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ME SS AG E TO TH E HU
MA NE WO RL D
n told As London Mayor Sadiq Kha amas has raped to death the ldn’t be difficult shou it , week this us young and livestreamed the at all, to condemn has for anyone, anyone murder of the old. Hamas n barbarism – not uma subh , ieval med as has cut the heads off babies. Ham – while still ISIS by ted inflic even Don’t you kidnapped tiny children. cause. supporting the Palestinian . Dare You. ’t. Don . away dare look tative of icly Hamas is not represen publ will it ts boas as Now Ham out, Muslims or Islam. Speak some execute the kidnapped. Yet to. Now. publicly, and urge others s selve them ider people who cons humanity. For the sake of your own bad the is l Israe k moral still thin British Jews will be guy? Some people forever grateful that who have spent their the prime minister and ’d lives imagining they senior politicians have t have been on the righ stood with us in this ll side of the Holocaust. hour. We will forever reca est dark our n whe But where are they now ic buildings were lit up in icon how in red children are being slaughte flag and the the colours of the Israeli Nazis? numbers not seen since the Canterbury spoke of op bish Arch who Where are the celebrities forever in such clear terms. We will wagon on love to jump on the band mpromising unco the er emb rem Where every fashionable cause? ia’s biggest stance of some of the med tion to is the music industry’s reac But… es. nam d ehol hous val that t the horrors at a music festi To all who have stayed silen Why became a slaughterhouse? draw loathsome to ht soug or – word are media outlets using the auding false equivalence – as mar rs? Amit Shani, 16 Ariel Bibas, tant4 ’ to describe baby kille ‘mili ths butcher Jews, ask psychopa Avigail Idan, 3 clear Aviv Katz Asher, 2 the is hell the re are you? And whe yourself: Who are you? Who groups? revulsion from other faith
H
19 October 2023
Dafna Elyakin, 14
Eitan Yahalomi, 12
Ela Elyakim, 8
NEWSPAPER O
• 4 Cheshvan 5784
F THE YEAR
• Issue 1337
Ema Konio, 3
Emilia Aloni, 5
Erez Kalderon, 12
Look at these fa ces Itay Regev, 18
Kfir Bibas, 9 months
Liri Albag, 18
Mia Leimberg, 17
Mika Angel, 18
Natalie Raanan, 17
#BringThemBack campai
gn keeps children kid napped by Hamas in the hearts and minds of the wor ld
Nave Shoham, 8
9
Noya Dan, 13
Or Yaakov, 17
Noya Sharabi, 16
Oria Brodutch, 4
Raz Katz Asher, 4
ar Un e it st ed ro w n e ge r
Ohad Zachri Monder,
Noam Avigdori, 12
Tchelet Fishbein, 18
Yagil Yaakov, 13
Yuly Konio, 3
Yuval Angel, 11
Ofir Engel, 17
Ofry Brodutch, 10
Sahar Kalderon, 16
Tamir Nimrodi, 19
Yuval Brodutch, 8
• Broken more than 20 stories picked up by the national media, including the Guardian
R OF THE YEA
Issue No.1338 •
Jewish News filmed these heartless morons on Tuesday night in central London, ripping apart posters of Jewish children kidnapped by Hamas terrorists
• 18 Cheshva n 5784 • Issue
later The Metropolitan Police terrorists online but being held by Hamas said it had seen our footage inside the Gaza Strip. ed a criminal offence. removing had not identifi tion from Asked to why they were But there was condemna d by posters of people “kidnappe voices, including from females other senior the of one , Badenoch of the two terrorists” Equalities Minister Kemi These are the faces ripping to criticism of her actions men filmed responded who criticised “odious people women and the two love human life.” missing children”, in down by saying: “I do pro- down posters of by Jewish News tearing But one of the males then Leicester a House of Commons speech. 6 posters in London’s destroy further posters Continued on page put up to ceeded to Square that had been added glee. apparent with still raise awareness of hostages @JewishNewsUK
‘The entire Middle East nearly exploded because of BBC disinformation’
Mick Davis Set the Brigit mGrant free What wou ld ‘We struggle because tangible, the hate isFiftee en even from people we respect’ coun know and tries Page 23
take part in Jewish News’ Balloons of Hope Page 43
Page 12
No.1339 •
@Jewish NewsUK
Pride in the face of prejudice
‘We cannot leave Gaza
to fester in a status Sacks thin where only the quo k?
terrorists have Light from late Page 14 rabbi’s words P30
Magen David sales are soarin g, with shops struggling to meet the demand. Shul attendances are also up. We might be grappling with despair, but we are also embra cing a deep sense of communal identity. Now is the time for us to stand unapologetically tall as British Jews
1,000 new volunteers for CST since 7 October
See page 8
Community members ans wer the
A CST volunteer on
duty
after 7 October;
by Adam Decker s.co.uk editorial@jewishnew
VOICE OF TH E JEWISH CO MMUNITY
2 Novemb er 2023
• Gifted £15,000-worth of free advertising to Israel-related good causes in the issue immediately
WATCH THE SICKENING VIDEO SEEN BY MORE THA N THREE MIL LION PEOPLE ON TWITTER @JEWISHNE WSUK
Josh Glancy
Expert analysis on the Gaza conflict from our community’s sharpest writers
whistleblower, the resignation of the Football Association’s faith group rabbi, the sacking of the head of OFCOM’s complaints unit, a London borough cancelling Chanukah and the first joint letter by imams condemning Hamas;
@Jewish NewsUK
Photo by Blake Ezra
a Un re i st te ro d w n e g e r
11 Cheshva n 5784 •
SINCE 7 OCTOBER, we, as a community, have been forced to confront the grave extent of the threats faced by our brothers and sisters here in the UK, in Israel and around the world. These past two traumatic months have demonstrated like never before how British Jews depend on Jewish News to stand up and speak out for the Jewish community and its treasured institutions. Jewish News has been there for our community during every day of this unspeakable ordeal. Now, for the first time, we are asking the community to be there for us. On Wednesday 13 December we’re launching a 72-hour crowdfunding campaign, to enable us to continue being far more than just a newspaper. Your donation to Jewish News’ owner The Jacob Foundation – a registered UK charity promoting cohesion between the Jewish community and wider society – will provide the means for us to strengthen and expand our vital work. We’ve never attempted this kind of fundraising before, but then we’ve never endured such difficult days – days that have, and we make no bones about it, pushed the Jewish News team to its limits. SINCE 7 OCTOBER JEWISH NEWS HAS: • Made more than 120 national media appearances on the BBC, Sky News, ITV, LBC, Times Radio, Talk TV and GB News;
and peace Israel Together for 50+ pages call in Trafalgar Square to 10,000 people unite of repo sed rtsPages 16-17 relea for the hostages to be and analysis inside
Hamas’ us eful i d i ot s
ER Y NEWSPAP FREE WEEKL 26 October 2023 •
Jewish News is launching a 72-hour crowdfunding campaign on 13 December
call to keep us safe
A surge of communal solidarity lowing the 7 October atrocitie fol- that people did after October 7.” In just over three weeks, s has Rich said that everyone CST has inspired 1,000 new was being recorded more Campaign Against Antisemit recruits and interview antisemitic incidents ism ed and vetted, but returning volunteers has also seen a big rise in that than the 803 reported to step up to some people volunteers. A in the first six spokesper were already on training support the Commun son said: “We have already ity Security courses, months in this year. run by CST. He expected Trust (CST), writes Jenni hosted two fast-track that Frazer. Tell Mama, meanwhile, the recruitment it would take a few weeks com- events and plan The security organisation’s before every munity to host further events head of one of the new organisation monitorin policy, Dave Rich, told volunteer g to accommodate for s was pro- Islamoph Jewish News. cessed the vast number obia that the CST helped and trained. “This is a fantastic response. of sign-ups. to set up, has documen At the The CST’s latest figures ted 400 antimoment we have 2,500 “People are feeling a sense show Muslim cases in trained vol- that between of helpthe past three weeks. the 7 October terrorist unteers nationwide, so lessness and one of our this is going attacks Rich said the CST and priorities as a and 31 October, there were Tell Mama charity and to make a massive diff at representatives frequentl grassroots organisation erence to our least 893 antisemitic incidents across y took part has always work. It says a lot for our been in the same meetings to train and empower community the UK — with police. our volunteer the highest figure reported that this was one of the s to help the Jewish “But aside from that, there first things across a 25-day are period. sonal contacts. We are friends.” per- community however they can.” • PM pledge: ‘I’ll keep
you safe’, p20
• Coordinated the first media event with UK families of the kidnapped; organised a global ‘Bring
Them Home balloon release in 20 cities worldwide; led a collaboration between 30 Jewish media outlets around the world to publish a joint editorial on how Jewish communities are feeling; arranged screenings of 7 October Hamas footage for specific groups and high-profile individuals; supported Israeli restaurateurs in London as they face a dramatic fall in revenue;
• Become the unrivalled home of original global Jewish video content with 113,000 followers on TikTok.
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Beyond the war in Gaza and its aftermath, there is much for Jewish News to focus on and campaign about right here on our doorstep. These issues include communal intolerance between the left and right; mental health and domestic abuse awareness; online extremism and campus antisemitism; the legacy of our Holocaust survivors; the worrying fall in synagogue membership; furthering ties with the growing Charedi community; addressing youth disengagement with Israel and the diaspora’s relationship with the Jewish state; reinforcing Jewish-Muslim ties; highlighting the plight of chained Orthodox women and safeguarding faith schools, shechita and brit milah. Your crucial crowdfunding support will enable us to bolster our community at a time when our togetherness is more crucial than ever. Jewish News is a community service. Every day it goes where no other communal media has gone before to defend and celebrate Jewish life in Britain.
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ar Un e it st ed ro w n e ge r
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MMUNITY E JEWISH CO VOICE OF TH @Jewish NewsUK • n 5784 • Issue No.1340
9 Novemb er 2023 •
25 Cheshva
Great British soldiers of the Three unidentified to right) were corporal, War. Their ranks (left corporal signaller and lance
1914-1918
Oct-Nov 2023
Sgt Adi Survivor’s Danan story
16 November 2023
Staff Sgt Roei Dawi
Kidnapped by Hamas and lucky to be alive Pages 16-17
Staff Sgt
• 3 Kislev 5784 • Issue Halel 1341 Solomon
Eliminating evil
Dennis Ross’ three-point plan to get rid of Hamas Pages 8-9
ber them We will remem citizens Free Weekly Newspape
r Of The Year
A question to our fellow
…
Will you stay silent in the face of this? ur those who made the This weekend we hono
Men dressed as Hamas
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An obscene sign comparin g Gaza to Auschwitz at a rally
ar Un e it st ed ro w n e ge r
E OF THE JEW
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SEE PAGE 27 FOR FULL DETAILS
ISH COMMUN
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‘Jew die’ on a car window
Survivor and his IDF soldier son P8
10 Kislev 5784 • Issue
No.1342 •
@Jewish NewsUK
Her name is…
37 41
Wear yours with pride this Sunday Page 5
Wait of the world...
23 Novemb er 2023 •
24
Comedy in crisis
Women wearing paraglide r pictures
If the sight of intolerable Jew hate on our nation’s streets off ends your British values, the Jew ish community implores you to stand up and be counted at a march against anti semitism in ration London on 26 Novemb er See insideGene to generation Antisemitism
COME AND SUPPORT THE MARC BY SIDE AT THE AJEX REMEMBRAHERS SIDE PARADE & CEREMONY THIS SUNDAYNCE
PROUD VOIC
terrorists
INSIDE ultimate sacrifice – SEE
I NSIDE Winter 2023/24
“Everyone has an opinion about your religion and the way you live your life”
57
Starting up from sorrow
g last month in Berlin Roger Waters performin
s are on list of families hope loved one Home at last? Desperate to be freed by Hamas during ceasefire set 50 women and children Israeli jails, Palestinian prisoners from ian aid as well as an increase in humanitar and fuel to Gaza. published a Israel’s Justice Ministry and chilthe names of with The release of 50 women morning Gaza could list yesterday are candidren held hostage in Palestinian prisoners who 300 and Israel begin within hours after to a pris- dates for release. is 14 and the terror group Hamas agreed The youngest on the list ceasefire. oner swap and four-day female aged 59. Their crimes after eight oldest is a The deal was announced attempted manslaughter in Israel’s war range from cocktails and hours of marathon meetings to throwing Molotov t. governmen and cabinet cabinet, security attacking police officers. release of some 150 It includes theWe’re a
a Un re i st te ro d w n e g e r
Israel by Jotam Confino in jotam@jewishnews.co.uk
Let in the light ‘I feel pain of
Anguish: A parent waits
CE OF THE
JEWISH CO
• 17 Kislev 5784 • Issue
MMUNITY
United No.134 3 •
Yoni Asher hugs his wife Doron and daughte rs Raz and Aviv
@Jewis hNews UK
magazine next week. Chanukah issue of Life will reflect on 60 days since 7 October
LI FE Winter 2023/24
Let there Your magazine.
the hostages’
Nazanin ZaghariRadcliffe Page 29
Our people.
100,000 at lar largges estt protest againstt antisemitism since Cable Street
Yagel and Or Yaakov with mother Renana
her family Agam Goldstein-Almog embraces her uncle Yair
Eitan Yahalomi with his mother, Bathseva
Avigail Edan with
Reunited
Ada Sagi with her son Noam uncle and aunt, Amit
and Tal
Emily Hand with her father Thomas
Tearful reunions as hostages are freed
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PROUD VOI 30 Novem ber 2023
Danielle Aloni hugs
the of the prime minister and Jewish News decision the An Israeli minister told t to move forward with ns expected governmen that some of the Palestinia deal to release hostages”. of Hamas. ethical duty to be released are members “This is a moral and to come the Jewish and The ceasefire was scheduled expresses correctly that giving the freedom of into effect at 10am on Thursday, Israeli value of securing to chance a deal it the that the hope Israelis opposed to those held captive, with Court. the file a petition with the Supreme first step in returning all by President will be the The deal was welcomed home,” Herzog added. the reservations hostages welcomed Isaac Herzog, who said The United States also dunderstan “are Qatar by among some Israelis the deal, which was brokered but given the 2 able, painful, and difficult, Continued on page support the circumstances I back and
and opinion from
Israel – see inside
Editor’s letter When we started planning this Life magazine the world was a very different place. The horrific events of October 7 changed everything and what should have been a sweet and joy-filled Chanukah issue is now a tragic reminder of what took place in Israel ... and indeed what is still happening in Israel, as families mourn the loss of loved ones, wait for stolen relatives to be returned or simply try to cope with the reality of a country changed forever. Within this Life we have stories about the atrocities and profiles of those who survived them and now show huge courage and initiative, such as grieving father Izhar Shay. We are most grateful to Israeli photographer Tomer Ifrah for documenting the aftermath of the tragedy with such a human lens. We are also pleased to feature the valuable opinion of Josh Glancy on the future of British Jewry, which matters to us all, as the attendance at the march on November 26 showed. As always, we highlight the films, events and talent we enjoy and we hope that the message on our cover, so exquisitely portrayed by artist Yossi Rosenstein, brings the light we need to all our lives.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
IT’S ALL NEW COMING TO YOU A SNAPSHOT OF THE EXCITING THEATRE, BOOKS, BEAUTY AND FASHION PIECES YOU CAN ENJOY THIS WINTER
What a Wonka
After furiously or possibly happily dieting, Matt Lucas has been tested in his latest role as Willy Wonka’s rival, Gerald Prodnose, a ruthless partner in a chocolate cartel. Indeed there was a steady supply of chocolate on the set of Wonka, which is December’s big movie musical, and its star Timothée Chalamet struggled to resist the concoctions created by Welsh-Italian chocolatier Gabriella Cugno. Timothée, raised in New York by his Jewish mother Nicole Flender and French pa Marc, also had to swim in an enormous vat of hot – not scalding – chocolate for the film and did not request a rubber ring. Paddington director Paul King wanted only the Call Me By Your Name star to play young Wonka and especially after seeing him sing and dance in his high school musical performances Matt Lucas as Gerald Prodnose on YouTube. Despite all the agile movement required for the role, Timothée has since revealed that he ate “too much chocolate” and often had “stomach aches” on set. There has been no mention of how much Matt consumed, but when the star of Little Britain (which is back on BBC iPlayer) joined The Great British Bake Off as host, he ate all 12 contestants’ bakes on the first day of filming. As tempting as Wonka bars are, only Hugh Grant became an Oompa Loompa. Wonka opens on 15 December Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka
Judy� Judy Judy Cary Grant never actually said those words in any of his 42 films but, for a generation, any mimic who summoned the British-born movie star would repeat that name. Jason Isaacs doesn’t mimic the actor born Archibald Leach, he is him in Archie, the four-part ITV mini-series. The charming Jewish actor was set to be Life’s cover star but, with family in Israel, there was only one thing for him to focus on. No doubt awards will be mooted for his portrayal of Grant, though he should have one for his performance as the bereaved father in Fran Kanz’s Mass (Sky/ Amazon Prime). Mazeltov Jason!
PRETTY THINGS
Israeli jewellery designer Hila brings out new handmade designs almost every day, much to the delight of fans, who flock to her store on Tel Aviv’s vibrant Shenkin Street. Crafted with precision, her jewellery collections boast delicate gold plating and CZ elements, featuring a diverse range of inscribed maps of Israel, prayers, hamsas, evil eyes and chai motifs. They work as a standalone piece or are elegantly paired with other charms so you can personalise your stack. For international customers, Hila offers a personalised consultation through Instagram and she is donating a portion of proceeds from sales to displaced families in the south of Israel. @hila.sade.design
Hila’s judaica jewellery on display on Shenkin Street
LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 7
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Film Fear
of their lives and the horror that lived next door,” says the 58-year-old Jewish film-maker, who The Zone of Interest won the Grand Prix at Cannes for this film. Interessengebiet in German is “I wanted to capture the contrast between the term the Nazi SS used to somebody pouring a cup of coffee in their describe the 40-sq-kilometre area kitchen and somebody being murdered on immediately surrounding Auschwitz the other side of the wall.” concentration camp. In 2014, the In preparation over three years, Glazer, late author Martin Amis used the who is a trustee of The Wiener Holocaust phrase as the title for his novel set in Library, immersed himself in archival material and around the camp and, after intense at the Auschwitz and Birkenau State Museum and thought, writer-director Jonathan Glazer Jonathan Glazer Memorial, going through thousands of victim and survivor of Sexy Beast fame adapted it into a film. “It testimonies to find anything about Höss and his family . was about creating an arena,” says Glazer, whose production The horror revealed in this research is only fleeting in the film, a process involved building and shooting the film in Poland. conscious decision by Glazer, who, despite his use of terrifying There, he utilised a network of surveillance-style cameras visuals in Under the Skin, was “thinking about horror and genre to capture the life of the Auschwitz commandant Rudolf and all the awful things this movie could become”. He adds: Höss, widely acknowledged as one of the architects of mass “I don’t have the stomach to make a movie like that. So we extermination. “I started reading about how Höss and his wife stayed on one side of the wall.” Hedwig lived at Auschwitz, right on the corner of the plot. It The Zone of Interest opens on 2 February became about the wall for me... the compartmentalisation
Jonathan Glazer in The Zone of Interest
Perfectly imperfect
In the right key The White Keys is a tight-knit musical family, comprising some of some of London’s most highly-acclaimed session musicians and
“Painting doesn’t have to be perfect! It’s okay to draw outside of the lines,” says South African-born Adrienne Konviser of Art Hub, who brings people together in her Mill Hill garden studio to paint in their own style without the intense pressure of comparison. “I believe every person has the capability to create in one way or another and it’s okay to make mistakes,” she says. The syllabus allows adults and children to truly let go and paint or draw with no experience, with children learning a variety of skills along the way. “I love to observe how they express themselves and their emotions,” says Adrienne, who is thrilled that Art Hub has inadvertently become an integral part of so many children’s mental health journeys. As well as offering corporate team-building sessions, her family sessions are about bonding and give parents what they can often only dream of: screen-free time. Adrienne’s sessions are popular with influencers such as presenter Olivia Wayne, TV personality Kate Lawler and We Are Twinset’s Philippa Bloom and she curates a wonderful space where the mind stops, breathing slows and the body calms down. Something everyone can benefit from at all times, but definitely now. Debbie Collins arthubldn.com / @arthubldn
vocalists. Established as a band in 2009, it performs all over the world to 40,000 football fans each night for two weeks. There is a 14-piece
Not Just Doughnuts
show band, or a more compact and totally bespoke DJ LIVE unit,
way to celebrate Chanukah, and with bubbles preferably. Koenig
so The White Keys can cover all musical requirements from drinks
Crémant Brut is a sparkling wine made in the same method as
receptions and chuppahs to the main event. Renowned for high
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octane, interactive performances, the band works with top chazans and closely with each client to collaborate on a personalised vision
And not just latkes and menorahs either. Wine is the grown-up
perfect with latkes! If you’re tucking in to a traditional brisket, the powerful, bold, fruit-forward Jezreel Argaman is suitably rich and layered. For the finale of a festive meal? A great Sauternes
for each event. The White Keys has announced a recent expansion to
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thewhitekeys.co.uk
mango, marzipan and hazelnuts, it has plenty of mouth-watering acidity to cut through a fried doughnut. Many doughnuts in fact. Available at kosher supermarkets and online sites
8 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk
For intelligent reads, look no further Alex Galbinski picks out the best new titles to boost your bookshelf over the long winter Tomorrow’s Here Today: Lightning Seeds, Football and Cosmic Post-Punk by Ian Broudie
From recording the psychedelic pop of his band the Lightning Seeds to producing bands like Echo & the Bunnymen and The Fall, Ian Broudie has journeyed from the energy of the 1970s punk scene to the madness of ’90s indie and out the other side. Broudie, who grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family in Liverpool, reveals what he has learnt about creativity and how to work with musicians touched by genius. He also shares how, along with comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner, he wrote and recorded the charttopping single Three Lions. Published by Bonnier Books Ltd, £22 (hardback)
Amos Oz: Writer, Activist, Icon by Robert Alter
Amos Oz, the award-winning and prolific Israeli writer and activist, penned dozens of novels, essay collections and novellas between 1965 and shortly before his death in 2018. In this first published biography of him, literary critic and biblical scholar Robert Alter explores Oz’s relationship with his family, beginning with the suicide of his mother, Fania Klausner, when he was 12, and goes on to review his time in Kibbutz Hulda, which he entered at 14 after his separation from his father, Arieh Klausner; his family’s right-wing Zionism; his writing career; his activism in support of a pluralistic Israel and his work as an international lecturer. Published by Yale University Press, £16.99 (hardback)
Eight Bright Lights
by Sara Gibbs Eight days before the wedding, when Hannah’s estranged father dies, she goes from south Devon to Tel Aviv. With only her insufferable – yet irritatingly sexy – host for company, can she pick up the pieces of her father’s life and make it home in time for her cousin’s wedding? Four days pre-wedding, Rachel is more preoccupied with securing her dream fashion magazine writing job. But when an article unlocks a family secret, will her Christmas wedding become more complicated? The night before, wedding planner Ella had not thought to spontaneously quit her job or burn bridges with her terrifying boss. How will she pull this wedding together, when everything else is falling apart? Headline Review, £9.99 (paperback)
The Matchmaker’s Gift
by Lynda Cohen Loigman Even as a child in 1910 in New York’s Lower East Side, Sara Glikman knows her gift: she is a maker of matches and a seeker of soulmates. But her vocation is dominated by devout older men who see a talented female matchmaker as a dangerous threat to their traditions and livelihood. Two generations later, Abby, a divorce attorney, inherits her beloved grandmother Sara’s collection of handwritten journals recording her matches but finds more questions than answers. Why did Sara leave this library to her and what did she hope Abby would discover? Is Abby willing to sacrifice the career she’s worked so hard for in order to keep her grandmother’s mysterious promise to a stranger? Published by Griffin, £12.99 (paperback)
ISRAEL MISSION
If you are looking to make a difference for Israel this Chanukah (and beyond) then join We Believe in Israel (WBII) a nationwide network of more than 28,000 pro-Israel activists. Immediately after news broke about the Hamas atrocities, WBII, led by director Luke Akehurst, swung into action with a statement supporters could sign and social media explanations of what Israel was dealing with. Since then, WBII has lobbied parliamentarians to ensure their ongoing support for Israel, organised factual briefings for activists, monitored the British media for biased and inaccurate reporting and published guides on effective campaigning. The tiny team belies the power of its impact thanks to a very large list of email volunteers. WBII’s philosophy is that in a democracy the voices of ordinary citizens who care about Israel is what will carry weight with decision-makers and keep the UK in a supportive stance. webelieveinisrael.org.uk
Ready to Rock ‘n’ Roll After Leopoldstadt, the need for another Tom Stoppard play was obvious, hence the opening of Rock ‘n’ Roll at Hampstead Theatre. The acclaimed work explores the themes of liberty, rebellion and identity through the lens of rock music and its impact on the political and cultural landscape of both England and Czechoslovakia from 1968 to 1990. It’s a moving tribute to the power of music and its impact on the human spirit that has as its lead the fabulous actor Jacob FortuneLloyd (below) – be sure to catch him in Netflix’s Bodies. Directed by multi-award winner Nina Raine. Rock ‘n’ Roll runs from 13 December until 27 January
Safe and sound When you’re planning a special event there is a lot to think about and security should be on the list. A professional, experienced company such as Sec Tech UK will craft a comprehensive and effective security plan with a combination of uniformed and undercover personnel strategically positioned to ensure the event runs like a Swiss watch. It will handle any concerns that emerge while maintaining a low profile to preserve the happy, celebratory atmosphere. Sec Tech UK will liaise with event organisers, venue staff and local law enforcement to ensure an effective and co-ordinated response in case of an incident. Professional event security goes beyond physical protection; it grants hosts and guests peace of mind, allowing them to cherish life’s magical moments without fear and ensuring they are remembered for all the right reasons. sectech-uk.com LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 9
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RED ALERT It’s Chanukah, festival of light, and Little Red Riding Hood’s village is in need of new affordable energy. Will Red bring home the bacon? Writer and lyricist Nick Cassenbaum explains the inspiration and story of JW3’s first Jewish panto. It’s no secret that pantomime is the most British form of theatre. But a communal release at the end of the year brings the family together to sing, shout and laugh... does anything sound more Jewish to you? I went every year to my local panto at The Hackney Empire and when my own child was six months old I took him for the first time. During the half he was awake, his eyes did not leave the stage, and now that he’s two, I thought it would be lovely to write something that my child remembers when he takes his own child to the theatre in years to come. My first attempt at writing a panto was when I was a teenage cheder teacher at East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue. Based on Cinderella,, it had all the trappings of proper pantomime with Haman as the evil villain and I got to see the kids and parents performing on the bimah – the first time I’d ever had one of my plays performed. So when JW3 asked me to write its first pantomime a year ago I jumped at the chance to create what I hope feels like a ‘local’ panto, but with jokes and lines I hope will resonate with everyone, be they frum or secular, Ashkenazi, Sephardi or Mizrahi. At the centre of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Pig is the story of three generations of strong Jewish women. It’s Little Red, her mum (our Dame) Mother Hoodman and Red’s granny/ granny/bubbeh, who are all tasked with saving Chanukah. Of course, the villain is a pig (of Three Little Pigs fame) and he is an evil energy baron, while our wolf is not really big or bad, but a neurotic aspiring vegetarian. Directed by Abi Anderson with a phenomenal cast that includes stage and screen legend Debbie Chazen, it has been so much fun creating a story where I could include puns around a rat and a ketubah. I am particularly proud of that one! We hope people will sing along with a score of rewritten classics by Jewish artists Barbra Streisand, Pete Burns, Charlie Puth, Amy Winehouse, Craig David and Neil Sedaka and shout out: “He’s behind you!” as I did as a child. Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Pi g is at JW3 from 10 December to 7 January Pig jw3.org
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Luxury and tradition Opened in 1865 as Europe’s first ‘Grand Hotel’, The Langham in London has an unrivalled location at the top of Regent Street. After an extensive transformation, the hotel exudes luxury and the bars and restaurants are all overseen by culinary icon Michel Roux Jr. It is the perfect place to host a wedding or private event. The Grade II listed Grand Ballroom has been beautifully designed to highlight all of its classic features. With soft hues of cream and gold it is iconic with a hugely high ceiling and gloriously lit. The draped windows open on to a terrace overlooking The Courtyard Garden, a rare treasure in London, offering an al fresco element to a simcha in warmer months. langhamhotels.com
property in Israel. For almost 50 years, Hold Real Estate has helped foreign buyers find opportunities in Israel’s residential real estate market, guiding them from the initial stages right through to post-sales. From legal guidance, bank account set-up, mortgage applications and engineering supervision to the meticulous selection of interior finishes, it’s a seamless experience from a company that exclusively represents buyers. The team will find the most suitable opportunities for your budget and lifestyle and, once you have purchased, the support continues with property management services – finding tenants, ensuring immediate returns on your investment and overseeing property maintenance. hold.co.il
Suite as a nut
As you can will have to sell your house to get a ticket to see Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick in Plaza Suite, consider why you want it. Its stars may be Sex and The City’s sweetheart and her spouse (currently in Disney+ Only Murders in The Building) but surely it’s the play’s author, Neil Simon, who is the pull. His masterful depictions of kvetching Jewish characters were best portrayed by Jack Lemmon (The Odd Couple), Richard Dreyfus (The Goodbye Girl) and George Burns (The Sunshine Boys). For Plaza Suite look no further than Walter Matthau in the 1971 film. When Plaza Suite opened on Broadway in 1968, the most expensive seats cost less than $10. To see SJP and MB in London has cost some £395. Yes,there are cheaper seats and a daily lottery, but with Walter’s version you won’t have to pay congestion charge or parking – to quote Neil Simon. Plaza Suite is at the Savoy Theatre, from 15 January to 31 March
10 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk
Your Biggest Day, The Smallest Details
Opened in 1865 as Europe’s first ‘Grand Hotel’, The Langham, London has an unrivalled location at the top of Regent Street. With a history of hosting royals and aristocrats, more than 155 years later, The Langham remains a London icon where the finest events and grandest celebrations take place. Celebrate life’s milestones in our opulent Grade II Listed Grand Ballroom, rosefilled Courtyard Garden, or elegant private dining rooms. With menus overseen by two Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux Jr, and a dedicated event specialist to guide you every step of the way, we shall ensure your celebrations are managed to perfection. 1c Portland Place, Regent Street, London W1B 1JA T (44) 020 7636 1000 | tllon.weddings@langhamhotels.com langhamhotels.com/london
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Editor’s Beauty & Comforts With everyone in need of a hug, if one isn’t available settle for a snuggly sweater. The Marissa by caraandthesky.com is as big and cosy as they come and is available in uplifting colours. And then there is the ultimate ‘snuggy’ bundle – a snuggy, fluffy hot water bottle and socks – by snuggy.com. And as some of us are aging and could do with extra help, take some comfort in the fact that Bobbi Brown has got older too and, since leaving her own cosmetics company four years ago, has developed her Jones Road range at jonesroadbeauty.com – the make-up equivalent of a Swiss Army Knife – in that it is multi-purpose no-make-up make-up that looks natural on mature skins. Try the Miracle Balm, which gives a wash of soft-focus moisture to the required bits. And, as a final nod to older gals whose skin need a boost of collagen and vitamin C or an AHA radiance peel mask, then stock up on Green People’s Age Defy + range, which also includes an excellent lip line eraser and eye wrinkle serum. Greenpeople.co.uk
Protect and perfect Window films, whether clear, reflective, frosted or tinted, are a great way to step up security. They strengthen the glass, thereby protecting against vandal attack and explosion, while increasing privacy with one-way or totally private options. They can also be used to upgrade currently noncompliant glass in line with current HSE legislation and reduce UV transmission by up to 99.9 percent, prolonging the lifespan of paintings, carpets and furniture. Over the past four decades, Yorkshire-based Sureguard Window Films has worked with a wide client base nationwide, including businesses, synagogues, schools, community centres and care homes and, since 2006, has worked with Community Security Trust. “The founding principles with which the business began, of wanting to protect people and property, continue to be relevant and important to us today,” says director Emilie Holmes. sureguard.co.uk
Cold Comfort
Eliot Levey, winner of the Olivier Award for best supporting actor in Cabaret is now starring in Cold War, an epic love story set in Poland that spans the decades and breadth of Europe at its most divided in 1949. Based on Paweł Pawlikowski’s Academy Award-nominated film, which has been adapted by Conor McPherson (Girl from the North Country), the show features traditional Polish songs and choral arrangements alongside music by Elvis Costello. A compelling story of passion, redemption and the journey to be free, it is directed by Almeida artistic director Rupert Goold, whose most recent big hit was Tammy Faye. Cold War runs until 27 January. almeida.co.uk
12 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk
Flex Your function
Avenue at Henlys Corner is a refreshingly blank canvas, giving you endless possibilities for a tailor-made event. In the heart of north London, it is perfectly placed to cater for the community. Standing behind a bank of olive trees, which are a statement of Avenue’s modus operandi of promoting peace and cementing families, it offers a highly flexible function space, with parking on-site and state-of-the-art lighting and technology. Avenue has developed great working relationships with kosher caterers and well-known event suppliers and is in the process of applying for a wedding licence so you’ll soon be able to have a chuppah on the premises too. avenue.uk.com
Solomon for the Wise
For a cultured Chanukah, check in on the Vache Baroque singers and award-winning ensemble La Vaghezza celebrating the Chanukah story while marking 400 years of Salomone Rossi’s groundbreaking The Songs of Solomon. Rossi, a highly regarded Jewish violinist and composer working alongside Monteverdi in Mantua, was the first to compose contemporary-style pieces to Hebrew texts and pioneered the trio sonata genre that was to become à la mode across Europe during the 17th century. Baroque Hanukkah is on 13 December at St John’s Smith Square, London alternativeclassical.co.uk
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INTERVIEW
Meet the master of ‘illicit’
ROMANCE Director Todd Haynes gets ‘reel’ with Etan Smallman
Todd Haynes with Natalie Portman
T
odd Haynes chuckles when I ask if any of his stars have ever gone to the lengths of Natalie Portman’s character in his new black comedy-drama May December. She plays actress Elizabeth, who takes her investigative research far too far when she visits Gracie (Julianne Moore) – whom she is playing – 20 years after her ‘May December’ relationship with a 13-year-old became a tabloid sensation across the US. “I think I’d have fired them if they had!” the director of Far From Heaven and Carol says on video call from New York. “The film takes some shots at the sort of presumptions and arrogance that we see within the film industry and the seriousness with which people sometimes feel that they’re entitled to determine what truth is for other people.” However, the “master of illicit romance” – who made his name as a leading light of New Queer Cinema in the early 1990s – is equally meticulous in his preparation. After being asked to take on the project by Jerusalem-born Portman (who also co-produced the movie), he hired ‘bug The May December team at the Cannes Film Festival
Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman in May December
Todd Haynes
wranglers’ to breed armies of caterpillars for the visual metaphor of a chrysalis on the verge of hatching. As he does for every production, he also created an image book complete with pictures from his various inspirations, ranging from Woody Allen’s Manhattan to Mike Nichols’ The Graduate. He instructed his cast and crew to flick through it while listening to music from 1971 film The Go-Between. In his fifth film with Moore – a performer he says is able to act in ways so invisible to the naked eye that he only picks them up when watching the rushes – he is again preoccupied by compelling female voices. “In May December, they are both dangerously strong women, perniciously strong women, whose desires are driving the outcome of the narrative.” He says he is usually more drawn to stories of characters constrained – by marriage or society – “because they tend to describe how none of us always feel in control of our powers, even when we have them” and because the “imbalances of how women’s lives and their choices are realised in the world are all too real and enduring”. This template was provided by Haynes’ mother, Sherry Lynne, who, like all his creations, was “a combination of contradictory things”. He continues: “She had tremendous passion and strong interests and a wilfulness and enthusiasm. She also was very much a product of inherited ideas about how women should look and behave.” His mother bequeathed him something else. “The Jewish side of my family is my mum’s side – so I am a Jew! And proud to be that,” says LA-born Haynes, who studied art and semiotics at Brown University in Rhode Island. Her parents, Arnold and Blessing, the children of European immigrants,
embodied “the prototype of the sort of self-made liberal Jewish intellectual strivings that have so defined aspects of American culture”. The only thing he regrets is that his surname “sounds so WASPY” – particularly as it comes from the man who adopted his father. “God, he was from another world, this guy. He was a racist and scary. It’s like all of us in America; we inherit all kinds of aspects of complicated histories.” The 62-year-old fretfully combs his fingers through his bushy grey hair when I ask how he has been since 7 October. While many of his Hollywood colleagues have rushed to sign open letters, he says he resists the temptation to wade in with political statements. “It’s been so distressing,” he says haltingly. “My heart goes out to the people who are suffering the most, the people who’ve died, the people who are held hostage, Palestinian civilians... and I don’t know how we get out of this situation.” One man to whom Haynes looks in times of tumult is Sigmund Freud – and a TV series about the father of psychoanalysis is the project he says he has to complete before he dies. It is “because of my regard for Freud, how progressive a thinker he is, how much – no matter what crisis we’re facing – it’s all there in Freud”, he affirms. “There’s an understanding about humankind, which is fragile and tender, but also cautionary and full of a sense that human turmoil is the norm and there is no way of resolving all of our disquiet. “Our internal primitive urges can never be fully expressed in a civilised society. So yeah, man. With every year that passes, it just feels like a subject that could yield such meaning and relevance.” The great man could surely also unwrap why – despite the Oscar nomination, Cannes and Sundance prizes and cinephile adulation – Haynes insists he still feels like an outsider. “The sense that my career has gained a foothold in certain circles still comes to me as a bit of a foreign idea,” he admits. “When you’re making a movie, you are inherently outside what you’re making because you don’t know what it is yet. And yet that’s the place I long to be back in all the time. “That’s all I think about when I’m in this mode of promoting a movie and maybe that’s all I think about when I’m in that mode of being completely terrified of what we’re doing. Continually pivoting and ricocheting from one to the other… it’s a very exhilarating and creative life that I realise I am so lucky to have.”
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INTERVIEW
‘If the families allow it, the video of the horrors should be shown to the entire world’
Jewish News’ foreign editor Jotam Confino is based in Israel. He was sickened by the Hamas terror attack film, but then came cries of ‘fake news’...
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was 27 and an aspiring journalist when I moved to Israel in 2018. Having studied in Tel Aviv for a year, the transition from a comfortable life in Denmark to a hectic life in the Holy Land was relatively easy. And with an Israeli father and Danish mother, the country had always felt like a second home. It didn’t take long before I was a full-time journalist, working for i24NEWS. It was a steep learning curve, but life was incredibly exciting and work was never dull. I got to experience the IsraeliPalestinian conflict first-hand when rockets were fired over Tel Aviv in 2019. This was the first time I heard the sirens, and I was shaken from the experience. When war broke out between Israel and Hamas in 2021, I was reporting on live TV from Askhelon as a barrage of rockets flew over our heads and we had nowhere to run for shelter. Thankfully, the Iron Dome defence system next to us shot them down. But nothing I had experienced prepared me for October 7. To wake at 6.30am that morning to loud booms, unaware of what was going on, then minutes later to realise that rockets had been fired over Tel Aviv. When I checked my phone I saw terrifying videos of Hamas terrorists roaming the streets in southern Israel. Alerting my editors immediately, I began reporting on the spiralling situation while running for shelter and additionally reporting as a freelancer for more than a dozen British, Danish and American media which wanted to update their viewers and listeners. The following day, with a cameraman in tow, I headed south, knowing that the Israeli army had still not regained control of the many border communities infiltrated by Hamas.
Jotam Confino questions Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reports on camera and travels to the kibbutzim to see the devastation
In Sderot, we saw the aftermath of the Hamas massacre on the roads: vehicles, some burned, others covered with blood and bullet holes, a bomb shelter with blood on the walls and the local police station in ruins, with countless cartridge cases lying on the ground. Israeli elite soldiers were everywhere, in addition to police and first aid responders. What was once a buzzing city had been turned in to a war zone, with Hamas terrorists still roaming the area. In the coming days, I worked non-stop from morning until evening, constantly updating clients on the rising death toll, the atrocities revealed by Israeli authorities and, of course, the Israeli army’s attacks on Hamas in Gaza. About 10 days after the war began, I visited Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the Gaza border communities hit hardest, with more than 100 people executed, burned alive or tortured. The damage in this tiny kibbutz was catastrophic. Houses burned entirely, others destroyed by traces of the massacre. The kindergarten was in ruins. More bullet holes. More blood. Some homes still had plates on the table, a clear sign of what had been a quiet Saturday morning torn apart by Hamas. As I continued reporting on the atrocities and providing daily updates
on the catastrophe unfolding in Gaza, I encountered a growing phenomenon on social media. Anti-Israel activists and blatant antisemites were sowing doubt about the Hamas massacre and dismissing our reporting as fake news. I couldn’t believe this was happening after so much evidence had been revealed. This was when I decided to accept an invitation from the Israeli government and Israel Defence Forces to watch a screening of the Hamas-filmed atrocities of October 7. I would be joining more than 100 journalists who felt a similar need to watch the 43-minute compilation of Hamas GoPro cameras, surveillance cameras and videos taken by Israeli victims and first aid responders, so that we could once and for all dismiss the foul allegations of fake news. Before the screening, I was fuming... knowing that I was putting myself through it all because of modern-day Holocaust denial taking place across the world. It didn’t take more than a few minutes into the viewing before I started shaking. The footage of the terrorists executing Israelis in their cars and homes was appalling. And the level of violence and barbarism only increased, as we saw Hamas executing children, beheading men and celebrating their massacre. Within 10 minutes, the first journalists began to leave the auditorium. A man
next to me was crying as we saw a Hamas terrorist throwing a grenade in to a bomb shelter where a father and his two children were hiding. After 35 minutes I left too. I’d seen enough. I was in a state of shock and anger over what I had just witnessed. But if the families would allow it, the video should be shown to the entire world. After speaking to eyewitnesses and visiting Kibbutz Be’eri, to now see the actual footage left me more convinced than ever that this massacre would go down in history as one of the worst atrocities committed in decades. And it was my duty to tell the world. So I wrote a short, but precise description of the screening and posted it to my roughly 2,000 followers on Twitter. It didn’t take long for it to go viral, reaching more than 13 million people. But among thousands of comments it was clear the campaign to dismiss October 7 as a fabricated event was still alive and kicking. I am sad that we live in a post-factual world where everything can be dismissed as fake news. Sadder still that some lives matter more than others. October 7 should really be a wake-up call for anyone hoping to make the world a better and safer place. LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 21
URGENT CALL TO ACTION Join us at this critical time as we come together to support our community in times of crisis. As we embark on this journey of compassion, resilience, and unity, your presence and participation are a vital part of our collective strength. Yad Sarah is at the forefront of social welfare services in Israel. We are urgently evacuating hundreds of Israel’s elderly, Infirm and disabled trapped in their homes in areas of extreme danger now from the north as well as those close to the war in the south. We have opened additional branches in the safe locations in order to care for these extremely vulnerable people. Almost every hospital throughout Israel has a Yad Sarah branch and they have asked us to dramatically increase availability of medical and mobility equipment. Thank you for standing with Yad Sarah in our commitment to providing essential services during emergencies and times of conflict. Together, we can make a difference and ensure the safety and well-being of those who depend on us.
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VIEWPOINT
FENCED IN Josh Glancy on ‘Baddielism’ and how the ongoing conflict will affect the future identity of British Jews
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here used to be a fence you could sit on. It was David Baddiel’s fence. Many other people have sat on this fence over the years, but I have come to think of it as Baddiel’s. Let me explain. David Baddiel, comedian, author, composer of legendary football ditties, pre-eminent chronicler of modern antisemitism, is proudly and openly Jewish. He is not religious, but culturally he’s a tribesman and always will be. With some people you can just tell. Yet Baddiel has never been keen on Israel nor wanted to be associated with it. He is not so much an anti-Zionist Jew as a nonZionist Jew. It’s nothing much to do with him and he resents people asking him about it. Diaspora Jews, he’s always argued, are not defined by the actions of Israel. Intellectually, this position is perfectly coherent. Practically, however, it has of late been found wanting. Over the past six weeks, Baddiel’s fence has all but collapsed; washed away by a tide of antisemitism; subsumed by a pogrom that struck fear and anguish into nearly every Jewish heart on the planet; bulldozed by a war that cares nothing for elegantly constructed diasporic identities. Even Baddiel is now talking about Israel. “My emotional response to that day overwhelmed my normal sense of disengagement,” he wrote recently, explaining why he took the unusual step of going on the BBC to talk about Israel after October 7. Because the antisemites are not distinguishing. Those who write “Free Gaza” on the sign for The Wiener Holocaust Library don’t care about Baddiel’s fence. Those
who say Hitler was right all along, that the Jews are thirsty for blood and control the media, aren’t interested in making distinctions. As it searches for Jews to kill behind rocks and trees, Hamas is absolutely not interested in making distinctions. And let’s be honest, many Jews have all but done away with these distinctions too. In the aftermath of October 7, my Instagram was full of posts from understandably distraught Jewish mates asking why their gentile friends hadn’t been in touch to offer solidarity. The events of that day have been described as an attack on Jews everywhere. These sentiments are, of course, understandable, but they make the separation between Jews and Israel ever harder to unpick. Is it us who were attacked? Or them? Or both? I’m not sure we even fully understand the complexity of this relationship sometimes, so how are others supposed to? Over a period of 120 years or so, for many (though by no means all) British Jews, Israel and Judaism have become inextricably linked. It wasn’t always so. In the early 20th century, when Zionism first grew into a mainstream movement, many British Jews resisted it. The strictly-Orthodox had little interest in secular nationalism. Many of the old Anglo-Jewish elites resisted the idea too, worrying that it would sully the post-Enlightenment freedoms and acceptance for which they had worked so hard. They worried, as Claude Montefiore put it, writing in response to the Balfour Declaration in 1917, that Israel would make diaspora Jews “strangers in their native lands”. This has not come to pass, thankfully. Montefiore was wrong
about this, in part because he couldn’t have anticipated then that Britain would become a multicultural, multiethnic rainbow nation, in which a secondary affiliation to a distant Middle Eastern country is far from unusual. Anglo-Zionism was a forerunner of so many split identities that we see today. Montefiore and co also lost their battle: after the Balfour
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This relationship is so deeply felt, so central to our selfconception as Jews, that the ‘From the river to the sea’ chant feels like a call for our very destruction Declaration, Zionism – as in a foundational support for the existence of a Jewish state in Israel – rapidly became a dominant feature of mainstream Jewish identity in Britain. The Holocaust and establishment of the actual state of Israel in 1948 pretty much settled the matter. It became a necessary reality. Today, Israel is a key part of how most of us identify as Jews: eating hummus and labneh, reading Ha’aretz or i24, smoking nargilah in Herzliya, going on Tour, Pesach in Tel Aviv. As a child, the words to Hatikvah were printed at the end of every Grace after Meals benscher. To remind us of the homeland.
This relationship is so thick, so deeply felt, so central to our self-conception as Jews, that the “from the river to the sea” chant, the one we’ve heard so many times on British streets in recent weeks, is viewed by many people as functionally antisemitic and as a calls for the destruction of Israel, however violent or peaceful the intentions of those chanting it. On a deep emotional level, it feels as though they’re chanting for our destruction too. Baddiel has often argued, correctly, that to hold British Jews responsible for the actions of Israel is deeply unfair, racist even. But it’s happening anyway. Because in moments of genuine crisis, what we’ve seen is that a tide of fierce hatred washes over that delicate ambivalence. It’s happening on our side too. All those words and boundaries that we’ve been policing so carefully – what is anti-Zionism vs antisemitism, anti-Israel vs anti the current policies of the Netanyahu government – they all fell away in the face of the mass genocidal slaughter we saw on October 7. They all seem like nit picking in response to the 240 hostages being held in Gazan tunnels, or the bitter, destructive war that Israel is now waging in response. It all hits us on a visceral, ancestral level, almost beyond political language. This, of course, is part of what the original Jewish anti-Zionists feared: that our support for – and identification with – a Jewish state in Palestine would somehow muddle our British identity and attract hatred. In The Zionist Peril, Lucien Wolf’s famous 1904 pamphlet against the idea of a Jewish state, he argued that
Zionism would create “a direct incentive to antisemitism”. Edwin Montagu, the Secretary of state for India in 1917, similarly worried that the Balfour Declaration would “prove a rallying ground for antisemites in every country in the world”. Whatever you think of Wolf – and he catastrophically misjudged the risk posed by European antisemitism – some of what he feared has come to pass. Our affiliation with Israel does indeed make us a target for antisemites. It’s also the case that our JewishZionist identity has become so tightly braided that the threads are now impossible for us, or anyone else, to clearly separate. One could, of course, follow the modern-day Jewish anti-Zionists and get off the fence on the other side. One could join the marches for Palestine with the socialist Jews and the utopian Jews and the unresolved-issueswith-their-parents Jews, who wish Israel would just go away. For the rest of us, however, what we have learnt in recent weeks is that, like it or not, understand it or not, our fates are tethered inextricably to the fate of the world’s only Jewish state. Baddiel is correct that British Jews cannot – and should not – be held responsible for the actions of a country whose government we do not vote for or control. But, practically speaking, if we wish to defend that country’s right to exist, or even if we don’t, its enemies will seek us out. Baddiel has a right to sit on his fence. But we know now, if it was unclear before, that events may not accord him that freedom. Because when the flood comes, as it did on October 7, ultimately we will all sink or swim as Jews. LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 23
Directing Yentl
With mother Diana and sister Shelly
With Shimon Peres
With first husban
d Elliott Gould
With son Jason With husband James Brolin
24 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk
AUTOBIOGRAPHY
ng Yentl
Peres
tt Gould
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Finally Barbra Streisand has told her own story. Once she could lift the huge opus, Brigit Grant couldn’t put it down
er autobiography is 970 pages, excluding prologue, epilogue and credits. With its 59 chapters, Barbra Streisand’s tome is rivalled in length only by the 68 chapters of Jawaharlal Nehru’s autobiography, Toward Freedom, which he wrote while in prison before becoming the first Prime Minister of India. Nehru turned his book around in a year, but it took 40 years to convince the actress, singer and director to tell her story, because, as she writes: “I prefer to live in the present.” But after six decades of people making up stories about her, describing her as ‘difficult to work with’ and constantly poking fun at her nose – “it got more press than I did” – Barbra decided to dig out her journals. A first chapter started back in the 1990s and My Name is Barbra is the result. For her many fans, this book is the definitive seasonal gift and, fittingly, in the first chapter – Pulaski Street – Barbra writes about Hanukkah (US spelling) and the smell of her grandmother Esther’s cinnamon cookies. After her teacher father Emanuel died in 1943 aged 35, Barbra, then 15 months, and her nine-year-old sister Shelly, went with their widowed mother, Diana, to live at their grandparents’ flat in Brooklyn. As a venerated entertainment figure of the faith, the expectation was that Barbra’s book would be peppered with enough yiddishkeit to warm the kishkas. But she has, in fact, gone overboard balaboosta-style with a generous serving of anecdotes beginning with five-year-old Barbra going to shul with her grandpa, Louis Rosen, being called fabrent (on fire) by her bubbe and learning Hebrew at a yeshiva. There, a teacher told her she shouldn’t say Christmas. “But as soon as she walked out the room, I kept repeating ‘Christmas! Christmas!’ And prayed to God that he wouldn’t strike me dead.” Years later, it was her Hebrew learning that drew her to the short story Yentl the Yeshiva Boy by Isaac Bashevis Singer. Arriving mysteriously in a package from a producer in the winter of 1968, when she finally read it, Barbra was “captivated by the tale of the young Jewish woman in 19th-century Poland, whose soul thirsted to study Torah”. Many tried to discourage her from turning that story into a film she wanted to direct and star in... “You can’t play a man. It’s ridiculous,” said her then partner Jon Stewart in 1978. But as Barbra admits with unflinching honesty, as she does throughout her book, “when someone tells me I can’t do something, it makes me even more determined to do it”. The evidence of that determination is written large in the chapter Papa Can You Hear Me? where she documents the disinterest of studio executives (even the Jewish ones) in the project she loved. Barbra felt they were afraid the subject was ‘too Jewish’, adding, “I think Jews are still ‘the other,’ in some ways.” In her book, she references Mark Twain’s 1899 essay Concerning the Jews, in which he equates anti-Jewish hostility with jealousy. In citing Twain, Barbra demonstrates her
Barbra Streisand feeding her granddaughter Westlyn
scholarly grasp of antisemitism, and her knowledge extends to many other subjects, particularly script-editing, in this compelling opus. She also includes politics, her passion, and writes about her close friendship with the Clintons and her very public criticism of Donald Trump, which she sang about in 2018 in her hit song Don’t Lie to Me on the album Walls. Barbra is also obsessed with environmental and climate issues and contributes to the organisations via the Barbra Streisand Foundation, which also gives millions of dollars to charity every year. We read about her directing Yentl and its multiple awards, though the absence of an Oscar for the director clearly still irks. To remember all the production prep, the Talmud discussions and camera angles during the shoot in Prague is impressive to those who can barely recall a phone number, but she can because of her journals. She recalls her son Jason – by Jewish husband actor Elliott Gould – studying for his barmitzvah and how she quizzed the rabbi about her Yentl script. Charmingly, she also reveals that the Jewish day school connected to the rabbi’s synagogue was closing and she gave a big enough donation to keep it open and name it after her father. My Name is Barbra is dedicated to the father she never knew and the mother she did. This signposts the famously toxic relationship between the star and her mother, who appeared to resent her daughter’s fame. Barbra writes that she realised from the age of seven that she could not rely on Diana. And things only got worse, as she reveals when writing about her first live show in many years, whichwas in Las Vegas in 1993. Diana, who had front-row tickets, chose to go elsewhere, while
others queued hoping to see the legend. My Name is Barbra is full of many fascinating and deeply personal experiences, though arguably to truly appreciate the book, the audible version is best because it is read by Barbra. The monumental challenge of reading the 970 pages seems effortless for this woman, who wanted to be an actress since she was a child and hearing her rich, expressive Brooklynaccented voice and extra ad-libs is like having her in the room with you. Her familiar tones bring alive such events as when she saw The Diary of Anne Frank at New York’s Cort Theatre aged 14. “The actors were far away, but we could see the whole sweep of the stage... there’s something to be said for the bird’seye view. Now that I can afford expensive seats, I’m not sure they’re really better.” The most expensive seats I ever bought were for seeing Barbra. I went with my husband and my late mother and we cried almost from her first note to the last. Our community was well represented that night and there was no doubt a sigh of relief, albeit a small one, from that same crowd when Barbra belatedly acknowledged the October 7 atrocities and then appeared on Stephen Colbert’s show commenting on the rising antisemitism in the United States. “It’s sad what’s going on today. People have to live together, even though they’re different religions or whatever,” she said. She then expressed more sadness over the thousands of deaths in Israel and Gaza, while stressing that it was difficult to promote her book while “this deadly, combustible thing is happening in the world”. She continued: “We all want the same thing. We all want love in our hearts. We all want family. We all want to feel secure. This is beyond religion. This is insanity for us not to learn how to live together in peace.” In her book, Barbra shares the details of her global publicity tour for Yentl, which included a stop in Israel, where she dedicated the Emanuel Streisand Building for Jewish Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The “perpetual student” was tempted to enroll, but instead spent time with Shimon Peres. “Unlike most people, who will stare... he came right over and gave me a hug.” For Barbra, Peres was just as she imagined her father to be. “He seemed to take the most heartfelt personal pride in me as a Jewish girl who had made good.” There is no shortage of other Jewish heroes in this diary, as Golda Meir features, as well as the late Stephen Sondheim and my mother’s favourite composer, the late Marvin Hamlisch, who punctuates multiple pages and always fondly with the emphasis on their shared Brooklyn heritage and ailments. “We were both kind of hypochondriacs... always having allergy or sinus attacks. ‘Sinus, that’s a Jewish thing,’ Marvin would say, which made me laugh.” She knew exactly what he meant and the phrase “It’s a Jewish thing” became a running joke between them. When Barbra reads this aloud or you read it for yourself, it truly warms the kishkas, as we hoped. My Name Is Barbra by Barbra Streisand is out now, published by Century, £35 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 25
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INTERVIEW
Yossi Rosenstein’s Menorah I painting
JENNI FRAZER TALKS TO LIFE COVER ARTIST YOSSI ROSENSTEIN
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e is one of Israel’s most famous artists, his paintings snapped up by collectors and selling for thousands of dollars. Yet, to hear Yossi Rosenstein tell it, his life in art very nearly didn’t happen, and he might have stayed within his strictly-Orthodox community in Jerusalem. Rosenstein, who was born in 1950 and today lives in Bnei Brak, is a ninth-generation Israeli, descended from a prominent Slonimer Chasidic family. He was talented at drawing in his youth, he says, but acknowledges that art did not figure much in his religious world. “Fifty-five years ago you could look at art only in a museum, in books and sometimes in a few galleries. There was no internet, nothing. But because in
28 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk
Moses would speak and God would respond to him with a voice (Exodus 19:19)
For it is You Who will light my lamp; The Lord, my God, illuminates my darkness (Psalm 18:29)
Angels in the Temple I
these places there would often be images of naked women – not nice for religious people to see – automatically all these things were outside my world.” Things changed, however, when Rosenstein was 17, visiting his aunt in Montreal. It was 1967 and Expo 67, a world fair, was taking place there and the teenage Rosenstein had to see what was on view. “There were artists showing their work from all over the world”, he says. “[It was] the first time I saw real art in full size, close to me. And it was amazing.” All these years later, you can still hear the thrill in his voice as he recalls this first encounter. “First, I was astonished at how people could create this work. And then I wanted to know why we, religious people, could not have this, too”. Rosenstein regarded art then and now as “a gift from God – and we have to use it”. So excited was Rosenstein that he came back to his aunt from the Expo 67 and said he wanted to buy “colours, canvases, brushes – I wanted to make a picture”. In his ignorance, he began to paint on the wrong side of the canvas, but he was so enthusiastic he started again, this time from inside the frame. He had been making money in parallel with his yeshiva studies by playing drums, then guitar and organ, at weddings and simchas within his
community. “But I stopped when I got married” – mainly because the weddings took place at night and he did not want to leave his new wife at home. Rosenstein’s new-found enthusiasm for making art did not initially find favour in the strictly-Orthodox community. He explains: “We learn that beauty has to be found inside, not outside. If you are using outside, it means that you are not thinking like a Jew. We say, ‘Don’t look at a bottle from the outside, only look [at its contents] inside.’ “With art, everything is not real. This is why we have not had paintings in our community. But we also learn that if you can do it [something creative] it’s also a mitzvah to do it. We have to use everything that God gave us.” But it was explained to him that it was possible to make art that was symbolic, which immediately struck a chord. Symbolism, for Rosenstein, meant the Torah – outwardly just a series of black marks on parchment but, if you had the key, there was a whole world waiting to unlock its secrets. “I told myself, ‘I’m going to do the same with my art – and I will use the language that’s good for all over the world.’” Encouraged by rabbis in Israel and the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rosenstein began to explore the joy of religious
Judaism in his paintings, at first through oils and latterly through acrylic. He also set up schools, teaching many young Orthodox women who launched successful careers of their own. But he was pretty sure he couldn’t make a living from art. Instead, he qualified as a rabbi and then went into the diamond trade, working in London’s Hatton Garden. “I said, I’ll take three years at this and then I will go back to painting. If that doesn’t work, I will return to the diamonds.” He pauses and you can hear the grin in his voice. “I never went back to the diamonds.” Rosenstein had his first solo show in Tel Aviv in 1973. After three more solo shows in Israel, which attracted admirers from home and abroad, he was invited to show his work at the prestigious Manhattan art gallery Aberbach Fine Art. Since then, he has become an international success and, despite the fact that all his paintings show an aspect of Jewish life, from festivals to life cycle events, buyers of his work include many non-Jews. The two paintings shown here, Hanukkah 1 and Menorah 1, depict some of Rosenstein’s very different styles – he also does detailed representational pictures of important buildings in Jewish life, such as the Western Wall or Rachel’s Tomb. In Hanukkah 1, blurred figures are stretching out towards a golden chanukiah, glowing as if lit from within. Rosenstein says that candles, usually lit on the festivals, “are like mother love – they give of themselves without asking for anything in return”, adding: “The miracle of Hanukkah is not just the miracle of the oil burning for eight days, but that our people come together and unite.” This, he says, is an important message today. And Menorah 1, with its sharp, bright blues and hot reds, has another meaning: “The menorah is the symbol of the Jewish people,” he says. “The red is for the blood we gave in order to stay Jewish. This is not just a menorah – it is us.” All paintings © by Yossi Rosenstein yossirosenstein.com / @yossirosensteinartist
Shabbat in Jerusalem I LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 29
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They’ve performed with Take That, John Legend and Rita Ora – now they can perform for you! while we were on stage but we just kept playing. It felt magical to keep the party going in the moonlight – the atmosphere was incredible, the guests lit the dance floor with their phone torches and we got a very rowdy limbo going until the power came back on.
Husband-and-wife team Tim and Lauren Reynolds had worked as musicians in various wedding and events bands for more than 10 years and noticed that the majority of these acts didn’t care about creating an awesome experience for the guests. “We realised that we had to create something better,” says Tim. “We want couples to have the incredible experience they deserve on their big day.” And so they took things to the next level and created Next Level Music. This incredible live show band features some of the best musicians in London whose positive, energetic and charismatic performances immerse the crowd in an amazing party atmosphere. What have been the highlights of your year? Providing music for the ceremony, dinner and party of an exclusive wedding in Bali, and playing at the Natural History Museum in London – it’s such an iconic space; every time we’re there it feels very special. Lastly, at a wedding this year in Majorca, there was a power cut
What is the most requested first dance song for weddings? This year it’s been Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley. With the advent of TikTok, we’re seeing a lot of older songs coming back – people hear them on social media and fall in love with them again. It’s great to see younger generations connecting with older music as well as new. When the audience is a mixed-age group, how do you keep the balance right? We start with the most inclusive music – timeless classics that everyone loves, regardless of age. Then, as the evening progresses, our set-list becomes more modern and energetic as the elders start to tire, leaving the dance floor open for the more energetic guests. What activities are hot right now at weddings? Roaming singers and musicians during dinner are a big hit, raising the energy levels much earlier in the day. They interact with the guests, getting everyone involved, clapping, singing and dancing. It’s very in-
clusive – guests of all ages love it! We also saw an incredible close-up magician at a wedding this year, who really wowed the guests (and us!) – it was something different that made a great impact. What do you think makes a function great? Making it your own and great planning. There are so many ‘cookie-cutter’ events nowadays, as if people are afraid to express themselves or are worried they’ll be judged by their guests. If you want to include traditions, include them! If you don’t like the idea of a first dance, you don’t have to do it the conventional way (or at all!) – it’s your day, so do it your way! Great planning is so important. A planner will not only bring great suppliers who are amazing at what they do, they’ll plan every detail of your day with the whole team and make it seamless, meaning you can relax and enjoy your event, knowing that the pros have it covered.
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INTERVIEW
ONE
Extraordinary
LIFE
I
From top: Sir Nicholas Winton photographed with one of the children he rescued in 1939; Samantha Spyro as Esther Rantzen in One Life; some of the children Sir Nicholas saved; Anthony Hopkins starring as Sir Nicholas and Henrietta Garden as Vera Gissing 32 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk
On New Year’s Day, the long-awaited film about Kindertransport hero Sir Nicholas Winton will open nationwide. Nicole Lampert met the people in his story
t is one of the most powerful scenes ever staged we stopped. Tony was crying, we were all crying, it on British television history. It is 1988 and Esther was almost impossible to film as people to start to tell Rantzen asks a selected crowd in the That’s their stories. We all had to briefly stop the tears when Life! studio, “Can I ask, is there anyone in our the cameras were on us but as soon as they were off audience tonight who owes their life to everyone was crying, particularly Tony. You couldn’t not.” Nicholas Winton?” There is silence, and Anthony himself says: “It was like a kick in the chest then the entire studio audience stands up. when all the descendants came in. It was hard to try not to Nicholas, a quiet, stoic man, who saved be sentimental – it was very moving.” 669 children through the Kindertransport Recalling the first of two shows in which scheme, is seen gently wiping away Nicholas was introduced to those he had saved – tears from both eyes as he looks from Vera (who is no longer with us) and Lady Milena one end of the audience to the other, Grenfell-Baines, Esther says: ‘What I had not stunned as they applaud him. planned was that when I introduced them to Recreating the scene was almost as each other, the moment would be so moving emotional, says Jewish actress Henrietta that, for the only time in my professional life, I had Garden, who plays Vera Gissing in the to stop, get off my chair, and ask the team to stop Lady Milena beautifully-told new film of Nicholas’ rescue of recording. I left the set and wiped away my tears.” Grenfell-Baines the children, called One Life. One Life tells the story of the dramatic rescue in While many of the original ‘Kinder’ – or two timelines, starting in 1938 and ending in 1988. ‘Nicky’s children’ as they called themselves – are no In the first, the young Nicholas, played by Johnny Flynn, longer with us, everyone in the audience was related is a young banker who is asked by friend to see if there is to them. Altogether, there are believed to now be 6,000 anything he can do to help the growing numbers of mainly descendants of them. Anthony Hopkins, who plays Jewish refugees who had appeared in Czechoslovakia. the older Nicholas in One Life, was only told that the As a man whose own parents were German Jews – but descendants would be playing the audience on the day of filming at Pinewood Studios. “I was sitting next to Anthony for the filming and started talking to the people behind us,” recalls Henrietta, whose mother was a friend of the real Vera. “It was a man and his twin sisters who had flown in from Israel and they started telling Anthony and me this story about their father who had been saved by Winton. “They described how it was the family of an English pastor who had brought up this boy, knowing all about his Judaism, and even giving him a barmitzvah. Well, Lydia Karpinski’s statue of Sir Nicholas at Maidenhead Station we all started crying at that point and I don’t think
who had had him baptised – Nicholas felt a particular kinship with these desperate Jews. The Kindertransport scheme – in which Jewish children were allowed to become refugees in England if they came without their parents – was already running, but had slowed down. Knowing that Hitler was likely to invade Czechoslovakia next, he became determined to help as many people as he could. The film is based on If It’s Not Impossible...: The Life of Sir Nicholas Winton by Nicholas’ daughter Barbara, who wanted to ensure that the true story of the rescue – and the others who helped it, should be told. Those include Doreen Warriner (played by Romola Garai), who was trying to get the Jews out of Czechoslovakia, and Trevor Chadwick (Alex Sharp), who gave up his job as a school teacher to negotiate with the Nazis to get young Jewish children out. And then there was Babi, Nicholas’ indomitable German mother, who helped him run the HQ of the organisation from their front room, who is portrayed by Helena Bonham Carter. We see how Nicholas used photographs of each child to ‘advertise’ them to willing British people who would foster them during the war period. Each foster family had to pay £50 for the pleasure – another of Nicholas’ jobs was finding the funding as well as getting the visas. In the second storyline, Nicholas, as an older man, is spending time emptying out his office when he opens a suitcase and finds a very important scrapbook containing the name of every child rescued by him and his friends. How this becomes national news involves Robert Maxwell – himself a Czech Holocaust survivor – and his wife Elizabeth, who ensured it became a big story. Barbara Winton, who died last September, before the film was finished, chose Anthony to play her father, and all those who knew Nicholas say the Welsh actor is uncannily like him.
Lady Milena, who was on the last train to make it out of Czechoslovakia safely, reveals that when Esther first telephoned her about the story, she thought it was a joke. “One day in 1988 the phone rang and this voice says, ‘This is Esther Rantzen,’ so I said ‘And I’m the Queen of England’ because I thought it was someone pulling my leg. And she said, ‘No, I have a list of names here and your name is on it. It is a list compiled by a man called Nicholas Winton who is responsible for getting you on the train and I would like to invite you down to the studio.” Lady Milena, who helped advise on the film and even had a role as an extra, was one of the luckier of the Kinder as both her parents made it out of Czechoslovakia and the family was reunited. But, for many others, the end of the war meant only that they learned their parents and their families were dead. As teens and young people all alone in the world, they had simply got on with their lives and never really thought about how or by whom they had been saved. That all changed after the That’s Life! shows. The Kinder began to call themselves ‘Nicky’s children’. Not only had he saved their lives but, for many of them who had lost their own families during the Holocaust, he was the closest thing to a father they experienced. Vera, who lived near him and who had lost her family in the Holocaust, became particularly close to him, working as an assistant as word spread about what he had done. He became a hero, not just in the UK but also in Czechoslovakia, the US and around the world. “This is a film which shouldn’t just be shown in cinemas but in schools too because it teaches the message of altruism,” says Lady Milena. “It shows that if one man sets his mind to do something, without asking for anything in return, he can do extraordinary things. He can even save lives.”
RARE HONOUR FOR HERO SIR NICHOLAS WINTON A campaign led by Jewish News after Sir Nicholas died in 2015 ensured the hero was honoured on a special stamp. The campaign attracted more than 100,000 supporters. The campaign was backed by the Chief Rabbi and Sir Eric Pickles. Justin Cohen, the newspaper’s news editor (pictured right with Nicholas’ son, Nick), said: “Sir Nicholas shied away from the hero label, but we could thing of no one more deserving of this rare honour.”
Clockwise from top left: Johnny Flynn as the young Nicholas; Helena Bonham Carter as Nicholas’ mother Babi; Hopkins as Nicholas and Henrietta Garden as Vera Gissing; the real Nicholas and Vera; Nicholas with the ‘Winton Train’ to mark the 70th anniversary of the last Kindertransport LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 33
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DEC
THE TRUTH BEHIND THESE 5 AFIB MYTHS Knowing the facts can make all the difference.
What is Atrial Fibrillation? Butterflies in your stomach can signal excitement or nervousness, but fluttering in the chest can signal a short circuit in the heart’s natural electrical wiring, called arrhythmia. Atrial fibrillation (Afib), the most common arrhythmia, is an off-speed rhythm in the heart’s upper chambers. Afib may be linked to conditions such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, heart valve disease, heart failure, chronic lung disease or simply aging. But in 10% of cases, Afib isn’t associated with any other disease, says Dr Matt Wright, a consultant cardiologist and electrophysiologist at Cleveland Clinic London. Afib can cause heart palpitations, dizziness, fatigue, chest discomfort and shortness of breath. However, up to 30% of Afib episodes don’t cause symptoms. Dr Wright addresses some common Afib myths: Myth #1: If you had just one or two episodes of Afib, it probably won’t return. Fact: Atrial fibrillation almost always recurs. You’ll need lifelong treatment to minimise symptoms and to avoid stroke and heart failure. Early on, Afib episodes are usually sporadic and go away on their own – called paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. “Over time, episodes usually become more frequent and last longer”, says Dr Wright. “Up to 30% of Afib episodes don’t cause symptoms. But high-risk patients still need treatment to prevent stroke”. Your cardiologist will work with you to find the best treatment. This may include lifestyle changes, medicine, procedures or surgery. Myth #2: If you take medication for Afib and no longer have symptoms, you’re cured. Fact: Afib cannot be totally cured. “Ablation or surgery offers the closest possible symptom relief”, says Dr Wright. “Although there is no rush to undergo ablation if you are doing well on medication, ablation gives the option to stop medication, especially if you’re experiencing side effects. Ablation is safe even for patients in their 60s and 70s”. Stress, sleep apnoea, alcohol and caffeinated drinks can trigger Afib episodes, and your cardiologist can answer any of your concerns. Meanwhile, lifestyle changes can minimise symptoms and improve heart health: • Stop smoking • Only drink alcohol in moderation • Ask about exercise guidelines • Limit caffeine • Read cough and cold medicines labels to avoid those containing stimulants • Seek treatment for sleep apnoea • Control blood sugar levels
Myth #3: Your medicine isn’t working if you still get episodes of Afib. Fact: Medication doesn’t cure Afib, but you’ll get symptoms less often and they won’t last as long. Your treatment is adequate if it reduces episodes from frequent to occasional, as long as the symptoms don’t trouble you. However, medications tend to become less effective over time. When that happens, another treatment like catheter ablation is more likely to help. Myth #4: Catheter ablation won’t help you if it doesn’t take the first time. Fact: Catheter ablation uses radiofrequency (heat) energy or cryoenergy (intense cold) to interrupt faulty electrical pathways in the heart. Sometimes, you’ll need it more than once to get the desired result. “The success rate of 70 to 80% after one catheter ablation goes up to 90% after a second or third one if there’s no underlying heart disease”, says Dr Wright. “Maze surgery or a hybrid procedure (surgery and ablation) may be recommended when Afib is chronic, or there’s underlying heart disease with severe enlargement of the upper chambers”. Myth #5: Cardioversion can stop Afib for good. Fact: Electrical cardioversion can “shock” the heart back to normal rhythm, but it doesn’t guarantee a continued normal rhythm. You may need medication or ablation to maintain normal heart rhythm and minimise the risk of your arrhythmia recurring. “Up to three types of medication are used together to treat Afib: those that control heart rate (like beta blockers), anti-arrhythmic drugs to help maintain normal rhythm, and anticoagulants (blood thinners) to prevent blood clots and reduce stroke risk”, says Dr Wright. Sometimes, your cardiologist may recommend a pacemaker to treat the slow heartbeat caused by Afib medications. However, the pacemaker by itself doesn’t convert or help maintain normal rhythm. For more information about arrhythmia and atrial fibrillation treatment at Cleveland Clinic London or to schedule a consultation, call +44 20 3423 7500.
Dr Matt Wright
Book with us today at clevelandcliniclondon.uk or scan the QR code
COMEDY
CRYING WITH IT’S NOT EASY BEING A COMEDIAN AT THE BEST OF TIMES. WHAT ABOUT BEING A JEWISH COMEDIAN NOW? WELSH-JEWISH STAND-UP BENNETT ARRON TAKES THE MIC
A
s well as WhatsApp groups for things like ‘Martin’s 40th Birthday Party’ (he’s now 46), ‘Christmas Drinks’ (which never happened) and ‘Favourite Family Members’ (this could cause a broygus), I am also a member of a group for Jewish comedians. This was started a couple of years ago when we all noticed a small
but significant rise in antisemitic incidents around the country. It was just a place to chat, share stories, laugh and, of course, plan world domination. Since October 7, this group has sadly become much more relevant. The laughs have all but stopped. Such horror does not lend itself to
LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 37
COMEDY
David Baddiel, left and above, who wrote Jews Don’t Count, says he feels a “low-level dread” and a “sense of things not being entirely safe”
humour. But it is sharing stories of hate that preoccupies our WhatsApp group now because of growing antisemitism within our industry. Comedy isn’t the easiest job in the world at the best of times, but trying to make people laugh in the current climate is a challenge. In addition to this, mentioning you’re Jewish on stage is like performing at your first ever gig; you’re not sure how the audience is going to react. You hope they like you. You hope you don’t ‘die’. It would help if Jewish comedians weren’t so rare on UK TV. That important cry for more diversity rarely stretches to Jews and I can’t remember the last time I saw a comic of the faith on a panel show or Live at The Apollo (was it Simon Brodkin? I can’t think of any others). I just know there aren’t many of us – and the odd one here or there would be nice. Oh and while we’re on the subject, it’s quite upsetting that some of those non-Jewish comedians who have been given these opportunities, now use their increased fan base to share their antisemitic vitriol. If there were more Jewish voices on TV, people wouldn’t be so surprised when some of us mention we are Jewish on stage. 38 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk
Maybe then the preconceived idea of a Jew would not be an ancient stereotype with klezmer opening music. Recently I’ve been performing on cruises and I’m still amazed by the number of people who make a point of coming up to me after the show to tell me I am the first Jewish person they have ever met! There are still many audience members who don’t believe I am Jewish. They think I have simply created my Welsh-Jewish character for comedic effect. To be fair, my
Josh Howie
parents created him. But, of course, there are Jewish comedians on television and David Baddiel is one who counts. Following on from his successful book and documentary Jews Don’t Count, Baddiel is currently touring three shows
at theatres around the country. Has he noticed a difference with audiences of late and is he more worried now? “I haven’t had anything specific happen, and in fact I’ve had loads of supportive messages,” says the man who has been epically trolled .“But, like all Jews at the moment, I’m accompanied in everyday life with low-level dread and a sense of things not being entirely safe – which we are not used to in Britain. We’re not used to feeling this anxious. For me I guess it’s bigger as I’m recognisable and people know I’m Jewish,” he adds. “But it’s not really made me change what I am doing. From a free speech point of view, I am very much in favour of the marches going ahead, but it’s complicated as I’m not going to be going into central London when they’re happening. “This is despite being someone who’s always made it clear that I don’t feel that my identity as a Jew should be defined in any way by Israel. “But I’m not sure that nuance is going to be understood by some of the angrier chanters. So it does feel odd that there are no-go zones in my city.” Although he isn’t worried about audiences coming to the shows, he had actually hired security for some of the gigs. “I open with a joke about it
at the moment. I explain that hiring security is quite expensive and, although I don’t want to conform to the stereotype, there is a price point where I’d rather get stabbed.” Which is as worrying as it is funny. At smaller comedy clubs around the country I’ve seen an increase in comedians making the same hilarious ‘Israel as occupier’ jokes on stage and online: • “Better not leave your seat or an Israeli will occupy it”; • “I wouldn’t take in an Israeli refugee into my house or I’d end up living outside” After people were hacked to death, they make hack jokes. Of course, people ask: “What about freedom of speech – aren’t comedians supposed to break boundaries and joke about anything?” To be honest, I’ve never quite understood this. Call me old-fashioned, but I thought a comedian’s job is primarily to be funny. Being risqué and edgy can add to humour, but there is a not-so-fine-line between a clever satirical joke and inciting racial hatred. Some Jewish comedians have chosen to stay schtum about being Jewish. I don’t blame them as I’ve also done this twice in my career – and regretted it both times. But what about those whose acts revolve around their faith? Like Josh Howie. Howie has been incredibly vocal on social media as well as on stage, where he performs proudly wearing a Magen David. Does that bring its own problems? “I wear a Magen David to show I’m not afraid. Comedy is 99 percent confidence and I refuse to apologise for who I am. You want to heckle me, fine, but be
prepared, because I’m not going to back down.” After Howie spoke out against antisemitism online, club promoters received emails and calls demanding he be taken off the bill. Fortunately, they ignored the emails and the shows went ahead without incident. “I’ve been calling out comics and others in our industry in a confrontational manner,” says Howie. “I’m trying to expose their utter hypocrisy and challenge the lies and propaganda. “When people see someone like you or I taking a stand, hopefully it inspires them to speak up as well.” I have certainly had support from comedian friends, who sent messages to say how appalled they are by the increase in antisemitism and the anti-Jewish comments made by comedians without any repercussions. This means a lot and I understand these friends don’t want to speak out publicly for fear of backlash. But even just saying it privately means that when this awful period of history is over, though never to be forgotten, it’s those friends who will be remembered. So, as Jewish comedians, we will continue to schlep around selling our jokes while hoping our audiences are less hateful than some in our industry. Oh, and, if you are a Jewish comedian who isn’t in our WhatsApp group, it’s either because we forgot to add you, you are full of self-loathing or… you’re just too funny for us. Bennett Arron will be appearing at the Radlett Centre on 6 January radlettcentre.co.uk
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Ahead of her one-woman show, Sharon Osbourne talks to Brigit Grant about standing with Israel and returning home
“
W
HY DON’T PEOPLE LIKE JEWS?” That’s the question Ozzy Osbourne has been asking his wife since the day they met. Forty-three years on and Sharon still doesn’t have a tangible answer. The wobble in her voice is unfamiliar. It wasn’t there when she was being judgy on X Factor or America’s Got Talent or when she delivers fearless answers as a Talk TV regular. The wobble reveals her sadness. “I can’t believe what is going on in the world. It’s so bad.
And the ugliness I hear from men and women is abhorrent. Ozzy is so confused by it all and just keeps asking me to explain why there is so much hatred of Jews. What do I say?” Being lost for words – many of them expletives – was never an issue for Sharon, Ozzy and two of their three children, Jack and Kelly, when they erupted onto our screens in MTV’s The Osbournes in 2002. Over four insane seasons, everything from sex and alcohol to infidelity was discussed unashamedly and then with huge emotion
when Sharon was diagnosed with cancer and Ozzy had a bad Quad bike accident. They are no longer sharing their lives with millions, but the family – which now includes Jack’s four daughters – are still together all the time, and they currently discuss the Israel-Hamas war and share their fears and help their friends. This has been their focus since October 7, when Hamas perpetrated the atrocities. “I talk to Jack about it for hours every day and his Jewish friends come to him for advice,” says Sharon. “About where
to get bullet-proof vests and self-protection because they feel threatened. And Kelly has friends in Israel she speaks to. They’re very frightened, but they’re okay. Thank God.” In January, Sharon is bringing her one-woman show Cut The Crap! (live and uncensored) to the stage in London and Birmingham. This was the reason for our chat but she, like all of us, has one thing on her mind. “It’s a tragedy on both sides. The people in Palestine are caught under a regime of mad men. Some of them support the mad men and some don’t, but children LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 41
INTERVIEW
With Ozzy
her, Don Arden
Sharon and her fat
who have nothing to do with any of it are caught in it too and those beautiful little lives are wiped out because of war on both sides.” Proudly Jewish through her late father, music manager Don Arden (pictured with her above), Sharon recently decried Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters on Talk TV for his antisemitic views and leaves no doubt about where her support lies. “It’s outrageous that people should be taking sides in this war. Hamas, as leaders of the Palestinian people, knew what was going to happen if they did what they did. And did they think that the Jews were going to go, ‘Oh, okay. Let’s sit down and try to work this out’? Are they crazy? They’ve poked the giant and woken it up. They’re going to come for you.” Revered as the Osbourne matriarch,
Sharon’s stand with Israel is upheld by all her family, including “all my aunts and cousins in Manchester”. She adds: “It’s just hideous to think of deserting that and not standing up for who you are at this time. Who people choose to support has come down to what’s fashionable. “You’ve got all these students who’ve had no life experience giving their opinions and it’s like, you idiots, you don’t understand what this is about. For them it’s David and Goliath and people always go for the underdog. But why are they the underdog? What’s going on? They don’t look deeper. I am just amazed by the way the world is today. You’re either black or white. There’s no in-between. “It also amazes me that so many young Jewish people from all over the world are going to Israel to help. How many Palestinians are going back to Palestine?” The Osbournes were last in Israel in 2018, when Ozzy, Black Sabbath’s front man and self-described ‘Prince of Darkness’, took his No More Tours 2 tour to Rishon Lezion’s Live Park. True to form, at a press conference ahead of the performance, Sharon, as the band’s manager, gave short shrift to a reporter who asked if Ozzy had felt any pressure not to play in Israel. “I’m half a Heeb,” said Sharon. “We play where we want to play.” Heavy Metal pioneer Ozzy may have famously
42 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk With Piers Morgan on Talk TV
bitten the head off a bat, but Sharon is ready to bite the head off any adversary. This would have been interesting for the other acts she managed – The Smashing Pumpkins, Gary Moore, Motörhead and ELO. Sharon attributes her combative streak to her father Don, who changed his name from Herschel and his surname from Levy to Arden when he encountered prejudice and “couldn’t get any work with the Jewish one”. It was his name that made Herschel Levy a victim of antisemitism when he was in the army in the Second World War. “His fellow officers would wake him in the middle of the night and make him dig holes in the rain, telling him they did it “‘because you’re a f***ing Jew and this war is over you and why we have to fight.’ “After the war, we were living in Brixton and my dad used to go out and fight when Mosley was giving a speech.” Sharon knows Don would be appalled at the Israel attacks and the current rise in antisemitism and would go head to head with any perpetrators. “One of the reasons my dad was a violent man is because of the things people said to him in those days. It’s like it is today. Everybody has an opinion about you, your religion and the way you live your life.” Sharon’s own experience of hate came via social media as personal vitriol following her 2021 departure from the CBS show The Talk after she defended Piers Morgan’s comments about the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle. The comments ended Piers’ job on Good Morning Britain and Sharon was accused of being “racially insensitive” by a co-host. Even with a $10 million (£8m) payout, the anguish of being “falsely labelled a racist” and sacrificed to cancel culture remained. Considering her rock ‘n’ roll heritage, it was a Kafkaesque charge. “It took a long time and a lot of therapy to heal,” says Sharon. “It was probably one of the worst things that has happened in
my career. But I didn’t want to have that horrible feeling inside me. So I got rid of all the anger and the way I felt about the situation. When you carry stuff like that, it changes your personality.” Sharon’s personality will be fully intact for her upcoming shows as she took precautions. Ignoring social media works. “I’m not giving people the satisfaction of hurting me,” she says, but she will take questions from the audience at her shows. “I’ll answer anything,” says the TV star who yelled at her kids and threw bagels into her noisy neighbour’s garden on camera. Not that they will be her neighbours for much longer, as Sharon and Ozzy are returning in the new year to their home in the Chilterns, where, along with plans to acquire more pets, including a donkey, they will host a family podcast (including eldest daughter Aimee) and make a film about the ups and downs of their decades together, with music from Black Sabbath. “It felt the time was right to move back,” says Sharon, but reveals Ozzy is disturbed at the prospect. “He sees all the marches on TV and there’s so much of it in the UK. But he always says, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.’” Beyond the madness and mayhem in their iconic TV show, The Osbournes delivered the powerful lesson that was “to learn how to love and forget how to hate”. I’m reminded of this as our chat comes to an end and Sharon tells me that she and Ozzy were at a wedding on October 7. “We were sat at a table with a couple who were Holocaust survivors and we had just heard about Israel. I thought, ‘Imagine what is going through their minds right now.’ A life of living through such hate.” And back comes the wobble in her voice. Sharon Osbourne Cut The Crap! is on at Fortune Theatre in London on 21 and 28 January 2024 and at The Alexandra in Birmingham on 24 January 2024. atgtickets.com Sharon with Jack, Ozzy, Kelly and Aimee
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SPORT
COME ON YOU FANS! W FOOTBALL IS A SERIOUS MATTER, ARGUES NEIL SILVER, WHO HEARS FROM SOME DEDICATED FANS HEN Paul McCartney played his Pipes of Peace, it highlighted the fact that football stops for nothing – not even war. The legendary Beatle’s first solo number one, aired 40 years ago this month, told the story of a Christmas Day truce during the First World War in 1914, when soldiers from the British army took on their German enemy in a game of football after a ball was thrown out of the trenches. It is hard to comprehend that those same men, who paused the fighting to have that kick-about, went back to killing each other the very next day, yet it shows the power our national sport holds over us. Despite the current atrocities in Gaza, football continues to be played. Just a few weeks ago, Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv beat Zorya Luhansk of Ukraine 3-1 in a Europa Conference League tie after it was moved to Lublin, in Poland. At the same time, Israeli Champions Maccabi Haifa suffered a narrow defeat in their Europa League clash with Villarreal, a tie that was played in Cyprus. For Maccabi Tel Aviv, it was their first official match since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict. A few hundred supporters were in the
stands in Poland to support their team and see Maccabi captain Eran Zahavi carry an Israeli flag on to the pitch and the team wear black armbands in tribute to the victims of the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October. Luhansk players walked out draped in Ukrainian flags, in front of a ‘Peace’ banner displayed by UEFA. It was poignant that the game coincided with the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht. Maccabi Haifa are managed by former Premier League star Robbie Keane, and he guided his team to the top of the League before football was halted by the war. “It’s good to see everyone, despite obviously difficult conditions,” said Keane after his team was reunited in Poland. “It just shows the togetherness the team has had since I arrived, and it will always accompany us. The mood is very good. This is the essence of a team, what a team is all about, when people really want to play for each other.” Keane posted on Instagram: “Really proud of all our players and staff. A great team spirit and performance.” These matches are prime examples of the lengths to which supporters will go in order to follow their team. The passion of Jewish fans in the English Premier League has not been dampened by the tensions that exist for
Maccabi Tel Aviv players wore black armbands in tribute to the Israeli victims of the Hamas attacks
them in the UK following the outbreak of war in Israel, and they continue to travel hundreds of miles to watch their idols. Football fans can be a strange breed. A recent survey of Arsenal supporters by Seatpick.com revealed that more than half would refuse to date a supporter of a rival team, and more than one in five had missed a partner’s birthday celebrations to attend a match. We asked fans of Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham to chronicle one of their away trips this season to showcase their dedication to away travel. Jack Goldenberg, from Hampstead, in north-west London, put 420 miles on the clock to watch Arsenal at Everton. His was a 15-hour day that cost around £100 in tickets, travel and subsistence. Ben
Daniel, a Spurs supporter from Finchley, north London, spent a similar amount of time and money on a round trip to see his team play in Burnley. Jack and Ben came home happy, as their teams tasted victory on the road, but spare a thought for Mark Nathan from Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, who was less fortunate as his trip to watch West Ham at Liverpool was one in which the Hammers were beaten. Here are the details of all three fans’ days out. Maybe this is what legendary former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly meant when he famously said: “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don’t like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that.”
Arsenal at Everton Name: Jack Goldenberg Where do you live? Hampstead Age: 23 Names of everyone you travelled with: Samson Slater, Remy Marsh, Guy Appel, Zac Marks, Lily Woolf. Stadium visited: Goodison Park, Everton. How many away matches do you aim to attend each season? All of them (19 in Premier League). How far in advance did you plan this trip? A month. How much was your ticket? £32.50. How many miles did you travel in this round trip? 420 miles. What mode of transport did you use? My trusty red VW Polo. What time did you leave home and what time did 44 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk
you get back home? I left home at 8.30am and got back at 11.30pm. How much did you spend on the whole day? Around £100. Did you wear your team colours for the trip and, if so, what are they? Of course I did! Anything for the Arsenal. Are you an observant Jew and, if so, how difficult does that make travelling to away games? I come from a traditional Jewish family who are members of an Orthodox shul. I am not religious, only observing the main holy days albeit this game was second day Rosh Hashanah! What was one highlight from the day? Leonardo
West Ham at Liverpool Name: Mark Nathan Where do you live? Borehamwood Age: 50 Names and ages of everyone you travelled with: Daughter Ella, 20, son Jamie, 18, friend Dany Caro, 50. Stadium visited: Turf Moor, Anfield. How many away matches do you aim to attend each season? All of them, as long as we are in the UK. How far in advance did you plan this trip? 3-4 weeks. How much was your ticket? £30 How many miles did you travel in this round trip? 400 miles. What mode of transport did you use? My car. What time did you leave home and what time did you get back home? We left home at 8am and got back home at 9.15pm. How much did you spend on the whole day? Around £200. Did you wear your team colours for the trip and, if so, what are they? No
Are you an observant Jew and, if so, how difficult does that make travelling to away games? We are more traditional rather than being observant, so there were no issues. What was one highlight from the day? When we equalised, it wound up the home fans who were sitting close to us. What was one lowlight from the day? The traffic getting out of Liverpool. Why do you do it? Because of the passion I have for my team. The atmosphere at away matches is more tribal, there is more singing and there is the hope of those elusive three points. You never know what will happen on the day and there is no better feeling than a last-minute winner. We travel in the hope that we are there to witness it. What is your happiest memory of an away trip? Last season’s trip to Lyon for a European quarterfinal, which we won 3-0. What is your worst memory of an away trip? There are many, but probably losing 7-1 at Manchester United. What does your partner (if you have one) think about you doing it? She is fine with it and is a football fan herself.
Trossard’s second-half goal. What was one lowlight from the day: I normally leave early to make sure we have time with fellow Arsenal fans pre-match. However, for the first time in years, we got badly stuck on the M1 with a junction closure causing a huge diversion, which delayed us by about 45 minutes. Why do you do it? This club means everything to me. I was brought up in an extremely Arsenal-orientated family. The day I was born my dad put a picture of Kanu in my cot in the hospital! I was hooked from day one. I’ve been through the best and worst times for the club. Regardless of the result, away days are always the best. It’s a community – my community. What is your happiest memory of an away trip? Spurs away last season; words can’t explain the feeling of finally turning them over at their stadium.
What is your worst memory of an away trip? Southampton away, Boxing Day, I think in 2014. This was before my Dad and I had our away season ticket; we got tickets through a friend and we were extremely excited. Until we got there, everyone was hungover in the away end. No signing, and then getting battered 4-0. What does your partner (if you have one) think about you doing it? She isn’t a football fan and thinks I’m a lunatic. But I think she gets it, albeit the random arguments of her feeling I put the club first (I’ll never admit I do, but I do!). Joking aside, Arsenal are and have always been one of two constants in my life. That is how it will always be. Arsenal are the greatest love in my life. Those who want to be part of my life need to acknowledge that.
Spurs at Burnley Name: Ben Daniel Where do you live: Finchley Age: 34 Names and ages of everyone you travelled with: N/A – supporters’ coach Stadium visited: Turf Moor, Burnley. How many away matches do you aim to attend each season? As many as I can. I usually get to around 70 to 80 percent of the away games. How far in advance did you plan this trip? In the week leading up to the game. How much was your ticket? £30 How many miles did you travel in this round trip? 460 miles. What mode of transport did you use? Coach What time did you leave home and what time did you get back home? Coach departed at 8am and returned at around 11.30pm. How much did you spend on the whole day? Around £100. Did you wear your team colours for the trip and, if so, what? No Are you an observant Jew and, if so, how difficult does that make travelling to away games? I come from a family of observant Jews, but I do not keep Shabbat. What was one highlight from the day? The journey up there was a highlight, with Spurs songs being sung all the way up as well as during the game as Spurs put on a great performance with five goals. What was one lowlight from the day? The amount of time it took to get back with the traffic. Why do you do it? I’ve loved this club from a very young age. Not only the club but, going to games, there is a social aspect where you meet up with friends you don’t really see outside of football. The camaraderie in the stands is always great with a sense of belonging, very much a family feel. I also run a YouTube channel called WeAreTottenhamTV, so these trips help me gather material What is your happiest memory of an away trip? I would probably say the trip to Ajax in 2019, when Spurs qualified for the Champions League final through a last-minute goal from Lucas Moura. It’s probably the most emotional I’ve ever been while following Spurs. What is your worst memory of an away trip? There have been many! I would say any time we lose to Arsenal or West Ham is particularly depressing. What does your partner (if you have one) think about you doing it? Well, I met my partner at Spurs, so I think she gets it. LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 45
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ISRAEL
That Saturday MORNING R
As the rabbi to many kibbutzim in Sha’ar HaNegev, Rabbi Yael Vurgan knows what has been lost. By Brigit Grant
abbi Yael Vurgan is more than familiar with kibbutz life. The moment she was ordained, the Israel Reform Movement sent her to Sha’ar HaNegev and, for the past five years, she has moved between 10 kibbutzim and a moshav in the region to officiate at bar- and batmitzvahs, funerals, shivas, Kabbalat Shabbats and High Holy Day services. Bringing spiritual life and a connection to the Jewish tradition is her job and inevitably she has grown close to the kibbutzniks in the way all rabbis do with their flock. “I know these people,” emphasises the rabbi. “A lot only attended my activities, but I got to know them personally. There are dozens in the area who know me and I know them – I’m part of their lives… and then when something like this happens all those connections come to life.” On the morning of October 7, Rabbi Yael was asleep at her home in Modi’in. Her daily journey to Sha’ar HaNegev takes 55 minutes, so she knew she had time to get to a moshav there for a barmitzvah at midday.
The first call at 7am was from the barmitzvah boy’s mother. “I thought she was calling because something had happened to her son. She told me she was ringing from her safe room and asked if I knew what was going on. She said there were bombs and alarms going off and my first instinct was to tell her not to worry, that things would calm down.” A minute later the anxious mother called again. This was not just a regular rocket attack. “She said ground forces had come into Israel and that war had started,” Rabbi Yael recalls. Texts went back and forth that day from others in their safe rooms and in the days following, the rabbi called nonstop to try to find the people she knew. “You have heard the stories, I’m sure,” she says, eyes straight ahead. “At Kibbutz Nir and Gevim, they heard the shooting, but there, their own volunteer security understood quickly what was going on and were ready to prevent the terrorists from coming in. And even if they did
get in, they dealt with them. But at Kfar Aza… it’s the worst.” Located one mile east of Gaza, Rabbi Yael is a frequent visitor to Kfar Aza, which had 950 residents. Since we first spoke, it has been confirmed that 62 were killed, 18 taken hostage and the kibbutz was completely burned and destroyed. The spiritual resilience services she once provided have taken on a new dimension. “I know people who were saved and are refugees evacuated to hotels. Visiting them is now my priority to allow them to share their terrible experiences, their worries and their pain.” Rabbi Yael has no idea what determined who lived and died that day. “The daughter of a friend was hiding in the safe room with her two girls and terrorists got in. She started talking to them in English. One of the terrorists told her not to worry. He said they were not going to shoot her girls because it was against Islamic rules or something like that. So, instead, they asked if they could take food, walked around the house and left. But there were others who
Ofir Libstein
were killed the minute the terrorists broke in. We don’t understand why some were shown mercy.” No mercy was shown to Ofir Libstein, the 50-year-old mayor of Sha’ar HaNegev, who was killed while attempting to defend the home and town he loved. His funeral was attended by hundreds, among them Rabbi Yael, who admired this man of “vision and peace” – who wanted to build an industrial park, Park Azim – to employ thousands of Gaza residents, who could cross the border daily. “He believed that improving their lives would be good for them and in turn good for us,” says Rabbi Yael, who hopes Ofir’s tolerance and unprejudiced views won’t be shelved forever. “I work closely with the Bereaved Families Forum, a joint Palestinian-Israeli organisation with members from both sides. All of them have lost loved ones. If they can have dialogue and talk and forgive then maybe someday we all can.” Rabbi Yael knows her liberal stance and aspirations for a collaborative future are not what many Israelis want to hear about now. But as a religious woman who values the sanctity of life, she still prays for peace during a time of bloodshed. She believes that what some consider ‘careless’ talk will save lives.
LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 47
ISRAEL
DAY OF HELL
TWO MONTHS AGO ISRAEL WAS ATTACKED. ISRAELI PHOTOGRAPHER TOMER IFRAH CAPTURED IMAGES OF A COUNTRY CHANGED FOREVER
LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 49
ISRAEL
50 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk
HAMAS RAMPAGE: Kibbutz devastation and the cars destroyed by flames at the Nova music festival, where more than 360 people were murdered
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NEOMIT DEKEL-CHEN: Hidded in her safe room once alerted that Hamas terrorists were in Nir Oz, she left when her house was engulfed by flames and she was unable to breathe. Taken by the terrorists with others to the road, shots from an Israel Defence Forces helicopter enabled her to escape. Hit by shrapnel, she played dead in a field and fooled passing terrorists. Now she waits for news of her son Sagi, who was taken to Gaza.
EITAN CUNIO: Eight members of Eitan’s family were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Over the past three weeks, his sister-in-law Sharon and nieces, three-year-old twins Yuli and Emma, were set free, along with Sharon’s sister Danielle Aloni and her fiveyear-old daughter Amelia. Eitan’s brothers David and Ariel with girlfriend Arbel are still In Gaza. Below: Eitan’s mother Sylvia waits for her family to return.
BEN DANZIG: His daughter Ahineam was with his wife in Nir Oz when the terrorists came. She hid in the safe room for eight hours while her mother Rachel held the door. Ben’s father, Alex, a Holocaust historian, and uncle, Itzik Elgert, were kidnapped. A well-known musician in Israel, Ben wrote the song Color Red after a rocket hit his mother’s house. He is releasing it now in memory of the victims of Nir Oz.
EDEN TZIGELNIK: A security guard at Kibbutz Nirim, she finished her shift at 5am on 7 October. She was at the music festival by Kibbutz Re’im, but left when she heard rockets. Shot at on the road by terrorists, she then hid in the safe room at the kibbutz while her house was set on fire. Rescued by the army that night, she was evacuated to Hotel Yam Suf, in Eilat. There she met Elad Negev, who was visiting his family.
RENANA GOME YAACOV: Her sons called her. “They were scared to death. They’d heard someone breaking into the house. Over the phone I heard Arabic voices. My son tried with all his might to keep the door of the safe room closed, but in the end it was broken in. They took them.” Or, 16, and Yagil, 12, have now been released.
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ISRAEL
BORN IN ISRAEL IN 1981, TOMER IFRAH began his photography journey two decades later when he studied at Camera Obscura – The School Of Arts in Tel Aviv. His first project in Ethiopia inspired him to pursue the medium full-time. He has since done independent documentary projects in Brazil, India, Russia and Israel and works for international publications. Information was accurate at time of going to press. We pray for the release of all hostages.
54 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk
“
It was deeply important for me to document the aftermath of the October 7 terror attack, in a way I have never felt before. On my visit to Kibutz Nir Oz I saw so many houses burned to the ground. Walking there, I noticed the remains of the artwork, plants, trees and decorations made by the residents. I included these in the images together with the mass destruction, to show the creativity and beauty that they’ve made and to hopefully give a better understanding of who those people are.
”
The IDF Widows and Orphans Organization is a nonprofit that provides vid vital and long-term assistance to bereaved families of fallen IDF soldiers and security personnel.
Help us ensure no widow or orphan is left behind.
Donate now to make a difference.
To learn more, visit: Our website: idfwo.org/en Facebook: IDFWO Facebook
JVN connects volunteers to over 100 UK and Israel-supporting charities. They continue to do essential work and they need volunteer support more than ever, especially at a time when many people are feeling down. Volunteering can channel those feelings into something meaningful. It’s what our community does. Now’s the time to do something positive for each other.
our community needs you
www.jvn.org.uk Charity no. 1130719
ISRAEL
Starting up from
SORROW Israeli tech entrepreneur Izhar Shay is turning tragedy into triumph with a unique project to honour his son and the other 1,199 victims who lost their lives on October 7 By Candice Krieger
W
hen prominent tech entrepreneur Izhar Shay finds himself awake in the crazy hours of the night, he messages fellow high-tech veteran Eyal Waldman, who is also awake. The two of them are bound by bereavement. Izhar’s son Yaron, 21, was killed protecting civilians at the Israel/Gaza border on October 7 when Hamas terrorists attacked, around the same time Eyal’s daughter Danielle, 24, was murdered at the nature party near Kibbutz Re’im, in what was the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Around 1,200 innocent Israelis were murdered. Hundreds were taken
hostage. A huge number of people are left grieving. A countless number unable to sleep. But Izhar is determined to make sure that Yaron, Danielle and the thousands of other innocent civilians and soldiers who lost their lives that catastrophic day did not do so in vain. The former Minister of Science and Technology has pledged to create 1,200 new start-ups, each one bearing the name of someone who was killed. Each one “to make the world a better place.” He is asking the global tech community to help him with his project, named Next October, which stands for hope, resilience and optimism. Izhar and his son Ophir – Yaron’s Izhar, Yaron, Ophir and Hilla
Izhar Shay with his son Yaron
older brother – are coming to London, to present the initiative to a selection of business managers and leading investors at the Restart Il. Economy London summit held in cooperation with the Israeli embassy, Economic Office and UK Israel Business. The summit – on December 14, one day after what would have been Yaron’s 22nd birthday – will unite economic, investment and technology leaders, led by Professor Amir Yaron, governor of the Bank of Israel. “I spent a lot of time thinking about the right way to deal with the atrocities,” says Izhar. “My wish is to create as many startups as people who lost their lives; soldiers, civilians, tortured babies and women, and for all those who had to endure the monsters that came after them. On the military front, we will destroy Hamas but the best way to fight terrorism is to build a better world.” He wants to develop ‘tech-for-good’ solutions for agriculture, sustainability, healthcare, life-saving devices for children, assistive medical solutions and more. “Just think what an impact all these start-ups will have, and globally. They will generate hundreds of thousands of jobs, contributing to the workforce, the overall economy and making for a better world.” Izhar and Eyal, both luminaries of the high-tech sector, have been brought together in, as Izhar puts it, “a tragic partnership of fate”. He explains: “Eyal and I have known each other for years – we both come from
the tech ecosystem. We were always in touch, but fate brought us together in an ironic way. Now the nights are sleepless so often that Eyal and I will find each other awake at crazy hours and talk.” On the morning of Yaron’s funeral, Eyal wrote to Izhar: ‘‘My brother, what happened to you hurts me, I want to come to the funeral but I’m looking for my daughter who is missing.” “I told him: ‘Of course, go and look for your daughter, let’s hope for good news.’ Then I saw the news that his daughter had died. I cried terribly.” When Izhar saw the date of her funeral, he sent Eyal this message: ‘’I’m at Yaron’s shiva, but I’ll try to make it.” Eyal replied: “Don’t worry about attending the funeral, we’ll see each other soon and do good things together.” Izhar recalls: “After our shiva, Hilla and I went to his shiva. It was surreal – we had just finished sitting shiva for our son in order to comfort a friend who was sitting shiva for his daughter.” Before October 7, the Shay family was having a celebratory year. Izhar’s wife Hilla was marking five years free from breast cancer, the couple were celebrating their 60th birthdays and the birth of their first grandchild, and their son Lior had just got married – he had been called back early from honeymoon in Argentina to serve in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). He was on the plane when his brother died. Their beloved ‘Noni’, as he was affectionately known, was stationed on the southern Gaza border with his specialist Nahal Commander unit. In a chilling twist of irony, their mission had LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 57
Yaron with his siblings Lior, Shir and Ophir during a family trip to Greece in 2019
been to keep the peace in the area so civilians on both sides could go about their lives. They were looking after Kibbutz Kerem Shalom. “Military-wise, it was a very successful mission,” reflects Izhar. “The kibbutz was not conquered by the enemy, the people suffered minimal casualties and all the female soldiers were saved without any physical injury. It was an extremely heroic unit.” Yaron was taken out of the area by helicopter, but died on his way to the hospital. The youngest of Izhar and Hilla’s four children, Yaron was, as Izhar softly shares with me, “handsome and beautiful with bright blue eyes and an exceptional sense of humour – he loved comedy and was always making his friends laugh. Yet he
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yaron, during the former’s surprise visit to a training site in the Golan Heights in August 58 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk
Tel Aviv and the UK’s Cardiff City. “He knew the names of all the Premier League players and coaches and would follow Hapoel Tel Aviv around the world.” Hundreds turned up to Yaron’s funeral wearing the Israeli side’s red kit and colours. Some two months on, and Izhar is “fully committed to the start-ups. We are building the infrastructure for it now and have been approaching investors – a number of organisations are already engaged. We will push this forward, connecting investors with entrepreneurs and giving back to communities to make sure every baby, every soldier, every lost person has a
company as their legacy.” Izhar hopes each start-up named in memory will be committed to activities that commemorate that person. What might Yaron’s be? “Something related to sports or music tech. That would be his passion and I’m sure he would have been a very successful CEO,” he says. Izhar is confident that 600 of the start-ups will happen within the year, and all 1,200 within two. “And I have this vision, that when one of these companies goes public and the CEO rings that iconic bell on the Nasdaq, they will do so with the bereaved family and an image of the person they lost will be displayed. “This will be the real win. Hamas came after us and tried to destroy us and this is our sign of victory – building a better world. This is the best way to fight terrorism.”
was shy and modest”. A “natural leader”, he worked his way up in the Israeli scouts, Yaron with girlfriend Mika. They had been together for where he became more than four years a counsellor leading dozens of children. During his gap year, he volunteered as a mentor for socially and economically challenged children in south Tel Aviv. Many have contacted the family since his death. The agonising sorrow is still visibly raw for Izhar as he tells me about his “beautiful boy”, of whom he is so obviously proud. “He excelled in the army. Not because he was the strongest, but because he gave it his all. He was the one to take off the storm suit in the pouring rain and give it to someone else when he saw theirs break at the end of a gruelling course. “His brothers said he was the most successful, talented and beautiful, not Major General Yair Golan, former IDF deputy chief of staff, salutes Yaron during his funeral from jealousy, but as a matter of fact. Of course this made him laugh, but he heard that all his life, and I’m so happy about that.” Yaron loved all types of music. “When we got his phone back, one of the things we did was check his recent Spotify playlist – it was a real mix of old and new. “He played piano for 11 years, and when he started playing, we would stop and listen. I played for a year when I was eight, but sometimes he would ask me to join in. We sat shoulder to shoulder, playing, among other things, Hallelujah [by Leonard Cohen]. I would get emotional. It was clear I was winging it, but he adjusted himself to my rhythm so as not to embarrass me. These are moments that connected us.” Yaron’s other love was sport, particularly football. He had dreams of Yaron’s 91-year-old grandfather, Yeshaiau, puts flowers on his grave on October 10 being a coach and supported both Hapoel
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ISRAEL
FOOD:
Past, present and future
JOANNA NISSIM LEARNS ABOUT THE ISRAELI INSTITUTE BUILT ON OUR CULINARY HISTORY AND HOW IT’S HELPING NOW
T
he smell of food is irresistible on Lilienblum Street in Tel Aviv. Walking 100 yards without stopping to eat is a challenge yet met. But the least conspicuous, though arguably most stylish eaterie of all, is fittingly inside the Culinary Institute of Israel. Sought out by every visiting foodie, the Institute was launched in 2017. That was when Naama Shefi, an Israeli living in New York, started to miss the taste of home. When she met her husband, whose family hailed from Rhodesia and Greece, she was inspired by their recipes and journey to America. Naama realised food was a fundamental way of connecting in a meaningful way with shared Jewish heritage. She also noted that the generation who was native to these foreign lands was ageing and felt it was important to preserve these recipes. From that thought, The Jewish Food Society was born and it is now the largest treasure box of these wonderful recipes with
Naama Shefi
accompanying life stories. During the Covid pandemic, Naama joined forces with philanthropist Terry Kassel and came up with a way of connecting the history of Jewish food with a future for Israeli food, which led to Asif: The Culinary Institute of Israel. Partnered with Start-Up Nation, Asif is where tradition meets innovation in a country known for revolution in technology and advances in agriculture and food are no exception. Asif is a hub of culinary excitement and includes a café serving seasonal Israeli food, using ingredients grown locally. Israel has long been known for its incredible produce and its inhabitants have been pioneers in agriculture since Jews started pouring into the country from the 1920s. Given land by the government then, they cultivated it as a way to earn a living and feed themselves. Asif continues the tradition of forward-thinking. It has a culinary library, arguably one of the best in the world, and is supported and regularly visited by gastronomic greats such as Claudia Roden, Adeena Sussman and Mike Solomonov. The Institute also has a rotation
Asif: The Culinary Institute of Israel in happier times
of thought-provoking discussions, exhibitions and food events with speakers coming from all over the world to explore new and innovative culinary ideas while honouring the history of our culture and food. That food is a connector of community was demonstrated at Asif when Palestinian chef Sami Tamimi – who was Yotam Ottolenghi’s business partner– was part of a panel discussion. Asif has always promoted open discussion between cultures and cuisines but, since October 7 when life changed in Israel, the doors closed and the Institute sprang into action, using food as a way to support one other. It joined the civilian and military effort, koshered its kitchens and began supplying displaced families, hospitals and soldiers on the front line with meals. So far, under the watch of Asif’s CEO, Chico Menashe, the Institute has provided 40,000 hot meals to those in need. “What Asif is doing is just one small part of a much bigger civil mobilisation effort to feed, house, fund, support and console the tens of thousands of displaced Israeli
Above and below: The teams prepare food for displaced families, hospitals and soldiers
families that were attacked on October 7, as well as the hospitals, the combat and reserve units and others,” explains Naama. “This is an unprecedented civic movement, both in scale and efficiency, that has redirected an entire infrastructure that was set up during the year of protests, towards the war effort. Left, right,
secular, religious – the people are united, resilient and, honestly, are nothing short of astonishing.” But have the events of the past two months changed Asif’s mission? Naama has an unwavering attitude. “Asif’s mission will stay the same because our need to understand and appreciate who we are, where we come from and what our values are – all of which we can get through food – has never been more important. “Our programmes will continue to explore the various communities and influences of our cuisine and to celebrate the extremely diverse and innovative food culture of Israel.” And Naama’s philosophy fits perfectly with the times. “If we want to work together and live together, we need to understand each other. And food is a good place to start.” LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 63
FOOD
Why is this doughnut different to all other doughnuts?
This Chanukah, will you be dunking your zalabi or sprinkling your fritelle? Joanna Nissim explores delicious traditional Chanukah foods around the world
Loukoumades
and honey is a Jewish-Italian classic. The dough is left to rise overnight before frying and is then covered with sprinkles in red, white and green – colours of the Italian flag. Another updated Italian classic is the pasta latke, which is gaining in popularity. The Greeks are partial to loukoumades, delicious doughnuts drizzled with honey, which have a fascinating history that began in ancient Greece, where they were served to the winners of the first Olympic Games in 776 BC, thus earning the nickname ‘honey tokens’. Traditionally known for being on the Sephardi seder plate at Rosh Hashanah, keftes de espinaca (spinach patties) and keftes de prasa (leek patties)
a funnel into the hot oil, while The word tradition conjures the Syrians, who vary the shape up different memories for by pouring it into balls, call each of us, from what we it zalabia. The syrup that the remember seeing our parents and grandparents do, to newer Syrians use is traditions we introduce to our shira – thicker own families. The wonderful than the rest and thing about our diverse Jewish never flavoured community is the variety of with rose. food that comes out of the Frittelle di many countries from which we Chanukah, aka hail. And it is for that reason Chanukah fritters that chag recipes are spun and with figs and Frittelle di Chanukah sambuca honey, reinvented with the same but are a delicious alternative to the are a staple for Italian Jews. slightly different ingredients customary latke. During the festival in Italy there and a new name. aren’t many potato latkes, but Take the zalabi, the Sliced leeks are sautéed and Iraqi-Indian squiggly, sticky cooled before being folded into there are fritters of all kinds, Chanukah treat. This is made a light batter of flour, water and a bread-like fritter with from a yeasted batter that and, sometimes, an egg before anise, olive oil and dried fruit is fermented and put being fried in batches. The into a squeezy bottle spinach version is the same, before being dribbled and sometimes the two can be into hot oil to create its mixed. I prefer to use frozen unique shape. Dunk it spinach that has been thawed into a rich, sweet syrup and chopped. Totally moreish flavoured with rosewater and four or five can easily be or orange blossom water devoured at once! to eat. The Iraqis call the Cassola (sweet cheese same thing a zengoula pancakes) are said to be the (funnel cake) as the original latkes. After the Spanish Zalabi batter is poured through expelled the Jews from Sicily, the 64 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk
Cassola
Keftes de prasa exiles introduced their ricotta cheese pancakes, known in Rome as cassola, to the Jews of northern Italy. Another variation on the delicious doughnut we know and love are the bimuelos, which are puffed and served with an orange glaze, and originate in Spain. In Mexico, the buneolos – meaning fritters – are more or less the same and one of the foods emblematic of Marrano Jews, who were forced to convert. Often sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, they have also been dipped in guava syrup. For the Spanish Jews who relocated to Morocco during the inquisition, the bimuelos
evolved into the sfenj, which, in recent years, have become a popular alternative to the regular jam doughnut we know and love in Europe. Knobbly, spongy doughnuts, dusted in sugar and shaped as a ring, they are often made by street vendors, who serve them tied in ribbon or layered up on a skewer and sold directly on the street. Once shrouded in secrecy by grandmas across the globe, the internet has made these wonderful diverse recipes available to all. Happy Chanukah!
Sfenj
FESTIVE FAVOURITES “Salt beef, latkes and Southern fried chicken are popular treats at Chanukah,” says Sarah Mann, of Louis Mann kosher butcher in Edgware, who also knows at least some of her customers are partial to seasonal fayre. “Some love a whole turkey, while others prefer a goose or a traditional turkey roll stuffed with our maigleh stuffing or one of our other festive flavours such as cranberry and clementine, chestnut and sausage meat, apricot and almond or that old favourite, sage and onion.” Be sure to order your turkey as soon as possible. louismann.co.uk
Reservations 0 20 81 5 9 81 5 9 | r e se r vat ion s@ bh ag e e c h a.c o.u k Watfor d Road, Elstr ee, Boreham wood, WD6 3BE 020 8159 8159 | bhageecha.com
RECIPE BOOKS
When the news and weather is disheartening, we seek joy in food and sharing meals with loved ones. Alex Galbinski discovers some inspiring cookbooks
The Social Kitchen Table, Dani Tucker’s second cookbook, is another heartfelt tribute to and celebration of her late mum, Shally, and to all the beautiful moments in life. From special milestones to lazy Saturday lunches, Dani has curated her favourite seasonal recipes and entertaining tips in a book she hopes beautifully captures the essence of an open door and a welcoming seat at the table. This book is filled with Shally’s treasured recipes and has garnered immediate acclaim and praise from industry insiders, including Nigella Lawson and Prue Leith. thesocialkitchen.org £28
As a child, Adeena Sussman couldn’t wait for Shabbat, when her family and friends united for long and tantalising meals. Now she is the one to nourish others and we are the lucky ones with whom she shares nostalgic, cozy mains, such as fig and pomegranate brisket and Bubbe’s extra-crispy potato kugel, which require little hands-on attention (and who doesn’t like that?!). In Shabbat, she takes us inside the kitchens and traditions of local cooks who have shared their most beloved recipes. Avery (via eBay, £various)
Sabrina Ghayour is back with another cookbook that is sure to entice. Flavour, by the self-taught cook, features more than 100 simple, delicious and crowd-pleasing recipes with a Middle Eastern twist. Nigella has said about her: “Sabrina Ghayour’s Middle Eastern food is all flavour, no fuss – and makes me very, very happy”. With recipes including za’atar, onion, tomato and aubergine tartines with labneh; chicken, apricot, orange and almond tagine; mama ghanoush and pan-fried salmon with barbary butter, we definitely concur. Aster £26
Limor Chen, along with her husband Amir, is behind London’s two Delamina restaurants, serving up fragrant, exciting and vibrant dishes that evoke the spirit of her home city of Tel Aviv. In her debut cookbook, My Tel Aviv Table, she shares her wholesome cooking style that is influenced by her interest in healthy eating and features plenty of herbs and spices to pack each recipe with flavour and fragrance. Nourish Books £28
Jake Cohen, the much-lauded author of New York Times bestseller Jew-ish returns with I Could Nosh, which is billed as a “fun and inspiring collection of recipes melding traditional flavours and modern influences”. Jake’s famous challah recipe returns with variations such as chall-zones, pletzel, monkey bread, babka and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts) There’s a whole chapter dedicated to schmears to up your bagel game, along with other creations, including kugel fries and tzimmes cake with cream cheese frosting. Harvest £30
Kenden Alfond, the brains behind the Jewish Food Hero blog and cookbooks, has produced Kosher Macros, a collection of recipes to make it easier for those counting macronutrients (protein, carbs and fats). She says she and her team create cookbooks that reflect what they are passionate about – “conscientious food preparation and uplifting Torah study”, adding: “We make beautiful designs to make the practice of Jewish blessings and customs more inviting and accessible in our homes.” Turner Publishing £27.99
The subheading of Plated is ‘A Curated Dining Experience’ and with a premise like that, it’s no wonder this book is getting top ratings online. Authors Elizabeth L Mandelbaum and Alyssa D Berlin say the book is a “user-friendly guide to the kitchen to create balanced and beautifully composed meals” and they believe cooking should be “calming, creative and rewarding”. Anyone who helps us to do that alongside allergyfriendly recipes should be praised indeed. Mesorah Publications Ltd £29.38 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 67
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BRIDAL FASHION
Make
not WAR
It’s business as usual in the Israeli wedding dress industry, finds Louisa Walters
I
sraeli wedding dress designers and their teams are working as normal in Israel and, here in the UK, deliveries of these stunning creations are still arriving on time with no let-up in creativity or attention to detail. At Browns Bride, in London’s Hinde Street, which carries no fewer than five Israeli labels (Galia Lahav, Lihi Hod, Mira Zwillinger, Dana Harel and Liz Martinez), the spring/summer 2024 collection is on its way, and at The Wedding Club in Knightsbridge, the new collection from Berta will be instore in the new year. “There’s no doubt it is a challenging period for all of us,” says Galia Lahav, who has flagship stores in New York, LA and Miami as well as in Tel Aviv. “The heaviness of the current situation in our beloved country is felt deeply by each member of our team. Despite the emotional toll, we find strength in our collective resilience and commitment to our craft.” She adds: “I want to assure all our brides-to-be that we are doing everything within our capacity to maintain our usual operations. Our team’s dedication ensures that we can continue creating, designing and working, allowing our artistry to transcend borders even in these trying times. The emotional weight is palpable, but our determination to create beauty remains unshaken. We believe that, especially during difficult moments, the power of art to inspire hope becomes even more profound.” It’s pretty much the same story at Mira Zwillinger. Mira and Lihi, the mother-daughter team, design and manufacture in their Tel Aviv atelier and work with a 40-strong all-female team. “Our country and people are going through a horrific time, something we have never experienced before,” says Lihi. “While this is an extremely difficult time for us, our design team is fully committed and continues to work and create our magic, continuing to design and do what we love the most, which gives us strength and is our island of sanity.” Mira adds: “We want to deeply thank our brides and clients all around the world for their support. It means the world to us.” Tel Aviv-based Lihi Hod says: “It is extremely heart-wrenching what is going on here in Israel and we are just trying to continue business as ‘normal’ to ensure we service all our beautiful brides worldwide. Our gowns are all designed and produced in Israel, by extremely talented seamstresses. We really appreciate all the support and business during these trying times.” Mira Zwillinger once said: “A bride should know when it’s her wedding gown. When you put on your dress you should feel perfect in it.” Putting on an Israeli wedding dress has never felt more perfect.
Eva by Lihi Hod
Freya by Lihi Hod
Left: ‘Genesis’ by Lihi Hod Inset right: ‘Nelly’ by Mira Zwillinger
Sandy by Galia Lahav
Emmanuelle by Galia Lahav
Marquise by Galia Lahav
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30/11/2023 12:01
WIZO SHINING A LIGHT IN DARKER TIMES
Healing the emotional and psychological wounds of its citizens is vital for the future and stability of the State of Israel. WIZO is uniquely qualified to deal with the day to day impact of the current terror offering practical and emotional support. Ongoing vital needs: Emergency supplies for vulnerable and displaced communities fleeing the terror; over 24,000 food and clothing packages have already been distributed. Helplines for those displaced, whose partners have been called up for reserve duty and for victims of domestic violence. Bomb shelters to protect the students and staff in our youth villages. Psychological support for the 250 Na’aleh students, in our youth villages, who emigrated to Israel alone with nowhere else to turn. Support for the 70 girls at high risk cared for at our centres in Be’er Sheva. 69 women and children seeking refuge in our shelters for victims of abuse. Specialist psychological support, grief counselling, CBT and trauma management throughout our schools and centres. Care for our 120 elderly citizens, some Holocaust survivors, relocated to WIZO’s Parents’ Home.
This Chanukah help us shine a light to enable victims to rebuild and restart their lives and continue to pursue their dreams.
Please donate now at wizouk.org or call 020 7319 9169 WIZOuk Registered address: Charles House, 108-110 Finchley Road, London, NW3 5JJ. Registered charity number: 1125012. Registered company number: 6634748.
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21/11/2023 10:26
CHARITY
on charity
Chana supports hundreds of couples suffering with infertility, miscarriage and baby loss
As we light our Chanukah candles, our thoughts turn to the amazing work that charities do to keep the flames of hope alive all year round. By Louisa Walters CREATING LIFE AND LIGHT Even in this time of communal crisis, our pre-existing personal challenges, some of which are very significant, remain. Chana understands that its clients’ fertility struggles cannot simply be put on hold and the charity has a responsibility to ensure that its support services remain solid and continuous. Chana is currently providing different types of support for more than 350 couples still waiting JBD has ambitious plans to develop
for the baby for whom they long, with five new couples reaching out for support each week Couples who are suffering with infertility, miscarriage and baby loss face a maze of overwhelming information and can often feel like they are fumbling in the dark. Chana illuminates a pathway to the relevant information, investigations, treatments and financial assistance, and holds their hands right the way through to achieving their dream of having a baby. One Chana client says: “With the rising cost of living, we were unable to self-fund our course of fertility treatment. I don’t want to think what would’ve happened if we hadn’t had Chana’s support. Thank God, this Chanukah we are celebrating with our toddler, who brings so much light into our world.” charityextra.com/chana HOME HELP Jewish Blind & Disabled’s spotlight is always on transforming the lives of people
improve their quality of life. This vital service is free to anyone over 18 with a physical disability or vision impairment living within the M25. This weekend’s matched-giving campaign will ensure the charity can support people from our community who have nowhere else to turn. jbd.org.uk
JBD transforms people’s lives living with physical disabilities and impaired sight. This coming Sunday (10 December) the charity is launching a 36-hour matched-giving fundraising campaign. Every pound donated on 10 and 11 December will be doubled. With a housing waiting list of more than 100 people, and an increasing number of people who live in their own homes needing support, the charity has ambitious plans to grow and develop. Alongside building more housing, it is supporting some of the most vulnerable members of our community through its Independent Living Advice Service, which enables people to stay independent in their own homes for longer and helps to
CHILDREN FIRST Camp Simcha’s Chanukah activities are designed to bring light to seriously ill children and their families, with a children’s residential retreat, Chanukah parties in London and Manchester and its annual Toy Drive. Daniel Gillis, its head of services, explains: “Like everyone in the community, Camp Simcha families have been devastated by the events in Israel and the ramifications for Jewish people everywhere. However, this comes on top of all the daily pressures and constant anxiety that go with having a seriously ill child. Now, more than ever, our families need relief and some light in all the darkness.” At this year’s children’s retreat, Camp Simcha was joined by 25 seriously ill children. With a doctor, nurses and carers on-site, specialist equipment and a bespoke programme of activities, the three-day residential retreat provided crucial respite for parents and independence for the LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 73
CHARITY children – some of whom have never before been able to go away without their parents. The charity’s Chanukah parties welcomed more than 400 family members, while for the Toy Drive, nurseries, schools, synagogues, cheders, businesses and individuals collected thousands of toys, which are now being distributed to children of all denominations and none, in more than 120 hospital wards and hospices in London and Manchester. campsimcha.org.uk ON THE GROUND In this time of great darkness in Israel, WIZO is restoring light to the lives of suffering and traumatised people. With social welfare needs exacerbated by the crisis, healing emotional and psychological wounds is vital. WIZO is uniquely qualified to provide immediate mental health support with a range of individual therapies and is committed to radiating hope for the vulnerable who depend on its 800 projects across the country, alongside the increasing numbers of Israeli citizens in need of its expertise. So far, more than 30,000 food and clothing packages have been distributed to soldiers and displaced families. Meanwhile, 120 displaced elderly citizens, some Holocaust survivors, have been housed in WIZO’s Parents Home and WIZO Youth Villages are caring for 250 students who have immigrated to Israel without their families, some having fled the trauma of the Ukraine war. Helpline staff have responded to more than 3,500 calls from those who are displaced, those whose partners have been called up for reserve duty and from victims of domestic violence. The WIZO Vocational High School in Jerusalem has introduced a vital new emotional therapy programme to assist countless extremely traumatised students. Dan Shapiro of JNF UK visiting a Holocaust survivor in Israel
74 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk
Phone and Learn aims to help people increase their connection with Judaism
Camp Simcha aims to bring light to seriously ill children and their families Wizouk.org feeling an increased connection to their REBUILDING COMMUNITIES Judaism, either out of solidarity with Israel The KKL Legacy Department’s Chanukah or because of rising antisemitism – or in lunch for clients and the wider community some cases both. Phone and Learn – PaL will welcome David Bouskila, former Mayor is offering the opportunity to tap into that of Sderot, on a live link. He will share how interest and sign up for a free 15-minute JNF UK is helping to rebuild communities weekly session with your own dedicated, welland shine a light on lives, after the suited learning partner to connect with and devastation in the south of Israel. JNF/KKL’s explore your Jewish identity. Now is a time to campaign Operation Ir Miklat, to clear, clean feel proud of being Jewish – after all, together and renovate bomb shelters in the northern we’re stronger and learning more about towns of the country means that shelters Judaism will empower you to feel that way. will provide crucial protective space for Building a learning connection is a great way 120,000 residents. to embrace Jewish sentiment and it’s really JNF UK volunteers are travelling all easy to get started. over Israel distributing emergency kits to phoneandlearn.org/together Holocaust survivors, which are designed to make sitting in a bomb shelter for CHANUCARE hours at a time more comfortable. Each Jewish Care, which shines a light on the package includes a torch with batteries, community all year round, calls this time a transistor radio and first aid kit, plus of year Chanucare. This Chanukah, older food and special packages members of the community to commemorate are worried about Chanukah. current events, while The facing their own survivors challenges often live in closer to buildings home. without a Jewish Care lift and if the will continue shelter is on to brighten the ground up their lives floor, because and ensure of their age, when that they feel Chanukah in WIZO Parents Home the missile alert is connected during the sounded, they must stay eight days of Chanucare in their apartments. These visits with celebrations, candle-lighting, are a lifeline and shine a really bright light latkes and doughnuts across the charity’s on the most vulnerable members of Israeli community centres, dementia day centres, society. care homes and retirement living schemes. kkl.org.uk / jnf.co.uk Care buses will bring people to the services and Supportive Communities Tea Party guests LEARNING CURVE will enjoy gathering together for Chanukah, Ever since the terrible events of October while people in the community will receive 7 there has been a strong feeling of unity meals on wheels. These are just a few of among Jews in the UK. Many people are the services Jewish Care provides to enable people to remain in touch with their Jewish identity, to live with dignity and to receive the Women in WIZO Shelter drawing dreidels with children care they need. We are stronger when we look after each other and Jewish Care thanks the community for the kindness and generosity that help it to strengthen and support older people to shine bright in our community. jewishcare.org/chanucare
FAMILY AND FRIENDS Once your Chanukah celebrations are over, don’t rush to put away all your best china and cutlery; mental health charity Jami is giving the community another reason to come together and enjoy good food and good company. The charity, which supports those whose mental illness and distress make everyday life a challenge, will be marking its eighth Mental Health Shabbat between 19 and 20 January 2024 to encourage conversations on mental health and to share ideas on how we can support ourselves and others within the community. For the first time ever, Jami is inviting members of the community to host a meal over Jami Mental Health Shabbat to raise vital funds and awareness of the charity’s life-changing mental health services while spending quality time connecting with family and friends. Meal hosts will be encouraged to ask their guests to make a donation to Jami instead of gifting flowers or wine. After signing up to host a meal, people will receive some useful resources, such as recipes and conversation cards. Jami will also be producing its annual toolkit, containing a range of rabbi sermons, youth activities and other great resources to encourage synagogues, schools and youth groups to get involved. jamiuk.org Harry Olmer at Jewish Care’s Holocaust Survivors’ Centre
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CHARITY
Rebuilding Children’s Lives Following the terrorist attack in Israel on October 7, Jewish Child’s Day sprang into action to help its beneficiaries – the children. By Angie Jacobs
S
ince October 7 we have all Child’s Day’s history as the charity was been asked to dig deep into founded on the first Sunday of Chanukah our pockets and give financial in 1947 and was, as its name suggests, a support to Israel. Soldier one-day-a-year event for five years until it uniforms, equipment, energy progressed into a year-round operation. drinks... anything that can This Sunday, it is launching a National help fund and galvanise our beloved Israel Day of Giving, encouraging the community Defence Forces (IDF). Important requests to come forward and get involved with indeed, but there are so many other groups events taking place that day, which of people who have been affected and include a high-end nearly-new need our backing too. women’s boutique sale at its Jewish Child’s Day headquarters in Finchley. has been a grant-giving It is also selling boxes of charity since 1947. It was Jewish Child’s Day blue set up to help children and white Chanukah in the aftermath of the candles, with proceeds Holocaust and has going towards urgent continued to raise funds funding requests for Israel. and distribute grants since The boxes are stamped with then. Seventy-six years on, it its new theme: ‘Rebuilding Adele Busse is once again responding to the Young Lives’. consequences of war. “The money raised on the “Under normal National Day of Giving will circumstances, around 50 be awarded as grants to percent of Jewish Child’s charities in Israel that Day’s grants go to Israeli support children affected charities looking after by the war through children, approximately a variety of projects 40 percent to charities in our five main grant in the UK, and the rest categories: equipment, Shachaf Vainer to projects in other small education, health, activities Eytan Jewish communities around and therapy,” explains Shachaf the world,” says Adele Busse, head Vainer Eytan, head of marketing of grants. “Since October 7, we have been and collaborations. receiving an unprecedented number of In a regular year, Jewish Child’s Day requests and have dug into our reserves, supports around 130 different organisations already giving out over £100,000 to support helping more than 25,000 children. Since children affected by the war. Desperate October 7 it has awarded grants to 16 times call for desperate measures and we charities in response to urgent requests. started our Chanukah appeal early to bring As we speak, my eyes are opened to in extra funds.” the knock-on effects of the war and the Chanukah is very poignant in Jewish multiple ways in which the lives of so A family moving to safe accommodation after losing their home
76 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk
many Israeli children have been adversely impacted. Bear in mind that these children are living with physical, learning or emotional difficulties and may be abused, deprived or disadvantaged in the first place; their quality of life has been drastically affected by recent events. For example, deaf or hard-of-hearing children have been particularly isolated and confused as they will not have heard
Portable beds are necessary for quick transfer to a safe space the sirens and known what was going on around them. One charity has set up online group sessions for emotional support and the children have been given activity packs at home, which include workbooks, games and toys. The recipients are very appreciative and it is heart-warming for Jewish Child’s Day staff when they receive photos of the children playing with the toys and games they have been given. Whole families from the south have had to flee their homes and are now living in hotels with very few of their belongings.
A girl receiving a special activity box for children who are deaf or hard of hearing Not only has money raised been spent on essentials such as nappies, formula and baby wipes, but also games and activities to keep the kids occupied and distract them from the trauma they have experienced and continue to experience. One charity
that supports disabled children asked for a donation for portable beds for young children as its staff members could not manage to carry them all to a safe space quickly enough every time a siren goes off. The psychological implications of the trauma faced by many children in Israel means that they are likely to need extra therapeutic support for years to come. Israel has many youth villages that care for children who have had to be taken away from their family homes by social services because of issues such as parents with an addiction, a parent in prison or are living in homes where there is neglect and abuse. The youth villages in safer areas have had to accept new temporary residents from southern Israel, which has, of course, incurred extra costs and Jewish Child’s Day has been asked to contribute towards the additional expenses. “As well as raising funds for medical equipment for children with severe disabilities, we try to give them the nice things, the extras that they wouldn’t normally be getting,” says Shachaf. Adele shares Jewish Child’s Day’s commitment: “The impact of the war is going to go on and we want to be here to help as many children as we can for as long as we can, but we can only do what our donors enable us to do. The more money we receive, the more we will have to go directly to where it is most needed.” To donate to Jewish Child’s Day’s Rebuilding Lives appeal, find out more about the clothes sale or purchase some Chanukah candles, visit jcd.uk.com
REBUILDING THE LIVES OF CHILDREN IN NEED
Jewish Child’s Day is committed to rebuilding the lives of children affected by the 7th October atrocities. The children of Israel are facing one of the most challenging and traumatic times. It is imperative that we are there for them now. We continue to receive emergency requests every day. Our ability to respond depends on your generosity! Please donate at jcd.uk.com/donate today or scan the QR code
1st Floor, Elscot House, Arcadia Avenue, Finchley N3 2JU | 020 8446 8804 | info@jcd.uk.com | JCD.UK.COM Registered Charity No. 1195764
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02/05/2023 09:02
TRAVEL
The relaxed vibe of Secret Forest
Israeli hotelier Yoni Kahana gave Supernova massacre survivors a free fiveday holistic experience at his beautiful hotel in Cyprus
P
aphos has long been an appealing holiday destination for those seeking sunshine, calm and near year-round sunshine. It offers a relaxed vibe and good value for money with great food and, for the more observant, kosher hotels and a thriving Chabad centre. Secret Forest is one of those hotels. A sprawling high-end retreat in the mountains above Paphos, it has a kosher kitchen and attracts both religious and secular guests. It offers a host of facilities and holistic treatments, plus – in normal times – guided Secret Forest in Paphos looked after survivors with 'loving-kindness'
Peace HOTEL
walks, jeep tours and unlimited alcohol, all included in the price. But these are not normal times. The Israeli owner, Yoni Kahana, sprang into action after the terrible events in Israel on October 7 and, working with trauma experts, he and his team organised an ongoing series of fully subsidised five-day therapeutic retreats for groups of survivors of the Supernova festival massacre. Spa treatments, acupuncture, gourmet food, meditation, yoga, music and therapy sessions are just some of what was on offer. “We were here on Simchat Torah. We love our country and our people, and we thought, how can we help from here?” says Yoni, 35, who grew up in the Chabad movement. “We saw all the people who had survived the party sitting at home with all the trauma they had and all the stress in Israel. They lost friends, but they themselves were saved. We thought of bringing them out here, to a quiet,
healing utopia in nature. It’s emotional to see the influence this has had on them. They told me they hadn’t eaten, didn’t sleep well and were traumatised. But, suddenly, the passion for living returned.” At first, Yoni offered stays free of charge out of his own generosity and then he set up a crowdfunding effort to be able to continue the free treatments. He ended up with a waiting list with hundreds of people on it. Yoni Kahana with guests One of the first people to whom Yoni day, spa treatments, the use of the beautiful reached out upon launching the project swimming pools, water treatments, Chinese was psychotherapist Zohar Wilson, who had reflexology, bodyHouse massage, previously conducted workshops at Secret Theacupuncture, pool and garden at Ellerman breathwork, music and wine every night, Forest. He was part of the senior professional yoga classes, meditation, mindfulness and team assembled to lead active treatments dance classes. and oversee the therapeutic aspects. The therapy team screened applicants, as “What we performed was not regular they could not take the worst trauma cases. treatment for post-trauma,” says Zohar. “It’s They also worked with the Hakomi Institute a treatment for trauma that has occurred of Israel – a treatment centre and school– and recently, it’s still happening. It’s totally charity Nova Help, so they could provide free different. You don’t take people into their psychotherapy treatments back in Israel when emotions, subconscious or childhood survivors returned from the retreat. trauma. One of the experts was a specialist The therapist team met the survivors at in psychedelics, because people went into Ben Gurion Airport for the flight out and trauma while they were tripping. It’s a whole accompanied them on their return. With one new ballgame.” of Zohar’s groups, immediately upon landing Many of the Supernova survivors have a there was a rocket alert at the airport and they “double trauma”, he explains, first because had to stay in the toilets for 20 minutes. This they survived the terror event and are was a harsh return from the 'non-reality' of experiencing all the psychological effects that their retreat. come with that, and then because they Stefani Susan, 25, was one survivor were under the influence of various who went on the retreat. “The substances during the assault. treatments were very good. All the “For some of them, they died people there saved us, they knew because of it. For some of them, our needs and were very sensitive it saved their life. It depends on Zohar Wilson to us,” she says. “I returned from this the drugs. If you take a stimulant, week much stronger. I came with a friend an upper, you can run for hours. Some and we worried about arriving, it seemed of them had to run for six hours nonstop strange to fly abroad… But we felt protected. [to escape the massacre], so that helped. I really enjoyed being with the people from For some of them, the fact they were on the party, all the conversations. They really psychedelics, it was for them in slow motion listened to us – we felt the loving-kindness.” so they could function better,” he says. The loving-kindness of a warm sunny Besides the group and individual therapy embrace at Secret Forest might be just the sessions, the survivors were pampered. “They thing over the winter. had activities from morning to night to keep secretfo.rest them connected to the body, because that is A version of this article recently appeared in the best grounding,” explains Yoni. Times of Israel The programme included three meals a LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 79
TRAVEL
Travelling in Turbulent Times Debbie Collins looks at the challenges for travel agents
W
hile we’re not quite at the point of building sandcastles on Tel Aviv beach, flights to Israel are busier than one might think. David Segel of West End Travel notes: “People are travelling again. It starts with a trickle and becomes a flow.” Ben Robbins, of Bespoke Kosher Travel, curates custom-made holidays for the discerning Jewish traveller and says: “Since October 7, it’s understandably been a little quiet for our popular destinations and people are sitting tight for now. But, as always with travel, we are optimistic.” David says: “What we are seeing now is what I would call ‘emotional and essential traffic’.” Such is the case of Nicola, flying recently to Israel to visit her son Ben, who is serving in the Israel Defence Forces, to make the most of his 22 hours leave. “I flew
‘Ben Gurion is normally very busy, but it was quiet and empty – it was very moving seeing the hostage pictures displayed along the arrivals walkway’ 80 LIFE jewishnews.co.uk
‘What we are seeing now is what I would call emotional and essential traffic’ David Segel, of West End Travel, was able to help travellers stranded in Israel
El Al on a Monday afternoon and genuinely didn’t expect to see a packed plane. It was a mixture of lone travellers like me, married couples and many families who fled Israel. Ben Gurion is normally very busy, but it was quiet and empty – it was very moving seeing the hostage pictures displayed along the arrivals walkway. “The atmosphere among airport staff felt really heavy and even my taxi driver commented on how quiet and eerie the streets were and that his heart was broken. “When I saw Ben, the feeling was indescribable. I hugged him hard and didn’t want to let him go, but I know I will visit him again soon.” One woman, Sian, found herself stuck in Israel on the October 7, having visited her boyfriend over the Succot holidays. As everything began to unfold, her EasyJet flight on October 9 was cancelled. “There were no direct flights to London and I needed to be back for work. Thank goodness for my boyfriend’s travel agent, who advised to just get to the airport and try to catch a connecting
flight. It was a real balagan [chaos], with so many delays and flight cancellations, but I eventually managed to fly via Athens into Bristol, finally catching a taxi back to London. I was just so relieved to get back.” With many people now choosing to bypass travel agents and book flights and accommodation directly, I asked David how this affects business. “We feel privileged to handle group accounts, but individual bookings are still a huge percentage of our business. Easy as it is for people to book directly, we have proved time and time again that the internet is not what it’s cracked up to be. “Ours is a well-oiled machine in that there’s always someone available.” And with more than 50 years’
A SAFE RETURN
experience in the travel trade, you want someone like West End travel on your speed dial in a crisis. “On October 7 we moved fast. My son Jeremy, who works with me, was in Israel and he was able to rebook flights with BA off his laptop for our clients, who were frantically calling about their cancelled flights. Through word of mouth, we then received calls from stranded passengers asking for our help. And we were delighted they called – absolutely chuffed to get the business, even though the flight prices paid were as ridiculous as the routes home via Larnaca [in Cyprus] and Dubai. The fact is we managed to move people.” And if you’re going to save the day by coming through on a flight, it Gideon Meir may as well be for Golda Meir’s grandson, Gideon, who was flown over by Jewish News for the first showing of the film Golda on 6 October. No one could have predicted the unfolding events, but David’s team acted quickly and managed to get him back on the last flight on Virgin. With West End Travel bookings filling up fast for 2024, especially flights to Greece over Pesach, what’s the secret to continued business? David replies: “Our greatest achievement? Survival.”
OUR TRAVEL PAGES have always been full of stories about Israel’s many excellent hotels. As the director general of Tel Aviv Hotel Association, Oren Drori promotes the city’s properties with enthusiasm. Now, with those same hotels being used to house evacuees from Israel’s south and north, he admits the situation is “different from everything we know”, adding: “They are actually functioning as ‘refugee camps’. We are all working on a different level.” But Oren is still positive and looking ahead to the time when it will be business as usual. As he says confidently: “We are fine and we are strong!” And Michael Ben Baruch, director UK & Ireland at the Israel Government Tourist Office, says: “Tourism, in its essence, is the clearest marker of freedom. When it returns to Israel, it will be a testament to the victory of the spirit and the light. We are optimistic that tourism will make a robust comeback.” LIFE looks forward to featuring Israel and its hotels soon
H A M P S T E A D
C O U R T
C A R E
H O M E
Happy Hanukkah! Hampstead Court Care Home in St John’s Wood offers a safe and supportive environment where residents can flourish, make new friends and live a life of possibility. • Residential, dementia and respite care • Restaurant-quality dining catering for all tastes and dietary requirements • Spacious, beautifully decorated bedrooms • Stimulating schedule of daily activities and entertainment • Support for residents to maintain community links
020 3018 8106 | averyhealthcare.co.uk
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The Progressive Jewish Communities, their Councils and Rabbis, wish you a
Chag Urim Sameach
Together, our light shines even more strongly against the darkness. We light our menorot in support of those held hostage, rekindling our hope for peace and security.
RABBI AND REBBETZIN Overview
The Community
Flagship United Synagogue house of traditional Jewish worship in Great Britain, located in central London, The New West End Synagogue occupies a rarified status in the history of Judaism. The Synagogue is seeking a dynamic rabbinic couple to define the future trajectory of a loyal community approaching its 150th anniversary.
A vibrant, eclectic congregation enjoys a varied programme of events which reflects the complexion of a diverse, highly social and welcoming membership. The two main community aims are complementary; to enhance the “Minhag Anglia” form of worship and to grow the congregation by reaching out across central London and beyond.
The Position
The Roles
Timings
Applications are invited from qualified candidates with the following criteria:
The community seeks an engaging and approachable couple as Rabbi and Rebbetzin, to minister across the full spectrum of Jewish life, focused on the following disciplines:
•
• • •
Proactive rabbinic couple Vocational motivation Rabbinic ordination approved
The Employment Package • •
Remuneration is attractive and aligned with the responsibilities of the roles Accommodation on-site in a period town house
• • • • • • • •
Communal Events Courses Education For Adults and Children Hosting Lifecycle Events Outreach Pastoral Care Ritual Services
For informal, confidential enquiries: rabbinicselectioncommittee@newwestend.org.uk
• •
Applications: Now open. Close at 3pm GMT 3rd Tevet 5784 Early application an advantage Interviews: Commence following closing date Start date: By mutual agreement
The Application • • • •
Curricula Vitae References Your approach to community Rabbonus Your congruity with The New West End
To view the job descriptions and apply for this position: www.theus.org.uk/vacancies
The United Synagogue is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of babies, infants and children; it requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service and other checks will be mandatory.
MATCH FUNDING CAMPAIGN
SAVE THE DATE
Sunday 10th - Monday 11th December All donations raised during the campaign will be doubled thanks to the generosity of our “Match Funders”. Beit Halochem provides a lifeline to those who have sacrificed so much for the safety and security of Israel. The organisation stands as a testament to Israel’s commitment to these veterans, helping them regain their independence, their purpose, and their dignity. They help to empower these veterans to rebuild their lives and become a valued member of society once again.
www.charityextra.com/beithalochem For more information about Beit Halochem UK, how to get involved or to make a donation, visit our website www.bhuk.org email info@bhuk.org or call us on 020 8458 2455
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Springdene Jewish News_Xmas2023.indd 1
Where life is for living 04/11/2023 12:01
Eden Taharani with her dog, Gemma
FINDING THE LOVE AND LIGHT
THE TEAM AT THE ISRAEL GUIDE DOG CENTRE know about war. They have clients who have lost their sight in battle or battled with the debilitating symptoms of trauma post-conflict. But this longestablished, supremely capable charity was shaken by the events of October 7, as new co-chief executive officer Carmel Reiss revealed at the annual reception earlier this month. While describing the charity’s struggle to operate as normal amid falling rockets, a muchreduced staff and between 10 and 20 new puppies The centre’s Noah being born Kaplan saving dogs monthly, the emphasis has been on offering immediate help to the country, its people and its animals. “The centre’s training vans were used to save more than 400 abandoned dogs that were left behind when owners were evacuated, trapped inside homes or roaming the streets without food and water.” Some of those dogs have been reunited with their families, while others will need rehoming and they are working with animal charities to ensure that happens. The drafting of so many soldiers has also impacted on the volunteer puppy-raisers scheme, under which puppies are placed in homes for a year so they can adjust and learn about life outside the centre. “Our role is to breed, raise and train the puppies to become guide or service dogs supporting Israelis with disabilities,” Carmel continued. “But our The dogs visit hospitals kennels are full, many of our puppies have had to be rehomed and we are still trying to support the remaining puppy-raisers. Even during this war, our work must continue as there need to be enough dogs for PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] service and guide work and we have already had requests for dogs to help children affected by the atrocities. Sadly these needs will only grow.” With dogs visiting children, the wounded and evacuees at hostels, hotels, and hospitals, the comfort the Israel Guide Dog Centre brings is essential and few appreciate or expound this more than Eden Taharani. Having conquered Instagram and TikTok where she has 62.9K followers, Eden, 24, and her dog Gemma, are the definitive poster team for the charity. Partnered for three years, Eden, who was born blind, spent years dealing with the obstacles in Holon, her hometown, before Gemma, her new best friend, led the way. Arguably Eden had already found it, having competed on Israel’s X Factor at the age of 17 and now as a model walked the catwalk in Milan. Next time she parades, Eden, who married childhood sweetheart Matan Rokach in September, would like to have Gemma by her side and it will happen. Eden believes nothing is off limits – you can find the light – she says, giving us all something to think about. PS Happy, healthy Chanukah to Martin Segal, the committed and industrious UK executive director of Israel Guide Dogs Centre. israelguidedog.org.uk Martin Segal
Gone, but not forgotten Of all the abhorrent scenes in Israel, the shooting of a dog was among the first many saw. Taken from a Hamas fighter’s GoPro camera, the clip showed the loyal pet bounding towards the attackers before being struck by a bullet. That the wounded dog then tried to stand, only to be shot again, displayed the wickedness of the killers, who also murdered helpless men, women and children. The dog Bonita was Bonita, who lived on Kibbutz Sufa and inadvertently diverted the terrorists’ attention away from the house, potentially saving the lives of her family. Family dogs are not included in Israel’s death toll, but they are also innocent victims of the Hamas attacks. Mickey, a tiny Pinscher mix, was adopted by Deborah Mintz when he was four months old. He burnt to death on Kibbutz Nirim, a week before he turned six. Frightened by the sirens, Mickey hid under the couch as the family fled to the safe room. “I didn’t have time to get him out,” said Deborah, who has photos of her beloved dog in his signature bow tie and clothes in winter as he felt the cold. “I miss my boy,” said Deborah, who will never forget Mickey’s screams as he died with her daughter Aimee’s cats, Honey and Ginger, when Hamas torched the house. “The house is boarded up and they are still in there, which breaks my heart.” Aimee’s dog Lemon survived and is now with Deborah in Eilat. After the attacks, charity, Let the Animals Live set up a real ‘war room’ at their centre in Kfar Ruth and loaded vehicles with food to hand out to animals left behind in the south or taken north. They also delivered food to goats, donkeys, chickens and other farm animals, who were moved to safer places. Let the Animals Live has 200 dogs and cats waiting for adoption. Tel 00 972 03-6241776 The dogs found after the attacks waiting for letlive.org.il their owners or new homes
Broken heart A final word for Rider, who has not stopped searching for his owner Dror Bahat, a kibbutznik from Beit Alfa who was murdered at the music festival. They were together for six years after Dror adopted him from a dog pound. “He cared for Rider and nurtured him as if he were his own child,” said Dror’s father, Idan Bahat. “They shared a deep bond and Dror loved him dearly. Every day, my wife Ella visits Dror’s grave and Rider accompanies her, lying beside Dror’s resting place.”
Above: Dror Bahat and Rider Below: Rider sits at Dror’s grave
Legacies change lives forever “To a mother whose baby is born deaf, who feels her whole world is collapsing, I leave hope, encouragement and the assurance that her baby will become a confident beautiful individual, a joy to her family and a credit to her community. This is my will.” Please leave JDA a gift in your Will and help us to give our children the bright future they deserve.
020 8446 0502 www.jdeaf.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1105845 Company Limited by Guarantee 4983830
THE ISRAEL GUIDE DOG CENTRE IS IN EMERGENCY MODE WE URGENTLY NEED YOUR HELP Over 50% of our puppy raisers have been drafted into IDF emergency reserve duty – we relocated over 150 of our puppies.
Donate online
400 abandoned dogs were rescued by our volunteers from communities near Gaza during the first few days of war.
Scan the QR code with your phone camera – it’s quick and easy!
This Chanukah, please help us to increase the light for all our amazing staff, clients and volunteers.
020 8090 3455 israelguidedog.org.uk 020 8446 0502 GUIDE DOGS
www.jdeaf.org.uk SERVICE DOGS
SUPPORT DOGS
Registered Charity No. 1105845 Company Limited by Guarantee 4983830
Registered charity no: 1188449
All our clients, puppy raisers, staff and volunteers have been evacuated from the southern and northern Israel borders.
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One of the chief tasks of any dialogue with the Gentile world is to prove that the distinction between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism is not a distinction at all.
"
ABBA EBAN (1915 – 2002)
"
Yad Vashem has been shedding tears for the victims of history’s greatest atrocity for over 70 years. We are devastated to see those tears have fallen on barren earth. How can the Jewish People find yet more tears to show our pain and let the world know that the evil of antisemitism is still with us? OUR HEARTS ARE BROKEN FOR THE MOTHERS AND FATHERS, THE SISTERS AND BROTHERS AND THE CHILDREN WHOSE LIVES HAVE BEEN SO BARBARICALLY ENDED
IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN…. We stand together with all the citizens of Israel. We stand together with all the bereaved.
עם ישראל חי The Trustees, staff and everyone associated with Yad Vashem UK www.yadvashem.org.uk
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