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7 million Israelis rehearse for war

Vif you will it, it is no dream

PHOTO: AP

By anshel Pfeffer

On Monday, Defence Minister ehud Barak acknowledged that the governV isrAel is launching its largest-ever ment had received “signals” of concern emergency drill next week, but the from Arab countries over israel’s intengovernment insists that it is a routine tions, but said that “this a routine exerexercise. cise which was planned months ago, Next Tuesday, sirens will sound we have one of these every year”. throughout israel, and the entire popuAccording to intelligence assesslation will be requested to take shelter ments, israel’s closest enemy, syria, has in “protected spaces”. about 50,000 missiles that are aimed The nationwide alert will be the high at israel, and hizbollah in lebanon has point of the Defence Ministry and iDF 20,000. home Command’s exercise, “Turning While the published scenarios for Point 3”. the exercise are missile strikes from the All the emergency and rescue serv- north and terror attacks, iDF officers ices, both military and civil, will take have confirmed that the threat from part in the exercise. it begins on sunday iran figures in all their plans. “We are with a session of the Cabinet, which will planning for all eventualities,” said a practise its own special senior office in the iDF’s emergency procedures. home Command, “but A particular emphawe are not talking pubsis will be put on the colicly about iran right l nazis on the operation between the now.” railways p3 iDF and local authorities, last week, the israeli l hsa outrage which have been granted Air Force conducted its deepens p4 broader-than-normal own annual big exercise responsibilities for keepwhich involved all its ing key services running. squadrons and airbases. Among the scenarios are a multiple Air force officers in off-record briefings missile attack on haifa and a chemical- stressed that the squadrons did not warfare strike in eilat. All hospitals will carry out long-range missions, which practise for receiving patients injured would have been perceived as a prepain a chemical attack, and the home ration to attack targets in iran. Command’s rescue battalions will praclast year, the air force conducted a tise on a building that will be demol- large-scale exercise over the Aegean ished specifically for the exercise. sea in a move that was interpreted as in preparation, every family in the a dress rehearsal for an attack on the country has been supplied with guide- iranian nuclear installations. The air lines on how to select and equip a “pro- force’s assurances did not put all minds tected space” at home, and how many at ease and on Friday, Ma’ariv published seconds there are to reach it in case of a story headlined: “The Air Force is emergency. special information packs Training for War with iran”. have been prepared for the Arab and To which one air force officer said: Charedi communities, including leaf- “Of course we are training for war, that lets in Yiddish. is what armies do.”

inSiDe

Strictly Orthodox men harvest wheat outside Mevo Horon last Monday, in preparation for Shavuot

analysis anshel pfeffer

Iran is not on the radar — yet V There is more than a hint of disingenuousness to the protestations that last week’s exercise of the entire israeli Air Force and next week’s national home Front drill are both routine annual exercises. Armies, of course, routinely carry out exercises — but part of that routine is to play out certain scenarios, and it is those scenarios which give an indication as to the army’s intentions and concerns. so what can we learn from the scenarios in these two exercises? For a start, iran, as a geographical entity, does not feature in any of them. The air force squadrons did not simulate long-range bombing attacks on iranian nuclear infrastructure. Neither will any of the cities or towns pretending to be under attack next

week be “hit” by a missile fired from the vicinity of Tehran or isfahan, let alone by a nuclear missile. There are simple reasons for this. The annual air-force exercise is meant, among other things, to test the capability of the various squadrons and bases to operate under attack and cooperate with each other. There was no need to use the exercise for training runs on the Natanz reactor — the strategic squadrons are busy doing that all year round as it is. As for the home-front exercise, israel has declared so many times that it will never allow iran to achieve a nuclearmilitary capability that it is not about to practise for such an eventuality, and certainly not with the entire israeli public looking on. That does not mean that iran is not in the crosshairs of the planners of these exercises. Many israeli intelligence analysts

believe that it is highly unlikely that iran would actually use a nuclear device against israel. Their main worry is that if such a device were to exist in the iranian arsenal, it would provide Tehran’s proxies in the region with a nuclear umbrella that would embolden them to attack israel with the slightest provocation. Those proxies are syria, hizbollah and hamas, with tens of thousands of missiles aimed at israeli cities and iDF bases. iran, which supplied or financed most of these missiles, also sees them as a safeguard against an israeli strike. An attack by these latter missiles is the primary scenario to be played out in the two exercises. No future israeli operation against iran’s nuclear installations will be complete without also taking care of the shorter-range threat.

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Toben jailed in landmark Shoah case by Dan GolDberG Sydney V A reVISIOnIST historian living in Australia has been sentenced to three months in prison for refusing to remove Holocaust denial material and other antisemitic vitriol from his website. fredrick Toben, the director of the notorious Adelaide Institute, was sentenced in the federal Court of South Australia for breaching a 2002 court order to remove offensive material that denied the Holocaust, doubted the existence of gas chambers at Auschwitz and vilified Jews. By finding Toben, 65, guilty on 24 of 28 counts of contempt, Justice Bruce Lander’s ruling brought to an end a bitter legal battle that began in 1996 when Jeremy Jones, a former president of the executive Council of Australian Jewry, claimed that Toben’s race-hate material breached the racial discrimination Act. The 2002 federal Court order upheld that view. But Toben refused to comply and in 2006 Mr Jones returned to the courts. He said it was the first time that

a Holocaust denier had been jailed in Australia for breaching the racial discrimination Act. Mr Jones said: “The importance of this is that it lets people know we are serious; that this is not a game or some sort of intellectual exercise.” In his landmark ruling, Mr Justice Lander said: “I do not accept that he is contrite for what he has done. He always knew that his conduct would undermine the authority of the court and his conduct was calculated to achieve that effect.” But he agreed to stay the imprisonment for 14 days while an appeal was lodged. It is due to be heard on Wednesday. If, as expected, the appeal is rejected, Toben is likely to spend his first night in jail this week. The German-born retired teacher spent almost two months in Wandsworth Prison late last year while German prosecutors tried unsuccessfully to extradite him on a european Union warrant. And in 1999, he spent seven months in prison in Germany, where Holocaust denial is a criminal offence.

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

‘New antisemitism’ threat warning from Canadian MP photo: john Rifkin

V A CAnAdIAn minister won unexpected plaudits in Israel this week as he denounced a “new antisemitism” as a profound threat to Israel and the West. Jason Kenney, Canada’s minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism, took a leading role in february’s London conference on antisemitism. This week he spent four days in Israel and concluded: “The existential threat faced by Israel on a daily basis is ultimately a threat to the broader Western civilisation. “It’s a threat that comes from profoundly undemocratic forces that don’t have the same conception of human dignity or freedom, and which abuse Israel as a kind of representative of the broader West and Western liberal-democratic values”. He added: “I also ver y acutely understand the nature of the new antisemitism, and I think it’s even more dangerous than the old european antisemitism.” Mr Kenney, 40, declared: “So much of the criticism Israel faces is motivated by a dangerous form of antisemitism that tries to hide behind anti-Zionism, and is represented by a coalition of the far left in the West with extreme currents of jihadi Islam that seek the destruction of the Jewish nation. “They seem to believe that the Jewish people are the only people in the world that don’t have a right to a homeland.” Jason Kenney pictured in London in February

Amos Elon, Israel’s critical voice, is silent by simon roCker V One Of Israel’s most distinguished authors and journalists, Amos elon, a longstanding critic of the country’s occupation of the West Bank, died in Italy on Monday aged 82. Vienna-born, elon moved to Palestine when he was seven, in 1933. He grew up in Tel Aviv and served three years in the Hagana, before going on to begin his life-long love affair with history, reading history and law first at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and then at Cambridge. He began writing for Ha’aretz in the early 1950s, and worked for the paper, on and off, for more than half a century. Very early on he established himself as a critical voice, writing that the occupation had corrupted Israel.

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elon went on to produce a string of books including a biography of Herzl, a history of German Jewry and a collection of essays on the Middle east entitled A Blood-Dimmed Tide. His 1971 book, The Israelis: Fathers and Sons, was praised by its JC reviewer for its fierce and honest exploration of Zionism in its pioneer days. five years before the Israeli-egyptian peace accord, he published Between Enemies, a dialogue with Sanna Hassan, daughter of an egyptian ambassador. In 2004, he left Israel to live in Tuscany, disappointed at its failure to achieve peace with the Palestinians. He would live out most of his days enjoying his view of the countryside, he told an interviewer. “On the other days, I’ll come to Israel and get mad.”

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

NEWS 3

Smile Hitler. The Nazis have just invaded trainspotters’ day out photos: lawrence purcell

by simon rocker V organisers of a second World War re-enactment event have apologised after some participants breached its dress code and sported swastikas. Men in german military uniforms were seen displaying the nazi emblems at the east Lancashire Light railway’s annual “wartime weekend” in Bury. But andy Coward, the railway’s general manager, said that such insignia were offlimits and people would have been asked to remove them if they had been spotted. “We have a policy whereby we ask all re-enactors not to wear any insignia bearing the swastika or anything that may be deemed as offensive,” he said. The souvenir brochure states that “the wearing of any Black ss, and any wartime insignia is not permissible”. Mr Coward said: “if anybody is seen to be wearing it, we ask them to remove it and if they refuse, we ask them to leave. “if people do get upset we can only apologise. There is certainly no attempt to glorify war or what the war was about. The aim is to give people a flavour of what life was back then, albeit in a sanitised 21st century kind of way.” The weekend event, which attracted thousands of visitors, offered music and fashion from the period along with “battle re-enactments”. The railway had faced the problem of nazi insignia years ago, he said, “as did all heritage railways, where we allowed re-enactors portraying german troops to wear that stuff. But a lot of people said that wasn’t what they wanted to see, and like other railways, we took action to try and stamp it out.” But Michelle Wiseman, a Jewish councillor in Bury, said that the ban did not go far

Locals pose with the re-enactment group and (right) make no attempt to hide the banned insignia enough. “You can have a wartime re-enactment without having german uniforms at all — they are unnecessary,” she said. she said that although she has tried to ban the costumes, “at the end of the day, it’s an independent organisation.” Barbara goldstone, president of the Manchester Jewish representative Council, described the wearing of swastikas as “abhorrent.”

They’re even in your pants by marcus dysch V nexT has withdrawn a range of underpants after a customer complained they featured an image of hitler. Benjamin radomski, whose grandmother escaped nazi persecution, complained to next’s Jewish chief executive simon Wolfson after buying the boxer shorts at gatwick airport. They featured a number of cartoon images. Mr radomski said he believed one showed hitler giving a nazi salute as planes and a Zeppelin fly overhead. The company’s website describes the garments as “Comic strip hipsters”. They are sold in a three-pack for £18. Mr radomski, 27, of Belsize Park, north west London, said: “i did not see anything through the packaging but when i opened them i was shocked. “it was hitler doing the nazi salute.

The facial features, moustache, and salute were obvious. next is a big company and i would never have dreamed of them having something like that.” a spokeswoman for next said it had investigated the complaint and found the offending image was not of hitler, but was instead inspired by a soviet depiction of Lenin. To avoid further misunderstanding or offence the remaining 5,200 pairs would be removed from sale, she said.

FOR THE RECORD DavID abRaHamS l the standfirst to our article entitled “the gospel according to David” (15 may), which was an interview with David abrahams, said “I am the man to bring middle east peace”. although mr abrahams explained how he hoped to help the middle east peace process, as set out in the interview, he has asked us to make it clear that he did not use these words or suggest that he was the only or the most important person in this process.

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

Rabbi blasts insurer as complaints grow V A leAding member of Stamford Hill’s strictly Orthodox community, Rabbi Avraham Pinter, has accused the medical insurer HSA of “discrimination”. last week the JC revealed that hundreds of Jewish families have been left out of pocket due to the insurer’s refusal to reimburse them for treatments. They are supported by furious dentists, homeopaths, chiropodists, herbal doctors and opticians, who say HSA has failed even to respond to applications they made on behalf of patients. HSA refused to respond directly to Rabbi Pinter’s challenge. instead it insisted: “Our database does not hold details of ethnicity or religion, and any claim reviews would be based on an objective assessment of the facts. “We have a regulatory duty to monitor claims continuously...if there happens to be a number of claims from a similar geographical location that we can not substantiate, then for convenience we may choose to review customers at the same time.” HSA, which is part of the Simplyhealth group of medical insurers, has been conducting “reviews” of selected policies since January. Since then, the holders of those policies have been unable to receive payouts on claims, despite paying premiums. in the past few weeks, a large number of patients have had policies cancelled without explanation. Rabbi Pinter, head of Yesodei Hatorah School, said he had cancelled his policy with HSA “as a point of principle”, adding: “i’ve not made a claim with them for a long time but i cancelled because they are discriminating against members of the Orthodox community in Stamford Hill.” He has also made a complaint to the Financial Services Authority. Robin gordon-Walker of the FSA said the regulator is “duty-bound to investigate any suggestions of a firm mishandling its terms and conditions”, adding: “good claims-handling includes dealing with customers fairly and quickly is very important. “When you are not upholding claims you must give full reasons.”

The FSA forced HSA to change its terms and conditions four years ago after describing the insurer’s grounds for terminating policies as “detrimental to the rights of consumers”. Some claimants are owed more than £1,000 by the insurer, which attracts large families by offering insurance for “unlimited children” on one policy. isaac Kraus’s policy was terminated despite being owed £1,200 for dental, chiropody and homeopathy treatments, claimed since October. “They sent me a letter in January saying they were reviewing my policy for four months,” said Mr Kraus, who is owed payments for 15 claims, covering eight family members on his policy. “i thought this was a standard practice and so i contin‘your policy ued to make claims, since i was paying has been terminated’ p r e m i u m s , ” h e added. — Hsa to “But a few weeks customer ago i received a letter saying my policy had been terminated, without a reason. “i complained. last Friday i had a letter saying HSA was no longer dealing with complaints and i should go to the Financial Services Ombudsman.” One man who did successfully complain was leivi Vogel, who was finally paid £150 for treatments he had received. He challenged the insurer over its right to conduct a review indefinitely, after making an internal complaint in February. “At first, they defended their right to conduct policy reviews under their terms and conditions, but i said this couldn’t go on indefinitely. “They then claimed they could hold back payments, and that they could ultimately terminate policies

if practitioners were not providing them with the requested information. “But when i asked for copies of letters they’d sent to my homeopath and optician [asking for details of Mr Vogel’s treatment], they paid out.” Herbal doctor david Rosenberg, who said that more than 50 of his patients were still waiting for payments, said: “Claims that were being accepted two years ago are not being paid out now. Previously, HSA would regularly check my invoices for claims made by customers, but they haven’t been in touch since the review process began. “A decision appears to have been made, out of the blue, not to pay out on treatments claimed under me.” Mark Frazer from the Board of deputies said: “As the number of complaints increases, a clearer picture is developing of the amount of people that have been affected by this and the sums of money involved. We are now awaiting a response to these allegations from HSA, and we will reassess the situation.”

Rabbi Pinter, who cancelled his policy

Photo: Vikki AlhAdeff

By James martin

Photo: AP

MSC Melody, attacked by pirates in April — but who really saw them off?

Sea mystery as passenger claims ‘we beat pirates’ By James martin V A lOndOn woman who was on a cruise ship attacked by Somali pirates said this week that “the heroic efforts of passengers in fending them off has been overlooked”. Frances Pallas was a week into a three-week cruise, which ran from durban, South Africa, to genoa, italy, when the MSC Melody was attacked by pirates last month. Mrs Pallas disputes the claim of the ship’s owners, MSC Cruises, that pirates were thwarted by israeli security guards, who “acted immediately and successfully” in response to an attempted hijack. The ship’s captain, Commander Ciro Pinto, said after the April 25 attack that his security detail had “fired shots and sprayed the pirates with water from a fire-hose” causing the pirates to back down. But Mrs Pallas, from central london, said it was passengers, who happened to be passing by, who were instrumental in fending off the pirates. Mrs Pallas, a former member of Hampstead garden Suburb Synagogue, and her husband, were enjoying a “relaxing wedding anniversary celebration” when a group of pirates in a rubber boat moved next to the MSC Melody — and started to make their way up the rear of the deck. “My husband was listening to an opera concert, when the singer returned after a break screaming about a pirate making his way up the

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rear of the deck and trying to get onboard,” said Mrs Pallas, who was ill in her cabin at the time. Her husband said: “The heroic passengers threw deckchairs and tables at the pirate, who had hooked a rope on to the rail along the rear deck.” This account is contradicted by MSC Cruises, which said: “We acknowledge and thank the one or two passengers who threw furniture at the pirates, but our security team was already fully aware of the presence of pirates and was in place to make a response.” Mrs Pallas also claimed that “two passengers were injured from shots fired from the pirate’s rubber boat, including one who was shot directly in the leg”. MSC Cruises said: “One passenger and two crew members received minor wounds, but no-one was shot directly.” After spending the night sitting in their cabin in terror hearing indiscriminate gun shots being fired at the ship, Mr Pallas said the couple were assured the next day that they could safely return to the deck. Mrs Pallas added: “i felt we should have been warned about the risk of such an attack. We didn’t plan to celebrate our anniversary on a ship which was in danger from a pirate attack.” The company says that the ship, which was 190 miles from the Seychelles in the indian Ocean when the attack took place, was in “a safe zone, so no briefing was necessary”.

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

More MPs are caught in expenses firing-line as the scandal deepens photo: Getty imaGes

By Marcus Dysch v A Jewish MP is to stand down at the next election after becoming embroiled in the expenses row and claiming the public was “jealous” of his country house. Tory MP Anthony steen announced his retirement after earlier claiming taxpayers should not be allowed to see MPs’ claims and insisting his behaviour had been “impeccable”. The 69-year-old former barrister was elected to represent Totnes in 1983. Previously he represented Liverpool wavertree for nine years. while working as a volunteer at the Bernhard Baron settlement in 1961, Mr steen pioneered a scheme which saw Jewish teenagers befriend elderly people. it was the first step in years of work to recruit Jewish youngsters to volunteer work and prompted the JC to describe him as a “dark-haired dynamo from st John’s wood”. in 1977 he campaigned against the

banning of Jewish societies by student unions, calling the practice “sinister and deeply disturbing”. After winning a libel action against a newspaper in 1994, he donated part of the proceeds to Torbay synagogue. in 2005, as a member of the All-Party Parliamentary group on Antisemitism, Mr steen met then israeli Prime Minister Ariel sharon during a visit to the country. A second Jewish MP, shadow Business Minister Jonathan Djanogly, has said he will reimburse around £25,000 of expenses claims to the Fees Office. TheTelegraph revealed the MP had claimed £5,000 for security gates at his constituency home in huntingdon as well as £13,962 for cleaning. he had claimed a further £12,951 for gardening at his second home in four years. Mr Djanogly, son of businessman and philanthropist sir harry Djanogly, a member of Nottingham hebrew Congregation, said he had paid for the wooden gates himself and was only

photo: john rifkin

Anthony Steen

Jonathan Djanogly

claiming for their renovation. The 43-year-old solicitor, who succeeded John Major as MP, said police advised him to take the security measure after he helped constituents who were threatened by animal rights activists

because of links to huntingdon Life sciences. Mr Djanogly hosted a Jewish Child’s Day fundraising event at Parliament in september last year. in 2002 Mr Djanogly, a member of

New London synagogue, was among the recipients of a letter from Manchester University professor Mona Baker, who sacked two israeli academics in support of an israel boycott. he had earlier signed an early day motion noting “with concern” the dismissal of the academics. he urged Professor Baker to change her mind, saying the move had been “profoundly incompatible with a liberal democratic society”. The former Carmel College student made his first appearance at the Limmud conference in 2005, presenting a session on politics. he said he had wanted to attend “to learn more about my own heritage”. l esther Rantzen confirmed on Tuesday that she will stand for election in Luton south if the constituency’s current Labour MP Margaret Moran seeks re-election. The former That’s Life presenter intends to campaign as an independent “anti-sleaze” candidate.

Cambridge mulls rival mikveh plans

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v A PUBLiC showdown is looming over plans to open Cambridge’s first mikveh. An open meeting has been called by the Cambridge Community Mikveh Charity (CCMC) for sunday week, in the presence of a dayan from the London Beth Din, which held a hearing into the mikveh controversy six months ago. David Gilinsky, a trustee of the CCMC, took his fellow-trustees to the Beth Din, complaining of “procrastination” over the project. he and his wife Ofra have offered land they own in Milton Road as a location for the ritual bath. But the local Chabad centre also wants to build one on its Castle street site. After the Beth Din hearing, additional trustees joined the charity, which holds assets of around £185,000 for the construction of a mikveh in the city. Ben Crowne, a history undergraduate at Cambridge University who is one of the two new trustees, explained that sunday’s meeting had been organised at the direction of the Beth Din to dis-

cuss the Milton Road scheme. Although the CCMC “have plans and planning permission for the Milton Road site,” he said, “the land itself is owned by Mr Gilinsky, a CCMC trustee. in the event of a decision to build at the Milton Road location, this land would be purchased by the CCMC in compliance with all relevant Charity Commission requirements.” As for other possible sites in Cambridge, he added: “i would reiterate that the CCMC are continuing with the Milton Road plans in compliance with our directions from the LBD. i would have to wait until after the meeting before commenting on the existence or viability of other plans.” Chabad’s Rabbi Reuven Leigh made it clear that he did not support the Milton Road proposal. “Our plans are still being worked on,” he said. Barry Landy, a trustee of the Cambridge Traditional Jewish Congregation, said: “we do not regard Milton Road as a suitable site for a mikveh and we’d rather pursue other plans.”

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v A BOy has been sentenced to community service for breaching an antisocial behaviour order imposed after he verbally abused Jewish schoolchildren. The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was given a referral order in January after admitting charges of racially aggravated harassment and common assault. Magistrates were told that he had approached pupils from JFs as they travelled home on a 183 bus through north west London. The youth threatened to

stab them and shouted “Jewish scum” during the incident last November. Officers arrested him again at a bus stop in west hendon on April 16. he pleaded guilty to one charge of breaching an Asbo at hendon Magistrates’ Court on Friday last week and was ordered to serve a 40-hour community punishment order. Barnet Police PC Joanne Krelle said: “he has consistently failed to recognise that his behaviour is totally unacceptable and, if he continues to breach his Asbo, he risks being given a custodial sentence.”

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

NEWS 7

Still no cash for tribunal winner By Simon RockeR V A former employee of an orthodox charity is owed thousands in compensation, months after winning an unfair dismissal claim against it. Geraldine fainer was awarded more than £17,000 by Watford employment Tribunal in December after losing her job at The Clubhouse, a charity which supports orthodox youngsters and their families in London. But a spokesman for the organisation said that it had gone into liquidation last month.

Last friday, Barnet County Court ordered to be paid to ms fainer £6,500 which had been previously frozen in two of the charity’s bank accounts. She said: “I was surprised when I attended court that there was no appearance by The Clubhouse, since they had applied a while ago to stop the payment to me on the grounds that they would be appealing the finding that I had been unfairly dismissed.” She added that she had received no notification from the charity about it winding up. “The day before the hearing, I checked the Charity Commission

Edinburgh film woman hits back By maRcuS DySch VTHe ISrAeLI fILm director at the centre of an argument over film festival funding has hit back at anti-Israel campaigners. Tali Shalom ezer said she was “outraged” at comments made by controversial director Ken Loach, in which he claimed Israel had conducted “massacres and state terrorism in Gaza”. following mr Loach’s remarks, organisers of the edinburgh International film festival rejected a £300 donation from the Israeli embassy. The money was to be used to fly ms Shalom ezer to Scotland for the screening of her debut film, Surrogate. She told the Scotsman: “Generalising all citizens of Israel as warmongers and racists is racism and outrageous, and as members of the peace camp we are personally hurt by it.” mr Loach responded by saying he had called for a boycott of Israel and

not of individual filmmakers. He said there was “no taint of racism”. But the Israeli said his remarks had created “a situation in which going to see Surrogate means supporting the state of Israel”. ms Shalom ezer said she will still attend the June 21 screening, with the festival funding her travel out of its own budget. The festival chairman, Iain Smith, has apologised for the “distress” caused during the funding row. He said: “I apologise sincerely for the distress many people have felt at changes in the arrangements for bringing the director of Surrogate to the festival. “Clearly we didn’t appreciate enough that our festival cannot keep itself entirely detached from very serious geopolitical issues and I am instituting a review of our procedures to ensure that there can be no repeat incident.”

website and they were still showing as a viable charity,” she said. “While relieved that the court ordered me to receive the £6,500, I am still owed about another £11,000.” A spokesman for the charity said: “Unfortunately, due to the credit crunch, The Clubhouse was unsuccessful raising funds and had no option but to cease operations in february. This resulted in The Clubhouse being placed into liquidation in April.” He said that the charity had been advised that the findings of the tribunal were “unlikely to be upheld” on appeal

but it was “unknown whether the liquidator will be pursuing these issues.” ms fainer, a barrister, joined The Clubhouse as a part-time benefits adviser in July 2006. In october 2007, she queried a benefits claim submitted on behalf of a client by The Clubhouse’s executive director, Dov rabinowitz. She asked the charity to investigate the claim under a protective disclosure, which enables employees to raise sensitive issues with their employer without fear of repercussion. Although mr rabinowitz and another benefit

adviser told the tribunal that the claim was legitimate, they had not explained this to ms fainer, it found. When mr rabinowitz emailed her to ask for an apology, she resigned. The tribunal found that ms fainer had been “right to perceive that in effect she was being called upon to withdraw her protective disclosure”, making her position “as it would have any employee’s position, untenable”. The Clubhouse’s annual expenditure was £2.3 million, according to its accounts for the year ending march 2008, but it had assets of only £9,450.

Vmaking it hiS BuSineSS Britain’s Trade and Investment Minister, Lord Davies, centre, with Israel’s Amnon Dotan of the Israel Federation of Chambers of Commerce (right) and Gad Propper of Osem, at a dinner with Israeli business leaders at the residence of the UK ambassador, Tom Phillips. Lord Davies plans to lead a highlevel delegation of British businessmen to Israel in the near future

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Anti-BNP alliance now in final push By Leon SymonS V THe GroUpS battling to prevent the British National party gaining a seat in the european elections on June 4 will launch their final offensive this week. The Board of Deputies-backed Your Voice Not Theirs initiative, the Hope Not Hate campaign and the anti-fascist magazine Searchlight will be putting all their efforts into getting voters out to polling stations. european elections are decided by proportional representation. The BNp needs as little as eight per cent of the vote to win a seat and that could be enough in the North West, if voters stay at home, to send BNp leader Nick Griffin to Brussels. If the BNp wins a seat, it will give them an income of around £250,000 plus expenses. It will also give Griffin the opportunity to forge stronger links with other far-right parties in europe, such as the National party in the Czech republic, which has just run a broadcast calling for a “final solution” for the roma, provoking echoes of the Nazis’

final Solution for the Jewish people. The anti-BNp alliance has realised that their task has been made harder by the revelations of the Westminster expenses scandal and the effect this has had on the electorate. However, they believe they can still keep the BNp out of europe. Searchlight founder Gerry Gable said: “There will be a moment of danger if people don’t come out to vote. We hope everyone thinks it’s worthwhile to do so. “There has been considerable coverage in the daily papers and television and the BNp has been roundly criticised. “In the North West area, about one million pieces of anti-BNp material have been distributed. In other areas, we have asked postmen to exercise the conscience clause not to give out their material”. ruth Smeeth of Your Voice Not Theirs said: “The message to everyone is simple: get out and vote. We must do everything to stop the BNp being given legitimacy as a political party”.

We’re behind the ‘Living Bridge’ Ensuring a positive future for young people in the UK and in Israel is at the heart of all that UJIA does. That’s why we’re behind building a ‘Living Bridge’, friendships and partnerships between British Jews and their Israeli peers through school twinning and visits for educators, Magic Moments, our Ethiopian Bar and Bat Matizvah programme and Limmud-Galil. We’re behind: building a ‘Living Bridge’; the people of the north of Israel; the future of British Jewry and young people & education. The chances are we’re behind you. To find out how you can get behind UJIA just call 020 8369 5000 or visit www.ujia.org United Jewish Israel Appeal is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1060078 And in Scotland No. Sc 039181. A company limited by guarantee. Registered in England No. 3295115. Registered office: Balfour House, 741 High Road, London N12 0BQ

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Torture-row doctors stick the knife in By Leon SymonS V The IsraelI president of the World Medical association has attacked critics who have called for his dismissal over allegations that Israeli doctors have been involved in or condoned the torture of Palestinians. an open letter, said to have been signed by 725 physicians from more than 40 countries and sent to Dr edward hill, chair of the WMa council, has attacked Dr Yoram Blachar’s appointment saying it will “seriously damage the public reputation of the WMa and its work and risks making it a laughing stock”. a press release accompanied the letter signed by Dr Derek summerfield, Dr Blachar’s main critic. The letter claims: “Under Dr Blachar’s leadership the Israel Medical association (IMa) made a decision, on political grounds, years ago to turn a blind eye to torture in Israel and the institutionalised involvement of doctors. This stance continues with Dr Blachar as WMa President. On an issue that goes to the heart of the moral authority of the profession, Dr Blachar has offered shameful ethical leadership to doctors in Israel and worldwide. “We call upon the WMa Council to oblige Dr Blachar to step down as a matter of priority.” But Dr Blachar insisted: “I have no intention of standing down. It’s a joke. “My view [of the letter] is that if we

New role: Dr Yoram Blachar (right) at his induction with Dr Ed Hill (left) go through the names only partially, you will see that many of them are arab physicians, either from arab countries or working elsewhere in the world. It’s not surprising that they found a platform for their anti-Israeli attitude. “The second reason is I have responded many times to their allegations and nobody has been prepared to listen to my responses, which take into account

all the allegations from Derek summerfield and his cronies. “It seems Dr summerfield, who is behind this initiative, is simply obsessed with the task of hurting the IMa and hurting me. It’s a personal vendetta against me which has gone on for many years.” Dr Blachar said the IMa had been given the names of physicians alleged-

ly involved in torture. “Three of them were not even members of the IMa,” he said. “so we couldn’t do anything. The chairman of the ethics committee spoke to the three physicians and they denied the allegations. There were three other names of men working within the prison authorities, who also denied any wrongdoing. “You must notice that all the inquiries and investigations have come from information that has come only from Palestinians. There is no outside corroboration from anyone else and they base everything on that.” he said he had not decided whether to respond or not. “We will decide in a few days’ time as we have only just received the e-mail. Our experience from the past is that if we respond, it just brings another initiative and then another. “I did attempt to meet Dr summerfield some years ago but he refused to meet me. We are faced with an obsessional person. he is a psychologist — so he should know. “The WMa has just hosted an event in Tel aviv with 130 participants from all over the world.” On the question of a general boycott of the Israeli medical profession, Dr Blachar, who has held senior posts with IMa since 1995, said: “some of the signatories are ex-Israelis, which smacks of self-destruction and is inexplicable to me. The boycott initiative is rooted only in Britain.”

Those who signed The leTTer Two hundred of the 725 signatories are from the UK. They include: Sir Iain Chalmers, James Lind Library Oxford; Baroness Jenny Tonge, (former GP) House of Lords; Professor Wendy Savage, Middlesex University; Dr Brian Martindale, World Psychiatric Association, Sunderland; Professor Colin Green, Surgical Research, Northwick Park Hospital, London; Dr Chris BurnsCox, Consultant Physician, Wotton under Edge (Dr Burns-Cox is one of the UK medics on hunger strike at the Gaza border); Professor Marwan Haiz, Edmond J. Safra Chair of Functional Neurosurgery, London; Dr Jackie Applebee, Medical Foundation for Victims of Torture; Dr Elizabeth Gordon, Consultant Surgeon, London; Dr Debbie Goldman, GP, Oxford; Dr Colin Brewer, Research Director, London; Dr Gill Yudkin, GP, London; Dr Martin Birnstingl, Consultant Surgeon, London; Dr Sarwat Sadek, examiner for Royal College of Surgeons of England, Taunton; Dr Hyman Sam Glatt, GP, Sunderland Full list: www.thejc.com/news

Ban on ‘Territories’ Tube posters Award win puts artist in the Frieze frame By Jan Shure, TraveL ediTor

V The Israel Government Tourist Office is to remove a series of holiday posters from london Underground stations following a complaint to the advertising standards authority. The complaint was about a map featured in the poster which showed the Occupied Territories incorporated into Israel. as we reported last week, the Palestine solidarity Campaign complained about the posters, part of the £40,000 IGTO Think.Israel campaign. The asa is to investigate the com-

plaint, and expects to have an adjudication within the next few weeks. I n all, it received 340 complaints, including one from Jihad Makdissi, a spokesman for the syrian embassy in london, and Jews for Justice for Palestinians. The PsC and Dan Judelson of Jews for Justice also wrote to complain to CBs Outdoor, which is responsible for the poster sites, and to Transport for london. But before any decision could be made, tourism chiefs withdrew the posters. The posters were due to go up in

150 places across the london Underground network, but only 108 had been displayed. The tourist office said it is investigating the possibility of producing a new poster, without the contentious map, and putting it in the 42 sites where the others had not been displayed. In March 2007, a similar complaint was made to the asa after a tourist office advertisement in the Radio Times used a map of Israel that showed Qumran, which is in the West Bank. at the time, the asa expressed “concern” that tourism officials failed to respond to the complaint.

By JuLia Weiner V JOrDan WOlfsOn, a Jewish american artist, has won the 2009 Cartier award. Mr Wolfson, 28, who is represented by galleries in Berlin, naples and new York, is a conceptual artist whose recent work focuses on film and video. The award is considered one of the most important in the world and will allow Mr Wolfson to create a major new work at frieze art fair, the UK’s largest art fair which takes place at london’s regents Park in October. The award funds production costs of up to £10,000, an artist’s fee of £1,000, and a three-month residency in london. Born in new York in 1980, Mr Wolfson divides his time between there and Berlin. he studied at the rhode Island school of Design, graduating in 2003. he describes himself as a “reform new York City Jew” and is the great greatnephew of harvard Professor harry a Wolfson, a leading historian of religious philosophy. he said he had been amazed at his win. “My project was unusual. I didn’t think I would win, as normally I don’t get things I apply to and I had already assumed defeat.’ Mr Wolfson did not want to reveal too much about his plans for the work but did give some hints. “Basically, there will be an intervention during the fair that will facilitate the production of a short film. Ideally, the film will then get shown about a year later, but mostly the project will be a special gesture for the visitor to frieze.” although his work has already been shown in london, most notably at Tate

Jordan Wolfson: conceptual Modern in 2007, Mr Wolfson is looking forward to his residency here. “I am excited as I’ve never spent time in london before.” his work has been featured at previous frieze art fairs “but I have only been there once and only had a short time there. It will be amazing to be part of it, particularly as I don’t consider myself to be a very commercial artist”.

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

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five years and was shaken when he heard that. “tony Parnes was told he would serve three years and passed out. they had to call a doctor for him. Jack Lyons was simply fined. “henry then announced that he was going to send me away for one year and he fined me £5 million: it was the single largest fine ever in a UK criminal case. “On top of that all the costs of the case were down to me personally, too." Mr ronson also reveals in the book, which was serialised in the Daily Express, that years after the 1987 case, “we saw documents the Government tried to hide from us that proved the cPS conspired with the Dti to keep the police out of the case until the Dti inspector could get us to incriminate ourselves in the under-duress interviews.”

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VAn Anti-ShechitAh MP has again called on the government to ban Jewish religious slaughter. north West Leicestershire Labour MP David taylor said the law which exempts shechitah from the practice of pre-stunning animals “cannot be allowed to continue”. he asked Farming Minister Jane Kennedy to view a film which he said “shows the effects of such slaughter”. “it cannot be allowed to continue and we must end those exemptions. it is cruel, unacceptable and antediluvian,” he said. Ms Kennedy said she would watch the film “with a sinking heart”.

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

Rob Weinberg overlooking Haifa’s stunning Bahai Gardens

Getting the big picture By Simon RockeR VYou might not think twice about a name like “Weinberg” among supporters of a new israel-linked charity. But Rob Weinberg, trustee of the Friends of the haifa Foundation uK, is not your average north-west Jewish Londoner: he is in fact a Bahá’í, who grew up in Canterbury. he was recruited to the charity by Bat-Zion Susskind-Sacks — sister-in-law of Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks — who set it up to promote the city as a symbol of multifaith harmony. often celebrated as a model of peaceful existence between Jews and Arabs, haifa is especially significant for Bahá’ís, who have their international headquarters on mount Carmel. the Bahá’í gardens, one of the city’s leading tourist attractions, contains the shrine of the Bab, the spiritual mentor of the founder of the faith, Bahá’u’lláh. Bahá’u’lláh, exiled from his native iran, himself is buried in Akko where he died in 1892. “i know haifa very well and have spent a lot of a time there,” said mr Weinberg. “it’s a beautiful city with a special atmosphere.” his father, originally from South Africa, and his mother, from Stamford hill, London, are both Jews who adopted the Bahá’í faith, a universalist monotheism that sees a fundamental unity underlying all the great religions. “When you become a Bahá’í, you are not rejecting your past or your heritage,” mr Weinberg said. “You are opening yourself to a bigger picture.” his faith and family origins give him “a very special connection” to haifa, he said. “i go every few months to work in the public information office of the Bahá’í World Centre. When i was 18, i

went to work in the gardens – which made me realise i was not cut out for gardening and hot weather.” A radio music producer and author of a forthcoming guide to film music, who lives in Wellingborough, northamptonshire, mr Weinberg is now a member of the national Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís in the uK. Among the 6,000 community in Britain are a number of iranian Jewish background who left iran after the Khomeni revolution in the 1970s. “the Jewish community has expressed great support for the Bahá’ís who are facing severe persecution in iran and some other countries in the middle East,” mr Weinberg said. Seven leading members of iran’s Bahá’ís have been detained by the authorities for a year, others have been executed and followers of the faith remain barred from higher education in the country. “the other disturbing thing is that the state-run newspapers are pumping out anti-Bahá’í propaganda on a daily basis,” mr Weinberg said. By contrast, the foundation aims to show haifa as a place where members of different religions live peacefully together. grateful for Bahá’í support for her project, mrs Susskind-Sacks said: “When we needed to register the foundation, they were the first to help us.” Another of the trustees is muslim social campaigner nic Careem, who has produced several performances in the uK of the play, “And they Came For me”, based on the experiences of Anne Frank’s step-sister Eva Schloss. one of the foundation’s plans is to stage it abroad using actors drawn from across haifa’s religious and ethnic communities.

welcome viSit

StudentS’ auSSieS in congReSS london

V THe PoPe ’s visit to Israel was “a great contribution to CatholicJewish relations”, Rabbi David Rosen, of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, told the Council of Christians and Jews.

VJeWIsH anD MuslIM students will be invited to take part in a global conference on faith and identity in london next year, organised by the Coeducational Trust, a network of Jewish and Muslim leaders .

V a THRee-Day hearing is due to begin at the london Beth Din on Monday to resolve the contractual dispute between the Bondi Mizrachi synagogue in sydney, australia and its part-time rabbi, Moshe Gutnick.

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

London student link to FBI fraud inquiry By Marcus Dysch v An AmericAn family has warned that British Jews could unknowingly be the victims of an international fraud operation. Deborah Stutman-Brickey and her husband David, of columbus, Ohio, were forced to change their bank account after being targeted while attempting to let a student flat near Ohio State University. mrs Stutman-Brickey, a chemical engineer, said: “A very elaborate scheme of fraudulent cheques and getting bank routing numbers was launched, causing us many headaches.” After advertising the property in the university newspaper and online, the family were emailed by a woman claiming to be a 25-year-old Jewish student from north west London. Other correspondence was sent from the student’s father. it is not known whether the pair are

The last hurrah

complicit in the alleged fraud or are themselves victims of identity theft. mrs Stutman-Brickey has provided the JC with their names. We are not identifying them for legal reasons. The Stutman-Brickey family had asked for one month’s rent as a deposit, and another month’s rent in advance of the signing of the lease and the student ‘More and moving in on June 1. more may instead, they suffer from received a cheque identity for $2,100 more than theft’ agreed. Later they were sent a note claiming the cheque had been sent incorrectly and asking for the excess to be returned. But mrs Stutman-Brickey became suspicious after spotting inaccuracies in the emails, including the student asking for the money to be returned to two different postal addresses in the regent’s Park area of London.

NEWS 11

vwith a song in his heart

She contacted the FBi and was told that the bank account in north carolina from which the cheque had been sent had already been highlighted as suspicious by bureau investigators. “i am concerned that real people may become more enmeshed with the scam and suffer from identity theft,” said mrs Stutman-Brickey. “i am thankful to be out of the mess, but i think people should be warned about identity theft. even if you don’t get burned by the fraudulent cheques, or bad routing numbers, somehow your name might be involved, and cause big problems in the future. “Without checking your credit report periodically, you may never know until it is too late.”

a Shavuot mystery: the angels with four faces. See Judaism: P35

Impresario Harvey Goldsmith (left) and music manager Clive Black (right) flank Clive’s father, songwriter Don Black, who has been made a Fellow of the British Academy of Songwriters and Composers. Don is the lyricist for songs and shows such as Born Free and Sunset Boulevard

WHaT WE WERE SayINg ON...

By Leon syMons vA grOUP OF World War ii evacuees who spent the war at the same school will be holding a reunion on September 1 — and it could be the last time they meet. The group, who were at Dame Alice Owen boys’ school in islington, were evacuated on September 1, 1939, two days before Britain declared war on germany. They were taken to the town of Bedford and Bedford modern School, where they have held a reunion on that day every decade since 1979. One of the organisers, David Bernstein, who lives in croydon, has helped write a book about the group, most of whom are now in their 80s. “it’s a bit much to think that there might be another one in 10 years’ time,” said mr Bernstein. “i think it’s highly unlikely. “But we all think it’s quite remarkable that we have stayed together as friends for this length of time. Without doubt, it was the wartime experience.” He estimated that about 10 per cent of the boys in the school were Jewish. One task the former evacuees will undertake is to fix a plaque to the wall of the school as a lasting commemoration of the time they spent there. “We were aliens but we played up to it. We played displaced cockneys in Bedford. We were a little bit cheeky and pushy. “We kept together after school and during the week-ends, which we had never done before,” said mr Bernstein. “Occasionally we went back to London. it was five shillings and a halfpenny for a child on the train, so as we got older, we cycled back. “most of the boys have very good memories of their experiences with their ‘billet ladies’, as they were known. At least one boy stayed in contact with his ‘sisters’ all these years,” he added.

May 25 1979 v this week 30 years ago, we reported a successful first meeting between israeli Premier Menachem Begin and newly-elected British PM, Margaret thatcher. At a press conference following Wednesday’s “working luncheon” at 10 Downing Street, Mr Begin said that he had once again found evidence here that Britain and Israel “are Photo: AP friendly states ready to pursue together peace and liberty in our region”. Indeed, the only issue of contention which emerged from the two-hour talks was the continuing Menachem Israeli settlement Begin of the West Bank – invariably referred to by Mr Begin as Judea and Samaria. He made it clear that if he had failed to convince his British hosts that such settlement was both vital to Israel’s security and legitimate, “we shall have to agree to differ on this issue”. Addressing the Board of Deputies immediately after the luncheon – “a meal sufficiently kosher even for my adviser, Yehuda Avner, to partake of” – Mr Begin paid tribute to the Prime Minister. He described her as a “friend of Israel and of the Jewish people”. She had accepted an invitation to visit Israel. Mr Begin stressed that the peace treaty with Egypt was but a first step towards a comprehensive settlement of the ArabIsraeli conflict. Though Jordan, Syria and Lebanon had been urged to join the peace process, they had refused. But he was hopeful that they would do so in due course.

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

world news

Cash pledged for Reform conversions by Anshel Pfeffer

A woman converts to Judaism in the Jerusalem Rabbinic Court. Non-Orthodox conversions are not recognised Charedi politicians attacked the decision. Knesset Member Moshe gafni of United Torah Judaism announced that he would use his powers as chairman of the parliamentary finance committee to block the funding. In a separate ruling, the court ordered the government to explain in 90 days why a rabbinical court decided last year to revoke all the conversions made by a special conversions court headed by Rabbi Chaim Drukman. The

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VTwO SePARATe RULIngS by the Supreme Court in Israel last week have brought the controversial issue of giyur (conversion) back to the fore. In a petition filed by the Israeli Reform movement, the court ruled that the government has to provide the Reform and Conservative academies that prepare candidates for conversion with the same funding it gives Orthodox academies. Ten years ago, the government set up a joint giyur academy with teachers from the different religious streams. As part of the agreement that enabled the academy to start teaching, the Reform and Conservative movements agreed to suspend their Supreme Court petitions demanding that the State recognise those who converted under their auspices in Israel. Despite the academy’s existence, hundreds of giyur candidates continued to study in private programmes of

all denominations, but only Orthodox ones have received government funds. Over the past two decades, Israel absorbed hundreds of thousands of people from the former Soviet Union who are not Jewish according to most religious definitions, although they are eligible for citizenship under the Law of Return. Former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon decided that enabling their conversion was a “national mission” and hundreds of millions of shekels were earmarked for that purpose. However, the special rabbinical courts that actually perform the conversions do not accept the graduates of the non-Orthodox giyur academies. The court’s decision to start funding these academies was greeted with satisfaction by the leaders of the Reform and Conservative movements. They have been threatening for the past year to break with the joint academy and re-petition the Supreme Court to force the government to recognise their conversions.

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rabbinical court’s decision caused a furore since it affected over 2,000 people, all living as Jews. Attempts to reform the giyur process and allow larger numbers to convert have been stymied by the rabbinical courts. Many of them are headed by rabbis belonging to the Lithuanian stream of Orthodoxy, which maintains that all who convert to Judaism must commit to living a strictly Orthodox way of life. while most streams of Orthodox Jewry agree with this, there are differing views as to the stringency with which it should be applied. Attempts to appoint more liberalminded dayanim (rabbinical judges) have failed, mainly due to political pressure by the strictly Orthodox parties. Following last year’s ruling, Rabbi Drukman, who was appointed to head the State Conversion Authority in the hope that he would streamline the process, was forced to resign. Since his resignation, the number of con-

versions performed has gone down by about 25 percent to 5320 in 2008, and some of the rabbinical courts have also begun to revoke conversions retroactively, if they are informed that the new Jews are not living a totally Orthodox lifestyle. Rabbi Shaul Farber of ITIM, the Jewish Life Center, an organisation which assists those going through the conversion process, said that “the irony is that the court has decided to fund the reform and conservative giyur academies but the country doesn’t yet even recognise the conversions they perform.” Meanwhile, Rabbi Farber believes that the main problem with the system is the rabbinical courts. “There is no other example in the free world of a legal system where there is no judicial review. Those seeking to convert are an extremely vulnerable group and they have no recourse to appeal arbitrary decisions or complain when they are so frequently mistreated.”

case study: ‘this blighted my life’ V THE Supreme Court’s decision to order the government to explain why a rabbinical court last year revoked all the conversions performed under Rabbi Chaim Drukman was described as “good news” for Yossi Fackenheim, who had his conversion renounced last year due to a lack of religious observance. London-based Mr Fackenheim, 29, is the son of the renowned Reform theologian Emil Fackenheim. Mr Fackenheim’s mother was an Orthodox convert and he too was converted in Canada, aged 2. He married in 2001 in Jerusalem in an Orthodox ceremony but when he and his wife attended a Jerusalem beth din to obtain a get, or religious divorce, last

Yossi Fackenheim August, he was told he could not give a get because his religious status had been questioned. His wife, who complained this left her in limbo, was later issued a get. Anat Hoffman, executive director of the Israel Religious Action Centre (IRAC), which is fighting Mr Fackenheim’s case, said that a “ruling which challenges the authority of rabbinical judgments improves the chances of a similar stance being taken” for Mr Fackenheim.

An appeal that was sent to the High Rabbinical Court a month ago is “not expected to be successful”, but Ms Hoffman believes a petition to the Supreme Court “holds hope. The ruling shows that secular law will consider intervention in matters of religion and although we are petitioning separately, there might be a chance that both rulings can be heard as one case”. Mr Fackenheim, who will remarry under a Reform Rabbi in Tel Aviv this weekend, describes the renouncement of his conversion as a “ blight on my life. Until the decision is reversed I’m unable to get a civil marriage in Israel as the state only recognises marriages performed under Orthodox auspices.”

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

WORLD NEWS 13

It is unclear how serious the terror threat is to American Jewry. But we are rattled personal view

Photo: AP

andrew silow-Carroll

V After A sabbatical in Jerusalem in the mid ‘90s, we moved for a time to riverdale, NY, in large part because it reminded us of… Jerusalem. Set on a hill above the rougher-edged Bronx, leafy riverdale has low-slung apartment buildings and pricey single-family homes and good parks. Most importantly for us, it also has a burgeoning shomer Shabbat community, centered around two big modern Orthodox synagogues — the buttoned-down riverdale Jewish Centre and the Hebrew Institute, home base for the political firebrand and Orthodox maverick rabbi Avi Weiss. the prevailing riverdale ethos is relatively liberal on the religious spectrum, conservative on the political scale, and passionate about all things Israel. think french Hill, not Meah Shearim. It is unclear what the four ex-convicts who were arrested last week in a plot to blow up the Jewish Centre and

Police stand guard outside the Riverdale Jewish Centre last week, after it was revealed as a target for attack the reform riverdale temple knew of the area’s Jewish reputation. Alleged ringleader James Cromitie had lived in the Bronx, and as a prison convert to Islam may have focused on the Jews on the hill as part of his convoluted scheme to punish America for the death of Muslims in Afghanistan. Most American Jews probably don’t care whether the plotters sought a densely Jewish neighbourhood or merely went after synagogues qua

synagogues. As in the aftermath of the deadly shooting at a Los Angeles Jewish Community Centre in 1999, or the arrest this month of man who allegedly murdered a Jewish student at Wesleyan and who dreamed of a “Jewish Columbine”, Jews simply want to know: are we and our institutions safe? It is a question about resources and lifestyles. If the would-be Bronx bombers are seen to represent the tip of an

antisemitic iceberg, the vanguard of a homegrown Islamist threat, Jews are going to have to accept the kind of security seen in many european synagogues and Jewish centres: armed guards, 24-hour surveillance, elaborate buzz-in systems, garrison architecture. the costs — literal and in a sense of lost well-being — will be enormous. the Secure Community Network, a Jewish coalition that coordinates

with law enforcement, assured the community that the riverdale plotters “were not part of a broader network and were kept under close surveillance”. that’s cold comfort to observers like the journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, who wrote this week that it’s “only a matter of time until an American synagogue is blown up”. Goldberg charges that the “American Jewish leadership knows this, and yet does virtually nothing to help prepare for the inevitable”. that might sound slightly hysterical to rabbi Brad Hirschfield, who lives in riverdale. “Yes, there are real security challenges which we face both as Americans and as Jews, challenges which are bigger and more serious than they were some years back, and we must be vigilant about them,” he wrote on his blog. “But especially as Jews, we are a whole lot safer than we were a generation or two back, even here in America.” In the wake of the foiled attack, Jewish leaders will be compelled to demonstrate what they are doing to keep Jews safe. As in the national homeland security debate, it will be nearly impossible to separate reason from emotion. In that sense, even a failed plot can be said to have succeeded. Andrew Silow-Carroll is the editor of the New Jersey Jewish News. He lives in Teaneck, NJ

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

Charedim battle sex-abuse bill photo: Ariel jAnkelowitz

By nathan GuttMan, Washington V ATTEMpTS TO bring justice to victims of sexual abuse are opening old wounds in new York’s strictly Orthodox community and its leadership, which is largely viewed as trying to block these attempts. Emotions erupted last weekend, as several victims of abuse in the Charedi school system and child advocates protested outside the annual dinner of Agudath Israel of America, the country’s largest strictly Orthodox organisation. protestors held signs reading, “Agudah Stop protecting pedophiles”, and tried to draw attention from the group’s leaders and supporters as they entered the building. At issue is Agudath Israel’s opposition to a bill introduced at the new York state legislature, which would extend the statute of limitations for victims of sexual abuse wishing to take legal action against their molesters and the institutions in which the crimes took place. The bill would also give the victims a one-time window of a year to file civil lawsuits, regardless of the time that had passed since the alleged actions took place. While Agudah decided to oppose the new York legislation, mainly because it could lead to numerous compensation claims against its schools and leadership, the Charedi community is undergoing a process of discussing more openly the issue of sexual harassment and child molestation taking place in its education system.

Protestors at the Agudath Israel dinner last week want the statute of limitations on sexual abuse crimes lifted Last year, a task force was created in order to discuss the issue and provide victims with assistance. Its founder, nY assemblyman Dov Hikind, said at the time that he was surprised by the extent of the problem in the strictly Orthodox community, to which he belongs. “I’ve been absolutely shocked and flabbergasted by what I’ve witnessed,” he said.

Hikind raised the issue after two high-profile pedophilia cases broke within the community. One involved Avrohom Mondrowitz, a youth counselor who was accused of numerous counts of sexual abuse before fleeing to Israel, and the other involved Yehuda Kolko, a teacher who was also charged with similar offenses but managed to secure a plea bargain arrangement.

These cases also illuminated the fact that the strictly Orthodox community, just as the Catholic Church in similar cases, chose to deal with sexual abuse problems internally, without involving the authorities. Hikind said at the time that the Charedi neighborhoods of Brooklyn are the safest place for sex offenders because “your chances of being arrested are much smaller

because people don’t press charges”. The bill in dispute may never become law. According to reports it does not seem to be moving in the new York State Assembly and if it fails to pass before the legislative session is adjourned in several weeks, it will have to be re-introduced again next year. Officials with Agudath Israel explain that they do not o p p o s e t h e p r o - ‘Brooklyn posed extension of is the the period for suing safest before the statute of limitation kicks place in, but they are con- for sex c e r n e d w i t h t h e offenders one-year window in because which hundreds of people lawsuits might be don’t press filed. Based on precedents of child sexual charges’ abuse cases in the US Catholic church, it is clear that settling these cases might cost hundreds of millions and could lead the religious education institutions to bankruptcy. “Legislation that would do away with the statute of limitations completely, even if only for a one-year period, could subject schools and other vital institutions to ancient claims and capricious litigation, and place their very existence in severe jeopardy,” Agudath Israel and Torah Umesorah, another strictly Orthodox education group, said in a joint statement. At the same time, the groups vowed to continue working to “protect our precious children and help eradicate molestation and other forms of abuse.”

When Chabad moves in, a culture clash follows letter from venice

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HEn I first saw the Venetian Ghetto many years ago, there were few signs of modern Jewish life. You could take a guided tour of the old synagogues, and you could visit a museum of artefacts from the world’s first ghetto , founded in 1516. Beyond that there was little more to see than a souvenir shop and empty streets. But gradually over the last 20 years the Chabad-Lubavitch movement has created a visible presence in the Ghetto, while at the same time more and more Jews (about 300,000 a year) visit the area as part of their holidays in Venice. The Lubavitchers now maintain a storefront “Chabad House”, or information centre, a yeshivah, a school and a kosher restaurant, Gam Gam, strategically placed at the main entrance to the Ghetto by the Cannaregio Canal.

Venice is a strategic choice for the Chabad outreach movement, which aims to locate non-practicing Jews and lead them to a greater knowledge of Jewish observance, and perhaps join their movement. But, as in so many other places, from Eastern Europe to the United States, their activities have drawn the Lubavitchers into conflict both with established Jewish communities and local non-Jews. In Venice the principal conflict is less about the correct interpretation of Jewish law than about the image presented to visitors from abroad and Venetians in general. The local Jewish community, now numbering about 600 members, few of whom actually live in the Ghetto, is highly Orthodox and is accustomed to having little to do with outsiders. The Lubavitchers are just the opposite, striding through the Ghetto in their distinctive dress, and calling out to strangers, “You Jewish?”. An affirmative reply — as all over the world — is followed by an insistent invitation to lay tefillin, come to Sabbath dinner or just enter the Chabad House to “have your picture taken”. Most worrying to the Venetian Jewish community are complaints from non-Jewish Italians who live in the Ghetto. They complain of loud parties at unsocial hours and other matters. One couple I know claim they left their large, terraced flat in the Ghetto, where they had lived for many years, because their Lubavitcher neighbours, in addition to keeping them up at night, refused to put their rubbish out for col-

lection on Saturdays, leaving it to rot in the hallway through the weekends. The local Lubavitcher rabbi, Ramy Banin, is relaxed about these accusations. He says that it took 30 years for the official Milan community to accommodate themselves to the presence of Chabad “outsiders” and they have only been here for 20; but the two communities are doing more things together than previously. As to the noise, he says yes, Jewish holidays, such as Rosh Hashanah, fall on different days than Italian ones, but it is no different to living near a school or bar. The official community has been trying, rather ineffectually, to assert themselves. Recently they have opened a rival kosher restaurant, Kosher Club Le Balthazar. But with its discreet profile and middle class character, Le Balthazar has little chance of supplanting the youth appeal of the much advertised, and less expensive, Gam Gam. On Italian Holocaust Memorial day in January, I came across about 50 members of the local community laying wreaths in front of the Holocaust Memorial in Campo di Ghetto novo. There were no Lubavitchers, easily discernable from their modes of dress, among them. Of course these newcomers would not have lost relatives in Venice, but if a commemoration of victims of the Holocaust does not bring Jews together, what could? Matthew Hoffman is researching a book on the history of the Venetian Ghetto

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

WORLD NEWS 15

Judge bans photos of Ilan Halimi’s torture

Ilan Halimi, who was kidnapped and held for ransom in Paris in 2006 shown during a television report on the murder in October 2006. The magazine will appeal. Twenty seven members of the gang are on trial in Paris, on various charges of involvement in his kidnap, torture and murder. Meanwhile youssouf Fofana, 28, the leader of the Barbarians gang, who was extradicted to France from the Ivory coast where he fled after the mur-

Austrians fear rise in hate crimes By toBy axeLrod Berlin V A SerIeS of antisemitic incidents in Austria has raised worries among political and Jewish leaders on the eve of european Parliament elections. An attack by right-wing youths on holocaust survivors in ebensee; antisemitic statements by pupils visiting Auschwitz; a columnist blaming Jews for the world financial crisis: all suggest that Austria may be fertile ground for hate and conspiracy theories. while the incidents are not related to the June 4 election, the response to them is shaped by concerns about Austria’s Freedom Party (FPO), widely considered to promote xenophobia and antisemitism, cashing in on fears during tough economic times. recently, an FPO campaign ad suggested that not only Turkey but also Israel — which is not even a candidate for accession — should be prevented from joining the eu. Viennese Jewish leader Ariel Muzicant told Die Presse that the FPO encourages “right-wing extremism in their own ranks and systematically wants to make it socially respectable”. This “creates precisely the climate for something like what happened in ebensee. The one group leads and these young guys follow after them”. In ebensee, four teens face five years in prison for attacking holocaust survivors visiting the site of a former slave labour camp on May 9. In another case, Viennese pupils on a trip to the Auschwitz memorial were

Shocking pic shows another Daniel Pearl Photo: AP

By Natasha Lehrer Paris VA FreNch JuDGe has ordered a publisher to stop the sale of all copies of a magazine that featured a photograph of Ilan halimi, the Jewish man who was kidnapped in 2006 by a gang currently standing trial for his murder. The photo, which appeared on the front cover of the June edition of Choc (“Shock”), shows halimi bound and gagged and with a pistol held to his head. It was taken during halimi’s three-week kidnap ordeal and sent to his family in an attempt to extort a €450,000 ransom. News kiosks were given two days to comply with the court’s ruling, and the magazine’s publisher was threatened with a €200 fine for each copy of the magazine sold after the Friday deadline. halimi’s mother and two sisters had demanded the withdrawal of the magazine because of “injury to the dignity of private life”. his mother, ruth, was awarded €20,000 damages, whilst each sister received €10,000. Prosecutor Pauline caby acknowledged that it is rare for a magazine to be withdrawn for invasion of privacy, but pointed out that the penalty was necessary, bearing in mind that the picture was on the magazine’s front page. Lawyers for Choc pointed out that the photograph had already been

ANALySIS JOHN ROSENTHAL

sent home because of antisemitic comments. “we will take a close look at the extent to which extremism is on the rise in Austria, and will try to find out why this is so,” Interior Minister Maria Fekter said last week. And claudia Schmied, Minister for education, Arts and culture, said the education authority was considering the teachers’ role in the Auschwitz incident. She told the Standard newspaper: “I want to initiate everything possible in the schools, so something like what happened in ebensee or in Auschwitz never happens again.” Meanwhile, the refusal of one hotel in Serfaus, Tyrol, to take a reservation from Jewish guests also came to light. Other hoteliers have reassured travel agencies that they do not share the antisemitic views of their neighbour. Against this backdrop, said Ariel Muzicant in the recent interview, the FPO continues a campaign of insinuation based on popular fears. responding to the FPO’s anti-Israel ad, he compared the “agitating” tactics of FPO general secretary herbert Kickl to those of Joseph Goebbels, hitler’s Propaganda Minister. The FPO reacted with indignation. Party chief Norbert hofer said that the comparison with Goebbels is “intolerable” and demanded that Austrian President heinz Fischer and Parliament President Barbara Prammer condemn Muzicant’s words. So far, they have not done so.

der, has sacked two of his legal team. roger cukierman, president of the crif umbrella body of French Jewry, said that halimi’s murder was “one of the worst incidents for the Jewish community in France, if not the worst.” however, the French police have been at pains to downplay antisemitic aspects of the crime. The trial is closed to the press.

V “They were able to keep secret the place of his detention because nearly 30 accomplices wrapped themselves in silence: the silence that killed Ilan. Today, there is a new silence that has enveloped the trial: the trial that has been closed to the public and press. At Choc, we have decided to revisit this sad case at length. And to publish this horrifying photo, which — far better than words — tells of the ordeal suffered by a human being who fell into the grasp of barbarism.” This is how the editors of Choc explained their decision to publish a photo of Ilan halimi in captivity. Sometimes words are not adequate. They are obviously not adequate in this case. There is not even any word to describe the condition in which Ilan is to be found in the photo. Ordinarily, we might say that the hostage was “bound and gagged”. Ilan’s hands are bound, but he is not gagged. his face has been fully wrapped around in duct tape: “like a mummy”, as one of his “jailers” has been quoted as saying. But it is not only the exceptional brutality that it documents that makes the photo newsworthy. It also supplies important clues about the motives of youssouf Fofana and his “Gang of Barbarians”. A comparison with photos of Daniel Pearl in captivity reveals striking similarities. The halimi photo is a kind of composite of elements also found in

the Pearl photos: the bound hands, the newspaper as proof of date, the pistol emerging from outside the frame, the cloth backdrop. French authorities have persistently downplayed the role played by antisemitism in the affair, treating it as merely an “aggravating factor” in a crime that was essentially economically motivated. But if Fofana was inspired by the ritual slaughter of “the Jew Daniel Pearl” (as Pearl’s captors called him), then this is powerful proof that antisemitism formed an integral part of his motivations, proof that would remain hidden if the authorities had their way. This publicity-shyness is nothing new. One of the most troubling aspects of the Ilan halimi case is the unwillingness of the French police to publicise Ilan’s kidnapping until after he was dead. During the 24 days that he was held captive, the public was not informed. Nearly 30 persons were in some form or another implicated in the crime. Some of them are known to have told others about it. All these people knew that Ilan was being held captive. Not all of them, however, knew what was being done to him. The question must be posed: If the photo had been made public at the time, would Ilan be alive today? John Rosenthal is a contributor to Policy Review magazine and NewMajority.com

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

Bibi bows to US as settlers removed BY Anshel Pfeffer V London became the venue this week for discussions between the Israeli and american leaderships over a new co-ordinated policy towards Iran and the Palestinians. a team headed by Intelligence Services minister dan meridor has been meeting a White House team to discuss President barack obama’s plans to talk to Iran about its nuclear programme. The Israelis hope to receive a definite time limit to american talks. The american representatives were interested in hearing what measures mr netanyahu is planning to take to curb settlement activity in the West bank. according to Israeli officials, mr meridor offered a removal of settler outposts. Israeli Prime minister binyamin netanyahu this week effectively accepted the link mr obama made in their meeting in Washington between curbing settlements and the campaign against the Iranian nuclear programme. In a meeting of the Likud Knesset faction on monday, mr netanyahu justified the evacuation orders issued by the defence minister this week to 10 settler outposts, built on privatelyowned land in the West bank. “These are not normal times,” he told an audience that included leaders of the settler movement. “The danger is growing and charging at us. my job is first of all to ensure

the future of the state of Israel and we have to arrange our priorities accordingly. There are important reasons for keeping our good relations with the United States.” The evacuation of outposts began last Thursday with the demolition of five buildings in maoz esther, a small outpost 10 miles north of Jerusalem. Some of Likud’s cabinet ministers attacked Labour’s defence minister, ehud barak, for ordering the removal of maoz esther, claiming he was “acting according to his own political agenda”, but mr netanyahu made it clear this week that the order had been coordinated with him. an advisor to mr netanyahu explained that “it is clear that obama wants to show that he has forced Israel to make concessions over the settlements before his big speech to the arab world next week in cairo. We don’t like it but what is most important for us is to continue cooperating with the administration on blocking the Iranians.” The fact that the talks are being held less than a week after mr netanyahu left Washington, in advance of mr obama’s speech in cairo, and in London, halfway between the two capitals, is a signal of the urgency both governments feel over the Iranian issue. It is also significant that mr netanyahu chose the more left-leaning meridor to lead the team, which includes his national Security advisor Uzi arad and his personal emissary Yitzhak molcho.

Photo: AP

Settlers try to rebuild a structure demolished by Israeli troops in the West Bank outpost of Maoz Esther last week Israel is trying to convince the new administration to agree its continuing building in established West bank settlements for purposes of “natural growth”. The bush administration did not oppose this, but so far the signals received from mr obama’s aides have been, according to Israeli officials, “not encouraging”.

meanwhile there is another source of contention between the two governments. after mr netanyahu said last week at a Jerusalem day ceremony that Israel’s capital “would never again be divided”, a State department spokesman in Washington emphasised that “Jerusalem is a final status issue. Israel and

the Palestinians have agreed to resolve its status during negotiations. We will support their efforts to reach agreements on all final status issues.” Israeli officials sought to downplay the remark. a senior diplomat said, “this has always been the standard US position. That doesn’t mean that Jerusalem is suddenly on the agenda.”

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V If THIS works, barack obama and binyamin netanyahu will be competing to take the credit for coming up with the idea first. If it works. While everyone was waiting for a major bust-up between the Israeli government and the White House over mr netanyahu’s reluctance to commit to a two-state solution, both leaders seemed to agree to lay their differences aside, for now, and to focus on a more immediate and much smaller objective: removing the settler outposts. mr netanyahu got away with an oblique statement in the oval office that “we don’t want to govern the Palestinians” and mr obama didn’t press him. Instead the president spoke of the need to stop both settlement activity and the Iranian nuclear weapon. That, at least, is what they said in the photo-op part of their meeting. Whatever happened between them in the two hours they spent on their own, mr netanyahu certainly seems to have absorbed the message. He was pleasantly surprised to discover that contrary to his advisors’ fears, mr obama has no intention of allowing Iran to go nuclear. despite supporting engagement with Iran for the time being, he even went on record saying that “we’re not going to have talks forever”.

but mr obama wants mr netanyahu to do something for him in return. Linking a nuclear bomb in the hands of a radical Islamic regime and a few caravans and ramshackle homes on a handful of hilltops seems hardly feasible. but it begins to make sense when one considers both leaders’ immediate needs. mr obama, with the stardust starting to fade four months into his presidency, urgently needs to show some kind of success on the international stage. north Korea, afghanistan and Pakistan are all Obama will going the wrong way. claim an mr netanyahu achievement has to prove to his many detracthat eluded tors in Israel and Bush for abroad that he eight years is not the obstinate hardliner they are trying to portray. Saying the words “two-state solution” would have made netanyahu seem weak, landing him in a coalition crisis after only two months in office. besides, as he no doubt said to the president, the Palestinian authority is in disarray and about to hold its own elections; no one there is even prepared to run a Palestinian state right now. committing to such a state would have no meaning whatsoever. What netanyahu can deliver is the removal of some of the outposts that were built by settlers on privately owned land. certainly, it won’t be

popular with the right-wing, including some of his own Knesset members who are already grumbling, but he can always hide behind legal arguments to prove that this is not a matter of principle, simply of upholding the law. and besides, the outposts are a small sum to pay in return for american support over Iran. for obama, it may not be the stuff nobel peace prizes are made of, but at least he will be able to show the european and arab leaders that he managed to squeeze some kind of concession from netanyahu. He will also be able to claim an achievement that eluded the bush administration for eight years. So all is apparently well. both leaders have bought themselves some time, at least until after the Iranian, Lebanese and Palestinian elections, when one way or the other, matters in the region will be a bit more clear. but what if it backfires? What if the arab leaders fail to be impressed and use obama’s visit to cairo next week to demand he pressures netanyahu to do a lot more? What if settlers make a stand around one or more of the outposts and it develops into a bloody minicivil war? and what if the deal between obama and bibi falls through and one or both sides fail to deliver? Whatever the outcome, diplomatic harmony between the two leaders is still far from guaranteed.

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

WORLD NEWS 17 Photo: AP

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Khaled Mahmeed in his Holocaust Museum in Nazareth. Arabs must learn about the Shoah to fight Israel, he says

Why is Israeli-Arab Shoah denial rising? in depth

NathaN Jeffay Haifa

V Two in five Arab citizens of israel believe that the Holocaust did not take place, according to newly released research from the University of Haifa. This represents a sharp rise in Holocaust denial among israeli Arabs since the university conducted a similar poll two years ago. The figure then was 28 per cent. it is now 40.5 per cent. israel’s Holocaust organisations have reacted with concern. The finding is “alarming”, said Dan Michman, chief historian at Yad Vashem, which last year launched an Arabic website to counter denial in the Arab world. it is part of a historical shift that is starting to be closely studied. Last month, Tel Aviv University academics Meir Litvak and Esther webman published From Empathy to Denial: Arab Responses to the Holocaust, in which they argued that straight after the Holocaust, Arabs reacted with understanding but that attitudes have deteriorated ever since, to a point where denial is now fashionable. “The politicisation of the Holocaust is today very high on the Arab agenda,” said Dr webman. Sammy Smooha, the Haifa sociologist who headed the survey, believes that this trend has been accelerated in recent years, in part due to the high profile of iran’s Holocaust-denying President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. other experts point their fingers at the Arab media. “The main source of attitudes towards the Holocaust is the Arab mass media, mainly Al Jazeera, which has become the mouthpiece of Jihadists and deniers of the Holocaust like Ahmadinejad,” said Mordechai Kedar, a Bar ilan University researcher on Arab media and public opinion and

a regular interviewee on Al Jazeera. Scholars say that the figure needs interpretation, a process which yields good news and bad news. on the plus side, both Jewish and Arab experts agree that the statistic is artificially high; many Arabs feel the need publicly to deny the Holocaust, although they know it did take place. But on the negative side, this may show just what an intractable problem denial has become in the Arab world, as it is embraced even by those who know the position is intellectually dishonest. one of the attractions of Holocaust denial for israeli Arabs is that it is seen as a way of venting anger towards israel. According to Dr Smooha, the level of denial is directly proportional to the extent of antagonism. The shift since 2006 “should be understood in the context of protest”, he said, citing three sources of friction: the closing down of Holocaust investigations denial may be against police officers who shot attractive to to death Arab Israeli Arabs demonstrators because it is a in october 2000; way of venting israel’s conduct anger towards in Lebanon durIsrael ing the Second Lebanon war; and its policies in Gaza since the Hamas takeover of 2007. Another factor which makes denial popular is that it counters what many Arabs perceive as the Jews’ use of the Holocaust to present themselves as victims with a moral and political justification for establishing a state. The fear is that this undermines the Arab narrative of the events of 1948 as the “naqba”, or catastrophe. The Holocaust, says Smooha, “is a kind of symbol of being the victim. And they want themselves, not the Jews, to be seen as victims”. Arab experts echo this analysis. Khaled Kasab Mahameed, a resident of the Arab city of Umm al-Fahm and

founder of a Holocaust museum in nazareth, feels that most Arabs in the Middle East view knowledge of the Holocaust as a poisoned chalice, fearing that knowledge of persecution of the Jews will result in sympathy towards them. “i tell Arabs: ‘you don’t want to know about the Holocaust because you are afraid of your enemy’s narrative.’” Mr Mahameed proposes the counter-intuitive theory that a growth in denial of the Holocaust may actually be a sign of increasing knowledge about it. He agrees that many israeli Arabs are keen to discredit the Holocaust in case it humanises israeli Jews or grants legitimacy to the Zionist narrative. But he travels around israeli Arab towns and Palestinian villages and refugee camps telling residents that learning about the Holocaust will not undermine their opposition to Zionism. on the contrary, he argues that those who deny the Holocaust “are not doing their Palestinian national duty”. “if you want to fight your enemy you need to confront their weapons, not deny they exist,” he said. The survey of Holocaust denial among israeli Arabs comes just two months after the uneasy attitude of Palestinians towards the Holocaust came into the spotlight. After Strings of Freedom, a Palestinian youth orchestra from Jenin, gave a concert for israeli Holocaust survivors on March 22, its instruments were confiscated, rehearsal space sealed, and the director barred from the west Bank refugee camp. These measures were imposed by a PLo committee, a member of which told the New York Times that the leader of the orchestra had dragged the musicians into a political situation that “served enemy interests” and aimed to “destroy the Palestinian national spirit in the camp”.

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18 BUSINESS

thejc.com

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

BUSINESS&FINANCE

A media man with a global plan David Levin, the boss of United Business Media, says Britain must embrace the wider world if it wants to succeed in business and beyond. By business editor Candice Krieger V DAvID LevIn rarely gives interviews. And despite his high profile as head of United Business Media (UBM), the publicly-listed publishing and exhibitions group, Mr Levin seems uncomfortable with the idea of courting publicity. But he has agreed to talk, to reveal the deeply-rooted values that drive him both in and outside of the office. Mr Levin, 47, joined UBM as chief executive in 2005, taking over from Lord Hollick. He has transformed the company’s portfolio — making more than 60 acquisitions in four years.

UBM has been reshaped from a primarily print-centred business to one that puts online publishing and events at the centre of business-to-business publishing. Print magazines constitute 24.3 per cent of the business’s revenue, compared with 56.2 per cent in 2004; events are now the biggest stream, at 32.9 per cent. Under Mr Levin’s stewardship, revenue has risen to £887 million in 2008, up from £557 million in 2004. He is also responsible for developing the company’s business activities in India and Brazil. There is no secret to Mr Levin’s success. In fact, his business philosophy is simple and refreshing: have an outward facing view to the world. He says: “The company has really moved its orientation and the understanding of what media is. “I think it is very important that we, as a business, look at the rest of the world and how we engage in it. My role here has been very much about

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restructuring the shape of the business. There is a vision of media which has emerged internally. He adds: “The wealth and prosperity of the UK depends on it being an outward facing nation. If it retreats to being introspective, it will be destined to stagnate and not achieve its full potential. “It is clear that growth in the world over the next ten years will be in economies such as Brazil, India and China and The wealth we need to engage in of the UK those in a systematic depends way.” on it being Mr Levin certainly an outward practices what he facing preaches. UBM, which has around nation 6,500 employees in more than 30 countries, works closely with not-for-profits in Brazil and he has taken his team there, and to India, to witness the work of nongovernmental organisations — backing up the firm’s focus on emerging markets. “You need to have an understanding of how different societies are working and what you can do to help them. It is not just about handing them a cheque. “It is incumbent on business leaders to be seen to engage with the wider world.” Mr Levin’s attitude is hardly surprising, given his diverse background, which he says has had a huge influence on his life. His father was a journalist in the former Rhodesia. The family were forced to leave in 1965. “We arrived in Britain with no rights and knowing no one. That was our ground zero. My family started to build from there”. As an immigrant in Britain, Mr Levin, who lives in David Levin has reshaped United Business Media

south west London, says he feels very grateful for the opportunities and good fortune afforded to him. After school, he enrolled in the army at Sandhurst. By the age of 18, he had joined the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and served in West Germany. “This taught me that I liked working with people. It taught me a lot about how you train, motivate, lead and engage with people.” And that stuck with him as he sought more hands-on experience. In the late 1980s he spent several years working in Asia before joining private equity group Apax, running a manufacturing company that made grinding wheels. He jumped ship in the early 1990s to become COO of trade magazine group euromoney, where he built their first exhibition business. Six years at computer company Psion followed, then the mobile software group Symbian. One constant throughout his career is his outward-facing outlook — something to which he is just as committed outside work. A long-standing campaigner for One voice, the Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation organisation, he has also been involved in several development charities, such as Oxfam and Action Aid. He recently became chair of the British Friends of Tel Aviv University, a role he is relishing. “I thought about what a phenomenal institution it is. I want to be involved in combating the boycott of Israeli goods. The University represents all that is best in Israel and its potential.” According to Mr Levin, Tel Aviv University alumni in professional fields are the most

sought after by employers. “It’s exactly the kind of organisation I want to work with.” As for UBM, he is thoroughly enjoying his role. He says there are numerous buying opportunities that the company is presented with but believes many of these are businesses that will struggle to adapt to the current economic and business environment. Corporate acquisitions to date have been “little and often”. When I joined, the board said: ‘It’s yours. You shape it’. And so he did. “We sold a lot — £800m worth — and we bought a lot — £450m worth — but buying was very different to selling. We tended to sell big lumps but buy a lot of small, focussed businesses. A lot of companies have destroyed huge amounts of value by having ego-led big acquisitions.” He is married to Lindsay, a former entrepreneur-of-the-year winner who now runs Leaders’ Quest, a social enterprise that works as a catalyst for positive change by bringing together international leaders from different parts of the world. The couple have three sons and live in south west London.

facts about ubm l Invested over £400m to acquire

l l l l l l l

more than 60 data, information and trade show businesses over the past four years. Disposals: £700m Buybacks: £more than £800m the public Return on Investment on these acquisitions is above 10% a year. Present in over 30 countries In 2008 the UK represented less than 20% of UBm profits. 6,500 employees Revenue makeup:

2004: Print magazines: 56.2% events: 22.1% Data, services and online: 6.0% B2B Distribution, monitoring and targeting: 15.7% 2008: Print magazines: 24.3 % events: 32.9% Data, services and online: 25.4% B2B Distribution, monitoring and targeting: 17.4%

JOIN US IN THE DRAGONS’ DEN

The finalists entering the JC Dragons’ Den have been chosen. Five aspiring entrepeneurs will present their business ideas to a panel of judges and a live audience at a Dragons’ Den-style event, run in partnership with the London Jewish Cultural Centre.

JUDGES: l Simon Bentley Former chairman & chief executive of Blacks Leisure Group plc l Patsy Bloom Founder of Pet Plan l Bernie Myers Former managing director of N M Rothschild Sons Ltd l Marc Worth Founder of Worth Global Style Network (WGSN) l Bernard Howard Founder of totallylegal.com and totallyfinancial.com l Candice Krieger Business Editor of the Jewish Chronicle Join us in the Dragons’ Den: After the pitches, the audience will have the chance to vote and give their views as the judges make up their minds. The finalists will have their product, idea or invention featured in the Jewish Chronicle — who knows which prospective investors may be reading? The event will be held on Monday 29 June at 8pm at the London Jewish Cultural Centre, Ivy House, 94-96 North End Rd, London NW11 7SX. For further details and ticket information contact the LJCC; www.ljcc.org.uk, 020 8457 5000

thejc.com

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

BUSINESS 19 EdITEd By CaNdICE kRIEgER ckrieger@thejc.com

A cheap remedy for costly hayfever pills

AyFEvER SuFFERERS should not have to stump up £100s for medicines. The cost of remedies is nothing to be sneezed at, which is why there are a number of different strategies to slash the cost. It is possible to cut the price of medicines to a fiver for a six month daily supply. The same logic works for other pharmaceuticals. Many people think that when it comes to health they should play safe and stick with the big name brands. Examine any parent’s drug drawer, and it will be jam-packed full of different expensive branded medications for their kids. While we are sometimes willing to try other things for ourselves, when it comes to kids we will not budge. In many cases, that is nonsense. In any drug, it is the active ingredient which is important and does the job, and providing it is out of patent, any company is allowed to make a tablet with exactly the same thing in it. These are often called ‘generic’ medicines. They do not use fancy branding. So while many people will happily pay serious money for Nurofen, the active ingredient is Ibuprofen. Why

less than a quid in supermarkets. The difference can be even bigger with painkillers.

MONEY MENSCH

Cash-saving adviCe from moneysavingexpert.Com’s Martin Lewis bother paying for the extra packaging, sugar coating or even nicely designed capsules to make them go down more easily? ultimately, with a glass of water or orange juice, you can get exactly the same thing for 90 per cent less. However, do not use grapefruit juice, as it makes some medicines less effective. So having thrown brand loyalty out of the window, these are the key steps to ensure you’re minimising the price for hayfever and other drugs: gRaB gENERIC vERSIONS. The active ingredient is always listed on the pack. Once you have found it, check for the same generic equivalent; it will usually be a lot cheaper. There are four main types of hayfever drugs: l Famous Brand: Zirtek. Main active ingredient: Cetirizine dihydrochloride. This is usually a one a day tablet, and there are lots of generic versions.

l Famous Brand: Claritin. Main active ingredient: Loratadine. Again, one a day, and commonly available as a generic. l Famous Brand: Benadryl. Main active ingredient: Acrivastine. This is a newer type of anti-histamine, and tests have shown it acts faster, but it is still under patent, so there is no generic equivalent. l Famous Brand: Piriton. Main active ingredient: Chlorophenamine. One of the older remedies for hayfever, it is losing ground to Cetrizine nowadays, though generics are available. So in most cases you can cut the cost. Do always double-check your own regular supply’s active ingredient though, as some similarly named brands can be different. Still not convinced? Consider this: A week’s supply of hayfever treatment Claritin costs £2.99; the same product without a brand name costs

[n]

fIRST pERSON aLLISTER HEaTH

Crunch time is to come V BeLIeVe it or not but Alistair Darling may actually be right that the recession will be over by christmas. But before you start uncorking the champagne, it is important to realise that this doesn’t mean a return to the good days. total 1930s-style catastrophe has been averted, partly by luck and partly as a result of governments flooding the economy with liquidity. Yet we are still facing a hangover from past over-exuberance, a public sector in complete crisis, an urgent need to wean ourselves from ultra-low interest rates and profligate public spending and a business environment that has been robbed of its competitiveness. So even though the economy will cease shrinking at some point towards the end of the year, unemployment will continue to rise for months after that, house prices will remain depressed and the economy will stagnate for several years to come. From 2010 onwards, the UK will face terrible headwinds: the Bank of england money-printing will have to cease and higher taxes are likely to plug the massive black hole at the heart of Darling’s public finances. So much for my caveats to Darling’s headline grabbing claims. he is right, however, to argue that the credit crunch is abating. many companies now find it easier to borrow money in the markets. the banking system has been stabilised; there is almost no chance of any more large UK or

US financial institutions collapsing. the stock market is up by almost a quarter, sterling is recovering and bond yields are down. consumer price inflation is manageable at 2.3 per cent. Savers are being throttled but that, sadly, was to be expected. And all the output surveys now say the same thing: the rate at which the economy is shrinking is slowing down significantly. the purchasing managers’ index (PmI) for private services rose to 48.7, close to the key 50 reading which denotes the return to expansion. None of this will boost the Labour government’s chances at the general election. there are always lengthy lags between the actual return to economic growth and the public’s perception of it. companies will continue to lay off large numbers of workers well into 2010, and hundreds of thousands more homeowners are being pushed into negative equity. the tories, when they get to power, will be faced with a monumental challenge: rein in the budget deficit and put up interest rates without throttling the nascent recovery, reform the Bank of england and the FSA. And they will have to begin tearing up all the regulations and destructive taxes introduced by Labour to recreate a climate conducive to entrepreneurship, while downsizing the public sector. compared to this long list of thankless tasks, getting out of the credit crunch might look as if it was the easy bit.

Allister Heath is Editor of City A.M.

IS IT CHEapER ON pRESCRIpTION? If you are a hayfever sufferer and you need Benadryl, you are going to be paying £3 to £5 a packet. Alternatively, you could try asking your doctor for a three-month prescription for the same drug, and only pay the standard prescription charge (if you pay one). While this works for long term doses, do not always assume prescriptions are the cheapest way. For some things doctors may prescribe, such as hydrocortizone cream, it is far cheaper to buy it over the counter. BULk ORdER fROm ONLINE pHaRmaCIES There are a number of online chemists and websites advertising medicines more cheaply. For example, at the time of writing, Chemist Direct will sell you Cetirizine dihydrochloride at just under £5 for a six month supply and Chemist 4 u not much more. When you consider that the cheapest you will pay, even in a supermarket, is around £1 a week, this is a big saving. When you order from an online chemist, you will need to fill in a questionnaire describing your con-

dition, and they reserve the right not to fulfil the order if you do not provide that information. Tall orders should be checked by a qualified pharmacist before despatch. The two chemists I have mentioned are registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, but when I asked, it said even that does not guarantee legitimacy, so always take care where you order from. TRy LOCaL pHaRmaCIES If you are not an online shopper, check out a couple of supermarkets as there can be real price variance there. If you are going for cheap generics anyway, consider supporting your local pharmacist. It may be a few pence more, but it does mean there’s someone nearby who can give you help if you are ill. pREpay yOUR pRESCRIpTIONS One final and important way to cut the cost if you regularly pay for prescriptions is to get an annual pre-paid season ticket. One you have got one, there is nothing else to pay all year. In Scotland, it is £13 for four months or £38 for a year, compared with a £4 standard charge. In England, three months is £28 and a year £104, meaning anyone getting two prescriptions a month at the £7.20 rate would be much better off.

20 PEOPLE

thejc.com

people

Who’s up to WhAt in the JeWish World this Week

Jamie Hartman scores with top music stars, including Joss Stone and Jason Mraz

recession can be good for people. it is the time to do what you really want to do. if we were still with emi then we wouldn’t have made this album.” the band has since been snapped up by island records — home of U2 and Bob marley. He describes their genre as “balladeer with balls”. the album’s first single, Apologise, was

co-written with natalie imbruglia. Last year, the band was nominated for an ivor novello songwriting award in the category of Best Song for Let Me Out. Ben’s Brother is currently on tour in the UK and includes performances from Joss Stone. “She [Joss] has an amazing voice. i asked her if she would perform and she said yes.” Londonbased mr Hartman set up his first band when he was at school. Ben’s Brother is showcasing in London tonight at the islington academy.

oN tHe web watch ben’s brother in action at: www. thejc.com/people

Under Supervision of the London Beth Din

N ow

op eN

VSongwriter Jamie Hartman has penned hits for will Young, Faith Hill and Beverley Knight. now he is teaming up with leading artists Jason mraz, natalie imbruglia and Joss Stone, who have collaborated with his band, Ben’s Brother on their new album. Called Battling Giants, the album — already one of iTunes’s top downloads — was financed by mr Hartman himself after the band was released by emi records. “Something changed in my life this year,” mr Hartman, who is in his early 30s, tells People. “i went from searching for something to finding it. i think that Battling Giants is a real reflection of that.” He adds: “the

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

Fine Desserts & French Patisserie: Cheesecakes Gateaux Tartes Desserts Wedding Cakes Also taking orders for dessert platters for your functions Open: Monday - Friday, 9am–5pm 2 Sentinel Square, Hendon, London NW4 2EL Tel: 020 8203 4415

BY CAndiCe krieger ckrieger@thejc.com

Mike and Marc Spits create a heavyweight art display in London Vtwo HUndred eLePHantS are on their way to London — fiberglass, that is. the collection of adolescent-sized brightly-coloured model asian elephants will be displayed across London next year. the exhibition, known as the elephant Parade, is the brainchild of father and son marc and mike Spits, who wanted to draw attention to the asian elephant, threatened with extinction. the statues will be auctioned off by Sotheby’s following the exhibition. the plan is to raise more than £1 million to go to elephant Family, the largest elephant charity in the world.

Photo: RoBeRto maRtini

Marc and Mike Spits

the duo have already raised around €700,000 for the

organisation after successful parades in rotterdam and antwerp. France-based marc Spits, 72, tells People: “i was on holiday in Chiang mai and i went to visit an elephant hospital. in came an injured

baby elephant called mosha, who was in a horrible state. i became very interested in the animals and decided that i would use my background in copywrighting to launch a campaign.” He teamed up with his son, 45 year-old

mike, who has a marketing background. mr Spits junior says: “it is a campaign that is about more than making money. Businesses can buy a statue and use it to promote their firm, with money going to the elephant cause.” the project is backed by London mayor Boris Johnson, and celebrities Joanna Lumley, michael Palin and Stephen Fry. the elephants, which are 1.5 metres high,1.8 metres long and weigh 65 kilos, will be in amsterdam this autumn. after London, the parade will move to new York and milan. Carly@elephantfamily. org

Mark Nadler tap dances and plays Caroline Berlin tells us to the piano — at the same time eat chocolate to lose weight VtHiS iS marK nadler — believed to be the world’s only tap-dancing pianist. Based in america, he has recently been in London performing his hit show, They Can’t Take that Away from Me — a selection of tunes by george gershwin. mr nadler, 47, has been playing the piano, performing and singing professionally since the age of 10. He added the tap dancing component a few years later. “it’s a nice way to add a rhythmic element without the need for a drummer,” he tells People. “and gershwin’s music is particularly rhythmic.” an award-winning cabaret artist, mr nadler is renowned for his speedy piano playing. He has performed at Carnegie Hall with the new York Pops

orchestra and has been a soloist with the Baltimore Symphony orchestra, among others. in 2008, he received the Bay area Critics Circle award for his performance in the one-man show Russian On the Side.

oN tHe web enjoy mark nadler’s super quick performance at:

www.thejc.com/people

Vdieting doeS not have to be hard, says former fitness instructor Caroline Berlin. She claims to have discovered a chocolate that is healthy and can help you lose weight. what’s more, it’s kosher. ms Berlin, 49, was introduced to the product — called Xocai and made in the US — by a friend. impressed by its appetite suppressing ability, she set up a company to sell it in the UK. She tells People: “i know it sounds mad that a chocolate can be good for you but it is true. the chocolate contains Cacao, an antioxidant, and doesn’t contain

the diary

any additives. it also helps curb the desire for snacking. ” She says she has lost around five lbs since she started eating the chocolate. a box of 28 chocolates costs £35. they are supervised by the Beth din. tempted? Contact xocailondon@hotmail. co.uk

simon round

bert’s JewisH by MArriAge

Advice to bridle At

V gReat excitement on the JC’s arts and entertainment desk this week with the arrival of an email offering an interview with Bert jansch. What? You mean the award-winning, Scottish folk-rock guitar hero? the man neil Young and jimmy Page count as a seminal influence? that Bert jansch? We had absolutely no idea he was jewish. oh yes he is, confirms

V talking of mother-in-laws, bride grooms in jerusalem are being urged to stay away from them because of their tendency to meddle in matrimonial affairs. the advice comes in a pamphlet handed out by the jerusalem Religious council to men attending its classes on marriage. other pearls include the insight that a “woman is like clay. the husband can shape and mould her as he pleases”, and the observation that “a woman who hasn’t been complimented is like a fish out of water”. “it makes you want to cry,” comments knesset member Uri orbach, who has received complaints.

the public relations company. or at least we’re pretty sure he is. tell you what, we’ll just check. Back comes an email a short while later. erm, Bert’s not actually jewish. But his wife is. Perhaps he could talk to you about having a jewish mother-in-law. even though the mother-inlaw in question turns out to be jewish music institute supremo geraldine auerbach. We politely decline.

He’s A deAd good writer V the jewish Book Week newsletter offers a hearty well done to the winner of this year’s jewish Quarterly Wingate literary prize. “congratulations,” it gushes, “to Fred Wander”, author of the novel, The Seventh Well. Very gratifying for mr Wander. or it would be, were it not for the fact that he died in 2006, something the newsletter fails to mention.

thejc.com

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

FEATURES 21

features With politicians who can’t be trusted, a worsening international reputation and peace nowhere in sight, Israel has rarely seemed more troubled. But what do its ordinary citizens think? We asked four emigrants from the UK

British olim are still in love with the Zionist dream by alex kasriel

THE mOdERN ORTHOdOx JEW

orty-four-year-old Simon monk and his wife nicole moved from Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, to netanya 14 years ago. their first child, Gabriella, was a baby when they arrived. nicole, a teacher, and Simon, a banker and a member of the netanya City Council, now have four other children. He says: “Because i work in international banking, there was always the possibility of moving abroad. i’d been to israel on holiday as my in-laws had an apartment here. one Pesach, i went for a job with the same group i’d been working for in england and was offered it on the spot. We came the following october. “Having a job certainly made things a lot easier. i had to learn the language and the culture was completely different. “there’s none of the quiet people on the tube that you have in london. “it’s a very child-centred country. once you have a child you automatically meet people. the ultimate proof of acceptance was getting voted on to netanya Council for the [right-wing] national religious Party. “i’m sceptical that there will be peace breaking out in my lifetime. usually before elections, the violence gets hyped up — like with the second lebanon war and Gaza. But everyone pulls together. it’s a phenomenal atmosphere, probably like london during the Blitz. i have been privileged to see that on more than one occasion. “i think we were right to go into Gaza. no self-respecting country allows its population Simon Monk to be shot at without trying to defend itself. there are no Jews living in the Gaza Strip and no destruction from us whatsoever. there have been eight years of people suffering and the destruction of lives. Hopefully, it gave the Palestinians some pause for thought. “We feel safe living and working here — we don’t have the kind of social violence you get in Britain, like the stabbings in london. and i seem to have a lucky knack of leaving a place two or three minutes before a bomb goes off. “But there isn’t a bomb going off every minute. my nephew was studying at the yeshivah where eight kids were killed. When you hear about that, you do get scared. “my hope is that as many Jews from Britain will make aliyah. We’re seeing this now. there are tremendous benefits. the only regret i have is that i didn’t come earlier. to anyone considering making aliyah, i would say: ‘do it!’

THE SECULAR ZIONIST

ifty-four-year-old moSHe forman, who writes computer software manuals, came to israel from manchester when he was 24 after being involved with youth movement Habonim dror and growing up in a Zionist family. He spent his gap year in israel and then went to leeds university and worked for the union of Jewish Students before making aliyah. He met his israeli wife, lucy, a social worker, in 1987 after being in the country for 10 years. they have two children, adi, 20 and ohad, 18.

Kibbutznik Lynne Porat (second right) with her family in Jerusalem. She finds Israeli directness a refreshing contrast to British reserve He says: “it was the natural progression to come out here to live. it was very much based in ideology. at that time i believed that all Jews should live in israel. i moved originally to Jerusalem where i did an ulpan [Hebrew language course] and after the army, i moved to tel aviv and have been there since. “it was very difficult to adjust even though i was very motivated. even the most simple things in life suddenly become a challenge, like going to the bank. i found that you had to be very flexible. it was a challenge to get used to the israeli mentality. “i have been here 30 years but last week at work i was in a discussion with somebody and i said to the woman: ‘i’m not sure i totally agree with you on this point.’ if i were an israeli i would have said: ‘i don’t agree with you’. you have to learn to be very direct and assertive. “israel has changed incredibly over the years. in the ’70s when i came it was still quite a poor country and most people didn’t have cars. nobody had electric kettles because the electricity was expensive. it’s developed economically, it’s very technologically advanced and the country’s a lot more efficient. it’s more of a consumer society, and i think that’s a positive thing. “i don’t believe there’s going to be an end to war in my lifetime, however. in the past i was more optimistic. i would have put myself in the peace camp. in the 1980s i believed very strongly that if you made concessions it would be possible to reach an agreement. this year i voted for netanyahu.

‘In the ’70s Israel was stIll quIte poor. now It’s more of a consumer socIety, and that’s a posItIve thIng’

if someone said to me five years ago that i was going to vote likud, i would have said they were crazy as i used to vote meretz. But now i believe it’s naive to make concessions to bring peace. “i’m pleased that labour came in as even though i voted likud, i didn’t want it to be a right-wing government. i still have the basic belief that if it would bring peace and security, i would give up all the territories — even east Jerusalem — but i don’t believe it will happen. “i believe israel was 100 per cent right to go into Gaza. When you’re attacked, you have the right to defend yourself. i do not think there was an alternative.” “a relative of mine, rafi Moshe Forman mizrachi, was killed in the Beit lid suicide bomb of 1995. it’s still a very raw wound especially as i had a first-hand experience of conflict because i was in the army. “my feelings towards Palestinians and arabs in general is very positive even though my views are quite hard-line regarding security and peace. Before the first intifada it was quite normal to go to different places in the West Bank. “i make a distinction between the conflict and what i feel about Palestinian and arab culture in general.” v continued on page 22

22 FEATURES

thejc.com

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

Orion hunts the meaning Israeli-born computer scientist Ori Allon has come up with a way to make internet searches quicker and more efficient. Bill Gates offered him a fortune for it, but he’s just pleased he’s made his parents proud, says Dan Goldberg

f you have searched for, and successfully found, something on the internet over the past couple of months, you should say a little thank you to ori Allon. The 29-year-old Israeliborn computer whiz is the man responsible for inventing a technique to make web searches far quicker and more efficient, earning himself a fortune in the process. Allon, who left Israel after army service to study in Australia, is not the stereotypical geek one expects of a computer scientist. He sports a healthy mop of semi-styled hair, some stubble, blue jeans and a semi-crumpled shirt. He smiles as he relives how internet giants Google, yahoo! and Microsoft threw money waged a bidding war to acquire the rights to his revolutionary invention. It was late 2005 and the doctoral student at university of New South Wales in Sydney had just come up with a complex algorithm for internet search engines that could understand the meaning behind internet queries

as opposed to simply identifying individual words. Within weeks he was in Silicon Valley in California meeting a team of technical engineers at Google. “We don’t try to match keywords,” explains Allon. “We try to understand the meaning behind the query and find the good web pages that correspond to it.” Word of orion — as the algorithm became known — spread quickly and Allon soon received a phone call from yahoo! asking him to drop by their Californian headquarters to demonstrate the technology. And then came a call from Microsoft. Within days he was on a flight to Seattle to talk to Bill Gates’s minions. “I didn’t think these people would get that excited about it,” Allon says. “But they tried all these different queries that didn’t work well on their search engines, and they worked really well on orion.” As a test, the secret recipe for CocaCola was typed into orion and the conventional search engines, he recalls. “I got what people speculate is the actual recipe as the first result on orion. They got some random websites.” A bidding war began between the

‘GooGle don’t usually buy these kinds of thinGs’

Ori Allon’s invention has helped “millions of queries since its launch in March three companies for the exclusive rights to orion. Google won the war, buying the rights for an undisclosed sum — and luring Allon into the bargain. “They usually don’t buy these

kinds of things. They usually buy wellestablished companies like youTube,” he says. Allon has now worked for the last three years at the world’s largest inter-

net company, where staff are lavished with free food, games rooms, and other luxuries. “It’s not why people come to work at Google,” he insists. “The fact you can affect so many people… is something that gives you a huge amount of satisfaction,” noting also that his parents are “very proud of me”. He offers the example of the Six-Day War, which is a straightforward search on the internet. But asking who are the most important figures in the Six-Day War is a much more complex search. The key to orion, he says, is that it will understand the meaning behind the question as opposed to the individual keywords. It will thus return websites related to Moshe Dayan, yitzhak Rabin and uzi Narkis, among others. And it will do so “in a matter of milliseconds” for the “many millions of queries” Google receives every hour — in 37 languages — since orion was launched on March 24. Asked about the zeroes that have been added to his bank balance, Allon laughs nervously. “The uni did very well and I did very well,” he says diplomatically. “I knew early on I wanted to make a difference — not just to work and make money. It’s a good feeling, but it’s a better feeling to know I can really improve people’s lives when they actually need information.”

‘Come! It’s not what it looks like on the news’ C continued from page 21

THE kIbbUTzNIk

yNNe PoRAT, 46, has been a librarian at the university of Haifa for the past 20 years and recently gained a doctorate. She moved to Tel Aviv from Hampstead Garden Suburb in London and lives with her Israeli husband, Amit, a GP, and three children, eitan, 18, Hila, 14, Maayan, 10, on a kibbutz. She says: “I didn’t have family here at all and I didn’t come from the kind of family that came here on holiday. But as soon as I arrived I really felt comfortable and at home. I was excited by the intensity of life which was so different from england. “The hardest thing about adapting is the cultural difference — people interfering, interrupting you, speaking abruptly and making comments that you didn’t ask for. But those same things I also find ver y attractive as they are so different from the reserved British. “I can’t get used to the rudeness though. I put Lynne Porat myself in situations to avoid it like living on a kibbutz and working in a university, which is like a vacuum. My children are happy and I’m really pleased this is the way I’m bringing them up — the left-wing, less achievement-orientated way.” “even though personally I have a lovely life, the country is heading for disaster. unfortunately Israel has

changed for the worse in every respect. It has become a really right-wing, materialistic society. “And I cannot see peace happening in my lifetime. I wouldn’t have gone into Gaza so quickly. In terms of PR it was totally foolish, but on the other hand no other country in the world would accept being bombarded day in, day out for eight years. I don’t think we should have killed so many people, but when they’re using people as human shields, in hospitals and universities, there are going to be casualties. “At the recent election I voted tactically — I voted for Kadima, even though in the past I have voted Meretz, which is very left wing. I know a lot of people who did the same, and it worked, because there are now fewer Knesset member from the religious right. Still too many though. “When yitzhak Rabin was in power and the olso Accords were in motion there was a feeling that there was going to be peace, and then Rabin got killed and a lot of hope was gone. Ariel Sharon, who was right-wing, did show promise of making compromises so maybe Bibi, who is also right wing, is going to surprise us. Most of the politicians seem to be too focused on getting their own careers advanced than taking care of the country. “I have quite a lot of contact with Arabs — more than most Israelis — because I work with a lot of Arab students, but definitely no contact with Palestinians. When we built our house we hired Arab workers but they were from within Israel. I have a cleaner who is Arab, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable having a Palestinian working for me. everything would seem, you don’t feel

any tension, but then they’ll put cement in your pipes. “As far as the security situation goes, I know people who have lost relatives and friends, but I’m not in any danger. I live in a good place in the country, I’m not near any borders. The university I work in is about 30 per cent Arab so it seems unlikely that anyone will put a bomb there, but I may be wrong. “I still believe Israel is a great place to live and it’s a great place to raise children. When I see my sister-in-law who has to take the kids to school in central London every day by car, I don’t envy her. There’s loads of social pressure and materialism in the uK. Children in Israel are more down to earth. They have no real idea about the conflict. I don’t know at what age it will finally hit them. To anyone considering making aliyah I’d recommend not moving to one of the British enclaves like Ranana.That would delay the integration to Israeli. But come! It’s not what it looks like on the news.”

THE TRAdITIONAL JEW

IKe JACoBS, 40, runs a successful company supplying photo booths. He made aliyah in 1991 from Northwood, north-west London, when he was 21 after completing his degree at Manchester university, having spent his gap year in Israel. It was there that he met his wife, Cheryl, 39, an occupational therapist from Australia, whom he married in 1992. They have four boys — yoni, 12, Alon, 10, Matan, eight and Ben, four. The family live just north of Tel Aviv. He says: “My one regret is that I did

not do army service. There’s an enormous difference even today between immigrants who have done the full army service and those who haven’t. I do reserve duty. “We are an enigma in Israeli terms as we keep a kosher home but are not religious. I knew the country well in terms of geography and getting around, but I didn’t have any language at all. I took it slowly and got there eventually, but at graduate seminars and lectures, I couldn’t understand a Mike Jacobs thing. I nearly called it a day. “The gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ has grown tremendously. It’s become more polarised religiously as well. “People are a lot more cynical about the political system. Levels of corruption which 20 years ago would have ruined a political career, no one blinks an eye at now. Having said that, standards of livng have increased dramatically. Just about everybody has mobile phones, computers and internet access. The first time I was here in the early ’80s it was still a developing country. People had to wait years for a telephone line. “My political stance is pretty much identical to what it was 20 years ago, but I’m more cynical. In many cases the government is corrupt. A two-state solution is where I am and where I have been for decades. over the years, when I have done army reserve duty or visited the territories, I have become more and more convinced that that is the right thing to do.

“In terms of Gaza, there was no choice. It was a necessity and it was justified. Whether or not it needed to go on for as long as it did, I’m not convinced. But in terms of the operation itself, it was long overdue. I felt the same about the Lebanon war two years ago. I’m critical of the indiscriminate attacks on a civilian population but there’s no doubt about the justification after being shelled day in and day out. “I want to believe the new government is going to be oK but my expectations are very low. I don’t think it will last that long. Realistically we’ll be back in elections in another two years time which, irrespective of your political opinions, is bad. There will have been about four elections in six years. The system is rotten. “As far as my relations with the Arabs are concerned, some of my suppliers are Arab Israelis and I have absolutely no problems at all with them. There is no difference working with them than with Jewish Israelis. I have absolutely no contact with Palestinians from the settlements whatsoever. It’s unfortunate but that’s the way it is. “I feel safer here than I do in London. When I have guests from overseas they often make that comment. Kids go to school by themselves, no one thinks about it. No one thinks about having their mobile phones around their necks [to protect them from being stolen]. It’s a non-issue here. It’s not some paradise — there are problems — but on a day to day level in terms of family life, it’s much safer here than in the uK. “Having said that, there is the conflict and there have been many attacks within 5km of our home. It’s something you live with.”

thejc.com

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

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CALL CHARGES * 0905 Calls Cost £1.30 per minfrom a BT landline, calls made from mobiles and other nextworks charges will vary. TEXT SERVICES: 88833 texts £1.50 per msg. Mobiles must be MMS/Wap compatible in order to use this service, if not contact your Network Provider. Text alerts are charged at £1.00 per week. To unsubscribe to text alerts, text STOP DATING to 83426. For full T&Cs go to www.localdates-terms.co.uk. Service provided by JMedia UK PO Box 56394, SE1 OWT, 0871 434 4131. We will collect the details you provide and may send you details of other services and events operated by us. WC 27/05/409

24 FEATURES

thejc.com

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

aSk the qc

jonathan goldberg answers your legal questions

‘Give me my presents back or I’ll sue’

Our expert in law’s regular column. This week, an ex-lover regrets his generosity, the police call on an art lover and Jewish versus non-Jewish barristers

INDa frOM wimbledon writes: “My beloved younger sister, now approaching 50, has great personality and looks like Elizabeth Taylor, but she has always been naïve with men. After her second divorce, she got engaged to a rich man who gave her lavish gifts including clothes, jewellery, a car and a mink coat. As an engagement present, he bought a yacht in the South of Spain in their joint names. They held a big engagement party at which they also received numerous gifts from friends. Recently she has decided he is not right for her and has called off the engagement. He is very upset and is threatening to sue her, demanding the return of his gifts and also half of the crewing and mooring charges on the yacht. He says he will waive all this if she will agree to resume dating and if they attend together 10 private sessions with a marriage guidance counsellor. He promises not to sue if things still do not work out between them after the counselling. She is not a wealthy woman. Would this be a binding contract from which he could not afterwards withdraw?” I will not debate whether your sister is naïve with men, because this is not a legal question and opinions might differ. However, there is a presumption that gifts which are properly made between lovers become the absolute property of the recipient, and so it is my opinion that your sister is not legally obliged to return the jewels, the mink, the car, or even her half share in the yacht in any event. since changes in the law in 1970, even the engagement ring is now seen as an absolute gift, and the old civil action of damages for breach

claim she was in deliberate breach of contract. finally, I caution that his dating condition must be rejected. what she actually chooses to do thereafter is, of course, her business, but any such explicit term in the contract would render it void, because the law would then regard it as an immoral contract, unenforceable as being contrary to public policy. for the same reason, by the way, shylock’s contract with antonio of a pound of flesh in exchange for 3,000 ducats, in The Merchant of Venice, would not have been enforceable by either side. Until today I thought his was the strangest contract I had heard of, but now I am not so sure.

Extravagant love tokens, like cars and yachts, can be a source of conflict of promise of marriage has been abolished. It would be different if he can prove that he attached an express or implied condition at the time of giving her any of the presents — that they were returnable if the marriage did not take place. Unless he has something in writing, or perhaps witnesses to this effect, it would be very hard for him to prove it. few judges would believe a man who claimed to have spoken such words when making gifts in the heat of love. and as the movie mogul sam Goldwyn famously said: “an oral contract is not worth the paper it’s written on.” the engagement presents from the friends are a different matter. the law implies a condition that they are returnable if the marriage does not happen. and the yacht expenses are more problematic. It might be held that joint ownership of the yacht

implies sharing the running costs equally. However, litigation is always a truly horrible ordeal which must be avoided at all costs. rich, jilted men can turn very nasty. It is clear to me this man is crazy over your sister and his true motivation is not revenge but to marry her. I can see no reason why it would not be a valid and enforceable contract for her to agree to attend the 10 sessions with the marriage guidance counsellor in consideration of his waiving any and all claims he might have to the gifts and the running costs of the yacht. who knows, she might even fall for his charms all over again. she should first spell out the contract in writing, perhaps by exchanging careful emails, and she would need to be seen to be making a reasonably genuine effort towards reconciliation during the sessions. If she sat there filing her nails, he might

l ron from Kingston writes: “I bought an expensive painting from a reputable antique shop in Brighton and paid by cheque and kept the receipt, but have been visited by the police who have seized it from me, saying it came originally from a country house burglary. Am I not the legal owner now, having bought it for good money and in good faith?” sadly no, ron. the basic rule of law is that nobody can pass good title to goods he does not truly own in the first place. thus the owner was always entitled to reclaim the painting from you (via the police in this instance), and your remedy now is to claim your money back from the shop. they in turn can reclaim from whoever sold it to them, and so on down the chain. l ariel from Golders Green writes: “I am a strictly Orthodox Jewish landlord and I wear the traditional black garb. I am in dispute with a tenant which will be heard later this year in the High Court. I have never litigated before. I am being advised within my community that I should brief a non-Jewish barrister to represent me. Do you agree?” Happily I myself avoid landlord and

tenant work, so I feel no conflict of interest when saying this advice is silly. when I started at the bar 37 years ago it was not uncommon to hear of Jewish solicitors who advised their Jewish clients to brief gentile barristers, preferably with double-barrelled names and ideally even knighthoods in important cases. On the other hand, I once successfully defended an Egyptian army general accused of shoplifting at Marks & spencer, who had insisted on a Jewish barrister. In today’s more liberal, multi-ethnic society such attitudes are redundant. Your judge and/or your opposing barrister could as easily turn out to be Jewish, or a woman, or black, as a white man, and all will have received training emphasising the importance of respecting ethnic, religious and sexual diversity. I do not believe that judges or juries pay the least attention nowadays to whether the lawyer is of the same or a different grouping to his client. Nor have I found prejudice in the courts against traditionally dressed Orthodox Jews, having represented literally dozens of them myself. I recognise they do fear it and I always find an opportunity if I can to explain Orthodox customs to the court. that sort of explanation may well carry more weight coming from a fellow Jew — even if they were reform! The above is not formal legal advice and is strictly without liability. Readers should consult a lawyer on any matter concerning them. All questions will be treated anonymously and all names changed.

Jonathan Goldberg QC is a leading lawyer practising at Ely Place Chambers in London

quesTions? please email qc@thejc.com

Silver lining michael freedland

Meet the Larry David of Bournemouth

t was while watching the Larry David show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, that I thought of my friend Max — Max Dias that is. I had just been to his birthday party, which was notable for many things — a great gathering of mutual friends, lovely food and jolly conversation. as far as I am concerned, most significantly, it was the first celebration I had been to marking a personal friend’s 80th birthday. Considering — and I’m hereby emphasising the fact — that I am nowhere near that age myself, it was indeed a milestone event. a milestone in friendship and in a simple revision of old-established ideas. what made me think of Max while watching that tV programme was that Mr David was seen doing things

no self-respecting Jewish boy should ever be seen doing — mending a roof, going fishing… surely, there is some halachah against a nice Jewish boy mending roofs? But not if your name is Dias. Max is one of those wise men you like to call on when you need advice (even if you don’t take it). More importantly, he is one of those people you go to when an electric light goes wrong or a television doesn’t work. Being 80 doesn’t alter his ability as a “do-it-yourselfer”. Or in my case, a “do -it-for-me-er”. I say that as an expert practitioner in the art of smashing-itmyself. Nor does it stop Max riding his motor scooter. Or announcing he would like to swap it for a Harley Davidson. His family have something

to say about that and I’m sure his rabbi will soon be paying him a pastoral visit on the subject. Mind you, if I didn’t know Max better, all the things he does would probably make me doubt his provenance. Surely there He lives in Bournemouth is some and chairs his halachah apartment against a nice block residents association — Jewish boy which means mending roofs that he and our mutual friend Vivian can be up to their eyes in flood water one moment, hanging out of their balconies fixing a fractured whatsit (even if I did know what the whatsit was, I wouldn’t be able to

pronounce it) the next. On the other hand, no doubt as some kind of penance, he knows his way around the week’s haftorah as well as he does his motor bike manual. He is a chorister at Bournemouth shul,which is quite remarkable for a man brought up in the traditions of Bevis Marks, as a scion of an old sephardi family. His singing talent, incidentally, has been inherited by his two sons, one of whom enjoys performing as a Presley impersonator, calling himself “shmelvis” ,with the word “Kosher” emblazoned on his cape. But it’s shmelvis’s dad who’s the real star of the family, a down-to-earth bloke who may now look out at the deep blue Bournemouth sea as he

gets up in the morning but who has never forgotten his roots. as he likes to say: “You can take me out of stepney Green, but you can’t take stepney Green out of me.” all of which makes me glad that he and his fondly-remembered late wife made the trek to the seaside, which know-alls always warn against — retirement, they say, is no time to take chances and move home. what twaddle, what a mishegas as they like to say in stoke Poges. Change has invigorated this former metallurgical engineer, college lecturer and expert witness to the benefit of all those who come in contact with him. so there’s a lesson there — if you’re well, think you’re 18, not 80. all in all, nothing would make me want to curb my enthusiasm for Max.

thejc.com

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

FEATURES 25

food

EDITED BY SIMON ROUND editorial@thejc.com

Shavuot, the perfect time to revisit barley

RECIpE Silvia Nacamulli

minestra di pesce (fish consomme)

Ruth Joseph on a cheap and comforting grain which is fashionable once again after years in the gastronomic wilderness

s a reader I’ve always been captivated by good narrative, and surely one of the most beautiful romances occurs in the Bible between Ruth the convert and Boaz. she is always pictured gleaning the barley harvest — Boaz tells his young men to leave her some full sheaves and at the end of the day she has all the barley she needs. and the story of shavuot continues. and certainly barley (hordeum distichon) — said to be the earliest grain — was hugely important in Biblical times. although a staple, it was never considered as valuable as wheat. In fact, it was often used as cattle fodder and was deemed a last-resort food in times of famine. The Talmud says: “When the barley is gone from the jar, strife comes knocking at the door.” (Proverbs. Papa Talmud Baba Metzia 59a). Perhaps this was because the barley flour, with its low gluten content, made a heavy loaf. Nevertheless, barley played an essential role in feeding the Biblical Jewish soldiers and in Exodus 9:31-32, we are told how the plague of hail ruined the barley and flax harvests, “Now the flax and the barley were ruined, for the barley was in ear and the flax was in bud.” after growing wild in southern Persia, its cultivation began about the fifth

Silvia’s website is www.cookingforthe soul.com. Next week: The Jewish Princess Preparation time: 1 hour Serves 4-6

IngredIents

Egyptian dynasty, continuing through the seventh and 17th. Roman gladiators were called hordearii or “barley-men”, eating the young barley sprouts to give them strength. and when the Romans introduced barley to Britain, it became the most important grain, used for breadmaking, for a gruel-type porridge and for brewing beer. so the ancient Britons lauded it, decorating coins with its image. But recently it has lost its popularity. It is seen as a rather heavy, fattening grain; that is until now. But new medical opinion reverses that view. Now we know it can help in the fight against diabetes and obesity – as the fibre in the barley-grain slows down the process of digestion and carbohydrate absorption in the body, also

barley tabouleh Serves 4

IngredIents 200g, (7oz) barley 675 ml, (1 pint 2oz) stock 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice plus grated rind 1 clove garlic peeled and crushed 3 spring onions cleaned and finely chopped

25g ( 1oz) finely chopped fresh mint 25g (1 oz) finely chopped fresh parsley Freshly milled salt and pepper 3 large tomatoes finely chopped 60g (2oz) chopped pistachios or toasted pine-nuts

Method ● cook barley with stock

WINE anshel pfeffer

Looking for a white? get it right Kosher wines sipped and reviewed

V If you think that making fish soup is a long and complicated affair, then think again. This recipe is simple and delicious. I use only the head and bones of the fish to make a tasty and delicate consommé, to which I add a little pasta at the end to make it more Italian. you can also mix different fish to give it a richer taste. use the head and the bones to make the fish consommé and the fillets for your main course. If you prefer to make a chunky and rich fish soup, ask your fishmonger to skin the fillets and cook them in the consommé for 10 minutes just before serving it.

(pearl barley for approx 1 hour, and pot barley 1½-2 hours). ● When tender add the oil, lemon juice and rind and season well. ● Then when the mixture is cool add the garlic, herbs, spring onion, tomatoes, nuts and seasoning ● Serve immediately or enjoy the next day.

V shavuoT MEaNs only one thing to me — white wine. Not only is it the classic pairing with the traditional dairy meals, but for those of you who are planning to stay up all night learning Torah, a couple of glasses of white will not induce the drowsiness that a heavy red usually brings on. so which white to buy? The huge advances

2 heads and bones of fresh sea bass/hake/red snapper/ sea bream 1 celery stick 1 peeled carrots cut into chunks ½ peeled onion Small bunch of fresh parsley finely chopped 1 bay leaf 2 slices of lemon 5-6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 crushed cloves garlic 100g plum tomatoes or passata (fresh or from the tin) 2 anchovy fillets a splash of white wine approx 2 litres water 100g spaghetti (optional) a pinch of crushed chilli (optional) Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese (optional)

acting as an appetite suppressant. It may be helpful in lowering high cholesterol. Barley contains 18 vital amino acids and vitamins C, B1, B2, B6, folic acid and pantothenic acid. Tests prove it assists in healing stomach linings, hence those old wives’ tales that barley-water could sooth sore digestive systems were right after all. Recently it has been used successfully to help irritable bowel syndrome sufferers and tests show it can also assist in the fight against colon cancer. so think comfort and health; enjoy a bowl of barley soup, even in summer with chicken or a veggie version with onions topped with light grated cheese. Barley can also be used to make an unusual risotto – soak barley overnight for extra tenderness. Then cook until soft, adding asparagus pieces, peas, cooked broad beans or any other fresh spring vegetables. you can stuff peppers or large field mushrooms with a mixture of cooked barley, chopped coriander, a grating of fresh ginger and maybe a chilli. Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake until tender. or sit your boiled shabbat chicken in stock-cooked barley with a sliced orange, adding extra stock, sliced onions, carrots, paprika and a pinch of cinnamon, and bake until chicken is golden brown. or try my Barley Tabbouleh — a summer salad that will sit happily next to a piece of grilled fish or wurst and can be used the next day in a lunch-box.

in the quality of kosher wine have mainly been on the red side. There are still few truly great kosher white knights. That doesn’t mean you have to put up with inferior wine. here are a few tips. There are too many bottles well past their prime on the shelves. unless you really know what you are looking for, buy recent vintages,

2007 and 2008, for that fresh feel. There is too much unbalanced, over-oaked kosher Chardonnay around. Try and find an un-oaked version. or else splurge on one of the ultra-expensive labels like a yarden Katzrin or Castel C. Pinot Grigio may be one of the most fashionable grapes right now, but there are very few

Method ● Fill a large saucepan with cold water. ● add fish heads and bones to the water together with

good kosher examples. Kosher Riesling is made by many american and Israeli wineries, but this grape seldom travels well far from its origins (except to south africa). Try buying something from alsace or austria. Many wine-lovers complain that sauvignon Blanc is boring. They have a point. Much of the sB on offer is indeed bland. Look out

for Goose Bay from New Zealand which brings the bounce back to this venerable grape. If you haven’t tried viognier yet, you should. It offers a total new white wine experience. Dalton and yarden are the ones to go for. Buy a couple of bottles of Moscato for the festive meal, preferably Italian (Bartenura or Rashi). It is fun and light.

the lemon, the bay leaf, the carrot, the celery, the onion, half of the parsley and a spoonful of sea salt. ● cover with a lid, bring to the boil, reduce the flame to a minimum cook for 30-40 minutes stirring occasionally and breaking the head and bones with the spoon. ● in a separate saucepan, warm up the olive oil together with the crushed garlic, the chilli, salt and pepper, the anchovy, the remaining parsley and, after a minute, a splash of wine. Once the wine has evaporated add the tomatoes, mix thoroughly and let cook for 5 minutes. ● Sieve the boiling fish broth, discard the bones and vegetables and transfer the broth into pan with the thick tomato base. Bring to the boil, taste and add salt if needed. ● Tip: if you want an italian touch, then once the consommé boils add the spaghetti cut into short pieces of 3-4 cm (1-1.5 inches) and cook according to the packet directions. ● Serve immediately with an optional sprinkle of pecorino or Parmesan cheese.

26 SOCIAL&PERSONAL

thejc.com

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

SOCIAL&PERSONAL births BAETU. Nikki and Adam are overjoyed to announce the safe arrival of their second son, Harry Jacob, born May 20, 2009, a beautiful brother for Oscar. Mazeltov to all of the proud grandparents and greatgrandparents. CROSSICK. Emma (née Goldstein) and Jonathan are delighted to announce the birth of their darling daughter, Millie Darcey, on Friday, May 22, a welcome sister for Max. First granddaughter for Susan and Anton Goldstein and Barbara and Paul Crossick. Another greatgrandchild for Shirley Zender. DURLING. Samantha and Robert are delighted to announce the birth of their beautiful daughter, Savannah Rose, on May 18, 2009, a little sister for Scarlett. Mazeltov to grandparents Ingrid and Sam Samra, Shirley Durling and greatgrandmother Maisie Sassoon. GRAY. Rose (née Stiller) and Brian are overjoyed to announce the arrival of Daisy Leah, born on May 14, a little sister for Nikki and Jamie. Mazeltov to grandparents in London and Durban on their latest little sweetheart. KLEMER. Angela and Zvi are delighted to announce the birth of their granddaughter, Lirit Hannah, in New York, named in loving memory of Lew Helper. Mazeltov to proud parents Avri and Johanna, Uncle Doron and greatgrandmother Sonia Helper.

LEVISON. Carole and Stuart Levison and Barbara and Derek Froomberg are delighted to announce the birth of their granddaughter, Rochel Yehudis (Ruchy), on Sunday, May 17 (Iyar 23), a gorgeous addition for her sisters and brother and parents Karen and Avi. Special mazeltov to great-grandma Muriel Froomberg.

LAUN BOWMAN and MICHAEL RUTTENBERG The engagement is announced between Laun, daughter of John and Kathy Bowman of Cape Town, and Michael, son of Cyril and Annette Ruttenberg. GEORGINA EMMA DIAMOND and JOSHUA AARON GAVZEY Susan and Clifford Diamond, together with Deborah and Simon Gavzey, are delighted to announce the engagement of Georgina to Joshua. A big mazeltov to all the brothers and sisters and to grandparents Eileen and Ronald Freedman, Sheila Diamond, Ann and David Minchom and Freda Gavzey (Netanya).

RELEVY. Carolyn (née Conway) and Nathan are delighted to announce the arrival, on May 11, of Saphira Mia, a sister for Adina Rachel. Fifth granddaughter for Linda and Ronnie Conway and tenth granddaughter for Dalia and Aaron Relevy. SEIFERT. Nikki (née Charles) and James are delighted to announce the safe arrival of Lucie Annabel, on May 8, 2009, a little sister for Jack. Mazeltov to all grandparents.

CARLY BENNETT and MARK JACOBS Bobbi and Franklin, together with Jennifer and Phil, are delighted to announce the engagement of their children, Carly and Mark. Mazeltov to all the grandparents and remembering with love those who are no longer with us.

CHELLONE. Sophie. My devoted wife for nearly 60 years. I will miss her so much, but I shall treasure the very happy memories we shared. May she rest in peace.— Jack.

GOLDSTEIN. Minnie. No words can express our sadness at the loss of our darling mother. Finally at peace. Will be sadly missed, but never forgotten by her daughters Sandra and Daryl and sons-in-law Gerald and Ian.

CHELLONE. Sophie. Beloved aunt and great-aunt, passed away peacefully early Sunday morning. She will be sadly missed for her lively spirit, good counsel and loving nature.— Norma and Geoff, Dan and Colleen, Clair and Wouter, Sally and Olivier and her five greatgreat nephews.

ABIGAIL MANNING and SAM LEIFER Richard and Adele Manning, together with Tony and Sue Leifer, are delighted to announce the engagement of their children, Abigail and Sam.

FELICITY ALBERT and DANIEL PRESS Both families are delighted to announce the engagement of Felicity, daughter of Sue and the late Tony z’l, forever in our hearts, and Dan, son of Adele and Adrian.

DOBRES. Norma Natalie. Died peacefully on May 12, at age 80. Widow of Syd, mother of Maxim, Jonathan, Ava, Michael, Winston and Charles, grandmother to eleven grandchildren and sister of Leila. A lady much loved by all and who gave so much love to all.

CHELLONE. Sophie. Passed away May 24, aged 87. Mourning our dear, brave beloved sister, sister-in-law and aunt. She will be sadly missed and always in our thoughts. No more suffering.— Rose, Jack and Len, Wallace, Anita and Esther and their families.

LOUISE GAIL LEVITT and LLOYD FRASER MATZ Evelyn and Maurice Levitt, are delighted to announce the engagement of their younger daughter, Louise, to Lloyd, son of the late Natalie and Arthur Matz.

forthcoming marriages

BERG. David. My darling daddy Dave, taken from us suddenly on Friday, May 22, 2009. A very special man who was loved and respected by all. He made us laugh until the end. We love him and will miss him.— Sharon, Richard, Kate, Emily and Alex.

COLLINS. Kitty (née Rappoport). Widow of Michael. My beloved aunt passed away on May 22, 2009. Auntie Kitty was generous with her time for my mother and with her love for me and my family and l will miss her and our outings for tea. She will be sadly missed by Susan and Reggie, together with Millie Resnick, Graham, Robert and Louise and their families.

deaths BERG. David. I can only be grateful for the 52 years and the amazing memories we shared. I will miss his fun and laughter which will always stay with me.— Love, Irene.

GOLDSTEIN. Minnie. Booba Minnie. Our dear grandmother whose kindness and humour touched us all. She will be forever remembered with love.— Lisa and Laurent, Nicola, Bradley and Antonia, Natasha and Simon and all her great-grandchildren. GROSSMAN. Eliasz. Our darling dad, finally reunited with our beloved mum Genia, after just three months apart. A good man. A family man, whose indomitable spirit helped him survive the Holocaust, but who, in the end, could no longer carry on without his lifelong soulmate. May he rest in peace.— Rosalin and Michael. GROSSMAN. Eliasz. Our zeida was a proud, wonderfully kind, loving man, determined until the very end. Broken hearted by the loss of his wife, Genia, just three months ago, they are now reunited. He will be sadly missed by Lisa, Jonny, Nikki, Richard, Orli, Millie, Sam, Jacob, Charlotte and Lilly.

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

GROSSMAN. Eliasz. Sincere condolences to Ros and Mike on the loss of their very much loved father and father-in-law. Our deepest sympathy to their family.— With love, Ralph, Lynn and family. HELMAN. Norman. Passed away May 21, after a long illness borne with great dignity. Deeply mourned by his devoted wife Sheila, sons Philip, Steven and Simon, daughters-in-law Helena, Lynne and Tammi and grandchildren Richard, Annabel and Sophie, Abbi and Sophie. May his soul rest in peace. HIRST. Eddie. Devoted husband, father and grandfather passed away after a very long, full and happy life. He will always be remembered with love and affection and sadly missed by Ruth, Gary, Francine, Russell, Lucy and Jonathan. Shalom. HIRST. Eddie. Deeply saddened by the loss of our brother-in-law and uncle. Dearly loved and fondly remembered. Our thoughts are with Ruth, Gary and Francine.— Yvonne, Judy, Alan, nieces and nephews. HOFFMAN. Walter. Passed away Monday, May 18 (Iyar 24), aged 79. A brilliant, but modest, loving and well-loved man, who will be greatly missed by his wife Shoshanah, sister Hilde, relatives and friends. HOWARD. Hilda. We are deeply saddened by the loss of our very dear aunt. She will always be remembered and greatly missed by us, our children and their families.— Jo and Gerald, Helen and Rufus. KHEDOORY. Elias. Wonderful husband, father and grandpa. Died aged 95, at the Royal Free Hospital, on May 21, after a long illness. He filled our lives with love, joy and grace. We will miss him greatly and all his stories and humour, and most of all, his support. We will cherish truly amazing memories of a very special man. Now at peace with his beloved daughter Gilda. His legacy lives on in his three beautiful grandchildren, Elliot, Philip and Leanne. Shalom.— Loving wife Giselle and adoring son Sam. KHEDOORY. Elias. A wonderful, kind, warm and charming gentleman. It was a privilege and honour to have known him. He was a special person who was devoted to his family. May his dear soul rest in peace. My thoughts are with Giselle and Sam at this very sad time.— Justine, Matthew and Jordan. LEDERMANN. Professor Walter. Passed away on May 22, aged 98 years. He will always be remembered as a man of great generosity, a distinguished mathematician and teacher, and a passionate amateur musician. He was a devoted husband to Rushi and adored his family. His son Jonathan, daughter-in-law Sarah and granchildren Hannah, Daniel, Tamara and Ilana will treasure his memory. MOSS. Bobbie. Sadly passed away peacefully, aged 93. Will be sorely missed by son Ronald, daughter Lin and daughter-in-law Cindy. MOSS. Bobbie. Our special nana, grandma and great-grandma. Unique, unpredictable, hilarious and loving. We adored her singing, her charades, her wise words and her humour. We will always miss our wonderful Bobs.— Andrew, Clare, Katie, Nikki and families.

REUBEN. Sidney. One of life's gentlemen. Mourned by his mechutanim Anne and Bernard Kenner.

SCHEFFER. Harry. Words cannot express the heartache we feel at the loss of a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. Life will never be the same without him.— Wife Estelle, Jane, Elliot, Neil and Lisa, Phillip and Beverley. We will love him always.

STRAUSS. Ilse. Passed away on May 22, aged 96, many years after her husband Walter. Always remembered by her elder daughter Judy, son-in-law Roger, grandchildren Jonathan, Susie, Talya and great-grandchildren Noah, Daisy, Joshua and Maya. With thanks to Sunridge for all their care.

STRAUSS. Ilse. A loving and very special mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who made the most of life during her 96 years. Sadly missed by Vera, Robert, Jacqui, Bret, Louise, David, Hannah, Sadie, Eliza and Cleo.

TYORAN. John. Passed away in Los Angeles on May 23. Will be sadly missed by Mark, Tracy and family and Rosemary, Stephan, Sally and family.

WAXMAN. Frank. My darling Frankie, beloved, father and grandpa. My best friend and love of my life for 44 years. He had a smile and a joke for everyone. Leaving us far too soon, he tried so hard to stay. An emptiness has been created which cannot be filled. He will be missed more than words can say.— Love forever, Lydia.

WAXMAN. Frank. Our darling daddy and grandpa, a true gentle man, one of a kind. He will be forever missed in our lives, but always in our hearts.— Nik and David, Jo and Darren, Lily, Joshua, Poppy and Jake.

WAXMAN. Frank. A wonderful brother who passed away after a long illness, bravely fought. Deeply missed by Ronald and sister-in-law Denise.

WAXMAN. Frank. Our wonderful, brave Uncle Frankie, whom we will always remember for his kind and gentle nature. He will be greatly missed by us all.— Michelle, Stephen, Jayme and Emma.

WAXMAN. Frank. We are deeply saddened by the loss of our dear cousin and friend. Our thoughts and condolences go out to Lydia, Nicola, Joanna, Ronald and families.— Faith, Stephen, Gemma, Robert and Nicole.

WAXMAN. Frank. Our mechutan and dear friend with whom we spent many happy times and holidays. A true gentleman, we will miss him dearly. Our hearts go out to Lydia, Jo, Nikki, Ronald and their families.— Jackie and Barry Reuben, Danielle and family.

WAXMAN. Frank. A very kind man who will be sadly missed. Our thoughts are with our darling friend Jo, Lydia, Nicola and Ronald at this very sad time.— Vicky, Bobby, Leanne and Daniel.

SOCIAL&PERSONAL 27

WAXMAN. Frank. A very special and loyal friendship spanning 50 years that will be fondly remembered. Friday nights will never be the same again. Our love to Lydia, Nicola, Joanna and Ronald. Shalom.— Martin, Shirley and all the family.

LANDAU. Ray. Passed away on Shavuot (May 17, 1994). Her loving care and guidance are sadly missed and ever remembered by her daughter Anna, son-inlaw Joe, grandchildren, greatgrandchildren, family and friends.

SATTIN. Audrey, who passed away May 31, 1992. Sadly missed and always remembered by her loving daughters Susan and Jennifer, sons-in-law Stephen and Denis, grandchildren James and Michelle, sister Rene, family and friends.

WAXMAN. Frank. “Lucky”. The Wednesday evening poker game will never be the same without “half-a-cup-of-coffee” Waxman. His gentle humour and kind temperament can never be replaced and David, Jack, Ed and Brian, as well as Mishi and Marian, will miss and love him always.

LEIGHTON. Gloria. Passed away June 2, 2004. Sadly missed by her many friends and family. Always in our hearts and minds. Shalom.— Edward, Susan, Alexander and William.

TRUP. Samuel. In loving memory of a most wonderful husband, father, father-in-law and grandfather. Forever in the thoughts of his devoted wife Celia, and so sadly missed by his loving daughter Rosalyn, son-in-law Gerald and granddaughters Georgina and Emily.

WAXMAN. Frank. Frankie, our lifelong friend, our mate. There will always be our gang of six. He will be in our hearts forever. Sending our deepest condolences to Lydia, Nicola and Joanna.— Maureen, Harvey, Janice, Stephen and all our children.

thanks for condolence PASHA. Stuart. The family of the late Stuart Pasha would like to thank Rabbonim, Shenley Community, family and wonderful friends for their support.

in memoriam BECOME a “Guardian of the Memory” of one victim of the Holocaust, to ensure that they will never be forgotten nor denied. Contact: www. guardianofthememory.org or 0207543 5402. COSS. Jack. Memories of my loving husband Jack will be in my heart forever. Fifteen years now since he passed away. I miss him so much. Goodnight to my sweetheart.— Vera.

LITWACK. Barry. Cherished memories of my dearly loved son, who passed away in Israel, June 2, 1998. Time can never fade the irreparable loss; a broken link I can never replace.— Dad. MILICH. Phyllis. Passed away on May 30, 2004. An unforgettable woman, who is remembered today and every day. Greatly missed and always in the hearts of her loving husband, son, daughterin-law, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. RAINE. Israel (Tubby). In everlasting memory of a beloved father and grandfather, who passed away on May 29, 1993. Always remembered with much love and affection by Nigel, Sheila, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. RIND. Sylvia. Treasured memories of my much-loved mother on her birthday, June 1, and every day; so greatly missed.— Alan.

tombstone consecrations DANIELS. Cyril. The memorial stone in loving memory of Cyril Daniels will be consecrated at Bushey Cemetery, on Sunday, June 7, at 10.30am. LOWI. Sidney. The memorial stone in loving memory of Sidney Lowi will be consecrated at Waltham Abbey Cemetery, on Sunday, June 14, at 10am. MARK. Michael John. The memorial stone in loving memory of Michael (Mickey) Mark, beloved husband of Diane, will be consecrated at Bushey Cemetery, on Sunday, June 14, at 5.30pm. ZIFF. Barry. The memorial stone in loving memory of Barry Ziff will be consecrated at Bushey Cemetery, on Sunday, May 31, at 5pm.

Will you remember Norwood?

COSS. Jack. Our dear dad and gramps, taken from us, June 1, 1994. Our hearts are broken. Thankfully his love will remain with us always.— His loving daughter Diane, son-in-law Willi, grandchildren Becky, Tom and Sophie. FAYERS. Gisela. Another year since I have felt my mummy’s touch and heard her voice. I miss her so. The terrible void will be even greater at her beloved grandson’s wedding but I know she will be there watching over him, his bride, and all of us, as well as our newest granddaughter.— With so much love from Helen, Barry and all the family. FOUX. Norman. In loving memory of our dear brother Norman, who passed away May 31, 2005. Sadly missed, but forever in our thoughts. May his dear soul rest in peace.— William and Cyril, sisters-in-law Judith and Leila and his numerous nephews and nieces. GEMINDER. Martin. Sivan 9, 5733 (June 9, 1973). Our beloved father. A respected, loved and memorable man cherished in our thoughts and always remembered by his loving family. At peace with his beloved wife, Karola, our dear mother. GOLDSTEIN. Leonard. In treasured and everlasting memory of a beloved husband, father and grandfather, who passed away nine years ago. Always remembered by his devoted wife Hilda, children Ralph, Michael and Irene, daughterin-law Adele, grandchildren Michael, Natalie, Melissa, Melody and Marina and great-grandson Davar. KRITEMAN. Sol. Died June 1, 2002. Sadly missed and always fondly remembered.— Sylvia, Michael, Ros, Grant, Sandra and families. Shalom.

Please include us in your will so that we can continue our vital work supporting children and adults with learning disabilities. Contact us now: t: 020 8420 6849 e: legacy@norwood.org.uk w: www.norwood.org.uk/legacy

Patron Her Majesty The Queen Registered Charity No 1059050

28 OBITUARIES

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

obituaries

Moshe Rose Born Birmingham, septemBer 7, 1925. DieD Jerusalem, may 5, 2009, ageD 83.

IRECTOR OF the Conference of European Rabbis for over 40 years, Rabbi Moshe (Maurice) Rose was better known abroad than in his native country. As a small child, he went to Australia with his parents and older sister, who survives him. They moved because of poor economic prospects at home but his parents soon found that Australia was no place for an Orthodox family. They returned to Birmingham in 1931. From primary school at the city’s Hebrew Schools system, young Avraham Moshe, or Maurice, attended grammar school, studying Hebrew under his father as well as Rabbi Yerachmiel Cofnas, minister of the New Synagogue, and Rabbi Reuben Rabinowitz of the Central Synagogue. Called up for Second World War service in 1943, he volunteered for coal mining service as a “Bevin boy”. This allowed him to live at home and observe Shabbat and kashrut. After the war he did 19 months’ national service in the army. Stationed for a year near Manchester, he lived with the family of Rabbi Gedaliah Rabinowitz, attending his shiurim at Machzikei Hadath. Released from the army in 1948 — the year his father died — he was appointed minister of the Derby Jewish commu-

Rabbi Moshe Rose: major force in rebuilding Jewish life after the war nity and was authorised as a shochet by Dayan Yechezkel Abramsky. In 1952 he moved as minister to Sutton, Surrey. His mother joined him, contributing to the community until her death in 1961. During his 10 years in Sutton, Rev Maurice Rose, as he then was, studied at Jews’ College and gained a BA and MA from London University. Shortly after his marriage to Cynthia Corman of Hendon in 1959, he received semichah.

In 1962, he became secretary of Chief Rabbi Sir Israel Brodie’s office. Continuing under the next Chief Rabbi, Lord Jakobovits, he produced Anglo-Jewry’s first kashrut guide. The year 1962 also saw the start of his role as honorary secretary — later titled executive director — of the Conference of European Rabbis (CER). With the gradual post-war regeneration of continental Jewry, he was concerned to

halt the inroads of Progressive Judaism and strengthen the Orthodox fold. With regular six-monthly committee meetings and a conference every two years, he saw attendances grow from 44 rabbis at his earliest conference to 350 at the 2004 conference in Brussels, when he retired. To continue his unpaid CER work after settling in Israel with his wife and four sons in 1973, he became administrator and part-time lecturer at Yeshivat Dvar Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Academy of Jewish Studies) and, in 1974, director of Young Israel in Israel, based on an American synagogue organisation. This fostered the novel idea, for Israel, of a community rabbi and gave him access to the Israeli rabbinate, allowing scope for his organisational talents. Together with the Council of Yeshivot he founded and directed Ge’ulim (Rescued), an organisation dealing with the religious needs of Russian immigrants to Israel, such as communal sedarim and a Russian-language religious calendar and siddur, now widely available in the FSU. He fought doggedly against accepting converts from non-Orthodox bodies and was instrumental in establishing the Beth Din of Europe in Switzerland, the first new beth din in central Europe for over 60 years. He was a prolific writer in newspapers and magazines, a regular broadcaster on Israel radio, and a frequent guest speaker in Europe, America and Israel. His history of the CER was published last year.

Arthur Taylor Born newcastle, FeBruary 24, 1923. DieD newcastle, april 9, 2009, ageD 86. MEMBER OF an eminent Newcastle upon Tyne family, Arthur Taylor gave unstinting service to the Jewish and wider community, writes Faga Speker. His father, Louis, and younger sister, Dorothy, were doctors. Both she and his younger brother, Peter, who became Lord Chief Justice, predeceased him. Brought up in a traditional Jewish household — his mother Raie came from the rabbinical Palterovich family of Leeds — he went to Newcastle Royal Grammar School, which was evacuated to Penrith in the Second World War. He interrupted his modern languages course at Cambridge to join the Guards Armoured Division as a gun commander in the 1944 Normandy

landings, Belgium and Holland. Serving in Germany at the end of war, he helped translate v2 rocket blueprints from Germany. He maintained a lifetime involvement in Ajex. After the war he switched to a law degree and joined his uncle’s law firm, Samuel Phillips & Co. Building up the practice for 40 years, he retired as senior partner in 1987 but continued as consultant for another four years. He joined the Representative Council of North East Jewry, becoming president and, for a time, represented Newcastle at the Board of Deputies. Combining his medical and legal interests, he chaired the Newcastle Health Authority from 1982-92 and was chairman of the National Association of Health Authorities. He was a founder and council member of St Oswald’s Hospice, president of the North of England Medico-Legal Society and Newcastle-upon-Tyne Law

John kemp

Bea arthur

Headmaster of Hackney Downs School from 1974-89, John Kemp, who died in London on April 17, aged 80, spent 35 years at the school which, until the mid-1970s, was over 50 per cent Jewish under a nonJewish staff. Among his best known Jewish old boys are Michael (now Lord) Levy, JC columnist Geoffrey Alderman and, in Kemp’s first years as English teacher, actor Steven Berkoff. The school closed in 1995.

Character actress Bea Arthur, who died in Los Angeles on April 25, aged 86, enjoyed a long stage career in her native New York before becoming a national figure on American TV. She made her name as the sharp-tongued Maude in the 1970s and outspoken Dorothy in The Golden Girls series from 198592. Born Bernice Franklin, she was twice divorced. Her second husband was actor-director Gene Saks.

Society, and a member of the General Medical Council and Newcastle Legal Aid Committee. He also served on the Northumbria Probation Committee, Northumberland and Tyneside Family Conciliation Service, National Family Mediation management committee and UK College of Family Mediators. vice-chairman of the governors of his old school, he played rugby for the old boys and Northumberland, and cricket for South Northumberland. He was appointed CBE in 1988 and Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Tyne and Wear in 1989. A music lover, he played the violin with his brother on the piano. One of his principles in life was to “hear a little Mozart every day”. He and his wife, Maureen née Cohen, whom he married in 1952, were regular opera-goers. In the Jewish community he devoted countless hours as honorary solicitor to help create the United Hebrew Congregation of Newcastle-upon-Tyne out of its three shrinking congregations. His patient contribution was instrumental in building the new synagogue at Culzean Park, Gosforth. He negotiated the complex covenant for purchase of the site, which satisfied the concerns of prickly neighbours while forming the basis of a new communal centre. He also co-wrote the constitution of the new congregation. Setting high standards and shunning publicity, he was generous, courteous and considerate. He is survived by his wife, Maureen; son, Paul; daughter, Carolyn; and three grandchildren.

His second son, Aharon, died in the 1982 Operation Peace for Galilee, serving in the IDF’s Hesder programme for yeshivah students. He is survived by his wife, Cynthia; three sons, Shimon, Yosef and David; and grandchildren. The Chief Rabbi, Sir Jonathan Sacks, writes: Through a long and distinguished life, Rabbi Moshe Rose made perhaps his greatest contribution to Jewish life through the CER, guiding its development with graciousness, dignity and quiet efficiency. He was a wonderful man, able to negotiate conflict by the sheer force of his good nature and equable temperament. Under his gentle guidance the conference became a major force in the reconstruction of Jewish life in Europe after the Second World War. CER executive director Rabbi Aba Dunner writes: Rabbi Rose led the struggle to ensure that communities across Europe continued to observe halachah. His wisdom and understanding of communities across Europe, together with his willing involvement in all communal endeavour, will be sorely missed. Rabbi Eddie Jackson, former minister of Hampstead Garden Suburb Synagogue, writes: Rabbi Rose was a mentor and real friend to me, particularly as rabbinics lecturer at Jews’ College. I later worked with him in promoting the twinning of communities through the CER, including Hampstead Garden Suburb with the community of Lvov. In everything he did his sincerity and dedication always stood out.

Bertha Newman Born nottingham, June 9, 1914. DieD lonDon, January 13, 2009, ageD 94.

Arthur Taylor: unstinting service to the north eastern community

CTIvE IN numerous communal causes, Bertha Newman was rebbetzin of Golders Green Synagogue for over 20 years. Born Bertha Cohen, she grew up in a rabbinic and communally active family in Manchester. In the Second World War she taught Jewish studies to evacuee schoolchildren across Britain. In 1944 she married Czech-born Eugene Newman, minister of the Manchester New Synagogue. They moved in 1945 to Portsmouth, where she gave hospitality to Jewish visitors and locally stationed servicemen, and took a full part in communal and civic life. In 1954 they moved to London when Eugene became rabbi of Golders Green Synagogue, then one of London’s largest and most prestigious communities. In addition to partnering her husband until his death in 1977, she contributed to the JC’s children’s page and inspired the Schools Kosher Meals Service, based at the synagogue. With few Jewish schools, the service provided meals for hundreds of children. She worked tirelessly for the religious women’s Zionist movement, Emunah, for over 60 years, becoming a national vice-president. She also organised the local Poppy Day annual appeal. She is survived by two sons, Michael — also a rabbi — and Winston; a daughter, Adele; and their families.

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

COMMUNITY C1

CommUNItY

Jobs go as UJIA income falls By Leon SymonS V Redundancies aRe being made at uJia as the israel and educational charity budgets for a fall in income because of the recession. chief executive doug Krikler said this week that, in light of changed financial circumstances, he would be undertaking a review of uJia’s three-year plan to ensure that its programmes can be maintained. “as with all charities in the current climate, we have looked at our cost base and taken steps to reduce our running costs, which have included measures on staffing. One per cent of staff are being made redundant.” To date, three

WEEkLY PULL-OUT SECTION: YOUR NEWS fROM aROUNd THE COUNTRY Email your news and pictures to: community@thejc.com

VSHAVUoT BRInGS BAKInG ConDITIonS To ReDBRIDGe Photo: BeN tUrNer

Five-year-olds Charlotte Baker and Benjamin Matthews prepare a cheesecake as part of the half-term programme at Jewish Care’s Redbridge community centre, which focused on the festival of Shavuot

employees have lost their jobs but the charity is trying to keep numbers to a minimum through, for example, not replacing departing employees. it is also not bringing in people to cover for staff on maternity leave. new schemes will be rolled out over two years rather than one and funding transferred more rapidly to new ventures from projects coming to an end. according to Mr Krikler, uJia’s threeyear rolling programme meant that “we can adjust our spending plans for the coming years in advance rather than finding we haven’t got the money”. although the charity hopes to match last year’s £17 million fundraising total, it fears a 10 per cent fall in revenue.

Running into money Birthday

Fun runners taking great strides for causes at home and in Israel

V a £100,000 windfall for Jewish charities was generated by sunday’s third community fun Run, held at Haberdashers’ aske’s boys’ school in elstree. The event involved more than two dozen charities and more than 700 runners, with many more people turning up to lend their support on the hottest day of the year. a 10-kilometre run attracted an entry of 325 with the first finishers coming home in 34 minutes. The remainder

took part in a five-kilometre event. To cater for the family market, other activities included a penalty shootout, face painting, arts and crafts and a bouncy castle. Maccabi Gb’s daniel Morris, the fun run organiser, reported: “families showing up to support their loved ones added to the great community feel. Our thanks go out to all the volunteers without whom we could not have staged the event.”

Manchester united in support of Limmud By JonATHAn KALmUS V inTeRnaTiOnaL deveLOpMenT Minister ivan Lewis and Manchester city council chief executive sir Howard bernstein added some highpowered local interest to the return of Manchester Limmud on sunday.

a lull in leadership had left Manchester without a regional Limmud since 2005. didsbury barrister and former national Limmud co-ordinator david Hoffman, who organised the 2009 event, was encouraged by the turnout of 300 from across the Jewish spectrum, adding that plans for fur-

ther events were in the pipeline. fears that some Orthodox elements would attempt to dissuade people from taking part had proved groundless. “We’re pleased with the good Orthodox, Reform and progressive contingents who attended. i’m staying involved and already thinking about

having another main-day Limmud late next year and some smaller events as early as January, so we don’t lose the momentum.” educationists clive Lawton and Raphael Zarum were also among the speakers at the Limmud, held at Hopwood Hall sixth-form college in Middleton.

gift of £16m

V Leeds benefacTOR Marjorie Ziff celebrated her 80th birthday on Tuesday by opening a £16 million Leeds university building which bears her name and that of her late husband arnold. The Marjorie and arnold Ziff charitable foundation is a major funder of the administrative building, located at the main entrance to the campus. chief Rabbi sir Jonathan sacks was among a host of dignitaries at the opening, paying tribute to the Ziff family’s generous support for Jewish and other causes. Mrs Ziff described the imposing sixstorey structure as “a top-of-the-mark wonderful building. i am thrilled to be able to give this to Leeds university. arnold would have been thrilled also.” Her son edward — a Leeds business school advisory board member — said the family maintained a close association with the university, “a fantastic institution. for mum, this is a bittersweet occasion as she misses dad not being there.”

C2 COMMUNITY

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

NeWS

Lofty ambition to clarify extension rules By James martin HARINGEY V Haringey’s strictly Orthodox community is being consulted over new guidelines clarifying the council’s position on loft extensions. at a meeting with 30 members of the south tottenham kehillah, Haringey’s chief planning officer Marc Dorfman said the aim was to produce design plans showing what constituted “an acceptable extension”. the council wants to avoid legal battles such as the

recent court case with local businessman David Kahn over a loft extension built in contravention of planning permission. Mr Kahn was ordered to pay £2,500 costs, but could have received an unlimited fine or been ordered to restore the property to its original format. Mr Dorfman was asked by Mark gross — who acts as a liaison between the community and the council — to look sympathetically on the space requirements of “ 600 very large Jew-

Housing benefits By James martin V an affOrDaBle housing scheme in stamford Hill will take in 15 Orthodox families over the next week or so, with another nearby project set to provide a further 15 homes in the autumn. Jewish housing association the industrial Dwellings society (iDs) purchased 20 of the total 300 units from taylor wimpey at latham’s yard in clapton in 2002 with the support of a £3 million Housing corporation grant. as well as maisonettes intended for families with a number of children, the properties include five single-bedroom

ish families”. He replied that rear extensions were “generally okay” but questioned the permissibility of loft extensions, “particularly square roofs”. speaking afterwards, Mr Dorfman acknowledged a lack of clarity in past council policy attempting “to strike a balance between the needs of the family and preserving the character of the road”. He hoped the consultations would bring the introduction of clearer guidelines.

in a further conciliatory move, councillor Joe goldberg, representing seven sisters ward, said Haringey would try to provide the kehillah’s under-16s with free same-sex swimming sessions. charedi children cannot take advantage of the existing swimming provision as it is open to both boys and girls. “One possibility is to use a local school a couple of evenings a week,” the councillor said. “there are also Muslims who don’t engage in mixed

swimming, so they would benefit.” the meeting, held at south tottenham synagogue, was the opening stage in a nine-month consultation between Haringey and residents groups. council leader claire Kober said: “this consultation is the first step in ensuring the needs of the south tottenham kehillah are met. it will then be incorporated into our 15- year strategy which will be implemented next year after extensive consultation with all groups in the borough.”

VJamie o’hara siGns For norWooD

flats which are ready for occupation. those housed will be families considered “high priority” by Hackney council. it is a mix of shared ownership and affordable rental, with those renting paying £150 a week. the second group of 15 families will move into a separate 36-unit development of maisonettes in nearby leeside road in september. iDs managing director paul westbrook said: “it was agreed with Hackney council that a designated amount of units would go to the Orthodox community so they could stay in an area which facilitates their needs.”

Service calls answered By Jonathan kalmus sAlfoRd V as part of an engagement initiative with salford’s charedi community, a council-funded event attracted a turnout of 500. seventy-seven council workers, five councillors, plus police and fire officers were involved in Our Kehillah (community), your council and you, which offered advice on housing, health and benefits. council leader John Merry also put

in an appearance at the Beis yaakov High school venue. the gathering was co-ordinated by the interlink foundation, whose north-west director nava Kestenbaum stressed its value on the basis that “very little information gets through to the community. people sought employment and skill [advice] and resolved benefits issues.” salford council’s Martin Vickers saw the event as an innovative way to promote mainstream services.

Vtime For a tee Break Photo: juStiN GraiNGe

Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara making a good impression on Norwood clients at the launch of Snap, the Spurs & Norwood Altogether Project. The scheme will give people with learning disabilities access to quality sports facilities. O’Hara said: “Everyone seemed to enjoy the activities and participants had some good questions”

Liverpool fills rabbinical void By Cathy Forman V swiss-BOrn israeli Mani pollak, 28, is to fill the longstanding rabbinical vacancy at liverpool’s allerton Hebrew congregation in september. Having recently completed his rabbinical training, the minister hopes to graduate with a social work degree this summer from the Hebrew University. His american-born wife yaffa, also 28, holds a degree in logistics and economics from Bar-ilan University and has youth leadership experience in israel and Ukraine. they have two young children and are expecting another child in august.

the congregation has been without a full-time minister since the departure of rabbi Doniel golomb in 2006 to become principal of the lubavitch Junior Boys’ school in stamford Hill. since then, the congregation has been served by rabbi aron Balkany as temporary part-time minister and also by rabbi lionel cofnas and emeritus rabbi Malcolm Malits. senior warden Merton cohen, who led the ministerial

search, expressed “delight at the prospect of a young israeli rabbi and his wife coming to serve as our spiritual and communal leaders. we met them in israel and they have since visited and impressed our community by their warm personalities.” rabbi pollak said he and his wife were “very excited about our move to liverpool. we look forward to start working with the lovely people.”

Mersey minister: Rabbi Mani Pollak

Chai raises awareness at the double Irwin Plasett, Daniel Platt, Jeff Zemmel and Roy Simmons helping to raise £30,000 for Jewish Care at the Alzheimer’s disease golf day at Dyrham Park

V cHai cancer care enjoyed a long distance double with the formal opening of its Manchester satellite service staged on the same day as a dinner in its honour hosted by Barnet Mayor councillor John Marshall. Held at Middlesex University, the dinner marked the end of the mayor’s charity appeal year, for

which chai is one of two beneficiaries. the Manchester service is in partnership with the fed and Heathlands and over 200 people were at the launch to hear Dr Jeremy nathan compliment chai on its services and explain why carers needed equal support. the Barnet dinner was addressed

by Martin Bell, who spoke about his journalistic career and time as an independent Mp. His take on the expenses scandal was that 100 Mps had cause to resign. prior to the dinner, the appeal had raised £70,000 in support of chai and Barnet carers.

parenting 29 may 2009

P RO M OT I O N A L

supplement

Simon Round diagnoses an embarrassing child-health problem

Grin and bear it?

he doctor smiled bravely as I walked into the surgery with my then twoyear-old daughter Lucy. “What can we do for you this time?” she said — putting the emphasis very much on the last two words. I told the doctor that I had become increasingly worried about the way Lucy was dragging one leg when she walked — also she was having trouble with potty training and tended to cry a lot at night. could there be some kind of syndrome…? the doctor patiently examined Lucy’s feet. She pointed to a small blister on her left heel. “I would suggest buying her a new pair of sandals. As for the crying and the potty training — well I’m sure she’ll get the hang of it. Is there anything else I can help you with?” Feeling totally humiliated, I led Lucy out of the surgery — or rather carried her out screaming, as she had found an interesting toy in the doctor’s surgery which she had wanted to take with her. the episode had pointed up a real problem, though. the juxtaposition of neurotic Jewish parents with yo u n g c h i l dren whose immune systems are vulnerable and whose health can be at times fragile, is guaranteed to cause stress — for the parent, the child and also for the healthcare professionals. Lucy is now nearly seven years old — she is (peh peh peh) very healthy and eats like a horse (actually like a herd of horses which have been deprived of hay for months). to be fair, she had very few serious illnesses as an infant but my memory is of constantly worrying about the state of her health. She had an allergy to egg, she had moderately bad eczema and a seeming inability to eat healthy food. oh, and rather inconveniently, she was also a prodigious vomiter. All of which meant that the medicine cabinet needed to be fully

stocked with paracetamol, ibuprofen and tranquillisers — for her father, of course. Lucy caught on to the general hysteria. once she fell off a chair — and claimed that she could not walk or even stand on her left leg. It was obvious to me that she had some kind of horrific compound fracture. A three hour wait at A&e later, Lucy and her frazzled dad were finally seen by the registrar. “can you stand up for me please, Lucy?” he said. Lucy immediately obliged. can you walk over here, please” Lucy did so … with just a slight limp. “Yes, I think she will be oK — she is just a little sore. I’d give her some calpol at bedtime.” he added that he thought the limp might actually have been caused by a small blister on her heel. Perhaps, he advised, I should get her some new sandals. cue another humiliating exit. But is being neurotic all bad? there was one occasion when Lucy did get really sick. her temperature was alarmingly high, she could not hold down any food and she had a racking, painful cough. the GP said it was just a virus and would soon get better. the following day at A&e, they also diagnosed a virus. Keep her cool, make sure she drinks and it will get better, they said. Another day on and with no sign of improvement we were on our way for a third opinion — this time an eminent paediatrician paid for by the expensive private health insurance we had taken out for Lucy (obviously). It was a bacterial infection, he said — quite a severe one. he prescribed antibiotics which he thought might work. they did, within 24 hours. All of which goes to show that, just occasionally being a neurotic Jewish parent does actually pay off — sometimes there really is something to worry about. As a result, I have a healthy daughter who is very familiar and comfortable in just about any consulting room situation. And she will no doubt grow up to be a healthy, caring — and completely neurotic — parent to her own children.

P2 parenting

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tHe JeWiSH CHrOniCLe 29 may 2009

Anna Tobin explains how to create a room that will adjust easily as your tot becomes a teen

The nursery that grows on you

t is very easy to get carried away when planning your baby’s nursery, especially if it is for your first child. the image that instantly comes to mind is probably of a fairytale-like room with an ornately-draped crib, bunnyrabbit wallpaper and matching window dressings. But unless you have an endless budget and you don’t mind getting the decorators back in again in a couple of years, opting for this fantasy interior is not practical. if you want a look that will take your child up to primary school age and beyond, keep the basic elements of the room neutral. Opt for painted walls or plain wallpaper and a low-key carpet or wooden floor. For the window dressings, choose a brightly-coloured patterned fabric that has a young feel, but isn’t specifically designed for children — brightly coloured gingham, or a fun spotty fabric, for example. And, while nursery furniture is very sweet, kids soon outgrow it. instead, go for contemporary full-size furniture that won’t date. By adding a few carefully chosen accessories to this backdrop, you can easily create a beautiful nursery. Put up a few wall-hangings, photo frames and nursery-style pictures. Mamas and Papas (www.mamasandpapas.co.uk,

0845 268 2000) does great range of cute canvas pictures, photo frames and wall plaques. When you are choosing those baby essentials, such as a play mat, changing mat and bouncy chair, go for ones that co-ordinate with your colour scheme. Add further baby touches with a mobile, rocking chair, nappystacker and toybox, also to fit the colour palette. there are several items that a baby will use only for the first few weeks, such as a crib or moses basket and a baby bath. to save money, try to borrow these from a friend who is a few weeks ahead of you (or buy one to share). Buy a new mattress, however, for any sleeping equipment that you borrow. Beyond cribs, you have the choice of either a standard cot or a cot bed, which transforms into a toddler bed. the cot bed might seem like a good idea at first, but it might not be worth the extra cost, as your child will need a full-size bed eventually. And when you go on holiday, your child will probably have to sleep in a standard bed, so it might be best to get used to a standard single from the start. Also, with the average age gap between children being two to three years, you often find that the second child is ready for the cot at the same time as the first one is ready for a bed,

Anna Glider Crib, from a selection at John Lewis so the toddler-bed version doesn’t get much use. Your child will grow out of the cot any time between 18 months and three years. At some point in this period the changing mat should have also become redundant and the mobiles and playmats will no longer hold any interest. so you can start moving the room on to its next stage. the floor-space can be freed up for

toyboxes, a little table and chairs and larger toys, such as train-sets and dolls’ houses. if the room is small or you just like the idea of a toddler bed, look for one that extends into a full-size single bed. if you are happy to go straight to a standard divan, consider one with a truckle bed that pulls out from underneath — useful for future sleepovers. if your child is sharing with a sibling,

bunk beds are also a good idea. there’s no rule on when children can sleep on a top bunk, but they’re not recommended for under-sixes. You can buy bunk beds that divide into two singles, so if your kids are too young for bunks now you have the option later, or if you plan to move the children into separate rooms one day, you can switch the bunk into singles. Bed linen is relatively cheap and is a useful way of expressing the age and interests of the child. that Peppa Pig duvet set can be replaced with a more sophisticated look when the child is no longer such a fan of the perky pink personality, for example. As the teenage years loom, the room’s inhabitant will benefit from a dedicated desk area for studying and a cosy corner for chilling out. if space is limited, look at cabin or mid-sleeper beds, which have furniture such as a desk, wardrobe and shelving underneath. teenagers will also be more keen to put their own stamp on the room, so the wall space will probably become cluttered with stickers, pin-boards and posters, while the toy-box will give way to some funky floor cushions or a small sofa. By keeping the basics simple, it easy to create a room that grows with your children and reflects their character.

Billie Josephs on the secrets of sleep

blished 1908 E sta

The rest is mystery

t is at that moment when you arrive home from hospital with your precious bundle of joy that you suddenly miss the care and attention lavished on you by the staff at the antenatal unit. there you are, confronted with a tiny, squalling human being who has endless unreasonable demands and seems determined to ensure that you don’t get the one thing you really need — a perfect night’s sleep. Linda Richardson, the nursery advisor at John Lewis, Brent Cross in north west London, offers a two-hour consultation which, while not guaranteed to give you and your baby that longed-for slumber, at least makes sure that the transition from crib to cot is as stressfree as possible. Newborns sleep best in cribs, says Ms Richardson. the small environment helps them feel secure. the rocking action of a crib such as the Anna swinging Crib (£68) or Anna Glider Crib (£97) should help baby settle. Move to a cot between four and six months, or when the baby starts to push up on to hands and knees and sits unaided. Babies can also sleep in a cot from birth, using the highest base position for newborns and lowering it as the baby learns to sit and stand. the Luca cot (£77) and Anna cot (£97) spare your back, making it easy to lift the child. safety tips include allowing the baby to sleep in the parents’ room for the first six months, to reduce the risk

Golders Hill School Golders Hill School, a leading independent PrePreparatory School, has served the community for over 100 years, and is renowned for its achievements at 4+, 5+ and 7+, nurturing children to achieve the best results at the start of their schooling. Our team of caring, dedicated and enthusiastic staff members help your child take their first independent steps into the outside world in a safe and stimulating environment.

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of cot death, ensuring the cot is deep enough to stop the baby from climbing out and checking the mattress fits the cot with no gaps and the bars are no more than 45mm to 55mm apart. Fresh air is something that even the most protective parent would agree is essential for a baby’s health. How else, after all, are you to show off the latest addition to admiring neighbours? When choosing a buggy or pram, consider safety as well as comfort. How stable is the pram or pushchair? if you hang a shopping bag on it, will it become unbalanced? Does it have good brakes? Will the seatbelt stop the baby falling out if you hit a bump? the major brands, including Bugaboo, Maclaren and silver Cross, are built with safety in mind. All these and more will be on show in October at the Baby show at London’s Earl’s Court. Mamas and Papas is a leading brand for prams, pushchairs, car seats, cots, highchairs, nursery furniture, bedding and toys. its buggies and prams will suit the most safety-conscious parent, not to mention a baby with an early taste for something sporty. it offers combinations that allow the owner to attach different items to the chassis, creating anything from a pram to a car seat to an overnight bed. For off-road trips and hard city streets, there are durable three-wheelers. there are also forward-facing pushchairs, allowing babies to survey their surroundings and bestow those muchcherished smiles on passers-by.

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tHe JeWiSH CHrOniCLe 29 may 2009

Parenting P3

Summer style for youngsters who know (better than the grown-ups) what they want. By Elisa Cowen

Kids do their fashion homework

ONe ARe the days when children dressed like children and wore what parents chose. TV and peer pressure ensure that even tots of two know exactly what they like, while parents, not wanting to waste money on clothes that their young refuse to wear, tend to give in. Keep your children’s tastes and style in mind when buying their clothes, but you do need a sensible balance between their demands, your pocket and a bit of practicality. every child needs wardrobe basics such as jeans, t-shirts, shoes and socks and these can be teamed with a key trendy item for summer. By adding just a few hot fashion items to the everyday kit, you won’t overspend on non-essentials and the youngsters will be the coolest kids on the block this summer. At Tiddlywinks, in st John’s high street, north-west london, you will find clothing and accessories for boys and girls from birth (including prem sizes) to age eight, with exclusive designer creations sourced from all over the world. little boys will look nautically nice in sailor suits, ideal for summer pageboys, or choose from smart jackets,

Sweet sugar-pink dress and smart simchah outfits, all from Tiddlywinks suits, shirts, trousers, t-shirts and denim wear. For girls, highlights include lots of gingham, along with mint green floaty dresses. Co-ordinate a holiday look from tops, leggings and tracksuits

in jewel colours. Top design collections include Christian dior, Mona lisa and Juicy, as well as embroidered Replay jeans. There is a good choice of party wear and bridesmaid’s dresses.

For relaxing in the pool (whether mosaic-tiled and Olympic-size or bright plastic and inflated by a gasping parent), there are both bikinis and onepiece swimsuits, which can be teamed with matching dresses, skirts, sarongs and kaftans, as well as jewelled sandals and hair accessories. Boys will love the funky swim shorts in vibrant colours. Just down the road from Tiddlywinks is Ben’s, with its enviable collection of “teen” clothes, for boys and girls aged nine to 16. Ben’s stocks both casual and formal clothing, including evening wear. smart suits for boys can be dressed up or down with Ben’s various shirts and ties. Girls can find exquisite ballgowns, cocktail dresses and evening dresses. New autumn wear is now in at Ben’s, including satin dresses in raspberry, deep blues and purples, with petticoats. Fresh deliveries arrive every six to eight weeks. Ruth, of whetstone, north london always listens to its young customers and knows exactly what they like to wear. The shop expertly alters dresses to give that figure-hugging look that teenage girls go for when browsing the high-street stores, but with the advantage of exclusivity. Ruth’s buyers travel all over the world, sourcing the most gorgeous styles, fabrics and designs. This season,

hems are rising, skirts are full and have coloured petticoats and waists are pulled in and emphasised — and there is an abundance of pink, in shades to suit all age groups. Bridesmaid and flower girl dresses are another Ruth speciality. But Ruth is not all about the girls. little boys are catered for as well, with suits and casual wear for ages up to 10. At woody’s, along the road from Ruth, boys are given the opportunity to express their individuality through their clothing. Customising merchandise is an important service here, with jewelled ties and crystal-decorated and spray-painted shirts. The in-house graffiti artist can transpose any design or message on to a piece of clothing. Other cutting-edge looks include American shirts in a huge range of colours, narrow-fitting suits, flap trousers, mohair fabrics, richly coloured suits and fitted party shirts. woody’s carries 800 boys suits at any one time, for ages 10 to 16. These include all the popular brands, as well as woody’s own massive collection of suits, ties and shirts. woody’s suits are exclusively designed and made by the shop, in quality fabrics, with great attention to detail such as boned collars, double cuffs and top-stitching for an impeccable finish. A full made-tomeasure service is also offered.

Billie Josephs on the role of JCD

Helping children is all in a Day’s work

ewish Child’s day was founded in 1947, to give Jewish children and their families the opportunity to help children in europe who were displaced in the aftermath of the second world war. Now it has increased its support for UK and european institutions. At its latest allocations meeting, the JCd approved grants totalling more than £100,000. A sum of £4,000 went to simon Marks Jewish Primary school in stoke Newington, north london, to help pay for new equipment for the school’s new playground; £3,000 went to london-based charity Camp simcha which aims to improve the quality of life of children with cancer and other serious illnesses and £2,500 to Aguda Northwest, a strictly Orthodox congregation running a children’s centre for Jewish kids in salford. “we were really pleased to be able to support excellent projects in the UK,” remarks the organisation’s executive director daniel Burger. “we are pleased to say that UK applications accounted for almost one third of all requests, a significant increase.” it was also part of JCd’s strategic decision to allocate more funding in percentage terms to the UK and countries outside israel. however, stresses Mr Burger: “As we have had such a good fund-raising

year, despite the percentage drop in support of israeli children’s agencies, in real terms our support for israel has actually grown.” Following a recent trip to Turkey, Mr Burger made a grant of £1,500 to buy school textbooks for Jewish children there whose parents were unable to afford them. A further £3,600 went to a youth centre in izmir and £2,500 for a social services operation for the Jewish community in istanbul. Mr Burger has also announced a three-year funding of £10,000 for Keren Yaldenu, which runs vocational youth clubs throughout israel. The money will help establish computer laboratories at three centres, in Ashkelon, Rehovot and Nahariya. Two other israeli children’s agencies to receive support are eliya, in Beersheba, which helps blind babies and Aleh in Bnai Brak, to provide new beds for children with special needs. JCd has also announced that Alyn hospital in Jerusalem will receive a cheque for £5,000, to be presented by children from King david high school in Manchester, who raised the money for JCd. despite its growth, JCd has never lost sight of its guiding principle — to educate UK Jewish children about the importance of tzedaka, giving to charity within Jewish law and tradition.

[N]

P4 Parenting

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tHe JeWiSH CHrOniCLe 29 may 2009

Billie Josephs visits one of central London’s most affordable family attractions

Free meals for kids at Sophie’s

t is a scenario familiar to all parents who have taken their children for a day out in London, writes Billie Josephs. Once the kids have taken a turn on the London Eye, posed alongside a waxy David Beckham at Madame tussauds and purchased a cornucopia of tatty souvenirs in Leicester square, up goes the dreaded cry: “We are starving!” At times like these, head for sophie’s steakhouse and Bar in Covent Garden, a new, Manhattan-style restaurant that, while becoming a firm favourite with the pre- and after theatre crowd, also goes out of its way to cater for hardpressed parents and their children. Although sophie’s specialises in meat, it also has a rich variety of fish and vegetarian dishes to offer its diners. On sundays, two under-12s, accompanied by an adult, can eat for free and

Sophie’s: a Manhattanstyle deli with a menu including milkshakes, sundaes and a range of fish and veggie dishes

choose from a wide-ranging children’s menu (particularly handy for couples with four children!). Mums and dads can enjoy a moderately-priced or à la carte luncheon. the children’s menu features such favourites as salmon and haddock fishcakes, haddock fish fingers with mushy peas and chips and macaroni cheese. All dishes, says manager Matt Belcher are prepared in-house, under the care of the restaurant’s head chef. For kids with a sweet tooth (is there any other type?) the menu includes banana sundae; thick, creamy milkshakes and vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce. Once the kids are full, their minders can enjoy a coffee, as the youngsters get busy colouring in the cartoons on the children’s table mats — a clever touch from a restaurant that while definitely trendy, truly cares for its young clientèle.

Learning for life

Special support

We provide worldwide support for thousands of neglected, abused, handicapped and disadvantaged children. To find out more about the vital work JCD undertakes each year:

We provide worldwide support for thousands of neglected, e info@jcd.uk.com ; www.jcd.uk.com * abused, handicapped and disadvantaged children. ' 020 8446 8804 * 707 High Road London N12 OBT To find out more about the vital worka JCDJewish undertakes each year: Helping to make child’s day e info@jcd.uk.com ; www.jcd.uk.com * Registered Charity No. 209266

' 020 8446 8804 * 707 High Road London N12 OBT

Helping to make a Jewish child’s day

MAGinE thE Birth of your child — the happiest time of your life — is shattered when your child contracts meningitis and is left with learning difficulties. On hearing your child has a learning difficulty, you feel grief, despair and a sense of loss. these feelings are well known to Lee Welck, mother of two sons, one of whom lives at Langdon Community, the other a surgical orthopaedic registrar. she recalls: “When we realised Daniel, now aged 32, had learning difficulties, we knew we had to give him the best education and opportunities to succeed in life. For all those parents today who feel the way i felt, i can tell you it will be OK. Langdon will help you plan your child’s future. From the age of 16, Langdon teaches, helps and encourages your child’s educational, social and spiritual growth.” Langdon College and Community was created 16 years ago by a group of parents including Lee and Barry Welck, because there was no other suitable provision available. “the temptation to keep Daniel at home was strong,” says Lee, “but in reality not fair. he needed the opportunity to reach his potential in life. Langdon has enabled Daniel to live independently in his own flat, with outreach support. he works full-time, has a busy social life and plays and active role in the community. More importantly, his future is assured for now and after my husband and i are gone. i would be happy to share my experiences and the Langdon solution with any family struggling today to cope with the challenges of raising a child with learning difficulties.” You can contact Lee by email: info@langdonfoundation.org.uk

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

COMMUNITY C3

YoUR LoCAL NeWS

south brighton V FIFTy PEoPLE attended Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue’s “Antiques road Show”, in which antiques expert PeterBrynin appraised items ranging from jewellery to furniture. The event raised £180 for the shul.

eastbourne V EASTBOuRnE HEBREW Congregation and the Christian Friends of Israel jointly hosted a meeting at the Susans road synagogue on the way that Jews interface between Britain and Israel. Zionist Federation joint president Professor Eric Moonman highlighted the way that British Jews and their Christian friends can help in promoting a positive image of Israel. rabbi Herschel Gluck, chairman of the Muslim-Jewish Forum, spoke to the 60-strong crowd about the treatment of Jews in Europe.

bournemouth V THE WESSEx Jewish Golf Society attracted 18 players to its inaugural golf day at Canford Magna Golf Club. Jeffrey Cohen, the society’s secretary and treasurer, said: “The aim of the society is to bring together Jewish golfers for a social and competitive golf outing.” Further details can be found on the society’s website www.wjgs.org.uk. V ArouND 200 people attended a meeting organised by the Conservative Friends of Israel. The speakers, Shmuel Ben-Tovim from the Israeli embassy, CFI

director Stuart Polak, Tobias Ellwood MP and prospective MP Conor Burns, were introduced by Bournemouth CFI chair Councillor Michael Filer. Mr Ellwood, who recently travelled to Israel with Mr Burns under the auspices of CFI, said that the tour had given him a perspective of the situation. The meeting was held at Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation. (See picture.)

capacity audience of over 100 people, included the Mayor of Cheltenham, Councillor robin MacDonald. Further celebrations to mark the milestone of this small community of 75 members include hosting the writer Norman Lebrecht who will give a talk on Mendelssohn and Mahler at July’s Cheltenham Music Festival.

colchester

birmingham

V MEMBErS oF Colchester and District Jewish Community travelled to the Czech republic for the dedication of a memorial to the Jewish community of Strakonice. The town’s Jewish population before the war was about 120, it is now one. The CDJC is the custodian of a Torah scroll which originated in Strakonice. The memorial was the culmination of Strakonice school students’ participation in a Holocaust Educational Project. Michael Cohen, past chairman of CDJC, said: “For 15 students and one teacher in a small town to have set this endeavour in motion and create something special was amazing.” (See picture.)

V WEST MIDLANDS hosted a day conference to celebrate Liberal Judaism. Activities included “a conversation” with Baroness Julia Neuberger about Liberal Judaism in the 21st century. The event was held at Birmingham Progressive Synagogue and attracted over 240 people. Frank Maxwell, chairman of BPS, said the day “was a great success”.

west cheltenham V AS PArT of its 170th anniversary celebrations Cheltenham Hebrew Congregation held a concert by the Cantorial Singers. organiser Michael Webber said: “This is an important year for us and so, for the first time, we organised a major concert in the shul.” The

midlands

north liverpool V A rEForM weekend workshop included a Shabbat service on the Wirral Merseyside. The event, “The synagogue came to you”, was held at the home of Petrice and Andrew Patrick and led by student rabbi Tanya Sakhnovich. Thirty people attended and future services are planned. This was followed by a Sunday workshop at Liverpool Reform Synagogue, with the theme “Building a Confident reform Congregation in 21st century Liverpool”. Martin Herr, the congregation’s community development officer, said the day was “inspiring”. (See picture.)

manchester V THE MANCHESTEr regional group of the Jewish Genealogical Society hosted an oversubscribed Northern annual conference. Around 70 people at the Greater Manchester Police Training College heard guest speakers including Jenny Thomas, researcher for the BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? and Manchester historian Bill Williams. Chairman of the group, Lorna Kay, said people came from Glasgow, Leeds, Bradford and Liverpool to attend. There were experienced genealogists and beginners who said it had given them the incentive to start family research. V yoM yEruSHALAyIM was celebrated at the Bnei Akiva bayit in Salford with a special tefillah chagagit (celebratory prayer service) and free falafel. rabbi Chaim Kanterovitz of Cheadle’s Yeshurun Hebrew Congregation spoke at the event, telling the audience the day celebrated the greatest revelation of God in modern times and turned the State of Israel from a fledging state into a country that was “here to stay”. V THE ANNuAl fundraising dinner for the T’Mimei Lev special needs school raised £15,000. Around 200 people heard South Manchester Synagogue’s rabbi yitzchok rubin speak at the Hilton Suite. Chair of governors Gershon Glickman told the audience that the school would never turn a child away from lack of funds, but the financial climate meant it relies more on donations.

Strakonice, czech republic Members of Colchester and District Jewish Community and local dignitaries at a dedication of a memorial to the Jewish community of the town of Strakonice, murdered in the Holocaust

liverpool Hannah and Rachel Stevenson with

student Rabbi Tanya Sakhnovich at Liverpool Reform Synagogue’s Open Day

glaSgow Rabbi Mendel Jacobs of the Lubavitch Shul in the Park presents Whyte and Mackay’s Richard Patterson with a certificate of trees planted in Israel in appreciation of his talk about whisky to 60 guests bournemouth The Old Time Music Hall group entertained residents and staff at Hannah Levy House. The event was organised by Andrea Leckerman, a volunteer at the care home

Life is not always a bed of roses D

uring the difficult times that every family faces, Gillhams Solicitors are here to help. Our personal service includes administering estates, handling probate matters, preparing Powers of Attorney and helping to plan the future of elderly relatives or those suffering from mental incapacity or dementia - being on the panel of the Court of Protection, we are regularly appointed to look after people with mental incapacity. Our caring approach includes making home visits. We may not make life a bed of roses, but we can enable you to do the very best for the people you love.

bournemouth From left: Conor Burns, Tobias Ellwood MP,

Shmuel Ben-Tovim, Michael Filer and Stuart Polak at a CFI meeting at Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation

on the Web see More of your coMMunity event photos in our out-and-about gallery at www.the Jc.coM

www.gillhams.com

leeDS John Goodwin (back row, right) of Cohen

Cramer Solicitors was one of six runners from the firm to complete the Leeds Half Marathon for charities including Make a Dream and Ezer Mizion. Mr Goodwin is chairman of Leeds Jewish Learning Institute

Contact Russell Caller on: Tel: 020 8965 4266 email: rc@gillhams.com

W E CA R E MO R E

C4 COMMUNITY

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

FACeS&PLACeS

ON THE WEB see more simchah photos at thejc.com/ community

READERS PLEASE NOTE: HOW TO SEND US YOUR PHOTOgRAPH

We now ask ALL contributors to send images in electronic form and NOT to send photographic prints. Photography stores will be able to digitise your prints for emailing.

1. Email a high-quality image, in jpeg format and 750k to 2MB in size, to faces&places@thejc.com. 2. Please include with your image the name(s) of those featured, the celebration and its location, and a photographer’s credit, if any. Please ensure that your spelling is accurate. 3. Please do NOT telephone with follow-up inquiries. We are unable to advise on when/whether images will be used. There can be long delays: if yours has not been used after three months, you are welcome to email it again. Faces&Places is a free service to readers. While we endeavour to use as many images as we can, space restrictions mean that we cannot guarantee that every image will be used.

Daniel Breuer was barmitzvah at Brighton and Hove Reform Synagogue

Harry Marks was barmitzvah at Borehamwood and Elstree Synagogue (Photo: michael Schogger)

Andre Demetriou was barmitzvah at Hendon Reform Synagogue (Photo: Laura marks)

Toby Harris was barmitzvah at Radlett and Bushey Reform Synagogue

James Van Straten was barmitzvah at Borehamwood and Elstree Synagogue

The Complete Toastmaster

Jonathan Ian Waterman Professional Toastmaster & Master of Ceremonies Member of the English Toastmasters Association Weddings Bar/Barmitzvah Charity Functions Civic Ceremonies Council & Government Functions Masonic Functions, Baby Naming Ceremonies and more...

Candice Gersun and Michael Meisels were married in Johannesburg, South Africa

Tel: 07967 300834 Email: jonathan_waterman@tiscali.co.uk www.thecompletetoastmaster.co.uk

HELPING DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN

One to One funds projects helping disadvantaged Israeli children from Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Bedouin and Druze communities. They include after school centres, cycling clubs, martial arts classes and projects for children with disabilities and special needs. For further information contact us at: One to One, Carradine House, 237 Regents Park Road, London N3 3LF

Tel: 020 8343 4156 e-mail: admin@one-to-one.org web: www.one-to-one.org

Gavin Rhodes and Nicole Sacks were married at New West End Synagogue (Photo: Sharna

Kinsley)

the gueSt LiSt

Manny and Jean Lester celebrate their golden wedding. They married at Hackney Synagogue (Photo: elaine Colom)

SOCIAL EvENTS OF THE WEEk

london diners raise £47K for Boys town Jerusalem “victoria and David Beckham” were among the 170 guests at British Friends of Boys Town Jerusalem’s gala dinner at Madame Tussauds in central London. The event raised £47,000 for the charity, which is celebrating its diamond anniversary

Photos: Raymond harrod

British Friends of Boys Town dinner committee: Laurence Stein, Sharna Kagan, James and Alex Bergman, Kate and Lee Reuben, and Stella Lowy

Alan and Claire Dalton, Linda and Martin Reuben

Reg. charity no 801096

The on-line guide to Jewish Mental Health in London. Find out what services are available, where and when. www.JewishMentalHealth.info

www.JewishMentalHealth.info

Former British Friends of Boys Town chairman Jeffrey Pinnick and Laurence Stein

Caroline Reeback, Asher and Dani Miller, and Ashley Reeback

Margo Miller, “David and Victoria Beckham”, Andrew Tabachnik

Kate and Lee Reuben, British Friends of Boys Town chairman

Danny Magar, Eyal Bull and Darren Bloom

David and Michaela Seal

Karen and Lawrence Santi, James and Laura Hilton

Barbara Kulick and Valerie Mitchell

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

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Win

The Jewish Chronicle, bmi and David interContinental are offering one lucky reader and a guest a three night break to Tel aviv with Business Class tickets. the prize includes: • two return Business class tickets with bmi from london Heathrow to tel Aviv on their leading aircraft, the widebodied A330 • three nights accommodation in an executive room on a bed and breakfast basis at david Intercontinental tel Aviv. • One complimentary lunch or dinner for two at david Intercontinental tel Aviv.

a Three nighT break To Tel aviv

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comment&analysis

COMMENT&ANALYSIS 31

IllustratIon: andrzej krauze

Why I am rooting for Ahmadinejad MiriaM Shaviv

The West must beware of the “moderate” ticket in Iran’s presidential election

OST WESTERNERS do not know who they want to win the Iranian presidential elections on June 12. But they certainly know who they want to lose: the incumbent, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Lawyer Alan dershowitz wants Ahmadinejad prosecuted for “incitement to genocide”. Liberals line up to slam him as an “extremist” who stands in the way of a détente with the United States. And the Americans themselves have told Israel to tone down their anti-Iranian rhetoric until after the elections, because it might give Ahmadinejad a boost. Well, this may be cold comfort to Mr Ahmadinejad, but he has at least one Westerner — a Jew, no less — rooting for him. Me. I believe that an Ahmadinejad victory would be best for Israel, and best for the West, although perhaps not so good for Iranians. How so? There are certainly many policy differences between Ahmadinejad and his closest rival, MirHoussain Moussavi, who was Prime Minister from 1981 to 1989. (Former President Khatami dropped out of the race when Moussavi joined). Moussavi says he stands for improving relations with the West, Ahmadinejad thrives on the hostility. Moussavi wants more freedom for the press and for women, Ahmadinejad seems satisfied with the status quo. Moussavi is identified with relative economic discipline (inflation under him peaked at around 12 per cent), Ahmadinejad with soaring inflation (30 per cent). Judged on these issues alone, there is no question that Moussavi is the better candidate. He might just bring about a more open, stable regime. But all these positives are outweighed by the candidates’ stance on one issue, an issue which is more important to Israel and to the West than all the others combined. When it comes to Iran’s nuclear programme, Ahmadinejad and Moussavi — along with the two other presidential candidates allowed to run by Iran’s Guardians’ Council — are equally determined to press ahead. Moussavi was quite clear on this, declaring in a news conference in April that “we have to have the [nuclear] technology”, that he would not talk to the US if the price was abandoning the nuclear programme, and that the damage caused by doing so would be “irreparable”. He continued to advance the line that Iran’s nuclear programme was peaceful, arguing: “Weaponisation and nuclear technology are two separate issues, and we should not let them get mixed up.” No candidate is likely to speak differently as long as Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, the man who wields the real power in Iran, is in charge. There is across-the-board agreement that nuclear power is a vital Iranian interest.

So why does this shift the balance in Ahmadinejad’s favour? The fact is that in almost every report on the Iranian election in the Western media, Moussavi is labelled the “moderate” while Ahmadinejad is the “extremist”. Their position on Iran’s nuclear technology, however, shows that, where it really counts, such distinctions are meaningless. The nuclear ambitions that both espouse could result in the destruction of Israel, the utter domination of the Muslim world, and the power to ride roughshod over the West. They both need to be stopped. As long as Ahmadinejad is at the helm, there is a chance the West might do so. Holocaust denial, wiping Israel off the map, denying the existence of homosexuality in his country — he utters every provocative and crazy thought, diplomatic

niceties be damned. So, under him, Iran remains an international pariah. Moussavi is far smarter, and understands that, as long as Iran makes the right noises, it can get away with whatever it likes (just as Palestinian leaders such as Arafat got away with incitement and terror during Oslo, because they told the world, in English, that they sought peace). Moussavi would not, for example, get drawn into discussion of the Shoah, saying that “the Holocaust is not our business”. Armed with his “moderate” label, Moussavi will bring Iran back into the community of nations, all the while quietly working towards the same murderous goal as Ahmadinejad. This makes him the far more dangerous man.

Don’t let political disillusion stop you voting

W Zaki Cooper It is important for Jewish voters to be out in force for the Euro-elections

HAT dO Gordon Brown, Prince Charles and the Chief Rabbi have in common? It may sound like a joke but the answer is they have all given speeches to the European Parliament in the past year. All this reflects a renewed interest in the Parliament. The Conservative daniel Hannan’s savage riposte to the Prime Minister’s speech to MEPs in Strasbourg in March attracted a cult following on Youtube. So when Britain goes to the polls next Thursday to elect MEPs, what exactly will be at stake? The paradoxical thing about European elections is that they are fought on national issues. This time around, the MPs’ expenses debacle is at the forefront of most voters’ minds. In consequence, a great many people are reluctant even to cast their vote, certainly for MPs from the three main parties. For the Jewish community, however, there are two very strong reasons for voting on June 4. The first is the potential for the far-right to make significant inroads at the ballot box. The BNP looks set to capture its first seats in the European Parliament, to add to its one member

of the London Assembly, and a number of local council seats. In the last European elections in 2004, the BNP gained more than 800,000 votes, but did not obtain a single seat (largely due to UKIP’s strong showing). This time, polls suggest they could do even better. They are bound to benefit from current public anger and disenchantment towards the political establishment. Each seat gained allows the BNP to access resources for offices and staff (six seats would yield £2m in funding). And its presence in the Parliament would enable it to link up with fellow fascists including European fascism’s modern father-figure, Jean Marie Le-Pen. A less obvious reason for the British Jewish community — the second largest in Europe — to take these elections seriously derives from the European legislative process. A number of the public policy issues affecting British Jewry and its sister communities across Europe are shaped at EU level. This is not about whether you are a Euro-federalist or Eurosceptic, it is the reality of modern political decision-making. decisions on mobile phone charges and chemical waste are one thing. But the EU has also been taking more of an interest in matters directly affecting faith

communities, such as medical ethics, food labelling, hate crime and discrimination. Therefore the Parliament has the potential to influence rules on important issues such as organ donation and shechita. The recent decision by the Parliament’s agricultural committee to enshrine shechita in European law is a case in point. Next time kosher meat production is attacked in the UK, campaigners will be able to point to the EU safeguards. Recognising the growing importance of the Brussels architecture, it is no accident that the Church of England has recently set up an office there. Jewish groups are already well represented through the European Jewish Congress and other bodies. The Parliament’s reputation has not been enhanced by its own expenses scandal involving MEPs, but it is growing in importance. In 2004, the UK turnout for the European elections was 38 per cent and the time before that a dismal 24 per cent, the lowest for any EU member state. All the more reason for us, as Jews, to get to the ballot box on June 4. Zaki Cooper is director of Business for New Europe and a trustee of the Council of Christians and Jews

32 COMMENT&ANALYSIS

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Conversion mess

he wrangles over conversion in Israel must bewilder outsiders. The country’s Supreme Court has now ordered the state to fund Reform and Masorti training programmes for converts just as it already does Orthodox. The practical impact of this will only go so far because the state authorities still do not recognise non-Orthodox conversions performed in Israel. While some will hail the secular court’s latest intervention as a blow for religious equality, it will ratchet up inter-Jewish tensions. The Charedi chairman of the Knesset’s finance committee has already promised to neuter the decision by blocking any funding to the non-Orthodox programmes. Add to this the retroactive annulment of Orthodox conversions by some rabbinical courts, their drift towards stricter standards of conversion and the estimated quarter of a million immigrants from the Soviet Union who have been integrated into Israeli society but who are not Jewish according to Orthodox definition and one has a recipe for religious division and legal conflict for years to come.

Relief, almost

dmit it: Anglo-Jewry took a deep breath when the MPs’ expenses scandal first aired. But as MP after MP was outed for their allowance claims, there were some small reasons for relief. Among the 20 lowest expenses claimants, for example — sixth on the ladder — was David Winnick, Labour MP for Walsall North. Unfortunately, Mr Winnick’s relative sainthood appears to have been cancelled out by Leeds North East’s Fabian Hamilton, also a Labour MP, the ninth highest expenses claimant for the years 2005-8. Add this week’s wince-inducing “jealousy” confessions by Tory Anthony Steen, and the £25,000 hastily repaid by fellow Conservative Jonathan Djanogly, and we can only whimper with gratitude that none of these has been identified as Jewish in the public prints. Until now.

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

LetteRS FAir PLAy A PrioriTy

‘APoLiTicAL’ FiLm FesTivAL? whAT A joke

V We would like to assure JC readers that fighting the denunciation, delegitimisation and boycott of Israel is a clear communal priority. Nearly three years ago, the Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council jointly established the Fair Play Campaign Group, bringing together pro-Israel organisations including Bicom, the Zionist Federation, the Union of Jewish Students, the British-Israel Chamber of Commerce and others. The Fair Play group enables them, collaboratively, to combat anti-Zionist campaigns. It also supports individuals and selected pro-Israel groups in proactive and responsive action. We don’t always win, but together we are working ever harder to ensure that those who seek to demonise Israel do not succeed. Henry Grunwald QC Brian Kerner co-chairs Fair Play Campaign Group 6 Bloomsbury Square London, WC1A 2LP

V May I be one of the first to congratulate Emma McCorkell on her brave stand on behalf of the Edinburgh International Film Festival (JC, May 22). Ms McCorkell returned to the Israeli Embassy a small donation that was meant to cover the travel costs of a Tel Aviv University graduate, who directed a film being shown at the festival. This is a notable stand against Israel (which is almost as large as Wales) and demonstrates EIFF’s willingness to be guided by liberal principles and in particular by the famous philosemite Ken Loach. As Mr Loach, ever mindful of the safety of Jewish people, memorably said to the Russell Tribunal: “Nothing has been a greater instigator of antisemitism than the self-proclaimed Jewish State itself.” Mr Loach must have meant recent antisemitism, since antisemitism for the 1,900 years before 1948 could (presumably) not have had this cause. Ms McCorkell’s words justifying the EIFF’s change of heart will be remembered as epitomising liberal thought

hebrew is The key

why did bbc Ask This? noT Funny, sAndrA

V JCoSS will solve a worrying problem for many families and it is encouraging to know that head teacher Jeremy Stowe-Lindner intends to have an inclusive curriculum which includes Jewish, Zionist and community values. It is unlikely that progress will be achieved in a religious sense — for that, one must surely rely upon education at home. Certainly our proud history and traditions with all that has been achieved and suffered through the centuries will be a substantial part of the students’ education. Zionism presents a more complex, yet equally important, issue and here, with personal experience, I offer this proposal: that modern Hebrew is a compulsory subject, studied for at least three periods each week, beginning in year one at primary school and continuing up to the age of 14. Thereafter studied by those wishing to include the subject in their GCSEs. Amazingly, to my knowledge, no Jewish school in the UK has so far ever made this commitment to modern Hebrew. The powerful influence of communicating, studying and socializing in Ivrit creates a lifelong appreciation of our heritage and a love of Israel, and serves to unify future generations in what has disturbingly become a diminishing and disinterested diaspora community. Peter Collins peter.knokke@skynet.be

V In a recent edition of BBC TV’s The Big Question, broadcast from Leicester, the question posed to the studio audience and invited guests was : “Is Israel an apartheid state?” I wonder why the BBC chose to broadcast that week’s show from Leicester? Could it have something to do with the city having such a high percentage of its population from an ethnic Asian background? The crime of apartheid is defined by the 2002 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court as an inhumane act similar to other crimes against humanity “committed in the context of an institutionalised regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime”. This could be applied to Iran, Pakistan, India, America, Australia, Russia, China, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and probably many more states. So why is the accusation of apartheid only levelled at Israel? Imagine the outrage if President Obama was forced by the UN to give back to Native Americans part of the land that was conquered by Europeans, possibly via a “two-state solution”. What about Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s reaction to an Aborigine leader addressing the General Assembly of the UN and calling for the destruction of Australia and all of its non-Aborigine citizens to be forcibly repatriated? The message is clear. And anyone who thinks that anti-Israel comment and action is not antisemitism is deluded. Howard Klineberg Stoneleigh Garth, Leeds

homeLAnd insecuriTy V Geoffrey Alderman writes (JC, May 22): “Netanyahu, in spite of his public pronouncements to the contrary, appears to have indicated to the American President that he might even acquiesce in the establishment of an independent Palestinian-Arab ‘homeland’ (to use the Pope’s wellchosen phrase) on the West Bank and Gaza — provided its government recognises Israel as a Jewish state.” “Well-chosen” indeed — does Professor Alderman realise that the word “homeland” was used to describe the South African Bantustans? Deborah Maccoby Sach Road, Clapton, London, E5

some home TruThs V With withering sarcasm, Stephen Green (Letters, May 22) suggests that, not being a typical home owner, the Chief Rabbi has no right to write about the property market. I assume that he would also say that only a murderer has the right to talk about murder. Joel Portman jlportman@googlemail.com

and demonstrating the willingness of the EIFF to stand its ground on matters of principle. As Ms McCorkell said: “Although the festival is considered wholly cultural and apolitical, we consider the opinions of the film industry and, as such, accept that one filmmaker’s statement speaks on behalf of the film community, therefore we will be returning the funding.” It’s not entirely clear where the EIFF derives its information that Mr Loach “speaks on behalf of the film community” but I am sure it has its impeccable sources. On the plus side, with this decision the EIFF has made it clear it does not accept the calumny that Jews control the film industry. This is a valuable precedent. I cannot wait for a boycott of China, Russia, Sri Lanka, Sudan and other countries disapproved of by important film community spokespersons, unless Mr Loach, speaking for the “film community”, informs it otherwise. Norman Bar Granville Road, Finchley, London N12

V I’m not sure what was supposed to be funny about Sandra Bernhard’s “joke” about Sarah Palin being “gang raped” by her “big black brothers” if she ever set foot in Manhattan. This comment is based on two particularly nasty tropes — blacks as rapists and assertive women being punished by being made to have sex against their will. Interestingly I tend to associate these images with white racists and misogynists. But because Sandra Bernhard is on the left she can say anything, claim victimhood and have no regrets for one of the nastier attacks on Palin. Allan Morris Mount View Road, London N4

survivors Link uP VNoam Schimmel (Solidarity born of shared horrors, JC, May 22) highlights a number of American Jewish organisations working to support survivors of the Rwandan genocide. There are as well some excellent examples of collaboration closer to home, too. The Holocaust Educational Trust has played an instrumental role in advising Survivors’ Fund — the UKbased international organisation representing and supporting Rwandan survivors — on our education programme. It has also paired Holocaust survivors to speak alongside Rwandan survivors on occasions such as Holocaust Memorial Day. Our funders include The Pears Foundation and Nicholas Roth Memorial Trust. The support of the British Jewish community has enabled Survivors’ Fund to provide the 400,000 survivors of the genocide in Rwanda with healthcare and housing, education and entrepreneurial opportunities. However, as the legacy of the Holocaust has taught us, support must be long-term, as the challenges that genocide survivors face extend across generations. David Russell Director, Survivors Fund (SURF) Rickett Street, London SW6

Please note that individual letters cannot be acknowledged. Letters may be edited. The email address for correspondence is: letters@thejc.com. All correspondents are requested to supply their postal address, even when writing by email.

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COMMENT&ANALYSIS 33

It’s not Zionism that fuels hate economy needs you V Lavish displays — encouraged, according to your correspondent, by your Brides magazine — are not inappropriate (Letters, May 22). on the contrary, Gordon Brown exhorts us to spend our way out of the recession, and when you think about it, the average wedding provides work and income for farmers (who provide produce), food manufacturers, caterers, cooks, waiters, wine growers, chauffeurs, florists, dressmakers, tailors, hairdressers and many more. i say go ahead enjoy your simchah, and kvell in the knowledge that you are helping the economy at the same time. Carol Caplan Oak Lane, London N11

Geoffrey AldermAn

A TV debate on antisemitism will almost certainly ignore damning evidence

expenses? tempted V The hierarchy of Britain’s rabbinate should be most impressed by the discipline and self-restraint i demonstrated at last saturday morning’s sabbbath service. As a guest congregant at Clayhall synagogue, i was asked — for reasons known only to the community machers — to come up to the bimah to read the prayer for the Royal Family. i duly did so, reciting the lines about putting “wisdom into the heart of the queen”. You will be glad to learn that, when it came to the bit about “and into the hearts of her counsellors”, i resisted the temptation to add “without them claiming for unnecessary expenses”. Danny Roth Tomswood Road, Chigwell, Essex

inequAlity in isrAel V The issue of israeli settlements in the West Bank and their continued expansion has bedevilled attempts to make progress with peace negotiations. Prime Minister netanyahu’s justification for further building in existing settlements — “to meet the needs of natural growth” — is arguably disingenuous. it is, moreover, in stark contrast to the formidable restrictions placed on israel’s Arab citizens in terms of their need for new housing and industrial development. to his credit, ehud olmert acknowledged the need redress the inequalities suffered by israel’s Arab minority. Will Mr netanyahu make provision to “meet the needs of natural growth”, past and future, of 20 per cent of israel’s citizens? Sir Jeremy Beecham, Vice Chairman, New Israel Fund Uk

interfAith messAGe V In response to the article “time to link up with sikhs and Buddhists” (JC, May 22), i am delighted to say that together with the London Jewish Cultural Centre where we are based, Barnet Win (Women’s interfaith network) has been engaged in multifaith dialogue for nearly two years and has members from eight religions (Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim and sikh), as well as Humanism and Agnosticism. We are fortunate to live in one of the most religiously and culturally diverse countries in the world and we have the opportunity to embrace this diversity — rather than fearing it. Jackie Goymour Chair, Barnet WIN

question that has often arisen in recent times is: what are the causes of contemporary anti-Jewish prejudice? it is a big question, and it would require a great deal more space than a newspaper column to answer it in any depth. nonetheless, simply because a question has been asked before doesn’t mean it should not be asked again. Just because i’m a simple newspaper columnist doesn’t mean that i should not attempt some sort of answer. Besides, i confess that i have an ulterior motive in troubling you again with this topic. in a few days’ time, Press tV, the London-based iranian television channel, will host a panel discussion entitled “Antisemitism Rising. Why?” Chaired by the (non-Jewish) former itn and BBC Panorama correspondent, Alan Hart (author of Zionism: The Real Enemy of the Jews) the panel of four Jews (two Zionists and two antiZionists), will debate this important topic. Mr Hart was kind enough to extend an invitation to me to join the studio audience. Alas, my official academic duties have prevented me from accepting this invitation. so i am having my say now. the argument will probably be put that Zionism is a major cause of contemporary anti-Jewish prejudice. Jews and Arabs, it will doubtless be said, lived together in near-perfect harmony until the nasty Zionists came along, stealing land and terrorising

those who had since time immemorial dwelled upon it. then came the Naqba — the devious re-establishment of a sovereign Jewish state in the Darel-Islam (Realm of islam) outraging Muslim and Christian opinion alike. then the wicked Zionists fomented further wars (1956, 1967, 1973 etc), stealing yet more land, colonising the West Bank and using “disproportionate” force with gay abandon. All this nastiness (the argument will doubtless go) created anti-Jewish prejudice where none had previously existed. of course As a Muslim this is deplorable but what else did cleric said: you expect? ‘Our fight with Had i been able to accept Mr the Jews is Hart’s invitation, eternal’ i would have taken with me into the studio copies of three documents. the first would have contained an excerpt from an interview with an egyptian cleric broadcast on AlRahma tV (egypt) on January 6 last: “Let me be clear. Jihad is the only way to resolve this issue. With the Jews, one cannot achieve anything by means of peace, or a settlement, or open borders, or diplomatic and commercial ties. they are devils in human form. Many people think that Judaism is a religion, but today’s Jews are not really Jews, and have nothing to do with Moses and the torah. they are a gang of evil thieves.” the second would have been the transcript of a sermon broadcast on the same tV channel on January 17. in this, a Muslim cleric addressed the faithful thus: “if the Jews left Palestine

to us, would we start loving them? of course not. We will never love them. Absolutely not. the Jews are … enemies not because they occupied Palestine. they would have been enemies even if they did not occupy a thing … We must believe that our fight with the Jews is eternal … we will fight, defeat, and annihilate them, until not a single Jew remains on the face of the earth.” (translations courtesy of Memri tV.) And the third? Well, that would have been a compendium of health warnings concerning the recent outbreaks of so-called swine flu. For example, in late April, the Muslim Brotherhood in egypt launched an instructional video entitled “swine Flu or Jew Flu.” At the beginning of May, the Hamas newspaper Felesteen ran an article warning the citizens of Gaza about the dangers of this virus: “this disease called swine flu, has attracted worldwide concern. its very mention causes panic, because it has started to affect dozens of people a day… What is striking is that Zionists began spreading the disease…” Having read from these documents i would then invite Mr Hart and his anti-Zionist friends to agree (1) any connection that disgusting propaganda such as this has with Zionism is at best tangential in the extreme and at worst simply non-existent; (2) disgusting propaganda such as this reveals a primitive hostility to Jews and Judaism that is rooted in certain interpretations of islamic theology; and (3) that to suggest that if israel were (God Forbid!) to disappear, such hostility would wither away is to indulge in deluded fantasy.

Gay soldiers, a rabbi and Mr X dAvid AAronovitch

In newspapers, a ‘shock’ is not always what it is cracked up to be

HeRe is a secret life of headlines. Most of the specific complaints that are ever made to me about what i write have something to do with what i didn’t write: the headline. A large amount of what people imagine they read in my columns exists in the headlines, and not in my copy. And so it is with news stories, too. of course, the headline above this column, which i haven’t read and can hardly imagine, will be impeccable. But elsewhere? oK, so, two weeks ago the JC ran a story by Marcus Dysch (dysch is, of course, Yiddish, for a good looker) headed: Shock at gay film shown to teenagers. You can immediately spot the problem. What on earth is the shock at a gay film being shown to teenagers (unless it is a gay porn film, but then it would certainly say “porn” in the headline)? it would surely be more of a shock if a gay film wasn’t shown to teenagers. But “shock” is one of those words that has the quality of expressing a big, clear thing in very few letters, like “chaos” or “rage”. or “storm”. By and large, complex or subtle emotions and arguments require a greater number of letters, and letters take space and space is something headline writers don’t have. As opposed to column writers who, you may be thinking by now, have too much of it.

the Daily Mail used to have a fallback system whereby, if nothing was going on, they would discover a new liberalism, and then get a Conservative back-bencher to criticise it. this criticism would then be the justification for a headline beginning “storm over… ” And then the subject. eventually, this phenomenon became known as “a storm-over”. one of my favourite newspaper games is to seek the “storm” in the story. What does it actually amount to? Who, in the case of the gay film, Much of was shocked? what people A moment of imagine they Dan Brown type recapitulation read in my here, in which, columns is in instead of the the headlines history of the Illuminati or the creation of the God Particle, i remind you of the gay film tale. so… Bunch of teenagers about to go to israel attend a sleepover organised by Liberal Jewish Youth. they’re shown films for pre-orientation, whatever that is. one is the israeli equivalent of Brokeback Mountain, featuring gay romance in the iDF. Film has 15 certificate; kids are 15. Liberal Jews, israel, teenagers, film about gays. not a big surprise. except to Mr X from “south west London”, whose daughter it was — according to him — who had been shocked by the “totally inappropriate” film. Mr X wanted to be anonymous —

he said to protect his progeny, but i suspect it is because his family doesn’t know he lives out, and imagine that he has a house in Radlett. or maybe he wanted to be protected from the charge of looking a bit silly. this is what he went on to say: “We’re not homophobic at all. it’s Liberal Judaism, so we expect them to have liberal values, but this was the first meeting and it appears they are already trying to peddle those values to our children. on the parents’ evening, we were told they’d be discussing vegetarianism.” try working out the associations in that. You can only show gay films on a second meeting? or, “first they came for the carnivores, but i didn’t speak out, and then they came for the (non-homophobic) heterosexuals”? “Peddling”? My bewilderment was nearly completed by Mr X’s revelation that, two years before, his niece (hold on, isn’t he now traceable? His cover blown?) had been to the same event and seen the same film. so how come his daughter was so shocked? Don’t the cousins speak? More to the point, is the niece now a tofu-eating, gay, male, israeli soldier? i said nearly completed. the Rabbi responsible (Rabbi Rich) was then quoted as saying, “Young people need to see films that challenge them. Perhaps the parents concerned come from a different generation.” i should jolly well hope so, Rabbi! now that would be a shock.

34 COMMENT&ANALYSIS

thejc.com

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

comment

Israel map row marks height of hypocrisy Alex Brummer

Arab nations often wipe Israel off their maps, while a cartographic mistake by Israel provokes outrage

hen it comes to the Middle east, nothing is more important than maps. When you visit the israeli Foreign Ministry for a briefing on peace initiatives, officials unfurl large maps showing every possible outcome, including charts with neatly drawn corridors linking the West Bank to Gaza. At the Office of the Un high Commissioner for human Rights (OhChR) in Jerusalem, a presentation shows the proliferation of security barriers across the region, which it regards as an affront to peace. As much of an affront is the fact that many of them are unmanned but still counted. On israel’s northern borders, where successive israeli governments have sought to forge a deal with Syria involving the Golan heights, the maps

focus on how close the Syrian outposts will be to the Sea of Galilee and the fate of the disputed Lebanese territory known as Shebaa Farms. As for iran’s President Ahmadinejad: he wants to wipe israel off the map altogether. Anyone who follows these matters cannot be too shocked at the sensitivities. in recent days there has been extensive coverage in the media of israel’s Ministry of tourism “thinkisrael” ads on the London Underground. As people flash by on the tube, the posters — intending primarily to promote eilat — appeared to show a “Greater israel” incorporating the West Bank, Gaza Strip and the Golan heights. Most of the press coverage surrounding the poster reported on the israel Government tourism Office’s (iGtO) decision to remove them. the Guardian noted that the decision to take them down was made “after the advertisements were referred to the Advertising Standards Authority”. the protesters were not Londoners, going about their

normal business, but groups with an axe to grind: the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign and Jews for Justice for Palestinians. Both groups complained to the ASA and CBS Outdoors. transport of London (tfL) was reported to have received some 600 separate objections. the Guardian reported that the ad had gone up on 108 sites and was due to go up on another 42 before it was pulled by iGtO. the paper also noted that the same thinkisrael campaign had run into difficulty in 2008 when it implied that Qumran was in israel, when it is actually in the West Bank. A BBC website article on the dispute focused on israel’s tourist Ministry describing the posters as a “mistake”. the Ministry denied suggestions that it had asked tfL to have them removed. it made the point that in general it was not a good idea to use maps on billboards. the posters were described as a “professional mistake” with no geopolitical intentions. the BBC took care to point out that the offending maps — coloured in a

striking yellow — do have faint white lines marking out the Palestinian territories. But not “Syrian territory which israel annexed in 1981”. the Syrian embassy in London had described the posters as “offensive”. the London billboard story was deemed important enough to appear in papers on both sides of the Atlantic and in israel, including USA Today, the New York Times, Ha’aretz and the Jerusalem Post. Most of these reports noted that in the last month the British-based airline BMi had been required to apologise to the israeli government for leaving israel off its electronic in-flight map altogether. BMi excused what had happened because it had bought aircraft from a defunct Arab carrier. So while it is routinely OK for Arab countries to take israel off the map altogether, an israeli tourist map which does not use geopolitical precision is regarded by israel’s critics as an outrage. Why should we be surprised? Alex Brummer is City Editor of the Daily Mail

If you want to be Make your link with Israel happy, avoid news personal, not ﬁnancial

tried an experiment today. i picked up a broadsheet and looked for a positive news story. i got to page 11 without finding a single one. Susan Boyle doesn’t count. i gave up. Looking for a good news story is a bit like trying to find an unbiased approach to reporting on israel. Apart from Fox News, it doesn’t exist. Apparently, we are living in a country governed by criminals, with anarchy on our doorstep as the public finally revolts. the BNP could be voted in as a leading party, the Queen might be assassinated any minute, baby murderers and child rapists are given derisory sentences, total global economic meltdown is imminent. We are a dying nation with America toppling and about to squash us as it falls. Armageddon and the end of civilization as we know it are nigh. there’s nothing we can do about it either. We are helpless spectators at Pompeii. i got so worried and depressed recently i googled “how to survive a dirty bomb”. But then a publication was bought to my attention by husband — who is similarly struck down by news toxicity, aka the modern epidemic NGN (no, not Swine Flu: “No Good News”). it is called Positive News, a quarterly international newspaper that only prints positive stories that are rarely or never covered by the mainstream media. did you know that the solar power industry is very close to finding a way of generating electricity

trAcy-Ann oBermAn using salt? Or that Birmingham City Council is setting up its own bank to help residents through the recession? And that countless teenagers around the country have forgone knives and drugs and gangs and are helping the elderly in their communities? Makes you feel a bit better doesn’t it? Positive News lists its objectives as “honest impartial media reporting where old and young feel safe to tell their stories without fear of indifference and misrepresentation”. As someone who has suffered misrepresentation at the hands of the press, i think this is one good news story that should run and run. Bad news affects everything. Confidence in the economy, business opportunities and property prices all deflate, and spiritually it induces fear and negativity, apathy and a lack of empathy. We need balance, and if it isn’t going to come from the media then we need to do it for ourselves. As the song goes: “Accentuate the positive”. Well, the sun shone on the Bank Holiday and my daughter is out of nappies. And the third World War hasn’t started just yet.

inCe 1900, UK Jewry has supported first the idea and then the reality of the Jewish state. We have donated hundreds of millions of pounds for everything from schools to opera houses, and pretty much everything in between. in the aftermath of israel’s independence in 1948, the needs grew and with them our financial contribution. During the 1967 Six-Day War the young Zionists of that era forged the inextricable links that saw them become the formidable communal leaders and israel fundraisers of the last 40 years. they saw israel under attack and responded with their time and money. But israel has not been attacked by another state since iraqi Scuds fell on tel Aviv in 1991. the spectre of iran looms large but Ahmadinejad has not yet galvanised global Zionists as Saddam did before him. For the first time in israel’s history we have an entire generation who do not know an israel that fears genuine existential threat. those under 25 recognise israel only as a regional superpower, the country of mobile phones, high-tech and companies floated on the world’s major stock exchanges. A knock-on effect of this perceived economic success (away from the holiday resorts, israel still has significant poverty) is that israel is losing the pioneer-inspired grip it had once had on Jewish teens. this is evident through a fall in the number of youth movement participants taking israel gap years and the number of younger donors supporting israel charities ahead of local and global aid organisations. there is a further angle to this debate: the extent to which the people

BArry FrAnkFurt

Israel needs greater selfsufficiency — not hand-outs

THE JC.COM POLL we asked:

Should netanyahu have refused to accept a two-state solution? You said:

43% Yes 57% no

of israel should look after themselves. israelis giving to israeli causes is a new phenomenon, with philanthropy accounting for just 0.3 per cent of GDP (compared with 0.9 per cent in the UK and 2.2 per cent in the US), and that figure was dramatically boosted by the recent oligarch invasion. At some level the population has become complacent, growing up with much of its social and welfare infrastructure funded by Jews from around the world rather than within israel. We are partially responsible for the lack of a charitable mindset. World Jewry fulfilled its emotional and financial obligation to israel by providing endless supplies of fish without ever instructing how to use a rod. Until israeli society takes responsibility for its own fundraising it will need the diaspora to maintain services. in the future, the greatest gift we can give the people of israel is that of effective giving. israel has the resources and capability to become self-sufficient in this respect, and will no doubt one day be in a position to support others in need. it is our responsibility, as a key benefactor, to teach the israelis how to fish. in turn, we will need to look at new ways to create a bond with israel. For years, the names of British philanthropists have been etched on museum walls and ambulance doors. Our bonds must become personal, not financial. UJiA is already pioneering this through promoting interaction between young israelis and their British counterparts. this “Living Bridge” may just provide the blueprint to our future relationship with the Jewish state.

NeXT week:

Is it acceptable to wear nazi uniforms in public?

Barry Frankfurt is managing director of Creative & Commercial

thejc.com

THE jEWisH CHRONiCLE 29 may 2009

judaism 35

judaism

A Shavuot mystery: the angels with four faces Mordechai Beck explores the connection between Ezekiel’s mysterious vision and today’s festival

sHabbaT sHaLOm

HE oPEnInG chapter of the Book became the basis for much of what we know in the of Ezekiel, with its mysterious West as the mystical tradition; it is a vision of God image of a heavenly chariot of with angels, fire, violent winds, clouds, lightning, four-faced creatures, is read as ice, and the four dimensional apparition of creatures the haftarah on the first day of with features drawn from the human and animal Shavuot. But the reason is not kingdoms. Parts of the vision suggest hologramimmediately apparent. like images that enables us to see multi-dimension Whereas the festival celebrates figures from different perspectives at one and the both harvest time and the giving same time . of the Torah on Mount Sinai, the prophetic chapter It was the Scottish philosopher, David Hume, who from Ezekiel is a report of a vision granted the proph- observed that whatever their origin, dreams and et apparently at the beginning of the Babylonian visions express themselves in objects known to the exile in around 593 BCE ( the exile of King Jehoiachin person having the vision. Thus, too, it might be sughaving taken place a few years before the destruction gested that many of the tangible items in this chapof the Temple by nebuchanezzar in 586 BCE). ter are redolent of objects in the Temple with which of Ezekiel’s early life little is known. There are Ezekiel the Cohen would have been intimately familsome commentators indeed who believe that the iar. These include such mundane items as burnished “thirty years” mentioned in the opening phrase of copper, the precious tarshish stone (one of the stones this chapter refers to the prophet’s age. Like oth- in the High Priest’s breastplate), and the cherubim er prophets, Ezekiel is also a Cohen, a priest in the who inhabited the Holy of Holies. His double role, doomed Temple. Unlike most other prophets, how- as priest and prophet, may well be relevant here. He ever, he is elected to bring his divine message to has a vision, but it is tied to what is familiar to him as Israel in a place of exile, in Babylon. a servant of the people. It could be argued that the revelation at Sinai Perhaps, therefore, a deeper connection with similarly took place outside the land the revelation at Mount Sinai can be of Israel. Yet whereas the revelation It takes proposed. The Talmud (Shabbat 88) at Sinai was a public event, Ezekiel’s observes that the “happening at Sinai” vision was transmitted to the proph- a vIsIonary was not merely an intellectual or legal et alone, and it is he who shares this prophet to occasion where God gave a summary vision with others. of His Divine Laws (to be followed by Tradition has circumscribed the reveal the small legal print of Mishpatim). teaching of this chapter. The Mishnah the torah’s Rather the whole event was meant to in Chagigah limits it exposition only be an experience that would emblazon to those who are able to handle such Inner depths itself on the souls of the children of an elevated prophetic vision. Without Israel for ever. These were recent slaves; doubt the words and phrases, concepts and ideas reading them their rights and obligations seven are opaque, yet they seem to draw on a common set weeks after their miraculous exodus was hardly what of images that make the metaphysical grandeur of they needed. Sinai was a multi-media production this prophetic vision coherent, if not exactly com- — thunder and lightning, the noise of shofarot, the prehensible. Moreover, Ezekiel is the most graphic of springing up of flowers on the desert mountain, the the prophets, and as lofty as his language can be, it is intoxicating aroma that filled the air. filled with metaphors that make his ethereal visions Similarly here in Ezekiel, it might be possible to tangible to even the most casual reader. suggest that what he is describing is the experience That said, it is also true that this first chapter that the Israelites had in the Temple. The life of the IllustratIon: mordechaI Beck first Temple is shrouded in mystery. Very little is written about it apart from the continuous fights over the sacrifices (one king was for, another against), but the actual experience of being there is rarely spoken of. Where it might feature (such as in the Book of Psalms 11, 27, 42 and 63), it does so as hints rather than explicit observations. So perhaps what we have here is a record of one of the Temple’s last priestly-prophets recalling with profound nostalgia the vision of the incomprehensible in the only words as he is able to muster. His is a memorial of a spiritual life that had been, and that was about to be extinguished. Maybe he is trying to remind his listeners what they would be missing and urging them to repent, which is indeed the message of his next chapter. Perhaps, too, the prophet is trying to strengthen his fellow exiles, by teaching them that revelation is still possible, even outside the land of Israel and beyond the temple precincts. This, too, would connect it to the experience at Sinai which is similarly beyond the bounds of normal civilisation. Ultimately, the festival of Shavuot celebrates the extraordinary, the awesome. It is meant to be out of context — all contexts — belonging neither to a particular country, or a specific people, or time. The Torah of Sinai may contain uni“They had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they had the versal truths, but it takes a visionary face of an ox on the left side; they also had the face of an eagle” Ezekiel 1:10 prophet to reveal its inner depths.

 

ThuRSday, may 28 (Sivan 5), erev Shavuot; eruv tavshilin. The festival begins in London at 8.49; Bournemouth 8.51; Leeds 9.02; Manchester 9.08; Tyneside 9.15; Glasgow 9.29.

SaTuRday, may 30 (Sivan 7), Shavuot 2nd day. Portion: Deuteronomy 14:22 to 16:17 and Numbers 28:16-31 (Israel, portion: Naso). haftarah: habakkuk 2:20 to 3:19. Yizkor.

FRiday, may 29 (Sivan 6), Shavuot 1st day. Portion: exodus 19:1 to 20:23 and Numbers 28:2631. haftarah: ezekiel 1:1-28 and 3:12.

ShabbaT and the festival end in London at 10.09; Bournemouth 10.17; Leeds 10.32; Manchester 10.38; Tyneside 10.44; Glasgow 11.12.

ShabbaT begins in London at 8.51; Bournemouth 8.53; Leeds 9.03; Manchester 9.09; Tyneside 9.15; Glasgow 9.31.

FRiday, June 5 (Sivan 13), Shabbat begins in London at 8.58; Bournemouth 9.00; Leeds 9.11; Manchester 9.17; Tyneside 9.25; Glasgow 9.40.

THOuGHT FOR THE WEEK

ShavuoT



“and all of the people saw the thunder” Exodus 20:15

V The deep lessons of the Torah text are conveyed in the seemingly most insignificant details. here we are — the verse following the revelation at Sinai — and there is a big mistake. You don’t see thunder — you hear it. This is not the only time that the Torah confuses its use of senses. At the momentous moment when Isaac blesses his son Jacob he comments: “See the smell of my son is like the smell of a field” (Genesis 27:27). When Moses first goes to Pharaoh to ask him to set the people free, the result is increased labour and hardship. The people complain to Moses, saying he has made them smell bad in the eyes of Pharaoh and of the egyptians. (exodus 5:21). But surely we do not smell with our eyes. What these verses share in common is that they all describe moments of great emotional impact. Be it awe, anger or amazement — sometimes we are so overwhelmed by our experience that our senses go into overload and we do not perceive properly. The Torah communicates this by using the wrong sense. The revelation at Sinai was the most wondrous and significant moment in the history of the Jewish people — the experience on which the whole Torah rests. The Torah communicates this to us in many ways, by telling us how the people stood far from the mountain and prepared themselves for three days; how they changed their clothes and how they asked Moses to speak instead of them. But the real power of the experience is communicated in the little things. The real awe is felt at the moment you start to see the thunder. God’s wonders are still manifest in the world today. Are we as open to seeing the thunder? Rabbi Chaim WeineR

jEWisH WORds

Tikkun LeiL ShavuoT Rabbi Julian Sinclair dips into the dictionary

V The 16th century kabbalist, Rabbi Isaac Luria, known as the Ari — a hebrew acronym for the “Godly Rabbi Isaac” — established the custom of learning Torah all night on the Shavuot eve. A tikkun is a correction. In kabbalistic circles it refers to a spiritual correction for some fault. There are several types of tikkunim. For example, Tikkun hatzot (midnight) is a midnight prayer mourning the destruction of the Temple and yearning for its rebuilding. According to the Midrash, the children of Israel overslept the morning of the giving of the Torah and God had to rouse them with a shofar blast. As a tikkun, the Ari instigated the custom of all night learning. Where there had been too much sleep, there was now no sleep. Leil is an abbreviated form of leilah (night). Instead of saying haleilah shel Shavuot (the night of Shavuot)one can condense this mouthful into leil Shavuot. Leil has no meaning when not connected to a noun, such as Shavuot or Shabbat. It can be painful for Israelis spending time in england to hear people say, “Are you going to the Tikkun Leil?” The word “Shavuot” in this phrase is not optional.

36 ARTS&enTeRTAinmenT

thejc.com

THe JeWiSH CHROniCLe 29 may 2009

ARTS&enTeRTAinmenT

Chava Alberstein, Israel’s ‘miraculous’ folk idol Photo: DuDu Becher

After more than 40 years, the veteran singer is still a favourite with the Israeli public and still battling for acceptance abroad. She talks to Alex Kasriel

‘

hE FACT that I can do albums is magic. The fact that people are ready to buy them is a miracle.” Israeli folk singer Chava Alberstein admits she is bemused by the longevity of her career — one that has spanned four decades and includes more than 60 album releases. Israelis have loved her ever since she rose to stardom at the age of 18, entertaining the troops during her Israeli army service (which, she insists, is the best training a performer can get). And they continue to listen to her quiet, reflective, guitar-led brand of folk in huge numbers. She is known for her soulful sound and emotional lyrics whether she is singing tender romantic ballads or defiant protest songs. “People feel I love what I do. I never follow the fashion,” says the 62-year-old artist, in an attempt to explain her enduring success. “I always go after the meaning or the feeling. It works. This is the other miracle that happens with me. I thank God every day. There are so many artists in the world that cannot find people to listen to them or read what they write. I’m blessed.” She might also count as a blessing the decision early on in her career to rethink her instrument of choice. “I started playing an accordion,” she recalls. “But then I discovered the guitar and I suddenly realised this is the way I wanted to express myself — hiding behind the guitar and singing. “I never thought about myself as a singer like today’s American Idols with a big voice. For me the issue was the songs — to express ideas, tell stories, to look at the world.” Even so, it took almost 20 years before Alberstein, who was born in Poland and came to Israel at the age of four, became a fully fledged singer-songwriter. At first she was content to play cover versions of other people’s songs; then she moved to performing numbers specially written for her by other musicians. Only in her forties did she start recording her own material, having become dissatisfied with what she was being given, and at the same time feeling confident enough in her judgement of what her fans wanted. Alberstein, who is looking forward to playing a concert in London next month, is aware that her popularity in Israel is not matched internationally. This is something she feels has a lot to do with antiZionism. She says there have been occasions when she has been prevented from playing at festivals and shows abroad simply because of her nationality. “I know from my own experience that there is prejudice against Israeli performers,” she says. “There were festival organisers in Norway, Greece and France who wrote to me and said they were not interested in hosting Israeli singers. There was a festival in Australia which had booked some Lebanese artists who said they weren’t prepared to go if I went, so I wasn’t able to go. “I don’t think this mixture of art and politics is right because most [Israeli] artists speak for peace and are ready to criticise the government when it’s wrong, and yet suddenly we’re not accepted. I don’t

Chava Alberstein was singing songs in Yiddish long before it was fashionable in Israel. “I’m happy and proud young people are doing it now” understand it. But that is the world. There are also artists who are not ready to come to Israel because of politics. What can you do?” A good example of what she regards as Israeli musicians “speaking for peace” came earlier this month with Israel’s entry in the Eurovision Song Contest, performed by Noa, who is Jewish, and Israeli Arab Mira Awad. “I think it was a very good idea,” says Alberstein. “I love those two girls. I think they did a great thing. The image of Israel in the world today is of soldiers, guns, bombs and religious fanatics. We see two young women who are ready to create together and, of course, they represent Israeli society and all the people here. Most of the people here want to live quiet lives — they don’t want to be throwing bombs at Arab villages, living with hate and revenge.” Folk music is a genre that celebrates the roots and history of a community. Which is why Alberstein has recorded many of her songs in the language of her Polish parents — Yiddish. For a teenager starting out in the 1960s, this was a risky move — Israel at the time was desperate to appear modern and unshackled by the traditions of its various immigrant groups. “I did an album in Yiddish at the beginning, (before I went in the army),” she says. “People didn’t understand this language in Israel. It’s an echo of the diaspora. People didn’t want to know about it. For a 17- or 18-year-old girl it was a kind of rebellion against the anti-Yiddish camp. “But when I first wanted to be a folk artist I

‘I know from my own experIence that there Is prejudIce agaInst IsraelI performers’

thought the only real folk material I had was Yiddish because Israel was a really young country. I didn’t realise how crazy it was in those days. I didn’t understand why my parent’s culture shouldn’t be preserved. “I loved their stories and their humour and their songs. I didn’t see any reason to forget. People were kind of amazed, but they accepted it.” Nowadays, Alberstein, who is married to film director Nadav Levitan, can take credit for the revival of diaspora music coming from hip young acts like the Idan Raichel project. “I’m not sure I like the word ‘revival’,” she says. “It’s a bit too optimistic, but certainly the feeling is that Yiddish is much more acceptable. “Young people who come from diaspora communities that were supposed to be forgotten, like the Yemenites or the Moroccans, have started to realise that there’s a wealth of culture [in their backgrounds]. A lot of people have started to sing the songs of their grandparents from Persia or Turkey. They realised that the countries are still part of their biography. “I was one of the first to do it. I’m very happy and proud that young people are doing it now. Being able to sing in Yiddish, being able to connect with another culture, it gives me a very fulfilling feeling.” Chava Alberstein performs at the Barbican in London on June 9 (tel:020 7638 8891, www.barbican.org.uk). Her new album, Live, is out now

tHe JeWisH CHrOniCLe 29 may 2009

thejc.com

arts&entertainment 37

Influenced Searching for the ghosts by Picasso, of lost Jewish heroes inspired by Israel M Broadcaster Michael Goldfarb tells Simon Round about his mission to save significant historical figures from drifting into obscurity

Jacques Lipchitz is one of the few great sculptors to tackle Jewish subjects, says Julia Weiner Jacques Lipchitz master Drawings Ben Uri Gallery, London NW8 ★★★★✩

he inJuncTion against “graven images” in the Second commandment has inhibited some of the world’s greatest Jewish sculptors from creating works exploring their heritage. Jacob epstein admitted as much when he revealed that he would have liked to produce sculptures for Jewish audiences, but felt it was impossible as “the synaLipchitz and his wife, and muse,Yulla gogue has no use for me”. one Jewish sculptor who did find a way to make great works with Jewish plaster sculpture on the theme for the themes was Jacques lipchitz — an exhi- Paris World fair. deeply worried by the bition of whose marvellous drawings rise of hitler in Germany, he twisted the myth to show Prometheus getting is currently on show in london. chaim Jakob lipchitz was born in revenge on his persecutor, grabbing lithuania in 1891. after studying in Vil- the vulture by the neck. lipchitz’s hero wears a bonnet siminius, he, like so many other young Jewish artists from eastern europe, made lar to those worn by french revolutionhis way to Paris, arriving in 1909. at aries, while the vulture bears a strong the time the city was a centre for pio- resemblance to an eagle, which is, of neering avant-garde art and lipchitz course a symbol of nazi Germany. The soon became drawn to cubism (he was sculpture represented the victory lipfriendly with Picasso). The lean, spare chitz hoped france would win over sculptures he produced in this early the nazis. his drawings for the sculpperiod, tending towards abstraction ture convey the intense nature of that but always based on the human figure, struggle by showing the effort needed by Prometheus to throttle the bird. are his most famous works. in 1941, lipchitz h o w e v e r, a f t e r sought asylum in 1925, he became disthe united States enchanted with the where he met his cubist approach — wife, the berlintoo rigid, too many born sculptor Yulla straight lines, he felt. h a lb ersta d t. She his new sculptures encouraged a new were influenced interest in his Jewish more by baroque heritage, sparked by art, full of movean excitement at the ment and energy, his foundation of israel figures monumenin 1948. The most tal and made up of beautiful drawings curves. in the exhibition in many of these are for his last great works he explored work, the colossal issues relating to Our Tree of Life, which his Jewish identity, Drawing for Our Tree of Life, a was a celebration of including the rise of sculpture celebrating Israel the new Jewish state nazism in europe, the holocaust and the establishment and was installed on Mount Scopus in Jerusalem. of the State of israel. for the sculpture, lipchitz stacked While lipchitz declared: “i never make drawings as independent works one biblical hero on top of another, of art”, they are nevertheless a joy to culminating in Moses receiving the Ten commandments on a mountain view. a favourite subject was the Greek made up of his ancestors. The figures myth of Prometheus, the hero who are hard to make out in the drawings, was punished for stealing fire from the but you get a strong idea of drama and gods by being eternally chained to a complexity of the piece. rock where a vulture would peck out at his liver which regrew every night. in Jacques Lipchitz Master Drawings – The 1937 lipchitz was commissioned by the Anatomy of a Sculptor is at the Ben Uri french government to produce a huge Gallery until July 26 (www.benuri.org.uk)

ichael Goldfarb is not most people’s idea of a ghost hunter. The american-born author and journalist is erudite, articulate and not remotely superstitious, yet a ghost hunter he is. having said that, the spirits Goldfarb has been hunting down in holland, Germany and austria, for a series of essays on bbc radio 3, are not the kind which rattle chains or pass through walls, but rather the phantoms of a once-flourishing culture. Goldfarb explains: “for the past few years i have been writing a book on Jewish emancipation and i did a certain amount of travel for it. The more i researched, the more i discovered that i didn’t know about a lot of quite significant people. i realised that memory depends on there being a community to hold those memories. When that community has been wiped out, as was the case with the Jews in europe, then those people who came before become ghosts.” he illustrates his point with the story of the lawyer and politician Gabriel riesser — a very significant Jewish figure in 19th-century hamburg. Yet Goldfarb was dismayed to discover that even

noteworthy German intellectuals had no idea who he was. “i did feel pretty eccentric going around hamburg asking, “have you heard of this guy?’’. People did think i was nutty, but riesser’s achievements were important and he deserved to be remembered.” Playing a large role in the ghost story is berlin. Travelling there, and to hamburg, frankfurt and Vienna for that matter, was in some ways eerie and, well, ghost-like for Goldfarb. “a city like berlin was intertwined with its Jews until the 1930s,” he says. “in Vienna, take away the Jewish connections and the city is living on its Mozart, Schubert and beethoven connections. Without the Jews, there was little left to the city — it underscored to me how ghostly the presence was. “There is a group which is well-known for extolling its ancestors,the native americans. Their numbers were also reduced by more than 90 per cent in the continent where they live. for them, it’s important to connect

the living with the dead. for us, it’s the same.” Goldfarb is a veteran broadcaster, having worked in radio for more than 20 years. “The great thing [with the series] is that i am using my own voice so i’m already halfway to having the licence to make it personal. When i started to write it i didn’t realise how emotional it would be. having researched the subject for two-and-a-half years i had built up a considerable storehouse of emotion.” The culmination of the journey was his visit to a synagogue in berlin, when, among 50 or 60 worshippers in a small room, he felt the weight of the dead generations. “i don’t normally go to synagogue, but i wanted to while i was there. Suddenly i was in floods of tears. after 10 minutes i couldn’t not cry so i just let it out.” The Essay — Looking For Ghosts continues tonight on Radio 3 at 11pm

Michael Goldfarb: “I was in floods of tears”

38 ARTS&enTeRTAinmenT

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THe JeWiSH CHROniCLe 29 may 2009

television & theatre

My advice? Never be afraid to look stupid Apprentice wAtch Michael SophocleS

HAve always tried to live life without fear. My friends have often said that I must be either very brave or very stupid and, on reflection, I think my antics over the past 26 years have fallen into both boxes. My time on The Apprentice certainly reflected my fearless side, but I knew there would be moments on the show when I would come across as a prize idiot. To accept your faults, no matter how embarrassing they are, is an integral part of being a success on the show, and in business generally. sir Alan is looking for a candidate who can be objective and honest about their flaws. But there is something far more

important at stake then winning his affections. To regret is to suffer. I approached every task happy to make a fool of myself as long as I could look back on the 10 weeks and feel I gave everything I had. of course, there were times when I watched myself and my toes curled with sheer humiliation. But that is a small price to pay for some tremendous times and some priceless memories. why am I telling you this? To explain why it is absolutely pointless for candidates to go on The Apprentice with the aim of being cautious. sure, at the start of the process, faced with an intimidating and alien environment, it is wise to go easy. But when you are given the chance to express your personality in front of millions of television viewers, you should damn well make sure that you grab the opportunity. This week’s boardroom casualty was a prime example of someone who failed to do that. Howard ebison may be a fundamentally decent guy, he may well be an efficient businessman, but I am sure his presence on the show will be forgotten in the time it takes to say “you’re fired”. Having said that, his departure was

Kate tries to get shopping channel viewers to part with their cash

the culmination of one of the most enjoyable episodes for some time. The two teams were told by sir Alan to pick products to sell live on a television shopping channel, a task which has been done before with humorous consequences. Although being project manager at this stage is really an irrelevance, it is worth noting that the leaders here were Howard and the consistently reliable Yasmina. This task, similar to the one last week, is all about choosing products that will be attractive to the channel’s audience. It is also crucial for the salesperson to stay calm under the pressure of presenting on Tv. not easy. Clearly relishing the challenge was the increasingly entertaining James McQuillan. In a year where the candidates have been severely lacking in charisma and humour, he has been one of the few who has made me laugh. I can recognise when sir Alan has a soft spot for someone, and James has defiantly had a lot of joy playing the likeability card with the millionaire. The show itself was highly amusing, featuring enjoyable slip-ups from the candidates and a reasonably emotional boardroom where, it has to be said yet

pLAy Of THe Week by john nathan

Watery play in which past flows into present CINEMAS-HM 5/11/08 Quite what these people have in com- JC0000_62 what interests this Australian writer

When the Rain StopS Falling

09:12 1 point is that our But if thePage author’s

again, the right person got the boot. It was on this same week a year ago that I was fired, but after my final confrontation with sir Alan, I knew I had done all I could to stay. I took risks, I had confidence in myself and I had a personality that shone through. As soon as sir Alan labelled Howard a “steady eddie”, I knew he was a gonner. There is nothing more of a turn-off than someone who stays in their comfort zone, and for me, Howard has all the makings of a corporate cog. so we are left with the final five. The female force is apparent with no fewer than four women reaching this stage, leaving only James to represent the men. out of this group I can only see three candidates who are good enough to win — lorraine, Yasmina and Kate. James, affable as he is, does not have enough business substance, and debra is just not the sort of person I could imagine anyone wanting to work for. still, when it comes to the interview round, things can be disclosed that change your view of someone in an instance. stand by for revelations. The Apprentice is on Wednesdays on BBC1 at 9pm

mORe neW THeATRe the hokey Cokey Man New End Theatre, London NW3 ★★✩✩✩

mon, both with each other, with the is the legacy of family secrets and how behaviour today affects the lives of our V AlAn BAlfour pulls no punches young london couple in 1959 and the they inform the lives of future genera- great grandchildren, he rather overeggs in his play about his grandfather Al middle-aged Australian man and his tions, some of whom are unaware even the lesson with his play’s motif —– rain. Tabor (James doherty), a violinist and increasingly senile wife, is a mystery for that a secret existed, or that the pain we are talking about the torrential kind popular bandleader who, few people V Andrew Bovell’s family drama much of the uninterrupted two hours with which they live is rooted in the that is caused by the global-warming know, was the man wrote the Hokey 1 of an ancestor they never knew. activities of earlier generations. As the Cokey song. leaps between period andJC0000_62 place as ran- CINEMAS-HM of Bovell’s play. 5/11/08 09:12 Page actions barnet/ domly as a rabbit in a paper bag. originally it was the “Hokey Pokey” But the answer is worth waiting for. The search for that secret is what man in Alice springs waits for his son, It is 30 years in the future and a lone- And even though the lesson — that the drives 28-year-old Gabriel law to travel Bangladesh, song, derived from the street cries of we are told, iscottage drowning. swiss ly 50-year-old man in Alice springs is legacy of events can last beyond the in his dead father’s footsteps from lonTo depict this apocalyptic future ice-cream sellers before the war. Cathonervously expecting a visit from the period in which they happened, in this don to Ayers rock in the hope of better world, designer Miriam Buether has lics reportedly think it is an offensive grown-up son he has not seen since he case four generations and 80 years — is knowing the man his mother refuses to gone the real wet thing. sheets of parody created by Puritans to mock 0871 22 for 44 007 was a child. now it is london 1988, and a not new, it is powerfully told by Michael talk about. The discovery of the secret the stuff fall on to the Almeida’s stage. the latin mass. barnet/ R e g i s t e r a t w w w. o d e olayers n . cof ofamily . u k history t o g e tno such fascinating detail exists in grown-up son is asking his emotionally Attenborough’s elegiac production. so is what leads, fhalf a century later, tob the Yet for all the i l m t i m e s y e m a i l f r e e e v e r y w e e k JC0000_62 CINEMAS-HM 5/11/08 09:12powerfully Page 1 told, in fact, that you leaveswiss cottage frosty mother for information about 50-year-old man waiting for the son he revealed, what is most interesting — Balfour’s plodding play, directed by ODEON Season the his late father. the theatre numbed by the journey. hardly knows. Senior Screen Awards for both author andbringing the audience — is ninon Jerome. He focuses instead on theguests... manner of the storytelling. Bovell his philandering latest classics to our mature Film timesgrandfather’s from Friday 7thmarNovember 2008 to allows characters whoby exist in different riage and affair. 0871 22 44 007 Proudly sponsored RIAS SUBTITLED PERFORMANCES: HIGH S But whyHIGH Tabor’s adultery is more periods and places to share the stage at SCHOOL MUSICAL (U) 2H 15 R e g i s t e r a t w w w. o d e o n . c o . u k t o g e t SAT/SU SUNDAY: 16.00 TUESDAY: 18.45 interesting than anyone else’s is a mysthe same time. They are never aware of f i lbarnet/ m times by e-mail free every week DAILY: AUDIO DESCRIPTION (ONLY each other’s presence, often because tery. (Tel: 0870 033 2733) swiss cottage ODEON Senior Screen Awards Season bringing the AVAILABLE THROUGH HEADSETS – (NOT S they are the same person. That our past SEE BOX 2008 OFFICEFilm FORtimes DETAILS): latest to our mature guests... FRI/SA from Friday 7th Filmexists times in from Friday 7th November 2008 to Thursday 13th November For film times orclassics to book tickets our present is the message, ALL PERFORMANCES OF HIGH the obSeRveR Proudly sponsored by RIAS 0871 22 44 007 SUBTITLED HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3 (U) 2H 15 Theatre, NEW which, inPERFORMANCES: the way that common themes SCHOOL MUSICAL 3 RELEASES: GHOS Cottesloe stage, National HIGH SCHOOL 2H 15on the R e g i s t e r a t w w w. o d e o n . c o . u k t o g e t SAT/SUN: can rise in MUSICAL different(U) places the- 10.40 London SE1 W (15) 2H 35 W (12A) 2H 31 NFTDAILY: SUNDAY: 16.00 TUESDAY: 18.45 film times by e-mail free every week DAILY: 12.45 15.40 SAW 18.30V atrical landscape,(ONLY is what J B Priestley’s DAILY: 12.00★★✩✩✩ 13.10 14.40DAILY: 16.00 17.20 AUDIO DESCRIPTION 14.30 17.30 20.30 ODEON Senior Screen Awards Season bringing the FRI/SAT LATE 00.10 Time andTHROUGH the Conways, currently AVAILABLE HEADSETS – revived (NOT SUN) 18.45 DAILY: FRI/SAT LATE: 23.30 latest classics to our mature guests... Film times from Friday 7thabout. November – Thursday 13th November 2008 thatEASY VIRTUE 1H 5 Film times from Friday 7th November 2008 to Thursday 13th November 2008national SEEatBOX OFFICE FOR DETAILS): V AnYone HoPInG Matt2H Charthe Theatre, is all FRI/SAT LATE: 23.20 EASY VIRTUE SAT/SUN: (PG) 0511:10(PG)FRI/SA Proudly sponsored by RIAS HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3 (U) 2H 12 SUBTITLED PERFORMANCES: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICALALL 3 (U)PERFORMANCES 2H 15 OF HIGH NEW RELEASES: man’s play lifts the lid on the littleHere, Phoebe nicholls is heartrendSAT/SUN: 10.10 NFT GHOST TOWN (12A) 2H HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL (U) 2H 15 BURN SCHOOL MUSICAL 3 W (12A) 2H 31 NFT SAT/SUN: 10.40 DAILY: 13.30 15.50 18.20 SAT/SUN: 10.15 11.15 13.00 SUNDAY: 16.00 TUESDAY: 18.45 known world of international election ingly superb the15.40 widow deals DAILY: 12.40 15.00 DAILY:as 12.45 18.30who 21.20 DAILY: 13.00 15.50 DAILY: 12.00 13.10 14.40 16.00 17.202H 35 FRI/SA– AUDIO DESCRIPTION (ONLY KIDS17.40 AM: 20.10 STAR WARS DAILY: 14.00 16.4518.30 19.20 20.45 Wwith (15) FRI/SAT LATE 00.10 observers is going to be mostly disapher grief by existing in an emoFRI/SAT LATE: 23.40 AVAILABLE THROUGH HEADSETS – (NOT SUN) 18.45 AVAILABLE: SAWAUDIO V (18)DESCRIPTION 1H 55 CLONE WARS (PG)IGOR 1H 3( DAILY: 14.30 17.30 20.30 EASY VIRTUE (PG) 1H 57 NFT SEE BOX OFFICE FOR DETAILS): SAT/SUN: 11.15 DAILY: 14.00 16.45 tional stasis. Also very fine is TomDAILY: Mison21.30pointed. QUANTUM OF SOLACE FRI/SAT LATE: 23.20 (12A) 10.10 2H 10 (NO SAT/SUN: ALL PERFORMANCES OF02 HIGH SAT/SUN: 11:10 FRI/SAT LATE: 23.30 19.20 SUBTITLED: SUNDAY: 14.00 great north leisure park north finchley centre GHOST finchley road SAT/SU TOWN (12A) 2H richard (OVER eyre’s 18 solid production canas her sonDAILY: who knows the answer to his SCREENINGS) SCHOOL MUSICAL 3 TUESDAY: 19.20 13.30 15.50 20.45 ADVERTS OR TRAILERS EASY VIRTUE (PG) 2H 05 18.20 FRI/SAT LATE: 23.50 65% on parking withDAILY: a cinema KIDS A GHOST TOWN (12A) 2HSUNDAY: 02 that NFT many 13.00ticket 15.50 18.30 20.45 FREE PARKING AT VUE NORTH FINCHLEY 17.10 TUESDAY: 20.00 KIDS AM: malaise STAR WARS not disguise ofDON’T Charman’s and his mother’s lies– in reconWSave (15)upto 2H 35 BE LATE!) SAT/SUN: 10.10 SAT/SUN: 10.00 DAILY: 12.20 15.00 BURN AFTER READINGQUANTUM (15) 2H OF SOLACE (12A) 2H SAW V (18) 1H 55 10 CLONE WARS (PG) 1H 38 DAILY: 14.30 17.30 20.30 STAR observations structing his father’s journey. Jonathan 17.30 21.50 FRI/SAT: 00.20 about observers could DAILY: 12.40 15.00 17.40 20.10 SAT/SUN: 10.30 QUANTUM OF SOLACE (12A SAT/SUN: 10.10 (NO DAILY: 21.30 FRI/SAT LATE: 23.30 FRI/SAT LATE: 23.10 AVAILABLE: AUDIO DESCRIPTION SAT/SU be gleaned from reading the newspaCullen is terrifyingly ordinary as the FRI/SAT LATE: 23.40 ADVERTS OR TRAILERS SO EASY VIRTUE (PG) 2H 05 DAILY: 11.30 12.30NFT 13.20 14.20 15.20 FRI/SAT LATE: 23.50 FRI/SAT: 00.20 IGORDAILY: (PG)21.50 1H 50 pers. His dispassionate heroine (Anna (NFT) N actions have2H such BE LATE!) SAT/SUN: 10.10 SUBTITLED: SUNDAY: 21.50 SAT/SUN: 10.30 16.10 17.10 18.10 19.00 20.00 21.00 BURN AFTER READINGQUANTUM (15)man 2H whose OFDON’T SOLACE (12A) 10 devastatTUESDAY: 21.50 SAT/SUN ONLY: 10.50 DAILY: 12.40 15.00 17.40 20.10 FRI/SAT LATE: 23.10 (OVER DAILY: 11.30 12.30 13.20 21.50 FRI/SAT LATE:chief 22.50 00.00 the14.2 first Chancellor) is the deputy of an ing 18 consequences everyone is, QUANTUM OF for SOLACE (12A) 2H who 16 SCREENINGS) SAW V (18) 1H 52 FRI/SAT LATE: 23.40 NFTTUESDAY: 20.00 16.10 17.10 18.10 19.00 20.00 KIDSFRI/SAT: AM: observation SUNDAY: 17.10 IGOR (PG) 1H 50 team in west Africa. 23.40 and will be, connected to him. SAT/SUN: 10.30 QUANTUM OF SOLACE (12A) 2H 10 21.50 OF SOLACE (12A) 2H14.20 10 (PG) 1H 47 SAT/SUN ONLY: 10.50 QUANTUM STARIGOR CLONE WARS (PG) emotional 2H DAILY: 11.30 12.30 15.20 Her increasingly attachIf it sounds like a 13.20 dark evening, itWARS: (OVER 18 SCREENINGS) SAT/SUN: 10.40 FRI/SAT: 22.50 23.50 SAT/SUN: 10.30 16.10 17.10 18.10 19.00 20.00 21.00SAT/SUN: 10.20 KIDS AM: SUNDAY: 17.10 TUESDAY: 20.00 BURN AFTER READING (15) 1H 56 and her ment to her work translator mostly is. 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(NFT) NO fleets’s FREE TICKETlinen-suited CAN BE man SUN-THURS: from the forso ingeniously is00.00 great satisfaction (NFT) No free ticket offers can be redeemed in NFT OVER 18S SCREENING 16.10 17.10 18.10 19.00 20.00 21.00 REDEEMED IN THE FIRST 2 WEEKS on 20.00the links between FOLLOWING A FILM’S RELEASE. 21.50 FRI/SAT LATE: 22.50 00.00 the first 2 weeks following a film’s release. eign office. to be hadSUN-THURS: in drawing Charman makes a point about how the figures of his family tree before they are revealed. Although, having learned doing good can do bad. But the dilemthe truth, expect to leave the theatre a mas and the outcome are exactly as book now on 08712 240 240 or online at www.myvue.com expected. (Tel: 020 7452 3000) little bit devastated. (Tel: 020 7359 4404) Almeida Theatre, London N1 ★★★✩✩

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THe JeWiSH CHROniCLe 29 MAY 2009

ARTS&enTeRTAinmenT 39

BooKS Anne Michaels’s second novel may not hit the stratospheric heights achieved by her first. But it will not disappoint fans

After great expectations Photo: DaviD Laurence

the wInter vAUlt

By anne michaels Bloomsbury, £16.99 revIewed By frAncescA seGAl

ans oF anne Michael’s have been holding their breath for a decade. Published in 1997, her first novel, Fugitive Pieces, won her several international awards as well as rapturous and near-universal critical acclaim. it holds an extraordinary position in contemporary fiction, spoken of with reverence — those who loved it felt changed by it. of course, there were those who could not see what all the fuss was about, and many who found her highly crafted, poetic language impenetrable. But, to her devotees, Fugitive Pieces was transcendent. Michaels created an instant following with the weight and beauty of her prose in that single book. so, unsurprisingly, expectations are high for her second, appearing, as it does, 12 years after the first. The Winter Vault takes us to egypt in 1964, where a young engineer, avery, and his botanist wife, Jean, are beginning their married life together, transplanted from Canada so that avery can supervise the relocation of the great temple at abu simbel. a vast team of builders and craftsmen is slicing up each monument with

Anne Michaels: follow-up to rapturously received debut after 12 years precision and moving the temple 60 feet higher, rescuing it from the rising waters of the aswan Dam: “if one could be fooled into believing he stood in the original site, by then subsumed by the waters of the dam, then everything about the temple would have become

a deceit. only his wife understood: that somehow holiness was escaping under their drills… that by the time abu simbel was finally re-erected, it would no longer be a temple.” also forcibly relocated are the hundreds of nubians living in villages

along the nile whose new homes will not be equipped with the electricity generated by the dam that necessitated flooding their old homes in the first place. Jean has her own personal connection to dams, to flooded villages and re-directed rivers, and she and avery speak to one another in their own languages — he in the shaping of space: planes, lines and tonnes of stone, and she in seedlings and soil and germinations. each is defined by his or her respective passions, and passion for the other. that neither truly convinces as a character will not matter to readers who turn to Michaels for the way in which she explores such ideas and definitions, but it is true to say that avery and Jean do not come to life in the way that Jakob and athos did in Fugitive Pieces. this matters much less than it would in the hands of another author. Michaels is inescapably a poet and, whatever she might claim (“it’s not heightened, it’s plain!” she protested about her prose in an interview in The Guardian), anyone who has read her will know that her language is rich and dense, almost every sentence heavy with thought, allegory and image. this second novel does take time to get going, but anyone who’s waited for 12 years understands the need for patience. it’s not Fugitive Pieces, but it’s almost there. Francesca Segal is a freelance writer

Cogent strategy needed to confront Iran Under A mUshroom cloUd: eUrope, IrAn And the BomB

Photo: aP

By emanuele ottolenghi Profile, £9.99 revIewed By AlI AnsArI

ManUeLe ottoLenghi’s book is a curious mixture of plea and polemic, both supported with healthy doses of speculation. the plea — to european policy makers to prevent iran building a nuclear arsenal — should be taken seriously, but so embedded is it within the polemic that it is in danger of being lost. ottolenghi’s basic point is that iran’s nuclear programme represents a challenge to the international community and the viability of the nuclear nonProliferation treaty and is of particular concern to the state of israel, especially in the light of the anti-israeli rhetoric regularly issuing from iran’s President, Mahmoud ahmadinejad, and sections of the broader leadership. europe is likewise concerned but, while it has taken the lead in seeking a diplomatic solution, the eU’s lack of cohesion and purpose has enabled iran’s hardliners to pursue their nuclear agenda. ottolenghi argues that it is vital for europe to practise a more consistent and rigorous diplomacy towards the iranians. a more coherent eU strategy would

Can diplomacy reach Ahmadinejad? certainly be welcome and ottolenghi may be surprised to find that there is some sympathy for this view among iranians themselves, baffled by the eU’s array of inconsistent ideas. iranians argue that europe’s leverage could have been greater if it had distanced itself from the neo-conservative ideology espoused by the Bush presidency. and indeed it was difficult during those years to lecture the irani-

ans on international law and human rights in the shadow of abu ghraib and guantanamo. ottolenghi’s view that iran, as an exceptional case, merits exceptional treatment, is perhaps unrealistically rigid. his argument is not helped by the absence from his text of source references by which the reader could cross-check the many, selective quotes he adduces in support of it. this lack of context --- so necessary in any examination of such serious issues --- undermines ottolenghi’s credibility. he quotes, for example, one arab analyst stating a preference for military action over determent with no reference at all to the background, conditions or context to what seems a very controversial viewpoint. similarly, ottolenghi clumsily juxtaposes a declaration of ahmadinejad’s that iran’s nuclear programme is “peaceful”, with the well-known dictum by sun tzu that “all war is deception”. a chapter entitled “iran’s deceptive practices” berates the country for failing to adhere to licensing agreements relating to engineering products bought in the West, without any suggestion that iran may be doing this to circumvent longstanding sanctions, or how the iran-iraq war may have shaped opinions in iran. Moreover, iran (sanctions or otherwise) is hardly the only country guilty of this.

in a chapter on human rights, ottolenghi quotes the american ngo Freedom house to show that iran is on a par with, among others, azerbaijan, Brunei, egypt, the Uae, oman, Pakistan and Qatar — and better than saudi arabia. it is clear from this list that, having a poor human-rights record has little bearing on your relations with the “free world” (and, in the case of the Uae, on securing a contract for the construction of a nuclear power plant). numerous unsubstantiated assertions do not help the cause. these range from that of the possible activation of “sleeper cells” to the remarkable claim that the rushdie fatwa applies to everyone who has apparently insulted islam. in the conclusion, there is a somewhat awkward assessment of russo-iranian relations which seems to suggest that russia’s attack on georgia last summer was driven by an anxiety over iran’s quest for regional hegemony. the more iran is seen as a challenge rather than a threat, the more will be achievable in the long term. the less it is defined in exceptional terms, the better the chances of formulating a realistic strategy. Using fear as a basis for policy is to succumb to the very irrationality of which we accuse others. Ali Ansari is professor of Iranian history and director of the Institute for Iranian Studies, University of St Andrews

SOCiAL pOLiCy

UK faith schools are not divisive Photo: reuterS

Flash point: Bradford burns, 2001

he riots that took place in Bradford, Burnley and oldham in 2001, followed by the terrorist attacks in the Usa later that year and in London in 2005, combined to bring about fundamental changes in British educational policy and in the manner in which British citizenship is officially articulated. in concluding that all these events involved islamist extremists, we need not ignore the genuine grievances of, particularly young, Muslims. But the reaction of the British government and other elements in British society to these events has been to create a series of myths, upon which radical new policy initiatives have been based. Chief among these myths are the assertions that to permit ethnic or religious groups to live in self-segregation is to aid and abet social fragmentation, and that faith schools have played a disproportionately prominent part in that process. in Disunited Kingdom (Civitas, £10) philosophy professor David Conway has offered not only a comprehensive rebuttal of these myths, but has also turned a spotlight on the dangerous new policy departures in which they have resulted. simply put, there is no evidence that allowing young people to grow up in “ghettoes” necessarily results in the destruction of the fabric of society. on the contrary, group identification invariably underpins a sense of status and social worth. the present government’s obsession with “community cohesion” amounts to a determination to pressure members of different groups to mix whether they want to or not. this, as Professor Conway argues, is likely to be ineffective at best and, at worst, woefully counter-productive. Worse still, the government has bought into a view of education for citizenship that is explicitly designed to undermine a sense of British national identity, especially among white children. Faith schools have been singled out as a barrier to national cohesion. Yet there is no hard evidence for this, other than in relation to a small number of independent Muslim schools. Until i read Professor Conway’s analysis, i had not realised how weak ofsted has been in dealing with this. But, given Labour’s dependence on Muslim votes, there is little prospect of an early end to this appeasement.

Geoffrey AldermAn

40 PUZZLES

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dOWN 1G Precedes a march. (3) 3B hang around with this mob. (5) 4G Going horseback across Yorkshire. (6) 5C Spanish ship came reportedly from Israel. (5) 6G Start to wrestle with the screw. (5) 7B they march around the quads. (5) 8J have a jaundiced view of this colour. (6) 9D Be nicer to the children. (6) 11B the principle of a 10101000. (5) 11K A Spanish lion roars ole! (3) 13H Say it’s the destiny of the festival. (4) 14B Stare at the page. (4) 14M You might drink it afterwards. (3)

AnswErs nExt wEEK AnswErs tO lAst wEEK’s sCrABBlE ACROSS: erode, Pitch, Lucid, Warm, tax, Baddy, KLm, Aorta, Nieve, trust, Ratine, Bonny, Griff, Sag dOWN: Zeppelin, enow, Quoit, covet, Album, eke, hadj, minor, Story, Above, hustle, Sting, Yew, Fag Devised and compiled by Derek Wine. ScRABBLe ® is a registered trademark of jW Spear & Sons Ltd, maidenhead SL6 4UB, england, under licence from mattel europa BV, a subsidiary of mattel Inc., ©mattel 2006.

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

TRAVEL 41

travel mALTA

Sun-drenched islands with an English accent

by Gideon Schneider t MUSt be a nightmare trying to dust in here, I heard someone say as I gawped at the intricate stone-carved walls of St John’s Co Cathedral. the exterior may look more like an old army barracks than a house of worship, but inside it is breathtaking. You don’t need to be Sister Wendy to appreciate Baroque artist Mattia Preti’s gilded carvings of foliage and flowers that stretch up to the vaulted ceilings, where painted cherubs flit between scenes from the life of John the Baptist. I stepped out of the cathedral, on to the honey-coloured limestone streets of Valletta, Malta’s bustling capital. the high street is lined with coffee shops, traditional Maltese establishments and usual suspects such as international fashion brands like Zara and Mango. I only had to look down any one of the alleys shooting off from the high

street to see the brilliant blue of the Mediterranean framed by the city walls on the horizon. I would have stopped for a cheese filled pastizzi (a local boreka-like speciality) but since I was trying to cram a whole country in to one weekend, there simply wasn’t the time. OK, just the one then. I carried on down the high street and came across the ruins of the opera house. It was destroyed during the Second World War when the island fought off occupation by the Germans and Italians, and was collectively awarded the George Cross for its heroism. History, both modern and ancient, was confronting me at every step, with WW2 bullet holes lodged in the walls of Baroque palaces. A short walk from the opera house led me to the Upper Barracca Gardens where I meandered past various statues and a bronze bust of Winston Churchill, before making my way along v cONTINUED NEXT PAGE

Quay to relaxation: the picturesque harbourside in a fishing village on the south-east of Malta

42 TRAVEL

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

mALTA

The Blue Lagoon on the Maltese island of Comino which, with Gozo, comprise the main Maltese islands C cONTINUED frOm prEvIOUs pagE

the pistachio-tree-lined path to the observation promenade. This offers a panoramic view across the translucent waters of the Grand Harbour, to the trio of historic fortified towns of Vittoriosa, Cospicua and Senglea known as the Three Cities. They were built around the 12th-century CE and were once the headquarters of the Knights of Malta. The scene of golden stone buildings, limpid sea and gondolas looked like a Canaletto painting come to life. I took a gondola across the harbour to the Vittoriosa Waterfront and lunched at the Don Bero restaurant. Between forkfuls of locally caught tuna carpaccio, so thin it melted on the tongue, and sips of Maltese wine, I gazed out over the moored yachts and worked

travel facts V Air malta (www.airmalta.com; 0906 103 0012) has daily flights from Gatwick and heathrow and regular flights fromregional airports from £99 return.Rooms at Corinthia San George Hotel (www. corinthiahotels.com) with breakfast from 130¤ (£114), superior doubles at Kempinski San Lawrenz Hotel (www.kempinski-gozo.com) with breakfast from 110¤ (£97). Further information at: www.visitmalta.com

on my tan. That evening I checked in to the five-star Corinthia Hotel in St George’s Bay where my room looked out over the hotel’s cascading pools, with the lights of the casino and the Mediterranean in the distance. Our tour guide, Vince, drove us the short distance to Malta’s original capital city, Mdina, where in the Middle Ages a third of the population was Jewish. It is easy to see why it has been classified as a UNESCO heritage site, with its mixture of private chapels, palazzos and cathedrals lining the narrow alleys. Every building is covered in golden limestone, like Jerusalem’s Old City. Vince pointed out St Paul’s Monastery, inhabited by 10 nuns who, for years, did not ever leave. But according to Vince, standards have slipped and nowadays they allow themselves the occasional excursion — to vote or for medical check ups. Next morning I boarded a ferry for the 20-minute trip to the island of Gozo, which, with Comino comprise the main Maltese islands. After checking my bags at the excellent, five-star Kempinski Hotel, I was driven by Vince to the town centre. “This is the most traffic you’ll ever see on the island,” Vince told me, as three cars and a scooter tootled by. We crossed the narrow road to the Rabat market square where, in the shadow of a war memorial, sellers tried to flog clothes that — judging by their cut —had been hanging there since the 1970s. Too modern, perhaps, for the elderly men and women who hobbled

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between them, more eager to impart gossip than hand over any money. Grocery shops across from the market stocked jars of prickly-pear jam and misshapen but superb tasting oranges and tomatoes. As I peeled another orange, a street cleaner with a grin white enough to excite an ivory hunter, approached and greeted me in perfect English — a friendly, English-speaking populace are among the reasons we Brits keep returning to Malta. From the market square I climbed the limestone-paved road to the Gran Castello Citadel, the old capital of Gozo.

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

Here, the ruins of buildings destroyed in the earthquake of 1693 sit alongside attractive restaurants and private residences. From the top of the battlements, the rooftops of old and new Gozo dot the lush green plains below. Domed churches, like scaled down versions of St Paul’s Cathedral, tower above the sky line, while the Mediterranean shimmers in the distance. Every town on these islands of deeply religious people has at least one of these cathedral-like churches, all equally ornate. But it is not surprising there are so many in a country where 65 to 80 per cent of inhabitants attend one of the 500 active churches every Sunday. For lunch, chef George Spiteri prepared me a meal of pumpkin soup, ravioli stuffed with sheep’s cheese and artichoke hearts stuffed with tuna, all accompanied by excellent local wines. Loosening my belt, I managed to make room for a dessert — two Maltese favourites: imquaret (fried, datefilled pastries) and qaghaq tal-ghasel (baked pastry rings stuffed with dates and molasses). “Our food, like our language, has many influences; Mediterranean, Italian and North African, to name a few,” George explained. He runs three restaurants on the island and is beginning to gain respect outside Malta. After lunch, I drove past lush countryside of vineyards and farms, to see some of the sites Gozo is famous for, including the Ggantija Temples (which may or may not have been actual tem-

A Valletta street, built of limestone ples) and said to be the oldest freeVoted World’s Bestworld, Cruise Line standing structures in the preten consecutive years. dating Stonehenge by a millennium. Chasing the setting sun, I drove to the coast to watch the waves breaking against the walls of the Azure Window, a natural rock arch 20 metres high. A minute’s walk away, the Inland Sea, a bathing pool surrounded by high, sheer cliffs, was the perfect setting for the final moments of a too-brief trip.

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TRAVEL 43

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44 TRAVEL

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

GRAND HOTEL RIMINI SUMMER 2009

LAST CHANCE FOR EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNTS!! Call Stephanie Viner on 020 8346 4742 unitextravel@hotmail.com Music in the mountains: the village of Saanen with Gstaad, site of the Menuhin Festival, in the background

Villas, veggie havens and violins in Gstaad

A By kate collins

ssiduous readers of the JC (and of its website, www.thejc. com) will be aware that leading Eilat hotelier Isrotel has launched its own charter flights from Luton to Eilat this winter as part of a flightand-hotel package. Branded the isrotel sun Express, the flights will be available initially with just four of the chain’s hotels in the Red sea resort — the ultra-luxe Royal Beach, the family friendly (and extensively upgraded) King solomon’s Palace, the luscious Royal Garden and the all-inclusive Lagoona — with packages costing from £649, including seven nights’ accommodation, lavishly up-graded charter flights and all transfers. Packages bookable through israel specialists (more at www.thejc.com).

KOSHER SUMMER BREAK at the Heathlands Hotel, Bournemouth Sunday 28th June – Wednesday 8th July 2009 Inclusive packages available Full entertainment programme Bridge and Kalooki Contact Steven Wolfisz or his team on 020 8205 4947 Or email: events@askstevenwolfisz.com Under Supervision of the London Beth Din

[S]

HOTELS, HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION AND RESTAURANTS, DELICATESSENS, ETC, IN GREAT BRITAIN Readers are advised to make their own enquiries about the standards of Kashrut observed by the establishments not under supervision and claiming to be Kosher. Explanation of hotels, products and restaurant symbols: [S]: The advertised products and/or services are under rabbinical supervision. [A]: The advertised products are under rabbinical supervision but the premises from which they are sold are not. [N]: Not under the rabbinical supervision and where Kashrut is claimed, readers should make their own enquiries. The JEWISH CHRONICLE cannot be held responsible for the Kashrut of products advertised in its columns.

l The hills (and mountains) around Gstaad will again be alive to the sound of music from July 17 to september 5 when the annual Menuhin Festival takes place in the smart swiss resort. The seven-week music-fest launches with a Haydn celebration on July 17. The programme of evening, lunchtime and morning performances includes Jeremy Menuhin and Friend, the traditional Matinee with Young stars, a concerts by the acclaimed pianist Helene Grimaud and a recital by spectacular italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli. Further information at: www.menuhinfestivalgstaad.com l still in switzerland, there is music of another kind in the elegant city of Zurich. The very grand dolder Grand Hotel is offering a Live at Sunset package, from July 8 to 19 to allow guests to take in outdoor concerts by a slew of stars, including Jamie Callum, Katie Melua, uB40 and simply Red. Prices from £293 per person (based on two sharing), and include deluxe accommodation with breakfast and a dinner at the Garden Restaurant, before

a stroll to the concert (0041 44 456 60 00; reservations@thedoldergrand. com). l Passengers flying to Tel Aviv with superstar Holidays before december 31, and staying at least four nights (including a Friday) in selected hotels in Tel Aviv, will receive a complimentary evening meal and a voucher to the value of £45. A sample package starts from £579 per person (based on two sharing) for four nights with breakfast at the Cinema Hotel. Price includes return El Al flights from Luton (www.superstar.co.uk; 020 7121 1500). l El Al has launched a great-value new instant purchase fare on its London-Tel Aviv route. The instant purchase economy flights are from £267 return (normally £292) from Heathrow and £254 (normally £279) from Luton, and are bookable for travel until July 3 (020 7121 1400; www.elal. co.uk). l Villa specialists VFB Holidays is offering big savings on its Provence properties in June. A detached villa on the outskirts of the pretty village of Pernes-les-Fontaines offers airy, comfortable accommodation for eight, with a south-facing terrace, 10-metre

Tel Aviv: cheaper flights and vouchers

pool and an ideal location for exploring medieval Avignon, the Vaucluse plateau and Lubéron. A week’s rental costs £879, down from £1,179. other dates available (01452 716840; www.vfbholidays.co.uk and search for BoN.84). l israel comes in at number five in a survey of the five best countries in the world to eat meat-free, carried out by cheap-flight site skyscanner. The survey, to celebrate National Vegetarian Week, reveals that india is the world’s haven for veggies, with most food for sale in supermarkets marked with special labelling and “almost all restaurants serving delicious vegetarian dishes”. The uK is described has having “one of the most advanced vegetarian cultures in the world” with meat-free food widely available and most restaurants offering vegetarian options. Thailand (with its vegetables, noodles and rice dishes) and Turkey (with its veggie dishes such as couscous, hummus, stuffed vine leaves and roast vegetables) are in third and fourth place, with israel described as a “relatively easy country for vegetarians to find suitable fodder”. Pointing to the “abundance of Mediterranean food such as falafel and hummus”, the survey notes that vegetarians should have a relatively easy time finding suitable food (www.skyscanner.net)

thejc.com

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

CLASSIFIED 45

CLASSIFIED AnnounCEmEntS TO ENSURE INSERTION PLEaSE SUBmIT yOUR annOUncEmEnTS By TUESDay 4:00Pm OF THE WEEK OF ISSUE. PERSOnaL annOUncEmEnTS OnLy may BE accEPTED On WEDnESDay UnTIL 10:30am, SUBJEcT TO SPacE aVaILaBILITy. We are open to receive your announcements from 8:30am to 5:30pm every monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. 9:30am to 5:30pm Thursday. ADVERTISEMENT OFFICE: 25 Furnival Street, London Ec4a 1JT. DIRECT DIAL NUMbERS: classified and Social & Personal Dept: 020 7415 1515 l advertisement Sales Dept: 020 7415 1555 l advertisement copy Dept: 020 7415 1525 l main Switchboard: 020 7415 1500 CLASSIFIED FAMILY ANNOUNCEMENTS minimum 17 words or less £22.96 Each additional word £1.12. Box numbers £7.70 extra (£12.00 Overseas). SOCIAL & PERSONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS minimum 40 words or less £95.06. Each additional word £1.34. above rates exclude VaT at 15% which must be added to the total. Pre-payment is required for all advertisements and announcements. The Jewish chronicle will accept payment by the following credit cards: Visa, mastercard, Switch, Delta, Eurocard and connect. WHEN POSTING advertisements, please include the following information for credit card processing. card number, Expiry Date, cardholder’s name, 3 digit security number on the back of the card, address and Daytime Telephone number. Please telephone to confirm that they have been safely received. Invoices will not be dispatched for pre-paid announcements. NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS: certain categories of advertisements booked in the Jewish chronicle newspaper may be published on the Jc internet site, www.thejc.com published by J c Tech Limited. If you do not wish an advertisement to be placed in the electronic version of the Jc, please make this clear at the time of booking.

deaths CHELLONE. Sophie. Friends for over 50 years. We send our sincere sympathy to Jack.— Sheila and Harry Roth and family. FIGGINS. Sam. Saddened by the loss of my dear brother. May he rest in peace.— Anne. KAYE. Jackie (née Robinson). Died peacefully on May 19, aged 66, taken from us far too soon. She touched the hearts of everyone who knew her and will be sadly missed by family and friends.

tombstone

consecrations

KRAMER. Sylvia. The memorial stone will be consecrated at Willesden United Cemetery, Beaconsfield Road, NW10, on Sunday, June 7 at 12.30pm.

Counselling serviCes

reADers Are ADviseD To sATisFY THeMselves THAT Counselling serviCes noT oPerATing unDer CoMMunAl AusPiCes MeeT THeir reQuireMenTs.

OLIVER. Robert. So sorry to learn of the passing of our dear cousin Bobby. He was a true gentleman.— Sincerely, Sena Bitton, Alan, Anita, Emma and Craig.

ALONE or Together. Worried? Concerned? Difficulty in coping? Considering counselling? Raphael Jewish Counselling Service offers professional confidential counselling. 24 hours answerphone. 0800 2346236.

OLIVER. Robert (Bob). Our treasured friend passed away after a very brave fight. He will be sorely missed by Ann, Sammy and family.

ATTACHMENT Psychotherapist. Susanne Levin MBACP, Regent Street, W1. 07772 679381. www.attachmentpsychotherapy. co.uk

ROZELAAR. Philip. My dearest husband, Phil, passed away peacefully on Monday, May 18. I already miss the devotion and love he gave me for over 60 years of marriage, even through the ill-health he endured with such dignity for many years. May he rest in the peace he so richly deserves.— Anne.

BEREAVED. Are you bereaved? We offer counselling to adults and to children who are experiencing loss. Call the Jewish Bereavement Counselling Service in confidence on 020-8457 9710 or email to jbcs@jvisit.org.uk

ROZELAAR. Philip. A very special man whom we were proud to call our dad and grandpa. He bore his many years of illness with great strength, dignity, courage and humour. We will miss him greatly, but he will always live on in our hearts and in our memories. He is finally at peace.— Miriam, Paul, Melvyn, Anthony and Jason. ROZELAAR. Philip. Much loved brotherin-law, uncle and great-uncle. Through all his pain he never lost his wonderful sense of humour. Finally at peace with his beloved brother, he will be sorely missed always. Our hearts go out to Anne, Paul, Miriam, Melvyn and family.— Enid, Leanne and Dean, Jo and Ian, David and Julia, Jamie, Daniel, Jacqui, Becca, Hannah and Ashleigh. ROZELAAR. Philip. It has been a privilege and a joy to care for him this last year. We will never forget him.— Carol and Robyn. SCHEFFER. Harry. Deeply shocked and saddend by the sudden passing of our dear brother-in-law and uncle. He was always there in times of trouble. Our thoughts are with Estelle and family.— Sena, Alan, Anita, Emma and Craig.

in memoriam BLACK. Monica Judith. Remembering a wonderful wife, mother, “mimi” and sister on her birthday. She is always in our thoughts and forever in our hearts.— Randy, Shelley, Lorraine, Melanie, Anthony and their families. MELNIKOFF. David. Remembering today and every day our dearly loved father and grandfather, who was taken from us on May 27, 1978. He is always in the thoughts of his children Pamela, Helen and Anthony, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. MITCHELL. Marilyn (née Raye). Birthday memories for June 4, 2009. Time passes, but memories stay loved and remembered every day. Forever in our hearts.— Mum, Daniel and Jo-Anne. SILVER. Shirley. Always in our thoughts and always remembered with love.— Stanley and son Barry.

CAN we help? JMC offers a warm, confidential, professional counselling service for singles and couples. London: 020-8203 6311. Manchester: 0161-740 5764. counselling@jmc-uk.org www.jmc-uk. org CANCER? If you want advice, need someone to talk to, or someone to listen, call Chai Cancer Care today on freephone 0808 8084567. COUPLE counselling with professional psychotherapist. Sensitive, supportive and confidential. A fresh approach to building and renewing trusting, loving relationships. Concessions available. Contact Rachella Michaels MA UKCP: 0208374 5018/ 07778 102086 or visit: www. counsellingforcouplesnorthlondon.co.uk DRUGSLINE: Need help, or know someone who does? Freephone our crisis helpline on 08081 606606 for confidential counselling on drugs and alcohol-related issues or visit our Drop-in Centre at 395, Eastern Avenue, Gants Hill, Ilford, Essex, IG2 6LR. www.drugsline.org JEWISH Women’s Aid. Are you a Jewish woman experiencing domestic violence? We are here to help. Support, counselling and refuge available as needed. Free helpline 0800 591203. New JWA email advice service: advice@jwa.org.uk www. jwa.org.uk

hotel & holiday accommodation FRANCE PARIS. Bed and Breakfast. Beautiful location in the west. 35 euros for 2. For full details please contact: tal.beer@yahoo.com 0033 134590633.

Articles for sAle or wAnted

do tAKe cAre. reAders Are AdVised to insist tHAt sUPPliers of serVices cAllinG At tHeir HoMes do so onlY BY APPointMent, And tHAt tHeY ProVide eVidence of tHeir identitY. older reAders sHoUld trY And HAVe AnotHer MeMBer of tHe fAMilY Present.

A A Aalto. Epstein, Hille and antiques, paintings, silver, jewellery all wanted. Any distance GB. 0800 9562465. A A Aarons buys antiques, Epstein, Hille and other traditional furniture 020-7723 7415 (shop), 07973 541308 (any time). OLD 78 records, LPs and gramophones purchased. 020-7402 5562.

JC PROMOTIONS STANDARD TERMS & CONDITIONS Each Jewish Chronicle (“JC”) promotion is subject to these rules and the specific directions and terms and conditions published for any particular promotion. Unless specifically stated, in the case of conflict between these rules and such specific directions/terms and conditions, these rules shall prevail. By entering a promotion, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions, the specific terms and conditions listed within the individual promotion as well as the terms and conditions of any relevant third party. Prize draws are open to all readers aged 18 years or over, residing in the UK only. Proof of eligibility must be provided on request. Employees (and members of their household) of the companies associated with the promotion are ineligible to enter (at the discretion of the promoters). Send your completed entry form to: JC/Prize Draw, 25 Furnival Street, London, EC4A 1JT. The closing date for entry and the prize is detailed in the individual promotion. Prize(s) are not transferable, may not be re-sold, are subject to availability and there is no cash alternative. Winners will be the first entrants drawn at random by an independent person. Entry is free. No purchase necessary. To obtain a free entry form write to, visit or call the JC on 020 7415 1540 by no later than five days prior to the closing date. You can enter as many times as you wish but entries through agents, third parties or received in bulk will not be accepted. Photocopies, incomplete, damaged or illegible entry forms are void. Proof of postage will not be accepted as proof of receipt. The JC will not be responsible for entries lost, damaged or stolen in the post. The winner(s) will be notified within 21 days of the closing date. If the winners notification is returned as undeliverable or the winners do not contact the promoter within 15 days of the mailing of the notification, the prize(s) will be forfeited in its entirety and alternative winners will be selected at random. The name(s) and counties of the winner(s) will be available by sending a SAE to Jewish Chronicle, 25 Furnival Street, London, EC4A 1JT up to six weeks after the closing date. No correspondence will be entered into and the decision of the JC Editor is final. The Promoter reserves the right to alter the specifications of the prize and/or substitute the whole or any part of any prize with one of equal or greater value. The JC and Promoter reserve the right at any stage in its reasonable discretion to: (a)add to, amend or waive any of these terms and conditions on reasonable notice; and/or (b) and/or to cancel the promotion or any part of it at any stage in the event of circumstances outside its reasonable control; and/or (c)disqualify an entrant whose conduct is contrary to the spirit of the rules and to declare as void any entries based on such conduct; and/or (d) to declare as void any entries resulting from any printing production and/or distribution errors. Winners of holidays are responsible for ensuring that they and any partners hold valid passports and any necessary visas or other necessary travel documentation for the trip in question. Unless otherwise stated, insurance and travel to and from airports is excluded. Winners of vehicle prizes must hold valid driving licenses prior to driving. The Jewish Chronicle is not responsible for failure by a third party, to honour its obligations in connection with the promotion. Winners must co-operate fully for reasonable publicity purposes if so required. The Jewish Chronicle is only responsible for communicating details of the prize draw and collecting entry forms on behalf of the Promoter. Any problems with the promotion or prizes is the responsibility of the Promoter. Promoter name and address: see individual promotion.

FLATSHARE YOUR 4 WEEK ADVERT

FOR ONLY

£6.12

per week for a minimum of 4 weeks at a total price of £24.47 for 20 words

All you have to do is email your flat or houseshare advert to flatshare@thejc.com or telephone the JC on 020 7415 1515

PROBLEMS? If you need a nonjudgemental listening ear so you can talk through your issues, call Miyad, the Jewish helpline, on freephone 0800 6529249, between noon and midnight. SEXUAL health and HIV concerns? Need support or to talk to somebody? Call JAT, the Jewish sexual health charity, office hours, on 020-8952 5253.

INTRODUCTION AGENCIES

All ADvERTISERS IN ThIS SECTION hAvE UNDERTAkEN TO CONDUCT pERSONAl INTERvIEwS wITh All ApplICANTS AND hAvE AGREED TO AbIDE by A CODE Of pRACTICE A COpy Of whICh ShOUlD bE REQUESTED AND AvAIlAblE UpON ApplICATION.

TIRED of internet dating? Come and talk to us: Connect is a personalised and caring agency. Guaranteed Jewish and free to marry. 020-8203 5207. connect@jmc-uk. org www.jmc-uk.org

Your advert will be placed for 4 consecutive weeks only. Non refundable offer. You can also fax or post the flatshare coupon with payment details to: JC Flatshare, 25 Furnival Street, London EC4A 1JT, or fax it to: 020 7831 5188. Email the wording and payment details to: flatshare@thejc.com. The JC’s Flatshare service is available to private individuals only. All adverts for Friday’s issue must be in by Tuesday, 4pm. Normal JC Conditions of business apply, available on request from JC Classified. The JC has the right to withdraw the offer at any time.

thejc.com

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

• care homes

SERVICES DIRECTORY • accountants

SweetTree Home Care Services HOME CARE SERVICES

• Home care & Nursing

Assistance how and when you want it!

ALAN Shooter FCA FCCA Shooter Greene and Co. 020-7405 5759.

• Personal care

• antiques LAMP conversions, repairs, restorations and sales of antique lighting, clocks, porcelain, marble, etc. 50 years experience. 020-8204 2446.

• bands & entertainers ALPHA Connection. One of UK’s top party showbands. Now available with stunning girl singers and dancers. Visit our website at: www.alphaconnection.co.uk or call direct on 02392 256888. MUSIC of Robin Hurst, like bands used to be. Hear the music you love and hear yourself speak. 01923 893028. www. robinhurst.co.uk PIANO or keyboard, background/vocal or saxophone. Call Paul: 07949 884245.

• building & decorators BUILDERS experienced. Kitchens, bathrooms, complete refurbishment, extensions, lofts, decorating. Maintenance. 07961 806527. CONNOLLY Roofing Contractors. Free estimates. crcroofing@hotmail.co.uk mob 07505 113549 FINISHING Touches. Professional painter/ decorator. Interior and exterior. 1st class finish. Very reasonable prices. No upfront payment. References provided. 07984 051975/01442 217737.

• cabinet & furniture PURPOSE built fitted furniture, bedroom, office, lounge and bookcases; also doors replaced. David and Daniel www. roomersltd.com. 020-8782 0005/07956 557070.

• caterers CROCKERY Hire. Strictly Kosher and in stylish design. Please call: 07989 714295. PAM. Kosher catering for every occasion. 020-8866 9348. TOBY Levy: Memorable simchas, beautifully catered with imagination and style to your budget. Supervision Sephardi Beth Din. 020-8505 2725.

• chauffeur drive MPV’S for airports, day trips, weddings, barmitzvahs and theatres. PCO licensed. Tel: 07973 966369. Email: steven@ stevensdoor2door.co.uk.

• cleaning HAMPSTEAD Helpers. Experienced cleaners. Regular domestic cleaning. Call 020-8349 7201. 1ST Call Services. Reliable and experienced cleaners for regular or spring clean services: 020-8905 3467.

• computer services COMPUTER Basics: Personal, friendly PC training at home. (Beginners-Advanced) 020-8906 4836. HOME/office; Troubleshooting; Setups; upgrades; networking/servers; tuition; 24/7. www.londonitdoctor.com 07506 725579 IT solutions. Any problem solved in your home or business. Fluent English and Hebrew spoken. Call Gabriel: 07852 613352.

Dedicated to serving the Jewish Community

• Live in or live out

• Dementia • Strokes and physical disabilities • Learning disabilities

• Companionship

Remaining in the comfort of your own home • Personal Care • Live in or Live out • Fully Trained Staff • CRB & POVA Checked

• Companionship • Convalescence • Housework • Shopping

WE SPECIALISE IN CARE FOR: • The Elderly

• Mental/Physical Disabilities

• Dementia

• Sick/Terminally ill

Supporting the Jewish Community since 1989 CSCI Registered Contactus us for for aa brochure brochure Contact or a free assessment on or a free assessment on

020 8952 5592

020 8952 5592 www.prospects-staff.co.uk/homecare

Please contact SweetTree for information on our specialist services for those with:

• Domestic assistance • Handyman

• Brain injuries

• Activities programmes

To request a brochure or a free assessment contact us on: 020 7624 9944

www.sweettree.co.uk

DOLPHIN CARE -

Registered Name of Concept Care Solutions Live In and Live Out Home Care Services for the Elderly, Adults with disabilities (dementia, learning disabilities, brain/spinal injuries, etc)

Specialist Nursing Care. Home from Hospital Care. Night sits, Companionship.

FREE ASSESSMENT!

Fully Trained and CRB checked staff available on very short notice!

0208 731 5972

Reliable

Care Services 24 Hour Live-in Care Nursing & Care In Your Home Night Care • Respite/Sitting service End Of Life Care Flexible Personal Care To Suit Experienced Care Workers Home From Hospital

Tel: 020 8514 0010

PillarCare

Quality support and care at home

••Hourly HourlyCare Carefrom from41hours hour -- 24 24hours hours ••Live-in/Night Live-in/NightDuty/Sleepover Duty/SleepoverCare Care ••Convalescent Convalescentand andPersonal PersonalHealth HealthCare Care Compassionateand andAffordable AffordableService Service ••Compassionate Professional,Qualified, Qualified,Kind KindCare CareStaff Staff ••Professional, Registeredwith withthe theCSCI CSCIand andUKHCA UKHCA ••Registered

Freephone Telephone

0800 028 4645 020 7482 2188 JC SG Classified

• Care Homes

30/1/07

CARERS. Specialising in live-in care. Est. 18 years. Hilary’s Agency 020-8559 1110. www.hilarysagency.co.uk HOMECARE and nursing. Day or night cover. Kells Nurses Bureau. 020-8886 6589. NEWJART Care. Providing 24 hours support to people with Dementia, 7 days per week. Tel: 020-8863 2200 CQC Registered. THE Extra Mile Care Company. Specialists in domiciliary care for people with dementia across London. Please visit extramilecare. com or contact 020-8802 7672 for more information.

15:56

Page 1

Residential care at its very best Committed to individual care, choice and dignity for older people, Spring Grove was built to luxury hotel standards and features spacious en-suite bedrooms, a wide range of activities, a first class menu and stunning landscaped gardens. Part of the independent and family-owned Springdene Group, our home aims to be just that – home to every resident, a welcoming place of familiarity, comfort and companionship. To find out more please phone

020 8815 2000 Part of the Springdene Group, with care homes in Hampstead, Enfield, Muswell Hill and Whetstone

www.springdene.co.uk

Spring Grove 214 Finchley Road, London NW3 6DH

Because life is for living

thejc.com

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

Jewish Chronicle

SERVICES DIRECTORY

Estate Agents Directory

Bushey Heath ADAM Stevens Partnership. 63 High Road, Bushey Heath, Herts, WD23 1EE. 020 8950 0220. www.adamstevens.net

• gardening

• Photography & Video

VILLAGE Estates Residential Sales & Lettings, 59 High Road, Bushey Heath, Herts. WD23 1EE. 020 8950 7777. www.village-estates.co.uk

Elstree GARDENING services: design and landscaping; cutting, pruning, removal. 07973 270918.

BARRY Allsuch & Co. Elstree’s premier Estate Agent. 020 8953 1175. www.barryallsuch.co.uk VILLAGE Estates Residential Sales & Lettings, High Street, Elstree. 020 8207 0085. www.village-estates.co.uk

Finchley ANSCOMBE & Ringland. Residential sales, 338 Regents Park Road, Finchley. 020 8349 3320

• invitations

MARTYN Gerard Estate Agents, Surveyors and Valuers. 365 Regents Park Road, Finchley Central, N3 8BR. Tel: 020 8346 0102. Fax: 020 8349 0996 WINKWORTH Residential sales, lettings and management. 020 8349 3388. www.winkworth.co.uk

A superb range of outstanding invitations. No obligation, home visits. Michael: 07958 131295 www.simchainvitations.co.uk

PENNY Kenton Property Centre, 871 High Road, Finchley, London N12. 020 8446 5225

Golders Green WINKWORTH. Residential sales, lettings and management. 020 8458 8313. www.winkworth.co.uk

THE Invitation Factory: See our range of invitations and accessories at home: Call 020-8551 8811.

Hadley Wood STATONS 1 Hadley Parade, High Street, Hadley Green, Barnet. 020 8449 3383

Hampstead

• judaica

ANSCOMBE & Ringland. Hampstead office, 55 Heath Street, Hampstead, London, NW3 5UG. Tel: 020 7794 1151. Fax: 020 7435 0444 SAVILLS. Hampstead office. Residential sales, rentals, investments. 7 Perrin’s Court, Heath Street, London, NW3 1QS. Tel: 020 7472 5000. Fax: 020 7472 5001

ANTIQUE books, manuscripts and objects. Highest prices paid. Contact: J Landau, 07791 798492. joseph.landau@yahoo. co.uk.

• monumental masons

GOLDSCHMIDT & Howland. Sales 020 7435 4404. Lettings 020 7431 0624. www.g-h.co.uk

Hatch End A professional, affordable photographer: all social functions. Unobtrusive style. Simeon David: 020-8959 1199. www.simpix.co.uk

• toastmasters

PULVER Carr Partnership. Estate Agents, Surveyors. Valuers. 020 8421 0107. www.pulvercarr.co.uk

Harrow ALLAN Howard & Co. Residential Sales and Lettings. 020 8907 2525

Hendon

Gary Green

Monumental Stonemasons 14 Claybury Broadway, Clayhall, Ilford Tel:020 8551 6866 Fax:020 8503 9889 41 Manor Park Crescent, Edgware, Middx Tel:020 8381 1525 Fax:020 8381 1535

AFFORDABLE wedding/barmitzvah DVDs. High quality productions at unbeatable prices. Call ‘New Angle’: 020-8731 4555.

PHILIP Phillips and Co. 127 Brent Street, Hendon. NW4. 020 8202 3833

Highgate ANSCOMBE & Ringland. Residential Sales, Lettings & Managment. 2 South Grove, Highgate Village. 020 8340 2600

AFFORDABLE photography. Stunning images. Unobtrusive, creative, fun. 020-8343 8383, Jon Jaffa.

www.garygreenmemorials.co.uk

• scribe

DOUGLAS Martin. Established 1932. Residential sales and lettings. 020 8202 6333

ARNOLD Brooks. Your function in safe hands. 07795 998899. www.masterofceremonies.co.uk

BAR/batmitzvah, wedding photography. Julia: 07951 079541, photography@ juliaburstein.com, www.juliaburstein.com/photography

CAPTURED Moments Photography. Photographing with ease. capturedmomentsphotography.co.uk 020-8207 1971.

ASHLEY Powell. Well-known professional, fully experienced. 020-8385 7644. 07956 214631.

Kenton ALLAN Howard and Co. Residential sales, lettings and management. 020 8908 3131

Mill Hill COSWAY Estates. Residential Sales, Lettings, Management and New Homes Sales. 135/137 The Broadway, NW7. 020 8959 0011. www.cosway.co.uk

HOWARD Robbins. No.1 choice for your function. 020-8550 7863. www.toptoastmaster.com

ELLIS & Co. Residential Sales, Lettings and Management. 22 The Broadway, Mill Hill, London NW7 3NJ. 020 8959 3281 RICHARD James Estate Agents. 52a The Broadway, Mill Hill, London, NW7 3LH. 020 8959 9191. www.richardjames.biz

Northwood JEFF Best. Your toastmaster for all occasions. 020-8886 0494. www.toastmasterbest.co.uk.

ANSCOMBE & Ringland. Residential sales. 26 Green Lane, Northwood. 01923 835544

Notting Hill Gate ANSCOMBE & Ringland. Residential Sales, Lettings & Managment. 15 Notting Hill Gate, London. 020 7727 7227

CHARLIE Kaufman Photography. Tiaras and bridal headwear available. 01923 297417/07711 787866. www.charliek.co.uk

Radlett

• venues

AITCHISONS Residential Sales, Lettings & Management. 299 Watling Street, Radlett, Herts, WD7 9LA. 01923 859444. www.aitchisons.co.uk BARRY Allsuch & Co. Radlett’s premier Estate Agent. 01923 852333. Sales and Lettings. www.barryallsuch.co.uk VILLAGE Estates. Residential sales and lettings. 70D Watling Street, Radlett. 01923 852434. www.vilage-estates.co.uk

• security FOR private business corporate security services. www.trinity-protection.com 08445 617628.

• simcha accessories

NOVELTIES DIRECT

Party noveltiesat at wholesale Party novelties wholesaleprices. prices. Brand newunseen unseen items, Brand new items,flashing, flashing, glow, inflatables, noisemakers noisemakers etc.etc. glow, inflatables, SpecialBar/ Bar/ Batmitzvah Batmitzvah prices. Special prices Toplus make5% an discount. appointment Visit our newBorehamwood showroom in showroom Borehamwood. in our Call 0845 331331 3431 please call 0845 3431

CUPPLES and benchers. A beautiful selection. Kosher bonbonnieres. Hebrewear UK. 020-8802 1314. www.hebrewear.com CUPPLES, benchers. Simcha Accessories. Please call 0845 4584744. www.simchaaccessories.com.

DIGITAL, superbly produced wedding, barmitzvah videos. Reasonable cost. Free sample DVD. Absolutely no comparison. 020-8202 7343. www.vidwed.co.uk

GARDEN City Video Production. Professional and unobtrusive recording. For a free demonstration DVD: 01707 326048. weddingvideo.co.uk

ROYAL Majestic Suite. Distinctive catering in elegant surroundings by Helen and Richard Goide. 020-8459 3276/0567. LBD supervision. www.royalmajesticsuite.co.uk

Richmond CHANCELLORS Residential Sales, Lettings & Managment. 23 The Quadrant, Richmond. 020 8940 2255.

Shenley SHENLEY Estates Residential Sales, Lettings & Management. 20 Andrew Close, Shenley, Herts, WD7 9LP. 01923 856464. www.shenleyestates.com

WONDERFUL simcha venue. Dairy kitchen. Middlesex New Synagogue, Harrow. 020-8864 0133.

South Hampstead IN London Properties, 69 Fairfax Road, London, NW6 4EE. 020 7625 1266. enquiries@inlondonproperties.co.uk. www.inlondonproperties.co.uk

Stanmore HARVEY Lexton: photography and video to suit you: 01708 442990.

• wedding & barmitzvah

KELLY Landesberg photography. Any occasions. In-house studio. 07813 616191.

MYDAS: whether a small family gathering or a lavish simcha, Mydas Photography will produce stunning images for you. 020-8950 0393.

PHOTOGRAPHY and video by Victor Shack LBIPP. 01923-772262.

ANSCOMBE & Ringland. Residential sales. 38 The Broadway, Stanmore. 020 8954 6111 BRESLAUER Residential Sales & Acquisitions. Buckingham House West, The Broadway, Stanmore, HA7 4EB. Tel: 020 8954 2200. www.breslauer.co.uk ELLIS & Co. Residential Sales, Lettings and Management. 66 The Broadway, Stanmore, Middx. 020 8954 0066 JAMIE Dean. Residential Sales & Lettings, 91a Stanmore Hill, Stanmore, Middlesex, HA7 3DZ, Tel: 020 8954 6166

theme traders

+44 (0) 20 8452 8518

Decorations by renowned production, party management, hire company with Showrooms in Cricklewood, NW2 (by appointment) www.themetraders.com

PRESTON Bennett. 37 Church Road, Stanmore. HA7 4AA. Established Homes: 020 8954 0044. New Homes: 020 8954 8626. www.prestonbennett.co.uk

St John’s Wood ANSCOMBE & Ringland. Residential Sales, Lettings & Managment. 88 St Johns Wood High Street. 020 7586 3111 KNIGHT Frank. St John’s Wood, London NW8 7AB. 020 7586 2777. 020 7586 7654

Surbiton CHANCELLORS Residential Sales, Lettings & Managment. 1-5 St Mark's Hill, Surbiton. 020 8930 7033

Temple Fortune ALAN Goldin Estates. Residential sales and lettings. 020 8209 0101

• speech writers RITA Christie for that special speech. 020-8363 1618, 07956 937145. put_pen_to_paper@email.com www.speech-writing.co.uk

RGS Photography. The unique and modern style of Robert Shack. www.robertshack. co.uk. 020-8427 6161.

BRISAN Carriages. Vintage, classic, modern cars for weddings and occasions. Free brochure. www.brisancarriages.co.uk 01992 631619.

Totteridge ANSCOMBE & Ringland. Totteridge office, 58-60 Totteridge Lane, Totteridge, London, N20 9QP. Tel: 020 8446 1434. Fax: 020 8445 7016 STATONS Re Blade. 28-30 Totteridge Lane, Totteridge, London, N20 9QJ. 020 8445 3694

SOVEREIGN Photography and video: modern, fun and exciting. 020-8441 6060. www.sovereignphotography.co.uk.

Woodside Park RABBI for marriage and other blessings. www.rabbi.eu.com Tel: 020-8343 0069.

REAL Estates. 14a Sussex Ring. Residential sales. 020 8445 6387. www.realestates-wsp.co.uk

48 CLASSIFIED

tHejC.COm

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

pROpERTY TO LET OR SALE

miscellaneous

APPOINTMENTS

Residential Sales Lettings & Management

www.douglasmartin.co.uk

020 8202 6333 www.douglasmartin.co.uk

READERS ARE ADVISED THAT ANY ‘SITUATIONS VACANT’ ADVERTISEMENTS, INCLUDING JOB DESCRIPTIONS WHICH MIGHT FIT EITHER MEN OR WOMEN ARE OPEN TO APPLICATIONS FROM EITHER SEX WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS 020 8202 6333

ERC Employment Resource Centre A Service for the Jewish Community

Out of work? Looking for a job? For free professional advice

contact 020 020 8883 8346 1000 4000 or office@ercentre.org www.ercentre.org Charity Registration 1106331

NEW INSTRUCTION!

LOCATION, POSTCODE

£000,000

Description • Description • Description • Description • Description

LOCATION, POSTCODE ASHLEY LANE

NW4

£000,000

Description • Description • Description • Description • Description

LOCATION, POSTCODE £1,375,000

LOCATION, POSTCODE £000,000 CLOSE CENTURY NW4

Description • Description • Description • Description • Description

Fabulous large family home • Ent/hall • 2 Cloakrooms • Family room/ Guest room • Lounge/dining room • Kitchen/breakfast room • Utility room • Principle bedroom suite with en-suite bathroom • 3 Further bedrooms • 2 En-suite shower rooms • Studio/bedroom 5/Playroom • Chain free. Sole Agent.

£000,000 £595,000

Description • Description • Description • Description • Description

Beautiful flat in prestigious block on Brent Street • Ent/hall • Cloakroom • Living room • Kitchen/breakfast room • 3 Bedrooms • 2 Bathrooms • Communal gardens • Garage. Sole Agent.

NEW INSTRUCTION!

LOCATION, POSTCODE

£000,000

Description • Description • Description • Description • Description

Barry Allsuch & Co Elstree and Radlett’s leading estate agents require an experienced Sales Negotiator to manage the Elstree sales office. LOCATION, POSTCODE

£000,000

Description • Description • Description • Description • Description

Outstanding Opportunity Experience, local knowledge and pleasant disposition are all essential.

LOCATION, POSTCODE

£000,000

Description • Description • Description • Description • Description

PARK VIEW GARDENS NW4

LOCATION, POSTCODE

£530,000

Great 3 bed extended semi backing on to Hendon Park • Ent/hall • Guest cloakroom • Through room • Kitchen/breakfast NEWlounge/dining INSTRUCTION! • 3 Bedrooms • Bathroom • Separate/adjoining WC LOCATION, room POSTCODE £000,000 LOCATION, POSTCODE • Front & rear gardens. Sole Agent. Description • Description • Description • Description • Description

£000,000

Description • Description • Description • Description • Description

LOCATION, POSTCODE

HOLDERS HILL ROAD NW4

Description • Description • Description • Description • Description

Established 1932

Apply to Senior Partner Barry Allsuch on 01923 853 223 or to bpa@barryallsuch.co.uk

Douglas Martin Estate Agents 18 Central Circus Hendon Central London NW4 3AS T: 020 8202 6333 F: 020 8202 7893 E: enquiries@douglasmartin.co.uk www.douglasmartin.co.uk

miscellaneous

EVENTS administrator, £20k. Source venues. Donor liaison. Excellent communication skills. Tali at Fame 0208209 1858.

If you would like to advertise in the classified section of the JC. For ProPerty call Brian Kyte 020 7415 1528 or email briankyte@thejc.com

TRAINING Co-ordinator, £24k. Cosmetics, booking venues. Extensive client liaison. Tali at Fame 020-8209 1858.

For Sit Vac call Sam Rainford 020 7415 1532 or email samrainford@thejc.com

professional

For SerViceS call Chaya-Orna Diamond 020 7415 1517 or email

FINANCIAL Controller-Bnei Akiva requires a part-time financial controller working 3.5 days a week. The person should preferably have an accountancy qualification. Familiarity with QuickBooks 2008, Excel, Outlook and Word is essential. The main responsibilities will be bookkeeping, payroll management, budgeting and financial guidance to the movement. It is also expected that a half-a-day a week be dedicated to fundraising for the movement. If this is the role for you, please send your CV to bachad@bauk.org

cdiamond@thejc.com For Motoring call Nick Herman 020 7415 1535 or email nickherman@thejc.com

CLIFTON Hill, NW8. Modernised coach house, 2 bedrooms, o.s.p., to rent. £650 p.w., 020-7624 4777.

£399,950

Immaculate apartment with garage • Ent/hall • Living room • Kitchen • 2 Bedrooms • 2 Bathrooms (1 En-suite) • Garage. SolePOSTCODE Agent. £000,000 LOCATION, £000,000

Excellent pay package. High earning possibilities.

BROUGHTON Park, Manchester. Spacious 2 bed apartment. Eat-in kosher kitchen, close all amenities. Garage and car parking. £174,950. 0161-792 7071.

£000,000

Description • Description • Description • Description • Description

NEW HOMES & INTERIORS SUPPLEMENT 3rd July 2009

ST John’s Wood, NW8. Modern block, 5th floor flat, 3 bedrooms, to rent, £650 p.w., 020-7624 4777.

flatshare HENDON. Spacious houseshare near Brent Street, n.s., n.k., Double rooms: £475/£525 p.c.m., inclusive. Wireless ADSL. phil.jc@ snazzy.co.uk 07710 131262. HENDON. Two mins tube. Male sharers required, 2 double bedrooms, luxury flat. Kosher, o.s.p., From £490 p.c.m., inclusive. 020-8202 8191. MILL Hill. Beautiful double room, houseshare, own bathroom, o.s.p., wireless, travel links. Females from June. £550 p.c.m. inc. 0208-906 8753. NW5. Double room, modern flatshare, totally remodernised in Scandinavian style. Close Kentish Town tube/rail. £700 p.c.m., exclusive. 07811 367248. STANMORE Broadway. Large flatshare, double room, refurbished apartment. Sky, Broadband, close tube, shops, parking. n.s., £85 p.w., inclusive. 07795 211121.

To advertise or for more information please call Brian Kyte (Properties) on 020 7415 1528 or email briankyte@thejc.com Catherine Kaplan (Interiors) on 020 7415 1527 or email catherinekaplan@thejc.com

thejc.com

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

Stylish & elegant Living seven magnificent homes. one historic building.

wall hall mansion The remarkable 18th century Wall Hall Mansion has been fully restored by Octagon and now boasts the very latest contemporary interior styling. Set in 55 acres of beautiful parkland with gymnasium and tennis court.

There are just 5 of the original 125 magnificent homes left on this very successful development.

New Show Apartment Open Viewing daily 10am - 5pm Simply follow the signs from Aldenham Village, Herts. Telephone 01923 850 680 Prices from ÂŁ700,000 - ÂŁ3.6m

wall hall

www.wallhall.co.uk

Sole agents

thejc.com

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

HAMPSTEAD GARDEN SUBURB N2 Set well back from the road behind a long driveway, is a rarely available detached Chalet style bungalow. Offered in good decorative condition throughout, this fine home benefits from beautiful mature secluded front and rear gardens. Internally the property comprises three reception rooms including a 24’ lounge and the added benefit of a double length garage with ample off street parking. • LOUNGE • DINING ROOM • KITCHEN • BREAKFAST ROOM • MASTER BEDROOM WITH ENSUITE BATHROOM • 2 FURTHER BEDROOMS • SHOWER ROOM • FRONT AND REAR GARDENS • DOUBLE LENGTH GARAGE • OFF STREET PARKING.

PRICE ON APPLICATION

Winkworth.co.uk

for thousands of properties to buy and rent

020 8458 8313

Winkworth

Golders Green office

891 Finchley Road, London, NW11 8RR goldersgreen@winkworth.co.uk

31 GROSVENOR GARDENS, LONDON, NW11 0HE This Sunday 31st May 2009 Open Viewing 11:00am to 2:00pm

Got a BIG announcement?

£5

First time advertised we are delighted to offer this newly constructed substantial 7 bedroom, 4 bathroom detached residence.

OFF *

Grosvenor Gardens is a highly sought after no through road located off Cranbourne Gardens in the heart of Temple Fortune. *Under floor heating throughout *Porcelain tiled to ground floor *Superb kitchen with integrated appliances *Large living/dining room *Study *Utility room *Fitted wardrobes to all bedrooms *Landscaped front & rear gardens with block paving to front *Off street parking for 2 cars *Sophisticated alarm & entryphone system

Guide Price

£1,675,000

when y book on ou line

You can now book your announcements and personal messages online •

Simply visit us at

www.thejc.com ...and book it the easy way!

*offer applies to bookings of £50 or over made online. £5.00 will be deducted from the total cost of your booking, excluding VAT.

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

thejc.com

KENWOOD PLACE YOUR PLACE BY THE HEATH

SHOW APARTMENT OPENING 5TH JUNE 2OO9 21 apartments, 21 homes. A unique opportunity to live by Hampstead Heath, Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most beautiful rural space. Beauty. Simplicity. Luxury. Sales Office O2O 8347 O647 www.kenwoodplace.co.uk Viewings by appointment only

Sole Agents

thejc.com

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

Why Rent?BUY! Own your own 1 bedroom apartment from only £101,497*with HomeBuy Direct

Orion, Maxwell Road, Borehamwood WD6

SHOW APARTMENT NOW OPEN

1 and 2 bedroom apartments from £101,497 with HomeBuy Direct

10am - 5pm

Orion is a new development of one and two bedroom contemporary apartments designed for today’s lifestyle. With a variety of apartment styles and a stunning roof-garden for residents to chill out, Orion puts urban living on a new level.

Own 100% for just 70% of the price

What is HomeBuy Direct? HomeBuy Direct is a new shared equity product part funded by the Government. It aims to make new homes more affordable to people.

• 1 bedroom apartment marketing price = £144,995 • With HomeBuy Direct you pay £101,497

CALL: 0845 676 0259 VISIT: Marketing Suite and Show Apartment open Thursday - Monday 10am - 5pm.

www.bellway.co.uk *Terms and conditions apply. Offer available on selected plots only. Prices correct at time of going to press. Specification on site may vary.

N I N E FA BU LO U S A PA RT M E N T S I N W E S T F I E L D PA R K , H AT C H E N D Set in a prime location within walking distance of the station and Hatch End’s well known shopping precinct. PRICES FROM

£369,500

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thejc.com

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

www.anscombes.co.uk

Stanmore

£1,000,020

Imposing residence behind wrought iron gates in prime location offering exceptional living accommodation, superb master suite & full width 1st floor terrace.

Stanmore Office 020 8954 6111 stanmore.sales@anscombes.co.uk

Stanmore

£395,000

Beautifully presented, spacious 2 Double Bedroom 2 bathroom ground floor flat with direct access to gardens, adjacent to Stanmore Golf Course.

£475,000

£975,000

Stanmore

£339,950

Superbly located close to Canons Park tube & backing playing fields, this extended 4 bedroom, 3 bath home offers excellent reception space & completed chain.

Unexpectedly re-available, well presented 3 bedroom semi detached home with spacious reception, extended kitchen/breakfast room and a 100ft plus rear garden.

Stanmore/ Edgware Borders

Finchley

Stanmore Office 020 8954 6111 stanmore.sales@anscombes.co.uk

£2350pcm

Stanmore Office 020 8954 6111 stanmore.sales@anscombes.co.uk

£1,795,000

We are proud to offer this recently built detached home situated in a leafy Close on the Stanmore/Edgware border. The property offers open plan living, whilst retaining the character associated with a detached home. Designed and finished to a very high standard throughout.

Substantial Tudor style detached residence situated in this fabulous location overlooking the unique College Farm. Wood Panel Reception Hall, Guest Cloakroom, Drawing Room, Conservatory, Dining Room, TV Room, Fitted Kitchen/Breakfast Room, 6 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, Garden, Garage, OSP.

Finchley

Stanmore Office 020 8954 6111 stanmore.sales@anscombes.co.uk

Finchley

Edgware

£749,950

Finchley Office 020 8349 3320 finchley.sales@anscombes.co.uk

£400,000

Larger than average extended semi-detached residence situated in this tree lined road. Entrance Hall, Guest Cloakroom, Lounge, Dining Room, Morning Room, Fitted Kitchen, 5 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, Gas ch, Gardens, Garage.

Newly built detached residence situated in this tree lined avenue that runs into Village Road situated off Hendon Lane. 2 Intercommunicating Reception Rooms, Luxury Fitted Kitchen, 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms (1 En-Suite), Landscaped Garden, Off Street Parking.

Ground floor purpose apartment in this modern block along Hendon Lane. Entrance Hall, Lounge/Dining Room, Fitted Kitchen, 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Underground Parking, Communal Gardens and Swimming Pool.

Finchley Office 020 8349 3320 finchley.sales@anscombes.co.uk

Best UK Estate Agency Award 2006

Best UK

54 SPORT

thejc.com

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

sport football results, league tables, fixtures & hat-tricks ISRAELI PREMIER LEAGUE

JC MSFL

Maccabi Netanya 0 Maccabi Haifa 2, Betar Jerusalem 3 Bnei Sakhnin 0, Bnei Yehuda 0 Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona 0, Maccabi Petach-Tikva 0 Maccabi Tel Aviv 3, Ashdod 1 Hapoel Petach-Tikva 0, Hapoel Tel Aviv 3 Hakoah Maccabi Amidar 2 maccaBi Haifa (c) Hapoel tel aviv Betar jeruSalem maccaBi netanya Bnei yeHuda maccaBi tel aviv aSHdod macc. petacH-tikva Hap. petacH-tikva Bnei SakHnin Hap. kiryat SHmona HakoaH mac. amidar

P W 32 19 32 17 32 16 32 13 32 14 32 10 32 10 32 7 32 8 32 6 32 6 32 5

D L F A PtS 9 4 48 23 66 10 5 48 26 61 11 5 46 27 56 12 7 38 31 51 7 11 37 28 49 11 11 35 35 41 8 14 41 47 38 15 10 24 32 36 7 17 30 41 31 12 14 23 40 30 9 17 23 42 27 11 16 25 46 26

HERtS CoUnty SEnIoR LEAGUE premier diviSion (toP 4) met police BuSHey (p) london lionS (p) Baldock town codicote

P 30 30 30 30

W 22 21 19 16

D 4 5 3 6

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F A PtS 125 34 70 98 34 62 87 38 60 92 50 54

premier diviSion Hendon United A 3 Montana Boca United A 1 P W D L F A PtS nw neaSden a 16 13 2 1 55 20 41 cHiGwell atHletic a 17 11 5 1 52 23 38 faitHfold a 18 10 2 6 43 30 32 london macc. lionS a 18 9 4 5 40 27 28 Hendon united a 17 9 2 6 32 30 29 GlentHorne united a 18 6 4 8 26 43 22 Bafana Bafana 18 4 2 12 24 34 14 redBridGe jc 18 4 2 12 24 48 14 london macc. lionS B 18 3 5 10 20 44 14 montana Boca utd a 18 3 4 11 21 38 13 diviSion one P W D L F A PtS SoutH manx a (c) 18 12 2 4 55 32 38 Hendon united B (p) 18 12 2 4 55 33 38 oakwood edrS 18 11 1 6 46 35 34 Brady maccaBi 18 9 4 5 43 35 31 nw neaSden B 18 9 3 6 55 33 30 camden park 18 8 1 9 42 45 25 nl raiderS a 18 7 2 9 43 50 23 Brixton old BoyS 18 4 2 12 20 54 14 faitHfold B 18 3 4 11 29 47 13 cHiGwell atHletic B 18 2 5 11 20 44 11 diviSion two S’Gate Harmen a (c) red Sea (p)

P 20 20

W 15 14

D 2 2

L F 3 67 4 55

A PtS 36 47 29 44

Fight to release the monster By Simon Griver V Football Israel Fa officials have failed in their bid to recruit one of the world’s most promising Jewish footballers, 19-year-old argentinian striker eial strahman. river Plate have refused to release strahman to represent Israel in the euro 2011 under-21 qualifier away to Bulgaria on June 10. strahman joined river Plate from Velez sarsfield in april for $2 million — a huge fee by latin american standards — with Velez entitled to 40 per cent of any future transfer fee to a european club. affectionately known as “The Monster” because of his aggressive style, strahman has yet to make his river Plate debut, although he has made the bench and has scored eight goals in five reserve games.

strahman had also scored 42 goals in 50 games for Velez’s youth team. But river Plate told the Israel Fa that he will be playing in their first team in June. strahman, who represented argentina in the 2005 Maccabiah, has been ambiguous about his international plans. “I look forward to a future opportunity to play for Israel,” he said last week. But he has previously suggested that he would take his time over a decision, saying: “I think I am good enough to play for argentina one day.” He is the son of Julio strahman who lived in Israel from 1975 to 1985 before returning home to manage the family business in Cordoba. strahman junior may have doubts about representing Israel but his father is clear where his loyalties lie, declaring: “I have brought up my children to see Israel as their future home.”

nw neaSden c nl raiderS B london macc. lionS c Holy mount Zion temple fortune SoutHGate Harmen B rapid Banta faitHfold c fc HeatH diviSion tHree fc team B (c) fc team a (p) Hendon united c ac cricklewood l’equipe catford & Bromley montana Boca utd B ZiG ZaG SoutH manx B pure oranGe fB dynamo Hendon diviSion four woodford wandS (c) ujS norStar (p) el kniGHtS fc maryleBone real life

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3 56 6 48 8 36 10 33 7 40 12 37 13 34 11 28 15 28

25 30 34 43 42 45 53 51 73

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Hendon united d Hendon HawkS team jlGB u.j.i.a. pinner jfc GlentHorne united B

W 17 16 12 12 9 8 5 5 6 3 2

D 1 1 4 1 2 4 7 5 2 2 1

P 20 20 20 20 20

W 19 14 13 10 9

D 0 1 1 2 3

L F A PtS 2 63 29 52 3 84 34 49 4 57 29 40 7 60 42 37 9 59 47 29 8 49 46 28 8 25 49 22 10 36 54 20 12 39 60 20 15 29 68 11 17 18 61 7 L 1 5 6 8 8

F 65 69 56 39 62

A PtS 20 57 36 43 38 40 37 32 53 30

9 7 6 5 3 2

0 3 4 3 6 3

10 10 8 12 11 15

58 49 43 63 33 44 33 74 33 59 27 47

27 24 22 18 15 9

MACCAbI MAStERS LEAGUE diviSion one

P 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20

19 20 20 20 20 20

Sorry Guus

Brady maccaBi a (c) nl raiderS london lionS a GlentHorne united a SoutH mancunianS faitHfold edrS StoneGrove temple fortune a diviSion two clayHall a (c) norStar old BoyS london macc. lionS B GlentHorne united B temple fortune B aSHlodGe Brady maccaBi B pel city clayHall B

P 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14

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P 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16

W 12 10 9 8 6 4 4 4 1

D L 2 2 3 3 4 3 4 4 2 8 5 7 4 8 3 9 1 14

F A PtS 59 25 26 41 26 23 70 35 22 51 27 20 50 57 14 21 45 13 28 51 12 49 30 11 24 100 3

Kastor bows to Kenyans V athletics Deena Kastor, 36, (right) was third lady in the 98th annual Bay to Breakers 12K race in san Francisco, beaten by two Kenyan athletes. Despite ongoing GCse exams, richard Goodman equalled his personal best of 1:59.6 in winning a closely fought 800 metres race in the southern Young athletes league at enfield. Manchester’s ellie edwards, 12, recorded 10.5 for 75 m in the northern Young athletes league, placing her in the top 20 in the UK under-13 rankings.

Photo: AP

C Continued from baCk

of english football are increasingly a closed shop. Who can blame the owners? Moyes has done a great job at everton but, until now, his record is that of a coach doing well on a budget, playing a cautious style that works, and steering his team into the qualification places for a tournament that UeFa rated so highly they scrapped it. What preparation is that for management at Manchester United, where every game is approached on the front foot and the kitty is measured in tens of millions? Moyes needs a defining match to show he can be a winner. He needs to stand toe-to-toe with Hiddink’s Chelsea on saturday and demonstrate he is not just about efficiency and counter attack. If it means Hiddink leaves these shores a loser, so be it. He is a big boy, he will get over it. By the end of the summer, he will have forgotten us, and Carlo ancelotti will be installed at stamford Bridge. Moyes, the best British manager not at a top four club, was not even a contender for that. He needs to put himself in the frame next time it comes around, starting with victory on saturday. Martin Samuel is the chief sports writer of the Daily Mail, where his column appears on Monday and Wednesday

on tHe weB ANEKSTEIN CUP FINAL PREVIEW WWW.THEJC.COM/SPORT

Evans steers Belmont to comfortable win V cricket JOn eVans took three wickets and smashed an impressive 54 not out to steer Belmont & edgware CC to an emphatic nine-wicket victory over Bharat Olympians. saul Weitzman helped himself to impressive figures of 3-29 as Belmont started off on fire in the field. One wicket apiece from Gideon restan and neil Myeroff put them in command.

after two more wickets, courtesy of richie Wienburg, evans finished the pick of the Belmont attack with figures of 3-17 to reduce Bharat to 137 all out. after reaching a 50 partnership for the opening wicket, Belmont skipper Michael Blasebalk was bowled for 15, allowing on-form batsman simon Durban to join evans in the middle. and that was the way it stayed as

Durban smashed an unbeaten 42 while evans completed a man-of-the-match display with a fine half century to round off an easy day’s work on 142-1. elsewhere, Ziki Futerman top scored with 30 as southgate eased to a 54-run victory over Kimpton Cricket Club. southgate posted 161-4 before norman Bean (4-29) and Paul Bean (3-15) helped skittle Kimpton for 107.

A last night of freedom — then it’s back for the final

UnDaY’s JC Cyril anekstein Cup final brings the curtain down on the season as treble-chasing north West neasden a take on Hendon United a at Hadley FC. The match is a re-run of the Peter Morrison Trophy final that neasden edged 1-0. Both camps hope to put on an entertaining affair with a bumper crowd expected for a 6pm kick-off. Whereas neasden enjoyed an easy win in the semi-finals, Hendon were taken the distance by london Maccabi lions a, eventually going through on penalties. With revenge the name of the game for the Hammers, it will be interesting to see if Benjy Wreschner’s troops adopt a more attacking approach than for the Jewish Fa Cup final. Hendon keeper Danny Berliner has been in magnificent form this season

caro’s coluMN and, along with neasden duo Matt stock and Daniel stanton, recently back from a Team GB Maccabiah training camp in spain where they played at real Madrid’s training ground. although both sides have played

plenty of football recently, it is clear that they are ready for one last push. However, members of the neasden camp may be a little worse for wear as they return early from chairman sammy Carr’s stag weekend in Bournemouth. With the Morrison already in the bag, neasden welcome back man-ofthe-moment Daniel levenfiche for the crunch clash. lev missed the last four win over Hendon B as his girlfriend had booked tickets to see the muscial Oliver. Wreschner looks forward “to a great climax”. like levenfiche, Wreschner missed his team’s semi-final but reflected: “Having four quality players on the bench was the biggest factor in our victory over lions. “We may have rode our luck at times, but we have a never-say-die spirit, and even when 2-1 down with four minutes to go, there was always the belief that

we would equalise.” Hendon remain the only Jewish team to beat neasden this season, comimg from behind to win 2-1 in the league in February. neasden will not underestimate the Hammers, with joint-manager Jamie Cole describing the final as “our toughest test of the season, particularly as they beat a very strong lions side which was bolstered by members of their saturday team”. Hendon are hell-bent on preventing nWn from crushing their cup dreams for a third time. Greg Corin could be the one to watch. He was in sparkling form against lions and will be keen to do well against his former teammates. His battle against Daniel Cole is key. Hendon have not been as freescoring as in seasons gone by but their best form of defence could be to attack, going for the jugular from

the whistle. ari last and Dovid Korman are also capable of leading the neasden backline a merry dance but it is vital that they boss the midfield to stop neasden’s pacy strikers getting in behind them. Despite being a former neasden player, I would like to see Hendon get their hands on the cup. Their never-saydie spirit paid dividends in the semis and I can see the final coming down to which team keeps its composure and takes their chances. Team GB ladies’ netball squad will be off court on sunday for their final fundraiser before the Maccabiah. They will be running a sponsored car wash in elstree — dressed in their netball outfits. See danny caro’s weekend round-up at thejc.com. email dannycaro@thejc.com

thejc.com

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 MAY 2009

Out with a shout

SPORT 55 Photo: Ben Angel

Angry manager says his fate was sealed by rule that lets teams pull out of games but keep their goal difference By Michael Perkin HENDON UNITED A MONTANA bOcA UNITED A

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V Football MONTANA BOCA UNITED A manager Marc Ziedman launched a stinging attack on league rivals after his side was relegated from the JC MSFL Premiership. A point would have been enough for Montana, but two Dovid Korman penalties and Saul Conway’s late strike ensured no great escape. But Ziedman claims his side’s fate was sealed when Redbridge Jewish Care and Bafana Bafana forfeited matches to remain in the top flight on goal difference. League rules mean that teams can pull out of matches if they, for example, cannot raise a team. The result goes down as a defeat — but their goal difference is not affected. He said: “I’ve got to show my disappointment that the league aren’t prepared to do anything against Redbridge and Bafana. I can’t believe the

league has got no contingency or punishment for that sort of behaviour. “But I’m very proud of the boys. We’ve got more guts and determination than any other team in this league and we’ll bounce back next season. “We’re hoping to keep the majority of the squad together. When we’ve got a fully-fit team we’re good enough to compete with anyone.” After earning a draw against North West Neasden A last week, Montana had given themselves a chance of survival, but in truth they never really got going this time around. The first half was a quiet affair, with the best chance going to Hendon after a smart move saw Korman fire straight at Montana keeper Ben Law. In searing heat, the pace suffered thanks to Montana’s desperation not to concede and Hendon looking to make sure there were no injuries ahead of their JC Cyril Anekstein Cup final clash with North West Neasden A. But neither side got what they wanted. Hendon’s Josh Bentley was taken off with a knock to his ankle, and on

Under my wing: Hendon’s Josh Bentley shows Trevor Henen how to fly the stroke of half time, Korman struck from the spot. Just after the break a foul on Conway allowed Korman to add a second, before Conway himself powered through to make it three from close range. Montana rallied and pulled a goal back thanks to a superb strike from the edge of the box by Darren Cohen which flew into the top corner. They nearly produced a grandstand finish late on, but midfielder Simon Peterman’s goal-bound header was

cleared off the line. Hendon boss Benji Wreschner said: “We were comfortable on the whole today. We took Josh Bentley off as a precaution but other than that we’re pleased to go into the cup final with a win. “We had an eye on the final so we rotated the squad a bit but, thankfully, it didn’t affect us. “We’re excited as it’s a chance to put right what went wrong in the last game. It’s another 90 minutes of football where we’ll give it our best shot.”

Bloom: I’m not Albion’s Abramovich V Football NEW Brighton & Hove Albion chairman Tony Bloom insists he is not a League One version of Chelsea’s Roman Abramovich, despite his huge cash injection into the club. Bloom has given them £80 million of his internet gambling fortune, prompting local newspaper comparisons with the Russian oligarch. But the 39-year-old insists any likeness to Abromovich cannot be justified, simply because his generosity is motivated by nothing other than love for his team. “There have been comparisons, which I wasn’t expecting,” he said. “There are huge differences between us, and one of the most significant is that I have been a passionate Brighton fan for over 30 years. “My Grandad Harry was vice-chairman for nine years in the seventies, my uncle Ray has been involved for 20 years, and I saw my first match at the Goldstone Ground in 1978.” And it is that family feel which drives Bloom to help Albion move to their proposed new Falmer Stadium. He admitted: “This is primarily for the love of the club, to make sure generations to come, grandchildren of our fans, my grandchildren, have a football club, and a stadium to play at. “We’ve got a huge head start because we won’t have interest or debts to pay. This is all my money. It is not loans from banks, and it is not somebody else’s money.”

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 29 may 2009

shabbat begins and ends: London 8.51pm & 10.09pm Leeds 9.03pm & 10.32pm

Manchester 9.09pm & 10.38pm tyneside 9.15pm & 10.44pm

GLasGow 9.29pm & 11.12pm BourneMouth 8.53pm & 10.17pm

2 2 Full calendar P35

oeS GUUS Hiddink really need another medal? Probably not. imagine the state of his shelves as it is: six Dutch league titles, four Dutch cups, the european Cup, the intercontinental Cup, coach of the year, two rinus michels awards. that is a lot of dusting. you just know there is the odd, neglected, bauble tucked away somewhere, discoloured, desperately needing a bit of silver polish. Hiddink has prizes to spare. He will not feel greatly put out if he does not add the Fa Cup to his collection.

No Guus, the martin Cup isn’t a farewell gift samuel and he is passing through. Hiddink is only Chelsea’s caretaker and will be yesterday’s man by the time the final with everton is played at Wembley. in the circumstances, most guys would settle for a nice clock and a speech from the boss. at newspapers,

Rule change lifts Haifa’s Uefa hopes By siMon Griver V maCCaBi HaiFa will represent israel in next season’s Uefa Champions league after clinching the Premier league title for the 11th time. a 2-0 away win over maccabi Netanya gave the Greens an unassailable lead over second-placed Hapoel tel aviv with one game remaining. the title is a major triumph for manager elisha levy in his first year in charge. Goals from thembinkosi Fanteni and Biram Kiyal were enough to seal maccabi’s fourth israeli crown in six years and their first since winning three in a row between 2003 and 2006. a delighted levy said: “it’s hard to describe in words what i’m feeling. i haven’t had something like this. i came from Beit She’an to the great Haifa and delivered a championship in my first year. it’s a tremendous joy. “it’s hard winning the champion-

ship if you’re not the best, and without a doubt we were the best team. i probably had to win a championship for them to say that i deserve to be a coach for the big teams.” a restructuring of the Champions league qualifying competition dramatically improves maccabi’s chances of a place in the lucrative group stage. the last time maccabi won the league in 2006, they faced liverpool in the third qualifying round and despite taking a shock lead at anfield, eventually went out 3-2 on aggregate. However, the third qualifying round has now been divided into two sections with the stronger and weaker football nations separated. So if maccabi reach the final qualifier, they are likely to face a team from a country such as Denmark or austria. Haifa did make the group stage in 2002/03 and although they did not progress, they enjoyed a 3-0 victory over manchester United.

we give out a framed front page to a departing colleague: a big headline about his expanding waistband or lousy golf game, an embarrassing photograph, the odd joke dotted around. Something to remember us by. it ends

up gathering dust in the attic; much like Hiddink’s asian Football Confederation award for manager of the season, no doubt. the point is David moyes, manager of everton, needs to catch a break on Saturday. Not merely to satisfy the english obsession with the plucky underdog, but because victory for Hiddink and Chelsea in the Fa Cup final takes another managerial credit out of this country. if we want our game to be strong, British managers must be strong, too. this means placing them in elite jobs and that will not happen without proven records

V dudi proves he can pLay on cLay

Photo: AP

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of success. it would be better for our domestic football if moyes won on Saturday. Harry redknapp lifted the Fa Cup last season and is now the manager of tottenham Hotspur. the previous bosses at White Hart lane were Juande ramos and martin Jol; had redknapp not demonstrated his winning ways, perhaps Daniel levy, the chairman, would have looked abroad this time, too. Chelsea have done since the time of Glenn Hoddle, so too liverpool after roy evans. the highest echelons V continued on P54

Win gives Salita a title shot By Mike sincLair

Vtennis DUDI SELA has ended his hoodoo on clay with a four set win over Monaco’s Jean-Rene Lisnard in the first round of the French Open at Roland Garros. By winning 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 the world number 55 is expected to break into the top 50 for the first time. After winning his first match on clay this season, Sela will now face Croation 13th seed Marin Cilic, who triumphed in straight sets against Czech Jan Hernych.

V boxing Dmitriy Salita cleared what he hopes will be the final hurdle before a world title shot with a clear points victory over veteran raul munoz in Nevada. Now unbeaten in 31 fights, Salita had put his status as official number one challenger to WBa world lightwelterweight champion andreas Kotelnik on the line but never looked in danger. two of the three judges at Buffalo Bill’s Casino and resort in Primm gave the 27-year-old Brooklyn-based Jewish boxer every round. Ukraine-born Salita opted to box rather than brawl, despite wobbling the bigger munoz after being marked around the left eye early on. “He came to fight and i could feel his size,” Salita said. “i thought i hurt him but i didn’t want to get wild.” Having seen Kotelnik twice pull out of title defences against him after he thought terms had been agreed, Salita is now hoping to fight the winner of the champion’s next defence against British prospect amir Khan at london’s 02 arena on June 27.

Published in Great Britain by Jewish Chronicle Newspaper Ltd, 25 Furnival Street, London EC4A 1JT. 29 May 2009. Printed by Newsprinters Ltd, Stratford, London E15 2NF. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office. © Jewish Chronicle Newspaper Ltd 2009.