Life Mag - Summer 2019

LIFE Jewish News

ISSUE NO. 2

Summer 2019

THE STREISAND EFFECT

JN LIFE MAGAZINE Summer 2019

Fauda Force …And even more of Shtisel’s Michael Aloni

ISSUE NO. 2

PLUS Fashion, Food and Travel 1 JN LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

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36 THIS IS YOUR LIFE 7 Who, What & When

30 The Next Stage

It may be tenuous, but there’s a Jewish thread to what’s happening over the next few months.

Theatre producer Kenny Wax talks stage success and affordable tickets.

11 Fresh Rabbit

33 Pride Guide

Children’s author and illustrator Judith Kerr reveals her new book with another bunny.

Making the most of Tel Aviv Pride from 9-14 June.

12 Blaze of Glory

Drag queens have never been more popular, and many of them are Jewish.

Who knew there was a Jewish side to Bon Jovi?

Deborah Cicurel does now.

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15 Knowing Nitza Afer a lifetime of Jewish teaching, Nitza Spiro shares knowledge with refugees in search of a new life in Israel.

16 The Force of Fauda Sandy Rashty gets the backstory to Fauda from co-creator Avi Issacharoff.

18 Reinventing a Leader Jenni Frazer dips into King Bibi, Dan Shadur’s film study of Israel’s polarising prime minister.

21 Hello Akiva Shtisel’s Michael Aloni. Need we say more?

26 A Brush with Brilliance Meet Alex Tubis, the man who made Akiva Shtisel an artist.

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28 Tackling Intolerance Jewish News editor Richard Ferrer reflects on a trip to Auschwitz with the Chelsea football team.

34 Drag of Faith

36 The Streisand Effect Ahead of her July concert, Brigit Grant muses on the superstar’s appeal.

40 Summer Sorted The dresses to sparkle in this summer.

46 Fashion Follow On

Seasonal additions to your wardrobe and his!

48 Mira’s Miracles Linger over the luxury wedding gowns by Mira and Lihi Zwillinger.

50 Dror’s Attention Louisa Walters looks at Israel’s striking dressmaker Inbal Dror.

51 Fun in the Fields Visit South Farm, a venue that makes a function unique.

53 Sail into Summer with All Aboard Naomi Frankel discovers great finds at the charity store.

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48

Editor’s Letter

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55 Scents of Reasons

79 Portugal’s Potential

European fragrance and the best of beauty.

How a move to the Algarve changed one couple’s life.

58 The Chef who Makes Israeli Cooking a Healthy Option

81 Sun, Sea and Sand in Ashkelon

elcome to Life magazine Spring/Summer. It’s packed full of features and profiles of fascinating people, among them Fauda co-creator Avi Issacharoff, who reveals the truth behind his controversial hit series, and children’s author Judith Kerr, who has a new rabbit for young readers.

Wedding dress designers Mira Zwillinger and Inbal Dror are part of our fashion pages, along with beauty, healthy recipes from California and Israel – home to Tel Aviv Gay Pride and many top hotels you can read about here.

Israel is also the base of Shtisel, a series that has become cult within the community – and globally, with a 12K following and growing on its dedicated Facebook page, Let’s Talk About Shitsel. Our cover star, Michael Aloni, plays a huge part in its appeal.

We spoke to him twice (jealous?), found Alex Tubis, the artist who taught him to paint and chatted to Shtisel’s producer, Dikla Barkai, who is involved in every aspect of the show. Dikla also made Srugim, the drama about Israeli singles, which is also addictive and available on Amazon Prime. Watch it, as a third season of Shtisel won’t happen for some time. As Dikla told us: “We would love to do it quickly, but TV is a slow process. I can’t say more than that.” We hope Lior Nordman’s photos will fill

Michael Solomonov’s recipes showcase best of Israeli.

The apartment you want to buy in Israel is now available.

60 Californian Cooking

84 Cigal’s World of Interiors

the void, so you can enjoy Life until Shtisel returns.

They always look golden and lithe. Alex Galbinski found the dishes for a Californian figure.

No matter how small the space, Cigal Kaplan has the talent to turn your home around.

63 Tea Time

86 North London Girls

Brigit

Restaurant Club founder Louisa Walters shares more than scones in her list of top places for tea.

Meet the new interior designers with their sights set on your rooms.

66 Six Pack

90 Kitchen Craft

AKA the delicious dozen, these are the new eateries.

The Home Consultancy has a new approach to redesigning kitchens.

68 Food for all the Senses Alex Galbinski recommends the best in local gastronomy.

71 Smart camps For children who like tech at any age, these are the places to enjoy it.

73 Doggie does Devon

Brigit Grant

EDITORAL

95 Home is where you are Debbie Colton drops in on a Jewish Blind and Disabled dwelling filled with memorabilia.

95 Clear out your Clutter Rose Communications wants to help sick children with your phones.

Charlie Spender ventures out for a wild walk in the south-west.

96 Springing into action

75 Be Israel’s Guest

98 Building your self-confidence

Make a reservation at the Holy Land’s loveliest hotels.

Essential advice from the career changing charity, Work Avenue.

Emunah’s new CEO is ready to sweep into action.

Editor Brigit Grant brigitg@thejngroup.com Contributors Alex Galbinski Louisa Walters Deborah Cicurel Naomi Frankel Jenni Frazer

Designers John Nicholls Sarah Rothberg ADVERTISING Beverly Sanford Marc Jacobs Max Gittelmon sales@thejngroup.com 020 7692 6929

DESIGN Art Director Diane Spender dianes@the jngroup.com

FRONT COVER Michael Aloni, photography by Lior Nordman

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&

WHO,WHAT WHEN Coming your way…

THEATRE

Writing on the wall John Malkovich returns to the London stage for the first time in 30 years in Bitter Wheat, Jewish playwright David Mamet’s attempt to tackle the Harvey Weinstein scandal. Malkovich plays Barney Fein, the head of a Hollywood studio accused of shameful crimes.

Garrick Theatre 7th June to 14th September

Super Trouper

MUSEUM

June is the month to visit Stockholm for the reopening of a revamped Swedish Jewish Museum in new premises — a former synagogue that opened in 1795, only to be sold in 1870 when the city’s Great Synagogue was built.

MUSEUM

CINEMA

Oy Toy! Want a date for your diary? Then try 21 June as that is when we get to whoop and well up at the sight of Woody, Buzz and their loveable compatriots in Toy Story 4. Now owned by Bonnie, the toys with new addition Forky get to go on a road trip and reunite with Bo Peep. Returning to the fold in iconic voice only is the late-great Jewish comedian Don Rickles, who died in 2017. Director Josh Cooley couldn’t imagine the potato without his tones as he had voiced the spud for the past three films, all the shorts, video games and Toy Story attractions at both Disney parks. To keep him involved the team went through 25 years of lines Rickles had recorded. Mr Potato Head’s Jewish wife, Mrs Potato Head, is still voiced by Estelle Harris, and Curb Your Enthusiam’s Jeff Garlin is breaking out as Buttercup, a white toy unicorn.

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Dear Daddy FOR FATHER’S DAY ON SUNDAY 16 JUNE, do the right thing and make it about him. Perhaps a trip down memory lane at The Museum of Brands in Notting Hill which is the world’s only museum dedicated to celebrating how well loved, brands have evolved through time. Currently there’s a toy exhibition featuring the evolution of rail giants Hornby, Brimtoy, Tri-ang and Mettoy Television characters Sooty, Hank and Muffin the Mule are there, so he’ll love it.

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COMEDY CINEMA

Scarlett Lady We can never get enough of Scarlett Johansson, so it’s good to know she will be ever-present in 2019. She has already been marvelled at as the Black Widow in The Avengers: Endgame, but she will also appear in Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit, playing the mother of a Hitler Youth recruit who discovers she is hiding a Jewish boy. Scarlett is also the lead in Jewish director Noah Baumbach’s as yet untitled project about an elongated bi-coastal divorce. So long as there’s no separation from Scarlett.

PROPHET SHARING That’s the inspired title of the show by stand-up comedian friends Ashley Blaker and Imran Yusuf. An unlikely pairing ignited by a shared passion for the same football team and familiarity with Abraham. People of every faith – as well as atheists – will no doubt be laughing.

JW3 24/25 June 7.30pm

WHO’s That Girl?

Fancy seeing Shakira, Streisand and Adele on the same bill? Obviously.

Which is why Jess Robinson has got them all together in her own head for a night of impressions, musical comedy and vocal gymnastics with her live band on JW3 18 July 7.30pm.

NETFLIX CINEMA

Roaring Success JEWISH DIRECTOR Jon Favreau is at the helm of musical fantasy live action The Lion King, which is released on 19 July to mark the 25th anniversary of the release of the original film. Listen out for the vocals of Seth Rogen as Pumbaa and Billy Eichner as Timon the meerkat.

4 July

American Independence Day is celebrated with the start of season three of Stranger Things. As it is never too late to catch up anymore, you can binge the other Netflix seasons, which revolve around the disappearance of a young boy amid supernatural events. It’s worth viewing to see Eleven, the psychokinetic girl, and the Jewish mother and son double act of Winona (formerly Horowitz) Ryder as Joyce Byers and Noah Schnapp as her son Will.

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MEMO

Shavuot:

MUSIC

J-LO’s Israeli debut

SATURDAY, 8 JUNE TO MONDAY, 10 JUNE 2019

POP STAR AND ACTRESS Jennifer Lopez will make her Israeli debut at Tel Aviv’s HaYarkon Park on 1 August.

J-Lo’s show is part of her It’s My Party world tour, a 25-show engagement beginning on 7 June.

The Tel Aviv show is Lopez’s first announcement this year of a tour date outside of North America.

Naturally, young Israeli fans are excited to welcome the actress/singer as she demonstrates the same indifference to boycotters as Tom Jones, Bon Jovi and even John Cleese, who are all performing in the country this summer.

CINEMA

LENA AT LAST It has taken forever for Jewish Girls creator and star LENA

COMEDY

THE WHEEL THING

done it. She is playing Gypsy, a member of Charles Manson’s

2017 Jewish comedian of the Year and wheelchair

gang in Quentin Tarantino’s much anticipated Once Upon

enthusiast Aaron Simmonds

a Time in Hollywood, which has a cast bursting at the seams

is on tour with his show,

DUNHAM to get a part in a major Hollywood movie, but she has

with Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and the late Luke Perry.

On 26 July we get to see how Dunham does when directed.

Disabled Coconut,, during which he amusingly discusses what happens when you’re being trolled online because you are not disabled enough.

Visit: www.ents24.com/uk/tour -dates/aaron-simmonds or catch him at JW3 on 26 June at 7.30pm

EVENTS

To Do List Those who have everything sorted for their 2020 bar or batty can chill this summer. Lucky you! Those who haven’t might want to think about meeting effusive Argentinian Ilai Szpiezak, the producer, choreographer and MC of Upstage Creative, who can provide all the entertainment, be it a dance show, circus acts, or just a musical good fun time. www.upstagecreative.co.uk or call 020 31891780

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Those summer selfies will also remind you that your child will want a photo booth with props, so call David and Serena at Wacky Booths on 020 8502 7232 or visit www.wackybooth.co.uk. As you will never www.wackybooth.co.uk be able to keep the kids off their phones, why not use their annoying behaviour and get an app from Nick Richmond of ReelMash at www.eventcapsule.it or call 020 7157 9705.

9705 Nick will collect their videos and pics to create a unique and affordable presentation. And if you want bespoke playlists, DJ Knight will create one to stop young guests from camping in the loo and get them gathering on the dancefloor instead. www.djknight.co.uk or 86. call 07956 10 40 86

Wacky Booths

DJ Knight

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Fresh Rabbit In one of her last interviews before her death, celebrated author and illustrator Judith Kerr talks new and old books with Brigit Grant

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T HAS TAKEN 48 YEARS, but Judith Kerr has finally given us another rabbit – and it isn’t pink. The Curse of the School Rabbit is Judith’s first encounter with a herbivore since her semiautobiographical When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit was published in 1971.

There have been many books inbetween and The Tiger Who Came To Tea circa 1968 is still beloved by each new generation. But the latest arrival, which would have coincided with the late author’s 96th birthday, is an exquisitely illustrated funny picture book about a boy, a rabbit, and a lot of bad luck.

“I think there should be as few words in a picture book as possible,” says Judith, just weeks before her passing, over coffee and biscuits in the front room at her ivy-clad Victorian house in Barnes.

Judith, who was charming and blessed with energy that belied her years, was nursing a nasty scratch courtesy of her cat – Katinka who has her own book Katinka’s Tail. The drawings are the joy in Judith’s books for that is the natural talent of this former Central School of Art student.

“I never had money or the right clothes and remember my mother and brother getting quite worried about me.”

But there had been more worrying times when they lived in Berlin and her father Alfred, a theatre reviewer and open critic of the Nazis was on the list of most wanted Jews and his books were burnt after the family fled to England when Judith was 12. It is that part of her life that features in her trilogy, Out of the Hitler Time of which ‘Pink Rabbit’ is part.

“I would never have written a novel if it hadn’t been about my family,” admits Judith who credits late husband Thomas Nigel Kneale, creator of TV’s Quatermass for getting her through.

Judith (bottom right) with here Mother, Father and brother Michael, c 1926

“I became a script writer after his success and he fixed anything I messed up. I found the novel incredibly difficult and after three or four chapters was ready to give up. But Tom said I shouldn’t and gave me the title. I was coming up with awful things, but the publishers said that When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit wasn’t the kind of title they used. Originally I hadn’t put pink rabbit in, but Tom remembered and said I should.”

Evidently the toy rabbit Judith left behind was barely pink. “It was very faded,” she says shaking her head. “I suppose it was like an old friend, but in the end I took another toy that was totally uninteresting.”

Judith admits to being sentimental – “If not at the age of 95 when will I start?” she says knowing soft toys trigger nostalgia. “Matthew had a monkey that went everywhere with him,” she says of her first born who is an award-winning novelist living in Rome, but could not recall the favourite toy of her artist/designer daughter, Tacy.

“I had no idea what to do at first with my own children as there had been no small children in my family. But I did learn it was much easier to get kids to do things when you make them laugh.”

The synopsis on the back cover of When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit begins with the line: ‘Suppose your country began to change’ and I ask Judith

if she feels it reflects the recent rise of antisemitism in Britain.

“I can’t recall who said it, but antisemitism is in the soil, it’s always been there and I don’t really know why,” she muses. “I remember a romantic novel my mother once read that described a regular street scene with nothing particular going on and it said ‘a bus was coming and on the other side of the road and a fat Jew was coming along’.

No one complained about it. I also recall staying with a friend from art school whose father spoke negatively about the ‘chosen people’ until she told him I was Jewish and to shut up. It was part of the language,it wasn’t even being mean. I’m amazed how much thoughtless stuff there was, but I’ve never experienced antisemitism in this country.

Though her meetings with young readers have grown fewer, Judith thinks children are much the same,even with the distractions of technology.

“Learning to read is not like it was when Matthew was young and there were Janet and John books.

One day he told me he could not read those books any more and would only learn from Dr Seuss.”

The Tiger Who Came To Tea is a first reader for many young children and The Curse of The School Rabbit could be a new contender.

“Picture books are still popular and that gets them started, so I think they should be funny,” says Judith, who won the Oldie Tigress We’d Like to Have Tea Award in January. Having coffee with her was just as good. Her passing leaves a huge hole in the hearts of millions.

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Bon Jovi’s Jewish keyboardist tells Deborah Cicurel how his faith fits his music

Blaze of

GLORY

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OCTOR, LAWYER, ACCOUNTANT: all jobs a typical Jewish mother would wish for her son.

Rock star doesn’t come high up on the list. However, if you’re going to be a rock star, it’s hard to imagine impressing your parents more than David Bryan, keyboardist for Bon Jovi, one of the world’s most successful rock bands, who have sold more than 100 million records since their formation in the early 1980s.

Born David Bryan Rashbaum, the 57-year-old grew up in a musical family in New Jersey: his father, Eddie Rashbaum, played the trumpet, and he soon became skilled at a variety of instruments. There’s a surprising history to Bon Jovi: all the members of the group were delivered as babies by a Jewish doctor named Greenberg at New Jersey’s Raritan Bay Medical Center. That’s before anyone mentions the spiritually-minded songs the band has created over the years, from Livin’ On A Prayer to Hey God, and the fact that they first played Tel Aviv in 2015.

Now Bryan is about

to go on a huge European stadium tour with Bon Jovi: their first UK tour in six years, which includes June performances at Wembley and at Anfield Stadium.

The multi-talented star has not only been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Bon Jovi, but is also famous for writing the successful Broadway musical Memphis, and remarkably has penned a new musical, Diana, about the late Princess of Wales.

Bryan credits his parents for playing a huge part in his successes as a rock star.

“My parents went along with it,” he says. “I never had any pushback like a lot of people with parents saying ‘don’t do that’. Once they

saw I was committed and put so much energy and time into it, they were like, ‘Ok, give it a go’.”

Bryan says he believes that Jewish culture can be a big driver in why so many of the faith seek out a rock career. “There’s a lot of us,” he adds. “A lot of the piano players are Jewish because their parents made sure they had lessons. There’s that culture in your life and I think they really push for culture a lot.”

Bryan is a reform Jew, which he says has given him a strong grounding and deep principles about equality and humanity.

“The word of reform Judaism is that everybody’s somebody and nobody is better or worse than each other and we all walk down

the road of life hand in hand, man, woman, child, beast,” he chimes.

“We all get together. Nobody’s better. Nobody’s worse. Those principles which I was taught as a kid — that’s humanity. There are no enemies. Everybody’s a friend.”

Bryan says despite his many decades in the industry, performing and co-writing many of Bon Jovi’s hits, he still gets a huge buzz when he performs.

“When you walk out on a stage. it’s a gift, a challenge and a privilege,” he says. “Your whole life you work to be good at your instrument and get in a band and be good at writing songs and good at making records and good at playing live and it all comes together when you walk on the stage.”

Bon Jovi’s ‘This House is Not For Sale’ tour is 19-23 June. www.bonjovi.com

Bryan (second from right) with fellow Bon Jovi band members

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Knowing Nitza Deborah Cicurel hears from Spiro Ark’s founder about her Greek mission

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OR THREE DECADES, the London-based charitable organisation the Spiro Ark has stood out as a pioneering example of Jewish education done right. The charity, which teaches all things Jewish history and culture, infuses its wide range of students with a real enthusiasm and passion for their heritage – and its founders, Nitza and Robin Spiro, aged 81 and 88, are showing no signs of slowing down.

I met the couple at their home in Hampstead, where I was keen to hear from Nitza about their latest adventure: a trip to Athens with the International Christian Consulate to work with a group of Christian refugees, both adults and children, from Syria, Afghanistan and Iran.

Nitza is full of verve, offering me cakes, tea and coffee, showing me photos of her eight children and 16 grandchildren, and recounting the day she met her husband as if it were the previous week.

She tells her story with humour, without missing a beat, and remembers every detail, each personality

quirk and the individual stories of each refugee she met in Athens. Her experience there had clearly been more than an educational one, but one of sharing and developing lasting friendships.

“To be a Christian in their countries is dangerous, so they didn’t know much about Christianity, but what they did know is that Jesus was an Israelite and that his culture was the culture of the bible,” Nitza tells me. “They felt that to make contact with the land before they are allowed to go there is to learn the language and feel part of Jesus’ culture.”

Nitza shows me photographs and recounts stories of her sessions with the refugees: lessons full of smiles, songs, dances, the Hebrew language, and the fascination with her background as an Israeli women. After initially worrying about the challenge of inspiring the group, it soon became apparent that there was nothing to worry about.

“They were warm, friendly, and helpful, and immediately felt a deep connection with me,” says Nitza, who got them to choose Hebrew names based on their personalities and knowledge of the bible.

“In just two weeks, they got an impressive grasp of the language, even writing beautiful poems in Hebrew. Being taught and inspired by a Jewish person like myself and born in Jerusalem was a source of spiritual uplift. To feel that someone from the land of Jesus could be interested in them and give their time as a gift was unbelievable to them.”

One woman, named Fatemah, who chose the Hebrew name Nediva, meaning generous, wrote a poem for the Spiros, signed “I love you.” It reads: “Today is good. The heavens and my heart are laughing. The miracle is on its way. All of us declared – tomorrow morning is white (bright).”

Nitza says: “As a Jew teaching Jewish history, and someone whose near-entire family was wiped out in the Holocaust, I have empathy to any displaced people and a sensitivity to their faith.

“Showing refugees individual concern and sympathy is a gesture towards building a small hope that the world is not entirely bleak and hopeless.”

The couple’s work in Greece has carried on now they are back in London: one of their grandchildren, Sunny Raphaeli, is currently selling T-shirts for a student-led charity, Solidaritee, and obtaining legal aid for refugees in Greece, after becoming inspired by her grandmother’s work.

As Nitza says: “Inspiration crosses the borders of the generation gap.”

Robin and Nitza Spiro

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the force of FAUDA Sandy Rashty goes off-script with the show’s creator, Avi Issacharoff

O Teenage friends Lior Raz (left) and Avi Issacharoff, co-creators of Fauda

VER BLACK COFFEE in a London café, award-winning Israeli screenwriter Avi Issacharoff recalls the moment he was attacked by a mob in 2014. As a journalist, he was reporting on the Nakba Day protests in the West Bank town of Beitunia, north of Jerusalem.

“How did I feel? I felt helpless. Imagine 25 people standing around you; all of them very young and stupid. Some of them are wearing masks to cover their faces, others are showing their faces. All of them are shouting.

“Imagine a mob who hate Israel and then they see you, an Israeli. It was like waving a red flag in front of a red bull. That was Fauda; that was chaos.”

Wearing a fitted black suit with his trademark silver hoop earring, the 46-year-old takes a sip of his Americano. “I had no gun and no security. I remember shouting at them in Arabic, telling them to stay back.

“If it were not for two plainclothes Palestinian Authority officers, I would not be talking to you today. After that experience, I decided to stay away from demonstrations.”

I meet Issacharoff, a former Tel Aviv University student, during his visit to the UK with Tel Aviv

University Trust to talk about the experiences that led him to co-write the Netflix-backed Israeli TV series, Fauda.

It was Issacharoff’s early experiences – from serving in a command unit, to reporting on the Middle East as a journalist – that influenced his writing of a series that has captured the public’s imagination of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Since its 2015 premiere, millions across the globe have closely followed the fictional story of the Israeli unit commander Doron Kavillio (played by co-writer Lior Raz) as he fights terrorists threatening the security of the Jewish State.

And yet, the dialogue is far from simple.

Both the Israeli and Palestinian characters are portrayed as human and flawed – attracting an audience across the political spectrum.

The upcoming third series, which is partly filmed in the Israeli–Arab town of Jisr az-Zarqa, north of Caesarea, looks at issues caused by tunnels built by terrorists.

Issacharoff’s last visit to Gaza was on an IDF media delegation in 2014. There he directly saw the impact the tunnels and terrorists posed to civilians.

“Fauda is very honest. It is based on people we know and talk to – both Lior and myself.”

He adds: “At the end of the day, we created a TV show. We did not create the show to be the PR office of Israel. There are Israeli characters that you love and Israelis you hate; there are Palestinians you can love or hate too.”

But how do the show’s Muslim actors feel about playing terrorists?

“They are not playing stereotypes of ‘the terrorist’,” he says. “They are playing complex characters. They still use language about the ‘Yahud’ (Arabic for ‘Jew’) and the ‘Kelb’ (‘dog’), because that is the language. I’ve come across it for many years as a journalist.”

Have Issacharoff’s interactions with so many different groups helped him to create such compelling characters? “I have an open relationship with so many different people,” he says. ‘With soldiers, officers and with people in the Palestinian Authority.”

He continues: “A journalist can always ask

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questions and write down the response but they should go beyond that andthink about what goes on in their mind and heart.

“When I interviewed terrorists, I would think: ‘Do they miss their wives? Now they must spend their lives in prison, do they regret what they did?’

“And you see this happen in Fauda. It is easier to see ‘a terrorist’ as ‘a person’ when your write it for TV.” With public mistrust of the media on the rise, I wonder whether Issacharoff has turned to screenwriting as a method of airing political issues and human stories. He nods: “We journalists are now facing a massive problem.

Our industry is in a mess.

“People think journalists are biased, they are suspicious of us... In Israel, people hate journalists.

“Of course, a lot of it is because we have leaders like Netanyahu and Trump talking about ‘fake news’.”

He adds: “Our job is sacred. We are the ‘Shaliach Tzibbur’, our job is to tell the story to the people. Not what want they want to hear, or to tell them a lie. We tell them the truth.”

He adds: “If I sound like an old-school journalist, it’s because I am. I was trained like one.”

After serving in a command unit, Issacharoff worked as a bouncer in a Jerusalem nightclub.

“It was one of the wildest clubs,” he laughs.

Aged 28, he heard that Israel Radio was offering work placements for aspiring journalists – so he applied. “I thought it was a good job,” he says.

“I was trained to focus on facts; to stick to clear reporting rules like the ‘five W’s’ – the who, the what, the where, the when and the why’.”

While working as a journalist in 2010, he bumped into Lior Raz, an actor at the time.

Issacharoff remembered him as a teenager.

“We were both secular kids living in Jerusalem and it’s a small place,” he says. “We used to go to the same areas and drink together. He was two years older than me and part of the ‘cool kids’ group. They used to get all the girls and all the fun, and we used to look up to them.”

When he met his old friend again, Issacharoff

had just gone through a divorce. Sitting across Raz in a coffee shop in Ramat Hahayal, Tel Aviv, the two men talked about life.

“Lior said he wanted to make a film about his experiences in the army. I told him I wanted to write a book. We took advice and set on writing a TV series.” After they were turned away by one production company, Issacharoff approached the ‘Yes’ network. “Like good Israelis, when one door closes, we go in through a window. As they say, the rest is history.”

Now his daughter Liya, 12, will appear in the third series of Fauda. “She plays a Palestinian girl and she learned lines in Arabic.”

And even though he now splits his time between his home in Tel Aviv and Los Angeles, it’s clear that Issacharoff finds it hard to switch off.

His smartphone is constantly alight with news alerts and notifications, in Arabic and Hebrew.

He speaks of himself as a journalist but is known for Fauda.

So has fame changed him? “The only thing that has changed, is I need to travel a lot and I don’t like being away from home.”

Would he ever consider a career in politics?

“The political situation in Israel makes me feel sick,” he says.

“The lies, the corruption, the rule of a leader

that never seems to end. I hope that one day we can have a clean political situation, one without corruption.”

He describes himself as centre-left but with the caveat that he is more right-wing than Benjamin Netanyahu on Islamic terrorism. “I would not work with Hamas as a partner.

“In Israel, we have grown up with the threat of Islamic terror. But do you think the people of Tel Aviv are going to put their beers down and hide when the sirens go off? No, we won’t. And we should not. Our way keeps us strong. We do not hide in a fortress.”

He adds: “I do not see a solution to the conflict; I see options, but I am leaning more towards a two-state solution.”

With Bucharian and Kurdish ancestry (which explains his fluent Arabic), Issacharoff says his family’s Zionist story is a lesser-known one: “Most people focus on the Ashkenazis that came to Israel, but half of my family came from Uzebekistan in 1870 – and my Kurdish side, came in the 1920s.”

He has even shared his story with interviewees: “In 2001, I interviewed the founder of Hamas, Sheikh Ahmed Yasin. He actually told me that because my family came to Israel before the Balfour Declaration in 1917, I can stay.”

A keen diver and runner, who took part in the Jerusalem Marathon, Issacharoff is working on another Netflix thriller called Hit and Run, about a man whose life in transformed when his wife is mysteriously killed. He can often be found writing in coffee shops from Tel Aviv to the West Bank. “I love Israel and I love living in here,” he says. “I spend time in LA because of my work, but Israel is where I love living.”

Avi Issacharoff was in London to speak at a Tel Aviv University event. He studied Middle East history under Professor Asher Susser, and most recently taught media studies at the university JN LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

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Jenni Frazer on King Bibi’s portrayal of a prime minister with an unnerving ability to perform

Reinventing a Leader

T

HERE IS A CHILLING, BUT PRESCIENT, MOMENT in a BBC film made in the early 1990s when Benjamin Netanyahu, then a Likud MK, and his wife Sara, invited TV cameras into their home. Their young children, Yair and Avner, are running around until Yair decides to play the piano – badly. Netanyahu attempts to help his son but is rejected, and then the child, who can’t be more than five or six, suddenly turns to the camera operator and shouts: “You, stop filming!”

This unpleasant scene, of privilege and entitlement, marked almost the last time Netanyahu, now Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, interacted with the media. But as Dan Shadur, director of a new documentary film, King Bibi, shows, the secret of Netanyahu’s success is “how soon Bibi embraced direct populism”, and how the Israeli media have lost fights with him over and over again.

The film, which was screened at the Seret Israeli Film Festival in London in early May, received wide acclaim in Israel. First shown in cinemas and then on the country’s yesDocu channel, the film is meticulously researched, the result of a trawl of more than 70 archives, and has been three years in the making.

Shadur himself grew up in the Tel Aviv suburbs but spent a couple of years living in London as a child when his stepfather was working in the UK. He worked as a journalist for Israeli papers such as Ma’ariv and Ha’aretz, and was the culture

editor of the Globes financial paper before going to film school and switching career.

King Bibi is subtitled ‘the life and performances of Benjamin Netanyahu’, and Shadur has used the word “performances” deliberately – “acting is a very big part of his strength”, he says.

The outline of Netanyahu’s life is well-known: his schooling in Philadelphia after his embittered historian father moved the family there from Israel (because he could not get academic preferment); his further education in Boston, his first marriage to Micki Weizmann, the birth of his daughter, Noa, and what looked like a career in business; and then the tragic death of his heroic brother Yoni during the 1976 Entebbe operation.

As the film makes clear, Yoni’s death catapulted Bibi into a public life he might never have sought for himself. But watching his father, Benzion, say he had no doubt that Yoni would have been a leader of his country, is a clue to what made Bibi tick all this time – a determination to prove to his father that he was as good, if not better, than his brother.

By the time politician Moshe Arens recruited him, Bibi was on wife number two, the British student Fleur Cates. Although she converted to Judaism, Fleur, the film tells us, “was not at home in Israel”, and so the couple divorced, leaving him free in 1991 to marry Sara Ben-Artzi, with whom he has two sons.

Viewers who today are used to seeing Sara stuck like glue to her husband’s side may understand this better when they watch the film’s recollection of Bibi’s startling on-screen admission Dan Shadur, of an affair in 1993. director of

But perhaps the most eye-opening sections of the film deal with Bibi’s determination to prepare himself for his political career by repeated public speaking lessons, with the use of unedited film clips showing him rehearsing for the camera.

His great stock-in-trade is his apparent ability to speak off-the-cuff – but King Bibi shows that it is anything but, and actually depends on years of repetition and practice.

Shadur says: “Bibi grew up with a deep sense of history and ‘what needs to be done’ for Israel.”

For him, it was no surprise that Bibi won last month’s election. “His grip is so strong, and he doesn’t let facts interrupt.” This is why, Shadur believes, the prime minister has been able to shrug off claims of corruption.

The main lesson Shadur draws from his film? “If you want to dislodge Bibi, you have to do something different and not play the same game.” King Bibi shows a politician not just at war with the media, but who has defeated them; he refuses to be interviewed now, or give press conferences, but Shadur says he doesn’t need to.

“He has [the newspaper] Israel Hayom, he has Facebook, he has his own Prime Minister’s social media.”

Shadur’s film paints a portrait of a man who has identified his enemies, and, oddly, “a man who comes from a very well-off family but keeps representing weaker people”. Netanyahu’s ability to reinvent himself has enabled him to win again and again.

Yair Netanyahu, now in his late 20s, is an almost constant, dominant presence in his father’s inner circle, says Shadur. “Well, when you are the king, you have to have someone to hand the crown to,” he explains. www.king-bibi.com

King Bibi 18 JN LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

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21/05/2019 14:59

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05/05/19 10:43 21/05/2019 15:02

Hello AKIVA Portraits by Lior Nordman Photography

Brigit Grant falls for Shtisel star Michael Aloni

W

hen Michael Aloni first read the script for Shtisel, he felt it was so good – “I almost kissed the pages,” he sighs. Yet in spite of being charmed by its brilliance, the actor had only one thought: “Who is going to watch this? It’s not like any other hit show, and it isn’t sexy. So I just accepted we’d make something good and no one would watch it.”

But Michael was wrong. The series about the Orthodox community in Jerusalem’s Mea She’arim was an award-winning hit after it aired in Israel in 2013. When Netflix started streaming it last December, tens of thousands around the globe got hooked on the Charedi kitchen sink drama and besotted with the handsome Michael, who has turned a painter with payot into a pin-up.

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emarkably, even the Charedi community were beguiled by him, with some believing that Akiva the artist was the real deal. “Before making the show we lived with a Charedi family for research, studying all the rules, the prayers, and body language,” says the 35-yearold actor, who is disarmingly good-looking in real life and charmingly self-effacing.

“I’m a pretty well-known face in Israel from hosting The Voice, but they didn’t know me in Mea She’arim and we were able to shoot the first season undercover with a hidden camera inside a vehicle and a phone mic in our ears for instructions.”

But blending in as part of the black hat crowd was not as simple during the making of season two.

“Places vary in levels of orthodoxy, depending on how closed they are, and while there are signs in the neighbourhood saying ‘no internet’ and ‘no television’, they had a kosher WhatsApp group and found a pirate route to downloading the series. So for the second season they were all shouting ‘Akiva, Hello Akiva’ and some of them thought I was really an artist and wanted to arrange shidduchs.

“I got requests in my Shtisel inbox from mothers claiming to have wonderful daughters and they had no problem with them marrying a poor artist.”

Michael Aloni in Shtisel ...

Just as viewers applied for jobs at the Crossroads motel in the 1970s, invites also went out in Mea She’arim for Shulem’s wedding and a bereavement notice followed when his mum, Bube Malka - olav ha shalom - died.

The tribulations of Shulem, as portrayed by veteran star Dov Glickman (in full beard), were all-consuming in much the same way that Akiva abandoning his art for Libbi made us cry.

“Things became so real,” laughs Michael, who took his role as the gifted portraitist seriously enough to take lessons in shadow art from Alex Tubis, the man really responsible for Akiva’s gift.

The Akiva self-portraits are the only mementoes Michael took from the set, but he felt having them on his wall at home was a step too far.

That the actor, who many describe as the ‘new Paul Newman’, immerses himself in a role is a mark of his dedication, and he brought the same mindset to portraying a gay lawyer in love with a Palestinian in the film Out of the Dark and a cancer-riddled soldier in When Heroes Fly. As a former Israel Defence Forces member, the latter was close to his heart as he has his own band of brothers and is very involved with NATAL, a charity helping soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder, which is a theme in the series.

“PTSD is not a scar you can see,” he says, waving a bandaged finger. “This was a stupid accident that was dealt with in a day at the hospital, but that isn’t how it works for these soldiers. The disorder is something they have to live with. When Heroes aired, people started calling the NATAL hotline and talking about trauma they had not even spoken to their wives about. So, besides the ratings and success, it gave huge awareness to a situation that was ignored by the government.”

Switching from intense drama to the live entertainment format of The Voice is a “joy” for

...and in When Heroes Fly

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Michael who will weave hosting the search for a singer with performing Martin Sherman’s play Bent at Tel Aviv’s Bertonov Theatre this summer. And having directed his first film – a short, Shir – he is now looking for funding to make another. There’s also his next lead role in the film Happy Times, which is now in post-production: “I think of it as a dark comedy, but the director thinks of it as an apocalyptic view of the world,” grins Michael, who eagerly awaits the verdict. “To play different people and invade their worlds, that is what I love about being an actor.

“To be able to infiltrate a society I’ve never been part of, and adopt a new language, different codes and body language, I just love that. For Shtisel, we had to learn Yiddish, as Hebrew is barely spoken in Mea She’arim. So I imitated their speech patterns and brought a whole set of different, emotional values to Akiva. I’m sure if I were to go to Manchester and meet a kid who grew up there, I would be able to do the same thing.”

Having performed a flat vowel Mancunian accent and a posh English one that would pass muster at Downton Abbey – “I would love to be in that!” he exclaims – he slips into a mid-Atlantic roll and is delighted when I tell him he sounds American. What’s more, people are even starting to know who he is there. “On the subway in New York they recognise me,” he says, which suggests that the heavy clothes and subdued Akiva demeanour did not distract from his heart-throb potential.

Dikla Barkai, the brilliant producer who leads every aspect of the series, half-jokes: “We have to make a third season of Shtisel before Michael runs away to becomes a movie star.

“We looked at many actors to get the perfect Shulem and wondered who could play the beautiful boy Akiva. Michael was that person, as he is very human and very sensitive.”

Michael, who regularly posts online surfing selfies and pictures of his dog, has definitely won over the women, including the actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who tweeted her approval. So imagine the commotion when Shtisel co-writer Yehonatan Indursky (Ori Elon is the other) announced, when he appeared in

London, that a third season was happening.

“The response from people all over the world has been so exciting we feel we have to do another,” says Dikla. “But the TV process is slow and nothing is confirmed, even in Israel. Just the writing of it takes a year or more.”

Dikla always wanted the world to see the Israeli-created series before a US version appears from Friends creator Marta Kauffman, who bought the rights. “Viewers are so emotional about our show, their reaction is like a love letter,” sighs Dikla.

“A third season will be our letter back.”

Here’s hoping Michael Aloni handdelivers it.

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Michael Aloni JN LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

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21/05/2019 15:11

From left: The Boy with the Goldfish, the controversial mother portrait shown in Shtisel, and Dov’s Childhood, 2016

Brigit Grant meets Shtisel’s art master

A

mong the many extraordinary and touching moments in both series of the Israeli drama, Shtisel, two have stayed with me – and both revolve around Akiva’s art.

Trapped between the rules and dedication of his faith and the desire to paint, the Charedi protagonist creates two portraits – one of an Orthodox boy with a goldfish, the other of his mother nursing a baby. Irrespective of the stories that surround them, the paintings are brilliant – and were created by Alex Tubis from Ness Ziona specifically for the show. Tubis’ work is much sought-after, and the Dan Gallery in Tel Aviv will show it to buyers on request, yet the artist himself, who was born in Russia, is charmingly unassuming and disarmed by any admiration.

“I was always attracted to painting and painters but, in my high school years, my dream was to be a film director,” says Tubis, who cites film-maker Andrei Tarkovsky as his hero. But, aged 17, he was introduced to the Viennese paintings - Portrait of Prince Philip Prospero by Velazquez and Judith with the Head of Holofernes by Veronese.

“It was like looking at a miracle, touching

A brush with

BRILLIANCE magic with your bare hands,” he enthuses.

“The impact of the colour, brushwork and image was stronger and more direct than what you see in films, and I knew this was the medium I wanted to use to communicate with the world.”

Tubis painted as much as he could though his army years and then went to the esteemed Bezalel Academy before getting his first solo exhibition in 2007.

“All the paintings for Shtisel were made according to the instructions, which I mainly received from Ori Elon, one of the writers. The goldfish boy was in his mind as some kind of fusion between Manet’s The Fifer and a portrait by Serov, which is shown in Shtisel.

“The mother in the chair with the baby was first drawn from another angle, which made the mother too exposed. So I had to do another in a hurry as the scene was being shot in two days’ time. It was done over one very long and intense night and day.”

The Boy with the Goldfish is now on the wall of Dikla Barkai, the series producer.

Tubis, who is married to Shirley and has two children, Elisheva, 11, and Dov, eight, also teaches – and among his pupils counts Michael Aloni. “He was a very good student and we had a special connection from the start.

He told me he understood things about his character after he met me. Michael was also very charmed by painting, which is the most important thing for an artist in my opinion.

Also, the technical things I explained to him – from how you hold your brush and palette, to how you observe form, colour and reality as a painter, he was able to understand it really fast for a first timer.”

Tubis will have another solo show next year, but the paintings he dedicated to his hero Tarkovsky are at the Dan Gallery.

“The rest are in my nice and cosy studio, where I like to entertain guests.”

An invite worth accepting.

Inset: Alex Tubis with Michael Aloni. Bottom left: Come to me. Stay with me, 2016.

Below: Boris on Dacha, 2016

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Tackling Intolerance

Chelsea Football Club’s reputation has been marred by a minority of antisemitic fans.

Now it’s a prime mover in eradicating football racism. Richard Ferrer joins players and staff on a trip to Auschwitz, as part of its Say No To Antisemitism campaign

O

N THE COACH TO AUSCHWITZ, former Chelsea manager Avram Grant tells me what can fairly be described as a Holocaust joke. His sister and late father Meir, who suffered unimaginable horrors at the hands of the Nazis, were at the 2008 Champions League final in Moscow to see Avram’s Chelsea play Manchester United. The game went to penalties and a John Terry miss cruelly lost the biggest game in the club’s history.

At the end of the match Meir, whose mother, father and five siblings perished in the Holocaust (he buried his parents and sister in a forest, aged 13) simply shrugged his shoulders and said: “Oh well. There are worse things in life than losing in the final.” Avram’s sister instinctively knew what her father meant, but politely asked the question anyway: “What’s worse than losing in the final?”

“Losing in the semi-final,” Meir smiled.

Avram is still happily reminiscing about his father as the Chelsea Football Club delegation arrives at Auschwitz on a sunlit May morning to join the annual March of the Living to remember the six million Jews slaughtered by the Nazis.

“My father was a born optimist, despite all he went through,” Avram says. “When we’d talk about the war he’d always say the past is the past, live in present and look to the future. For him life was all about seeing the bright side.”

Seeing the bright side is what March of the Living is all about.

More celebration than lamentation, it’s the one day of the year when the deathly graveyard of 1.1 million souls stirs with new life and fresh optimism that the lessons of this place might be learned – and re-learned – by generations to come.

With proud common purpose, 10,000 people who’ve travelled from Seoul to San Francisco, line up behind the infamous wrought-iron Arbeit Macht Frei (Work Makes You Free) sign, to begin the two-mile walk to the extermination camp of Birkenau for a memorial ceremony. It’s a march of flags, banners, songs, chants, and joie de vivre. It’s called March of the Living for a reason. Avram’s dad would’ve loved it.

This is the second year Chelsea has sent a delegation, as part of its Say No To Antisemitism campaign, launched by Jewish owner Roman Abramovich. Along with Avram are former players Jon Harley and Andy Myers, chief executive Guy Laurence, director Eugene Tenenbaum, club ambassador Sir Steve Redgrave and six members of the under 18s team, who walk in quiet contemplation, despite constant demands for selfies.

Defender Dynel Simeu says he’s proud to be chosen for the trip and will take home the message that it’s everyone’s responsibility to tackle ignorance and intolerance. Goalkeeper Jake Askew adds: “I’ve learned about the Second World War in school, but being here puts it all in perspective. I will share what I have seen here with my friends and family.”

Five-time Olympic gold medalist and Chelsea ambassador Sir Steve flew in from Beijing, where he’s coaching China’s rowing team, to be part of the

group for the second time. “I struggled to take it all in last year,” he says. “It seems like the wrong word to use but I’ve ‘enjoyed’ being here again to see this celebration of the human spirit. I urge everyone to come to this place to see what humanity is capable of.”

Also with us are players and staff from Chelsea’s sister American club, New England Revolution.

Former star striker Charlie Davies seems shocked when I tell him racism has poisoned the British game for decades – with some of Chelsea’s followers, the notorious Headhunters, wearing the Nazi SS insignia. I tell Charlie about my first experience of antisemitism, at Stamford Bridge in 1985 when Chelsea played Tottenham, hearing so-called fans chanting ‘Spurs are on their way to Auschwitz’.

Charlie, one of America’s top black stars who played for six US sides and the national team, says: “That level of hatred isn’t seen in US sport.

We have rivalries but they are expressed in pride in your team than racist hatred of the opposition.”

Lancing the boil will be a monumental task, but it’s fitting that the football club with perhaps the most notorious reputation has become the prime mover in eradicating racism in the sport.

With two deadly attacks on American synagogues fresh in the memory, and racism and xenophobia again on the rise, teaching empathy, respect and understanding is tragically just as essential in this century as it was in the last.

As Avram puts it: “We know what victory in football looks like. But to be here in Auschwitz with all these young people learning about where intolerance can lead, that’s what victory in life looks like.”

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The Next

Stage

Terrific tickets and new productions – Kenny Wax has plans

T

he Spice Girls UK tour has begun, reuniting Ginger, Baby, Scary and Sporty (minus Posh) for those who sought ‘girl power’ in 1994. But great as this reunion is, for anyone who has laid out for an overpriced ticket there’s another, if not better, girl band with real history currently performing at the Arts Theatre.

Six have created quite a buzz singing about their royal ex-husband and get standing ovations every night. It was the same vibe prolific impresario Kenny Wax felt when he first saw Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’ musical about Henry VIII’s wives – Aragon, Boleyn, Seymour, Cleves, Howard and Parr – and the songs they perform were enough to convince him that he “had unwrapped a golden ticket”.

Kenny saw Six at a small venue in Cambridge with his daughter, then 16, who also loved it and, realising it crossed the generations, he decided to follow his instinct.

Manchester-born Kenny, who went to Carmel College, has an ear and an eye for knowing what will work for an audience. He isn’t always correct – “but who is?” – the Olivier and BAFTA awards on his shelf suggest he is more right than wrong – even when titles suggest otherwise, such as The Play That Goes Wrong.

“I saw a studio production of the play seven years ago on a set that writers Henry Lewis, Henry Shields and Jonathan Sayer built themselves,” he recalls. “Now it’s an industry with productions

translated in 15 countries.” Israel has had it and, in New York, it’s a co-production with Star Wars’ Jewish director, JJ Abrams.

“It’s a hit in Russia and I’ve seen it in French and Hungarian, although my family and I just missed it in Argentina when we were there on holiday in December,” he explains.

With his support, the same writers at production company Mischief Theatre have penned a six-part BBC series to be shown in December. “It will be on at prime time – 7pm,” notes a chuffed Kenny, who is also the president of the Society of London Theatre Producers (SOLT). This honourable position is deserving as he has done every job in the theatre apart from performing.

With no desire to be on the stage, he was content to just be around it, firstly as an usher at Theatre Royal Drury Lane when he moved to London aged 20. Miss Saigon was on then, and it was producer Cameron Mackintosh who advised him to learn as much as he could, hence his multiple roles as tea boy, in the box office, backstage tour guide and, finally, producer.

Kenny’s office on Shaftesbury Avenue, which overlooks the Queen’s Theatre, is a splendid place for a curious theatre fan, as there are framed posters of Top Hat, Peter Pan Goes Wrong and Hetty Feather to name but a few of his hits for audiences of all ages, and the cuddly Gruffalo by his desk reminds one of his dedication to bringing Julia Donaldson’s books to the stage. There’s always a lot happening

Main image: Six the Musical, above The Play That Went Wrong, Top Hat and left: Kenny Wax

at Kenny Wax Ltd, and the boss – an active member of Hadley Wood Synagogue – is happy to run through a list that includes Mischief Theatre taking over The Vaudeville Theatre until August 2020 with new comedy Groan Ups, The Gruffalo at The Lyric for summer, a kids’ play, Oi Frog, and a big new musical that is very hush hush. And Six, which just opened in Chicago, with hints of a film with Beyoncé.

The Tudor girl band will remain at the tiny Arts Theatre in Leicester Square because Kenny feels the show belongs there and likes to keep ticket prices low. As SOLT president, he has also told members to think about offering better prices. “ Theatre can be a very expensive night out and it would be nice if there were more affordable tickets,” he says. “It should not be about how much we can get, but how much we need to make it all work.” Even though Kenny Wax doesn’t sing, this is music to our ears.

30 JN LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

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PRIDE P RIDE

Guide

Tel Aviv is not known as the “gay capital of the Middle East” for nothing, and the city’s Pride Parade is certainly known as a wild one

N

OW IN ITS 21ST YEAR, the 2019 parade is being held on Friday 14 June, although Pride Week stretches from Sunday 9 June to Saturday 15 June.

With 250,000 visitors expected, it once again represents a chance for Jews young and old to shed their straightlaced heterosexual gender-as-per-birth shackles and let their inner queen romp riotously, if only for a day. As for those whose straight-laced heterosexual gender-as-per-birth shackles were shed a while back, well, it’s just party time!

The parade is due to start at 10am and will include a large fair with music, drag shows, speeches, specially designed floats, marching groups. Departing from Ben Zion Boulevard/ Melchett Street, the parade route winds its way along the beautiful streets of Tel Aviv towards the city’s Charles Clore beach, where the famous beach party will be held from 2.30pm.

Participants will need their dancing flip-flops, as they drift through a wealth of artists, DJs and food-sellers. It’s the perfect place for people to meet, including liaisons pre-arranged through the city’s gay dating app, Atraf. For LGBT+ visitors, there are some ‘must’ places to go, things to do and people to be seen with. The prized TLV19 bracelet, purchased through the Atraf website, will get you into the best parties.

When it comes to bars, you could do worse than head for Shpagat (Nahalat Binyamin 43), a relaxed cafe by day and gay place-to-be by night. It gets rave reviews from straight and not-so for its vibes, cocktails and décor.

Location-wise, you can walk to most small gay clubs from here but, for the mega parties, you’ll need a taxi. If you’re looking for sultry stretches of Mediterranean sand, head for Hilton Beach, which was picked as one of the top 10 gay beaches in the world. If you’re looking to bathe ALL your body in the sun, head slightly down the coast to Ga’ash Beach, named after the nearby kibbutz.

The best bodies are made in the gym, of course, and some gyms will be of more interest to LGBT+ visitors than others.

Three that spring athletically to mind include the Space Gyms at Florentine, Shenkin and Yarkon.

Find your way here and elsewhere using the handy map at www.gaytelavivguide.com

The Centre Of Your Stay Israel continues to be at the forefront of gay rights, and the LGBTQ movement worldwide. There are countless opportunities to be involved in the LGBTQ community, specifically in Tel Aviv.

The Gay Centre was founded as a safe environment for LGBTQ individuals. There, people receive support and find opportunities to engage with the community. The centre has full-time employed staff, as well as interns, and volunteers who head and organise events all over the city.

The Gay Centre is the primary leader and facilitator of gay programmess and initiatives within Israel. The leaders are exceptionally welcoming and invite everyone to take part in the spectrum of services and activities available.

Russian Around ...And Around!

In 2012, Russia passed a law banning all public LGBT “propaganda”. Subsequent to the law, it was decided to ban all gay prides in the country for the next 100 years. Instead of waiting for 2112, Kok Schok has initiated a joint venture with Popoff Kitchen, the gay party line from Moscow, to hold the 2019 Russian Gay Pride parade in Tel Aviv.

The parade is a protest against Russia’s harsh policy breaching human rights in general, and LGBT rights in particular. Kok Schok says it is “an act of solidarity with our Russian friends in their struggle”.

Friday 14 June 2019 CONFIRMED DATES Tel Aviv’s Pride events reach their peak on Friday 14 June with a series of huge events.

10am. Happening A hot minute before the parade hits off, you can turn up for drag shows, local LGBTQ businesses boots and some uplifting speeches.

12pm. Pride Parade Launch The parade will launch from Ben Zion - Melchett towards Bograshov St, Ben Yehuda and the Herbert Samual Promenade.

2pm. Main Pride Party @ Charles Clore Park Beginning at noon till the evening, you can expect a parade of artists and DJ sets alongside food stands and pride merchandise.

TLV19 Pride Party bracelet gives you access to the best event sand parties

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of

Jinkx Monsoon

R

It is a phenomenon that has brought men in gowns with kitsch Jewish names to the attention of your children, says one mother in the know

EMEMBER WHEN BEING the London production of Everybody’s TWELVE WAS ALL ABOUT Talking About Jamie will be a judge FALLING IN LOVE with on the UK version of Drag Race this year on BBC3. Whether Ru will still Tucker on Grange Hill, need the English-Yiddish dictionary buying drainpipe jeans in Golders he takes on the American show is Green’s Orange Hand and choosing unlikely, but few, if any Jewish drag singles in Our Price record shop? queens have been identified in the Well, things have moved on. Now, to RuPaul in kippah UK. We can live in hope that someone as be at one with the zeitgeist, it is essential blatant as Sasha Velour will reveal themselves. to have a James Charles make-up palette, Sasha (real name Alexander Hedges Steinberg) chunky Fila trainers and be able to name each was the Jewish winner of season nine. season’s winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

It is an encyclopaedic knowledge of drag “Whenever there’s a Jew, it’s an queens that impresses one’s peers these days automatic identity,” Michelle Visage and, just as we learnt about the show Hamilton told a US paper. “I love it when it from our daughter, it was through her that I was becomes part of their [drag] identity. introduced to Jinkx Monsoon, Seattle’s premier It’s mishpucha.”

Jinkx, the 2013 Jewish winner, Jewish narcoleptic drag queen.

Jinkx (real name Jerick Hoffer) won season only discovered her true faith when she was 18. five of Drag Race and, when the interview was “My late grandma, confirmed, my daughter was beyond thrilled, Sasha Velour Judith, was adopted, citing Jinx as a person who changed her life. so we didn’t know she Such hyperbole is the norm for tweens, but was Jewish. Having not there is no denying the impact and influence of been raised Jewish, I have drag queens who make our childhood obsession a limited knowledge with Adam and The Ants look very twee. of the heritage and Strangely there is also a prevalent Jewish theme culture, but as a to these men dressed as women, be it in their Jewish contestant on performance, name, or heritage, as you will see Drag Race, Jewish from the Orthodox Lady SinAGaga. Alexis Michelle, people I met were Miz Cracker and Acid Betty who had their moment very excited. Even on Drag Race in which host RuPaul occasionally when I told them wears a Star of David and regular judge Michelle I didn’t know Visage, who is also Jewish, shares Yiddishisms much, they said: as a schtick. Michelle, who recently starred in

FAITH

‘You’re a Jew, we’ll take you.’”

Making Jinkx a single mother was also done out of Jerick’s admiration for his own mother, but also the many strong Jewish women he has known. “I was raised by three women, my mother, aunt and grandmother and now I am the matriarch of the family.”

With gender identity remaining the hot topic, how does it affect a long-term Jewish drag queen?

“Most will tell you it is a double-edged sword.

We were brought from the underground into the mainstream over the past few years, and that comes with responsibility.”

Jinkx has his own theory about why his community is adored by the teen audience, many of them girls.

“When I was 10, I was obsessed about X-Men, who were outcasts from society but had superpowers. The younger generation look at drag queens as people who were shunned by their communities, but we all became our own versions of superheroes, channelling our own skills and techniques to get empowered.”

But it doesn’t all have to be serious, according to Jinkx, who likes the shows he creates with stage partner Major Scales to include 55 minutes of comedy and five minutes of tragedy.

He says: “I’ve always admired Jewish female comedians for their mixture of pride and self-loathing.”

This enthusiasm for drag continues in Israel, where at a recent club night in Tel Aviv everyone was dressed up to see the stage show of Drag Race winner, Alaska. Not that Israel doesn’t have its own drag stars in Nona Chalant, Kay Long, Suzi Boum and Joanna Russ, while Talula Bonet aka Israeli actor Tal Kallai was invited to guest at Gay Pride in Tokyo.

Whether there will be a drag queen hosting Havdalah at a Jewish day school in the near future – as there was at a school in Massachusetts – is hard to gauge. But I’m sure my daughter will know when, as she has already informed me that DragWorld UK, where Jinkx Monsoon appeared last year, is taking place at Olympia 18-19 August. I’ve yet to tell her father.

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The

effect Brigit Grant explains the impact of Barbra ahead of her July concert

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T WAS THE LOOK ON SHIMON PERES’ FACE that said it all. The late president of Israel was watching Barbra Streisand sing ‘Avinu Malkeinu’ at his request to mark his 90th birthday celebration in Jerusalem in 2013.

With each soulful note that Streisand sang of the emotive prayer – Our Father, Our King Michael Ovitz – Peres’ expression grew in awe and reverence as his eyes softened. It was a look that will be replicated on the faces of many in the audience at her British Summertime concert in Hyde Park on 7 July.

While I accept there is no similarity between a performance for the ninth president of Israel and a gathering of eager fans with picnic hampers, for those of us who cry the moment she starts a song it is comparable. As Peres himself said at the time: “It was worth waiting 90 years to hear such a heavenly voice.”

That ‘heavenly voice’ is like no other, not just because of its triumphant strength, but because Streisand, now 76, uses every beat and nuance of the music and lyrics as a means of communicating and does it with such integrity that one is left breathless. Breathless and weeping in my case, particularly when the intro includes the poetic phrase: God, our heavenly Father Oh God, and my father Who’s also in Heaven.

Papa, Can You Hear Me composed by Michel

Legrand with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman is from Yentl, the film she directed and co-wrote in 1983. In her expansive career as a critically acclaimed singer, theatre performer and Academy award winning film actress, it is always Yentl (based on Isaac Bashevis Singer book) that gets mentioned in interviews even more than her adored son Jason Gould, 53, which is saying something for this overtly Jewish mother and now bubbe.

Most recently she referred to Yentl in relation to the 7 July concert, as she worked on the film in London and recalled stopping for tea every day to have scones and clotted cream. “You should always stop for tea” she said, adding that making the film in England was fantastic, because they had a queen and a female prime minister (Thatcher) and gave her the utmost respect as a woman and first-time director.

As the first woman in the history of motion pictures to produce, direct, write and perform a film’s title role – a girl pretending to be a boy noch! - it was certainly a controversial time.

There were even rumours of her converting to orthodoxy or being a ‘born-again Jew’ because of her extensive research and talks with rabbis. To JN LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

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this she said: “I was always a Jew. I feel I’m a good person, and that is what the Jewish tradition teaches you to be. I’m not that religious, but I’m Jewish in my soul, my heritage, my spirit.” Renowned for her commitment ,perfectionism and strong political opinions, Streisand stops detractors in their tracks and of late has done so on Twitter be it fighting for the future of the planet or tearing strips off President Trump. In fact aside from the occasional selfie with celeb pals, notably her Star is Born co-star Kris Kristofferson who will be joining her at Hyde Park, her focus is on the POTUS and her disdain for him was the impetus for ‘Walls – her current and first political protest album.

Her voice remains a gift, but there is sorrow in the songs which include her impassioned plea to the president in the compelling Don’t Lie To Me. One assumes it isn’t on Donald’s playlist. He is also unlikely to spot the irony in the closing song of the album, a new version of Happy Days. which Streisand has sung for three different presidents, only this time it isn’t happy. Considering what a force of nature she is, it is no surprise that the term ‘Streisand Effect’ (efforts to suppress information results in it spreading )is named after her. Evidently by suing a California Coastal Records Project photographer for including shots of her Malibu home, Streisand encouraged thousands to see it. I have my own definition of the Streisand Effect and it refers to the way her magical voice raises goose-bumps. To test the principle watch her singing the Hatikvah in 1978 during a broadcast for Israel’s 30th birthday or just listen to her hum at the start of Memories as the credits roll on the film The Way We Were. But to fully understand the Streisand Effect get to Hyde Park on July 7 and the look on the faces of the crowd will say it all.

PS: Bring blankets as Barbra says: I don’t want people to be too tired on their feet. “ Barbra Streisand is at Barclaycard presents British Summer Time on 7 July, www.bst-hydepark.com

Right: Streisand’s Tweets featuring memories and big moments.

Left: With Omar Sharif on the set of Funny Girl in 1968

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Morgan-Davies 25 Agdon Street, London EC1V 0AZ T: +44-207-253-3066 Wedding Gallery 1 Marylebone Road, London NW1 4AQ T: +44 (0)20 7380 1699 Ann Louise Bridal 170 Field End Road, Pinner, London HA5 1RH T: +44-208-869-9710

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82 Hayarkon St. Tel Aviv, ISRAEL +972.3.774.666

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SUMMER

SORTED Seasonal dresses for warmer weather!

Open Back Chiffon Skirt Maxi Dress £135

By Lipsy

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Right Lipsy Cold Shoulder Tiered Midi Dress £38

By Lipsy Far right White Silvia Broderie Maxi Dress £140 Raffia Embroidered Leaf Shopper Bag £40

By Monsoon

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Far right Essential Emerald Knot Detail Bardot Midi Dress £32

By Girls on Film Right Orange Floral Print Dress £65

By Monsoon

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Housewives’Choice Debbie Collins on where to dress to impress

S

UMMER MEANS NEW SWIMWEAR – and, if you watch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH), you’ll be wanting something by ‘Beverly Beach’ the fabulously glam swimwear line by Jewish princess Dorit Kemsley, one of the Beverly Hills wives. The show will soon be back for its ninth season on ITVBe, but it’s already on in the US, where Dorit has finally named a bikini after fellow castmate Teddi Mellencamp. Teddi is the only one of the girls who didn’t get a suit when Dorit launched and showcased the Kyle, the LVP (pic left), and the Paul (after north-west London Jewish hubby Paul ‘PK Kemsley’).

La Boutique

Born in Connecticut to Israeli parents, Dorit worked at a swimwear company in Italy before moving to New York to start her own, where she met Kemsley and they went to LA. Now as one of the feuding RHOBH we love to hate, Dorit has the silhouette to do her bikinis justice and Paul can pull off those eponymous floral shorts.

Dorit Kemsley

www.beverlybeachbydorit.com

While searching for modest swimwear, we came across another Beverly (left), who wanted to hide her mum tum, but couldn’t find cover she could afford, so she created her own line www.beverlyswimwear.com

La Boutique is hidden away in a corner of West Hampstead, where Israeli owner Keren Okanin artfully displays jewellery and unique, affordable clothes that you don’t find on the high street. With her years of experience in retail, Keren handpicks all the items and brings in fresh stock once a week, so it’s worth dropping by often. Most of the clothing is from Italy, France and the UK, and Keren tries to find the right balance between trendy and practical, while keeping her customers’ demands in mind.

I’ve already noted a tie dye skirt in beautiful shades of blue (£45), which would pair perfectly with a baby blue camisole (£22).

Browsing at the West End Lane boutique reminds you of clothes shopping in years gone by and there is daily outfit inspiration @la_boutique secret on Instagram. By Naomi Frankel www.laboutiquesecret.com

Pale Pink Blazer £59, and Cigarette Trousers £39, both from Miss Selfridge

Mira Zwillinger spins bridal with a pearl ear cuff that stands out

Wallers Spring is a great excuse for a wardrobe clear-out for your other half; trends this season include tailored two-tone shirts and chinos in pastel colours, as well as slim fit suits in the now colour – royal blue.

Menswear specialist Wallers, in Golders Green, have plenty of classical options, and stocks Scott International, Mario Barutti and Atelier Torino, Jaeger and Odermark. Director Marcel Plesner says: “Our suits are priced from £85 to £150, with an offer to buy two for £160 on certain ranges.”

As well as more than 1,000 suits in chest sizes 34-56ins, Wallers also stocks casual polo shirts, bomber jackets and raincoats from Brook Taverner, Harry Brown and Henley & Knight, as well as ties, cufflinks and a small collection of shoes.

Brook Taverner, Constables natural tailored fit suit, £150

www.wallersclothing.com

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Image © kristianlevenphotography. y co.uk y.

Memories are made of this …

Open Evening

Unexpected. Understated. Unique. Unpretentious.

Experience the magical location of South Farm and tour our beautiful gardens, enchanting house, barns and stables.

Where else would you find piglets, peacocks, tuk tuks, gypsy caravans and largely home grown organic food?

Just some of the words our delighted couples have used when describing their South Farm wedding.

From your very first visit to the end of your special day, we take pride in guiding you through the perfect wedding; unobtrusively efficient, always approachable, and entirely focused on making your dream a reality.

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Tuesday 11 June 2.00– 8.00pm

South Farm: Distinctly Different weddings Shingay-cum-Wendy Royston Cambridgeshire SG8 OHR 01223 207581 info@south-farm.co.uk www.south-farm.co.uk

21/05/2019 15:44

MIRA’S

MIRACLES Louisa Walters chats to Israel’s premier bridal team

W

hen Israeli evening wear designer Mira Zwillinger suggested to her daughter Lihi, who works with her, that they venture into bridal, Lihi was against the idea. “I’ve never had a love of wedding dresses and certainly no desire to start designing them,” she explains.

But then Lihi got married and everything changed. She designed her own dress – and fell in love! The Mira Zwillinger bridal label was born and over the next decade grew to be sold in 45 outlets worldwide. Browns Bride was the first stockist outside of Israel, and remains the sole UK supplier.

Mira founded the fashion house in 2010, focusing on evening wear. When Lihi came on board in 2015, they expanded into international luxury evening and bridal wear.

It is a highly sought-after brand.

All dresses are designed and manufactured in Tel Aviv, by an all-female 40-strong team.

Lihi and her mother sign off every single piece before it leaves the studio. The designs are exquisitely ethereal and radiantly romantic, formed from fabrics sourced in Italy and Belgium, although many are created in the atelier in Tel Aviv.

Uniquely, an individual mannequin is made for every client, which ensures the perfect fit. The bride is carefully measured, these measurements are sent to the studio and the mannequin is created. The Zwillingers have also developed 3D technology, which enables beautiful, intricate ornamentation to be hand-drawn directly onto the fabric and then brought to life. “We ventured into 3D printing technology to offer limitless textures and details that are

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both meticulously handcrafted and freehandedly illustrated,” explains Lihi.

This technology has been put to use in the Make a Wish 2020 collection, which was shown on the catwalk in New York in April, at Saks in Beverly Hills earlier this month and also at Browns Bride in London. Five dresses from the range are available at Browns.

Make a Wish 2020 is a stunning collection of effortlessly feminine silhouettes and featherweight materials, including Belgian tulle, silk organza, French and Italian lace, and polished gazar. Delicate beading fashioned from pearls, Swarovski crystals, sequins (both shiny and matt), plus hand-stitched embroidery and the 3D printing technology give this contemporary collection the wow factor.

Despite being very much a look for today, it still has timeless elegance. There are 29 looks, of which 25 are full-length – four minidresses add another aspect and are great for those wanting a more edgy look. Voluminous skirts feature strongly, plus low backs, high necks and barely-there floaty capes.

As all Mira Zwillinger dresses are custom made to measure, design changes are possible. “Our brides can make their own wish,” emphasises Lihi.

This is a forward-thinking label, marrying stunning design and expert fit with the high level of innovation and technology that Israel is so well known for. Prices start at £8,500. mirazwillinger.com

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Above: Mother and daughter Mira and Lihi

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Dror’s A ttention

With Inbal Dror’s dresses now in more London stores, Louisa Walters takes a browse

I

f I said ‘Israeli wedding dress designer’, you’d most likely say ‘Inbal Dror’ – her reputation precedes her.

The eponymous label is stocked in wedding ateliers all over the world, from Canada to Croatia, from Moscow to Miami, from Holland to Hong Kong and now in three boutiques in the UK – Morgan Davies (EC1), Wedding Gallery (Marylebone) and Ann Louise Bridal (Pinner) Born in 1976 in Ashdod, Dror launched a couture brand in 2005 and a bridal label in 2014. She famously designed the wedding dress of Ivanka Trump and has dressed many, many celebrities, including Beyoncé and Naomi Watts. Dror was one of a select few designers asked to submit sketches for Meghan Markle’s wedding dress.

Known for super-sheer layers, plunging necklines and figure-hugging silhouettes, often juxtaposed with traditional ballgown skirts and long sleeves, Inbal Dror could never be accused of being ‘traditional’. Her dresses shout ‘red carpet glamour’ in soft fabrics with intricate beading and flowing trains, often with sheer panels and thigh-high slits. The gowns are romantic and alluring, with a hint of sexiness and a strong contemporary edge.

Designs include tulle ballerina styles with a delicate lace bodice, embroidered lace columns with matching overskirts, lace halters with matching capes, billowing ballgowns, Dror loves to add embellishments, such as 3D flowers scattered at the waist or a skirt.

Fashion-forward brides love the unexpected detailing in Dror’s designs. A recent collection showcased a strapless embroidered fit and flare gown with a floral pocket detail and embroidered sheer dress with a lace bralette.

Brides will also find options for the other occasions surrounding their weddings: A trench-inspired mini would be perfect for a bridal shower, while a long-sleeved tulle gown with daringly high slits would fit an after-party.

The Mediterranean Sea served as the inspiration for Dror’s autumn 2019 collection, after she made a visit to Capri. You will see embroidery inspired by coral dancing underwater, stars twinkling in the sky, and rippling waves. www.inbaldror.com

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Want somewhere no one else knows about for your function? This is it.

Fun

IT’S HARD TO THINK of anywhere as pretty to party as South Farm. Set on the Cambridgeshire borders in Royston, which is only 30 plus miles from north London, this picture book venue is the quintessential backdrop for anyone’s big day, be it a bar or batmitzvah or a wedding.

We are all eager to avoid the copy cat culture of hiring the hall favoured by our friends, but do worry about taking a risk. At South Farm, there are

no risks because the company is expert at putting on functions and at delivering what clients want.

The farmhouse itself has movie magnetism and

IN THE FIELDS

ceremonies can be held indoors in the Old Dairy, Tudor Barn or Drawing Room, as well as outside in the Summerhouse. With formal seating for 146 and party capacity for 220, along with accommodation for 24 and unlimited camping – or glamping as princesses prefer to do it, which is possible in the Romany caravans.

It is also a good choice for significant birthday parties, and in September there are apples on the trees and the small holding and herb gardens are always a source for the freshest seasonal produce.

South Farm can also accommodate kosher guests, so no one is left out with the catering.

To find out what it is like for yourself, South Farm is holding an Open Day on 11 June, from 2pm until 8pm. Everybody is welcome, including couples who have already booked their weddings at South Farm, couples searching for the perfect venue, their friends and relations and anyone else who would like to see what they do.

Delicious canapés will be served throughout the day, along with ice cream from the South Farm Ice Cream Bike. The bar will be open as well, so why not go along and make a day of it.

The Farm’s recommended suppliers will also be providing musical entertainment and on hand to chat to guests about their plans.

There is no need to book – just come along. www.south-farm.co.uk

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Sail into summer with All Aboard!

A CHARITY SHOP wouldn’t usually be a millennial’s first choice for summer shopping, but placed in a trendy area such as West Hampstead, even the fussiest would find it hard to turn up their nose at the tantalising mix of designer and high street goodies at All Aboard. Their shops raise funds for over 60 UK registered charities, so that’s reason enough to pay them a visit. Here are the sizzling summer steals Naomi Frankel stumbled across

DAYTIME I got this fab denim mini (£4) and cutoffs (£3) to pair with these gorgeous strappy tops (£4 each)

HOLIDAY

Also spotted the nautical blue sequinned Ann Taylor tee (£3).

I went dotty for this crimson silk top (Monsoon £10)

I fell for the floaty Warehouse dress (£7) ….but these fabulous floral stilettos were equally tempting (limited collection, £6).

OCCASION

OFFICE

Summer weddings?

Grabbed the full length coral gown (Coast, £16) which will look great paired with these gorgeous gold strappy sandals (Dune, £12).

This cherry coloured top (£6) made me crave a day out picnicking

Plan to set off this maroon shift dress (Topshop, £8) with statement pieces and opted for the classic silver chain bag (£6).

I need neutral colours for work and for after work drinks, I chose the peach and grey sequins (£4, H&M).

Nude heels are a must in any wardrobe and these beauties are from Carvela

by Kurt Geiger (£6) What’s a wedding outfit without a fabulous (£3) clutch!

I’m loving this crisp checked Zara shirt (£5)

Wedges are always in season and these will ensure I stay bang on trend whatever your summer destination. Pink (ASOS, £8) Grabbed one of the colourful sequinned totes (from left to right from £4) to fill up with beach essentials. With prices starting from £1 I also got a library of books!

and this quirky Charles Tyrwhitt bicycle print shirt (£4)

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21/05/2019 16:23

SCENTS

OF REASON BB Bailey on Europe’s fragrances and seasonal beauty

B

Solstice, £59

Lua, £235

REXIT, in whatever form it takes, will never stop the scent exchange. The fragrances produced in France have always been favourites and woe betide the politician who attempts to separate a UK shopper from her Chanel. Or, for that matter, her Cerruti or her Xerjoff. Only cost would keep you from the luxury Italian perfume brand forever launching a new blend. For June, the offering is Lua (notes of melon, Italian bergamot and orange with the Bulgarian rose and Florentine iris, £235) www.xerjoff.com The South of France’s orange blossom trees are the inspiration for the citrus marine fragrance Neroli Voyage. There’s neroli, jasmine flower, ginger and fennel, which is certainly different, but the mix is holiday mood (£120). www.florislondon.com Will the Swedish still speak to us? Regardless, Abba and Björk & Berries’ new fragrance, Solstice, is a reason to hope they do.

Think midsummer, wildflowers, citrus oils, amber and lavender.

Sweden beckons (£59). www.bjorkandberries.com Should the source for European scent dry up, fear not as there are great home produced replacements. Among them fragrance house Ormonde Jayne, which is made in a north London studio by perfumer Linda Pilkington. The newly launched Ormonde Elixirs are a personal favourite that are part of the Elixir Collection in Harrods and contain the prized ingredient Cambodian Oudh (from £90). The Ormonde Jayne library of oils is like a Michelin chef’s larder – Orris Butter, Madagascan Vanilla, Gardenia Absolute – so a visit to the Old Bond Street store should be on your birthday list. www.ormondejayne.com But if you want to fake it and fool ’em, Superdrug has launched a purse spray version of its Bloom fragrance – which smells like Jo Malone’s Lime, Basil and Mandarin at just £2 each.

Neroli Voyage, £120

Bloom fragrances, £2

Ormonde Elixir, £90 JN LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

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Meet MISHEL WHEN MAKE-UP ARTISTS Michelle Abels and Shelley Greenham are at work on set on ITV’s This Morning, Top Gear or EastEnders, they may have as little as 10 minutes to get celebrities camera-ready.

That’s not a problem for two Jewish mothers with a combined 40 years of experience, as they are adept at matching skin tone and type to the right make-up within seconds – and with dazzling results – as Trinny Woodall, Zoe Wanamaker and others will testify.

The pair met while training at the BBC and bonded over stories of mutual connections before going their separate ways, only to meet up again years later at the gates of Yavneh School with their respective young sons.

With a friendship rekindled, they also shared the belief that selecting makeup can be overwhelming and often confusing, primarily because there’s too much choice. Their aim was to simplify it and, after testing thousands

of products, honed their findings to create Mishel Makeup.

Their small but essential range is suitable for all skin types, including the sensitive kind (no fragrance or parabens) and it has been given the thumbs up by celebs who are smitten when they see how good they look.

Of their two foundations, the mineral-enriched liquid with SPF 15 is loved by Gok Wan, who described it as the best he had ever used, while the luminous foundation reflects the light to give youthful glow.

The stars’ favourite Invisible Blotting Powder reduces the dreaded shine, diffuses pores and acts as a base for keeping make-up in place all day long.

For lips, they have a range of eight shades of highly pigmented glosses.

Vivid Energy is Bryony Blake’s (This Morning's make-up expert) go-to shade, but it is their mascara, formulated to lift the lashes that won over Vanessa Feltz, who loves to flutter.

Michelle Abels and Shelley Greenham

Eye shadow

Foundation

Lip gloss

www.MishelMakeup.com

SHE’S NAILED IT!

COSMETIC BRANDS with names such as Estée Lauder and Helena Rubinstein cannot belie their Jewish roots, but the much-loved nail varnish brand OPI was also founded by a member of tribe.

Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, 62, has just published I’m Not Really a Waitress (the name of one of OPI’s most popular colours), revealing the roots of the company she and her brother-

in-law, George Schaeffer, started in the 1980s and sold in 2010 for $1 billion.

She reveals how she grew up as Zsuzsi Weiss in communist Hungary – where she secretly studied Hebrew with a rabbi – and came to NY via Israel with almost nothing to her name and barely any English to pursue the American dream.

The pair (Schaeffer is also from Hungary) worked in their dental supply company but, realising their products were sought-after by the burgeoning acrylic nail market, branched out into nail varnish shades that were much more exciting than those on offer at the time and, ultimately, revolutionised the nail care industry.

After selling the company to Coty,

Weiss-Fischmann stayed on as a brand ambassador and is still in charge of naming the colours.

She is a second-generation Holocaust survivor (her mother survived Auschwitz, but her grandmother and uncles did not), and family and tradition are very important to her.

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New and Natural Gorgias lemon and tea tree oil moisturiser tackles inflammation, acne, dark spots and blemishes at a time of year when skin is vulnerable to sweat and grime.

Ninety-three percent natural, it makes for soft skin and the antibacterial properties are protective, £39.95. www.gorgiaslondon.com

Spring Must Perricone MD is the brand that will assist as you go au naturel in the sun and in your need to dewrinkle.

Like a good pair of shoes, there are some things worth investing in – and they include Perricone MD’s...

Deep Crease Serum, £129 Eyelid Serum, £89 Smoothing & Brightening Eye Cream, £89 www.perriconemd.co.uk

Eye Eye Profusion is a make-up line from LA that is all under £15.

The eyeshadow palettes feature pigmented colours that belie the price tag, as do the lip, contouring and eyebrow kits.

www.profusioncosmetics.co.uk

Want to be thin(er) quick(er)?

Who got scared during that April heat wave? Not because of the sun, but because of stripping to reveal a barley soup body. You can whittle away the waistline for holiday with Prolon, a five-day fast mimicking diet consisting of nutritionally-based food to eat while your metabolism is fasting instead of snoozing. Prolon will kick-start your metabolism, but don’t be fooled by the huge box, as the contents resemble Neil Armstrong’s snack pack. Research behind Prolon shows it burns fat (an average of 5lbs and 1.2 inches off the waist in five days) rejuvenates cells, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol. It’s also lactose and gluten-free, plant-based and organic, so anyone can eat the tiny packets of olives, freeze-dried soups, kale chips, and nut bars. The trick is to not eat anything else. Nothing! It’s ok to feel hungry. Apparently. So what are you in for? No coffee – days start with spearmint tea and an ‘L-Bar’ – 280 calories of macadamia nut butter, almond meal, and coconut (tasty but small). Lunch of tomato soup with kale and seed crackers (tasty, but small) and then a cornucopia of minestrone, mushroom and more tomato soups twice a day, bars and hibiscus/ spearmint tea. Ultimately you will cope as we did, losing approx six pounds each and it made us think about how much we don’t need to eat. www.prolon.co.uk

Call out Coral

Fake It

Coral is the Pantone colour for 2019 and there is much to be had, including: Absolute Bright Satin Lipstick, which contains jojoba and avocado oil for moisture and plump. Available in six shades, £17.

Solait Tan Boosting facial serum drops can be added to moisturiser for a gradual tan, £4.99.

www.lordandberry.com

www.superdrug.com

Cover-Up MUA at Superdrug has also just launched a new collection of PRO/BASE Foundations and Concealers with a total of 24 shades. The foundations are just £5 each and the concealers £2.50.

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The chef who makes

ISRAELI COOKING

a healthy option

Food from the Holy Land helps you live longer, discovers Alex Galbinski

A

new book by Israeli-born Michael Solomonov will surely help to explain why the Israeli diet has been praised as the healthiest in the world.

The land of milk and honey was recently found to have the lowest rate of diet-related deaths (89 per 100,000, compared with the UK’s ranking of 23, with 127 per 100,000) in a study. Poor ranking countries had diets with low intake of healthy foods, including fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

Solomonov - who was raised in the US – and co-author Steven Cook (with whom he

co-owns several restaurants), have raised the profile of Israeli cuisine. Their second cookbook, Israeli Soul, an ode to Israel, is interwoven with personal stories. It places a heavy emphasis on salads and vegetables.

TURKEY PAILLARD SERVES 6 Applying a shawarma-inspired spice blend to lean grilled turkey breast elevates this mild meat above its workaday existence as a lunchtime staple. Served over Opera-Style Chopped Salad, inspired by our favourite Yemenite restaurant in Hadera, it’s a light and flavourful meal.

INGREDIENTS

Mike and Steven

1 (2- to 2½-pound) skinless, boneless turkey breast ¼ cup olive oil 1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons za’atar 1 teaspoon ground coriander 4 garlic cloves, minced ½ cup fresh coriander

METHOD 1. Butterfly the turkey and pound it evenly to a ½-inch thickness, then slice thickly.

2. Mix the oil, salt, za’atar, ground coriander, garlic, and fresh coriander in a shallow bowl.

Add the turkey and coat it in the seasonings.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

3. When you’re ready to cook the turkey, place a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the turkey pieces for 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Let the turkey rest, then slice thickly on the bias.

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GOLDIE FALAFEL MAKES ABOUT 30 PIECES

INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 tablespoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground turmeric 1 pound dried chickpeas, soaked in water overnight and drained

Recipes from Israeli Soul by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook. Photography by Michael Persico (Rux Martin Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Based on the master recipe we developed for Goldie [their restaurant in Philadelphia], this version is not too spicy and lets the subtle chickpea taste come through. Herbs and vegetables help keep the falafel balls moist; pulsing in a food processor creates the crispy exterior..

Big handful fresh parsley Big handful fresh coriander 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped 1 small onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves 2 tablespoons cold water, plus more as needed Canola oil, for frying

METHOD 1. Mix together the baking powder, salt, cumin, and turmeric in a small bowl.

2. Layer half the ingredients in a food processor in this order: chickpeas, fresh herbs, vegetables, garlic, and the mixed dry seasonings. Repeat with the remaining ingredients in the same order. Add the water and pulse until very finely chopped and the mixture holds together when pinched between two fingers. If necessary, add a bit more water and pulse again to get the right consistency.

3. Scoop the batter into a colander set over a large bowl to drain while you make the balls. Squeeze out the liquid from the batter with your hands until the dough stays together, then shape into 1-inch balls. Set the balls aside on a plate.

4. Heat a couple of inches of canola oil to 350°F in a large pot. Lower the balls into the hot oil with a long-handled slotted spoon and raise the heat to high to maintain the temperature of the oil. Fry in batches for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the falafel balls are brown and crispy (but not burnt!).

5. Immediately transfer the falafel with a slotted spoon to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.

Serve hot.

JERUSALEM GRILL RICE PILAF WITH PINE NUTS SERVES 4 Much loved in the American South as dirty rice, this is a soulful one-pot meal. The livers are puréed before cooking and dissolve into the rice, leaving behind their deeply savoury shadow.

INGREDIENTS ¼ cup olive oil 1 large onion, thinly sliced 1½ tablespoons plus a pinch of kosher salt 1 cup chicken hearts, cleaned and chopped 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, chopped 2 teaspoons ground turmeric 1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground fenugreek 1 teaspoon baharat 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 cups jasmine rice 1 cup chicken livers, cleaned and pureed in a food processor 4 cups hot water Chopped fresh coriander, for topping ½ cup pine nuts, toasted, for topping

METHOD 1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring until the onion is caramelised, 20 to 30 minutes. Lower the heat if the onion begins to burn; add a splash of water if it seems too dry. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Toss the chicken hearts and thigh pieces with the turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, baharat and cinnamon in a large bowl. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is very hot, add the hearts and thighs and sear, without stirring, for a minute or two. Transfer to the saucepan, then add the rice. Cook for one minute over medium heat, stirring constantly, then stir in the puréed chicken livers.

3. Dissolve the remaining 1½ tablespoons salt in the hot water and pour over the rice mixture.

Cover tightly and bake for 30 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Remove from the oven and top with the caramelised onions and a scattering of coriander leaves and pine nuts.

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CALIFORNIA Cooking COCONUT JUMBO OAT GRANOLA MAKES: ABOUT 1.5 KG (3 LB 5 OZ) PREP: 20 MINS; COOK: 45 MINS This is a brilliant granola, not too sweet and perfectly crisp.

The joy is adapting the recipe according to whatever leftover seeds, nuts and dried fruit you have in your cupboards, though this combination is particularly good and makes enough for at least 15 portions. Store in airtight container.

Alex Galbinski discovers a new cookbook aiming to capture the Californian spirit through fresh and vibrant recipes

Eleanor Maidment

INGREDIENTS 100g flame or jumbo raisins 50g whole skin-on almonds, roughly chopped 50g shelled unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped 50g pecans, roughly chopped 250g jumbo oats 25g pumpkin seeds 25g chia seeds 4 tablespoons coconut oil 5 tablespoons maple syrup 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 4 tablespoons water 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 50g coconut flakes To serve (per person): 1 nectarine, peach or apricot, halved and stoned 1 teaspoon melted unsalted butter 150g Greek or natural yoghurt A few edible flowers (optional)

METHOD 1. Preheat a fan oven to 150˚C and line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Soak the raisins in a bowl of just-boiled water while you prepare the other ingredients.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine the chopped nuts, oats and seeds. Put the coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla and water in a small saucepan and heat until it comes to a simmer.

Drain the raisins and tip them into the saucepan, then pour everything over the nuts, oat and seeds mixture. Sprinkle in the salt and mix together well.

3. Spread out the granola mixture over the parchment, making it a little thinner in the middle and piling it up more at the edges, as that’s where it will brown more quickly. Bake for 15 minutes, then stir well and continue to cook, stirring every 10 minutes until golden and fragrant (35-45 minutes in total, depending on how golden you like it). Stir the coconut flakes into the mixture for the final 5-10 minutes. Once ready, remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.

4. When ready to serve, heat a griddle pan or a barbecue over a medium-high heat. Brush the cut sides of the fruit with melted butter, place them cut-side down on the griddle, and cook for 2 minutes until lightly charred. Spoon the yoghurt into bowls, top with a hefty sprinkling of granola and the fruit.

Some edible flowers look rather pretty, too.

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SALMON, CITRUS KALE AND BLACK RICE

SERVES: 2 PREP: 20 MINS; COOK: 45 MINS This dish is based on my favourite poke bar flavours. You can adapt the toppings according to what you have in the refrigerator: pickled ginger, thinly sliced radish and cucumber, chopped spring onion and steamed broccoli all make regular appearances for me...

INGREDIENTS 100g black rice (or about 200g/7oz cooked black rice) 100g frozen edamame beans 30g kale, thick stems removed juice of 1 tangerine 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

SMOKED FISH TARTINE SERVES: 2 PREP: 10 MINS COOK: 5 MINS Red onion, smoked fish and cream cheese is a heavenly combination to me: it’s oily, salty, sharp and creamy. It’s also hard to execute badly, but I do think charring the capers and red onion adds a little extra flourish.

INGREDIENTS

W

hile we might not all be able to dine out in California, a new cookbook offers up more than 80 accessible and seasonal recipes to allow us to create the spirit of its food at home. California: Living + Eating by London-based food writer Eleanor Maidment, whose parents are of Jewish and Anglo-Indian descent, is a glorious celebration of the Golden State, a place she fell in love with after her first visit in the late 1980s. For her debut recipe book, Eleanor – formerly food editor of the Waitrose Food magazine – journeyed through the state’s varied landscape to show that anyone can eat as well as they do.

Recipes extracted from California: Living + Eating by Eleanor Maidment (Hardie Grant, £22) Photography © Nassima Rothacker

2 tablespoons nonpareille capers, rinsed and drained 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar 1/2 teaspoon soft dark brown sugar 2 large slices of sourdough or rye bread

4 tablespoons labneh or cream cheese 100g smoked salmon, trout or halibut 1/2 lemon, cut into wedges small handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley freshly ground black pepper

METHOD 1. If the capers are wet, pat them dry on a piece of paper towel. Heat a small frying pan or saucepan over a medium-high heat.

1. Add the capers and onion and dry-fry them, stirring regularly, for about two minutes until charred in places. Tip in the vinegar and sugar and stir together; take off the heat and tip into a bowl.

1. Toast the bread and spread with the labneh or cream cheese, arrange the smoked fish over the top and spoon over the caper and red onion relish.

Squeeze a little lemon juice over the top, scatter with parsley, grind over some black pepper and serve immediately.

1 tablespoon soy sauce 1/2 avocado, diced 100g raw, sliced sushigrade salmon Crispy shallots: 90ml sunflower oil 2 banana shallots, halved and thinly sliced pinch of sea salt

METHOD 1. Put the rice in a large saucepan and cover with triple the volume of water. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 40-45 minutes (top up with water if necessary) until tender; drain and spread out on a plate to cool.

1. In a separate pan of boiling water, simmer the edamame for 3-4 minutes, or until they’re all floating on the surface; drain, rinse under the cold tap and set aside.

2. Tear the kale leaves into bite-sized pieces. Place them in a mixing bowl, add half the tangerine juice and massage the juice into the leaves to soften them. Set aside. Put the remaining tangerine juice in a jar with the sesame oil and soy sauce.

3. Seal with a lid and shake to make a dressing.

To make the crispy shallots, place the oil and shallots in a cold saucepan, set over a mediumlow heat and sprinkle with the salt. The aim is to cook them slowly until they crisp up and turn a medium golden colour, this should take 10-15 minutes. Drain through a sieve, reserving the oil for dressings and marinades, then transfer the shallots to paper towel to soak up any excess oil.

4. Toss the cooled rice with the kale and divide between two plates. Spoon a little dressing over each. Scatter over the edamame and avocado, then arrange the salmon on top. Spoon over the rest of the dressing, then scatter with crispy shallots to serve.

NOTES ON… RAW FISH It may seem obvious, but if you plan to serve raw fish then do buy it from a place you know and trust (I go to my local Japanese supermarket), and eat it that day. That’s not always possible, so you can replace the raw salmon here with smoked salmon (try thicker-cut tsar fillets) or seared tuna.

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Tea

Time

chocolate mousse teacups and pocket watch macaroons. Accompanying finger sandwiches include Alice English cucumber and cream cheese and Fish Footman tuna mayonnaise. £40 during the week and £45 on weekends stjamescourthotel.co.uk

London landmarks tea Luxury tea

The Landmark London is one of the city’s most iconic grand dame hotels. Tea in the Winter Garden, known for its beautiful eight-storey glass-roofed atrium fringed with sky-high palm trees, is a seriously special treat. Smoked salmon, egg mayo and cream cheese sandwiches (with free refills!), freshly baked scones with lots of jam choices and exceedingly good cakes in one of the most enchanting settings in the city, with a harpist providing gentle background music. This fabulous outdoors-but-indoors beautifully air conditioned atrium is awash with light, bringing summer into the Winter Garden. £45 landmarklondon.co.uk

Presented on a London Eye-inspired tea stand, tea at The Kensington starts with a skyline of scones and sandwiches, followed by savoury treats and sweet London Landmark creations including ‘The Gherkin’ made from chocolate; ‘The Shard’ made of carrot cake; an iconic London telephone box imagined in rhubarb mousse; and a Big Ben-inspired lemon curd tart. £42 townhousekensington.com

It’s not only about scones these days. Louisa Walters highlights 12 very different afternoon teas in and around London

has a pretty tree-lined courtyard and a stylish tea lounge upstairs. Children get their own themed teatime treats and can go on an adventure to see the hotel’s 350,000 Buckfast Honeybees hard at work on the third floor Bee Terrace. The hotel has a rooftop garden and the afternoon tea uses ingredients straight from the roof and honey from the bees.

Children’s tea is £15; adults’ tea is £37 including unlimited prosecco. sterminshotel.co.uk

Garden tea

Painshill in Cobham, Surrey, is a beautiful awardwinning landscape garden with a lovely tea room named after designer Charles Hamilton who created the garden in the 18th century as a ‘living work of art’. Mr Hamilton’s Tea Room offers finger sandwiches, homemade mini scones, a mixture of mini cakes and desserts, freshly brewed tea and coffee, plus a glass of Prosecco. £14.50 (entrance to gardens is extra) painshill.co.uk/afternoon-tea

Themed tea

The Tea Party in Wonderland features an eclectic menu of cakes and pastries inspired by characters and quirks from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, such as Queen of Hearts mango tarts, ‘Drink Me’ strawberry potion, Caterpillar’s Mushroom raspberry marshmallows, white

Kiddie tea

Just around the corner from Buckingham Palace, St Ermin’s Hotel JN LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

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Floral tea

The English Tea Room at Brown’s Hotel is doing a Chelsea Flower Show tea in collaboration with British perfumer Ormonde Jayne. Brown’s is partnering with the British perfumer to create a bespoke fragrance, a bottle of which can be taken home. The world-renowned traditional afternoon tea at Brown’s has a selection of bloomin’ marvellous pastries, each created with a nod to the Chelsea Flower Show. Choose between a glass of champagne and a non-alcoholic ‘Lavender Me’ cocktail containing fresh lavender sugar and garnished with an edible flower. 20th – 26th May to coincide with Chelsea Flower Show. £65 (£69.50 with perfume included) roccofortehotels.com

Shoreditch tea

The Sakura-inspired afternoon tea on the newly launched Hanami Terrace at Nobu Hotel London Shoreditch combines super cool with refined elegance. The menu offers a selection of distinctive dishes inspired by the creativity and vibrancy of the location and a unique, Nobu-style twist on the classic British tradition. Expect to feast on sushi rice pudding with pecan candies, smoked salmon yuzu cream, yuzu tart, matcha marshmallow and raspberry ginger choux. £40 per person/ £45 with champagne nobuhotelshoreditch.com

Fashion tea

A playfully vibrant fashion-inspired tea to coincide with the Mary Quant exhibition at the V&A has been launched at The Pelham hotel, just a few minutes’ walk from the museum in Kensington. Check out ‘Swinging London’- dainty

finger sandwiches; ‘Quant’s Crayons’- vibrant multi-coloured mini buns; ‘Bazaar’ - an open macaron creatively encased in a Quant-inspired nail varnish bottle; ‘The Dame’ - a quintessentially British Victoria Sponge Cake; and several other creative masterpieces including an ‘edible lipstick’ of dark chocolate. Wash it all down with ‘Forever Mini’ cocktails, named in celebration of Quant pioneering the mini skirt. £40 starhotelscollezione.com

Chelsea tea

Vegan tea

Laura Ashley The Tea Room at Burnham Beeches Hotel serves up a vegan tea in luxury, traditional surroundings (and others can have the regular tea at the same time), plus a glass of the bubbly stuff from Hattingley Valley English sparkling wines. Sandwiches include hummus and roasted vegetable, tomato and shallot chutney, and avocado and lime crostini. There are vegan scones with jam, plus sweet treats such as double chocolate cake, banana cake and fruit skewers.

The Tea Room is decorated in signature Laura Ashley style with Laura Ashley accessories, furnishings and decorations - perfect for indulging in the most British of pastimes. £20 lauraashleythetearoom.com

Cadogan’s by Adam Handling, the stunning tea lounge at the newly-opened Belmond Cadogan Hotel in Chelsea, has launched a spectacular afternoon tea experience. It celebrates British ingredients and the history of high tea, inspired by childhood memories of plentiful, delicious feeding at Adam’s grandmother’s house (we can relate to that!). Traditional sandwiches with fillings such as duck egg with curry mayonnaise and mustard leaf are precisely matched to five different bread types. Then there are scones, savoury delights such as cheese and truffle gougére and sweet dishes such as salted caramel sacher with milk chocolate chantilly. £70 adamhandlingchelsea.co.uk

Tea makers’ tea

France’s oldest tea house Mariage Frères’ has opened a tea emporium in Covent Garden with a beautiful Salon de Thé on the first floor. You can sit in Voyage, an elegant gallery flooded with daylight from the atrium above, or in the beautiful White Himalaya room surrounded by antique tea canisters. The King Street Afternoon Tea comes with an assortment of tea-infused savoury delights, such as avocado ‘guacamole style’ with Japanese matcha green tea or roasted cauliflower with Feu De Thé® smoky black tea. £39 www.mariagefreres.com

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SIX PACK Louisa Walters, founder of The Restaurant Club, reports on six sumptuous restaurant openings

No. Fifty Cheyne Chelsea institution the Cheyne Walk Brasserie has had a rebuild and reopened as No Fifty Cheyne. Owner Sally Greene (who also owns Ronnie Scott’s) has given her restaurant a smart makeover with sumptuous curtains and ornate chandeliers and enticed across chef Iain Smith (previously of Jason Atherton’s Social Eating House). He is using seasonal ingredients centred around an open grill to create a modern British menu. There is a daily

The Gate Much-loved vegetarian restaurant The Gate, ‘the jewel in the crown’ of vegetarian restaurants in London according to Conde Nast Traveller, has opened its fourth branch, this time in St John’s Wood. It might sound cliched, but you honestly don’t have to be veggie to enjoy and appreciate the truly exceptional plant-based food. There is a wide range of inspiring meat-free dishes across breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. Butternut & Ricotta Rotolo – pommes dauphinoises filled with butternut squash, semi-dried tomato, basil & ricotta, served with lemon butter sauce, French beans, sweet potato crisps – is just one example of the exciting items on offer.

The majority of the menu is suitable for vegans, with dairy free desserts including Tiramisu, Prune & Apple Crumble and Cranberry & Vanilla Cheesecake. The wine list is 100% vegan, and many are also organic and natural.

87 Allitsen Road, London. NW8 7AS thegaterestaurants.com

Carnudo On my Facebook group The Restaurant Club there has been much excitement about the new kosher meaty restaurant in Edgware, Carnudo. Much of the talk has been about the turkey shawarma, but there is also grilled lemon chicken, schnitzel, falafel, burgers, Argentine chorizo hot dogs and loads of salad options. It’s a no-frills affair, where you order at the counter, but by all accounts the food is good and the prices are reasonable.

7 Edgwarebury Lane, Edgware, Middx. HA8 8LH

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The Three Compasses (Little Alpine) When a local institution closes... and then pops up again in the local pub – that’s what I call a happy ending.

The Harkin family ran The Alpine in Bushey Heath for 50 years, sold it to developers, bought a pub in Aldenham and have opened the ‘Little Alpine’.

The place has a warm ambience, the decor is easy on the eye and the menu covers all bases with dishes such as fresh burrata with asparagus, lemon sole, very good zucchini fritti and a superb tiramisu. fish special. Upstairs at No. Fifty Cheyne is a cocktail bar led by Max Berrington who steered Brønnum in Copenhagen to the award of ‘Best Bar’ in the Danish capital.

Pegmire Lane, Patchetts Green, Watford. WD25 8DR thethreecompassesaldenham.co.uk

50 Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, London. SW3 5LR fiftycheyne.com

Mani & Nick’s The latest opening in Mill Hill, Mani & Nick’s is an all-day dining home-from-home café with lots of choice ranging from eggy brunch dishes through to Mediterranean meze platters, salads, burgers and wraps dishes. It’s also a serious contender for best coffee in the Broadway. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because Suzan Mani and her husband established Mani’s in Hampstead in 2009.

They hired Nick as head chef and have now taken him to Mill Hill to work his magic. The new café is fully licensed and they hope to be open in the evenings very soon.

20 The Broadway, Mill Hill, London. NW7 3LL

The Gate (another one!)

The promise of sunny days has me longing for restaurants in leafy settings. Set opposite Richmond Park’s iconic gates, The Gate Kitchen, Bar & Restaurant at Richmond Harbour Hotel offers beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces. The glasshouse floods the whole restaurant with light and opens onto a lovely garden terrace where you can sit in warmer weather. The food is modern brasserie style, with a particular emphasis on comfort food and modern cooking techniques.

Richmond Harbour Hotel, Richmond Hill, Richmond Upon Thames, Surrey. TW10 6RP harbourhotels.co.uk JN LIFE jewishnews.co.uk

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Food for all the

SENSES

Alex Galbinski visits Kitchen Theory’s Chef’s Table for a multisensory gastronomic experience

I

MELISSA

Ocakbasi Restaurant The British weather may be unpredictable, but eating at Melissa Ocakbasi Restaurant is not.

Come rain or shine, what you’ll get at the award-winning Turkish restaurant in Edgware is a great atmosphere with hearty fare.

Istanbul-born Cetin Kaygusuz has much hotel experience behind him, with more than eight decades of restaurant business in the family. He grafted hard here – you might have seen him in Sami’s in Golders Green – before opening his own eaterie, named after his daughter, in Whitchurch Lane.

My husband chose the lamb chops – and still raves about them! I had the mixed lamb and chicken doner – soft pieces of meat gently chargrilled to melt in your mouth.

It’s not for nothing that Melissa has been awarded Good Food awards three years in a row. And, as if there weren’t enough options to choose from, there are three types of fish – salmon, seabass and sea bream – and varieties of burgers, too, and plenty of vegetarian dishes using humble ingredients such as aubergines, peppers and mushrooms.

Saying that, Cetin has made a name for himself among the community for serving up exquisite food at catering parties – and the meat cooked on his charcoal grills is legendary. But be quick about it – with his good value and generous portions, he won’t have space in his diary for long. www.melissarestaurant.co.uk

t is a truth universally acknowledged that Jews love their food. Naturally, I relished the chance to try the Chef’s Table’s 10-course tasting menu at Kitchen Theory, which takes its inspiration from science, gastronomy, nature and art.

Chef Jozef Youssef established Kitchen Theory in 2010 in an old Victorian Barnet warehouse and has collaborated with the experimental psychologist professor Charles Spence, who has proved the interrelation of all the senses. When we tasted a jelly bean while wearing a nose clamp and then with it removed, we were surprised at how muchthe senses inform our perception of flavour.

We appraised shape, texture, flavour and mouthfeel throughout, and food was immaculately presented and, at times, served on the large oval table – somewhat dispensing with traditional table manners. Regular cutlery was not always used, in a thought-out effort to encourage mindful eating and challenge our preconceived ideas.

One course, named after a god in Mesoamerican culture, served up corn, beans and chilli in an

elaborate honeycomb design, which we ate with our hands.

Images were projected onto the table to enhance the visual experience. While we had the veggie option, one diner was surprised to find herself enjoying jellyfish – which Jozef explained should become more widely offered as a sustainable food source. Served in delicate glass dishes, the course included fermented cucumber and seaweed, and projections turned the table into an ocean scene, with underwater sounds delivered through headphones to discover whether sound affects sense of taste.

Individual portions were fairly small but well considered and, towards the end of the meal, we felt extremely full. Cost is £180 per person and alcohol, paired with the food, is plentiful. www.kitchen-theory.com

ZEST A fresh take on summer Diners making Zest their preferred stop for a meal won’t be disappointed with the new dishes on offer, says chef Robin Beparry.

Describing the seasonal menu change for summer, Robin, who formerly headed up Zest at Bevis Marks, says: “I took inspiration from British garden parties and picnic food, grass stains on knees, the change in trees, smells of dew in the air, barbeques and mixing this all with Middle Eastern influences.”

Inspired by Tel Aviv eateries, Zest offers fresh and creative kosher dishes, such as edamame basil hummus with chervil and plantain crisps, grilled asparagus with Pimm’s garnish, tomato freekeh and green shakshuka.

The former head chef at West London restaurant Daphne’s – who worked with Nico Ladenis and Marco Pierre White when he first came to London – believes the most popular new dish is likely to be the braised lamb belly with grilled courgettes, mint and sumac challah croutons with a mustard dressing. “It’s light and summery and got a great chargrilled herby flavour,” explains the chef, whose influences include artists and musicians, adding: “The escabeche sardines are also a winner; they’re marinated in saffron, coriander seeds, red wine vinegar and a really good extra virgin olive oil, served with marinated carrots and roasted whole spices giving lots of Middle Eastern flavours. Perfect with a crisp glass of wine.” www.zestatjw3.co.uk

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TECH IT OUT

FIRE TECH CAMP provides kids with mind-blowing term-time learning, holiday camps and workshops for nine to 17-yearolds who have a real thirst for technology.

The myriad courses are split into age groups, to ensure everything taught is age appropriate and for boys and girls. With sites in fantastic premises, such as Imperial College London and South Hampstead School, children can learn about coding, gaming, digital music production and even create flashy YouTube content. If you’re a first timer and not sure which course to go for, the Junior Coding Course gives a taster of everything, including how to programme, and video game design. For the older demographic, the Python Coding Course has proved a useful addition to studying for GCSE Computer Science.

“We limit screen work to an hour at a time, and ensure there are great outdoor facilities, which we use throughout the day,” says Fire Tech’s Kirien Sangha.

“Aside from the tech side of things,

confidence, friendships and teambuilding are a huge part of the kids’ learning. With coding, if something doesn’t work, we help them to break it down into why something failed to perform and how they can improve it.”

Fire Tech has a team of tutors running the

courses and operates a ratio of eight students to one tutor, many of whom are PhD students, still at university and even ex-Fire Tech students.

Parents are invited to the Friday ‘shows’ and can’t believe how the nervous child who they sent in on Monday suddenly has the confidence to present their finished ideas to the group by Friday.

The Fire Tech motto is ‘Don’t just consume it.

Create it’, which sounds like a good one for summer.

For more information, call 020 3950 7310 or visit www.firetechcamp.com

UNIVERSITY SUPREME I F YOU’RE DRAWN TO ISRAEL’S 300 days of sunshine a year, thriving industry and upstart spirit, studying abroad in the Jewish state could be

for you.

Israel continues to be a top performing country for entrepreneurship, with some of the most exciting ventures securing capital funding every week.

For those still at the start of their career journey, Israel’s universities count themselves among the world’s highest-ranked institutions.

Among them, Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan is the university of choice for Israel’s olim,

with some 25 programmes specifically tailored for international students.

It boasts the most up-to-date science, technology, engineering and mathematics laboratories and impact centres led by awardwinning scientists, including nano, cyber, and brain science.

The university offers a prestigious range of international MBA programmes, and its faculty of Jewish studies is the largest of its kind in the academic world.

If you’re looking to build work experience as you study, the university offers doctoral and postdoctoral opportunities in all faculties, so students can learn from top researchers.

The university supports international students, with each and every aspect of the study abroad taken care of from the point of arrival.

Whether it’s preparing your entry visa, securing accommodation, or navigating local transportation and insurance, Bar-Ilan University will ensure you get the

support you need.

“At Bar-Ilan University’s International School, we take great pride in offering a learning environment that delivers a stellar education, integrating innovation and cutting-edge research, while also providing a community where students feel a strong sense of belonging, comradery and an appreciation for Jewish identity,” said its director, Ofer Dahan.

“For these reasons, we are the top university in Israel for attracting new immigrants.” www.biuinternational.com

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A break from his daily routine was what Charlie Spender needed

J

EWISH DOGS GET BORED EASILY. They like a varied food menu (apart from the kneidel soup fixture on Friday), new toys, old mutt pals and a mix of geography on the daily walks. So, circling (or squaring) the same park in Mill Hill or weaving along the paths in Hampstead Garden Suburb, your dog is likely to be disgruntled.

They want you to shake it up a bit, and what better way to do that than at the five-star getaway Devon Country Barns. Charlie Spender, our Beagle, is not a fan of long car journeys, but the four hours it took to get to the barns, just outside the leafy village of Lifton, was well worth it.

The five beautiful barns have been converted using traditional materials, but at the same time provide exceptional comfort, with underfloor heating throughout, wood burners in each building, kitchens equipped with the most modern appliances and a wall-mounted flatscreen home cinema system.

Our barn, Orchard, had been tastefully converted for two people, with an open plan kitchen, downstairs lounge and a spiral staircase leading to the bedroom and bathroom with rolltop bath. It has a large enclosed patio (perfect for Charlie) and our own private four-seater hot tub.

The residence ticked every box, as did the location, and Charlie seemed as impressed as we were, particularly by the warm welcome from our hosts, who gave us a selection of goodies including freshly-baked lemon drizzle and blueberry cake, fresh eggs from the chickens and a delicious bottle of Devon wine.

It was so peaceful that we initially thought we were the only ones there, but the other four barns

DEVON on the property were occupied. We felt secluded sitting on the patio looking over the valley. The place was made for dogs, with acres of fields on the doorstep that Charlie could run through.

The Orchard Barn kitchen is fully kitted out, but when we wanted a break from cooking, our hosts suggested we visit The Cornish Arms in Tavistock (a 20-minute drive, and dog-friendly), where the food and service was exceptional, comparable to any good restaurant in London. The Springer Spaniel pub, another one for your four-legged companion, near Launceston, served delicious food too.

The barns are also conveniently located near a wonderful farm shop, with a café five minutes’ drive away in Lifton, offering a delicious range of cheeses, cakes and chutneys.

And should you manage to tear yourself away from the serenity of the barns, situated on the border of Devon and Cornwall, there are plenty of dog-friendly things to see and do: coast and beaches, stately homes and gardens, romantic fishing ports and plenty of excellent restaurants.

We visited Bude, a 40-minute drive from the barns, which has a magnificent sandy beach. We were excited to take Charlie there, because, at six years old, he had never felt sand under his paws, and he loved it. We then went down the coastline to explore Tintanel Castle and Port Isaac, then on to Rock. This scenery is outstanding.

Sometimes referred to as ‘Chelsea-onSea’, Rock is reputed to be the home of more millionaires than anywhere else in Cornwall.

Here, you’ll find many beautiful dog-friendly beaches, of which I think the nicest is Daymer Bay. The mile-long beach, with fine golden sand,

is fringed with dunes and the water is unusually calm and clear. We found a family-run restaurant, The Rock Inn, with a panoramic view of the River Camel and the Cornish countryside – the perfect backdrop for a light bite to eat. On another day you can drive to the opposite coast, to Fowey (pronounced ‘foy’), Polperro and Looe.

We stopped off here to sample the Cornish pasty – another first for Charlie.

You can’t mention Devon without talking about Dartmoor and heading to Princetown, which takes you through the national park – where, on entering the town, you pass the high granite walls of Dartmoor prison. There are lovely walks to be explored there. We loved visiting west Dartmoor and then returning to the comfort of the barn for a soak in the hot tub, in which I’ll happily admit we spent a great deal of time, taking in the breathtaking views (with a glass of bubbly in hand) and stargazing at night!

Charlie may not have had the fizz or the hot tub, but he must be dreaming about open moorland, forests and streams.

We get the feeling he’ll be expecting a trip somewhere as beautiful very soon.

FACT BOX Premier Cottages’ collection features almost 1,000 four-star and five-star self-catering cottages across the UK. Properties range from small, romantic boltholes to large family-friendly country estates, many of which are pet-friendly, and some having swimming pools, gyms, spas, indoor games rooms and children’s play areas.

A week’s stay in Devon Country Barn’s Orchard Barn for two guests starts at £800, with a three-night stay starting Nitza and at £440. (www.premiercottages.co.uk, 07500 702248) Robin Spiro JN LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 73

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Be ISRAEL’S Guest

There’s so much happening in the Holy Land, you’ll be needing a room

Israel is often in the news for all the wrong reasons, but with Shtisel, Srugim and Eurovision showing off the real Holy Land, many tourists are heading there to see it for themselves.

But if you want to lie on Israel’s sandy beaches, sample its rich culinary tapestry or savour Jerusalem’s heritage sites, you’ll need somewhere to stay! Somewhere super special, regardless of budgets.

Ibis

IBIS Jerusalem City Center Inspired by the bright colours of the Mahane Yehuda market – or ‘the shuk’, Ibis’ new Styles hotel in the heart of Jerusalem is the ideal place to stay for a family break in the Holy City. Positioned on Zion Square, walking distance from the Old City and only a minute from the local tram stop, it puts you in the middle of the city’s vibrancy and rich history. The 104 rooms are tailored with the shuk’s colourful fruit and vegetables, with Styles offers a family-friendly atmosphere, including a kids’ breakfast and restaurant menu as well as welcome gift sets for children. Complete with high-speed internet, rooms are designed as a space where guests can rest, relax or work, making it the ideal location to go for business or pleasure.

Ibis

www.accorhotels.com

PRIMA HOTELS Tel Aviv is known for being cosmopolitan and all embracing and Prima offer five vibrant places to stay in the city which reflects its modern beat. HOTEL 75 is situated on Allenby Street, just a short walk from the city’s major nightclubs,bars, restaurants and beaches. Its colourful laid back vibe is affordable and ensures that your stay in the city will be stress free. Prima’s City Hotel is a little more expensive, but just as it is seconds from the world-famous beach, it’s great value for money. Complete with 106 rooms, each with a balcony, as well as fresh Mediterranean cuisine, steered by acclaimed chef Nir Zook, it’s great for business or recreation in Israel’s city that never sleeps. www.prima-hotels-israel.com

Hotel 75

Hotel 75

Prima

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RAMADA If you’re heading to Israel’s capital to cram on its history the Ramada from Wyndham Jerusalem is the place. Located near the entrance to the city and not far from the International convention centre, it’s a suitable place to stay if you’ve got work to do or kicking back as a tourist as there is a fitness centre, pool, tennis court and sauna. Just 15 minutes away from the Old City by cab and not far from local transport links, you can explore the Holy City with ease. www.wyndhamhotels.com

Ramada

FATTAL If partying is your thing, Tel Aviv is the place for you; and Fattal have numerous top hotels on Israel’s coastal city to help you have the experience of your life! Herods’ hotel on the famous promenade overlooks beautiful Gordon Beach, blending modern designs and the city’s signature Bauhaus style. Its 324 rooms all have large windows with balconies and stunning views of the coast, and as a kosher hotel, it’s great for Shabbat or a Jewish festival, while also offering a spa, jacuzzi, sauna, massage pool, gym and business lounge.

Fattal

www.fattal-hotels.co

Fattal

Setai

Setai

Setai

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Ramada

THE MILOS Ramada

THE SETAI

The Milos Dead Sea Hotel is the other new and much-awaited hotel from the Nakash Group which has just rebranded all of its seven properties under Herbert Samuel Hotels. The Milos will open in June and for anyone seeking an exotic resort located at the lowest point on earth, it’s a must stay.

Who wouldn’t want to rest up in sight of one of the seven natural wonders of the world and in a property that fuses luxury spa treatment and authentic Greek food, to offer the ultimate pampering getaway. Complete with a spa center, a dry sauna, Turkish bath, sulphur pools, Dead Sea water pools and a Jacuzzi, the resort offers 162 guest rooms, and is just meters from the shores of the crystal clear salty sea. Among the numerous suites are several adjoined to an infinity pool that merges with the coastline and there’s the Milos’ tavern pool compound which is built from stones from the Greek mountains, to give an authentic and unique sense of natural beauty. Make your reservation now. www.herbertsamuel.com

The Setai in Tel Aviv also belongs to the renowned Nakash brothers ( Joe, Ralph and Avi) and they brought their good taste to the dynamite property in Old Jaffa by Clock Square. “Luxury Meets History” is how the brothers pitch The Setai, Tel Aviv which was a fortress during the Crusades and then a prison in the Ottoman period.

Not that any of its previous residents would recognize it now with all the modern oak, leather furnishings and 120 rooms and Suites with rainfall showers and 49-inch IPTVs. Add to this a spa, hand-crafted cocktail bar and the Jaya Chef Restaurant blending the culinary heritage of Jaffa with the Setai’s Turkish roots and nothing will keep you away. www.thesetaihotel.co.il

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PORTUGUESE

Potential

A Jewish couple who moved to the Algarve have created a unique experience for visitors THE PROSPECT of Jeremy Corbyn as prime minister, an open-ended Brexit and uncertain weather every summer is enough to make us all think about relocating. To some this means making aliyah, and those who have already done so send positive reports and blue sky selfies.

Israel was always on the radar for Harriett Pena as she loved kibbutz life when she did Ulpan years ago. But when she and her American sculptor husband, Mondo, found an old farmhouse in Portugal’s Algarve, they simply had to give it a go.

Now their renovated home – Casa De Mondo (House of the World) in the hills of Bouliqueme is a Trip Advisor-recommended place to stay for holidaymakers looking for something unique.

In a single summer, the Penas turned their large stone casa into an eclectic haven filled with paintings, global trinkets and sculptures

by Mondo made from recycled copper pipes and broken boilers. Everywhere you look there is something of interest or beauty, be it a mosaic owl buried in a cornice or a shower head fashioned from a watering can.

The couple, who have two children, also made use of the garden, which has olive, lemon and pomegranate trees and sweet-smelling jasmine.

Sit at one of the many tables with colourful throws, languish on a hammock or pick up a paintbrush at one of several easels ready for use.

Beyond the main house there are three small cottages that accommodate six, with double beds, bathrooms and fully equipped kitchens.

Each has its own terrace, and the largest overlooks the pool and lily pond. Opting to host pop-up events as their initial business model, Harriett and Mondo now have the services of several chefs who teach cooking courses in the outdoor kitchen and create bespoke menus for private dinners and functions. The couple are also culinary cavaliers and can turn their hand to Greek, Mexican and Portuguese, with vegetarian options. They also make a mighty chicken soup and Harriett is keen to entice some Jewish guests so they can sample it.

With enough space to host 50-plus for a sitdown wedding or , Harriett has already recruited a wedding planner and musicians. “I know what it takes to make a simcha go with a swing,” she says.

“I can’t wait to dance the Hora in this garden.”

With pamper days, teas, BBQs and Italian nights scheduled for the months ahead, the Penas are chanelling creativity. They even have a writing course with the Comic Strip founders planned for the autumn.

“When I did Ulpan many years ago at Kibbutz Yagur in Haifa, I loved it so much I wanted to live in Israel,” says Harriett wistfully. “But I think we’re doing a fair bit of living here. Now we want our guests to do the same.” www.casademondo.com/ +44 7903525941 JN LIFE jewishnews.co.uk 79

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Sun, sea and sand in

ASHKELON

If owning your own apartment in Israel is a dream, Louisa Walters knows a man in Ashkelon who can make it a reality

A

PLACE IN THE SUN… by the sea… in a beautiful safe area with stunning beaches, a pretty marina with coffee shops and restaurants, just half an hour from the airport.

Sounds too good to be true. Yet this is absolutely true of Ashkelon, which is fast becoming one of the best locations to buy property in Israel.

The garden city of Ashkelon is on the south coast of Israel. It has recreation and tourism centres, a national park and just over 150,000 residents. It’s small but it’s thriving, with modern facilities and plenty of opportunities for work and leisure alike.

“I discovered this undervalued gem in 2007 and started buying property here for family and friends, says South African property agent David Zwebner of Ashkelon Properties, who has nearly 50 years’ experience in real estate in Israel. “Established by South African town planners, it benefits from a high-speed train to Tel Aviv and a vibrant growing Anglo Saxon community.”

Ashkelon Properties markets residential apartments, villas and commercial properties. Those with sea views are in high demand. David sits on the board of Keren Ashkelon, the philanthropic arm of the municipality and has been actively involved with promoting the city since 2007.

He has extensive knowledge of present and future plans for the city, which include a golf course. “All my English clients who bought properties in Ashkelon are thrilled at how much their shekel property investments have appreciated compared to those in the UK,” says David. “The population expansion in Israel coupled with increased demand for holiday homes means that buying property in Israel will continue to be a good investment.”

David is currently excited about The Euro Israel Project – a fabulous apartment complex on the seafront comprising four- and five-bed apartments plus store room with underground parking. All that’s needed now is a 20% deposit, with the balance paid on completion in 2021. www.ashkelonproperties.com

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Ashkelon beckons!

You Deserve a Beach front Property

You also deserve top service!

ASHKELON PROPERTIES is managed by David Zwebner who is a licensed real estate professional with over 48 years of experience, if he can’t connect you to the perfect property, no one can!

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Ashke on Properties

L I V E

O P P O S I T E

T H E

S E A

03-610-9880 • 0544-332-621 davidz@AshkelonProperties.com

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Cigal’s World of

INTERIORS

An Israeli designer fired up by the impact new colours can make shares tips on refreshing on a budget and dealing with small spaces. By Louisa Walters

I

SRAELI-BORN (LONDON-BASED) CIGAL KAPLAN takes a refreshingly unique approach to interior design. “I love space-planning and helping clients improve their way of life,” she says. “It takes care and collaboration to plan and furnish a space, accessorise it to a precise brief, and build a dream home just the way you want it.”

Cigal specialises in fast, complete makeover projects, delivered to a high standard.

She also designs bespoke furniture, which works particularly well if the space is small and needs extra care and attention.

Cigal says the world of interiors is very excited about the new colours that are making a huge difference to our lifestyles. “The hot ­topics are wellbeing for the home, an abundance of plants and an emphasis on entertaining at home and with this we are seeing lots of dark green, which adds depth and warmth to

the space. Dark blue is also still a very popular colour and is great in kitchens.

“Meanwhile terracotta shades, which are soft and really beautiful, are just perfect to create a spring and summer feel all year round. Check out Bancha, Rangwali and DeNimes – warm, powerful new colours from Farrow and Ball that have more depth to them without being too overwhelming.”

Cigal says there is also a lot of pale pink around, which can be mixed with an abundance of white or a lemon yellow. Bold yellow is also making an appearance and pairs beautifully with cool blues, beiges, and pinks. www.cigalkaplaninteriors.com

CIGAL’S TIPS FOR A SUMMER REFRESH ON A BUDGET 1 A new coat of paint will always refresh a room.

2 If you have a feature wall, change it.

3 Change the cushion covers. We all have lovely cushions sitting on our sofas and maybe even a throw. These are not expensive items to change once in a while.

4 Adding a lovely new vase and a few accessories will make it all come together and will make the space fresh and exciting.

5 If you are not confident with colour then keep your walls natural and add colour with your art and accessories.

6 If you have the budget, invest in fresh carpets, a new rug or polishing the wooden floors.

DO NOT…. put a small rug in your living room. It is all about scale: the bigger the ­better. Even in a small flat put down a large rug and you will see the difference. Your space will look larger and feel warmer, and will be more inviting and pleasing to the eye.

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TOP TIPS FOR SMALL SPACES Do not be scared of small spaces as they also have great potential

1 Natural light is key to opening up a small space and making it feel lighter and brighter.

2 Get creative with multipurpose storage. Build a bench that is a seat as well as storage space. Get a large sofa that also has a compartment for linen and towels.

3 Use mirrors to reflect the natural light ­— this will make the space look larger.

4 Consider a coffee table with storage and on wheels.

For example an ottoman that can be used as a coffee table with storage space for toys that can be wheeled out of the way to make more space when needed.

5 Try your best to be clutter-free.

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NORTH LONDON G Louisa Walters meets designers who really mix things up

Julia Alexander offers a range of options for all budgets right across London. Her services range from a two-hour design consultation covering all aspects of Julia Alexander design and sourcing (colour advice, layout, lighting, furniture, accessories etc) through to being brought in to look at an architect’s plans at the early stage of the build to advise on layout and other key decisions.

Julia is passionate about sharing interiors tips and training, whether it’s speaking at events and panel discussions, or running interior styling workshops and design events.

Q: If I want to freshen up my living room on a budget what would you suggest?

A: Working on a budget is always an exciting challenge for me. Paint is the easiest way to make a dramatic change but also consider reviewing your layout with fresh eyes. Angling furniture and moving it away from the walls can transform a room. To add in furniture on a budget, I love hunting through charity shops and house clearances. Older pieces are usually very well made and have interesting shapes, plus they give your home so much character.

I quite like some of this furniture just as it is, contrasted with modern pieces. However, if it’s not your style it’s very easy to pick up bargains and to upcycle them. There are plenty of ideas on Instagram and blogs on DIY projects. People give away beautiful things on Facebook groups and at car boot sales that are real treasures!

Art also makes a huge difference to a space.

You can create affordable artwork by framing

postcards, wallpaper, wrapping paper, music sheets, or even take a paint brush to some charity shop art and have fun experimenting.

Finally, the styling.

The finishing details are so important and give your home its personality. Try taking out all the decorative pieces you have on coffee tables, cabinets and shelves and start from scratch rearranging them.

Q: If I’m redecorating, what are the colours to get excited about right now?

A: Deeply saturated blues and colour generally are hot right now. Pink is still everywhere and it has been extended to deeper purples and burgundies, plus pastels as neutrals. Warm neutrals (beiges, mustards, browns and rusts) are still enjoying a moment — there is definitely an embracing of vintage and a nod to retro 1970s design. Right now anything goes if it’s well executed. It’s more about whether or not you love it and can live with it for a little while!

Essentially, does it make your heart sing?

Q: I want to buy a rug but I don’t know what size to go for — can you help?

A: The main tip for rugs is go bigger than you think. Plus don’t let your rug float around on its own, like an island. Rugs are there to zone an area so ideally at least the front legs of the furniture in that zone (eg the sofa and armchairs) should rest on the rug. It should also be in proportion to the furniture. Don’t forget to consider door swings.

Insta juliaalexanderinteriors www.juliaalexander.co.uk

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N GIRLS

Gemma Steinberg and Elisa Dell

Little Black Book of Interiors (LBBOI) is a social media platform. Established in 2015 by interior stylists Elisa Dell and Gemma Steinberg, it has nearly 10,000 Instagram followers and a Facebook community where members are free to share all things interior related.

Having earned their stripes with their interior styling business Rose and Grace, Elisa and Gemma have now collaborated with brands such as Next, Matalan, River Island Home, Ashleigh & Burwood and John Lewis and are becoming increasingly well known for their Instagram stories, where they feature the best homeware on the high street.

Q: How can I give my bedroom a fresh spring look?

A: The first thing is a change of bed linen, cushions and throws. Nothing beats the look of plain crisp white bed linen and we often recommend one with a subtle border in a colour that complements the bedroom scheme. We then look at styling the bedside tables. Our favourite is a Kelly Hoppen faux hydrangea posy in a vase and we always add in a luxury scented candle, plus sometimes matching photo frames with black and white images and a decorative box to give added layering.

Q: How can I give my dining table the wow factor without spending a fortune?

A: We are passionate about finding affordable homeware products and our favourite haunts for sexy dining table products are West Elm, Next, H&M Home, Tesco, Zara Home, Sainsbury’s, Ikea and Matalan. The key is to note the current trends of the season and then mix and match with your existing dining ware to create the look. While traditional round plates remain the most popular option, we have seen an increase in asymmetric plates and more curved lines. 2018 was all about the minimal and cool Scandinavian colour palette,

but now dinnerware sets are a more earthy in tone. This can include blush pink and soft greys.

Statement cutlery is still very popular with choices in black and metallic accents. Adding texture to your dinner table with seagrass placemats gives it a different perspective whilst adding a touch of boho chic. Add in some fresh flowers, candles and delicious food and voila!

Q: What are your top tips when looking for things to hang on the wall?

A: Art makes a house a home. Budget carefully as art varies enormously. Then decide whether you are looking for ‘wall fillers’ or limited-edition pieces. Do you want the piece to complement the decor or do you want the art to inject colour? If you have a large wall, consider making it a gallery wall of images instead of one large piece of art. We always suggest framing a canvas with a shadow gap to give it more luxurious and expensive look. Finally, follow your heart — anything goes!

Insta: littleblackbookofinteriors www.littleblackbookofinteriors.com

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KITCHEN

CRAFT Want to plan your new space at your designer’s own kitchen table?

S

hanti Panchani wants you to come to his house. Unlike the plumber who has never shown you his bathroom or the building contractor who is always at your door, kitchen designer Shanti throws down the welcome mat for new clients and will invite you to sit at his table.

As his aptly named company is called The Home Consultancy, it makes sense that the business is based at his home and as a result his clients quickly feel he is someone they can trust.

Shanti has been in the furniture industry for 27 years and from early days as a company man

at MFI he grew to understand the importance of the client–provider relationship. “But in that environment I could not offer anyone an appropriate level of service or build long term relationships,” he says. So he opened a kitchen showroom in Northwood under the in-toto banner and with ‘trust’ as his philosophy built up a good client base.

“The kitchen is a major part of people’s lives and I had to understand how it works for different faiths, and their specific requirements,” explains Shanti, who is confident moving from kosher to Vastu for his Jewish or Asian clients. “My aim is to always provide the highest level of service and build relationships that go beyond a sale.”

The opening of a second showroom in St Albans followed in 2011, but as more kitchen retailers popped up Shanti decided to consolidate, cut costs and get comfortable working from home.

“I still provide my clients with the same personal service, but as I have very low overheads I can offer more competitive prices and product proposition. I have a display that clients can come and view, so in theory I do have a showroom, but instead of a shop front, there’s a front door.”

Over a cup of tea in Kingsbury, Shanti offers

Shanti Panchani offers a personal service from his own home, giving lots of quotes and using eight manufacturers

a comprehensive consultation to establish a client’s needs and wants, such as maximising storage and usage and exploring seating and other features that will make a kitchen unique.

“I happily give lots of quotes and we use eight different manufacturers. But what truly sets The Home Consultancy apart from others is that you also know where I live, so I am always available. Is there a better way to start?”

The Home Consultancy 07738 067671 / 020 8732 2549 www.thehomeconsultancy.com

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FRESH FOOD – GOOD QUALITY

T 019 AN R 2 GR E R M FO SUM CE R AN FO CH N S ST TIO LA ICA PL AP

OF STANMORE • Since 1990

DO YOU TAKE YOUR HOLIDAY FOR GRANTED? HUNDREDS OF JEWISH CHILDREN DEPEND ON US. We are the Jewish Children’s Holidays Fund.

For more than a hundred years, we have been helping Jewish children, disadvantaged for financial, social or health reasons, have the holiday that they need and deserve.

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You know how much you and your children enjoy a week or two away. Please give us the resources to ensure that those children who are dogged by illhealth, family or financial difficulties continue to get a fair break.

Jewish Children’s Holidays Fund JCHF, PO Box 1206, Enfield EN1 9SH T: 020 7100 5097 Registered charity number 295361

21/05/2019 17:04

BOOK NOW

so you don’t miss out on the Israel trip of a lifetime For more information and to secure your place, please contact the JNF UK legacy department

JNF UK

legacy MISSION TO ISRAEL

CELEBRATE

Israel’s history

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Limited availability

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Experience first-hand the projects in the Negev supported by JNF UK, realising Ben-Gurion's dream Tour the length and breadth of Israel in luxury and comfort

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£1,500 per person excluding flights (no single supplement)

21/05/2019 17:04

Give the gift of food to a child in poverty Going over to friends to eat or looking for a present for the person who has everything? Why not give a beautiful Food Fund gift card from Emunah and help provide hungry children in Israel with a daily hot meal.

Food Fund cards can be purchased at www.emunah.org.uk/shop 020 8203 6066

www.emunah.org.uk

Celebrate

Follow British Emunah

British Emunah Fund - Registered charity number 215398

your special occasion WITH A GIFT TO ISRAEL

Whether it’s a birthday, Bar Mitzvah or any other special occasion, a great way to share your joy and good fortune is to offer a gift to Israel – or ask friends and family to donate on your behalf.

Why not consider...

PROJECT DEDICATIONS

TREE CERTIFICATES

BAR AND BAT MITZVAH ISRAEL EXPERIENCE

For more information: jnf.co.uk/celebrate | 020 8732 6100 | info@jnf.co.uk

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GRACE AFTER MEAL BOOKLETS

Registered Charity Number 225910

21/05/2019 17:02

HOME is where you are Debbie Colton drops in at the home of a woman enjoying the independent lifestyle facilitated by JBD

T

he door swings open and a voice says ‘Quick, you only have 10 seconds before it closes’. Over the next hour or so this is the only reminder that Sonya Saunders has any kind of disability. Asking Sonya where she considers home to be, her response is “Wherever I am.”

This starting point is indicative of the incredible adventurer, forward thinker and utterly fearless woman that Sonya is. The loss to the world of teaching (English for academic purposes, latterly for foreign students leading up to studying for higher education) seems criminal and obvious considering the sea of books around her, along with artefacts and a myriad knick-knacks and souvenirs that form the tapestry of her remarkable life. Surrounding herself with her belongings has been a vital part of her ability to make any base her ‘home’.

Born and raised with her twin brother (he died a few years ago) in Southport, Sonya grew up with a strong sense of her history in a relatively religious family. While she wasn’t sure what she wanted to be, Sonya knew she wanted to travel, which initially was only from teacher training in Sunderland to a Hackney comprehensive – “not a good idea for a new teacher”. She then taught at Hasmonean and, to make ends meet, drove a minicab at night.

Her passion for working with children and her enjoyment of teaching is palpable.

“In 1967, itchy feet drove me to emigrate and, having been rejected by Australia and New Zealand, Israel welcomed me with open arms and I spent the next nine years teaching at Tel Aviv University,” she recalls.

Work became the access key to life abroad and, over the past 50 years, Sonya has lived in nine countries and visited more than 70. Her endless

thirst for knowledge led her to teach, study and hold down four jobs at one time. ‘Money was always tight, but at weekends we’d all come together and cook,” says Sonya, who returned to do a master’s degree in Manchester and then seized her chance to see the world through a role with the British Council.

Her three years in China were “extremely interesting but very difficult to live in”. In Hungary, she “could always feel the oppression”. Returning to the UK, she shared a flat with her cousin, who still lives around the corner.

Her flat has beautiful blue and white crockery from China, glass painted pictures from Hong Kong, a tea serving platter from Egypt, a thank you plaque for her work with the Israeli Army and hundreds of books and ornaments.

Sonya casually says that during this time she underwent treatment for cancer twice: “I had radiotherapy and continued working part-time, but I didn’t tell anyone.”

Every item in Sonya’s home holds a memory of her remarkable journey. Her front door may be much like any other at JBD’s Frances & Dick James Court, but beyond it is Sonya’s world. www.jbd.org

Clear out your CLUTTER EVERYONE WANTS TO WORK FOR A COMPANY that creates a great public image, don’t they? Most people also want the opportunity to participate with pride in work activities that go far beyond the day-to-day job and create a positive working environment for everyone around.

These activities can be developed through fun, team-building and learning sessions with a common goal. But doing something creative that gives back to the community can lead to greater involvement and cohesion. Research also shows giving back is good for the health and decreases stress. So what if I said you could give back by recycling some of your old phones and tech?

Business communications provider Alfonica are

proud supporters of Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH Charity) and the company is encouraging the community to raise money for seriously ill children with a campaign called ‘CLEAR OUT YOUR CLUTTER’.

Alfonica are delivering collection points to offices throughout the UK and you can request one yourself. Then all you need to do is get your colleagues to drop old phones or other tech devices into its collection points and they’ll turn them into cash for seriously ill children and help save the planet at the same time. You can request a collection point at www.alfonica.com/GOSH. If you want to ‘Clear Out Your Clutter’ yourself, Alfonica’s sister company RCUK is taking

donations for GOSH Charity within its retail showrooms in Stamford Hill, Golders Green and Manchester. Just take your old tech in store (phones, iPods, laptops, tablets or Kindles) and RCUK’s friendly team will help you recycle it.

All proceeds from this campaign will go to GOSH Charity, which has national and international reach, and a reputation for helping some of the most difficult cases while providing support to patients and families. Now that’s a good vibe summer.

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Springing into

Action

Emunah’s new chief executive looks forward to generating her first million for the charity

‘‘I

T’S A CHARITY THAT TOUCHES PEOPLE’S HEARTS,” says new British Emunah CEO Lynda Dullop, who is hitting the ground running in a whirlwind of plans. “There is so much Lynda that I need to do, I have so many ideas Dullop but I’ve only just got my feet under the table. I’m getting to know my talented and committed team and I’m learning all the time.”

Lynda is responsible for raising funds to support 37 Emunah projects for disadvantaged and at-risk children in Israel. The reality of welfare problems hit home when Lynda visited the projects for the first time in January, ahead of joining the charity.

She says: “I began to understand the tragedy and the trauma that many of these children have endured and how Emunah helps and improves their lives, often 24/7.

“Nothing quite prepared me for what I saw at an Emunah day care centre and having become a grandmother last year, I am drawn towards babies. I saw a small boy and asked how old he was – he is one. He held out his arms for me to pick him up and he rested his head on my shoulder.

I learned that he had cigarette burns down each

arm. That is why this young child in now in Emunah’s care.”

Reflecting on differences between working with very privileged children and her new role, Lynda says: “At Immanuel College I had 700 sets of parents who were very engaged because British Emunah Mother & Daughter Israel Tour 2018 pictured at the money I was raising beneBeit Gurvin National Park fitted their children. The sky’s the limit with Emunah as I can approach a widwas also a parent and a school governor. Born er audience to get our message out – I have to be in Newcastle, she came to London in 1984 a trailblazer and I’m meeting new and potential and met her husband Graham. They now live supporters around the country. in Radlett. She has also worked in personnel “One of the challenges is getting more people management and recruitment. involved because there are so many great causes.”

After nearly three weeks, World Emunah On the subject of engaging with a younger director Shlomo Kessel calls to ask when Lynda audience Lynda thinks people don’t necessarily hopes to raise her first £1m for Emunah. follow the same causes as their parents. “Young She’s on the case! people tend to make their own minds up about Emunah supports 10,000 children and famif and when to give and are less likely to be loyal ilies in Israel through its network of 200 social to one charity.” welfare projects including schools, children’s Previously Lynda was admissions and operhomes, day care, counselling, therapy and ations’ director at Immanuel College where she intervention centres. www.emunah.org.uk

Calling mums and daughters visit:

ail

.uk

66.

Take a group of pre-teens on an Emunah Mother and Daughter Israel Tour and its impact can be a turning point in their lives.

The trips are aimed at pre and post-batmitzvah girls in school year six and upwards. The experience was “so profound” that Lucy Rome went with daughter Tehilla, 12, last year then returned in February with daughter Tali, 10.

“It’s an amazing trip on so many levels, says teacher Lucy Rome.

“We go to Israel every year but the tour showed us a different side

Cohen. “As well as going to the Kotel, the Bar Kochba Caves and Beit Guvrin National Park, we visit Emunah high schools, day care centres and residential children’s homes – places you wouldn’t normally see in Israel,” says Sharon.

“It is wonderful to see the pride of

of life, one that my girls didn’t know about. Going to the Emunah centres and hearing about children who have had difficult situations takes you out of your comfort zone but it makes you appreciate what you have. It helped my girls to grow up and we all made new friends.”

Tours are led by British Emunah co-vice chair Sharon Dewinter and events executive Alison British Emunah Mother & Daughter Tour Feb 2019

mums watching their daughters grow from their experiences.”

A visit to the President’s Residence in Jerusalem and a briefing by senior policy advisor Shuli Davidovitch was a bonus of the last tour. There was also plenty of fun with activities such as drama, baking and a chocolate making workshop.

Mrs Dewinter adds: “As well as the mother and daughter tours, we can arrange for families and individuals to visit Emunah projects throughout the year. Seeing is believing and we really do need everyone’s support.”

E

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INDEPENDENCE. DIGNITY. CHOICE.

“Adam’s life has totally changed for the better since moving in, he is now a happy, confident, independent young man.”

Adam’s mother, Tracy Field Adam has been living in a Jewish Blind & Disabled apartment for nearly a year

EMPOWERED Registered Charity No. 259480

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To make a donation or to apply for an apartment visit www.jbd.org or call 020 8371 6611 21/05/2019 16:49

Building your

self-confidence

Emma May, director of operations and employment at Work Avenue, says a career break often creates self-doubt but advice and support makes a world of difference

a lot of confidence and helped me put in place some stepping stones towards work.”

Returning to work after a significant career break can seem intimidating. Perhaps your situation has changed and earning a living is now an urgent requirement, or perhaps you simply would like to boost the family income. Perhaps you have had an enforced absence as a result of poor health or caring for a loved one. Or maybe you are just bored. Circumstances such as these often induce feelings of poor self-confidence, a lack of self-esteem and a sense of frustration, so that a person doesn’t know how to start.

Debbie Sheldon, CEO at Work Avenue, says: “It can feel really daunting to start thinking about work again after a long break, but there are some steps that everyone can think about.

“Confidence is a huge issue for many. As a parent, or a carer of elderly relatives, you were thrust into a role for which there was no rule book and no previous training. And you learnt to cope – and perform to a high level. Most people have gained really good soft skills which are very transferable to the workplace.

“You are also more mature, wiser and reliable, and this is an asset to any workplace. Also, think about your IT skills as technology may well have

Nicky Goldman, chief executive of Jewish Volunteering Network, talks at a Women in the Workplace event

‘

I wondered whether my skills and experience would still be relevant and useful

‘

R

ACHEL UCKO WAS A TEACHER before leaving the profession to have her four children.

Like many others, she decided to focus on raising a family, although she did eventually want to go back into the world of work. But because she had been out of the job market for so long, she lacked confidence.

“I realised I had no idea what I wanted to do,” she recalls. “Also, having not worked for so long, I wondered whether my skills and experience would still be relevant and useful.”

But help is available: at Work Avenue. Rachel knew she needed advice and guidance, so she approached the employment and business support organisation that works across the Jewish community, helping people to earn a living through getting a job or starting a business.

“I attended a series of workshops that really helped. I started to think about how to produce a contemporary and elegant CV that really showcased all the skills and competencies I had gained from my earlier career.

“I was also coached in interview techniques and how to reach out and network with people I knew – and people I didn’t! I met frequently with an employment adviser, who really gave me

Rachel Ucko

developed in your absence. As well as courses that may be available in your area, there are loads of online training resources, such as Alison.com and Lynda.com and many of them are free.”

As for Rachel, the best suggestion Work Avenue gave her was to find a voluntary role to ease her back gently into the jobs market. “This was invaluable. It gave me a structure to my week and reintroduced me to the workplace in a very non-threatening way,” she says.

“This gave me back my confidence and I started to believe that a return to paid employment might happen. I am now working at Jewish Volunteering Network as their volunteer and charity engagement co-ordinator.

I meet both volunteers and charities to help them get the most out of our service, and I coordinate our activities in National Volunteers’ Week. I have really managed to turn around my career, thanks to Work Avenue.”

Debbie says there is a lot to think about, but help is available. “Do seek information and guidance from experts who can really advise you. This will make the world of difference and be the springboard to putting you back in the occupational driving seat.” www.theworkavenue.org.uk

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“it’s all about the charities we support”

WE NEED YOUR

GOOD QUALITY DONATIONS

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