the Commission for Countering Extremism (CCE) in 2022 and that Lord John Mann had told the then home secretary Suella Braverman he would quit if Falter was o ered the post. Falter said he was approached for the role by the unit’s commissioner but never applied nor was formally o ered it – and that he believes no similar role was ever created.

In a letter seen by The Guardian, Lord Mann warned the Home O ce he feared giving Falter the role would hinder cooperation with the Community Security Trust (CST), the main body responsible for monitoring antisemitism.

One memorial, two faces

Scenes from the latest march

James Cleverly meets CAA officials to discuss policing issues

Praise for Esther’s campaign

Dame Esther Rantzen’s intervention in the conversation on assisted dying prompted an outpouring of support because she is seen by many as part of the family, a debate sparked by a petition she supported has heard.

The 83-year-old Jewish broadcaster’s name was raised with warmth numerous times during a near threehour debate, with Dame Esther’s decision to go public in December with the fact she had joined the Swiss Dignitas clinic credited with “shining a brighter spotlight on the issue”.

The Childline founder was unable to attend Monday’s debate due to her ill health as she lives with stage four cancer, but she had vowed to keep an eye on the proceedings.

Opening the debate, the Welsh Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi said she

had no doubt Dame Esther had contributed to a “heightened awareness of assisted dying”.

“By her own admission in our discussion, she didn’t realise that speaking out about her personal choice would have had the impact that it has,” Antoniazzi added.

Conservative MP Kit Malthouse said Dame Esther’s role in the public consciousness over so many years means it “should come as no surprise that there was an outpouring of support from the British people because, of course, for many people she was part of the family”.

He added: “She appeared in their front rooms on a Saturday afternoon on a regular basis with her smiley, sunny demeanour.”

Malthouse said Dame Esther’s

Hero’s grave given its Star of David

An RAF hero of the Second World War who was shot down over Germany in 1944 and buried under a cross for 80 years has finally been honoured with a new headstone showing a Star of David to reflect his Jewish identity, writes Candice Krieger.

Flying o cer Harold A Devon was killed in 1944 at the age of 20 when the Lancaster bomber in which he was flying was shot down during the notorious Nuremberg Raid.

Like many military personnel, the flyer had to hide his identity for fear of what Nazi soldiers might do to him if he were captured, so he changed his name from Devan to Devon.

The Commonwealth War

Graves Commission (CWGC) buried him in the pilots’ section of Hanover War Cemetery under a cross but two years ago his cousin Julian Devan started to delve into his relative’s history and heroic past. Devan made contact with the commission and a new stone with a Star of David has now been erected.

Devan, whose father Simon was Harold’s first cousin, said: “I became very interested in the story of Harold in World War II and the Jewish soldiers from all countries who fought.

“In turn I contacted AJEX [Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women) and its archivist Martin Sugarman, who was fantastic and helped me

to make contact with the War Graves Commission. They investigated Harold and agreed his stone should be taken down and a new stone erected on his grave with the Jewish star.”

Before every mission, Harold Devon would visit Devan’s father and family and give Devan a sixpence. “My dad and everyone else knew it meant he was going on a bombing mission.

“In 1944, my dad’s cousin visited the family once again and gave my dad the sixpence – the night of the Nuremberg Raid.”

The new stone was paid for by the CWGC to honour the memory of the young flier.

Julian added: “He is now buried in a grave signifying that

case made British people listen, and many had been left wondering why MPs “stand for the status quo when, as members have already stated in the room, the status quo is appalling”.

Dame Esther’s part in the assisted dying campaign had been the one role throughout her long career which had “most touched a nerve” with the public, Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine said.

“I was thinking today about all those evenings, being allowed to sit with my parents and watch That’s Life and how I could never have envisaged this moment,” she told those in the packed room.

“But of all the campaigns, the successful campaigns, that Dame Esther Rantzen has been involved in in that astonishing career, there can surely be

he was a World War II flying o cer, with a Jewish emblem, in between two other airmen from the same mission each with a cross on the stone.

“It’s fascinating. I want to go to the cemetery and say a prayer and place a stone. Unfortunately my father is too ill to travel – so this is my next mission.”

none which has touched a nerve with the British public, and so widespread, as this one.”

Dame Esther has previously spoken out herself on the subject of assisted dying, saying while palliative care “can be wonderful in this country”, it cannot “guarantee the dignified, pain-free death we terminallyill patients all hope for”.

In particular, she has raised her concerns about how the current law would a ect her family should they help her travel to Dignitas.

She said: “The current law means my family could be prosecuted for supporting me if I go to Switzerland.

“This is not right, it is not ethical and, as it is my life, I, like the majority of the public, believe it should be my choice.”

PASSOVER CAFE MAKES A MARK

Students at the University of Surrey took over a café and industrial kitchen to transform it into the UK’s first pop-up Passover Campus Café.

The initiative, designed to support Jewish students, sta and visitors during the convergence of the festival with the academic term, earned overwhelming positivity and community engagement.

Rebecca Green, a member of the University’s Jewish Society (J-Soc), said: “It’s been lovely to have the Passover café available and especially to be able to use the space to cook and eat together at Friday night dinner as a J-Soc.”

The sentiment was echoed by dean of religious life and belief Rabbi Alex Goldberg, who has been with the university for more than 20 years and said: “This is the first year I recall the entirety of Passover falling in term time. It’s been great to be given this facility – students working together to build a home from home is wonderful to see.”

J_Soc executive member Ethan Malekar added: “It has been an incredible Passover on campus thanks to the café. The best part was having a safe space to keep kosher.”

J-Soc chair-elect Lee-Elle Horowitz agreed: “It made keeping Passover so much easier and it was amazing to feel so supported by the university.”

Esther Rantzen: It’s my life; it should be my choice

Harold Devon’s gravestone with the Star of David

Pesach journey across Britain

A Chasidic family from Glasgow, an LGTBQ family from Northern Ireland, a member of the Iraqi Jewish community and the Middle Eastern chef duo behind Honey & Co all appear in a documentary about Passover celebrations airing on ITV1 this weekend, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

Sam Holder, the presenter, travelled 1,200 miles across the UK to celebrate the festival with eight families.

Holder, 34, joined groups in Finchley, Cardiff, Belfast, Leeds and Glasgow for their preparations and seder meals as part of an exploration of how Jewish people reflect on their faith and their life in Britain in 2024.

He said: “I’ve done a lot of our coverage of antisemitism and have lots of contacts in the community. ITV wanted someone to present it who understood its meanings, traditions and who lives in the community, from a first-person perspective.”

He adds that it was exciting “to have an opportunity to show the variety of the community. Within it are people from lots of different backgrounds, political views and different views on what the festival means. Against the backdrop of the seder, everyone has their own rit-

uals and quirks handed down from generation to generation.”

Holder says the mix of families in the documentary provides “a real flavour of backgrounds across the community. That was the key to me to show the breadth and variety that exists. Often there are misconceptions about the community, that everyone is eastern European. This isto show what a Jewish family in

21st century Britain looks like.”

A standout moment for Holder was Iraqi-Jewish Edwin Shuker’s interfaith seder: “He had Muslim and Hindu guests and because of his heritage, some of the seder was conducted in Arabic. Not only does it differ from mine because of his upbringing, but the universality and concept of Passover, this concept of freedom from captivity spoke to all

the guests there, who come from all different background and religions.

“To see people partake in the festival and feel the joy of it was really lovely. These small grassroot events really help humanise the community and dispel some of the rising antisemitism that we’ve seen across the community. It was very heartwarming to see.”

Shuker says: “ITV offered an unmissable opportunity to showcase a Passover seder Babylonian-style as practised by Arabic-speaking Mizrahi Jews. We try to pass on the traditions to our children and grandchildren exactly as we learnt them in Baghdad.

Since filming was on chol hamoed and we did not wish to subject the family to a third seder we invited a very appreciative multi-faith guest list.”

Holder and his team also visited what he said might be the last Chasidic family in Glasgow.

“The grandchildren now live in Australia and they’d flown back to celebrate with the grandparents. And we see them having a last minute ma nishtana lesson in the kitchen with their family. That gets to the heart of what Passover is. It is religious, it is a biblical story but it means coming together with your family. People do travel across the world to reunite.”

David Israel’s seder in Leeds was a more progressive experience. The 55-year-old and his wife Carolanne had eight people around the table. He said: “My wife’s family is not Jewish, so it was a real honour to be able share our seder with them .”

Holder says the documentary is “joyous, and not in a cliched way. Passover is stressful. It’s a lot of work but the seder night is something that lots of people, even if secular, look forward to. And that’s what we captured.”  Passover UK is on ITV at 10:20pm on Sunday

Shalvie Friedman and her children Naama, Racheli and Kovi

Sam Holder: met eight families

Historic Passover scenes from Israel’s earliest days

Incredible photographs showing Passover celebrations in the early years of Israel’s modern history have been released, writes Michelle Rosenbeg.

The treasured images, shared by the Keren Kayemet LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) show the baking of matzah, the search for chametz, the Passover seder and the holiday processions.

A spokesperson for KKL-JNF said: “The images reveal to us the beautiful Israel of the past alongside the tradition that has remained unchanged to this day”.

Established in 1920, the archive houses 180,000 prints and slides in colour and black-and-white. The collection captures around 100 years of photography, incorporating key episodes in the history of Jewish settlement and life in the land of Israel.

Included are land reclamation, building new communities, the pioneers, early cities and moshav farming communities, ceremonies, festivals, immigration, distinguished figures and Zionist congresses.

FAITH SCHOOL CAP LIFTED

The Government has announced plans to remove a cap on new faith-based free schools which currently stops them from selecting more than half of pupils on the grounds of religion.

Ministers hope that lifting the cap on faith-based admissions, which applies to new faith free schools in England, will create more school places for pupils.

But campaigners and education union leaders said going ahead with the plans would be a “retrograde step” and “wrongheaded” as they argued that more faith schools will exacerbate “discrimination, division and dis-

advantage”. The Department for Education (DfE) will launch a consultation on removing the 50% cap on Wednesday, alongside proposals to create faith-based academies for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send).

Under the current rules, a new free school with religious character must allocate at least 50% of its places to pupils without reference to their faith if they are oversubscribed.

If the cap is removed, oversubscribed faith-based free schools will be able to select up to 100% of their intake based on pupils’ religious belief.

WHITE HOUSE WELCOME FOR AVIGAIL

President Joe Biden smiles as he holds freed four-year-old IsraeliAmerican hostage Avigail Idan during a welcome home meeting in Washington. In a tribute to the little girl, Biden wrote on social media: “She’s remarkable and recovering from unspeakable trauma. Our time together was a reminder of the work we have in front of us to secure the release of all remaining hostages.”

7 Exton Street, London. SE1 8UE

Performance on Zoom

Sunday the 5th May 2024 at 7.00pm

Songs of Ashes

by Julian Dawes

The performance this evening is to commemorate Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) on the 5th-6th May.

‘Songs of Ashes’ is a setting of fifteen poems by the Polish poet Jerzy Ficowski, its subject being The Holocaust. It was first performed at The Spiro Institute on 29th April 1992, the eve of Yom Hashoa, Holocaust Memorial Day. Since then it has received a number of performances in London, as well as in Manchester and Oxford, and has been broadcast three times in Israel on Yom Hashoah to wide acclaim. It was the central work in a concert before an invited audience at the Polish Embassy in London, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, and was also performed at the Czech Embassy. The poems set out to give a human face to The Holocaust, and the song-cycle symbolises man’s right to live in a just world.

Hayley Swanton – Soprano; Jonathan Fisher - Piano NO CHARGE

Register here for your viewing link and the poetry: https://www.1901artsclub.com/5-may-2024-songs-of-ashes.html

A chametz burning ceremony in Jerusalem’s Mea She’arim neighbourhood in 1983

Matzah baking in Jerusalem, 1960

Passover in Aden, 1949

Editorial

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

VOICE OF THE JEWISH NEWS

Shrouded in fear

Hiding the Hyde Park Holocaust memorial under a plastic sheet out of fear it could be targeted by pro-Palestinian demonstrators last weekend was not just a security measure. It was a surrender and a national disgrace.

The blue tarpaulin didn’t just cover stone and steel and didn’t just conceal the quotation from the Book of Lamentation chiselled into its surface: “For these I weep. Streams of tears flow from my eyes because of the destruction of my people.”

No, it did something far more damaging. It smothered the values we live by.

The park authorities are likely to have felt compelled to hide the memorial following acts of vandalism of other national monuments. The Rochdale war memorial was vandalised with the words ‘Free Palestine’ before Remembrance Sunday, the Machine Gun Corps Memorial at Wellington Arch was draped in Palestinian flags and the statue of Field-Marshal Earl Haig on Whitehall spray-painted.

But by concealing our national Holocaust memorial, they betrayed its very purpose. Rather than just a monument it’s also a weapon against hate. By hiding it, we disarm ourselves. We let evil win and let the shouts of the wicked drown out the whispers of their victims. Britain, we are better than this.

Jacobs 020 8148 9701 marc@jewishnews.co.uk Sales Yael Schlagman 020 8148 9705 yael@jewishnews.co.uk Operations Manager Alon Pelta 020 8148 9693 alon@jewishnews.co.uk

Masorti is in freefall

The Masorti movement in the UK is on a downward spiral. It’s time to confront this harsh reality.

Michelle Rosenberg’s recent article, “Masorti rabbi calls Israeli politicians war criminals in ‘justice-oriented’ Haggadah supplement” (19 April), makes clear that Masorti Judaism’s claim to be the intellectually open counterpart to the United Synagogue is crumbling under the weight of its own contradictions.

Despite its aspirations to offer a traditional Judaism for modern Jews, the mere presence of the Rev Singer’s siddurim in Masorti shuls is a feeble attempt to maintain this illusion.

The facade of Orthodox appearances, albeit with women in kippot and tallisim on the bimah, can’t conceal the radical departure from tradition since Rabbi Louis Jacobs founded the movement.

Lara Haft Yom-Tov’s remarks (devoid of any proper Semicha) are not just the ramblings of a fringe element; they are symptomatic of a leadership void within the movement.

LESSON FROM THE BATTLE OF MANILA

Your letter writer D Lister (‘Numbers Count When Talking About Conflict’, 26 April) states that 70,000 British civilians out of a population of around 50 million were killed in the Second World War, comparing this to the 20,000 civilians in Gaza. First, it is impossible to determine how many of those 20,000 were ‘non-combatants’. This uncertainty does not imply support for indiscriminate killing of Gazans (and the IDF’s provision of escape routes for Gazans is evidence of not using such an approach).

Another issue I have with Mr Lister’s opinion is his ahistorical and logically flawed comparison of the military actions of a democratic, law-abiding state of Israel in Gaza to those of totalitarian Nazi Germany against 1939-45 Britain.

He should consider the Battle of Manila, where the Japanese Army, akin to Hamas today, purposefully embedded itself among civilians, resulting in similarly high civilian casualties, yet we do not hear any condemnation of the actions of the US Army in that battle (and rightly so!).

David Frencel, Hackney

FULL EDUCATION ‘A RIGHT’

As a member of the modern Orthodox community, I was shocked by the attitudes expressed by letter writer Ann Cohen (and others), describing a good secular education as “mostly un-needed and misdirected”, the proof being that a Charedi education “produces the best of society, as can be evidenced by the almost-unheard-of Charedim in our jails”. As a measure of the efficacy of education this is a pretty low bar.

I have news for Ann Cohen. No one I know has gone to jail, but I do know that depriving children of their ability to get ahead in the world by being proficient in maths, English and the sciences, at least, is nothing less than child abuse.

It is denying them access to professions like medicine, pharmacy, architecture, dentistry and many other fulfilling and worthwhile occupations, as well as frustrating their natural curiosity to discover the natural world. Often, it is condemning them to a life of poverty, struggling to support the large families they will generally have. My own father came from a very Orthodox background in Germany, and he said that the idea of learning fulltime for the majority of young Jews was alien, being expected to learn a trade to make a living. Eve Sacks is absolutely right. Unregistered Charedi schools should be closed down, giving all children the basic right to a real education. There is time for both the kodesh and secular in a child’s day.

Gerry Solomons, Highgate

The apparent lack of accountability from both the movement and Rabbi Haft Yom-Tov’s community exposes a glaring absence of Zionist values.

Rabbi Haft Yom-Tov’s ill-timed and incendiary accusations labelling Israeli politicians as war criminals have rightfully outraged many Jews, regardless of their denominational affiliation. Coming at a time when Anglo-Jewry is deeply concerned about internally displaced Israelis and hostages held by Hamas, Rabbi Haft Yom-Tov’s misplaced priorities reveal a disconnect from reality.

Whose interests does Rabbi Haft Yom-Tov represent? Their (the rabbi’s chosen pronoun) unfounded accusations not only tarnish the reputation of New North London Synagogue but threaten to erode the support for the Masorti movement among those who genuinely care about Israel. It’s high time for the movement to confront its internal crisis and address the glaring leadership failures before it’s too late.

E Glaser,

By email

INTERFAITH IS ONLY A SHAM

Laura Marks complains that she has come under attack for her interfaith activities by those “intent on driving ever deeper wedges between our (Jewish and Muslim) communities”, and “despite successes we have seen at Nisa-Nashim” (her women’s interfaith organisation), members are often intimidated to “step away”.

I would like to ask Marks about the “successes” she speaks about.

Can she name any prominent Muslims, imams or organisations who have publicly come out in favour of the existence of the world’s only Jewish state in its historic homeland?

Has she organised any demonstrations or marches by Muslims standing in solidarity with Israel against the horrific actions of Hamas on 7 October? I am not aware of any, which rather points to the fact that despite her best efforts, Jews are being played in the sham that is interfaith.

Colin Rossiter, WC2A

ACTION IS NEEDED TO STOP THE HATE

Laura Marks’ column in last week’s edition cited her interfaith work. At a time when we Jews are experiencing such unprecedented antisemitic attacks from all sides, it is imperative that we forge much stronger intra-faith bonds.

Having experienced antisemitism for many years while living in Hertfordshire, I find exasperating the woeful responses from Anglo-Jewry. If this was happening to any another ethnic group, they would be speaking out loudly against all the rhetoric and unabated demonstrations. It leaves Jews such as myself feeling bitterly disappointed at the lack of support for us.

It is woefully inadequate to make some statements without demanding more action to stem this tide of vitriolic hate.

Daphne Bland, NW11

‘A bit tricky to organise those weapons you wanted from here, Bibi. The best I can do right now is a few pool balls in a sock’

JOIN US FOR LUNCH TO CELEBRATE YOM HA’ATZMAUT 76TH ANNIVERSARY OF ISRAEL’S INDEPENDENCE

WEDNESDAY 15TH MAY 2024 12.30-2.30PM £15 PER PERSON

RSVP 020 8732 6101 enquiries@kkl.org.uk VENUE TO BE CONFIRMED ON BOOKING

Yom HaShoah and every day must be free of hate

KAREN POLLOCK CHIEF EXECUTIVE, HOLOCAUST EDUCATIONAL TRUST

Next week, the Jewish community will come together for Yom HaShoah, the day when we remember the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered in the Holocaust, just for being Jewish.

Nearly 80 years ago, when the concentration and death camps of Europe were liberated and the Shoah ended, in many cases survivors were alone. They were the sole members of their families, communities and for some, entire villages and towns. Many tried to return home only to find that their houses were no longer theirs and they were no longer welcome. Some found refuge in the UK, some in the United States, but most ended up in what is now the State of Israel.

Fast forward to today and the Nazis, their leaders and their symbols, have become almost synonymous for ultimate evil. Online, we see this result in the phenomenon of

Godwin’s law: the idea that the longer an online discussion continues, the more likely it is that someone stresses their point by using a comparison to the Nazis. However, what may have begun as an online phenomenon has now truly cemented itself into the real world.

Whether individuals donning a yellow star to protest pandemic restrictions or environmental groups using Holocaust related language to warn against inaction on climate change – it seems that the only way you can make your point heard is by trivialising the murder of the six million. It is hurtful, it is wrong, and it is an insult to victims and to the survivors who see the Holocaust being deliberately used and misused.

Perhaps even more shameful, is the practice of deliberately abusing the Holocaust to attack the State of Israel. Since 7 October, the streets of Britain have been flooded with protesters not calling for the release of the hostages and not condemning Hamas terrorists. While some might be calling for peace, we see others equating the Jewish star of David to the swastika, Israeli leaders to Hitler and Zionism to fascism. We even saw the

Holocaust memorial in Hyde Park covered up - apparently as a precautionary measure. If a memorial to the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered during the Holocaust has to be hidden out of fear that it will be desecrated, this should serve as a warning. Many survivors rebuilt their lives here cherishing shared values of freedom, democracy and respect. These values feel under threat.

This year, as we mark Yom HaShoah, we must remember the past while also addressing the antisemitism we are seeing today. We have to be clear in saying there is no excuse, no additional context, for carrying a swastika on the streets of London. It is not a symbol of political protest. It is a symbol of genocide,

racism and antisemitism. There can be no excuse for comparing Israeli leaders to Hitler. The Nazis tried to eradicate the Jewish people in their entirety, no matter where they were. Their mission was to exterminate all Jews, because they were Jews. These comparisons do not add weight to an argument, they make its proponents racist. It is an abuse of the memory of the victims and a distortion of the Holocaust, a pernicious form of antisemitism.

We all want to see peace and stability in the region and an end to the tragic loss of life. Calling out this hate speech is not silencing criticism of Israel, it is demanding that antisemitism has no place on our streets or in our society. On Yom HaShoah, it is not too much to ask for.

Opinion

Chaos and contradictions as free speech falls apart

GEMMA FRENCHMAN

More than 200 days have passed since 7 October when this hideous war began. I feel overwhelmed with sadness and terror for the 133 remaining hostages, for their families, for the released hostages, for the victims of that day, their families, for the hundreds of IDF soldiers and thousands of innocent civilians who have been killed.

Now, though, I am utterly incredulous about at what is happening at universities in the United States.

In western democracies we have freedom to dress and behave according to our beliefs, religions and whims and can stand up for and speak up for whatever we believe in. Through university societies, marches, online forums or social groups each of us is able to find a cause we believe in and join in.

However, it takes just a cursory glance at the events that have unfolded recently on 50 American university campuses to understand

the danger of this freedom.

Our freedom of expression does not come with an obligation to educate ourselves on the issues we wish to protest. One can just jump on a bandwagon of belonging and go along for the ride. What ensues is larger and larger groups of people protesting a cause that they may know nothing about. This is dangerous.

Protesters at Columbia, NYC, Harvard, Austin, Illinois and 45 others claim to stand for peace in Gaza, and yet paradoxically they are calling violently for the murder of Israelis and Jews. Some mantras have included “burn Tel Aviv to the ground” and “may it be October 7th 10,000 times”. A leader of the Columbia encampment where Jewish professors, Jewish students and the media have been denied entry, stated that “Zionists shouldn’t exist”.

These students claim to stand so staunchly against Israel, which they believe to be a colonising, genocidal state, that they are asking universities to divest all interests in or linked to Israel. Do they know that almost everything they wear or use has a link to Israel, including Apple, Google and Nike?

I doubt that the majority knows the history of the region, over the 17 years since Israel left Gazan citizens to elect their own govern-

HAMAS HAS PRAISED AND THANKED AMERICAN STUDENTS FOR THEIR ACTIONS ❝

ment, leading to Hamas taking control. Do these students screaming for a ceasefire – and screaming for destruction and violence towards Jews and Israel – know that Hamas has rejected five ceasefire negotiations, all of which would have seen Israel stop fighting, the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners and freedom for the 133 remaining hostages?

Do they know that the ceasefire is in Hamas’ control and that it suits the terrorists perfectly well to reject these deals so that Israel continues the war to destroy a globally proscribed terrorist organisation, because the PR is better that way?

I am sure that most of us have seen the cringeworthy media interviews with frontline protesters at Columbia who admitted that they do not know what they are

protesting against or why they are there.

One student said she came down from NYU because she heard the police were going into the encampment, but she wasn’t sure why she was there. Another two said they thought they were there to stop Israel doing something, but they didn’t know what and that they wished they were more educated.

What do their parents think about spending $100,000 on their children’s education for them to skip lectures to protest an issue they don’t understand, let alone chant antisemitic rhetoric and create human chains to prevent Jewish students and professors from entering the so-called liberation zone?

Hamas has publicly praised and thanked the US students for their actions. Who would want to be thanked by a terrorist organisation?

Perhaps a screening of Sheryl Sandberg’s new documentary, Screams Before Silence, on these campuses is in order.

Fifty-five minutes of 7 October sexual violence testimonies should shock some sense into these woke students.

I’m all for campaigning for a cause about which you feel strongly but if you don’t know why you’re there, go home, or even better, go back to your lecture theatre.

A lessons in resilience from a nation in turmoil

JEREMY HAVARDI DIRECTOR, BBUK BUREAU OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Irecently returned from a tour of Israel funded by ELNET (European Leadership Network), accompanying numerous political figures from within the UK’s devolved parliaments, as well as local councillors and political figures from Germany.

The visit, which was superbly organised, took delegates to the sites in southern Israel that were gravely a ected by the appalling Hamas atrocities of 7 October. We visited Sderot, which is less than a mile from the Gaza border and heard a briefing from former IDF spokesman Lt. Colonel Peter Lerner, a man once dubbed ‘Israel’s other Iron Dome’. He spoke about the monumental failures on ‘Black Shabbat’, both in terms of how the IDF missed an operational understanding of Hamas’ short-term planning and failed to gauge its strategic aims.

Visiting Sderot, a city with 75,000 inhabitants, felt rather surreal with so much of the population yet to return following its evacu-

ation six months ago. On 7 October, its police station came under assault from Hamas and almost all those inside were killed. It was destroyed and is now just an empty space.

There was a deeply moving visit to Re’im, the site of the Supernova festival massacre where 364 young people were murdered, tortured and abused in acts of unspeakable horror. Upon arrival, dozens of Jewish visitors were giving a moving rendition of Am Yisrael Chai, a symbol of resilience and determination in the face of harrowing tragedy.

At Kibbutz Be’eri, a place that actively helped Palestinians in Gaza for many years, there was a stark reminder of the devastation caused. One of the houses we visited belonged to Vivian Silver, the famous Canadian born peace activist who moved to this location some decades ago and actively campaigned for the Palestinians and the Bedouin.

The burnt wreck of her property was a heartbreaking reminder of loss and su ering. Standing in the ruins of the kibbutz, Jim Shannon, the DUP MP for Strangford, said that ‘the full force of the evil of humanity was present as I stood in that place’.

Yet the last words of our tour guide were also highly resonant, encouraging us to return

in one year when the kibbutz would be rebuilt. At the Erez crossing, one could still see signs of the battles that took place, including the hole that was blown through the border fence.

I was left with three distinct impressions about the current mood of the country. This is a nation in trauma, a people struggling to come to terms with an unprecedented catastrophe. The feeling that the state failed, that people were abandoned by the army and the security services, remains palpable.

Posters of the hostages are literally everywhere, a permanent reminder that the wider Israeli family anxiously awaits the return of its missing sons and daughters. Rob Waltham, leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said that the Israeli people had ‘su ered the most horrendous trauma, close to that of the Holocaust’, adding that he was particularly ‘alarmed at the level of sexual violence against women and girls’.

The second is that Israelis are incredibly resilient. Despite the horrors and the anguish, they are determined that life will go on, that their enemies will be routed and that what was lost six months ago will be rebuilt. Darren Millar, a Welsh Conservative member of the Senedd, said that all those he had met were

‘determined to work together to ensure that the capacity for further attacks by Hamas (was) dismantled’, and was also struck by ‘the compassion of ordinary Israelis for the civilian population in Gaza’. Listening to the words of injured soldiers who were receiving treatment at the world-famous Sheba Medical Centre in Tel Aviv was a powerful and inspiring reminder of the raw courage within the IDF.

Third, there is a radical disconnect between even the most progressive Israeli voices and their counterparts in the West. Israelis who are deeply critical of Netanyahu, argue for co-existence and demand a better future for the region, are still deeply supportive of this war, seeing it as necessary, lawful and just. They disparage the idea that Israelis can ever feel safe if Hamas remains in power and utterly reject calls for a ceasefire that does not mention the hostages.

They know what justice demands: the total defeat of a monstrous enemy that lusts for the blood of Israelis and victimises Palestinians. Yet in an ever-hopeful nation, there is always belief that a better future lies ahead. ELNET should be congratulated for organising such an important event, one that will live in the minds of its participants for many years.

Wrong lessons learned from the Corbyn wars

JOSH GLANCY NEWS REVIEW EDITOR, THE SUNDAY TIMES

Over its fairly long and mostly peaceful history, British Jewry has been blessed with two critical attributes: strong institutions and strong ambassadors. Today however, when we badly need both, they are in short supply.

In 1970, when our community scribe Chaim Bermant published Troubled Eden, his survey of British Jewish history, he was able to marvel at the “number and vigour” of institutions such as the United Synagogue, the Board of Deputies, the Welfare Board and of course the Jewish Chronicle, the newspaper that he became synonymous with.

Which of these institutions is still flourishing today? Membership of United Synagogue shuls has almost halved since I was born in 1987 and currently hovers around 37,000. The Board of Deputies, meanwhile, no longer plays the central organising role that it once did and its leader is not a household name for British Jews. And the Jewish Chronicle? Well, it’s reasonable to say that questions over its opaque ownership and hardline stance over Israel have alienated a few of its readers.

In fairness to our shuls, newspapers and venerable communal forums, this problem of institutional decay stretches well beyond British Jewry. Many “legacy” institutions are struggling in this era of liquid modernity, as technological disruption draws attention spans elsewhere.

From Bermant’s list, only the care and charity sector, including Jewish Care –which evolved out of the Welfare Board – appears to be flourishing, with donations as high as ever. In this category one might include the Community Security Trust, which does admirable work taking threats to British Jews very seriously, but staying level-headed in the process.

And what of our ambassadors? We no longer have great court Jews in the mould of Moses Montefiore or the Lords Rothschild, but there are certainly many fine ambassadors still with us, who play an important bridging role between the Jewish community and the British establishment. O the top of my head I can think of Tory grandees such as Danny Finkelstein and David Wolfson; the author Howard Jacobson and media personalities such as Emma Barnett and Jonathan Freedland. Others, often from the business community, play an influential but quieter role behind the scenes.

In recent years, however, a new type of Anglo-Jewish ambassador has arisen. Forged in the bitter Corbyn antisemitism wars, prominent on Twitter but also shaped by its zero sum culture warfare, this group includes the actor Tracy-Ann Oberman; Jewish Chronicle editor Jake Wallis Simons and the Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Gideon Falter. It is far less mediated or moderated by the ailing institutions of old.

While I share this new generation’s loathing of antisemitism, I fear that some of the wrong lessons have been learned from the Corbyn wars. It was right and proper that the former Labour leader’s long flirtation with antisemites – and antisemitism – was exposed. However, the style and tone of that battle, which involved hyperbolic Twitter combat and finding ideological allies on the right wing of the media, has now hardened into a playbook. In my view, the art of AngloJewish diplomacy should be about more than scoring partisan headlines in the tabloid press, fastest-finger-first Twitter warfare, which often results in crass mistakes, and dunking on the tiresome Owen Jones. Too often, moderate voices are drowned out. The loudest voices in the room are not always the wisest, and moderation has long been the successful Anglo-Jewish way. Communal diplomacy in this country has traditionally been about institutionalism and careful relationship-building across political lines, so that when di cult moments come an open door and a sympathetic ear can be found.

Falter’s battle with the Metropolitan Police, which was the apogee of this new approach. In calling for Sir Mark Rowley, the head of the Met, to lose his job because of the way the

In the fierce heat of the current Israel debate, too often parts of the community find themselves at war with important figures and institutions, such as the Jewish Chronicle’s crusades against the BBC or former defence secretary Ben Wallace. Or, most recently,

abiding political truth: never call for someone’s head if it’s firmly attached to their neck.

Don’t get me wrong: neither the BBC, nor Ben Wallace, nor the Met is beyond criticism, far from it. The Met’s position on the marches has been muddled and there have been clear instances of BBC bias over its Middle East reporting. However, these are vast and essential British institutions full of people who are neither antisemitic nor hateful towards Israel but trying to do complex jobs in a ludicrously fractious environment. Declaring war on them does the community no favours long term.

The counter to my argument is that these are not moderate times and the enemies of British Jews do not deal in moderation, so they must be met and defeated on their own terms, as they once were at Cable Street. There is some truth to this, but I believe that most people and most institutions in this country remain pretty fair-minded on these febrile and dizzying issues of identity and conflict. To help to keep them that way, however, we mustn’t discard the traditions that brought our community to this point in history in quite remarkably good nick.

The CAA’s Gideon Falter and a police officer exchange words in central London last month

Licence

Israeli actress, writer and composer Ofra Daniel tells Louisa Walters why she’s bringing her award-winning show A Song of Songs to London

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice saw fit to put Joseph and Jesus on the stage, but Ofra Daniel is taking one for the female team with her musical interpretation of the Bible story A Song of Songs, which opens at Park Theatre next week – with her in the lead role.

Chatting over Zoom with her hair piled up in a messy bun and giant earrings bobbing up and down, Ofra’s natural beauty and passion for her project were both apparent.

The show has its roots in San Francisco in 2017 where Ofra, 49, has lived since for the past 17 years since leaving Israel with her then-husband and small children and settling in the Bay Area. This is home to about 35,000 Israelis, and she saw an opportunity to form a theatre company called The Hebrew Stage, producing plays by Israeli playwrights with English captions. “Having theatre productions in Hebrew became a phenomenon,” she says.

a love poem between God and the people of Israel and it is attributed to King Solomon. But if you really read the words it is a collection of love poems between a man referred to as ‘my uncle’ and his female lover, who he refers to as ‘my sister’.”

Ofra had studied the Bible and liked decoding the language. “If you look at all the female characters, they’re mostly wives in support of men. But in Song of Songs she has more poems than he does, meaning her voice is strong, present, bold, provocative. And that’s a female character in the Bible!”

drummer is like, you know, going overboard with rhythm.”

Among the five on-stage musicians in the London production is the UK’s leading flamenco guitarist Ramon Ruiz. He asked Ofra how much improvisation she wanted. “Every night,” she said. “I want every night to be di erent.”

The show, which fuses Middle Eastern harmonics with modern

English captions. “Having an impact, but I felt it

It was her ex-husband who first steered her towards The Song of Songs, at a time when she was looking for new material to work with.

“Sometimes as an artist, you look for material that is timeless. We can write things that have an impact, but I felt it was worth going back to my roots and searching for things there, especially having being raised in Israel.

Ofra took artistic liberty with the poems. “I’m not saying this is the way the book should be read. This is just my intake – as a woman, I felt this. There’s one very beautiful poem in which she describes him from head to toe. As women, we know all about the male gaze – him going over her from head to toe but here you have a woman doing that to her male lover. For me, it was outrageous and sexy. And I knew I had to do something

felt this. There’s one very beautiful going over her from head to toe but here

doing that to her male lover. For me, it was outra-

I had to do something with this.”

Coming from a

“In Song of Songs discovered gorgeous erotic poetry that we were never allowed to look at like that, because this prayer has been recited on Friday evening prayers at every synagogue. It’s known by the rabbonim as

Song of Songs I has been recited on prayers at every

Coming from a background of “hardcore drama”, Ofra had not had musical experience. “I actually did not write this show as a musical. I wrote it as a concert. I knew I wanted musicians on stage, I wanted to see them jam, I wanted to see them in their groove and in their happy zone where they are improvising and then get into that ecstatic moment where the

had musical experia musical. I wrote it as to jam, I wanted their and in their where they are improthen get into that ecstatic moment where the

European flamenco, klezmer and dazzling choreography, was a huge hit and won the San Francisco Critics Award for best new production in 2017. Ofra wanted to take it oBroadway, but says that the theatre scene there has not recovered properly after the pandemic. So London was the natural next stop. “London really is the hub for theatre, and I have a feeling that the audience here will ‘get’ a genre that has verse and poetry, together with music.”

Ofra lives with her three children, now 20, 18 and 16, but most of her family are in Israel. “I don’t like this war. I want it to end,” she says. “And I don’t like what’s happening in Palestine – my closest friend is Palestinian. It’s tragic to me from all sides.” The events of 7 October have a ected Ofra’s work. “There was a line in the show that says that ‘she walked from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv’, and I replaced Tel Aviv with Yafo, which is less familiar.”

Her children will be coming to London to see the show. “My son was 11 when I did the show in San Francisco and he went to my

daughter and said, ‘Oh, my God, you’re not gonna believe it. Mom’s doing a lot of sexy dancing.’”

He may well notice more this time around because there is a strong theme of sexual liberation and “the permission for women to look beautiful and attractive and sexy, and to be in touch with their body without being a sexual object,” says Ofra. “Because in the Song of Songs, physical love, mental love and platonic love are integrated.

“There is a beautiful line where she says, ‘I’m searching and my heart is yearning, my soul is yearning.’ And then she talks about the physical love. So they are integrated. And I think that is an amazing statement for a woman because a lot of the time religion separates them - the body is one thing, and the mind is another thing. But not in this book.”

Ofra says men are often stereotyped as only acting on physical (sexual) impulse and that “leaves them no room to be the poet, so women go into this cycle of not really knowing or understanding what they have right in front of them. But then there’s the bigger question of passion and desire.

Because in the Song of Songs the lovers never meet – they only yearn for one another. That makes me think that desire almost always needs to stay unfulfilled.”

Ofra is working with an entirely new company for the London production. “They are an amazing group of people and their level of commitment is beyond my dreams because we are creating something new. I told them very clearly, from day one, that I have no interest as a creative to do a replica of what I’ve already done. I’m bored – I don’t want to repeat it.”

Filipino actor Joaquim Pedro Valdez, who has appeared in London in Miss Saigon and The King and I and most recently in Stephen Sondheim’s Pacific Overtures at the Menier, plays opposite Ofra as her lover. “He is a charming young man who’s got the physique and the persona and he’s really sexy. He’s strong. He’s got this gorgeous voice. And he’s actually learning Flamenco and Middle Eastern singing. He’s just immersed in this world.”

I suspect Park Theatre audiences will also be immersed in the world Ofra and her team are creating. A Song of Songs is at the Park Theatre, N4, previewing from 9 May

Ofra Daniel and rehearsals for her biblically inspired musical, which opens in London next week

CODE RED

The true story of a man whose son’s diagnosis of terminal cancer led to him converting to Judaism is told in a new film, writes Francine Wolfisz

Lawrence Vincent won’t ever forget the moment when a doctor told him that his filmmaker son Kit, then 24, had a terminal brain tumour. Within seconds of hearing this news he dropped on to the hospital floor with a heart attack. Thankfully he made a full recovery but Lawrence realised that he still had to face the emotional turmoil of handling Kit’s diagnosis.

“Time stood still,” says Lawrence over a Zoom call from his home in West Lulworth, a fishing village on the Dorset coast.

“In that moment, I had two choices. One was to push on and carry on as normal – or I could accept that something profound was happening and begin to change direction.”

He sought solace by immersing himself in all kinds of new interests: cold-water swimming, birdwatching, abstract painting, growing medicinal cannabis, and even Judaism.

Over the next four years, Lawrence, who was raised in Leeds by a Christian family and once considered himself “quite the opposite” of a religious person, embarked on a deeply spiritual journey that

started with a Chabad discussion about the soul and led to his eventual conversion two years ago with Bournemouth Reform Synagogue.

Incredibly, the whole process has been captured on camera by Kit, who also felt compelled to do something following his diagnosis by documenting how he and his loved ones were coping with the news.

The resulting film, Red Herring, is a touching and at times surprisingly humorous exploration of how Kit, his parents – who divorced during his childhood – and supportive girlfriend seek to navigate the uncertainty of months and years ahead.

Each reacts to his diagnosis in a different way. There are a few tense moments between Kit and his mother, Julie, with whom he was close as a child but in recent years became more distanced from. We see her preferring to tend to her chickens or home-grown vegetables rather than face Kit’s sometimes intimate questions about how she is feeling. He seems puzzled by her reticence, given that as a community nurse for the terminally ill, Julie has more exposure to this scenario than most, but somehow she cannot cope with her own son’s diagnosis.

His girlfriend Isobel is equally

reserved about playing out her feelings on camera.

As for Lawrence, being filmed during “my most intimate moments” caused strain between the otherwise close father and son. “I’m just too private, too shy,” he acknowledges, though after time he came to realise how much making this film meant to his son and he began opening up more. That included showing his deepening embrace of Jewish life.

In the film we see him putting on a kippah, delving into Jewish texts, attending a Chanukah lighting ceremony, dressing up as Einstein for Purim and celebrating his barmitzvah.

So what was it about Judaism that particularly chimed for

Lawrence, a former principal of Bournemouth and Poole College?

“I’m an academic, so when I’m in pain I read and study,” he explains. “I already had a knowledge of the world’s religions, but I decided I needed a deeper connection in everyday life.

“So I got my books out and the more I got into ancient Jewish philosophy, the more I became intoxicated by it, particularly all the human values of compassion, justice and kindness.”

As the film goes on, we see Lawrence’s commitment to becoming Jewish, culminating in him learning Hebrew and reading from the Torah at his barmitzvah, with a smiling Kit looking on proudly at his father.

Lawrence chose the Hebrew name Ezra on his conversion, because “he was a learned scribe and I like to think I’m that as well”.

He smiles. “I feel Jewish now, but I’ve always felt Jewish. I was brought up in the Jewish quarter of Leeds and my father always spoke very highly of Jewish people.”

In a strange twist of fate, Lawrence reveals that he was not the only one in his family who felt his connection to the tribe – and with good reason.

After the film was completed, his ex-wife Julie, who was adopted, looked into her birth family and discovered that she is in fact Jewish. So too, then, are Lawrence and Julie’s three children, including Kit.

He laughs: “My rabbi says there’s no such thing as a coincidence.”

Since the revelation, Kit is

“proud to have found out” but is “not embracing a Jewish life as such”. Kit’s sister Maya, however, is. “She always wanted to be Jewish and then she finds out she is.” Lawrence smiles at the unexpected irony, adding that his daughter comes over for Friday night dinner and goes to synagogue with him.

Judaism has impacted his life in many religious and cultural ways, but for Lawrence it also brought comfort at a moment when the rest of his life had been upended by Kit’s diagnosis.

“It broadened my thinking really as to these things which cannot be controlled, that these things can happen in life at any time.”

For now, Kit is doing well and “his health is far better than any of us could have hoped”, though there is always anxiety for the family ahead of the results of his latest scan. “I’m doing a lot of work to avoid living my life where all I do is count down the clock to the next scan.”

As for the release of Red Herring, Lawrence says he feels a “strange mixture of pain and pride” whenever he watches his son’s “remarkable piece of work”, and despite his initial reservations he is ultimately glad to have shown his journey towards a more meaningful life.

“Becoming Jewish helped me to connect with the things that matter,” he says. “It’s taught me to not get too far ahead of myself and to accept that I can’t control what is out of my control.”

• Red Herring is in select cinemas and on demand from tomorrow

Kit Vincent and his father Lawrence in a scene from Kit’s touching and at times humorous documentary Red Herring

Kit Vincent with his mother Julie and father Lawrence

Kit is ‘doing well’ healthwise

Keeping WATCH

Arthur Weiss takes a peek at what’s showing on at the Seret Film Festival, opening in London on 16 May

Fauda, Shtisel, The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem –Israeli TV shows are household names here in the UK and this month we get to discover Israeli cinematic gems too, as the Seret International Israeli Film Festival returns, celebrating its barmitzvah year.

The Seret (Hebrew for film) Festival launched in 2012 to showcase the best of Israeli films. Founders Odelia Haroush and Patty Hochmann have brought together a fabulous programme. Film selection is tough. Patty, the festival’s artistic director, watches every film made, and then picks 40. The two women then watch each film, selecting a final list based on the their quality.

Odelia says that when she’s watching a film her husband asks if she’s working. Not every film is good, so often it is real work. The pair ensure that films cover a range of topics and interests. But it’s not just films: the festival also includes guest appearances from the director, producer, scriptwriter, or a leading performer, who do a Q&A session after many showings. “It’s a totally different experience when you watch it with somebody from the crew,” says Odelia.

The films showing this year include the award-winning Seven Blessings, a drama focusing on a

marriage and the sheva brachot that follow, except that this turns into a sad comedy about family crimes, forgiveness and loss. Seven Blessings won 12 Ophir (Israeli Oscar) prizes including best film, best director and best actress for Reymonde Amsallem.

Reymonde also stars in The Future about a criminal profiler asked to question a Palestinian woman who assassinated an Israeli

minister. As part of the Seret programme she will join a panel discussion at JW3, with Liraz Chamami and Nelly Tagar, on balancing being an actress in Israel with family commitments.

Reymonde also plays Miriam in the forthcoming Netflix mini-series Testament – the Story of Moses Nelly Tagar starred in the 10-yearold classic comedy drama Zero Motivation, showing again at the

2024 Festival. The film looks at life for a unit of female Israeli soldiers at a remote desert base biding their time until they can return to civilian life. The film has been described as unique; unlike anything except perhaps The Office in the army or M*A*S*H with administration.

Completely different is Arugam Bay, which looks at three friends taking a post-military service trip to Sri Lanka with unresolved issues from their army service. Actor Yadin Gellman will be attending to talk about the film.

Yadin is well-known in Israel as a war hero, wounded on the first day of the 7 October war.

For fans of Shtisel, Home should hit the spot. Yair, a strictly Orthodox Yeshiva student opens an electronics shop, a challenge to his neighbourhood, which eschews modern technologies.

Previous years have had themes.

This year there is no key theme although the festival will continue the angle of women in the cinematic world. Sixteen films will be shown, including a rap musical (The City) and five comedies as Odelia and Patty really felt a “need to bring something so the audience will laugh… that will lift up feelings”.

There are also three documentaries, including Supernova: The Music

Festival Massacre examining the October atrocity through the eyes of survivors. Absent are films directly about the Israeli Palestinian situation. “A few years ago, there were many films about the conflict, but people now are fed up and don’t want to see yet another film on this,” says Odelia. Instead, recent Israeli films have focused on family issues and relationships.

Work on the festival started before the war – with events scheduled for London, Brighton and Cambridge. Seret also hosts events in Spain, Germany, Holland, Chile and Argentina. Odelia highlighted that this year some cinemas “don’t want to work with us any more”, while others won’t publicise they are showing the films, meaning that audiences have to book via the Seret website for ‘private’ showings.

In Barcelona, the owner of a cinema booked to show films cancelled the day before the start, due to threats from pro-Palestinian groups. The Netherlands festival was postponed from November to March, with two venues that had shown films for the last nine years withdrawing, and potential replacements saying they were afraid to show anything. “I don’t want to cancel the Palestinian culture, and they shouldn’t cancel my culture –culture is not politics!” says Odelia. Sadly, after the 7 October atrocity, supporting Israeli cultural initiatives is not seen as a priority and there has been a big drop in both sponsorship and advertising.

Odelia says: “It’s supposed to be a big celebration and it’s not. A lot of the money that I usually get from Israeli or Jewish institutions went to Israel to support what’s going on right now. Yet film is not merely a medium for storytelling; it serves as a lens through which we view culture, offering a platform for dialogue and understanding.”

To address this Odelia and Patty have launched a crowd-funding campaign. They say any amount – even £10, or £13 to celebrate the barmitzvah – will help. Donate at crowdfunder.co.uk/p/seret.

• Seret UK runs in London and Brighton 16-23 May, various locations. seret-international.org

Reymonde Amsallem (right) and Samar Qupty in the Hebrew and Arabic drama The Future

A scene from the award-winning drama Seven Blessings , a sad comedy about family crimes, forgiveness and loss

Co-directors Patty Hochmann (left) and Odelia Haroush

Business

By Candice Krieger candicekrieger@googlemail.com

POST-WAR ISRAELI STARTUP BOOM ON THE HORIZON

Avi Hasson tells Candice Krieger about the startup sector’s resilience, while recognising the persistent challenge surrounding the nation’s public image

et ready for a startup baby boom once the Israel-Hamas war is over, says Avi Hasson, the chief executive of Startup Nation Central, a non-profit that promotes the Israeli innovation ecosystem around the world.

Hasson, who also served as founding chairman of the Israel Innovation Authority and is Israel’s former chief scientist, believes there are a bunch of Israeli innovators waiting in the wings with exciting new ideas.

released its Q1 report on the Israeli tech ecosystem which highlighted cyber security as a dominant force. The sector featured four of the six mega-rounds with $846m (about £676m) in private funding and accounted for nearly 50 percent of the total ecosystem funding and half the top six exits as it is continuing to “show resilience”, notes Hasson.

“Many new companies will be formed,” Hasson tells Jewish News. “There will be a wave of innovation around areas like drones and sensors, and a lot of new technology in healthcare, rehabilitation and mental health. Defence is another emerging startup sector.”

A fortnight ago Startup Nation Central

“It’s one of the few sectors that remains attractive and relevant, even as we have moved from one innovation cycle to the other,” he says, the other being the AI. “This is going to drive pretty much everything we are going to see over the next year and Israel has unique capabilities there.”

Hasson had been concerned that Israeli talent might leave the country amid the “spirit of despair” brought about by judicial reforms but said that “since the war we are seeing a true spirit of determination and resilience among Israelis: ‘We are staying and we are rebuilding.’ This the most important fuel for an entrepreneur to start a new company.”

consider; 90 percent of Israeli hi-tech is in software, so there are no logistical issues of supply chains and while startups are su ering, they only employ about 10 per cent of the Israeli tech workforce. A vast majority are employed in the larger Israeli companies, which are less dependent on funding.”

That said, Hasson, who has more than 30 years’ experience working in the Israeli business world including executive roles in the business, technology, and not-for-profit sectors, acknowledges that Israel is facing a tough time when it comes to its public image.

“I remember 20 years ago having to convince the global investor community ‘why Israel’, and now we are having to explain again, but for di erent reasons.”

Hasson will be reassured by the findings in his organisation’s report, which saw Israel’s investment landscape achieve modest growth in the first few months of the year compared to Q4 2023 and marked the most active M&A quarter since the start of 2022 among its positive findings.

Meanwhile, another recent Startup Nation Central report showed that the Israeli tech ecosystem is continuing to attract investors and venture capital funds activity amid the war.

Hasson remains cautiously optimistic about the future as “now, more than ever, in the face of conflict and uncertainty, an unyielding spirit and relentless energy are driving creativity and inventiveness. This is what we at Startup Nation Central call ‘impatient innovation’: a bold and determined approach to innovation harnessed to tackle the world’s most complex challenges.

“Unafraid of failure, Israel’s problem solvers don’t wait for a green light to spring into action.” And while Israel – an early innovator – faces increasing competition from other countries that have been stepping up their innovation efforts in recent years, Hasson says: “This impatient innovation is still unique to Israel.”

But Hasson is not “ignoring or underplaying” the potential risks that prolonging the situation [the war] presents. A lot depends on what happens in the war; uncertainty is not good for business, and a lot depends on what the government does to create an environment that is attractive to global investors and multinationals, the right regulations and legislation…”

Israel will also need to ensure it supports the younger and more vulnerable companies struggling with bridge funding during the war. “If we don’t, we will risk losing them.”

Based on the period since 7 October, the report cites a total of 220 private investment rounds that have been announced, with an estimated $3.1bn raised: the average investment amount was $19m and the most notable was in Next Insurance, which saw two foreign VCs invest $265m. The sum of M&As since 7 October is $3.7bn. More than 20 new funds have been established, raising a total of $1.7bn.

But how much longer will Israel’s tech sector be able to withstand the war?

“It has been remarkable to see the resilience of Israelis since the war, continuing to deliver, and there are multiple factors to

He continues: “The country has shrunk. We have to rebuild the north and the south and bring back the economic activity and to me, if we don’t do this, we will lose the war. Even if we win the military battle, we need to win the economic and social battle and build back better to make sure they flourish. If we don’t do this, we have lost the war.”

Avi Hasson

Israel faces increasing competition but ‘has the unique quality of impatient innovation’

MAKING SENSE OF THE SEDRA

BY RABBI BRENDAN STERN HENDON UNITED SYNAGOGUE

As the Pesach period has come to a close after eight days of chagim and following weeks of cleaning, shopping, cooking and preparing for the sedarim, it is easy to be overcome with a sense of emptiness and loss of direction.

Although we are all likely to be relieved to be back to our regular diets and freed from the ‘slavery’ of the kitchen, the feeling that something is missing is a regular part of the post-Pesach blues.

The spiritual environment coupled with the quality time spent

together with family, friends and community is something we all cherish, and miss.

In this week’s parsha, Acharei Mot, Aharon is asked to bring a sin o ering on Yom Kippur to “atone for himself and for his household” (Vayikra 16:6).

Chazal (Yoma 2a) state that the Kohen Gadol’s “household” refers to his wife. On the one hand the Kohen Gadol needed to be married on Yom Kippur – to the extent that according to one opinion a “back-up” wife was designated, lest his current wife pass away in the interim – but on the other hand he had to be separated from his wife for seven days prior to Yom Kippur to prevent any accidental exposure to impurity. Why was the Kohen Gadol’s marriage status so pivotal if in any event he

was sequestered from his wife in advance of Yom Kippur?

Furthermore, the Rambam (Hilchot Avodat Yom HaKippurim 4:2) codifies as halacha (and not a mere practical order of events) that on completion of Yom Kippur the Kohen Gadol would return home. How do we understand the contrast between the Kohen Gadol in his holy garments in the holiest of locations on the holiest day of the year and his immediate return home to his wife, household and mundane needs?

The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that even though the Kohen Gadol attains sublime holiness on Yom Kippur, the goal of the sanctity attained is not to stay in this state of retirement from the world –remaining ‘holy and separate’ – but to make use of that exalted holiness

within the framework of the material world. His separation from his wife and physicality is a short-term aberration and not the daily norm.

The halacha of him returning ‘home’ emphasises that the lofty elevation achieved must be channelled to become a way of life for him

and his household throughout the year. As we move on from Pesach, let us focus on bringing God’s presence into every aspect of our lives. Let’s not limit that connection to shul, Shabbat, or the seder table, but rather make a conscious e ort to bring it to every single day.

Relieved from kitchen ‘slavery’ we may miss time spent with others

LEAP OF FAITH

BY CANTOR ZÖE JACOBS FINCHLEY REFORM SYNAGOGUE

Religious singers have a long tradition

The seventh day of Pesach allows us the opportunity to hear again the words of Shirat HaYam , the song of the sea, which we sang as we crossed from slavery to freedom.

Moses begins by saying that he will sing to God, grammatically using the first-person, singular. Miriam, in contrast, responds to the community, inviting them all (plural) to sing to God.

Two forms of leadership; both ways to connect to the Divine and to the community. In these styles, we see echoes of the leadership roles of the rabbi and the cantor in Progressive Judaism. We each respond to

and lead the community, but in unique ways.

While religious singers have existed for centuries, the role of the traditional cantor as musical leader of the service alongside a rabbi reached its pinnacle in Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Notable cantor-composers such as Solomon Sulzer and Louis Lewandowski understood their role in beautifying liturgical music and welcoming more than one voice. Just as a good film score helps us to feel what is going on in the script, a cantor makes musical selections to help the community understand the liturgy.

Yet the role of the cantor as it currently exists in Progressive Judaism – as an equal member of the clergy team alongside rabbis, perhaps leading it, or as the sole spiritual leader of a congregation –has only existed in the UK for the past 15 years.

A cantor in a Progressive congregation, just like our rabbinic counterparts, receives ordination after a five-year postgraduate programme, and can o ciate at weddings, funerals, b’nei mitzvah, and all other services, events and classes. But we do try to utilise our trained expertise in Jewish music and liturgy where we can.

For those who haven’t been into a Progressive community, you might ask what defines the way we use music in a service today.

We sing much of the same music used throughout the Jewish world –or at least, the European Ashkenazi world.

We use melodies that all communities might refer to as ‘mi Sinai’: those deemed to be so traditional that they might as well have come down from Sinai with Torah.

These melodies, whether for Shabbat or Festivals, help us place

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

ourselves emotionally within the Jewish calendar.

We use many of the choral melodies found in the ‘Blue Book’ – a collection of AngloJewish choral music first published by the United Synagogue in 1899 – as well as a wide array of more modern compositions, which connect us to the sounds of communities around us. We also use musical instruments, as Jews have done since the time of the Babylonian exile (see Psalm 137, for example).

My mission, as a cantor, is to respond to the needs of my community, just as Miriam does when we cross the sea. Grammatically, Miriam commands the Israelites to sing to God.

Personally, I’d rather invite and encourage the community to join with me in prayer, but my community is far less stubborn than our ancient ancestors!

HEAD OF JEWISH STUDIES 7-12

Talented and inspirational Jewish Studies and Hebrew teachers required for our High School section (Grade 6-12) to commence August 2024. Carmel School Hong Kong, a Jewish International School is seeking teachers with:

 BA or above in relevant studies, and recognized teaching diploma.

 Minimum two years relevant teaching experience in Hebrew and Jewish studies in Primary and/or Secondary schools.

 Knowledge of IB curriculum is an asset.

 Excellent classroom management skills.

 Interest and experience in informal education.

Why Carmel School?

Carmel School is the only Jewish Through School in Asia, with over 370 students from 1 to 18 years old. Carmel School is accredited by WASC and IB offering the DP, MYP, and PYP. Our students graduate with impressive academic results and enter top universities around the world.

Carmel School is a cornerstone of Hong Kong’s Jewish community with strong interpersonal relationships, an enviable working environment and a high teacher:student ratio. The School offers career progression, professional development to talented candidates. Interested candidates are invited to apply to hr@carmel.edu.hk

Full time, permanent position in beautiful Sydney, Australia

Are you interested in developing and teaching outstanding, high-level, text-based learning in a Jewishly diverse/pluralistic environment?

Are you keen to offer depth of Jewish learning and content in an educational context that is open, curious and that spans Jewish learning and culture from ancient to modern?

We’re looking for an inspirational Jewish educator who is committed to leading a strong team in a dynamic and future-oriented environment. They will be a lifelong learner excited by innovation, committed to continuous improvement and have a passion for developing and fostering students’ deep connection to their Jewish identity, heritage and Israel.

We welcome educators from all streams of Judaism. It is important to us that you respect and support the Jewish diversity of our community and are comfortable teaching and exploring pluralist Jewish themes.

For more information about our School and details of how to apply, visit www.emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au or scan the QR code.

Melodies help to place us in the Jewish calendar

Ask our

AS COMFORTING AS A BOWL OF CHICKEN SOUP

Our trusty team of advisers answers your questions about everything from law and finance to dating and dentistry.

This week: Validating a will, coping with hearing loss and health insurance

Dear Carolyn

CAROLYN ADDLEMAN DIRECTOR OF LEGACIES

KKL EXECUTOR AND TRUSTEE COMPANY

I‘ve recently found a will written by my uncle which is signed by him and witnessed by one other person. I’ve now been told it isn’t valid. Can you shed some light on why?

David

Dear David

I’m grateful to you for raising this fundamental point. You don’t say whether it was a professionally prepared will or was an ‘o the shelf will’ available in stationers or online.

It is easy to forget that even the most precise legal work and thorough drafting can be rendered useless by a mistake when

SUE CIPIN

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

JEWISH DEAF ASSOCIATION

Dear Sue

My mum’s hearing has worsened, and it’s creating a barrier between my children and her. My kids have always loved chatting to my mum, but they have stopped trying because it’s too difficult and she struggles to understand what they’re saying.

How can I ensure my kids have a relationship

with my mum again and help her enjoy family gatherings?

Michelle

Dear Michelle

Children’s voices can be indistinct for someone with a hearing loss, so here are some key communication tips that will help your family stay close and connected:

 Remember to attract your mum’s attention before you start talking to her, so she can be ‘ready’ to listen.

 It’s crucial to face her too, so she can lipread and get clues from facial expressions.

 Tell your mum what subject you’re talking about from the start. Then she’ll be able to process what you’re

the will is signed. Two independent adult witnesses of sound mind are required when you sign your will and both should be present when you sign.

A beneficiary of a will cannot be a witness otherwise any gift to them in the will becomes void. I would define ‘independent’ as not being a beneficiary or the spouse or partner of a beneficiary and as a ‘belt and braces’ measure, I would extend this to exclude any close relatives of such a beneficiary.

A lot of people think that a person named as an executor of a will cannot witness it but they can act as a witness as long as they are deriving no benefit from the will. If you need to make any handwritten alterations to the will before signing them, make sure you and your two witnesses initial them in the adjacent margin.

saying more easily.

 Slow down a little bit.

 Ensure your mum’s hearing aids are well maintained. If they’re from the NHS, one of our trained volunteers can visit her at home to clean them, change the tubing and provide new batteries.

 Your mum could also try out other simple-to-use listening devices to make the sound of little voices a lot clearer. She’s very welcome to make an appointment to try some at JDA’s Technology & Information Centre, or we can arrange for her to do so at home if it’s di cult for her to get here.

For more advice, please do call my colleague Gabrielle Renée at JDA on 020 8446 0214.

TREVOR GEE

PRIVATE

HEALTHCARE SPECIALIST PATIENT HEALTH

Dear Trevor I recently bought health insurance online, (buyer’s remorse here) and the insurance company is refusing to meet my wife’s claim. She is still in discomfort. Please can you help or advise us.

Malcolm

Dear Malcolm I am sorry to hear about

your wife’s current condition and hope that she receives treatment quickly.

The issue about not getting free advice from an intermediary like ourselves is that the websites do not properly explain about the underwriting of private health policies and what each means. You see, there are di erent ways that the private health insurer assesses the risk to themselves, so they will accept a claim when it’s genuine.

What I mean by that is that with a new policy, the insurer will want to know that a condition was not pre-existing, even by a day.

However, depending on di erent circumstances, in many cases, the insurer will accept preexisting conditions.

But buying online it’s very di cult to give any correct

advice. So, I can’t advise you what went wrong here, as I do not know the underwriting on this policy and also the dates of your wife’s symptoms and date the policy started. My general advice is don’t wait to dig a well until you are thirsty! If I can help you argue the claim, I will happily do so, (there are no charges for our advice) so please do call. Remember, your capital is at risk.

Exeter Insurance Health & Financial Fears research found that 20 percent felt it was important to buy health insurance when they were ill or following an illness.

With 74 percent of people surveyed saying they’re concerned about accessing NHS treatment. Patient Health Ltd, free advice, no charges, putting people first.

Do you have a question for a member of our team? Email: editorial@jewishnews.co.uk

HUMAN RESOURCES / EMPLOYMENT LAW

DONNA OBSTFELD

Qualifications:

Our Experts ISRAEL PROPERTY & MORTGAGE BROKER

• FCIPD Chartered HR Professional

• 25 years in HR and business management.

• Mediator, business coach, trainer, author and speaker

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

DOHR LTD 020 8088 8958

www.dohr.co.uk donna@dohr.co.uk

ACCOUNTANT

ADAM SHELLEY

Qualifications:

• FCCA chartered certified accountant

• Accounting, taxation and business advisory services

• Entrepreneurial business specialist including start-up businesses

• Specialises in charities; personal tax returns

• Maurice Wohl Charitable Foundation Volunteer of the Year JVN award

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

CHARITY EXECUTIVE

LISA WIMBORNE

Qualifications:

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

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

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

• Understanding of the impact of a disability diagnosis

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

LESLEY TRENNER

Qualifications:

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

• Offers mock interviews and workshops to maximise job prospects

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

RESOURCE 020 8346 4000

www.resource-centre.org office@resource-centre.org

PRIVATE HEALTHCARE SPECIALIST

TREVOR GEE

Qualifications:

• Managing director, consultant specialists in affordable family health insurance

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

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

• LLB solicitors finals

• Member of Chartered Insurance Institute

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

ILAN RUBINSTEIN

Qualifications:

• UK born, licenced Israel estate agent in Israel since 2001

• Ilan assists in buying, financing & re-sale of new & existing property in Israel.

• Helps level the playing field opposite vendors, developers & even the bank

• Attentive to your needs, saving you time, hassle & money

I.L.A.N. ESTATES & INVESTMENTS “Bringing Jews Home” UK: 0203-807-0878 ISRAEL: +972-504-910-604 www.ilanrealestate.com nadlan@hotmail.com

JEWELLER

JONATHAN WILLIAMS

Qualifications:

• Jewellery manufacturer since 1980s

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

FINANCIAL SERVICES (FCA) COMPLIANCE

JACOB BERNSTEIN

Qualifications:

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

• Mortgage, protection and general insurance intermediaries;

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

• Alternative Investment Fund managers;

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

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

JOE OZER

Qualifications:

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

• Worked in finance for more than 20 years

• Specialists in distribution and promotion of Israel Bonds

DEVELOPMENT COMPANY FOR ISRAEL 020 3936 2712

www.israelbondsintl.com joe.ozer@israelbondsintl.com

GOAL ATTAINMENT SPECIALIST

DR BEN LEVY

Qualifications:

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

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

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

CAROLYN ADDLEMAN

Qualifications:

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

DIRECTOR OF LEGACIES

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

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

• Member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners

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

STEPHEN MORRIS

Qualifications:

• Managing director of Stephen Morris Shipping Ltd

• Works with clients individually to maximise success

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

SUE CIPIN OBE

Qualifications:

• 45 years’ experience in shipping household and personal effects

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

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

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

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

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

• Extensive services for people affected by hearing loss/tinnitus

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

• Hearing aid advice, support and maintenance CHARITY EXECUTIVE

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

LOUISE LEACH

Qualifications:

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

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

• Set up Dancing with Louise 19 years ago

DANCING WITH LOUISE 075 0621 7833

www.dancingwithlouise.co.uk Info@dancingwithlouise.com

PRINCIPAL, PERFORMING ARTS

Top prices paid

Antique – Reproduction – Retro Furniture (any condition)

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

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

House clearances

Single items to complete homes

MARYLEBONE ANTIQUES - 8 CHURCH STREET NW8 8ED

07866 614 744 (ANYTIME) 0207 723 7415 (SHOP)

closed Sunday & Monday

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

WANTED

Dave & Eve House Clearance

Friendly Family Company established for 30 years

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

We clear houses, flats, sheds, garages etc. No job too big or too small! Rubbish cleared as part of a full clearance. We have a waste licence. We buy items including furniture bric a brac.

For a free quote please phone Dave on 07913405315 any time.

Confidential Bereavement Counselling for adults and children individually. Support Groups available. We offer in person, online and telephone counselling. Contact Jewish Bereavement Counselling Service in confidence. 0208 951 3881 enquiries@jbcs.org.uk | www.jbcs.org.uk CHARITY & WELFARE

BEREAVED?

Former “Magic Circle” solicitor offers help with:

Sheltered Accommodation

We have an open waiting list in our friendly and comfortable warden assisted sheltered housing schemes in Ealing, East Finchley and Hendon. We provide 24-hour warden support, seven days a week; a residents’ lounge and kitchen, laundry, a sunny patio and garden. For further details and application forms, please contact Westlon Housing Association on 020 8201 8484 or email: johnsilverman@btconnect.com

BRIDGE

Harold Schogger

FREE TASTER 1st May

Beginners Course 7th May 2024

Intermediates Course 13th May 2024

Advanced Course 14th May 2024

Success guaranteed Phone 0208 905 3877 for more details www.haroldschogger.com

• CVs and personal statements

• interviews and assessment days

Former “Magic Circle” solicitor offers help with:

• CVs and personal statements

• interviews and assessment days

• coping with stress and workload

• promotion and new opportunities

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

THE JEWISH NEWS CROSSWORD

11 Female rabbit (3)

12 Morally proper (7)

School tables (5)

SUDOKU

SUDOKU

Fill the grid with the numbers 1 to 9 so that each row, column and 3x3 block contains the numbers 1 to 9.

Fill the grid with the numbers 1 to 9 so that each row column and 3x3 block contains the numbers 1 to 9.

1

3

9

(7)

WORDSEARCH

with brass bands can all be found in the forwards or backwards, in a horizontal, direction, but always in a straight, unbroken line.

Island near Sorrento (5)

13 Blue Shoes, Presley song (5)

14 Culinary pulveriser (6)

16 Plus (2,4)

19 Farmland units (5)

21 Make more secure (7)

23 Try to win the affection of (3)

24 Sudden thrust (5)

25 Take away (7)

26 Tending flocks (11)

2 Dog’s restraining chain (5)

3 Appendix to a will (7)

4 Wax light with a wick (6)

Food served alight (6)

Opposite of ‘open’ (6)

Small (6) 18 Pricier (6) 20 Man-made waterway (5)

Make a hissing sound (5)

Deliciously addictive (7)

Particles of a valuable metal (4,4)

Imperfection (4)

(9,4)

Ganges’ country (5)

5 ___ basket, wickerwork carrycot (5)

6 Bishop’s area (7)

7 Signal to take action (4-2,4)

10 Of clothes, reaching the middle of the leg (4-6)

15 Squash (7)

17 With vision (7)

18 Heavy uninteresting food (6)

20 Lottery (5)

(3)

Tenuous, weak (13)

Nasty cut (4)

Keep in contact (6)

Male hen (4) 13 Vend (4) 16 Brings about (6) 17 Abdominal pains (6)

SUGURU

Demolished (5)

22 Practise for a feat of endurance (5)

Short thin branch (4) 24 In what way? (3)

CODEWORD

SUGURU

Each cell in an outlined block must contain a digit: a two-cell block contains the digits 1 and 2, a three-cell block contains the digits 1, 2 and 3; and so on. The same digit must not appear in neighbouring cells, not even diagonally.

Each cell in an outlined block must contain a digit: a two-cell block contains the digits 1 and 2 a three-cell block contains the digits 1 2 and 3; and so on. The same digit must not appear in neighbouring cells not even diagonally.

The listed words related to Queen Victoria can all be found in the grid. Words may run either forwards or backwards in a horizontal vertical or diagonal direction but always in a straight unbroken line.

RY G

In this finished crossword, every letter of the alphabet appears as a code number. All you have to do is crack the code and fill in the grid. Replacing the decoded numbers with their letters in the grid will help you to guess the identity of other letters.

In this finished crossword every letter of the alphabet appears as a code number. All you have to do is crack the code and fill in the grid. Replacing the decoded numbers with their letters in the grid will help you to guess the identity of other letters.

next issue for puzzle solutions.

for puzzle solutions.

Sudoku Suguru Wordsearch Codeword

Sudoku Suguru

A £10,000 EVENT PACKAGE at DoubleTree by Hilton London Elstree with production by WA Carr & Son

LOCATED IN THE HEART OF THE MEDIA QUARTER, the stylish, film-themed DoubleTree by Hilton London Elstree has 135 bedrooms (including two junior suites) and three large event spaces, making it the perfect venue to host your barmitzvah, batmitzvah, special birthday, special anniversary or wedding.

The Dupont Suite is a beautifully lit space with high ceilings and caters for up to 220 guests seated with a dancefloor or 250 guests with casual seating. Together with the Dupont Suite, the hotel offers the Gate Suite, which is ideal for reception drinks, food stations, a games area or a wedding ceremony.

The event spaces are a blank canvas – and this is where production comes in. WA Carr & Son is a leading provider of production and hire equipment. Completing and supplying over 1,000 events a year, from bar/bat mitzvahs to weddings and everything inbetween, it offers a huge range of items available for hire and full event planning packages.

FOR CHANCEYOUR

TO WIN a £10,000 event package visit the DoubleTree stand at the Jewish News Big Event at DoubleTree by Hilton London Elstree on Sunday 12 May 11am – 4pm. For more info jewishnews.co.ukvisit /event

THE PRIZE COMPRISES:

• Dry hire of the Dupont Suite and the Gate Suite

• Access to DoubleTree Elstree’s external catering kitchen

• Banqueting tables, banqueting chairs, and black & white dancefloor (maximum size and configuration 18ft)

• Dedicated DoubleTree event coordinator for planning

• Complimentary standard guest bedroom for night of function

PLUS planning and production services from WA Carr & Son including:

• Up to 150 chairs

• A stage suitable for a band, DJ or wedding ceremony measuring up to 5 meters by 3 meters

• A backdrop in white or black, with a length of up to 9 meters

• Venue uplighting consisting of 16 lights

• 6 poseur tables

• 12 bar stools

• Delivery, collection, installation, and set down services

• Up to 3 meters of bar in black or white

• A back bar

• 2 x 50-inch TV screens

• Choice of evening entertainment limited to air hockey table hire or Neuron Race