1398 - 19th December 2024 by Jewish News

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Red Shield

A YEAR ON THE FRONTLINE

To mark the ﬁ rst anniversary of the October 7th atrocities, Magen David Adom UK led a memorial mission to Israel over 7.10.24.

The group visited sites including Kfar Aza, the Nova Festival and the Tkuma Car Memorial and received ﬁ rst-hand survivor testimonies. The 30 plus participants paid their respects to the 36 Magen David Adom personnel who were amongst those killed whilst trying to save others both on and since 7/10.

The group also took the opportunity to visit various MDA stations and dispatch centres, including the newly built Marcus National Blood Services Centre. In Rahat, the local Mayor shared his gratitude for the donation of a new First Response Vehicle. Multiple life-saving emergency vehicles were also dedicated throughout the trip (see back page).

Daniel Burger, Chief Executive of MDA UK said, “This was an immensely di cult trip but going to Israel to show solidarity is so very important.”

MDA Ambulance attacked by Hamas on 7/10 MDA

RUNNING, CYCLING AND SAVING LIVES A GLIMMER OF LIGHT

It is very hard to be optimistic right now. The war in Israel has been raging for over a year. The hostages have been held captive for 420 days at the time of writing. And yet, as I travel the country meeting our supporters here in the UK and doing the same when visiting our colleagues in Israel, I am ﬁlled with hope.

I know how much you value Magen David Adom. You have shown this with your generosity over the past 12 months. This unwavering support is critical to the people of Israel as they look to rebuild and make sense of what must happen next. Our people are so important to us. Yes, they are lifesavers, but they have been through unimaginable trauma. 36 of their colleagues have been killed. The impact of this on their mental health cannot be overlooked. The work you enable us to fund goes far beyond ‘just’ gi ing an ambulance or deﬁ brillator. It also looks a er the people using them too.

For 75 years, MDA UK has been committed to supporting and promoting the very best of Israel through our work.

This Chanukah, as we look for those glimmers of light, I believe we can ﬁ nd it in the work of MDA, the impact we are having in Israel and the beacon of light we continue to be across the world.

Daniel Burger Chief Executive Magen David

Adom UK

The second half of 2024 has seen no slowdown in the UK community’s support for Magen David Adom.

In July, the Cambridge MDA Committee hosted a musical concert in honour of Brendel Lang, a sorely missed member of the local community and loyal supporter of Magen David Adom. MDA Leeds followed by hosting a whisky tasting, raising funds for the Yorkshire MDA Ambulance Station in Beit Shemesh.

Later in the month Asher Mass, a year 6 student from The Academy in Hampstead, and his father David, took to their bikes and cycled the length of the Northern Line to raise an incredible £6,500. These funds will go towards resources at the recently opened Marcus National Blood Services Centre in Ramla. September was jam-packed with activity, beginning with Freida Wilenski of MDA She eld hosting the annual National Council Conference. The month continued with various sporting enthusiasts putting on their red and white MDA UK branded cycling shirts and taking part in the London to Brighton bike ride. Manchester MDA hosted its 2nd Golf Day at Whiteﬁ eld Golf Club. It was a very close tournament, and Ascot Insurance took the win.

The sporting challenges continued in October with the Royal Parks Half Marathon and several MDA UK supporters donned their MDA UK running vests to save more lives.

In November, MDA Maidenhead held its Annual Supper Quiz which included a live link-up to Israel to see the medicycle that was crowdfunded at the 2023 edition.

These events, challenges and activities have helped MDA in Israel in numerous ways, so if you would like to get involved in MDA UK challenges in 2025, visit mdauk.org/challenges.

Thank you to everyone for their tireless e orts and dedication to this special life-saving organisation.

CELEBRATING

On Monday Adom at The guests resounding to MDA supporters.

Keynote former and the Adom, how he and Israel’s told the national backbone will always and with safeguard It was also Israeli Olympic who took leading Olympics. representing gold at everyone was important also for

Tributes

NEW FACES ON BOARD

Adom on 7th the stories Ronit Glaser whom had impacted Daniel spoke turning continued

Magen David Adom UK is delighted to announce that Dr Edward Zi OBE DL has joined its Board of Trustees. Dr Zi brings a wealth of knowledge and experience gained through his extensive career and involvement in charitable and community organisations. MDA UK is also pleased to announce that Barry Segal has accepted the role as one of the organisation's Vice Presidents.

MDA Maidenhead 4th Annual Supper Quiz

Marcelo Klein running in the name of MDA UK at the Royal Parks Half Marathon

Ascot Insurance – Manchester MDA Golf Day 2024 winners

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Critical condition

87% of NHS antisemitism cases

by Jenni Frazer jenni@jennifrazer.com

The General Medical Council (GMC) this week revealed almost nine in every 10 antisemitism complaints lodged against doctors since 7 October 2023 have been dismissed at the earliest possible stage.

Figures provided exclusively to Jewish News show that between 7 October 2023 and 19 November 2024, some 402 complaints of antisemitism were received by the GMC, the UK’s medical regulator. Of those, 350 cases were closed at the initial “triage” assessment stage. A further six remain at triage, while only 25 complaints are under investigation.

The data also reveals that 376 complaints were made against 98 identifiable doctors, with the remaining 26 involving doctors whose identities could not be verified on the medical register. The GMC clarified that multiple complaints often concerned the same individual, as seen when several people reported identical social media posts.

The ﬁgures have triggered frustration among Jewish health professionals and communal leaders, who see little action despite rising antisemitism concerns. One doctor told Jewish News that some Jewish complainants had faced counter-complaints after reporting antisemitic behaviour.

The revelations come after Health Secretary Wes Streeting, following meetings with Jewish community leaders and the Jewish Medical Association (JMA), issued a ﬁrm warning. He said: “I expect employers and regulators to take action against anyone working in the

NHS who promotes hatred against Jewish people.”

One doctor who prompted calls for the GMC to take action is Rehiana Ali, a consultant neurologist who described Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar as a “legend” on social media. She also endorsed conspiracy theories about 9/11, alongside remarks calling for the erasure of Israel.

These latest numbers come to light just days after Streeting demanded action against NHS sta promoting hatred towards Jews. Streeting’s intervention prompted calls for NHS-wide policies banning political symbols in the workplace and prohibiting sta from wearing NHS uniforms at political protests unrelated to health policy. Leaders also pressed regulators to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) deﬁnition of antisemitism as the sole standard for handling complaints.

Following the GMC’s data release, Streeting vowed to collaborate with NHS England and the regulator to address the crisis. He underscored that sta and patients of all backgrounds deserve to feel safe in the NHS: “We have a zero-tolerance policy towards racism, aggression, or intimidation.”

Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies, hailed recent meetings with Streeting and health leaders as ductive”, with steps toward cultural change for Jewish NHS sta and patients.

The GMC insisted it takes all allegations seriously, stating: “Any form of antisemitism is unacceptable. We investigate concerns that could risk patient safety or public conﬁdence.” Editorial comment, page 22

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer meets members of Alma Primary School’s choir while hosting last night’s annual Chanukah reception at 10 Downing Street

Syria ‘is not a threat to Israel’s security’

Syria’s new leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani has said he will not allow the country to be used to mount attacks against Israel, writes Lee Harpin.

But Jolani, who prefers to be known by his birth name Ahmed al-Shara, also said Israel should now end its airstrikes on Syria and withdraw from the swathes if territory it took after Bashar al-Assad fled.

Shara told The Times shortly after taking over as the new Syrian leader: “We do not want any conflict whether with Israel or anyone else and we will not let Syria be used as a launchpad for attacks.

“The Syrian people need a break, and the strikes must end and Israel has to pull back to its previous positions.”

On the Israeli strikes, he said “the justification was the presence of Hezbollah and Iranian militias” but that had now gone.

British diplomats have also held talks with the leader of the banned Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir alSham (HTS), after its ousting of the former dictator. Photographs showed senior officials, including the UK’s special representative for Syria, Ann Snow, meeting Shara in Damascus on Monday.

The meeting followed confirmation by foreign secretary David Lammy that a delegation had been sent for talks with interim Syrian authorities and civil society groups after the fall of the Assad regime earlier this month.

Lammy told a press conference in London on Monday the delegation “underlines our commitment to Syria”, adding the UK would support an “inclusive transitional political process that is Syrian-led and Syrian-owned”.

The HTS group is currently proscribed in the UK as a terrorist organisation. But speaking to international media, Shara said: “Syria is very important geostrategically. They should lift all restrictions, which were imposed on the flogger

MCDONNELL IN NEW PALESTINE

Labour Party veteran MP John McDonnell appeared in a Westminster debate to speak out in support of the actions of the hardcore antiIsrael group Palestine Action.

and the victim – the flogger is gone now. This issue is not up for negotiation.”

Meanwhile, in his first statement since he was ousted, Syria’s former dictator said he had not planned to flee Syria as the rebels advanced, but was evacuated by Russian forces after their base came under attack.

Assad said: “At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any individual or party.”

MP disputes Gaza death toll figure

Speaking in favour of a petition calling for an arms embargo on Israel, the long-serving left-winger accused the government of using counter-terrorism powers to suppress supporters of the group, who he claimed were mostly “innocent” of the offences they were charged with.

Palestine Action members have repeatedly targeted premises used by Elbit Systems UK in this country claiming the company directly supplies Israel with arms and attacking police with a sledgehammer on at least one occasion.

Last month, activists targeted the offices of proIsrael organisations in Hampstead, smashing windows and leaving Free Palestine graffiti on walls. In a more violent action by the group in August, a police officer was taken to hospital after being hit with a sledgehammer.

One senior Labour figure told Jewish News McDonnell’s comments about Palestine Action were a “disgrace” and the “latest ugly chapter of a chequered career”.

McDonnell said he was being “careful about not mentioning any names” as some cases were subjudice, but added: “[They are] trying to do what we are failing to do: prevent this government from supplying arms to a regime that kills children.”

A Lib Dem MP began a Westminster debate on a petition to ban arms sales to Israel by suggesting “reputable” sources put the death toll in Gaza at “as many as 186,000”, writes Lee Harpin.

Dr Roz Savage, a member of the Petitions Committee, had been asked by the committee to open the debate on two petitions relating to Israel and Palestine.

Arguing in support of an arms embargo and immediate recognition of a Palestinian state, Savage appeared to suggest a figure used by The Lancet magazine on deaths in Gaza was well sourced.

But after the 180,000 death toll figure was published in a now-deleted post on X, one of the authors of the report appeared to suggest the figure was “purely illustrative”.

Opening Monday’s debate,

Savage told MPs the official figure for deaths in occupied Gaza stood at “over 42,000 Palestinians, although estimates from reputable sources claim that maybe as many as 186,000 have been killed”.

The MP for South Cotswolds went on to confirm she supported stopping the sale of arms to Israel.

She claimed the Labour government is “on the wrong side of history” and must halt the trade.

Savage then went on to quote the recently-published report from Amnesty International accusing Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza.

Other anti-Israel MPs including Kim Johnson lined up to call for an arms embargo and for immediate recognition of a Palestinian state.

The government is using “every diplomatic manoeuvre available” as it attempts to ensure Emily Damari and other hostages with UK links are among those freed if any deal is secured, Downing Street has said.

Asked if the UK had headed calls to step up its efforts to press for hostage releases from Gaza, Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said the government had made it “a priority” to attempt to influence talks between representatives of Hamas and Israel as hopes grew for an “imminent” deal.

“Throughout these talks we have used every diplomatic manoeuvre available to seek the release of all hostages with links to the UK as well as a ceasefire deal,” a Downing Street spokesperson told Jewish News.

Responding to criticism that the UK government had not done enough to push for the freeing of UK hostages, including from Mandy Damari, the mother of 28-year-old Gaza captive Emily, Downing Street said: “In every single conversation with leaders, the prime minister raises the issue of the hostages in Gaza. It is a top priority and we will continue to press on this issue.”

On Wednesday, Saudi news outlet Asharq Al-Awsat quoted a Hamas official suggesting if no issues arise, a hostage deal could be signed by the end of this week.

According to Asharq Al-Awsat, in the first stage of the agreement, which is supposed to last some 45-60 days, Hamas would release 30 hostages, alive and deceased, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Some reports suggesting the hostage releases are likely to be centred around the elderly.

MP CONDEMNS OXFORD DEBATE

UPROAR HOSTAGES ‘PRIORITY’ FOR THE PM

A Conservative MP and former treasurer of the Oxford Union has urged Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson to write to the famous debating club to stress that “antisemitism has no place in society – especially not at our universities”.

his own link to the Oxford Union, said the debate three weeks ago saw students “vote in the majority that they would not have reported Hamas plans if they’d known before the 7 October attacks.”

Gregory Stafford, MP for Farnham and Bordon, raised what he said had been “a mess of antisemitism” that emerged at a debate that took place at the Oxford Union on 28 November on the motion: “This house believes Israel is an apartheid state responsible for genocide.”

The motion was carried by 278 ayes to 59 noes, and led to further accusations of intimidation and bias against the four pro-Israel speakers, two of whom were not Jewish.

Stafford, who declared

During Wednesday’s topical questions session in the Commons, he called for the secretary of state to write to the debating club in response to the events that took place.

One of the Oxford Union speakers, notorious antiZionist Miko Peled, had also expressed his support for the 7 October attacks as “heroism”, and was greeted with cheers by many in the hall, while Jewish speakers called for the police to become involved over allegations Peled had shown public support for the proscribed terror organisation.

Netanyahu on the Syrian border and (inset) Abu Mohammed al-Jolani

Dr Roz Savage MP

Miko Peled

John McDonnell

King to visit Auschwitz for 80th anniversary memorial

King Charles has accepted an invitation to visit the site of Auschwitz concentration camp in January, joining representatives from 20 different countries to mark the 80th anniversary of the camp’s liberation.

The king, who visited Auschwitz in 2020 when still Prince of Wales, has had a long-standing connection with survivors, a number of whom, though now frail, are expected to attend the commemoration ceremonies. During his 2020 visit he warned that “hatred and intolerance still lurk in the human heart”.

Though not in the best of health himself –he is continuing weekly treatment for cancer – King Charles has vocally opposed antisemitism and was determined to attend the historic occasion on 27January. It will almost certainly be the last such event attended by Holocaust survivors.

Organisers say he will be the first British monarch to visit Auschwitz. His mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, made her final foreign trip in 2005 when she visited Bergen-Belsen.

Though Auschwitz was liberated by troops from the Soviet Union’s Red Army, it is believed there will not be a formal delegation from Russia at the ceremony because of global condemnation of the country’s

war with Ukraine. The Auschwitz Museum director, Piotr Cywiński, has emphasised that the commemorative events will be “divorced from politics” — and given the King Charles’s

decision to attend, it is unlikely that anything at the ceremony will be done which could embarrass him.

The king has had a long-standing com-

BOOST FOR CHANUKAH EVENT

A Chanukah celebration held inside the oldest building on Westminster’s parliamentary estate will now become an annual event, Lord John Mann has confirmed.

Jewish MPs, peers and staff working across the estate turned up in numbers for the second ever Chanukah event to be staged inside the acknowledged beautiful and atmospheric Westminster Hall, which was built in 1097.

Ministers and shadow ministers including security minister Dan Jarvis, shadow home secretary Chris Philp and the Liberal Democrats’ Christine Jardine addressed the gathering, along with Chief

Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis and Progressive Judaism’s Rabbi Charley Baginsky.

Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle also delivered an applauded speech which recognised the significance of staging the Chanukah event in the heart of Westminister as a way of honouring the vital contribution made by the UK Jewish community.

Later the same evening, the Speaker hosted a Chanukah reception inside Speaker’s House on the estate, with home secretary Yvette Cooper and housing, communities and local government minister and deputy prime minister Angela Rayner among those to speak, along with Board of

Deputies president Phil Rosenberg, and Israel ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely.

Lord Mann praised the role both the Commons Speaker and Lords Speaker had played in recognising the importance and significance of hosting the Chanukah event on an annual basis.

“Last year you attended the first ever Chanukah commemoration to take place at Westminster Hall, but through the hard work of the Speaker and the Lords Speaker I can confirm today we will be having an annual event inside this hall,” said the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, to applause from the audience.

117% rise in uni hate

University-related antisemitic incidents have increased by 117 percent over the past two academic years, a Community Security Trust (CST) report has revealed.

The charity recorded 325 university-related antisemitic incidents – 53 in 2022/23 and 272 in 2023/2024 – compared to 150 incidents recorded between 2020-2022.

For the 2023/24 campus year, the 272 university-related antisemitic incidents mark the highest total so far recorded by CST for a single academic year, attributed primarily to the wave of anti-Jewish hatred following the 7 October Hamas terror attack and subsequent ongoing war in the Middle East.

In addition to the antisemitic incidents recorded in the report, CST received an

unprecedented number of complaints of proPalestinian campaigning at universities that featured extreme, sometimes violent, rhetoric towards Israel, calls for “Zionists” to be excluded or implicit support for terrorism.

mitment to the Jewish community, particularly in Poland where his close connection to World Jewish Relief led to the opening of a Jewish community centre in Krakow. He remains a patron of the charity.

The UK government has announced additional funding for the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, of which the king is also a patron, to support the anniversary.

The main commemoration of the anniversary will begin at 4pm in a specially constructed tent over the gate of the former Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp, with its notorious, deeply cynical Nazi slogan, Arbeit Macht Frei, or “Work Sets You Free”.

The occasion will also see a railway freight car positioned in front of the gate as a powerful symbol of remembrance.

Communities across the UK will participate in a special nationwide project called 80 Candles for 80 Years to mark the anniversary. The event will herald the beginning of several commemorations, culminating in the 80th anniversary of VE Day, marking the end of the war in Europe, on 8 May.

Charles’ grandmother, Princess Alice, was named a Righteous Gentile for sheltering a Jewish family in Athens during the Holocaust.

BRAVERMAN CFI ROLE

Former Tory minister Suella Braverman has been confirmed as the Conservative Friends of Israel group’s new parliamentary chair.

The MP for Fareham and Waterlooville has been a staunch supporter of Israel and replaces Stephen Crabb who lost his seat at the election.

Braverman said: “I am honoured to become CFI’s new parliamentary chair in the House of Commons.

“There has never been a more important time to be a friend of Israel and CFI’s work is critical. The new Labour government’s actions are harming the vital UK-Israel relationship and we will continue to hold the government to account at every turn”.

Braverman first joined a CFI delegation to Israel in 2015, shortly after her election to parliament.

As a former home secretary she said pro-Palestine demos after 7 October were “hate marches”. She regularly criticised police over their response to the demos, but faced criticism her comments were divisive. Braverman’s husband Rael, who is Jewish, recently confirmed he was defecting from the Tories to Reform UK, but she has told newspapers that, for now, she is not planning on defecting.

CFI’s House of Lords chair Lord Pickles has been confirmed to continue in the role.

Charles at Auschwitz four years ago for the 75th anniversary commemorations

Lindsay Hoyle addresses the Chanukah audience

CST on duty facing a wave of antisemitism

Suella Braverman

‘Palestinian voices are standing up to Hamas’

by Jenni Frazer jenni@jennifrazer.com @Jennifrazer

An outspoken critic of Hamas has told a London audience that while he did not claim to speak on behalf of all Palestinians, he was confident thousands of Gazans are similarly critical, adding — “I see the seeds of transformation on social media”.

Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib is a phenomenon — a Palestinian who grew up in Gaza, but quit the Strip in 2005 as an exchange student in the United States, where he continued his education. Now a resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington DC, Alkhatib, still only 34, has become one of the most interesting commentators on the Israel-Palestinian conﬂict — the more so since he sincerely advocates for peace, despite losing more than 30 members of his family to Israeli attacks.

He was in Britain on a whirlwind tour organised by Jewish News, during which he outlined his ideas to MPs and peers, addressed a crowded group of high-level clergy at Westminster Abbey, held a brieﬁng meeting at the Foreign O ce, visited a Leeds mosque and addressed a Yachad meeting.

Alkhatib is bursting with ideas, talking enthusiastically of his longterm plan to build a proper functioning airstrip in Gaza. Now, he says, his ambition is to use “the rubble of Gaza to create an artiﬁcial peninsula o the main seashore, and build there a small airport and a seaport. We need more than just reconstruction. We need to open Gaza and o er rejuvenation and hope.”

He is well aware that he is

viewed by some Hamas supporters as “a sell-out” or a Zionist. But in his mile-a-minute presentation, Alkhatib did not hide his contempt for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he described as “a war criminal”, or that he has “grievances with the Israeli government to the moon and back”.

At the same time, however, Alkhatib is contemptuous of “diaspora non-Palestinians, who are talking over the Palestinians, speaking on our behalf, telling our story, acting as if they know what’s best for us. We also have a lot of passionate voices in the diaspora com-

munities who mean well, but their energies have not been meaningfully harnessed and placed in an appropriate channel that really gets us somewhere – beyond the slogans and the demos and the protests and the encampments”.

Critics have condemned him as someone who does not speak for the Palestinians, he says – “but neither are the imbeciles running around with Hamas or Hezbollah ﬂags. Neither are the people on social media who are claiming that ‘resistance is not terrorism’ – a.k.a. ‘7 October was good, Hamas is OK, we support what took place…”

Alkhatib became an American citizen in 2014 and made it clear that ﬁnancial support from members of the Jewish community, including a Holocaust survivor, had enabled him both to continue his education, but had also shaped his views about Jews and Israelis.

He noted that “70 percent” of Palestinians had never left the Gaza Strip and had rarely had the opportunity to encounter “normal” Israeli Jews.

In discussion with the Jewish News columnist Josh Glancy at JW3, Alkhatib, a Muslim, expressed shock at some of the responses to

the 7 October attacks, given the frequent strictures in Islam about the way to treat women, children and the elderly. But he believed that Hamas had been responsible for “reversing the trends” of a largely secular Palestinian society and “Islamising” Gaza, working in tandem with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

He insisted that it was “Hamas’s actions” which had led to the imposition of the Israeli blockade on Gaza, not the other way around, describing this latter argument as “a revisionist attempt to absolve Hamas from its responsibility”.

But he pointed to a crucial error made by Netanyahu, in his approach to dealing with Hamas. In June of 2023 the Qataris were ready to cut o funds to Hamas.

“We now know that it was Netanyahu who sent David Barnea, the head of Mossad, to Doha, in September, to tell the Qataris not to stop the funds, and we know about the suitcases of cash that Netanyahu allowed to go into Gaza, thinking that this was the way to buy o Hamas”.

Alkhatib also highlighted the pre-7 October prospect of SaudiIsrael normalisation, seen as a major threat by “Hamas’s main benefactor, Iran, which was worried that an Arab NATO-like alliance was emerging to isolate it”.

He believed, he said, “that this is Gaza’s last war. Through the death and destruction… I do see on social media the seeds of transformation like I have never seen before. I am far from alone in expressing the sentiments out there.

“There are thousands of Ahmeds out there: and I am trying to create a new political home for that narrative. There will never be another time when Hamas, or anybody else, is going to be able to mass manipulate the Palestinian public in Gaza.

“Gazans have had a terrible and bloody awakening, not just because of the consequences of 7 October , but because of the behaviour of Hamas’s political leaders and their statements in Arabic. The avalanche of crap coming out of the mouths of Hamas leaders has infuriated the people of Gaza like nothing seen before”.

Just because “Hamas does ﬁght among civilians, places its infrastructure, its tunnels and its launchers, it rigs buildings and conducts its ﬁghting in a really reckless and dangerous manner that places civilians at risk. And Palestinians know this happens all the time.”

Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib in conversation with Jewish News columnist Josh Glancy at JW3

Alkhatib during a visit to the Tony Blair Foundation

Meeting Sharone Lifschitz, daughter of Oded who remains in captivity

Bevis Marks breathes sigh of relief over tower plans

For the second time in two years, a bid to build a looming tower block, which would have overshadowed Britain’s 320-year-old Bevis Marks synagogue, has been rejected by the City of London’s planning committee, this time by 14 votes to eight, writes Jenni Frazer.

But the turning down of the proposal for a 43-storey building ran right to the wire. Bevis Marks supporters told Jewish News the committee was asked not to consider the bid on a Friday, because of how early Shabbat began on 13 December. When that was refused, a request that the Bevis Marks bid should be ﬁrst on the agenda, for the same reason, was also turned down. So the more than two-hour long debate in the ornate surroundings of Guildhall did not begin until just after 12 noon, with Shabbat due to begin at 3.36 pm.

The case o cer for the City of London, Anna Tastoglou, presented the bid on behalf of developers – the same developers whose proposal for a 47-storey building was previously turned down by the powerful planning committee.

The proposal – which it was claimed would provide 2,400 o ce jobs – also contained a variety of community “sweeteners” such as two “multi-faith centres” and an external climbing

wall at the tower, sited over three buildings, which would be demolished, next to the synagogue. One of the buildings is a Grade 2 Heritage building, Holland House.

Bevis Marks campaigners repeatedly told the City authorities that the project would e ec-

ligible” or “minor”, a conclusion which was successfully challenged by the synagogue, In 2021 the City of London had a change of heart after giving planning permission for a building next to Bevis Marks.

independent living.

tively cut out both daylight and sunlight to the synagogue and its courtyard, and make it difﬁcult to see the moon on occasions when special prayers had to be recited. The developers insisted that their surveys found that the impact of the tower on the synagogue would be “neg-

A line-up of objectors – there were more than 1,000 objections lodged on the City’s planning website, including the Chief Rabbi and historian Sir Simon Schama – were invited to address the committee. They were headed by Sir Michael Bear, a former Lord Mayor of the City of London and himself a developer. In an impassioned speech, he called the tower block bid “audacious” and spoke of the damage, not only to Bevis Marks but also to the Tower of London. The synagogue, he told the planning committee, was “a unique piece of architecture”, a living centre of Jewish worship and the only such non-Christian place in the City.

Bevis Marks, built in 1701, is the oldest synagogue in Great Britain.

MANDY DAMARI IS AN INSPIRATION TO US ALL

BY DAVID LAMMY MP FOREIGN SECRETARY

As a father, I would do anything to keep my children safe. Today marks 437 days since Emily and hundreds of others were ripped from their homes by Hamas. 437 days of agony for them and their families. 437 days of conflict in which so many innocents have died –Israelis and Palestinians alike.

Emily is the only British citizen still held hostage in Gaza. I have met her mother, Mandy. Her courage is an inspiration to me, one of the strongest people I have ever met.

Despite the pain she has been feeling every one of these past 429 days, she is ﬁghting every day to bring Emily home. And I am ﬁghting with her.

That’s why the prime minister and I are using every possible opportunity to push for Emily’s safe return – alongside others with links to the UK like Oded Lifschitz, Avinatan Or and Eli Sharabi, and all the other hostages.

This month we met His Highness the Emir of Qatar in London. We made clear what an absolute priority Emily and the hostages are for us. We pushed for a ceaseﬁre in Gaza, to secure the hostages’ release, protect civilians and deliver a surge of aid.

Last week, I also met my Turkish counterpart at NATO. Once again, the hostages were at the top of my agenda. None of our

partners who speak to Hamas can be left with any doubt how mission critical the hostages are to us.

David Lammy and French counterpart with Israel’s Yisrael Katz during August visit

It’s also vital for the hostages that we work closely with the State of Israel.

It was only last month that Gideon Sa’ar became Israel’s new Foreign Minister. Last week, we met in Valetta and spoke again on the phone.

Gideon and I both know that Hamas could release all hostages immediately and unconditionally. But we also are both realists about who Hamas are. That’s why we are not waiting but calling for the International Red Cross to be given access to the hostages to provide urgent humanitarian support.

The UK’s diplomacy this week covered a lot of ground, including the latest developments in Syria. But again and again, we made sure to keep the hostages at the forefront of our partners’ minds.

Despite the pain Mandy has been feeling every one of these past 429 days, she is ﬁghting every day to bring Emily home. And I am ﬁghting with her.

I can o er no guarantees. A deal has been ﬂoated before, only for hopes to be dashed and su ering prolonged. For their loved ones, the agonising wait goes on.

But I can promise one thing.

This Government will leave no stone unturned in our e orts to bring Emily and her fellow hostages home. I will pass up no opportunity to try and save a life.

And I will not give up.

The interior of the 320-year-old synagogue and (inset) abandoned tower block plans

Shoah groups quit X in stand against hatred and distortion

Holocaust education organisations and experts worldwide have quit social media platform Twitter/X en masse in a stand against the online sharing of dangerous and harmful narratives, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

In a group statement, the 39 organisations and individuals involved in Holocaust education, remembrance and research as well as fighting contemporary antisemitism confirmed they have stopped posting on the social media platform as part of their ‘Not One More Word’ campaign.

Signatories include The Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR), Holocaust Centre North, Bergen-Belsen Memorial, Sir Martin Gilbert Learning Centre and the Museu do Holocausto de Curitiba, Brazil, alongside Dame Helen Hyde, a trustee of the National Holocaust Centre and Museum, the Holocaust Education Trust and an adviser to the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, Austrian historian Brigitte Bailer and film and media historian Professor Steven Alan Carr.

The full statement read: “Twitter was once a platform where we could build communities and engage in productive communication in support of our work.

“Then Twitter became X and over the ensuing two years, its users have suffered

changes that have made the platform a far different place than it once was. Misinformation, distortion and abuse have flourished while security and content moderation measures have all but disappeared.

“Meanwhile, as a business, X relies on our content to keep its users engaged. More engagement means more advertising revenue. Simply put, X profits from our presence there – it profits from each word we post. We say NOT ONE MORE WORD. It’s time to stop

posting. We will silence our accounts as of 13 December 2024. In the coming days, you may find us posting links to our other social media accounts and publicising the ways in which you can continue to engage with our work elsewhere. And we pledge to support our valued colleagues who join in this effort by promoting each other’s content however possible.”

AJR head of education and heritage Alex Maws said: “The AJR has advocated for Jewish refugees and survivors for over 80 years. Today, we continue to represent the original victims of Nazism and their descendants and calling out dangerous and harmful narratives on X is a modern-day example of this.

“So, together with leading experts and organisations, from across the globe, we collectively have determined that posting on X does more harm than good in our work to combat Holocaust distortion and antisemitism.

“Social media platforms come and go... so when misinformation and abuse become normalised on one, it’s time to take our content elsewhere.”

Signatory Debra Brunner, chief executive of UK-based Jewish heritage charity The Together Plan, told Jewish News: “There will be no more words from The Together Plan on Twitter. There is power in the silence.”

An MP voted into Parliament because of his anti-Israel views has spoken against calls to ban first-cousin marriage in the UK and suggested “advanced genetic test screening” is made available to prospective couples.

Independent Iqbal Mohamed said rather than “stigmatising” cousin marriages, a “much more positive approach” should be adopted to respond to health concerns linked to the children of those relationships.

He suggested measures could include the UK agreeing to adopt similar screening efforts to those he said are undertaken in Arab countries in the Persian Gulf.

Mizrachi UK raised more than £600k in its 36-hour fundraising campaign last weekend to support its work inspiring religious Zionism. The campaign celebrated 10 years of the organisation’s efforts to strengthen the bond between Jews in the UK and Israel. It was supported by 80 fundraising teams, match-funders and more than 1,300 individual donors.

Chief executive Rabbi Andrew Shaw said: “Since 7 October, the demand for our resources has grown significantly, as British Jewry has never felt a deeper connection to Israel. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the team.”

Aliyah: Building Dreams & Saving Tax

•

Fighting back: 39 accounts have quit

‘Dance Again’ chain for hostage families

A London jeweller is selling ‘We Will Dance Again’ necklaces to raise money for the Hostages and Missing Families Forum UK this Chanukah, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

Devora Miller from Bitz of Glitz in Golders Green has produced 100 stainless steel necklaces bearing the message of hope at £30 each. The proceeds will directly support families of the 100 hostages from over 20 nationalities remaining in captivity in Gaza.

They include nine with British connections: Emily Damari, Eli Sharabi, Yossi Sharabi, Avinatan Or, Tsachi Idan, Shay Levinson, Keith Siegel, Ilan Weiss and Oded Lifshitz.

Nivi Feldman of the Hostages and Missing Fam-

ilies Forum UK told Jewish News: “Each link in this chain represents hope, unity and the strength of a community standing together.

“By wearing the ‘We Will Dance Again’ necklace, you’re not only keeping the stories of the hostages in your heart but also supporting the vital work of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum UK. All proceeds go directly to this cause. Together, we can keep hope alive.”

Devora Miller from Bitz of Glitz, who produced the necklaces, told Jewish News: “This necklace has such a powerful and positive message. Wear it proudly!”

• Available in stainless steel gold or silver finish at £30 each

APOLOGY FOR HATE SLOGAN

Television sports channel TNT Sports has apologised and blamed “human error” after the slogan ‘F*** Israel’ was aired during a football programme last week, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

The o ensive proﬁle picture of someone called ‘Cactus Jack’ at Twitter/X account @ Totti__1911 was clearly visible during a studio debate about Arsenal.

A TNT Sports spokesperson told Jewish News: “Within our coverage we shared a tweet from a viewer whose proﬁle picture we understand will have caused o ence.

“The picture was not checked before the post was used. This was human error on our part and we apologise for the upset caused. We will be reviewing our procedures to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.”

HOSTAGE RELEASE CALL AT THREE UK EMBASSIES

Activists from the Hostage & Missing Families Forum UK and Stop The Hate campaign visited the embassies of Turkey, Qatar and Egypt to call for the release of the 100 remaining hostages in Gaza.

In recognition of International Human Rights Day, a speciallydesigned bus featuring images and stories of the nine British-linked hostages travelled between the

three embassies, which represent nations with signiﬁcant roles in recent hostage negotiations.

Letters demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages were taken to each consulate, but none of the ambassadors agreed to meet the families, or be photographed with participants.

The hostages from more than 20 nationalities still in Gaza

include nine with British connections: Emily Damari, Eli Sharabi, Yossi Sharabi, Avinatan Or, Tsachi Idan, Shay Levinson, Keith Siegel, Ilan Weiss and Oded Lifshitz.

They, alongside 91 others, have endured captivity for over 424 days and have not been visited by any international aid organisations.

Hostages Families Forum UK chair Nivi Feldman said: “The 100

hostages are not an Israeli problem. It is a British problem and also a problem for the other 20 countries that have nationals being held hostage for over 432 days in captivity.

“Let them go today. Their families are waiting for them. We are all waiting for them. We hope that Qatar, Turkey or Egypt will manage to mediate a deal where all hostages return and all sides can heal.”

Hostage images on the campaign bus

UK role in bridging the Israel-Palestine divide

The UK government’s decision to play the lead role in an international initiative ploughing significant finance into supporting Israeli-Palestinian peacebuilding and economic development has been hailed as a welcome shift in foreign policy direction, writes Lee Harpin.

John Lyndon, executive director of the Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP), told Jewish News the significance of Keir Starmer’s announcement earlier this month that the UK would stage an inaugural meeting of the International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace should not be underestimated at a critical time to salvage attempts to forge peace initiatives in the region.

The fund, first backed by the UK in 2018, had received several endorsements from the previous Conservative government, including from former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and from ex-foreign secretary James Cleverly.

But there had “not been enough action,” said Lyndon, in relation to turning positive endorsements into concrete action.

“We had endorsements from Rishi Sunak and James Cleverly when they were in government, but not enough action,” reasoned Lyndon.

“It felt like the previous government was waiting for another international partner to lead, and they would then join, which is kind of a testament to a lot of how the previous government did foreign policy.

“There was a sense that Britain had sort of retreated a little bit from a leadership position with more of a domestic and inward focus.

“What’s encouraging with Keir Starmer’s statement is it’s coming early in the term of a government that has a healthy majority that has endorsed this idea from the very start. The first person to support it was Joe Ryan as a Labour Party MP seven years ago now. It has strong support from a real wide range of MPs… sensible, pro-Israeli and pro Palestinian MPs who can agree on it.

“Then, critically, what Starmer said to those who attended the Labour Friends of Israel lunch, wasn’t just rhetorical support – it was a commitment to an inaugural meeting.

“The first time any country has committed to actually doing something that would catalyze the creation of the fund, and implicitly that the UK is going to lead”.

The PM’s commitment was made after Ibrahim Abu Ahmed and Barak Talmor – two peacebuilders from

the ALLMEP network – alongside Lyndon and Rachael Liss, ALLMEP’s policy coordinator, met privately with him to discuss the initiative.

In his 2 December speech to LFI supporters, Starmer confirmed the Foreign Secretary was to convene an “inaugural meeting in London to support civil society in the region, as part of that work to negotiate a two-state solution.”

The fund, also key camapaign push for LFI, draws on lessons from the Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement and aims to provide the robust, long-term funding that the peacebuilding field will need to achieve genuine societal change.

ALLMEP has over 160 organisations inside its network that are cross border, working with Palestinians and Israelis. With an office in Ramallah in the West Bank and an office in Tel Aviv, the aim is to build trust along with creative ideas that are rooted in Israeli Palestinian partnership. International policy team members are working inside the West Bank, and for obvious reasons to a lesser extent in Gaza.

“Some of them are working on economic development with which this fund could also be able to scale joint projects, Palestinian economic initiatives,” explains Lyndon.

“I’ll give you a quick example. One of our members is doing 3D

printing in Ramallah for prosthetic limbs, based on Israeli-Palestinian cooperation. They can be printed immediately with these sophisticated 3D printers. They received a grant from MEPPA, which is the US fund, which we helped to set up, and which we’d like to be coordinated with this international fund. That fund is putting in $50million a year over five years”.

Remarkably, the October 7 Hamas atrocity has failed to significantly dent the aspirations of most ALLMEP members – Palestinian and Israeli – to retain links and support one another.

“The US fund that we created has continued to operate,” reveals Lyndon. “We had a board meeting for the US fund three weeks ago where new projects were being announced, including members of ALLMEP.

“We’ve seen a quarter of them, 25 percent step up and increase their activities – only five percent have stopped or drastically reduced. Civil society is very resilient.

“We’ve been busier than ever since because there’s so much trauma within both societies, there’s such a need, I think, for providing basic services to people.

“One of the tragedies of 7 October is that the state went missing for quite a while on the day itself, and in the days and weeks afterwards.

Many of our members were in the kibbutz’s in the south, providing basic services to evacuated families.

“The Bedouin community in the Negev were really neglected in this period too and suffered huge economic strife. Many of our members supported them.

“One of our members in the north opened up their entire campus for evacuated Israelis from both the northern border and the southern border. This is all based on Arab, Jewish or Israeli Palestinian cooperation. So it’s beautiful. It’s people coming together at a moment of trauma.”

Starmer confirmed to attendees at the LFI lunch that he was serious enough about the fund that he asked Foreign Secretary David Lammy to host the inaugural meeting in London early next year.

While the agenda and timetable for the meeting is yet to be finalised, talks have already taken place with the foreign office and Middle East minister Hamish Falconer about ensuring there is momentum after the PM’s announcement.

“Our suggestion, to be clear, is that the UK hosts the meeting early in 2025 and they invite their G7 partners,” says Lyndon. “So we have this new policy statement from the G7 around coordinating and institutionalising support for Israeli Palestinian

peace building.

“That’s what the fund does, the rhetorical commitment of the most important developed democracies in the world. And what we’d love the UK to do is then bring in its peerless relations with Arab states, particularly in the Gulf, a kind of G7 plus Arab 7 coalition around this.

“Then we’re also working, simultaneously with the Trudeau Government in Canada to ensure they make this a priority over their G7 presidential year next year.”

In June, ALLMEP achieved a significant milestone in promoting civil society peacebuilding and building multilateral government interest toward the creation of an International Fund.

Following a sustained, global campaign the leaders of the G7 states made an unprecedented commitment in their communiqué, adopting ALLMEP’s proposed text verbatim, to prioritise civil society peacebuilding as a critical component of any diplomatic resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and to coordinate and institutionalise support for it.

A letter-signing campaign got signatures from 350 civil society organisations from around the world, urging G7 leaders to make this historic change and a key endorsement by Pope Francis before a live audience of 12,000 people.

The G7 commitment was subsequently reaffirmed at the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting during the UN General Assembly in September and again at their final G7 meeting in November, solidifying their support of civil society peacebuilding as a cornerstone of their multilateral approach to the conflict.

There is optimism too that civil society projects involving Israelis and Palestinians can develop such strength and resilience that they are also able to resist inevitable attempts to derail them from political extremists on both sides.

“This is taking a very different approach,” argues Lyndon. “Of saying we need to do rather than say we can’t do anything because we don’t have leaders who are willing or able to deliver a two state solution.

“Instead, again, taking a model from Northern Ireland, we invest at the grassroots level in civil society, to build the ideas and the trust. And then that gradually transforms the politics over time.

“The great thing about doing that, because it has very deep roots, because you’re working deep within civil society, it’s much more resilient.”

Israeli and Palestinian participants in an ALLMEP event, pointing the way to future reconcilliation

As people in our community live longer, the need for care and support is greater than ever before. We are here not only for older adults who face loneliness, isolation, and the challenges of ageing, but also for younger individuals and families who need mental health support.

However, we are facing an additional cost of £1.1million each year, as a result of the rise in employers’ National Insurance outlined in the recent Budget.

Your donation, now more than ever, will bring light into the lives of the 12,000 people we touch every single week.

To donate, please call 020 8922 2600 or visit www.jewishcare.org/chanucare

Thank you for your continued generosity, we wish you and your family a happy Chanucare.

Council is clueless on Nablus twinning cost

Cash-strapped Brent Council has admitted it is yet to calculate the cost of formal twinning arrangements with the West Bank city of Nablus or carried out an assessment on the impact of the move on the ethnically diverse borough, writes Lee Harpin.

A motion, endorsed by Brent Labour Group, was carried at a full council meeting last month supporting a twinning with the Palestinian city, despite criticism it would prove “divisive” amid considerable tensions around the conflict in the Middle East.

Moving the motion Wembley Hill ward Labour councillor Ihtesham Afzal claimed twinning with Nablus “speaks to who we are and what we stand for” in a borough he said had “a significant number of residents of Palestinian heritage”.

But when Jewish News

asked both Brent and Cllr Afzal to clarify how many Palestinians were residing in the borough, both failed to respond to requests for clarification.

The council is also understood to have been sent a barrage of complaints raising concerns about the cost implications of the Nablus twinning, at a time when it is facing a £10million deficit in this year’s budget and similar next year, and council reserves are being used up, and where council

jobs are also being cut.

Brent councillor Ihtesham Afzal, tabled a motion to twin Brent with Nablus at a meeting on 18 November.

One senior Labour figure said Brent’s decision to consider the formal twinning had provoked a “furious response” from regional party chiefs who are already conerned about the way the north West London council was being run.

Jewish Labour cabinet member Cllr Neil Nevra

walked out of the 18 November meeting in disgust. “Twinning undertaken in a one-sided way in an area of conflict, where there are varying narratives, can do the exact opposite –create community discord inside Brent,” said Cllr Nerva. “The very opposite of why we, regardless of party, were elected as councillors.”

The Jewish Labour Movement has also attacked the move. A spokesperson told Jewish News: “For the most ethnically diverse local authority in the country to act in such a one-sided way is performative politics and its divisive worst. It’s terrible to see Labour councillors rejecting the opportunity – offered up by a Jewish Labour councillor – to build community cohesion by twinning in Israel as well as Palestine. Brent residents will rightly ask how much this posturing will cost them.”

ROLE FOR HODGE

Lady Margaret Hodge has been appointed as the UK’s new anti-corruption champion, writes Lee Harpin.

The Jewish parliamentarian said she felt “privi leged and delighted to be able to work as the government’s champion, combating corruption and the illicit finance that flows from it, both at home and abroad”.

parliamentary chair, has shown no sign of slowing down her workload since entering in the Lords at the age of 80. She had previously been one of the most outspoken critics of Jeremy Corbyn’s failure on antisemitism when he led Labour.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy has turned to Hodge, who has developed a strong record for campaigning against corruption, to boost government attempts to crackdown on global corruption activists impacting on the UK.

“The time has now come to put an end to dither and delay. We must take determined and effective action and I look forward to playing my part in that work,” she added.

Hodge, Labour MP for Barking from 1994 to 2024 and the Jewish Labour Movement’s

In a visit to the National Crime Agency with Hodge, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the Foreign Office would extend its funding support to the NCA’s International Corruption Unit (ICU) by up to £36m over five years.

It has frozen over £441m of assets related to international corruption since 2020.

Lammy added: “Corruption poses a real threat to the UK. It enables the activities of dictators, smugglers and organised criminals around the world, making our streets less safe and our borders less secure.”

Palestinian city of Nablus in the West Bank

Lady Margaret Hodge

‘AI

far surpasses human genius... are we ready?’

Dr Taddy Blecher doesn’t shy away from bold statements. “There has never been a more exciting time in education in the history of the world. Yet, if educators do not change, billions will undertake a largely irrelevant education, writes Adam Decker.

“Artiﬁcial intelligence will perform much better than even the smartest genius. We need to be ready.”

The energetic South African doyen of global education is currently in London promoting his latest initiative: the Africa College Foundation.

“We are here to learn about exciting educational methodologies in universities which we can bring to Africa. The Foundation already operates in nine locations across South Africa, as well as in Zambia and Zimbabwe.

“Our goal is to be a leading pan-African educational institution, truly bringing innovation to education for unemployed youth and marginalised people across the continent.”

It’s the latest in a long line of remarkable achievements over a career spanning nearly three decades.

Taddy’s own journey began two generations earlier. “My grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Latvia. They started with nothing. It was only through education that my father

lifted us out of poverty. Education is a religion in Jewish families. You can’t do or be anything without education, and I think that was really

drummed into me growing up.”

“My siblings and I all went to a Jewish day school in South Africa called King David School. It’s a wonderful school and my own children are now also following in my footsteps!

innovative educational methods, most notably ‘Consciousness-Based Education’ (CBE).

“CBE is a holistic approach to education whereby the student- as a person- matters as much as what they learn.

“From a Jewish perspective, we gain knowledge through studying Torah and deep spiritual values. CBE says that, for example, through deep meditation we can help young people to develop wisdom, ﬁnd their life purpose and develop their functional cognitive intelligence.

“It truly is a gamechanger. You end up with someone who is not only a chartered accountant, but genuinely happy and has dealt with their childhood trauma.

“Our philosophy is that all these intangible human qualities come from inside a person. Therefore, if you want to achieve the impossible, you must learn the invisible.”

Taddy’s ethos also extends to Jewish schools. “We need to modernise Jewish education. Our education needs to become more holistic and centred around the child. We want to create a human network of leaders with ethics and values who serve societal needs.”

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Taddy’s father held seven medical degrees, graduating as an inﬂuential gynaecologist. His mother has six degrees. One of his brothers is a maths professor. He laughs: “It certainly runs in the family! In the Jewish community we understand that education is not just a career pathway. It is also a journey into reﬁned wisdom, values and integrity.

“As Jews we grow up with Tzedakah, helping those in the community and making a di erence to our fellow human beings.”

It was this powerful ethos which drove Taddy into making a remarkable decision.

Having just completed his studies as the fastest qualifying actuary in South Africa, he was set to emigrate to the USA in 1995. Instead, he changed course. “I decided I wanted to help out in education instead. At the time I didn’t know what that meant!”

The 57-year-old has established himself as a pioneer in fostering employment through

Back home, he is the founder and CEO of the Maharishi Invincibility Institute, a multiaward-winning educational institution operating across 12 locations in ﬁve countries.

“We work exclusively with children from marginalised families, earning just 220 US dollars a month. We give them access to a university degree or our specialist industry professional academies, including insurance, banking, hospitality and mining. Our students pay just £8 a month and get access to all international exams, as well as lunch and clothing support.”

The Institute has educated 24,000 young unemployed South Africans, with 21,000 securing quality jobs, and his work has impacted 600,000 school students. He says: “Our ultimate target is to educate 100,000 unemployed youth in South Africa.”

POST 7/10 WORK SURVEY

A survey has been launched encouraging British Jews to document their experiences in the workplace a year on from 7 October.

The survey — a collaboration between the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council, and Work Avenue — follows a similar survey run by Work Avenue in 2023. It found that almost four-in-10 Jews responding to the survey had experienced antisemitic comments from colleagues or clients.

But because the ongoing war is continuing to a ect workplaces across industries and in trade unions, the new survey intends to ascertain the degree of antisemitism and other problems facing Jews at work.

President of the Board of Deputies, Phil Rosenberg, said: “Whether you, or anyone

you know, have been faced with egregious antisemitism, simple silencing, or no antisemitism at all, we are interested to know the problems Jews have been experiencing at work over the past year, and what e ect this has had on the British Jewish community.”

Claudia Mendoza, chief executive of the JLC, added: “Results from this survey will also directly assist one of our key Forge the Future projects, cultivating external allies, where Jewish community lay leaders are approaching senior leaders in various sectors across civil society to address anti-Jewish racism within their organisations.”

• To complete the workplace survey, visit: theworkavenue.org.uk/antisemitism24

Taddy Blecher speaks at the Singularity University conference in Zofin Palace, Prague

Blecher with Richard Branson

Syrian Jews to visit home

A delegation of Syrian Jewish business leaders and the Chief Rabbi of Syria will return to the country early next year in an historic visit following the fall of Bashar alAssad, writes Jenni Frazer.

Moti Kahana, the AmericanIsraeli philanthropist and humanitarian activist, told Jewish News the group would be bringing with them a number of sifrei Torah, which he rescued from synagogues after the start of Syria’s brutal civil war in 2011.

and wrongly – said to have been destroyed during the civil war as collateral damage between the Syrian army and the rebel groups.

But it now seems the synagogue, contrary to many reports, was not destroyed and instead was being protected by Syrian opposition forces, who were aware of the importance of the building and who were in contact with Kahana and sending regular messages and photographs of the shul’s interior.

Syrian Jews will want to return to the country”, so even though there is only a handful of them still there now, it is important to restore synagogues for those who are going back.

Kahana said the delegation planned to visit around ﬁve synagogues in and around Damascus.

He told the then rebels: “As soon as we win the revolution, everything goes back to Syria.” He promised the opposition nothing would go to

Kahana, who has maintained long and close contact with the Syrian opposition which has now overthrown Assad, went to the Jobar Synagogue in Damascus in 2013 and took out various artefacts, including an ancient Torah scroll, promising to hold them in safe-keeping. He left a note with his name and the date on it inside the synagogue.

Israel, but would be held temporarily by the Syrian Jewish community in America. He also promised he would restore the Judaica to the Syrian synagogues as soon as he could.

The Jobar Synagogue, one of the oldest in Syria, was widely –

Now, Kahana, says, the plan is to visit Damascus, to return the Jobar’s sefer Torah and to re-open the synagogue, “putting its mezuzah back” and looking at what needs to be done to bring it back to life.

He says he is conﬁdent “many

The business leaders on his delegation will be looking at potential investment in the country, something he believes will be welcomed by the new government. Kahana wrote on social media: “My name is inside the Jobar synagogue. I am coming back, old friends.”

Syria was once home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world, with a population at the turn of the 20th century of 100,000.

UK FINALLY LIFTS TRAVEL WARNING FOR ISRAEL

The UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development O ce (FCDO) is no longer advising Britons not to travel to Israel.

Previous advice published in the aftermath of the 7 October Hamas terror attack advised British citizens not to travel to the Jewish state unless it was for essential purposes.

But in a new update it is conﬁrmed the FCDO “no longer advises against all travel or all but essential travel to some areas of Israel and the West Bank but continues to advise against all travel or all but essential travel to other areas of Israel and the OPTs”.

advises against all but essential travel to the area between the Lebanon border and (but not including) Route 89 excluding Nahriyyah.

On the conﬂict with Hezbollah, it said:

Areas said still to be a danger include northern Israel within 500m of the border with Syria (the ‘Alpha Line’), while the FCDO

“Following the recent conﬂict between Israel and Lebanese Hizballah (LH), a ceaseﬁre was agreed on 27 November, with a 60-day implementation period. There remains a risk

that hostilities could reignite, and with little warning. Check Home Front Command for the latest guidance. Restrictions may be put in place at short notice.” The FCDO advises against all travel within 500m of the border with Gaza. Stricter conditions remain in operation inside the West Bank, with advice given against travel to Tulkuram and Jenin.

Moti Kahana and Eliyaho Hanavi Synagogue

Guardian obsessed with the ‘right side of history’

Author and journalist Hadley Freeman has pinpointed a change at her former newspaper, The Guardian, as “being no longer about disagreement, but being on the right side of history”, writes Jenni Frazer.

Freeman, who quit the paper in 2022 and now writes for The Sunday Times, charted a dispiriting embrace of antisemitism and misogyny which eventually led to her leaving.

She was speaking in discussion with Prof David Hirsh, chief executive of the London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism,

CHAI

which was staging a packed one-day conference at the University of Westminster.

Freeman said one of her editors at The Guardian was Seumas Milne, later Jeremy Corbyn’s close associate and media director of the Labour Party. While profoundly disagreeing on many things, Freeman said they got on well but things

changed when Corbyn became Labour leader and The Guardian “suddenly became a workplace where there was one point of view.”

She also spoke about the “public viliﬁcation” of Guardian writer Jonathan Freedland, and her concern there had not been more defence of him by journalists

on the left.

Perceptions had moved, she said, from “denial – that thing antisemitism is not happening – to things are not as bad as you say it is, to OK, that thing is happening and it’s ﬁne”.

Those who did not adhere to such beliefs were accused of being “Labour in name only”.

Eventually, Freeman was told she was “not allowed to write about Corbyn and antisemitism any more”.

That, and an ensuing and unpleasant row about gender identity, ﬁnally led to her leaving.

RAISES £2.6MILLION IN 36 HOURS

Chai Cancer Care raised £2.6m towards its £3.9m annual running costs following a weekend of community events and a 36-hour matched funding e ort. Funds will support Chai’s 70 services of care for individuals and families a ected by cancer.

Thousands of UK primary school children held a ‘Mad Hair Day’ to raise awareness of the charity’s work, a Chai

Shabbat was held across 150 synagogues and in the run-up to the weekend 13,000 ‘Bags for Chai’ were sent to kosher supermarkets, restaurants and shops.

Other events throughout the weekend included a whisky evening, challah bake, two Beatles Tribute evenings and a ‘Dance Around the World’ evening in Manchester.

On Sunday morning, the 36-hour

matched funding campaign began, raising £1 million by midday, with more than 100 children, whose families are supported by Chai joining a ‘Chai Kids Family Fun Day’ at the organisation’s Hendon centre.

Activities at the event included face painting, cookie decorating, hair braiding and gaming, crowned by a visit from Dudley and Ziggy, Chai’s pet therapy dogs.

An organisation supporting Jewish creatives in the UK will launch next year.

Co-founder of the new UK Jewish Arts Foundation Alastair Falk said: “Think of it like a Jewish Arts Council England, but the di erence is that we are here speciﬁcally for Jewish creatives.”

Falk, who is also the founder of Tsitsit, the Jewish fringe festival, said the concept has been shaped by input from individuals such as actor/director and former director of the National Youth Theatre Tania Black.

He added: “The idea is to bring donors together to raise money for supporting existing and new Jewish arts organisations and initiatives. First of our three main aims will be to provide a foundation to which organisations will be able to apply to match fund money they raise for new and innovative work.

“Second, individuals will be helped to access pathways into the creative industries and new pathways will be

built starting in schools and, third, the Jewish arts community will have its importance raised within the community and with a broader UK audience through support for sharing Jewish work as widely as possible.”

“Jewish donors are incredibly generous to the arts in general. If even 10 percent of that funding could be directed towards Jewish arts, it would be transformative.

“And there is great work already happening to bring all the Jewish cultural organisations together and to put their wisdom and experience at the heart of future developments.”

Hadley Freeman

Mezzo soprano Clara Kanter

TOGETHER WE CAN BRING THE LIGHT OF CHANGE

My three-year-old daughter Sarah was recently diagnosed with autism. We found that the noise and chaos of regular children’s activities, parks, and playgrounds were just too much for her, leaving her over-stimulated and distressed.

Thankfully, through the support of Jewish Child’s Day, we’ve been given access to a specialised sensory room. For Sarah, these sessions have been life-changing, providing a calm and soothing environment where she can develop at her own pace. It’s such a relief to have a space that truly works for Sarah, especially at a time when so much else feels overwhelming.

This Chanukah, your generosity could help Jewish Child’s Day create even more sensory rooms across the UK, bringing light and hope to children like Sarah and their families.

Thank you, Melanie (and Sarah) x

Review opened into HMDT governance

Former Conservative MP Richard Harrington has been commissioned to hold a review into the governance processes of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, writes Jenni Frazer.

The move follows a controversial public invitation issued by the Trust to the 2025 HMD national commemoration event in January.

It read: “Eighty years on from the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, our mission is more vital than ever. We remain horrified by the barbaric attacks in Israel on 7 October 2023, including the ongoing plight of those taken as hostages, and the devastating violence against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.”

The language brought an immediate outcry, not least from Holocaust survivors angered at the implied equivalence of their experience with that of Palestinians in Gaza after 7 October.

Lord Harrington, now a crossbench peer, will conduct review into how the HMDT is both managed and run.

The trust “unreservedly apolo-

gised” for the wording of the invitation and said it should never have happened.

But now the chair and honorary officers have asked Lord Harrington, a former minister for refugees and a long-standing and widely respected supporter of Holocaust commemoration and education, to look into the matter.

He has been asked to make recommendations to the HMDT board to ensure future major communications from the Trust “are issued only

after full and proper discussion and agreement by its board of trustees”.

Now the HMDT is focused on the commemorations in January marking 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, saying they will “ensure that millions of people in the UK continue to learn the lessons from the unique, worldchanging and unprecedented horrors of the Holocaust”.

Lord Harrington, who is Jewish, has been asked to publish his review in the spring.

Faith and diversity celebrated at awards

Almost 50 special awards were given out at the Royal Society of Medicine in the first Dangoor Awards for the Faith and Belief Forum, writes Jenni Frazer.

Awards were in a variety of categories, celebrating the rich tapestry of faith and diversity in the capital’s communities.

It was the first time in the eight years of the ceremony in which the Faith and Belief Forum hosted the event under the Dangoor banner, as philanthropist David Dangoor joined forces with the Greater London Lord Lieutenancy to mark the projects for recognition – from people trying to challenge the cost of living crisis to those working to inspire young people and almost everything in between.

The event was co-hosted by Faith and Belief Forum head of programmes Carrie Alderton and Peace Alliance chief executive the Rev Nims Obunge. Keynote speaker was the UK’s minister for faith, communities and resettlement Lord Khan, who struck a familiar note in his opening remarks by quoting Daniel Defoe’s early 18th-century poem London

This opens: “No city in the spacious universe, Boasts of religion more, or minds it less”. Even in those days, Lord Khan said, London “was already a diverse and multi-faith city, welcoming Sephardi Jews from Europe and Protestant refugees fleeing suppression in France”.

He reminded the audience Bevis Marks Synagogue opened in 1701, in Defoe’s time, preceding even St Paul’s Cathedral, which did not open until 1710, while even though London’s first mosque did not open until 1895,

there were Muslim-faith sailors, the Lascars, who lived in the city in the early 1700s.

Lord Khan exulted in the multi-faith city that London has now become, “shaped by centuries” of diverse faiths and communities. Over a quarter of its residents, he said, were today adherents of faiths other than Christianity. And he praised projects such as Mitzvah Day, which reached across the faiths to promote inclusivity.

In the awards, two Jewish charities that run youth volunteering programmes – Hand In Hand and Project impACT – won in the “Inspiring Youth” category.

Additionally, seven individuals were recognised for their contributions to their communities, having given “exemplary acts of public service, embodying values of inclusivity and compassion”.

Among those honoured were Mitzvah Day’s chief executive, Stuart Diamond, and Rabbi Laura Janner Klausner, now rabbi at Bromley Reform Synagogue and former senior rabbi for the Reform Judaism movement.

NIGHTINGALE HONOUR

Nightingale Hammerson won a top award at the National Care Awards at London’s ExCeL.

Naming it best small care home group, judges praised the Jewish community residential home team for its “heartwarming” work with schools, “bringing generations together and involving young people/children to bridge the ageing and isolation gap”.

Chief executive Jenny Pattinson said: “It is incredible for the team to be recognised for the exceptional care we provide across our two beautiful homes. Personally, it is both a pleasure and a privilege to work alongside and lead such a high skilled and wonder-

Nightingale’s team with their award

fully compassionate team. Our homes are very much a community where we live, work, learn and play in an environment that supports our health and wellbeing and enables lifelong relationships between the generations which enhance our lives.”

£155K CITY BRIDGE AID

A community hub run by Kisharon Langdon in partnership with Barnet Libraries has secured a £155,550 grant from the City Bridge Foundation.

Spread over four years, the funding for Childs Hill Library in Cricklewood will enable it to enhance its services, including the addition of a second paid staff member and expanded community activities.

The library will now open an extra morning a week and increase its popular offerings, such as a toddler group, a Lego club and gardening projects.

113th

Beyond books, the library plays a vital role in the community by offering work placements for adults with learning disabilities and autistic people, allowing them to develop essential job skills and gain experience.

Kisharon Langdon social enterprise and employment consultant Sarah Sharlott said: “The partnership library serves as a welcoming space where people can come together and give back to the community.

“It’s truly inclusive, offering a sense of belonging to everyone.”

Sunday 29th December at 6:00pm 99, Walford Road, London N16 5RT

Adults £3 ChiLdren free. Donations Welcome.

Raffle, Fun and Music, Stalls & Face painting. snacks doughnuts drinks

Contact. email ike.albert@gmail .com Text/ Whatsapp : 07850369000

Survivors, families and supporters gather at an HMDT event

Some of the Dangoor Award winners

Minister: Rabbi A Citron Trustees: Brian Harris Simon Raymond and Ike Albert cordially Invite you to our

Walford Road Synagogue Chanukah Party!

Editorial comment and letters to the editor

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

A Giant achievement NHS antisemitism is now a sick joke

The ﬁgures are shocking. Of 402 complaints of alleged antisemitism made to the General Medical Council (GMC) since 7 October 2023, a staggering 350 were closed at the very ﬁrst hurdle. Only 25 remain under investigation. This is not just a statistic – it’s a warning sign that the GMC may be failing in its duty to tackle one of the most pernicious forms of hatred.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s recent intervention, urging NHS chiefs to take a ﬁrm stand against antisemitic sta , couldn’t be more timely.

The GMC’s response – or lack thereof – raises troubling questions about whether it is equipped to confront antisemitism within the medical profession. At a time when reports of anti-Jewish hatred have surged across society, it is deeply concerning that so few complaints appear to be progressing through the GMC’s processes.

The GMC insists it takes antisemitism “very seriously,” but actions speak louder than words. If 350 complaints were deemed unworthy of further scrutiny, what message does this send to Jewish patients and colleagues? The GMC claims it investigates “serious concerns” where patient safety or public conﬁdence is at risk. Surely, antisemitism – whether expressed online or in person – meets this threshold.

While the GMC argues that multiple complaints about the same incident may inﬂate the numbers, this explanation o ers little comfort. Dropping or closing complaints at such an alarming rate risks undermining trust in the system. Jewish patients and sta deserve assurance that antisemitism will be dealt with robustly, not dismissed as a minor issue.

Streeting is right: action is needed, and it’s needed now. The GMC must urgently review its handling of antisemitism complaints, provide transparency about its decisions, and ensure that every case is treated with the gravity it demands.

Anything less is a betrayal of the trust placed in the medical profession.

As a life-long theatregoer with a 25-year career as a talent agent, I’ve seen a few plays. Not that it makes my opinion any more valid than anyone else’s, but sometimes it is possible to miss the point of a production.

Giant, recently at The Royal Court and set to transfer to the West End, stars John Lithgow as Roald Dahl (pictured).

Written by respected theatre director Mark Rosenblatt and directed by Nick Hytner, it cleverly exposes Dahl as an unapologetic antisemite. Without going into a detailed review,

Rosenblatt (proving himself a brilliant wordsmith) lays trap after trap into which Dahl falls into headfirst every time. It is difficult to understand how anyone would come away thinking him anything but a monstrous racist.

I’m on the Jewish Film Festival programming committee. Its chief executive Michael Etherton recently wrote an eloquent article about his experience of Jewish voices being silenced in the arts. If ever there was a time to speak up, it’s now.

Maxine

Hoffman By email

CHINK OF LIGHT SHINES BRIGHTER

In my recent letter Stunning victory for Israel, I stated recent events might provide a chink of light on the torturous journey towards peace In the Middle East.

The fall of Assad’s diabolical regime might provide momentum in this direction. Certainly, Iran has found itself greatly weakened and its “ring of steel” has melted in the heat of Israel’s fierce response to 7/10.

Prisoners released from Assad’s jails and torture chambers owe much to Israel as it is certainly no

PEACE TIME

Christmas Day and Chanukah this year fall on the same day – both times to enjoy, give presents to loved ones and friends and embrace joy and light, particularly over Chanukah. However, there has not been much to celebrate with a devastating war and hostages still to be released.

Many families who have lost soldier sons and daughters fighting for peace are bereft – thoughts of celebration furthest from their minds. Let us all hope for light and peace as this year draws to a close.

Norma Neville Hendon

coincidence that this change of regime follows the degrading of Hezbollah over the last three months.

While for decades the world meekly watched the tragic events in Syria and allowed red lines to be crossed, Israel to its eternal credit has acted.

Predicting events in the Levant is a fool’s game, but possibly the chink of light is now a little larger.

David Bernstein Deputy chair Magen David Adom UK

IT’S THE MUCK OF THE IRISH

It’s not unreasonable for Israel to have decided to close its embassy in Ireland, due to the latter “Crossing all red lines”. It is far more than just the premature recognition of a Palestinian state or Ireland seeking to broaden the ICJ definition of genocide. Two lesser-known incidents involving Irish president Michael D Higgins come to mind.

In September, Higgins told reporters at the UN his leaked, controversial letter to the incoming president of Iran was due to it being “circulated by the Israeli embassy”. When asked how he knew, Higgins said “I have no idea”, and tried shutting it down. The embassy, rightly indignant, clarified it had merely reposted the letter on X after it was first published by the Iranian embassy. In October, Higgins condemned Israel for “threatening” Irish UNIFIL personnel away from positions by the Lebanon border. No such threats were made – UNIFIL itself confirmed the IDF had “asked” it to leave certain posts, for the safety of its personnel. Neither incident has since had the record corrected by Higgins, or the Irish government. Far from strongly criticising Israel’s actions in Gaza or siding with Palestinians, both are gratuitous errors by Ireland’s president. Naji Tilley Hendon

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CITY

TMedia’s obsession with Gaza is fuelling backlash

ALEX BRUMMER

EDITOR, THE DAILY MAIL

he last 15 months have sent a relentless bombardment of media coverage of Israel’s war in Gaza and latterly Beirut. The fate of Israel’s su ering hostages has barely registered and the atrocities of 7 October 2023 have been all but forgotten. The consequences of the media onslaught supported often by the words of supposedly independent UN and human rights watchers has been devastating.

Syria, its dictatorship, the brutality of its displaced leader Bashar al-Assad (now in Moscow) and an Islamist takeover may currently be in the headlines. But for how long? Sudan barely registers.

Israel has been unnecessarily demonised and across the globe boycott activities have intensified. The world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund, controlled by Norway, decided this month (DEC) to disinvest from telecoms group Bezeq cutting West Bank

settlements and Palestinians off from reliable communications.

Violence against Israelis and Jews has become common place with all the echoes of the 1930s. Football supporters beaten to a pulp in Amsterdam and on the other side of the globe, in far o Melbourne, a synagogue with worshippers inside burnt to the ground. In Britain many universities, including Oxford, are no longer safe spaces.

The backlash against Israel and Jews has been extraordinary even though their enemy is the enemy of democracy in the shape of Iranian backed terrorist groups Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis.

It is only since Israel and Hezbollah/ Lebanon signed a ceaseﬁre deal that the eyes of the world and the BBC – from which most people in the UK glean their news – have shifted (at least temporarily) away from Gaza. There seems to be a mistaken belief that the war there is over: it cannot be while the fate of the hostages, many feared dead or maimed, has been determined.

Amid this unfinished horror the media and the eyes of the UN and humanitarian

groups have shifted to two ongoing wars in nearby neighbourhoods. It has been until now as if the Syrian war, never fully resolved, never happened.

The BBC’s Jeremy Bowen, commenting in recent days on the amazing advance of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) on deposed President Bashar al-Assad’s blood-stained regime in Syria acknowledged the terrible human tragedy that has taken place in that country.

Parts of Aleppo, he remembered, had been reduced to rubble by Russian backed Syrian forces. The worst destruction ever seen in his years of overseas reporting. Hundreds if not thousands of people have been dying every month in Syria, but who has known and who has reported on the tragedy of a regime held in o ce by Iran and Russia. Until the victorious occupation of Damascus by HTS forces media access has been denied.

Western journalists may complain that they have been excluded from reporting from Gaza. But the flow of social media pictures and broadcasts from Al Jazeera affiliates there has been a relentless drum-

beat. The consequences in terms of public opinion could not be greater. The voices of UN monitors, UNWRA and the like have been a devastating echo chamber for Israel’s alleged savagery.

It is not just the Syrian conﬂict and the death and mayhem there which has been missing from global reporting. The International Rescue Committee reports that in the ongoing civil war in Sudan eight million people have been displaced and half of the country’s 14 million children are starving.

As a veteran reporter, former foreign correspondent (for more than a decade) and foreign editor for the Guardian, I am acutely aware of the herd instinct which sends reporters into hotspots. This is especially true in Israel with its open communications, small geographies and access to information.

The intense, distorted and untrustworthy focus on one conﬂict above all others has unleashed a backlash against Israel, a proPalestinian narrative and a siege mentality for Jews everywhere. It is a harm which will leave indelible scars, even if peace does eventually come.

Galloway’s wicked, but I never thought him nuts

JOHN WARE

DOCUMENTARY MAKER

He seems to like to press buttons, does George Galloway. Like the school bully with a rapt audience of sycophants, he gets a kick out of prodding and poking.

Condemning antisemitism within the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn wasn’t just a “disgraceful campaign”, Galloway wrote in 2019. It was a “disgraceful campaign of Goebbelsian ﬁction.”

7 October wasn’t just a “break out” by Hamas, he said last January, but a “concentration camp break out and ugly things happen in prison break outs, concentration camp break outs even more so”.

And again, last July: “The only surprising thing about 7 October and the breakout from the Gaza concentration camp is that it doesn’t happen every 7 October, or ever six weeks.” Geddit?

Is this Galloway’s way of getting some kind of visceral kick out of rubbing the noses of Jews, sorry Zionists, in the Shoah which targeted… er… Jews?

As the novelist and journalist Howard Jacobson observed, Israel haters who compare the country by reference to the

Holocaust do so to “wound Jews in their recent and most anguished history and to punish them with their own grief.

Its aim is a sort of retrospective retribution, cancelling out all debts of guilt and sorrow.” In other words, they know the analogy hurts.

Galloway is a nasty piece of work. I recall how in 1998 he sided with the Saudi regime after it gave the death sentence to a British nurse. I showed on BBC Panorama how Debbie Parry was completely innocent and she was eventually released.

However, even though Debbie had endured 17 months in jail under the shadow of the Saudi executioner’s sword, on her return Galloway viciously supported a campaign to get her struck o the nursing register which also mercifully failed.

Recently, poison again suppurated from Galloway’s pen.

As we all know, he’s been a fan of despots like the late Saddam Hussain (“Sir, I salute

your courage, your strength, your indefatigability”), a comment he later said he regretted, and the Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh (“as gracious and gentle and wise and reasonable a person ..as you could ever meet”), which he does not appear to have regretted.

Last weekend saw the end of another Middle East despot he occasionally revered, Syria’s Bashar Assad (a “breath of fresh air” and “Watching President Assad towering in the Arab League in Jeddah has made me happy today”).

Wicked and malicious Galloway may be, but I never had him down as nuts, or even irrational. Until earlier this month when he seems to have gone full-tonto into looney 9/11 “troofer” land. “7 October looks like a very bad idea” he posted on X. “Makes you wonder whose idea it really was… “Some idiot from Northern Ireland with the X handle “Steri” replied: “Wtf did you want Palestinians to do instead? Die out and lose their land slowly?” To which

WHETHER GALLOWAY WAS JUST BAITING OR REALLY BELIEVES THIS MUCK, WHO KNOWS?

Galloway responded: “I see the point went over your head.” Is the point that went over “Steri’s” dense head Galloway’s suggestion that the Israeli state at some stage, and in some shape or form, deliberately planted the idea in the minds of Hamas that killing large numbers of kibbutzniks would help to destabilise the Middle East to Israel’s advantage, a goal realised with the overthrow of the Assad regime at the weekend?

I asked Galloway if I’d understood his post right. He replied: “Actually: you could not be more wrong and if you were not John Ware I might even care to explain.”

To which I replied: “Give it a go George… happy to listen (and learn)… always…” But he didn’t. All quiet on the Galloway front on this one.

Feeding an appetite for conspiracy theories is one of the factors identified earlier this week by the government’s former counter-extremism tsar, Dame Sara Khan, that’s eroding democratic resilience in Britain today.

Whether Galloway was just baiting or really believes this muck, who knows? It is, though, a perfect illustration of how social media, as the single most e ective facilitator of the world’s most malign and moronic inﬂuencers, is also making the world a more dangerous place.

This Chanukah we light up with our Jewish pride

CLAUDIA MENDOZA CHIEF EXECUTIVE, JLC

In 2023, the JLC launched #LightWithPride in response to a London Council’s appalling decision to cancel a Chanukah lighting, citing an “increase in the number of hate crimes… both towards the Jewish and Muslim community” and fear that a Chanukkiah would “risk further inﬂaming tensions within our communities.”

Our aim was to acknowledge the increased antisemitism in response to 7 October, and the distressing trend whereby British Jews felt compelled to remove mezuzahs, conceal their Magen Davids, alter their surnames online, and refrain from wearing kippot in public. In other words, the growing fear to be outwardly Jewish.

Unfortunately, this year, we have seen antisemitic incidents increase, with stones thrown at Jewish school buses, people yelled at outside Jewish community centres and many Jews avoiding central London on

Saturdays due to ongoing demonstrations. Antisemitism now seems to have permeated much of the discourse around Israel and Gaza. Jews no longer feel safe to show up in social spaces, let alone have a voice at the table.

Speaking at the annual Harif commemorative event to mark the departure and expulsion of Jews from the Arab countries and Iran, I implored the audience to share our stories – stories of survival, of triumph, and of community, to show that we are not just “white Europeans” but a vibrant, diverse people with roots in the Middle East, in North Africa, and beyond.

So much of the hostility Israel faces in the court of public opinion is because of the false binary perpetuated by bad faith actors and ampliﬁed on social media. Accusations of Israel being a white colonialist state – a ridiculous accusation if you know anything about Israel – means that many refuse to accept that Israelis can be victims. That this narrative persists only underscores the need for us to tell the real story of Israel and the story of Jewish refugees from the Middle East. We need to educate on the diversity

of our people, on our shared history, and on the complex and painful realities that have shaped our present.

As we approach Chanukah, we celebrate the miracle of the Jewish people overcoming oppression, reminding us of the physical struggle for religious freedom. The antisemitism we see today is a mix of not just the antisemitism of the story of Chanukah but also the antisemitism of the story of Purim.

Chanukah antisemitism is rooted in political power and religious intolerance – forces that sought to erase Jewish identity. The antisemitism of the far left.

Purim antisemitism is rooted in hatred for the Jewish people, grounded in a desire to destroy an entire people simply for existing. We see this manifesting in far right and Islamist antisemitism.

Following from their ancient predecessor of Haman, the Iranian regime is clear that this is their aim.

But in both stories, the common theme is survival against overwhelming odds, and the courage to stand up for our people and our faith. Today we need to ﬁnd the courage

of the Maccabees, and of Queen Esther and Mordechai to overcome the unholy alliance which threatens us.

We live in a country where we are free but as the then Governor of California, Ronald Reagan said, “freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people”.

#LightWithPride. is an invitation for each of us to proudly celebrate our heritage and to fight for our freedom to be freely Jewish. We encourage you to light your Chanukiah, capture the moment, and share it on social media using the hashtag #LightWithPride. . By doing so, we collectively affirm that our traditions and identity are sources of joy and resilience.

We also invite you to see our Chanukiah at Trafalgar Square over the Chanukah period. The public setting of this, amidst rising antisemitism, shows that our light will not be dimmed and that we will always #LightWithPride.

Our dedication to trust , extensive experience , unwavering reliability , and vast professional contacts enable us to offer you a fulfilling and seamless Aliyah experience. We are passionate about helping you make Israel your home, and our mission is to support you every step of the way.

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Awareness is not enough in dealing with disabilities

RICHARD FRANKLIN CEO, KISHARON LANGDON

This month saw the 32nd International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Many charities inevitably see it as an opportunity to highlight the challenges faced and opportunities a orded to people with disabilities through their support. This year is di erent.

Last week, the Care Provider Alliance surveyed 1,180 care and support providers like us. Following the recent Budget, 73 percent will refuse new care packages. Over half will hand back existing contracts; 77 percent will draw on reserves and 64 percent will make sta redundant. More than a ﬁfth will close. Kisharon Langdon also has been burdened with an additional £400,000 as a consequence of changes to national insurance and minimum wage.

As reported by Jewish News, Kisharon Langdon will be “calm and considered in its approach” and yet will plan for all eventualities.

Over the past 25 years, despite numerous commissions and inquiries, little progress has

been made since a Royal Commission found social care to be ‘chronically underfunded’. Awareness campaigns are not enough.

Kisharon Langdon’s work, supporting the Jewish learning disability and autism community throughout life’s journey, demonstrates the power of meaningful action.

We are a £24m Jewish learning disability and autism provider, reliant on £4m from the community just to cover unfunded operating costs before even funding much-needed infrastructure. Our sta , parents and people we support have been overwhelmingly positive in our recent (independently assessed and anonymous) post-merger surveys.

This reﬂects the increased calibre of recruits, training, breadth of opportunity and indeed increased engagement within the community after Kisharon and Langdon merged in 2023. With four in ﬁve mergers reportedly failing, this has thrived, in keeping with our vision that all people with learning disabilities and autism should thrive.

What the merged organisation has been building is a rare beacon of global excellence. If this sounds hyperbolic, earlier this year a

visiting educational and child psychologist of some 40 years’ experience specialising in inclusion in LA, San Diego and New York said she had “never seen such a comprehensive programme that even approaches the quality of what you have achieved”.

It is Kisharon Langdon’s entire purpose to o er opportunities and support for people in the Jewish learning disability and autism community, yet disability services in the UK are at a critical crossroads. Rising costs, the cost of living, shifting demographics and ineffective government strategies have placed overwhelming pressures on us.

These demand an answer to a question for the ages: if we are forced to exercise the wisdom of Solomon, what would we sacriﬁce when behind every service stands a person whose dignity, opportunities and quality of life depend on it? As a community, how are we to exercise our responsibilities to ensure those with disabilities not only survive but thrive?

Many commentators have said society is deﬁned by its treatment of ‘the most vulnerable’, and how as the social contract wanes, so society becomes less coherent.

For us, Rabbi Sacks’ commentary on Parshas Eikev (Why Civilisations Fail) suggests Moses teaches us an astonishing even greater imperative – by each person bearing and sharing responsibility, we are helping create a society capable of defeating the normal laws of the growth-and-decline of civilisations.

The Care Provider Alliance Survey suggests disabilities services should retract. Our Jewish response is to defy logic – to ensure our services can be nurtured, ﬂourish and grow.

This is not a task for one person, one organisation or even a select group. It is our collective responsibility. The question from the International Day of Persons with Disabilities is not are we more aware of people with disabilities, but what will we do with that awareness?

We do not need an awareness day to ﬁght for what is right. We know this because of the outstanding work we can and do achieve. So, on reading this, please discuss the issues, encourage others to play their part, keep going, even when some are dismissive or say no. We need not wait for an “awareness day”. This is our challenge and our opportunity. Let us rise to meet it.

JEREMY HAVARDI

AUTHOR & JOURNALIST

For the past two weeks, millions of Syrians have rejoiced in the fall of a tyrant responsible for countless atrocities during a long and bloody civil war.

During the conﬂict, president Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons against the civilian population and was directly responsible for the torture and murder of tens of thousands of Syrians.

For this litany of ghastly crimes, Assad deserves to be indicted for crimes against humanity. But his fall is also a bitter blow to the axis of autocracy, starting with Russia.

Moscow may lose two critical assets in Syria: the seaport at Tartus from which the Russians were conducting surface and submarine operations in the Mediterranean, and the Khmeimim air base at Latakia. Their loss would undermine Russian power projection in the region, representing a bitter political humiliation for Putin.

But Assad’s fall was a bigger blow to Iran

and its plans for regional dominance. Syria was a key conduit in furthering Iranian interests in the Levant. Iran spent billions of dollars smuggling advanced weapons into Syria and deployed thousands of operatives in the country, part of a long-term attempt to cement Hezbollah’s power in the region.

The rapidity of Assad’s fall only showed how much the regime was a paper tiger, dependent on help from external actors.

The failure of the Iran-led axis to support Assad stemmed from the blows they su ered at the hands of Israel.

Since the ill-fated decision to launch unprovoked attacks on Israel from 8 October onwards, Hezbollah has su ered irreparable losses at the hands of Israeli forces.

The group has lost its iconic leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and almost the entire leadership, as well as thousands of experienced ﬁghters.

It has also lost a vast amount of advanced weaponry and much of its intricate tunnel system has been degraded. These are all grievous blows, from which it will take Hezbollah many years to recover.

Iran too has su ered directly from devas-

tating Israeli responses to its ballistic missile attacks. Israel targeted Tehran’s air defence missile batteries and missile production facilities, as well as the Parchin military base southeast of Tehran.

Such blows have humiliated the Islamic Republic and reduced its ability to resupply critical allies, especially Assad. The muchvaunted ‘ring of ﬁre’ is now a hollow shell.

Thus, we see the ultimate folly of Yahya Sinwar’s ‘big project’ on 7 October. Hamas’ gambit failed to unite the Muslim world against Israel. The savage atrocities it committed led to a brutal conﬂict that has left Gaza in ruins and many thousands of Palestinians dead.

Hamas has been eviscerated and Hezbollah decapitated while Iran’s proxy strategy now lies in tatters. ‘Black Saturday’ must go down as one of the gravest strategic miscalculations in modern history.

Some in Israel now sni a major strategic opportunity, one in which a new Syrian regime can emerge that is not beholden to Tehran.

But caution is needed.

While the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has used increasingly moderate

language in recent years, his forces remain animated by a dangerous jihadist ideology.

HTS, a former a liate of al-Qaeda, is still designated by many countries as a terrorist organisation and its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has a $10 million bounty on his head.

It remains to be seen whether regime change will herald a transition to an inclusive government run on progressive principles or another type of dictatorship.

The second danger is that Iran, sensing greater isolation and weakness, will race towards becoming a nuclear weapons state.

A big blow to Russian and Iranian autocracy Golan Heights back in crosshairs after Assad

DAVID PATRIKARAKOS

AUTHOR, WAR IN 140

CHARACTERS

The Golan Heights has an often beautiful and deceptively tranquil landscape that belies its status as one of the most contested pieces of land in the world. Conquered by the Israelis during their victory in the 1967 Six-Day War, it is still claimed by Syria. The Israelis have no intention of giving it back.

It was recently the site of a Hezbollah strike that killed several Druze, which led to a series of Israeli airstrikes against southern Lebanon in response.

Now, the astonishingly rapid collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria brings the Heights into focus once more. Assad’s fall was – potentially – a great day for the Syrian people, long oppressed by his butchery. It was also of huge strategic importance for Jerusalem.

First and foremost is that the Syrian rebels are led by Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Syrian Islamist militant group that emerged from various factions, including Jabhat

al-Nusra — al-Qaeda in Syria. Jolani’s real name is Ahmed Hussein al Sharaa; his nom de guerre al-Jolani was adapted as a reference to the Golan Heights, from which it is rumoured he originates.

Much will depend on whether he really is the reformed jihadist he claims – and to be fair, the restrained behaviour of his forces so far indicates he might be. But immediately there are several challenges facing Israel.

First is that pro-regime militias are already seeking escape routes and attempting to take refuge with their Hezbollah allies across the porous SyriaLebanon border. Key transit points, such as Al-Qusayr, could become conduits for these movements. Israel must intensify surveillance and control over these uno cial crossings to disrupt potential threats and prevent the formation of more hostile groups that can launch attacks on it.

The disintegration of Assad’s power structure has also left leaders of proregime Palestinian factions, notably the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC), in a precarious position. The group’s leader Talal Naji may attempt to ﬂee to Lebanon or join other Palestinian groups abroad, bringing with him resources and networks. Israel

WE CAN ONLY HOPE NETANYAHU IS WISE ENOUGH TO REALISE IT CAN BE A WIN FOR THE ENTIRE REGION

must track these kinds of actors and act to ensure they do not become a direct threat.

The strategic signiﬁcance of the Syrian city of Quneitra – the gateway to the Golan Heights – cannot be overstated. Whoever controls it has the ability seriously to threaten Israel.

Jerusalem needs to continue bolstering its military presence along the bu er zone and, ideally – though of course this is likely to be problematic – collaborate with United Nations forces under the mandate of “protecting peace in the Golan”.

This would be the smart move, ensuring Israel is not seen as an aggressor and a possible target now Assad is gone.

Politically, the smart thing for now is to take Jolani’s professions of moderation and pragmatism at face value. The UN is

According to the head of the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA), Iran is growing its capacity to enrich uranium at up to 60 percent purity, bringing it close to weapons-grade material.

A US intelligence report has also pointed out that the country has enough ﬁssile material to potentially make a dozen or more nuclear warheads.

The twin threats of a nuclear-armed Iran and a jihadist Syria mean that the West, especially Israel, must remain vigilant as events unfold in an increasingly uncertain future.

pre-positioning in New York and Geneva on re-starting a political process in the country, and what resources they’d need exactly to get that up and running again.

No one wants Libya on the doorstep –if there is a UN-led political settlement with some sort of federalism for Syria, its government will be busy enough rebuilding the country for decades and won’t have the bandwidth to think about trying to ﬁght Israel.

It’s in Benjamin Netanyahu’s interests to help along any diplomatic e orts in this area. As it stands, things are looking extremely rosy for Jerusalem. Assad’s fall almost certainly means the end of Iran’s land bridge to resupply Hezbollah.

Not only is Israel’s primary threat on its border now e ectively neutered (especially in the wake of Israel’s recent exploding pagers operation), but its greatest regional – indeed global – enemy, Iran, is under more pressure than at any time since the 19801988 Iran-Iraq war.

This being the Middle East, things can –and probably will – implode.

But for now, events continue to spiral in Israel’s favour. We can only hope Netanyahu is wise enough to understand this can be a win for the region as a whole.

JAMI’S COMEDY NIGHT IS A ROARING SUCCESS

A comedy night featuring psychiatrist and award-winning stand-up comedian Dr Benji Waterhouse helped to raise just under £3,000 to support the mental health services of Jami, now part of Jewish Care. Reading from his first book, You Don’t Have to be Mad to Work Here, Dr Waterhouse entertained the 100-strong audience, consisting mainly of doctors and other medical professionals, with anecdotes about some of his encounters with his patients and life in the early years of his career.

2 CAMP SIMCHA’S TOY DRIVE PACKATHON

Camp Simcha’s annual Toy Drive saw community volunteers sorting and packing boxes of toy cars, jigsaws and superheroes ready to go into more than 120 hospital wards, hospices and community nursing teams. ‘Packing HQ’ at Raleigh Close Synagogue in Hendon was full of big yellow Camp Simcha collection boxes, piled high with gifts from more than 60 schools, nurseries and cheders, as well as community groups, businesses and synagogues, that had participated in the collections.

3BROMLEY REFORM’S CRAFTS AFTERNOON

Bromley Reform Synagogue’s pre-Chanukah family crafts afternoon brought together 50 people from 16 families for a festive and creative celebration. Resident artist Karen Andresier prepared and guided the session, which saw children create their own Chanukiahs and tuck into traditional Chanukah gelt and doughnuts. The afternoon’s highlight was the lighting of the Menorah, which, although a bit early, totally captivated the children.

4HISTORIC B’NEI MITZVAH AT MOSAIC REFORM SHUL

Four members of Mosaic Reform Synagogue, together with one from Mosaic Liberal, held their b’nei mitzvah in a unified service. All four, Toria Bacon, Gillian Goldsmith, Jeff Highfield, and Beth Kingsley, had been unable to perform their bar- and batmitzvah ceremonies as children and so the service was a testament to their dedication and commitment as they stood proudly in front of the Ark.

5£5,500 RAISED BY YOUNG CHARITY SUPPORTERS

More than 430 children and young families gathered for the annual Norwood Night. Supporters of the charity, which caters for people with neurodiversity and neurodevelopmental disability, entered into the Chanukah spirit ahead of the start of the festival later this month, raising more than £5,500 in the process. The inclusive event featured Chanukahthemed arts and crafts, a pin-theshamash-on-the menorah activity, Chanukah-themed pancake decorating activity, food stands, a dedicated Chanukah gift and decorations stand and a special Chanukah disco with children’s entertainer Ilana Banana. Children were also treated to doughnuts and goodie bags to take home with them.

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PERSONAL STORY OF MIRI AND HER GRANDMOTHER

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Jewish podcasts The miracle of Israel JW3 panto

A DREIDEL STORY

STORY

Dr Ingo Holz has a collection of 250 silver dreidels. He explains why the spinning top is of such significance to him and Judaism

Many people collect all sorts of things without questioning why. The instinct to collect is rooted in the evolution of mankind – indeed, in primeval times, hunting and gathering were essential pursuits to provide for and ensure the survival of one’s own clan.

Various motivations underline the phenomenon of collecting. As well as serving for personal entertainment and a meaningful pastime, it has a stress-reducing and relaxing e ect as it o ers an escape from everyday life. There are countless serious collectors who, over a long period of time, have acquired knowledge in their ﬁelds and are thus constantly improving their individual educations.

The fact that many collections, which have been assembled over many years, represent considerable investment and often form the basis of museums, should not be underestimated.

Many of my German ancestors, including my great-grandmother, my grandmother and my father, were Holocaust survivors. My father, born in 1932, survived the war in disguise, living in di erent Christian families. He married out and so the Jewish religion played only a minor role in my childhood. However, individual Jewish rites, such as the dreidel game, were transmitted.

After several visits to Israel,

including a few weeks working in a hospital as part of my medical training (I am a surgeon in Germany), in August 1993 I became engaged at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. On the same day I spotted a silver dreidel in the window of a Judaica shop, and I bought it as a reminder of this special day.

Over the next few days, I bought more dreidels and the basis of my collection was created.

In the past 31 years, I have bought silver dreidels on trips together with my wife to Belgium, Netherlands, the US, France, Germany, Hungary and Italy, but I have bought most of my collection in Israel. I now have more than 250 silver dreidels and the passion for collecting continues.

One analysis says the four letters stand for the four ancient empires – Babylon, Persia, Greece and the Roman Empire – which tried to destroy Israel.

silver dreidels and the passion for four-sided spinning top. The

Another explanation is based on gematria, whereby each Hebrew letter is assigned to a number. The numerical value of the letters on the dreidel is 358, which corresponds to the value of the letters of the word Moshiach (Messiah). In this way, it creates a spiritual connection between the dreidel and the Redeemer.

clariﬁed, it has been proven that a small spinning top made its way to Germany via England and Ireland in the 16th century. The letters on this spinning top, called a teetotum, were the Latin ﬁrst letters of the words nothing, half, everything and put in.

In Germany, the teetotum top was renamed a trendel. When Yiddish-speaking Jews living in Germany took over the spinning top game, the Latin letters were transliterated into Hebrew, since Yiddish script is rendered in Hebrew letters.

There are dreidels made of glass,

The Dreidel Game

porcelain, wood, plastic, bone, gold, silver and many other materials. My collection consists exclusively of silver, which has for many centuries been the classic material of craftsmen producing Judaica.

Ever since the small spinning top was associated with the Festival of Lights, the dreidel has stood for liberation from oppression and the victory of Judaism over cultural assimilation. The use of silver in the manufacture of Jewish spinning tops gives the dreidel an adequate appreciation.

Lamir veyter dreyen dem dreydl –let’s go on spinning the dreidel!

Put simply, a dreidel is a four-sided spinning top. The word dreidel comes from the Yiddish word dreyen which corresponds to the English verb ‘to turn’. Each side of the spinning top shows a Hebrew letter: נ (Nun), ג (Gimel), ה (He), ש (Schin). If you play in Israel, you ﬁnd a פ (Pe) instead of a Shin.

These letters form the acronym for the following sentences: Nes gadol haja scham (in the diaspora)

- A great miracle happened there, or Nes gadol haja po (in Israel) - A great miracle happened here.

According to legend, during the reign of Seleucid in Israel in the second century BC, the Jews were forbidden to teach and learn the Torah. Practising the Jewish faith was punishable by imprisonment and death. Despite the ban, the Jews encouraged their children to study religious traditions. When enemy patrols appeared, the children fooled the occupiers with a game of dreidels.

The players place the same bet, eg chocolate money, raisins, nuts etc and turn the dreidel one a er the other.

The side facing up indicates the win:

NUN - nothing

You don't win anything, but you don't lose anything either.

GIMEL - everything

Each side of the spinning aged their children to study

Originally, there was probably no connection between the dreidel, Chanukah and Judaism. Although the historical roots of the dreidel have not been conclusively

You win the entire contents of the till – a er that, each player has to put a piece back into the pot.

HE - half

You win half of the pot (rounded up). Sometimes it is requested that if only one piece remains, everyone will have to add one.

SCHIN - put in

You have to put a piece in the till. If you can't put anything more in the pot, you are out of the game.

There are more than six million podcasts. Nathan Abrams shares his favourite Jewish-themed ones

Podcasts are the new rock ‘n’ roll. Celebrity hosts are earning nine-figure megadeals. Some, like Alastair Campbell, Rory Stewart and Emily Maitlis, pack out the Royal Albert Hall. In the USA, at the 2024 Democrat National Convention, so-called ‘content creators’ received their own dedicated space alongside the more traditional print and broadcast journalists.

Podcasts played a big role in the US presidential election as both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris courted big podcasters like Joe Rogan and Charlemagne the God. And a podcast is at the heart of the hit Netflix show Nobody Wants This Podcasts are truly the mass medium of the 21st century. They are also democratic, as anyone with a laptop and an internet connection can produce and upload one. They are a fantastic medium to engage with while doing something else – commuting, doing the housework – and you don’t need to miss out just because it aired when it was Shabbat or when you are busy. I listen (and learn) while walking the dogs, cycling to work, going to the gym, doing the chores and driving.

typical, we now consume more podcasts per week than any other media (including film, television and newspapers combined).

Here is my suggestion of some longrunning Jewish-themed podcasts to keep you entertained and educated over the festive period.

UNHOLY: TWO JEWS ON THE NEWS

Two highly experienced journalists - Yonit Levi of Israel’s Channel 12 News and Jonathan Freedland of The Guardian – discuss the news from Israel and the Jewish world every week. They bring their deep expertise in Middle Eastern politics and Jewish affairs, along with extensive experience covering international news to bear in their discussions, which often feature high-profile guests. Their different perspectives - one British and one Israeli - allow them to approach news topics from complementary angles. At the end of each episode, they award a Mensch and a Chutzpah prize to two individuals in the news.

MENSCHWARMERS

If you’re not listening to a podcast right now, you’re missing out. If I am in any way

In what bills itself as “the web’s most popular Jewish sports podcast”, the Canadian Jewish News’ Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsch explore the world of Jewish

sports in monthly episodes. In line with the classic joke from the movie Airplane! about the lack of famous Jewish sporting legends, one would think there wouldn’t be enough material for a podcast but there is. I even appeared on one episode discussing Jewish cricket. The one drawback for us Brits is that is heavily slanted to North American sports.

JEWS ON FILM: EXPLORING JEWISH STORIES & THEMES IN CINEMA

Over dozens of episodes, hosts Daniel Zana and Harry Ottensoser investigate all kinds of films to uncover what makes them Jewish. They have covered the obvious productions from Airplane! to Yentl , taking in Uncut Gems , Blazing Saddles and Fiddler on the Roof on the way. But they also cover the less obvious choices such as Stanley Kubrick’s controversial movie A Clockwork Orange (1971). Full disclosure: I was the guest on that episode, where we discussed how Kubrick explored the relationship between power and authority, free choice and accountability from a Jewish perspective and the other subtle allusions Kubrick makes in this, and the rest of the films, to his Jewish background. Like every episode, they finished this one by ranking the film’s production, content and themes on a scale of one to five Jewish stars.

THE JERUSALEM POST PODCAST – TRAVEL EDITION

Two ex-pat Brits, Mark Gordon and David Harris travel around the Jewish world offering tips for travellers with kosher and other needs. They have visited all sorts of places that take them out of their comfort zone like kosher Kilimanjaro. Other destinations are more familiar, such as Antwerp, where from rocks and diamonds to beer, they talk about the gems of Belgium. They also reflect on the Israeli travel industry, including interviews with representatives from Israeli tourist agencies such as El Al.

NEWS PODCASTS

The Jewish press has also moved into podcasts and most outlets now offer some form of audio content, including but not limited to The Times of Israel, Haaretz and The Forward.

Jonathan Freedland

Visiting historical sites in Israel is to journey through stories of faith and light, writes Anat Aviya Nava

Chanukah is more than a celebration of light and candles. It is an opportunity to connect with the miracles that have shaped our story. On your next visit to Israel, discover the places where Jewish history intersects with these miracles. Visiting these sites is a journey of faith, renewal and spirituality – a living reminder of the light that continues to guide our path.

Rashbi’s Cave, Pek’in: where the Zohar was born It is said that during Roman persecutions, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi) and his son Elazar hid in a cave for 13 years, miraculously surviving on a carob tree and a spring of water that appeared beside them. During this period, Rashbi was revealed the secrets of Kabbalah, which he later shared in the Zohar, one of the deepest and most inﬂuential texts in Jewish mysticism. The story highlights devotion, faith and resilience during times of persecution and danger. Today, the cave is a place to connect to our spiritual roots and enjoy the meditative tranquillity of the location.

that

Qasr al-Yahud, Jordan River: crossing into the Promised Land Qasr al-Yahud, near the northern Dead Sea, is connected to the crossing of the parted Jordan River by the Israelites on their way to the Promised Land. The site not only carries biblical signiﬁcance but also serves as a symbol of faith and determination that has guided the Jewish people through generations. Qasr al-Yahud is also considered sacred in Christianity, as the site where John the Baptist baptised Jesus.

Qasr al-Yahud combines breathtaking nature with a profound sense of holiness. It is highly accessible and has undergone signiﬁcant restoration, creating comfortable walking paths and observation points.

Modern-day Peki’in is a picturesque Druze village in the Upper Galilee that o ers a blend of history, culture, and warm Druze hospitality. Visitors can enjoy tours of the ancient synagogue, meet local residents and hear stories of the special coexistence

Mount Tabor: where faith triumphed over a mighty army

At the foot of Mount Tabor, Deborah the Prophetess, alongside Barak ben Abinoam, led the Israelites against the mighty army of Sisera, commander of King Jabin of Canaan. Despite Sisera’s overwhelming military advantage, his army su ered a crushing defeat. According to the Book of Judges, a sudden storm ﬂooded the Kishon River, trapping Sisera’s chariots in the mud and ensuring Israel’s victory.

Mount Tabor is one of Israel’s most stunning and prominent mountains, surrounded by the enchanting Galilean landscape. In the Bible, it is identiﬁed with the tribes of Israel and serves as a symbol of strength and power. Deborah is celebrated here not only as a leader and judge but also as a symbol of strong faith and wisdom.

Jacob’s Ladder in Beit El: a dream connecting Heaven and Earth

In Beit El, Jacob dreamed of a ladder standing on the ground with its top reaching the heavens, and angels

ascending and descending upon it. In this dream, God promised Jacob protection, blessings and that his descendants would inherit the land. Jacob’s dream symbolises the connection between Heaven and Earth, between the physical and the spiritual, making Beit El a place of holiness, revelation and vision. This vision strengthened Jacob’s faith and became a universal symbol of spiritual aspiration.

Elijah’s Statue, Mount Carmel: where fire came down from Heaven

Mount Carmel is known for the dramatic confrontation between the prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Elijah sought to prove the power of God, calling for divine fire to consume his sacrifice. As told in the Book of Kings, fire came down from Heaven in response to Elijah’s prayer, demonstrating his unshakable faith. This was a spiritual turning point for the Israelites, who experienced a religious awakening following the miracle. The site is called Muhraka, meaning ‘place of burning’ in Arabic.

Today, a striking statue of Elijah stands on Mount Carmel, and visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the Galilee, Jezreel Valley and Mount Gilboa.

Ancient Shiloh: a place of prayer and miracles

According to the Book of Samuel, Hannah, one of Elkanah’s wives, struggled with infertility and o ered a heartfelt prayer to God, promising that if she bore a son, she would dedicate him to the service of God. Hannah’s prayer was answered, and her son Samuel was born, later becoming one of the most important prophets and leaders of Israel. Her prayer is considered a powerful example of faith, supplication and feminine strength. These events took place at Ancient Shiloh. the site of the Tabernacle, where the people gathered to worship and

strengthen their spiritual connection. This impressive archaeological site has walking trails and multimedia exhibits that bring the biblical stories to life.

The sun stands still in Gibeon: where time stopped

During a battle against the ﬁve Amorite kings, Joshua, the leader of Israel, prayed to God to stop the sun and the moon to prevent darkness and allow the Israelites to achieve victory. As described in the Book of Joshua, Joshua’s request was granted, and the sun stood still. This miracle not only changed the course of the battle but became a symbol of deep faith and divine intervention.

The Ayalon Valley, with its wide plains and magniﬁcent views, has always been a strategic location in the history of Israel. Visiting the site allows travellers to envision the mythological battleﬁeld and draw inspiration from Joshua’s faith and leadership.

thrives in the village.

Top: Ancient Shiloh. Above: Jacob’s Ladder site

Rashbi’s Cave Photo: Eyal Riess, Tzfat Kabbalah Center

Qasr al-Yahud, Jordan River Photo: Shelly Eshkoli

Elijah the Prophet Statue on Mount Carmel Photo: Israeli Ministry of Foreign A airs

The Valley of Ayalon, Matte Yehuda Photo: Yakir Yahish

Photo: Ancient Shiloh

Photo:

Courtesy of Beth El Local Council

Comic genius, outrageous outfits and stellar performances combine to make a bear-i ic pantomime. By

Sarah Miller

When JW3 launched Britain’s first professional Jewish panto last year in the guise of Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Pig , much fanfare was had around it being a unique show with as much chutzpah as festive spirit.

In some ways this inaugural feast of madcap fun presented a tough act to follow, but writer Nick Cassenbaum and musical director Josh Middleton have largely succeeded with this year’s Goldie Frocks and the Bear Mitzvah

At the core of the story, the duo have put a Yiddish-filled spin on this perennial children’s favourite, though porridge has been switched for chicken soup with overly large kneidlach and Daddy Bear has suffered an unfortunate demise.

That just leaves Mama Behr, as she is now known, played by the wonderful Debbie Chazen, raising Baby (Frankie Thompson) on her own ahead of the youngster’s Bear Mitzvah at the Cirque Du Oy Vey.

Little do they know that plans are afoot by evil fashion designer Calvin Brine (a fantastically ﬁendish Simon Yadoo), who wants to ﬁx

his mid-life crisis by turning Baby into a fur coat that will give him eternal youth.

Brine is so nefarious that he runs his East End tailoring factory like a sweat shop and treats his workers appallingly, including the talented Goldie Frocks (Heloise Lowenthal), whom he orders to kidnap Baby before he comes of age. Lowenthal is simply a delight and brings huge energy and punch to her role, plus she has a sublime singing voice.

Chazen too has a stage presence and comic timing that are second to none and she knows precisely how to drum up the audience. That, combined with her outrageous outﬁts – one featuring a bagel-like hat atop her bear ear, a salt-beef-and-mustard dress and modesty-protecting pickles – resulted in many grinning with glee before she had even said a word.

Chazen is perfectly deadpan as she delivers a large smattering of bearrelated puns throughout the show, though I did ﬁnd myself grrr-oaning by the end.

Thompson as Baby is another standout act, who bounces o both Chazen and Lowenthal to deliver a heartfelt performance as a tweenager on the cusp of adulthood prone to hormonal surges.

Mention must be made of the songs, adapted versions of well-known pop and folk tunes that were either

written by or famously sung by musicians of Jewish descent. Chazen and Lowenthal’s rendition of Total Eclipse of the Heart –featuring Mama Behr

Ian Saville as Morris Bloom, an older worker who remembers Goldie Frocks’ parents, intermittently performs magic tricks that delight the audience, but the character felt a little like a stilted device to cover for scene and costume changes rather than being intrinsic to plot narration.

Compared to last year, the in-jokes and Yiddishisms were plentiful to the point that those not of the tribe might not get them and given the time of year, Chanukah was bear-ly mentioned – though at one point I did receive a wad of chocolate coins

Nevertheless, overall it was a great night out for both young and old. One might even say it was a fur-nomenal paw-formance, but that might prove a pun too far.

Goldie Frocks and the Bear Mitzvah is at JW3 until 5 January, with a 2pm performance on Christmas Day. jw3.org. uk/panto

WEDNESDAY 25 DECEMBER

WEDNESDAY 25 DECEMBER WEDNESDAY 25 5PM 5PM 5PM

Business / James Andrew International

By Candice Krieger candicekrieger@googlemail.com

Property titan Harvey Soning celebrates five decades in real estate, his 60th wedding anniversary and turning 80 – all while cementing a legacy

he year 2024 has been a monumental one for Harvey Soning as he marked not one, not two, but three major milestones. The property chief reached his 50th year in the industry, turned 80 and celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary.

TOver the past ﬁve decades, Soning has built a legacy as one of the most respected ﬁgures in real estate, as founder, chairman and chief executive of James Andrew International, specialising in commercial property investment, development and management across the UK, Europe and the US.

“It’s been 80 percent enjoyment and 20 per cent a pain in the a***e,” Soning jokes as he reﬂects on his career. “But I love what I do and I’m here to tell the tale.”

Soning’s story began with immigrant roots. His maternal grandparents ﬂed Russia and Poland, arriving in the UK in 1912. His grandfather learned English in the First World War trenches – “mostly swear words” Soning notes –while his paternal lineage was in England a generation longer. His father, a successful businessman who came out of Bomber Command in 1945 with just £300, built a property portfolio that laid the foundation for Soning’s own career.

Soning recalls: “At the age of 14¾, I had the most diabolical school report. I was drawing aeroplanes and battleships when I was supposed to be working. My father said enough was enough and phoned his friend George Farrow of Peachey Property Corporation. ‘Send him to me’, they said, ‘and we will

make a man of him’. That’s how I got into the real estate world.”

Soning learnt on the job – “no bank holidays and not the three days a week in the o ce like now; it was full-on o ce work. You had to be the ﬁrst in and last out.”

By 1974, after working with Peachey and then Guardian Properties, Soning struck out on his own. With £5,000, he founded Andrew James, later renamed James Andrew International after receiving a desist letter. He named the company after his two eldest sons; Andrew works with him and is a director. The company quickly gained traction, attracting long-term clients including Sir Martin Sorrell, Sir Lloyd Dorfman and Sir Gerald Ronson. The latter recently paid tribute to him with a speech at his 50th anniversary celebration at Claridge’s, which featured a guest list of the top ﬁgures in the industry.

requirements—something you can’t learn sitting at home.”

Soning, who goes into the o ce daily, is not in favour of working from home, which he calls an “unmitigated disaster” for business operations and young professionals’ growth in particular: “The o ce remains crucial for mentoring and collaboration, key elements for developing talent and learning.”

Passionate about mentorship and education, Soning is a trustee of JCoSS and sits on the Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors’ bursary scheme committee which has sponsored 30 young people from disadvantaged backgrounds through university and into real estate careers..

“I didn’t go to university and regret not having that extra education,” Soning admits. “But I want to open the doors for others. If a young person wants to get into the industry, I say come and see me and we’ll talk.”

Since inception, James Andrew has expanded internationally, participating in iconic developments such as Heron Tower, 461 Fifth Avenue in New York, and projects on the West Coast, as well as several ventures in Mexico, Japan, and across Europe, including Rios Rosas in Madrid. Projects closer to home include 14 Cornhill, Beaufort House and Central St Giles in London.

For Soning, real estate isn’t just a profession but a “fundamental part of human life”. He explains: “Second to food, property is the most important thing in our lives. It’s a roof over our heads, somewhere to shop, it’s hospitals, it’s logistics… it underpins human life.”

The industry has undergone seismic changes since Soning started, most notably due to technology and the mobile phone, which Soning notes “revolutionised communication and business operations” and while he welcomes technological advances and AI he says it cannot replace the art of conversation and value of face-to-face interactions.

“Real estate is a human business. Experience teaches you how to gauge people’s exact

Soning is also a Royal Air Force Museum ambassador, founding member of the Natural History Museum Foundation and a trustee of Youth Aliyah Child Rescue, which looks after ﬁve villages for youngsters in Israel and just celebrated its 90th anniversary. He is a member of Western Marble Arch Synagogue.

Optimistic about the UK’s future, he says: “We have the stability of a government for the next ﬁve years, compared to the uncertainties of war and political upheaval in other European and global countries. Good quality assets in major UK cities like Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and London remain highly valuable to international investors.”

With an illustrious career, a family legacy that includes wife Angela, four sons and 11 grandchildren, Soning has no plans to slow down. “I am lucky to have a supportive family and strong supportive team. Real estate is a great business, ﬁlled with great people. As long as I’m healthy, I’ll carry on. This is what I love.”

 www.jamesandrew.co.uk

Harvey Soning

MAKING SENSE OF THE SEDRA

In our thought-provoking series, rabbis, rebbetzins and educators relate the week’s parsha to the way we live today

BY MELANIE SHUTZ

PARTICIPANT ON UNITED SYNAGOGUE’S MA’ALEH HIGHER LEARNING PROGRAMME FOR WOMEN

The journey home

When ﬂying to Israel, I am struck by the balloons festooning the ceiling at Ben Gurion airport arrivals hall, evoking the sheer joy of welcoming a loved one into the folds of an embrace. Homecoming often goes hand in hand with a feeling of security. An abiding memory from taking school trips to Poland is seeing families waiting to collect their children on our return, relief and concern in equal measure on their faces; overjoyed to see their children safely home while wondering how they will cope with what they have seen and experienced.

“And Jacob settled (vayeishev) in the land of his father’s sojournings (me’gurei), in the Land of Canaan”

(Bereishit 37:1) – this week’s Torah reading of Vayeishev opens with a homecoming; the return of Jacob to the Land of Canaan (Israel), following a long exile and many struggles. He felt ready to settle down, having survived 20 years with his uncle Lavan and coped with the reunion with his brother Esau. On ﬁrst reading, the opening verse (above) seems to illustrate this; Jacob was indeed living in the land inhabited by his father Isaac, which had been promised to the Jewish people in the covenant with Abraham. Jacob was the next link in the chain, having also fathered the sons who would ensure covenantal continuity.

However, closer inspection reveals complexities. Immediately

after the statement that Jacob was settled, the second verse introduces Joseph, Jacob’s much-loved son and central ﬁgure in the well-known story of sibling rivalry, attempted murder and kidnap; this was a source of much grief and anxiety for Jacob, the very opposite of the tranquillity he sought. The language of the ﬁrst verse is

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also thought-provoking. The words vayeshev and megurei are used to indicate living but have very di erent meanings; shuv suggests dwelling in a permanent residence while gur conveys the idea of sojourning, wandering from place to place, again casting doubt over Jacob’s desire for a peaceful life.

The 11th-century Torah commentator Rashi o ers an explanation based on a Midrash. Jacob wished for a settled life in Canaan but at that moment, “the trouble came upon him”. Though righteous people seek tranquillity, God says: “Are the righteous not satisﬁed with what awaits them in the world to come that they expect to live at ease in this world too?”

This teaching does not suggest good people are not entitled to tranquillity; the ﬁnal 17 years of Jacob’s life were spent in spiritual peace in Egypt, reunited with Joseph who had reconciled with his brothers. The Midrash suggests Jacob was not yet ready to settle down; his mission in

life was not complete and there were further challenges to be overcome.

Our forefathers are described as wanderers (sojourners), not settlers, referred to as “walking with God”.

The 19th-century chasidic rabbi the Sfat Emet has a beautiful idea on this: “Man is deﬁned by his walking, and indeed man must always move up, level by level. One must always aim to extract oneself from habit, from the state of the normal.”

Sojourning can be seen as travelling, growing and progressing. Sometimes a settled life can become one of complacency or compromise, routine a barrier to self-improvement and the path towards our true goal in life is not always straightforward. This idea is extremely challenging, as we all value a life of comfort and want to feel we have reached our goal and rest.

At the same time, we face pressures and demands on our physical and mental wellbeing. But perhaps it is only through challenging ourselves that we can ﬁnd the lasting peace and fulﬁlment that comes from realising our true potential.

4:30 PM

Ben Gurion airport

Progressive Judaism

LEAP OF FAITH

BY RABBI MIRIAM BERGER FOUNDER OF WELLSPRING UK

Lighten the loneliness

Feeling alone isn’t easy. I say “feeling” alone because some people are at their most lonely among others, while others are physically on their own.

This time of year can often be challenging, not because most of us are in the throes of elaborate Christmas celebrations but because wherever you look there are depictions of happy families sitting down to cosy, festive meals.

These images and the chatter about how to cater for the once-a-year feast leave many of us bewildered and smug, thinking it’s nothing more than a guntza Friday-night dinner, something we might rustle up weekly for twice as many hungry, tired relatives

than the average household hosts on 25 December. Yet for many this period is an interminably long bank holiday, and the loneliness and isolation can feel unbearable.

The dark, cold days might be peaceful and relaxing for some, but for those not choosing to be alone it can feel physically painful. Many people manage to control their propensity towards depression or anxiety by routine and structures. Take that away and this is often the time they struggle most. So, what can we do?

Don’t make assumptions – don’t assume everyone else has scheduled fun woven into every day with relatives they adore being with. It isn’t how the world is nor how families are. Not only are many families spread around the globe but if we scratch beneath the surface, not all families are happy ones – far from it. So don’t be afraid to ask people if you can join

A stimulating

series where our progressive rabbis consider

Judaism in the face of 21st-century issues

their family gatherings – you might even be doing them a favour.

Judaism is 365 days a year – it doesn’t stop for bank holidays and the beautiful timing of Chanukah this year means there is no time o for the Jewish professional. Find candle lightings near you, get to JW3’s panto or Limmud. Throw yourself into your Judaism – attend Shabbat services and daily minyanim in person or online to feel a sense of community around you. Even if you are on your own, light your Chanukah candles and

use the light to bring joy and connection into your life. If it feels strange to sing the blessings alone, ﬁnd a candle lighting online to join. Use those lights to think about what brings the light and joy into your darkness and connect yourself with generations past and those yet to come.

Think about what you need to make this time easier. Find reasons to make yourself go outdoors. Consider a voluntary role with JVN to give yourself a sense of purpose; reach out to someone you have been meaning to reconnect with.

In Pirkei Avot, Rabbi Hillel says: “Do not separate yourself from the community.” He knew the community needs us as much as we need the community. Be the light in someone else’s darkness this Chanukah – while turning up might be exactly what you need, it’s most likely what they need from you too.

Antiques Buyers

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All Antiques considered. Full house clearances organised. Very high prices paid, free home visits.

Check our website for more details www.antiquesbuyers.co.uk

Email: info@antiquesbuyers.co.uk

Please call Sue Davis on Freephone: 08008402035 WhatsApp Mobile: 07956268290

Portobello Rd London. By appointments only.

Please note rather than acting as agents for other organisations and charging you commission. Please be assured that in dealing with Antiques Buyers we deal directly with our clients and pay in full at the time of the transaction.

Even if you are alone, light your Chanukah candles to bring joy to your life

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

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• Member of Chartered Insurance Institute

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HUMAN RESOURCES / EMPLOYMENT LAW

DONNA OBSTFELD

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• 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

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ACCOUNTANT

ADAM SHELLEY

Qualifications:

• FCCA chartered certified accountant

• Accounting, taxation and business advisory services

• Entrepreneurial business specialist including start-up businesses

• Specialises in social media influencers and sport sector including tax planning and financial management

• 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

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Experts

ISRAEL PROPERTY & MORTGAGE BROKER

ILAN RUBINSTEIN

Qualifications:

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• 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

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

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DIRECTOR OF LEGACIES

CAROLYN ADDLEMAN

Qualifications:

• 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

REMOVALS MANAGING DIRECTOR

STEPHEN MORRIS

Qualifications:

• Managing director of Stephen Morris Shipping Ltd

• 45 years’ experience in shipping household and personal effects

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

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

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

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

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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

• Works with clients individually to maximise success

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SUE CIPIN OBE

Qualifications:

• 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

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

HOUSE CLEARANCE

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)

- e-mail -

@maryleboneantiques.co.uk

YOU CONTACT US BEFORE SELLING

ARTICLES WANTED

CHARITY & WELFARE

Dave & Eve House Clearance

Friendly Family Company established for 30 years

Sell your gold Jewellery for cash BEST

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.

ARE YOU BEREAVED?

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

07438 954144 LAW MENTOR LAW MENTOR

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

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

patio and garden. For further details and application forms, please contact Westlon Housing Association on

LAW MENTOR

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

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

•

Kaifeng is open over the public holidays

As usual, we are open for all of the bank holidays. Full Restaurant and Take Away service on the 24th, 25th, 26th, 31st December and 1st January.

25th December

We have such high demand on this day, that we will be having two lunch sittings to avoid disappointment. First sitting 12- 2pm, second sitting 2.30 - 4.30pm. Dinner will commence at 5.30pm.

31st December

We are operating our full Take Away service (please book ahead of the day) and creating a major banquet and party in the restaurant from 9.15pm to welcome in 2025, with live music from the wonderful L A Webber Trio.

Kaifeng Gift Vouchers

Our vouchers can be ordered for any value and are the gift of taste.

The exclusive, limited edition Kaifeng baseball cap makes a headline Chanukah present.

Take Away

Just call us on 020 8203 7888 to arrange your collection or delivery. Please book your orders for 31st December before the day to avoid disappointment.

Our full Take Away menu is at www.kaifeng.co.uk

The Place for a Simcha

Glatt Kosher Le Mahadrin under the strict supervision of the London Beth Din and Rabbi Akiva Osher Padwa

CELEBRATING 75. REMEMBERING 7.10

On Monday 25th November, Magen David Adom UK hosted its 75th Anniversary Dinner at The Landmark London. With over 400 guests in attendance, the event was a resounding success in no small part thanks to MDA UK’s incredible and generous supporters.

Keynote speaker Ambassador Gilad Erdan, former Israeli Ambassador to the US and UN and the new Global President of Magen David Adom, spoke about his time in New York and how he became the voice for the 7.10 victims and Israel’s right to defend itself at the UN. He told the enthusiastic audience, “MDA is the national emergency service and the backbone of Israel.” He reiterated that, “MDA will always be on the frontlines, acting selﬂ essly and with bravery. And we will continue to safeguard lives in Israel.”

It was also an honour to be joined by 2024 Israeli Olympic gold medallist, Tom Reuveny, who took us through his rollercoaster journey leading up to and including this year’s Paris Olympics. “I had a great sense of pride in representing the people of Israel. Winning the gold at the Olympics was a victory for everyone and was the best reply to the hate. It was important not only for Israel as a nation but also for the Jewish people around the world.”

Tributes were also paid to the Magen David Adom heroes who responded to the atrocities on 7th October. Guests were honoured to hear the stories of volunteer Liat Smadja, dispatcher Ronit Glaser and paramedic Lior Levi, all of whom told how the devastation of 7th October had impacted their lives.

Daniel Burger, Chief Executive of MDA UK spoke about the signiﬁcance of MDA UK turning 75 and the plans ahead for its continued success.

“It’s an incredible privilege to address so many of our generous donors, many of whom have given ambulances, bloodmobiles, equipment and funds. We couldn't do what we do without your support.”

He closed by saying, “We are proud to be celebrating 75 years of Magen David Adom UK and 93 years of MDA in Israel. We look forward to the continuous success of this life-saving organisation.”

Guests were entertained throughout the night by DJ Ben Sadeh. Ben had been a DJ at the Nova Festival and his incredible story of survival was featured in the BBC Storyville's, “We Will Dance Again”. Long a er the last plate was cleared, guests danced to Ben’s trademark set.

Following the London event, Manchester MDA held their own event at which Tom Reuveny was once again the star of the evening.

Eyal and Sharon Eshel spoke bravely of their heartbreak at the murder of their 19-year-old daughter, Roni, on October 7th and how they are tirelessly campaigning for accountability and the truth. It was a powerful and moving evening and the funds raised will be going directly to the Makor Haim renovation project in Israel, which Manchester MDA is spearheading.

Magen David Adom has been at the forefront of saving lives since 1930 (even before the State of Israel was born) and MDA UK has been a pillar of support to this life-saving organisation for the last 75 years. Together with our remarkable community, we have been privileged to have contributed substantially, enabling MDA in Israel to continue saving more lives, even through these most di cult of times.

Israeli 2024 Olympic Gold Medallist, Tom Reuveny - The Landmark London

Ronit Glaser, MDA Israel; Daniel Burger, MDA UK; Shlomit and Ambassador Gilad Erdan; Russell Jacobs, MDA UK; Ilan Klein, MDA Israel - The Landmark London

Daniel Burger, Chief Executive of MDA UK at The Landmark London

Nova Festival survivor, Noam Ben David gives a heartfelt performance at The Landmark London

Ruth Taube, Sharon Hart, Sharon and Eyal Esher - Manchester

Ambassador Gilad Erdan, former Israeli Ambassador to the US and UN and the new Global President of Magen David Adom - The Landmark London

OUR DONORS' DEDICATIONS

The ongoing war against Israel did not stop MDA UK supporters from dedicating critical life-saving vehicles including MICUs, Medicycles, Ambulances and First Responder Cars.

Jake Marlowe z”l, a former JFS pupil and member of BBYO, made aliyah in 2021. He lived in the northern city of Ma’alot, working as a carpenter.

On October 7th, when Hamas invaded the Nova Music Festival and began indiscriminately shooting into the crowd, Jake was working as a security guard, with his close friend, Aviv Eliyahu z”l, the Director of Security at the time. Whilst trying to save and protect the innocent

HONOURING JAKE MARLOWE Z"L

partygoers under ﬁre, both Jake and Aviv were murdered. At the same time, Jake's best friend Shlomi Ziv was taken into captivity and rescued 246 days later.

On October 8th 2024, the Magen David Adom UK Memorial Mission to Israel visited the Nova Festival site. There they were met by Lisa and Michael Marlowe, Jake's parents. They dedicated a new ambulance in memory of their beloved son Jake and his friend Aviv.

Whilst standing by his son’s memorial, Michael spoke to the group about the signiﬁcance of the ambulance dedication. “We ﬁnd ourselves at a loss of words when it comes to the dedication of this ambulance in the names of Jake and Aviv. We have made incredible friends with MDA UK, special people who have shown nothing but kindness. This ambulance stands as a testament to the goodness and resilience of this great land of ours. We know in times of need it will save lives just as Jake and Aviv would have wanted.”

Alan Bick - Electric Micro-Ambulance

Batya and Barry Segal of The Joseph Storehouse Trust donated an ambulance with Vision for Israel. They also donated a MICU with METV

Judy Saphra – MICU in memory of MDA Paramedic Aharon Chaimov z”l

2 x Ambulances – donated by Alan and Elizabeth Gershon

David and Hillary Grunwerg - Ambulance

MICU donated by Robin Samra, Robert Dangoor and Eric Dangoor

Alan Webber - Ambulance

Ambulance in memory of Alan French z”l - donated by Helen French and Family

Marking Norman Rosenbaum’s 90th Birthday - First Responder Community Car

MDA Maidenhead Committee - Medicycle

The JC crowdfunded Medicycle

Manchester MDA – Team Bloodmobile

KC Shasha Charitable Foundation - Ambulance

Cockfosters N Southgate, Barnet Synagogue and JFS - First Response Community Car in memory of Nathanel Young z"l

Anonymous - MICU

Ambulance in memory of Jake Marlowe z"l and Aviv Eliyahu z"l

Denise and Malcolm Friend - MICU