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World leaders condemn Texas school massacre 26 MAY 2022/25 IYAR 5782

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BY DAVID SAFFER

World leaders have condemned the massacre of 19 children and two teachers at a Texas elementary school on Tuesday. US President Joe Biden said he was “sick and tired” of gun violence in the US and called for new regulations after an 18-year old gunman committed the heinous crime at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, 80 miles west of San Antonio. Salvador Ramos, who is believed to have been bought a gun for his 18th birthday, was named as the suspect and was shot at the scene by officers. Biden demanded changes following the deadliest shooting at a US elementary school since 20 children and six adults died at Sandy Hook School, Connecticut, a decade ago. “I hoped when I became president I wouldn’t have to do this again,” he said. “To lose a child is like having a bit of your soul ripped away.” He added, “We have PARASHAT BECHUKOTAI SHABBAT: BEGINS ENDS London 20:48 22:06 Manchester 21:06 22:34 Leeds 21:02 20:40 Liverpool 21:05 22:42 Bournemouth 20:47 22:14 Antwerp 21:24 22:53 Birmingham 20:56 22:29 Gateshead 21:08 22:53

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to act and don’t tell me, we can’t have an impact on this carnage. “The idea that an 18-year-old kid can buy assault weapons is wrong.” Biden was on Air Force One when he heard about the shooting rampage. “These kinds of

mass shootings rarely happen anywhere else in the world,” he said. “As a nation, we have to ask, when in G-d’s name are we going to do what we all know in our gut needs to be done.” US Vice President Kamala Harris commented, “As a nation, we

HE Tzipi Hotovely hosted a Yom Ha’atzmaut party this week. High-profile guests included Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who also spoke at the event.

With great sadness the Jewish community of England heard of the passing of Harav Pinchos Roberts zt”l last Shabbos, in Manchester. He was 89 years old.

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must have courage to take action to ensure nothing like this happens again. Our hearts keep getting broken.” She added “Enough is enough”. Former US President Barack Obama said it was “long past time for action” in a statement on Twitter. “Across the country, parents are putting their children to bed, reading stories, singing lullabies, and in the back of their minds, they’re worried about what might happen tomorrow after they drop their kids off at school, or take them to a grocery store or any other public space.” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that Israel mourned together the horrific murder of innocent children and teachers. “Our prayers are with the victims, their families and the American people,” he noted. “We are all devastated by the horrific shooting in Texas,” Foreign Minister Yair Lapid added in Continued on page 2

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26 MAY 2022

Javid welcomes “unbreakable” partnership with Israel BY DAVID SAFFER

The UK and Israel share a “pact of steel” and an “unbreakable” partnership. Health Secretary Sajid Javid was acclaimed for the viewpoint in his keynote address at The Embassy of Israel’s official Independence Day celebration at the Park Plaza Hotel in Westminster on Tuesday night. The event highlighted the relationship between Israel and the UK and was the first celebration since the COVID-19 pandemic, as guests gathered to celebrate Israel’s 74th birthday. High-profile guests, including politicians, journalists and a range of members of civic society gathered in large numbers for the glitzy celebration. Javid explained to a packed crowd that “true friendship” is present between the countries. “UK foreign policy is crystal clear, the UK-Israel partnership is unbreakable,” he said. “And through this pandemic, we’ve led the world together. From the rapid rollout of jabs to the benefits of booster, we’ve learned from each other. This evening is

Sajid Javid MP speaking at the event

about celebrating our remarkable friendship. Because the UK and Israel share a pact of steel. It can never be broken.” Not only the first Independence Day

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event since the pandemic, it was the first since the signing of the Abraham Accords. Israeli Ambassador, Tzipi Hotovely, welcomed guests to the celebration including representatives from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates. Hotovely spoke of the close cooperation enjoyed by Israel with a growing number of its Arab neighbours in the region on the back of the historic peace agreement. Noting the strength of UK-Israeli relations Continued from page 1 a statement. “The prayers of the people of Israel are with the families of the victims, the Uvalde community, and the American people,” he said. President Isaac Herzog said the hearts of Israelis were broken. He noted, “Horrified to hear news of the murderous rampage. The death of a child is a tragedy beyond measure, let alone the killing of nineteen innocent children and two adults. Israel joins the people of the United States in grief.” Pope Francis said he is “heartbroken”

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and close collaboration of the two countries, Hotovely said it had developed in the past year with Covid-19 measures easing. “So much has been achieved in the last year and I am looking forward to continuing our work together in the future,” she explained. “Importantly, our ability to highlight the excellent relationship that exists between our two countries could not be possible without the support of our friends here this evening.” Elaborating on developments between the UK and Israel, Hotovely added, “Last November, both our Foreign Ministers signed a ‘Strategic Partnership’ agreement. This set our enduring friendship on a new course, elevating our relations to a higher level.” With Javid present, Hotovely took the opportunity to note the expanding UK-Israeli partnerships in the health sector. “We are expecting to launch our ‘Health System in 2030’ project, a special Israel-UK summit that will focus on sharing knowledge and expertise in fields like the future of healthcare, community health and digital health, sharing best practices from our two nations,” she explained. Guests were able to enjoy a taste of Israel and Israeli culture with food and drink, an Israeli-style disco and a virtual road trip through the streets and sites of Israel in a Virtual Reality experience. Musical entertainment included a rendition of Eurovision Song Contest winning song Hallelujah by Milk and Honey in 1979. about the killing spree at St. Peter’s Square in Rome. “I pray for the children and the adults who were killed and for their families,” he noted. “It is time to say ‘enough’ to the indiscriminate trafficking of weapons. Let us all make a commitment so that tragedies like this cannot happen again.” Police in Texas are trying to establish the gunman’s motive for carrying out the attack. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, “Our thoughts are with all those affected by this horrific attack.” Labour leader Keir Starmer described the incident as an “unspeakable tragedy”. WHAT’S INSIDE THIS WEEK 02 News 04 15 Opinion 14 16 Games 15 18 Community 16 26 Family 22 FeatureFun

2628 Judaism Cookery 3230 Expert Judaism Advice 3636 Cookery Kids 3838 Sport Youth

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Lapid calls for “new chapter” with Turkey BY LEAH WAXLER

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has called for a “new chapter” in relations with Turkey. Lapid met with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem yesterday. And he welcomed the potential of expanding “economic and civil cooperation” between the countries. A major aim of the meeting between the foreign ministers is the restoration of Ambassadors in Tel Aviv and Ankara. Both countries expelled envoys in 2018 over strained relations. Lapid noted Turkey’s historic relations with the Jewish people but recognised issues between the nations. “We cannot pretend our relations have not had their ups and down,” he reportedly said, “But we have always known how to return to cooperation and dialogue. The goal is to form and expand economic and civil cooperation between our countries to create business to business and people to people and to leverage our two countries, comparative advantages regionally and globally, even during the pandemic, and even in times of political tension.” This is the first visit of a Turkish Foreign Minister to Israel in 15 years. Cavusoglu was on the final day of a two-day visit to Israel and also the West Bank.

JPR explores Jewish values BY LILLY JOSEPH

He visited Yad Vashem, toured the Old City of Jerusalem, visited the Al Aqsa Mosque and met members of the Turkish Jewish community, before returning to Turkey last night. Cavusoglu arrived in Israel on Tuesday before meetings in Ramallah with Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki. Following discussions he said that normalisation of ties between Turkey and Israel would benefit prospects of peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. “Turkey is ready to take responsibility to continue the efforts towards dialogue,” he said, adding that the two countries had agreed to “re-energise” relations in many areas including resuming talks on civil aviation. The high profile meeting took place following communication between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President, Issac Herzog who visited Turkey earlier this year. An important issue on the agenda according to Bicom is an Israeli-Turkish pipeline to export natural gas to Europe. Both countries have tried to mediate between Russia and Ukraine. Israel and Turkey have enjoyed better relations. From 2010 to 2021, trade grew from $3.4bn to $8.1bn per year.

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The Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) has released the second of four mini-reports based on its groundbreaking report ‘The Jewish identities of European Jews’. Published earlier this year the study focuses on aspects of Jewishness people find most compelling. The review of European Jewish identity provides an updated profile of how more than one million Jews living in the EU and UK today understand and live their Jewish lives. The report is based on research conducted in 12 European Union Member States in 2018, which, together, are home to about 80% of Jews in Europe. It includes the opinions and experiences of over 16,000 respondents, the largest sample of Jews ever surveyed in Europe, and is based on an analysis conducted by researchers Professor Sergio Della Pergola and Dr Daniel Staetsky of JPR’s European Jewish Demography Unit. ’Remembering the Holocaust’ is the most important aspect of respondents’ Jewish identities, closely followed by combating antisemitism. Spain is the only country where ‘feeling part of the Jewish people’ is found to be the most important aspect of their Jewish identity. Religious belief, Jewish peoplehood, support for Israel and charity are all more

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important to more religiously observant Jews than to less religiously observant ones. Regarding religiosity, younger Jews were more likely to regard ‘believing in G-d’ and ‘sharing Jewish festivals with family’ as particularly important to them. “This short report allows us to see which elements of Jewishness resonate most among Jews, and demonstrates just how much concerns about antisemitism, contemporary and historic, shape Jewish life today,” said JPR Executive Director, Dr Jonathan Boyd. “Community leaders and educators should reflect carefully on the data. There is an important question to ask about whether an identity based so strongly on persecution can be sustained effectively over time.” JPR advances the prospects of Jewish communities in the UK and across Europe by conducting research and informing policy development. Its European Jewish Demography Unit generates demographic analysis to support Jewish community planning and development. Professor Pergola is Professor Emeritus and former Chairman of the Hebrew University’s Avraham Harman Institute of Contemporary Jewry, and Chairman of JPR’s European Jewish Demography Unit. Dr Staetsky is a Senior Research Fellow at JPR and Director of its European Jewish Demography Unit. He is a former researcher and analyst at Central Bureau of Statistics in Israel and RAND Europe.

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50 deputies attend BOD regional weekend

Board of Deputies Regional plenary at Bury Town Hall Council Chamber

Michael Rubinstein (Whitefield Hebrew Congregation deputy), Rabbi Ephraim Guttentag, Marie van der Zyl and BoD treasurer Ben Crowne BY SIMCHA ABIR

Over 50 deputies attended the Board of Deputies’ first regional weekend since the Covid-19 pandemic. Honorary Officers, deputies and staff members enjoyed a full programme including Shabbat services, meals and the Plenary meeting held at Bury Town Hall

and online. As well as regular debates and reports, the Plenary featured an introduction by Russell Conn, President of the Jewish Representative Council of Manchester and Region. There was also a tribute to those killed and injured in the Manchester Arena bombing by Jonny Wineberg, Trustee of

Jewish Action for Mental Health, on the fifth anniversary of the tragedy. His talk was followed by a minute’s silence. Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl said, “It was wonderful to be able to meet Deputies from around the country and fitting this reunion should happen in Manchester, the largest Jewish community outside of London and the South East. The weekend cemented our commitment to ensuring that the Board is the representative organisation for Jews from all over the

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PHOTO: LAWRENCE PURCELL

UK. We are here for everyone.” Ms van der Zyl spoke at Heaton Park Synagogue on Shabbat, Treasurer Ben Crowne gave a talk at Prestwich Hebrew Congregation and International Relations Officer Talia Ingleby spoke at Yeshurun Synagogue in South Manchester. Whitefield Hebrew Congregation hosted a Seudah Shilishit sponsored by the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and Region. Shabbat was concluded with a musical Havdalah led by Rabbi Ephraim Guttentag.

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26 MAY 2022

Gantz holds Pentagon and White House talks BY ADAM MOSES

Israel’s Defence Minister Benny Gantz met with US Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III at the Pentagon during his US visit at the end of last week. During the meeting, Gantz thanked Austin for ongoing cooperation between the respective defence establishments and for his commitment to the security of the State of Israel. This includes support for the recent passing of the $4.8 billion security package. Gantz noted the importance of continuing support for Israel’s qualitative military edge (QME). Gantz and Austin covered security challenges of mutual interest including the Iranian nuclear threat and regional aggression. Gantz noted historic changes in the region alongside the mounting threat posed by Iran’s aggression and support for terrorism. In light of changing regional architecture, Gantz stressed a critical need for a practical coalition under US leadership, together with regional partners in facing Iran. He said, “We must act decisively against Iran’s mounting regional aggression in a variety of ways. This includes strengthening a practical coalition under U.S. leadership together with regional partners.” The two leaders discussed the current situation in Ukraine. Gantz emphasised Israel’s support for Ukraine, including the provision of humanitarian aid and non-offensive equipment. He noted Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s efforts to facilitate communication between the parties. Gantz said that these actions are taken while maintaining a policy in line with operational considerations while ensuring regional stability. Gantz debriefed Austin on security tensions in Israel, particularly the recent wave of terror. Austin reiterated the US’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and maintaining Israel’s QME. Austin pointed out the US view pertaining to Iran and noted the department’s focus on working closely with Allies and partners to help Ukraine defend itself in the

Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III and Defence Secretary Benny Gantz

face of Russia’s unjust aggression. Austin commended Gantz on Israel’s deepening relationships with countries across the region and increasing opportunities for military-to-military cooperation. Both parties agreed on a need to address the recent increase in terror attacks in Israel. Austin spoke about the importance of de-escalating tensions and protecting civilians in Jerusalem and the West Bank. He also reiterated support for a two-state solution that provides dignity and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike. Gantz began his official visit to the US last Thursday by meeting with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in the White House.

Gantz noted the unique bond between the US, one based on shared values and mutual interests. He thanked Sullivan for President Joe Biden’s commitment to security, discussed Iran’s progression in its nuclear programme alongside its destabilising regional activities and emphasised preparing for future scenarios. “This would be conducted within the framework of Israel’s excellent defence cooperation with the U.S. and growing ties with regional partners,” a press release noted. Sullivan described the White House meeting as “excellent”. He said, “We discussed ironclad support for Israel’s security, ways to address Iranian

PHOTO: SHMULIK ALMANY

aggression, efforts to lower tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, and support for Ukraine.” Gantz debriefed Sullivan on recent terror attacks and noted Israel’s ongoing operational activities in face of incitement and terror. Israel will take the necessary measures to defend its “citizens and sovereignty”, he explained, adding that Israel’s defence establishment was continuing a policy of “promoting confidence-building measures” regarding Palestinian civilians not involved with terror activity. The meeting was attended by delegates from both countries including Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Mike Herzog.

ADL and Board partner on antisemitism for UK secondary school students The Anti-Defamation League and Board of Deputies have announced a digital education programme about Jewish people, antisemitism and how to be an ally against antisemitism for UK secondary school students. DASH (Digital Antisemitism for High Schools) aims to equip students with basic facts about Jews and antisemitism to prevent stereotypes from social media filling a knowledge gap. The programme is expected to be rolled out in the 2022/23 school year.

DASH will be developed jointly from ADL’s experience with digital education regarding antisemitism in the United States and the Board’s experience in education of fighting antisemitism in the UK. ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said, “ADL routinely hears from Jewish communities around the world that one of their top concerns is the lack of knowledge about Jews among the general public. We’re confident that DASH’s relatable stories will lead students to build knowledge, empathy and perspective.”

BoD President Marie van der Zyl commented, “This is an exciting initiative which will enable the Board to educate secondary school students about the unique and mutating aspects of antisemitism as well as giving them a grounding in what it means to be Jewish in Britain today. ADL is a world leader in the fight against antisemitism, hate and extremism.” ADL pledged to work with Jewish communities on digital education, to adapt content for each Jewish community to reflect their history and the antisemitism

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Jonathan Greenblatt

PHOTO: GAGE SKIDMORE

challenges they face at the Malmo International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism last October. ADL has educated over 10 million high school students in America, directly and through teachers, on Jews, antisemitism and the Holocaust.

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Metsola discusses global issues at Tel Aviv University BY ADAM MOSES

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on her first official visit outside Europe this week. Bennett thanked Metsola, who was on a three day visit to Israel, for her strong stand against antisemitism and terrorism. The two exchanged views regarding the implications of the war in Ukraine and need to fight incitement. They also discussed closer cooperation between Israel and the European Union in several areas especially food security and energy. Shirly Pinto MK told Metsola about the steps Israel is taking to integrate people with disabilities into society and called for increased cooperation between Israel and the EU in this regard. Bennett said, “Our relations have seen ups and downs in the past but from here on we will work together only on ups. The European Union and Israel have the potential for a marvellous friendship.” Roberta Metsola discussed critical global Prime Minister Naftali Bennett Meets with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola PHOTO: KOBY GIDEON (GPO) and regional issues with students at Tel globally, climate change, regional geo- of Remembrance, as well as the Children’s Aviv University last Sunday. politics, immigration and Russia’s war on Memorial during the whistle stop trip. The EP leader was speaking at TAU’s Ukraine. Following the event, she tweeted, “ImSourasky Central Library and to acclaim “We uphold that peace remains the ob- pressed by the engagement, the questions said she would promote strengthening ties jective,” she responded to a question on the and ideas put forward by students. Always between Israel and the EU. Middle East conflict. “Our message is one good to listen & discuss the future with young people, where there is dialogue there During a discussion with students, Met- of peace and against violence.” sola spoke on a range of topics including Metsola visited Yad Vashem and took is hope.” academic rising antisemitism part16:04 in a Page memorial ceremony in the Hall TAU President Prof. Ariel Porat and TAU HALF PAGEfreedom, ADVERT JAN 2020:Layout 1 09/01/2020 1

Vice President of Research and Development Prof. Dan Peer welcomed Metsola before a question-answer session with students. Both highlighted the significance of the visit. One of the most successful institutions for innovation, TAU researchers have been awarded 183 grants and some 180 million Euro in funding. The University boasts 236 partnerships in Europe with 177 partners across the EU. Hundreds of students from Europe study at TAU International including many at the event. Israeli MK, Prof. Yossi Shain, head of the Knesset delegation for relations with the European Parliament, initiated the visit and moderated the event. Shain is former head of the School of Political Science, Government and International Affairs at TAU’s Gershon H. Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences. The university is expanding its presence on the continent with programs such as its first extension overseas at a TAU campus in Florence, Italy. Prior to her arrival in Israel, Metsola criticised Israel for banning EP member Manu Pineda, chairman of the EP Delegation for Relations with Palestine, who has called for a boycott of Israel. “I regret the decision to refuse entry to Israel,” Metsola tweeted. “I will raise the issue directly with authorities concerned.”

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Al-Hadid attends MDA UK events

Regev appointed Abba Eban Institute head BY ADAM MOSES

Dr Mohammed Al-Hadid

PHOTO: JNRCS

Magen David Adom UK hosted Dr Mohammed Al-Hadid, President of the Jordan National Red Crescent Society (JNRCS), at events across Manchester, London, Ireland and Paris this week. The President of Ireland, Michael Higgins, patrons, Director of Blood Services, Professor Eilat Shinar and supporters in Paris attended various events. Dr Al-Hadid was the longest serving Chair of the Standing Commission of the Red Cross and Red Crescent and in 2004 spearheaded the accession of MDA into the international movement. Audiences heard his inspirational reflections how humanitarian need has risen above political differences was for delegates. Daniel Burger, MDA CEO, said, “Dr Al-Hadid, speaks to the heart of what we do, choosing humanity over politics in our mission to save more lives. It’s a principle we proudly stand by, and one Dr Al-Hadid is bringing to life through the strong foundations he has built for collaboration between MDA and the JNRCS, seen by many as a model for Israel’s engagement across the region. “Through people like Dr Al-Hadid we are being given an opportunity to promote all that is great about the State of Israel and give others a new perspective.” Burger spoke with diplomats from around the world about how JNRCS and MDA can work together across borders to meet the ongoing humanitarian need at a lunch hosted by MDA’s President Lord Reading with the Jordanian Embassy in London. “I left feeling hopeful, struck by the words of Dr Al-Hadid, ‘We are all part of one family, the family of the Red Cross movement.’ MDA is an important vehicle for showcasing the very best of Israel.”

Former Israeli Ambassador to the United Kingdom Mark Regev has been appointed head of the Abba Eban Institute for International Diplomacy. The renowned facility is based at Reichman University’s Lauder School of Government. Regev takes up his post on July 1. He replaces Ambassador Prof. Ron Prosor, recently appointed Israel’s Ambassador to Germany. Regev, a senior diplomat with the Israeli foreign service, has served as former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s senior adviser on foreign relations and international communications. He has also held diplomatic positions at Israeli missions to Washington, Beijing and Hong Kong. Reichman University President Prof. Rafi Melnic congratulated Regev. “Regev brings with him extensive experience in the diplomatic world,” he said. “I am confident that under his leadership, the institute will continue to be one of the most important centres in Israel for teaching and applied research in diplomacy, a key component of national security.” Melnic thanked Prosor for his work as

head of the institute. “He has contributed greatly to the education of the next generation of leaders,” he said. The Abba Eban Institute plays an important role in government, diplomacy and strategy programmes. The institute provides academic courses, internship programmes for students, content for public service officials and collaborations with institutes and partners around the world. The institute made a significant contribution to the diplomatic campaign against Hezbollah in Europe, and to its definition as a terrorist organisation in key countries, including Germany. Regev holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and modern history from the University of Melbourne, a master’s degree in political science from The Mark Regev Hebrew University and

26 MAY 2022 an additional master’s degree, in management, from Boston University. Reichman University was founded in 1994 to train the future leadership of the State of Israel. In August 2021, the Council for Higher Education recognised IDC Herzliya as a university. From the outset, the institution was modelled after elite universities in the United States. It does not receive funding from the governmental for higher education and is run as a public benefit corporation. Its expenses are funded by tuition and donations. Reichman University students are educated in light of the motto ‘Freedom and Responsibility’. Some 34,000 graduates have earned diplomas. There are 10 schools on campus, dozens of institutes and research centres, which offer degree tracks in law, business administration, computer science, government, diplomacy and strategy, communications, psychology, economics, sustainability, accounting and PHOTO: RICHARD HERMAN entrepreneurship.

Meron Lag B’Omer festivities hit by extremists BY DAVID SAFFER

Police were forced to end Lag B’Omer celebrations at the historic Mount Meron site last Friday. An extremist ultra-Orthodox sect clashed with police forces attempting to enforce measures to restrict pilgrims to the historic site at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Authorities were determined to avoid last year’s disaster when 45 Charedi pilgrims died in a horrific stampede at the site. The tragedy was the worst civilian disaster in Israel’s history. There were 17 arrests following incidents as the festival unfolded. Rioters reportedly damaged police cameras, tore down fences and ignored calls by religious leaders to vacate the area and not cause trouble. Police closed entrances to the site from highways causing queues and traffic jams. Buses from around the country were delayed as volunteers handed out water bottles. Deputy Religious Affairs Minister Matan Kahana ended planned celebrations at Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai’s tomb. In a statement, he blasted “extremist fanatical Sicarii” of intentionally sabotaging

festivities and backed the police present “to protect lives”. The festival had begun peacefully on Thursday evening when the Boyaner Rebbe lit 45 yahrtzeit candles next to the Hadlaka site as the festival came in. The name of every victim was read aloud ahead of celebrations. Accessibility to Meron was limited to 60,000 tickets by public transportation, in private shuttles and private cars. Only 16,000 pilgrims could visit for a four-hour period. Police roadblocks were set up with an estimated 130,000 people expected to travel to Meron. Roads were gridlocked for hours. Police had voiced concern over the rule and made it clear if public safety was at risk pilgrims would not be allowed to enter the site. A reported 8,000 police officers were on duty to ensure safety measures. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett appealed for “directives” to be followed after investment had been made to facilitate safe participation. The government approved compensation for stampede victims. Each family received NIS 500,000 ($158,000). Israel’s

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Land Enforcement Authority oversaw demolitions of structures and facilities over safety fears. Whilst the event did not go according to plan the festival did benefit a number of Jewish communities as bereaved families raised funds in the memory of those lost a year ago. Two remote communities in Jackson, Wyoming, and Boise, Idaho are now set to get a long awaited mikvah in honour of Yossi Kohn. The 22-year-old Mir Yeshiva student was among the 45 pilgrims who died. His death has been a devastating loss to his family and friends. The Kohn family of Cleveland, Ohio, set out to continue the legacy of their son to benefit future generations. Their aspirations have succeeded. On Lag B’Omer a campaign was launched to raise the final $500,000 of an original $700,000 target to build the mikvahs. Over $742,000 has been raised to date. A bonus goal of $750,000 has now been set. The Western US states will now have mikvah’s bear his name. To donate: www.charidy.com/ OdYosefChai

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IDF rejects CNN report into Al Jazeera reporter BY LILLY JOSEPH

The IDF does not accept claims from a CNN investigative report that Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh was shot by IDF troops during an anti-terror operation inside Jenin earlier this month. The network reportedly presented evidence showing journalists wearing protective clothing after Abu Akleh was fatally struck. Bullets discovered in a tree suggest the shooting was not random. A Palestinian reporter and another witness spoke with CNN. The IDF have called for a “definitive conclusion” and reject claims regarding the shot that killed Abu Akleh without examining the bullet taken from her body. “The IDF expresses its condolences for the death of Shireen Abu Akleh and calls on the Palestinian Authority to cooperate in a forensic inquiry together with representatives of the United States to reach a definitive conclusion,” a statement reportedly explained. “The IDF has been operating in the Jenin area to apprehend terror suspects after 11 Israeli civilians were killed in attacks perpetrated by residents of Jenin and its surrounding villages and to prevent further attacks. Palestinian gunmen indiscriminately fired hundreds of rounds at troops turning the Jenin camp into an active warzone.” “Without a serious and professional

investigation, it is impossible to conclude where the fire originated and such a probe must be done meticulously and based on evidence,” an IDF statement added. The PA has rejected Israel’s request for a joint investigation. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has called on the Palestinians to cooperate in order to uncover the truth based on definitive documentation. Bennett confirmed after the incident that IDF forces were conducting an operation in northern Samaria as part of efforts to stop a wave of terrorism that had seen Israelis murdered. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas blamed Israel without substantive material. “The Palestinian Authority rushed to blame Israel for her death and the president of the PA made unfounded accusations against Israel before any investigation had been carried out,” Bennett said at the time. “Based on preliminary information that we have, there is a significant possibility that the journalist was shot by the armed Palestinians. However, to uncover the truth, there must be a real investigation, and the Palestinians are currently preventing that. Without a serious investigation, we will not reach the truth.” Abu Akleh, 51, had been with the network for two decades covering Israel and the West Bank.

I-gnite Programme Director Contract type: Up to 4 days a week ous package, commensurate with experience Salary: Generous Many Jewish students are feeling increasingly ill-equipped to deal with anti-Israel and antisemitic expression on campus. PaJeS and I-gnite, a privately funded initiative, have partnered to develop a programme that will address this issue. We are looking for a talented and dynamic educator to lead and manage the project. The successful candidate will be passionate about Israel and antisemitism education, highly motivated and able to motivate others. This is a unique opportunity for the right candidate to make a tangible impact on the future of Jewish students in our community, as well as to develop their career. Candidates should be able to show: • Previous experience in a senior leadership role at a secondary school • Experience in planning, delivering and implementing programmes that are engaging and inspiring for students • Excellent organisational skills and experience in leading a project from conception through to delivery • An understanding of what, in today’s educational landscape, makes teenagers tick • Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work with a range of stakeholders, including teachers and communal organisations • The ability to manage a budget and communicate to donors Please send a cover letter together with your CV to harriet@pajes.org.uk and feel free to contact her for more information. Closing date: Tuesday, 7th June 2022 The appointment is subject to an enhanced DBS clearance.

26 MAY 2022

New synagogue in Germany inaugurated

Minister President Bodo Ramelow and Rabbi Yitshak Ehrenberg at the inauguration ceremony BY LEAH WAXLER

The oldest and youngest synagogues in Europe are now located in the Free State of Thuringia, central Germany. A fully equipped shul is available to patients and visitors of the Waldkliniken Eisenberg. The facility is one of few hospitals in Europe to offer certified kosher food and its own synagogue for Jewish patients. Synagogue Eisenberg, with its almost 80-yearold Torah and furnishings from Kibbuz Lavi is located in the new clinic building designed by architect Matteo Thun. Thuringia’s Minister President Bodo Ramelow, Charlotte Knobloch, Rabbi Yitshak Ehrenberg and other leading figures from politics and religion attended the inauguration ceremony. Ramelow, Minister President of the Free State of Thuringia and acting President of the German Bundesrat, declared support. A symbolic key to the synagogue was presented to Ramelow by Rabbi Ehrenberg. “That is a powerful symbol of a welcoming culture,” he said, “It is a symbol against anti-Semitism. We are proud of the fact that this synagogue is located in a municipal hospital that, for years, has been a national and international ambassador as well as a beacon of Thuringia visible from afar.” Knobloch, former President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany and President of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria since 1985, added, “They’ve created a hospital where it’s a pleasure to stay,” Knobloch said. “And now with the opening of the synagogue, they’ve set another mark. The prayer room is not only a symbol of the clinic’s openness, but also a visible statement of support for the Jewish people in this region. Its opening signifies a historic moment in the truest sense of this term.” State Rabbi Alexander Nachama, Rabbi of the Jewish Community of Thuringia,

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welcomed a fourth synagogue in Thuringia. He said, “I am sure that Jewish guests from all over the world will appreciate the distinctiveness of having a synagogue in a clinic.” Rabbi Avichai Apel, who leads the Jewish community in Frankfurt and is an Executive Board Member of the Orthodox Rabbinical Conference Germany, described the opening of the synagogue as a “moving and historic” moment. “Today is a happy day for Germany and Thuringia,” he said, adding, “Especially in times like these, unsettled by a pandemic, war and growing anti-Semitism. The opening of the Synagogue Eisenberg is impressive proof that Jewish life is flourishing in this country and it plays an integral role in Germany and Europe despite the dark times of the past. Today’s event not only sends a positive message from Germany, it also sends a message about the future of Jewish life in Europe. “Europe’s newest synagogue is intended to serve as a place for peaceful quiet moments and prayer as well as a place open to all for meeting and exchanging ideas, for learning more about and from one another, and for dispelling prejudices.” David-Ruben Thies, Managing Director of Waldkliniken Eisenberg, commented, “We’re breaking new ground in all areas. In architecture, in medicine, in caregiving, in hospitality. We’re one of the very few top hospitals in Europe to offer outstanding medicine and the possibility for all religious guests to fully practice their religion, even during a hospital stay. From the initial planning stages for our new building, a ‘kosher stay’ played an integral role in the design. I’m very pleased that this has now been fully realised with the inauguration of the synagogue.” The Waldkliniken Eisenberg in Thuringia is a centre for innovative orthopaedics and its research work in endoprosthetics, biomechanics and biological implant materials.

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26 MAY 2022

Ukrainian Maths geniuses study in Israel BY LILLY JOSEPH

A group of Ukraine’s top teenage maths geniuses have landed in Israel. The high school students are starting a specially-created programme at Bar-Ilan University’s International School. When the war began, members of Ukraine’s world championship maths team found their lives and studies thrown into chaos. Coaches on the Israeli team heard of their rivals’ plight and arranged for them to relocate and study at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan. “One moment all my academic hopes were halted due to the war, and the next, I’m starting university studies at age 16 in Israel,” said Boris Holikov from Dnipro. “I grabbed the opportunity almost straight away, as I know I won’t regret it.” Over recent weeks Bar-Ilan, led by Executive Director Ofer Dahan, has arranged visas and housing, and Ukrainian students at Bar Ilan Universty prepared an academic curriculum tailored to students’ needs. a programme that would normally take “It’s heartbreaking that these youngsters months of planning. But extreme times call need to leave home to continue normal life, for extreme efforts,” added Bar-Ilan CEO but we were determined to give them the Zohar Yinon. “From now until October the chance to do so,” said University President youth will take courses in maths, computer science, and physics, and will learn Hebrew, Prof. Arie Zaban. “In just a few weeks we’ve pulled together as well. They will receive university credits

and some of the students are expected to segue into bachelor’s degree studies in October.” Some are in early teens and away from home for the first time. Leonid Diachenko, 14, from Kyiv, said, “I’m excited about being here in Israel. It’s giving me exactly what I’ve wanted, in

spite of the war which is disrupting the dreams of so many people from our country.” Contributors to the project include Google and StarkWare. Dr. Dan Carmon, a StarkWare’s engineer, coaches on the Israel youth maths team. When he proposed that StarkWare help launch the humanitarian effort, they immediately agreed. “It’s very personal for me as I know the Ukrainian coaches from competitions and my colleagues identify strongly with the team,” he said. “Numbers are an international language, and at every contest we see maths bringing together kids from everywhere. We were crushed by the plight of the Ukrainian team, and this bond made us determined to take action. I feel it’s a privilege to help bring them to safety.” Prof. Avinatan Hassidim, Bar-Ilan Department of Computer Science and head of the Google research group in Israel, added, “Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine. Google is working on various levels to assist the people of Ukraine during this crisis. The opportunity created here to help young Ukrainian mathematicians is touching and humane. “ The teens, in Israel for the first time, are living in the Bar-Ilan dormitories.

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14 OPINION

26 MAY 2022

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OPINION

The opinions on this page do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper

Promoting Ignorance OPINION PIECE BY ROBERT FESTENSTEIN

Fustat is a little known town in Egypt which for 500 years was its capital until the middle of the 12th Century. In 1204, its most famous inhabitant, Moses Ben Maimon, commonly known as Maimonides died. Maimonides has been hailed as one of the greatest Jewish scholars ever. What was so remarkable about him was not only his Talmudic scholarship but that he was also a respected physician and philosopher. His ability to master both the religious and the secular has served as an example which many have sought to emulate. In the 818 years following the death of Maimonides one would expect to see Jewish educators seeking to meet his standard both in respect of Jewish and secular studies. For reasons passing understanding, certain parts of the community today are turning their back on Maimonides’s example. The latest Queen’s speech included a promise to give additional powers to Ofsted in respect of schools not registered with the department of education. In the

Jewish Telegraph of the 12th May 2022, it was reported that a spokesman for the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations said “Really, but the age of 13 and a half, when they start yeshiva ketana, they [teenage boys] should know enough secular knowledge to make their way in the world. If they want to take employment and need more [secular knowledge], they will be able to get that later on”. It is impossible to see how this approach has any legitimacy at all. The suggestion that a boy at 13 and a half has enough secular education to make his way in the world is as stupid as it is unrealistic. Without formal qualifications the prospects of an individual to obtain employment, let alone well-paid employment are seriously

reduced. The requirement to earn a living is as important as the requirement to study and significantly comes first. Work then study. Denying people a secular education past 13 and a half is a recipe for low income. Add to this the likelihood of the boys in question marrying and having large numbers of children, the prospects of poverty for that family are pretty much guaranteed. What makes matters worse is that this lack of education and increasing poverty appears to being ignored by the communal leadership. No-one it seems is prepared to state what is plain to see, that a lack of education for those with large families is massively undesirable

Sadly, this weakness has allowed the position to get worse. For as long as no-one takes a stand on the secular ‘ignorance is bliss’ position, those promoting religious over mainstream education will continue unchallenged.

both in terms of their poverty but also that of the community as a whole. There is a sense that these leaders are keen to ‘reach out’ to the ultra-orthodox with a view to engaging with them. It is not clear what that engagement might be though what is likely is that because of these attempts to engage, no-one has the spine to say what is blindingly obvious about the lack of education and consequent poverty. Sadly, this weakness has allowed the position to get worse. For as long as no-one takes a stand on the secular ‘ignorance is bliss’ position, those promoting religious over mainstream education will continue unchallenged. There are some issues where there is no grey area and this is one. It remains to be seen whether any leader has the strength of character to point out, like the young boy with the emperor’s new clothes what is right in front of us and not allow Maimonides’s example to become something to be ignored. Robert Festenstein is a practising solicitor and has been the principal of his Salford based firm for over 20 years. He has fought BDS motions to the Court of Appeal and is President of the Zionist Central Council in Manchester which serves to protect and defend the democratic State of Israel.

Boris goes all in! OPINION PIECE BY YEHUDA HEIMANN

Brexit! Yes, it’s back on the agenda, have you missed it? I know I certainly have. Numerous times during lockdown while we were all being told we were going to die, I found myself yearning for a simpler time, a time when the worst that could happen was “No deal”. Well, as it turns out “No deal” could still happen! Last week in Parliament, Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary, stood at the dispatch box and threatened to put forward a bill in UK domestic law that gives the government the right to unilaterally make changes to the Northern Ireland protocol. A move that resulted in the EU threatening legal action and commentators predicting a potential trade war! The Northern Ireland protocol is the Brexit agreement’s answer to this question; How can the UK have an independent trade policy from the EU, without a border in the Irish sea or on the island of Ireland? Fundamentally, the question that cost Theresa May her premiership. And it’s really beginning to become a major event in the premiership of her successor, two years after officially leaving the EU. After months of endless, agonising and

frustrating deadlock in Parliament over May’s answer to the Irish border dilemma she called “The Backstop”. She was removed as the leader of the Conservative party by the ERG. The eurosceptic group within the Conservative party that included Boris Johnson I might add. Later to be replaced by Mr Johnson himself after a leadership election. Boris Johnson comes into power and realises he’s inherited a coalition government with the DUP, and will be held to ransom by them at every step of his negotiation. He calls a general election saying he’s got an “Oven Ready” Brexit deal, (which technically was true, as his predecessor had split the Brexit negotiations into two parts, the divorce bill and future relationship, the divorce bill part was ready to go, so technically Brexit was “oven-ready”) To cut a long story short, Boris wins an eighty seat majority, negotiates and signs a future relationship agreement, before anyone has a chance to look at it. In a very Boris Johnson fashion, then Covid happens… Now here we sit two years on, the dust has settled, and guess what?! It’s not working. To start with, I think it’s safe to say that it’s certainly not in the EU’s interest for the current agreement to work. Just look at the way they’ve been implementing it until now. Border checks and regulatory delays on products that have absolutely no chance of continuing their journey into the Republic of Ireland, things like fresh sandwiches! And

they have absolutely no incentive whatsoever to negotiate in good faith to fix it. Because let’s face it, there have been two major crises in Europe since Brexit. And guess which one of us came out looking better for them? Who came up with a Covid vaccine in record time? Which leader took the initiative in unifying the world against the Russian tyrant? I’ll give you a hint, it wasn’t the EU. And it certainly wasn’t Macron, or whoever the new chancellor of Germany is. You guessed it! It was Boris Johnson and his independent UK government. In a nutshell, this is their one and only opportunity to try and make it look like Brexit failed. Are they petty enough to milk it? You bet they are! The only conclusion I draw from all this, is that this is a game of poker. The same game the EU has been playing all along, it’s all one big gigantic bluff, and it’s about time we called it! Finally, the government is playing the game the way they should have played it all along. All the scaremongering on the news during the Brexit talks. Every day when you turned on the radio all you heard was what a disaster “No Deal” would be. The Remainers in Parliament even managed to get the government to take “no deal” off the table. What do you think that did for the UK’s negotiating position? It’s very possibly the reason that we’re still

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in this position. In a negotiation, you need leverage, without leverage what’s going to make the other side compromise? To be clear, I’m not trying to alienate readers on my second week and I’m certainly not trying to take a side in the Leave or Remain debate. As far as I’m concerned that ship has sailed, Brexit has happened. Now the only thing left to do, is give it our absolute all to make it work. Any true patriotic Brit should agree with that, no matter how you voted in the referendum. So I’m going to make a prediction, because I know the unashamed anti-British bias that is rampant throughout the mainstream media. I predict that we’re going to hear an awful lot of the words “BREAKING INTERNATIONAL LAW”, those words will be coming out of your nostrils before long. But when you hear those words, remember, this is a negotiation! A negotiation with people that aren’t going to do us any favours, they’re not our friends. What they are, is our competitors! It’s in their best interest to keep us in this mess for as long as they possibly can, and they will! Threatening to break international law is not a crime, breaking international law is. This is called negotiating. The writer is an up and coming political/ commentator journalist, he writes a political blog as well as contributing to various publications.

26 MAY 2022

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16 COMMUNITY

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Norwood carnival raises £17K

26 MAY 2022

Giant games, musical entertainment and face painting were all part of the fantastic carnival atmosphere

Over 1,200 Norwood supporters raised £17,000 at The Norwood carnival last Sunday. The charity’s first-ever inclusive community event for people with learning disabilities and autism was an unprecedented success and held at Hertsmere Jewish Primary School. The charity depends on donations to fund vital services and was made possible

thanks to Event Partner PJ Library and Programme Sponsor Panther Securities Plc. Fun facilities on the day were specially designed for people with a range of needs and abilities. Staged on flat ground there was a range of sensory activities and stalls with a sensory element. Over 100 volunteers and 150 performers played a vital role in creating the carnival

Brondesbury Nursery rated ‘Good’

Brondesbury youngsters at play

Brondesbury Park United Synagogue’s nursery has been rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted. Brondesbury earned a ‘Good’ for its leadership and management, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes and personal development. Ofsted called the nursery “friendly and nurturing” and said that children “form strong bonds with the caring staff and engage in a wide range of stimulating and enjoyable experiences”. Staff were praised for planning the curriculum based on children’s interests and ensuring children achieved well. Ofsted added that staff “provide learning that is highly engaging”. The report also noted that parents praise the work and dedication of the manager and staff and appreciate children’s progress. The report said parents noticed

progress in their children’s speech and language ability since they have started the nursery. And benefit from secure relationships with staff. Staff are kind and welcoming, including the support for parents, but particularly when they have experienced challenging times such as the pandemic. The nursery was praised for its safeguarding arrangements. Brondesbury Park US’s Rabbi Baruch Levin said, “Crucially, the report notes that our children are happy and that the nursery setting is nurturing. The result is a testament to the tireless work and dedication of our nursery team.” Daniella Selig, nursery governor, said, “The report highlighted how hard the team work and how happy the children are in this wonderful and caring environment.”

atmosphere. Children and adults enjoyed a wealth of fairground style activities including Challenge Zone, wipe-out and Beat-the-Goalie. There was a Carnival Courtyard which featured Candace Conway Theatre School and musical theatre camps, HJPS Choir, The Academy, Sinai Jewish Primary School Choir, Be.On.Pointe Dance. Youngsters also enjoyed a bouncy castle, giant games and hair braiding. The indoor carnival celebrations featured an interactive sensory magic carpet and silent disco, carnival crafts, arts and craft activities including mask decorating, lava lamp making, a slime and glitter bar, carnival calm zone, puzzles and boards. Experts from Norwood’s Children and Family Services at the Kennedy Leigh Centre were on-site to respond to families looking for advice, social, educational or mental health needs. Norwood Chief Executive Dr Beverley Jacobson heralded the “coming together of a community” as a vital step to making Jewish communal life and wider society “fully inclusive” for people with learning disabilities and autism. She explained, “For people we support who are at the heart of all we do at Norwood it’s especially gratifying to come together in-person after more than two

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years to take their rightful places at the heart of their community.” Rita Alak-Levi, Hertsmere Jewish Primary School headteacher added, “Events such as these are so important in creating a feeling of belonging to a community, as well as enhancing understanding of the importance of charity.”

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26 MAY 2022

COMMUNITY 17

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New IDF honours board

Village Shul boys Give It Forward

Borehamwood && Elstree Synagogue’s IDF Honours Board

Borehamwood & Elstree United Synagogue hosted a ceremony to unveil a new IDF Honours Board recognising those who served in the Israeli army or completed National Service in Israel. The board was placed in a prominent position at the foyer of the Hertfordshire synagogue. The event was attended by 150 people including Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and Marie van de Zyl, President of the Board of

Deputies. Rabbi Sam Taylor of Borehamwood & Elstree Synagogue who organised the event said that those who serve are role models. He said, “The dedication ceremony was a very special and important event for our shul. We have tremendous gratitude for the sacrifices made for our people. This clear message is one we want to send to all in our community, but particularly young people.”

Harav Pinchos Roberts zt”l passed away last Shabbos. He was 89. Until his retirement seven years ago, he served as Rav of Hendon Adath and as a Dayan on the Beth Din of the UOHC. He was known for his talent for speaking, his broad knowledge in Torah and his unwavering devotion to his shul. Over the fifty years he served as Rav, his influence spread beyond his immediate surroundings and his opinion was sought far and wide. His levaya left from his house in Stanley Road, and was extremely well attended.

Village Shul Bar Mitzvah boys at the GIFT Giving Hub with teacher Rabbi Zalman Rodal

Bar Mitzvah boys from The Village Shul in Hampstead visited the GIFT Giving Hub this week to learn about the work GIFT does in the community, in addition to getting stuck into hands-on volunteering, packing food support parcels. Village Shul Rabbi, Yisroel Weisz, who accompanied the boys, commented “It was such an impactful session of giving for our Bar Mitzvah group! More than our young volunteers give of themselves to help GIFT pack food parcels for families in need, they receive a priceless gift. The best way of inspiring others to become

charitable is to give them the experience of becoming givers. GIFT turns the idea of giving into action.” GIFT Founding Director Michelle Barnett who ran the session, commented how “receptive the boys were to giving their time to help others less fortunate and how inquisitive they were, asking very thoughtful questions and engaging in discussions about using their talents and skills to contribute to society.” To sign up your community to volunteer at The GIFT Giving Hub, contact info@jgift. org

Lag B’Omer at Kisharon Kisharon celebrated Lag B’Omer across all services. A barbecue took place at Kisharon supported living, fun was had by all. At Kisharon Tuffkid Nursery children were creative in an art class making bonfire collages. Teachers talked with children about the dangers of fire in preparation for the barbecue in the nursery garden. Children helped to prepare vegetable skewers. Earlier in the week pupils enjoyed an outing to Woodside Farm.

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HGSS appoints rabbinic couple

Shadow Ministers Tour Langdon and Kisharon

Rabbi Luis and Jodie Herszaft

Hampstead Garden Suburb Synagogue has announced the appointment of Rabbi Luis and Jodie Herszaft as their new community rabbinic couple. The Herszafts are expected to take up the roles on 15th July. Rabbi Herszaft grew up in Edgware and has had a long-standing passion for communal work. From a young age he was involved in Jewish organisations, particularly youth and young families. He is finishing his studies in Israel as part of the Mizrachi UK Rabbinic Fellowship Programme, studying at Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh. A participant in Shalhevet, the leadership training programme of World Mizrachi Movement, and is completing Semicha through Mizrachi’s Musmachim programme. Rabbi Herszaft studied Music at university and loves to combine music with communal work. Jodie grew up in Bushey, attended Royal Masonic School for Girls and spent a year in Israel at Midreshet Tehillah Seminary. She studied Psychology at City University and has completed her Counselling Diploma in Israel. Jodie advocates for female Jewish education. She undertook the Matan and Mizrachi Lapidot Women’s Educator Training Programme, with further studies in Jerusalem. She has taught Jewish studies formally and informally at Aish UK, Immanuel

College and in Israeli programmes, focusing on making Judaism relevant and engaging to young women. Jodie is working as part of the Tribe Israel Team, supporting gap year students in Israel. The Herszafts will work with Rabbi Marc and Lisa Levene and Chazan Avromi and Rochelle Frielich. “We look forward to being part of such an exciting team to ensure the success and continued growth of such a vibrant community,” they said in a statement. Rabbi Levene said their “energy and enthusiasm” will help create a vibrant and loving community. “It’s just a matter of weeks until we return back ‘home’, and with Hashem’s help, we look forward to many exciting times ahead,” they added in a statement. James Kaufmann, HGSS Chairman noted, “Their passion, warmth and energy were evident from the moment we met them and will be key ingredients to helping our community thrive over the coming years.” He added, “We know that all six members of our spiritual leadership team are excited to be working together and have what is required to inspire and lead HGSS now and into the future.” The Herszafts appointment followed a Shabbat at HGSS and chance to understand the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Shadow Ministers visit Kisharon and Langdon

Through JLC and London Jewish Forum, Karin Smyth, Shadow Minister of Social Care, and Vicky Foxcroft, Shadow Minister for Disabled People toured Langdon and Kisharon Services this week. The MPs visited Langdon’s new chapters and Wohl Employability Hub, Kisharon Bike Shop, latest supported living scheme for women and Kisharon Noé School. Foxcroft said. “Organisations like these enable disabled people in their communities to fully participate in society with excellent education, independent living and training opportunities. They are an inspiration.”

Richard Franklin, Kisharon CEO, commented, “Those present agreed with the Shadow Ministers how important it was for all MPs to see more grass-roots services to further understand the real present challenges facing people with learning disabilities and their families.” Neil Taylor Langdon CEO, added, “We were so appreciative of Shadow Ministers visiting. Their extensive understanding and knowledge of the challenges facing social care organisations is extremely encouraging for the sector.” Smyth asked students with SEN what policy changes they would like to see.

Kevias Mezuza for Imrei Shefer’s new building

Business Networking Breakfast by the Jewish Business Union Manchester was held in Maccabi Prestwich Thursday morning with special guest speaker Mr Mark Adlestone OBE, Chairman of Beaverbrooks the Jewellers. Fixing the mezuzah on the new Beis Hamedrash for Kehillas Imrei Shefer

Jewish Business Union Breakfast with guest speaker Mark Adlestone OBE

PHOTO: LAWRENCE PURCELL

Kehillas Imrei Shefer, Golders Green, a vibrant, flourishing and well established growing Kehilla, held a Ma’amad Kevias Mezuza at their new purpose-built Beis Hamedrash. Under the guidance of Rav Meir Rapoport Shlit’a, Imrei Shefer is recognised within Golders Green, as a Kehilla that provides the opportunity for Bnei Torah to grow in Torah V’Yirah. Aside for the daily Tefillos and a host of regular Shiurim, Daf Yomi and Halacha,

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PHOTO: AVI YODAIKIN

the Kehilla is partnered with the Kollel Harabbonim G.G., enabling the Mispalleim to learn, in depth, evening Seder with the Kollel Yungerleit. The beautiful new Beis Hamedrash, ideally situated at 224 Golders Green Road, will enable the Kehilla to continue flourishing. The Ma’amad was also graced by the two local senior Rabbonim, Rav Gershon Hager Shlit’a and Rav Shloime Freshwater Shlit’a.

26 MAY 2022

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Speaker of the House of Commons and Chief Rabbi Back Seed and GIFT’s Clean Speech Project

Taking part in the Clean Speech Project

This week Seed and GIFT ran the first ever UK-wide Clean Speech Project – an important educational initiative impacting thousands across the community, focused on encouraging constructive, positive speech. The project has been endorsed by Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Holye MP, Speaker of the House of Commons, and the Chief Rabbi together with a host of other educators and celebrities – from illusionist Uri Geller to anti-racism campaigner Azeem Rafiq. The concept of the Clean Speech Project was inspired by a similar initiative in Colorado, where the month-long project was so successful

it was adopted by the state. Between the 22nd and 27th May, 27 primary schools, 8 secondary schools, 17 shuls and 14 community organisations got involved with Seed and GIFT’s Clean Speech Project, with 40 adult education sessions, 15 assemblies and 15 parent-child learning activities taking place in schools around the country. Rabbi Avrohom Zeidman from GIFT commented: “Whilst people can be givers in various forms, giving positive speech is an easy yet impactful way to make the world a better place.” Rabbi Daniel Fine, co-founder from Seed, said: “In today’s polarised world, speech is too often used as a tool to dominate and divide instead of to communicate and connect. The Clean Speech Project aims to encourage awareness, inspire and educate about the gift of speech and empower people to use speech constructively.” As well as providing an array of engaging resources and educational opportunities, it is clear that this project has created a vital space for young and old to discuss and connect with these important themes, encouraging unity, friendship and understanding amongst families, communities and beyond. Find out more at www.cleanspeech.co.uk

COMMUNITY 19

O’s enjoy historic cup win

Oakwood FC won the Peter Morrison Cup final

Oakwood have won the Peter Morrison Trophy for the first time in the club’s history. The O’s defeated Maccabi London Masters Vets 3-1 last Sunday. Louie Basso, Jake Kelly and Josh Cuby scored the goals in a historic triumph.

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PHOTO: MARC MORRIS PHOTOGRAPHY

Basso opened the scoring on nine minutes only for Maccabi to level the scores. Kelly edged Oakwood in front after 78 minutes before Cuby wrapped up the win three minutes from time. O’s boss Lewis Blitz was justifiably proud of his side who have twice been runners up.

20 COMMUNITY

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Lag B’Omer bonfire at Yeshiva L’Zeirim, Salford. The fire was lit by Rabbi Yosef Brandies, Rosh Yeshiva.

Yeshiva L’Zeirim Lag B’Omer bonfire

26 MAY 2022

Paperweight’s new offices

PHOTO: LAWRENCE PURCELL

The grand opening of Paperweight’s new offices

The opening of our secondary premises on Sunday was a very exciting moment not just for everyone involved in Paperweight, but for our community. We were delighted to welcome so many supporters, friends, family and residents of the local community to share the day with us. This additional space, these meeting rooms, allow us to expand our services and to provide guidance, help and advice, to an ever-growing number of people. Our premises are the heart and soul of an organisation that knows no boundaries, either communally or geographically, and the impact of the work that begins here is immense. Since March 2020, the beginning of the pandemic, Paperweight has helped 2000 people, young and elderly, married and single, with a wide range of issues. On average five people a day, every day, call us for assistance. As a community, we are all only too well aware of the current economic climate: the strain on household budgets, the rising levels of debt, the delays and reduction in welfare benefits, and of course the almost total dependence on doing everything online, easy if you know how, a nightmare if you don’t. Our family law team, our Paperlite team and all our specialist advisers are all working to maximum capacity because

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the need is so great. If you are alone, either through separation, divorce or family breakdown, the loss of your spouse, or maybe illness or dementia, how do you cope with the myriad tasks which we are all required to carry out every day? How do you face the letters and the bills, and the paperwork that have been left behind - none of which you understand? All too frequently, the bill goes in the drawer to be dealt with later, and you smile to let everyone know that you are fine. And of course, even if you are not on your own, you may well require some help, some guidance, some friendly, confidential, professional assistance. And that is why Paperweight is here and that is why our caseworkers, in London, Manchester, Gateshead and across the UK, devote their time and expertise to help those in need. Whilst we wish that an organization such as Paperweight was not required, by every measure any of us could choose from, there is an ever-growing need. And we know, that in just a year or two or three we will outgrow these premises and move once again to larger ones. Contact us today on 0330 174 4300 or email info@paperweight.org.uk and we will talk you through everything you need to know.

22 FAMILY FUN

26 MAY 2022

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Bechukotai

Bechukotai Word Seach

So you want to be a Jew? We got a pretty cool rewards system. 1. Hashem promises to give rain in Eretz Yisroel at the right time. Rain? It’s very important. No rain means no plants no food, nothing to sell so no money and no water to drink. Too much rains means storms and flooding. Not cool. So it’s a blessing to have the right amount of rain, in the right time, right place. 2. Hashem promises that the grains will be in such abundance that it will take months to thresh the fields!! 3. The problem with having tons of food is that our enemies will come to steal it! No worries, Hashem promises to keep the armies of surrounding countries out of the land. Even animals won’t harm you in Eretz Yisrael. 4. Big, healthy families. 5. Hashem Himself will come to stay. Hashem will live amongst us. He will open our eyes and hearts to

His Shechina (glory) so that we will understand Him. Where is Hashem? Wherever we let Him in. Oh, but, er it isn’t all sunshine and happiness. We’re the Chosen Nation. We said we would keep the Torah. With great power comes great responsibility. Keep the Torah and it’s all good. Don’t and we got trouble. (Insert dramatic thunderboom here) 6 curses. 1. Hashem will bring about sickness. 2. No food, that’s called a famine. 3. Wild animals will attack. 4. Enemies of Israel will kill many Jews. 5. You thought Egypt was plagued? Just look out for a punishment of plagues for not keeping Hashem's Mitzvot. 6. Hashem will destroy the Bait Hamikdash and exile the Jewish people. And break out the party spirit we’ve completed Vayikra!! The 3rd book of the Torah

Tangram Challenge! Using all the shapes on the left can you make the teapot shape on the right?

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W W

BLESSINGS • FAMINE • HUNGER • RAIN • REDEEM • TITHE • TOCHACHA • VOW

26 MAY 2022

FAMILY FUN 23

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Going Up

t was breakfast time on Sunday and Ima made an announcement. “Grandma has given you £10 each to spend on a new toy or book for Shavuos.” “Wow!” said Rivki excitedly. “Can we buy anything we want?” “You can buy anything that can be used on Shavuos,” Ima replied. “When can we go shopping?” asked Chaim. “Actually,” replied Ima. “As soon as we are all ready, we are going straight to Wembley Mall to look for toys.” “Thanks so much, Ima,” Hadassa hugged her and ran to the hall to get her shoes on. Once everyone was ready and in the car, they set off to Wembley Mall. You would have thought it would be nice and quiet as they were so early, but the shopping centre was already packed with lots of people. “Where should we start? Ima asked as she strapped Shloime and Yehudis safely in the buggy. “Claire’s!” shouted Rivki. “Accessorize!” called Hadassa. “Sports Direct!” said Chaim loudly. “Goodness, well let’s go to each one in order of age, starting from the smallest.” Ima replied, pushing the buggy out of the lift doors. “We will start with John Lewis for Yehudis and Shloime.” As they were walking Ima pulled Chaim aside.

“Chaim, I want to talk to you about your kodesh homework for the last few weeks.” Ima continued, “your Abba and I are a bit sad about how much you have been rushing your chazora. Do you think you could try taking it a little slower?” Chaim looked down at his shoes. “I can’t,” he mumbled. “I know there are so many things to work on. I have to work on my kodesh and my chessed and my kibbud av va’em. I want to relax and play sports, not work hard all the time. I am a good person as I am, why can’t I just stay the same?” “That’s a really good question,” replied Ima. “Life would be a lot easier and a lot more comfy if we stopped trying, right? You could just stay at the same level in yiddishkeit and be fine, right?” Chaim nodded. “Come,” said Ima, “let’s go get some gifts

Word Wheel The goal of a word wheel puzzle is to create as many words possible with the letters in the word wheel. Each word must contain at least three letters. You can only use each letter once and every word must have the letter in the centre of the wheel.

d l

Use this area to write the words you have found.

e k

and then I’ll answer your question.” They went into John Lewis and enjoyed picking out a mechanical dog with a lead for Yehudis and a large plastic set of skittles for Shloime. Next, they went to Claire’s. Rivki gasped and oohed in delight at all the pink, sparkly toys and accessories. Eventually, after what felt like an hour to Chaim, she chose a gorgeous hair band and some fluffy fairy wings. Next, they went to Sports Direct. “I’m going to buy a ping pong set,” announced Chaim. “My friends will want to play with me in the park.” Finally, they reached Accessorize. By this time, Yehudis and Shloime were napping, and everyone wanted to get home. “I’d like to buy myself a necklace for Yom Tov, said Hadassa, picking up a gorgeous silvery

necklace with a diamanté flower. “I can’t believe we have finished,” said Ima. “Let’s go home.” They left the store. Turning to Chaim, Ima said “I haven’t forgotten your question. Look over there at the escalator.” Chaim looked at it. What was he meant to be seeing? “Can you see the escalator going downwards? Imagine you wanted to get to the top of the escalator using the one going downward. What would you do?” asked Ima. “I would run up it super fast,” said Chaim. “So let’s say you keep running for an hour, won’t you get tired?” “Of course!” “So what would you do?” “Have a rest!” “But then what would happen?” Chaim looked puzzled, then he realized “I would end up going down.” “Exactly,” said Ima. “That is a mashal for our lives. The Yetzer Hora is always pulling us down, so that even if we stand still in our Jewish growth, we still move down. The only way to stay up is to keep on trying to be the best Jews we can be.” Chaim looked thoughtfully at his brand new ping pong set. “Thanks Ima for taking us shopping. I’m going to use the ping pong set, but only after I’ve done my chazora properly.”

w e

Last week’s words: Here are some words you may have found from last week - you may have found more! sat say sea sec see set sty

yes aces acts arcs arts cars case

cast cats ears ease east easy eats

eyes rats rays rest scar sear seat

sect star stay teas acres cares carts

cease crest erase races rates rears scare

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scary stare steer stray tears tease trays

trees tyres years yeast arrest carers crease

racers rarest reacts secret traces careers craters

creates caterers retraces terraces secretary

24 FAMILY FUN

26 MAY 2022

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Q: What creature is smarter than a talking parrot? A: A spelling bee.

Q: Why did the chicken get a red card? A: For fowl play! Q: Why can’t you trust atoms? A: They make up everything.

(Answers at the bottom of page upside down)

1. The poor have it, the rich need it and if you eat it you’ll die.

3. The more you have of it, the less you see. What is it?

Q: Why did the opera singer go sailing? A: They wanted to hit the high Cs.

2. What always runs but never walks, has a bed but never sleeps, has a mouth but never eats?

3) Darkness 1. Nothing

2) A river

1. A lost cause 2. Go down in history 3. Two left feet

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4. Split second timing 5. Safety in numbers 6. Ready meal

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ADVERTORIAL 25

Paperweight Perspective

Help with housing costs BY JOANNA LASSMAN, CASEWORKER, THE PAPERWEIGHT TRUST

With energy costs having soared, the media is filled with stories about people on limited incomes desperately needing help with their gas and electricity bills. Increasing rates of inflation have made people concerned over their rising weekly supermarket bills. The other area of major expense for many of us is our monthly rent. Whether or not rates also increase, we still need to find a way to pay and this may be our biggest worry. We can cut down on food and we can heat our home a little less, but we must pay for the roof over our head; otherwise rent arrears will mean the threat of legal action and even eviction. There is help available from the welfare system to assist with the rent if you are on a low income – through Universal Credit or from the local authority in the form of Housing Benefit. But this will not necessarily cover all the rent. Renting

from social housing organisations or the local authority usually means the tenant is secure and that the figure is set at a reasonable level. That does not avoid finding oneself in more straightened financial circumstances, which may mean that the rent is difficult to pay. Many people find themselves with a property that has more bedrooms than they actually need. They have been renting the family home for many years, but now that the children are gone, they find that they are penalised by the so-called bedroom tax, so they lose a proportion of their Housing Benefit. It may be that the only solution is to move to something smaller and they have requested a transfer from their landlord to a smaller property

– but that takes time, is an upheaval and the landlord has to have a smaller property available. People renting in the private sector may have rents that are higher than those in Housing Association properties. They are able to claim whatever help Housing Benefit may offer but this is restricted to the Local Housing Allowance for their area. This is a rental figure for a property which is the required size, and assessed by the authorities as reflecting the general rents in your area. As with the ‘bedroom tax’ the allowance is based on how many bedrooms are officially required. A couple will only need one bedroom, so the Local Housing Allowance available to them is that set for a one bedroomed property.

The application may be daunting but tackling complex challenges is at the heart of what Paperweight does.

So, a couple who have rented a three bedroomed house, from a private landlord, whose children have now left home, may find their Housing Benefit restricted to the level for a one bedroomed flat. They may well have a shortfall between their rent and the Housing Benefit they receive. They cannot move immediately, much as it makes financial sense as much as they would like to. What happens next is they fall into arrears quickly and their landlord presses for payment. One place they can turn to is their local authority for short term help in the form of Discretionary Housing Payment. This is assistance of a temporary nature, designed to get the tenant through a period of difficulty while looking to a more permanent solution. But not everyone who applies will get the assistance they need – it is ‘discretionary’ and the local authority’s budgets are always under strain. The application may be daunting but tackling complex challenges is at the heart of what Paperweight does. No-one can guarantee that the local authority will help but Paperweight can provide the guidance necessary to get the process started.

Debt-negotiating, courtattending, benefits-advising, law-guiding, tribunalaccompanying, hand-holding, rights-advocating, landlordchallenging and people-empowering. Your situation may involve any of these tasks, and more. Whatever your administrative, legal or financial problems, our 200 caseworkers, based in London, Manchester and Gateshead, have the expertise to help. And it’s all free of charge. To access our services or to make a donation to support our work, call 0330 174 4300 or visit paperweight.org.uk instagram.com/paperweighttrustlondon

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26 JUDAISM

26 MAY 2022

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ASK THE RABBI Looking for answers? Send your question to Rabbi@RabbiSchochet.com THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHUL BUSINESS

Dear Rabbi A little while back, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was told by political rivals that he is no longer welcome in synagogue. Is it ever right to tell someone that they should no longer come into synagogue for whatever reason? Perhaps his presence would disrupt others from their prayers? Devir Dear Devir The proper term for a Synagogue in Hebrew is “Beit Hakneset,” which means a place of gathering. By its very definition, it is a place where Jews from whichever walk of life, can come together to pray together. They are praying to the same G-d who sees them all equally, regardless of political persuasion of religious leanings. Sadly there are those who somehow think that a Synagogue is their terrain and that they therefore get to say who comes and who doesn’t; who sits where; who “deserves” a call-up, etc. What they never stop to consider is that a direct consequence of their unfriendly behaviour is turning people away, not just from Synagogue life but from religious life altogether. I have seen many who started their religious journey by way of a Synagogue experience. They enjoyed the prayers, the sermon, the camaraderie, maybe even the fish-balls at the Kiddush. They grew from there. But that one adverse experience turned them off from coming back and everything else besides. Who is willing to take that responsibility upon themselves?

Yes there are unique circumstances when there may be safety concerns, but generally speaking, you have to wonder whether those who decide to be judge and jury really understand and appreciate what Synagogue life is really supposed to be about. One anecdote that come to mind is the man who recalled how one Shabbat he came early to services in a synagogue with about 100 seats. He sat down in one of the many empty seats. Two more men came into the sanctuary; there was a total of three people in the Synagogue meant for 100. One of the men came over to him and said: “Sorry, but you are sitting in someone else’s seat.” He got up and stood, looking at the three percent capacity, not knowing which of the many empty seats He could take without being removed from yet another empty chair. And it wasn’t even that other man’s own seat! My father a”h lectured extensively against missionary cults. Someone once asked him the following: “Rabbi how will I know when I’ve walked into a Hebrew Christian temple which will typically be disguised to look like the real thing and when I am walking into a real authentic synagogue?” To which he replied: “When you walk in and you are warmly greeted and embraced and given a book and a seat, then in all likelihood you will have wandered into one of theirs. But when you are pretty much ignored, have to make your own way, and the only exchange you have is with the person who tells you, ‘you’re sitting on my seat,’ then you’ll know you’re in the real thing.” It’s G-d’s home and if He sees

Pirkei Avot

everyone within equally, what makes you think you have more of a say than He does?

SHE SAYS I DON’T PAY ATTENTION

Dear Rabbi My wife complains that I don’t pay enough attention to her and that I don’t respect her enough. I always insist and tell her I love her but that doesn’t seem to be enough. I could really use some guidance here. What am I doing wrong? Winston Dear Winston I am reminded of the story of the man who reported his wife missing to the police. “She went out yesterday and has not come home!” The policeman: “What is her height?” The Husband: “I’m not sure. A little over five-feet tall I guess.” The policeman: “Can you describe her colour eyes?” The Husband: “Sort of brown I think. Maybe hazel.” Policeman: “Hair colour?” Husband: “Changes a couple times a year. Maybe dark brown now. I’m not sure.” Policeman: “What was she wearing?” Husband: “Could have been trousers, or maybe a skirt or shorts. I don’t recall exactly.” Policeman: “What kind of car did she go in?” Husband: “She went in my Audi.” Policeman: “Can you describe it?” Husband: “Yes, it was an Audi A6 Avant Black Edition, Ambient Lighting pack - A6, front and outer rear heated seats, Valcona leather - Lunar silver + super sport seats, 3 spoke heated sports leather multifunction steering wheel with paddle shift, LED Matrix headlights with high

beam assist, pearlescent paint, Audi drive select, Audi parking system plus with front and rear sensors, Audible and visual fasten seat belt warning - front and rear, Cruise control, driver’s information system, MMI SD card Navigation, mobile telephone preparation, PAS, Service interval indicator, ABS-EBD, ASR traction control, curtain airbags, hill hold assist, tyre pressure monitoring system, split folding rear seat, auto dimming

Follow Rabbi Schochet at: RabbiSchochet.com Twitter: @RabbiYYS Facebook: facebook.com/Rabbiyys.

In Memory of Jacqueline Curzon A’H

Continuing on the theme of cautious justice, Rabbi Yishmael son of Rabbi Yose taught: “Don’t pass judgement as an individual for there is only one who can judge as an individual”. However wise a Rabbi may be, when it comes to a court case or rendering Halacha, they should seek the counsel of their colleagues. According to Rabbeinu Yonah, this refers to each Dayan, even an expert who strictly speaking may judge alone, it is a pious act to nevertheless refrain from doing so. The only “One” who can do so is Hashem. Others explain that an average person should not

hold themselves worthy of judging alone, but an experienced Dayan may do so (and that is the “one” referred to above). The Mishna concludes: And the Dayan should not say - “You must accept my view”, for the Torah way is to bring support and proofs for one’s opinion, not to dictate what the outcome of a trial should be. Some explain that a Dayan cannot force a litigant to appear in front of his court specifically, for a person is welcome to choose whichever appropriate Beth Din they wish.

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rear view mirror, automatic headlights high gloss black door mirrors, light sensor, platinum grey front lip spoiler, space saver spare wheel, A6 Avant, and diesel particulate filter.” You get my point, yes? Maimonides makes it abundantly clear: “A man should respect his wife “more” than himself, and love her as much as himself. It’s not enough that you tell her you love her. Prove it. With respect. And more attention.

Perek 4: Mishna 8

28 JUDAISM

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Torah from Israel

26 MAY 2022

Yom Yerushalayim: It All Happened “Before” BY RABBI MOSHE TARAGIN

In 1948 we gained independence and returned home, after an excruciating absence of two thousand years. However, the victory was inconclusive: we settled into a hollowed-out country, gouged of its heartland, and wrung from its historical capital. 1967 felt entirely different. The miracles, the military triumph and most of all, walking through those stony gates – it all felt different, almost Biblical. So much of what occurred in 1967 felt familiar- as if it had occurred before. Truth is, 1967 did occur before. Jewish history is cyclical, and its patterns repeat themselves. As a landmark of Jewish history, 1967 returned us to our past.

WE STOOD ALONE

Our return to our greater homeland in 1948 was piloted by international approval and affirmed by UN resolutions. After two-thousand years of endless persecution and discrimination, capped off by the horrors of the Holocaust, it seemed “proper” that the world assist us in returning to our national roots. 1948 was an international project. In stark contrast, in 1967 we stood entirely alone, with no allies nor with any partners. General Nasser of Egypt beating the drums of war, threatened to hurl the Jews into the sea. Twenty years after the Holocaust his threat resonated with terror. The United States refused to come to Israel’s aid. Only after 1967 did they begin to “arm” the Jewish state. We stood isolated and alone, facing both multiple armies and the real threat of extinction. Such it is when Jews ascend the mountain of G-d. We go it alone. Avraham had traversed the entire topography of Israel, meeting with kings, shepherds, farmers, and legal negotiators. Slowly but surely, his presence in Israel became a regional consensus. Toward the end of his life, however, he finally ascended to the akeida and to the mountain of Yerushalayim– alone. He specifically instructed his entourage to remain behind with the donkeys, while he scaled the cloud-laden mountain. Standing alone on this mountain capped his career as Avraham ha’ivri- the man who stood alone on “the other side”, defying paganism and educating a world muddled by confusion and chaos. Being the world’s conscience and its moral spirit can sometimes feel lonely. We aren’t always embraced with open arms. Yet, we continue to stand bold and undeterred. In 1967 we finally assumed this heritage of

Avraham- we stood alone as we entered our city.

MESIRUT NEFESH

Finally, after all that waiting, in 1967, we stood at the door of Yerushalayim and at the doorstep of history. To settle the city of G-d, humans must be willing to surrender it all. It wasn’t any different for Avraham, who could only climb the mountain if he were willing to leave it all behind. His son and his moral conscience must be surrendered to attend the akeida on that mountain. Yerushalayim lies beyond human reach and can only be secured by humans willing to act heroically and selflessly. The long road back to the doorstep of Yerushalayim had been paved with Jewish martyrdom. We only survived our vicious exile because of our readiness to surrender our lives for our beliefs. And here we stood in 1967. The final mile to Yerushalayim would take extraordinary mesirut nefesh. The Jordanian army was heavily fortified in East Jerusalem, and the valleys leading to the Old city were laden with mines and exposed to constant sniper fire. The final mile could only be traversed by mesirut nefesh and by those willing to forgo it all. Our paratroopers took that fateful decisionYerushalayim was worth it. The mesirut nefesh which had slowly emerged in cities of Spain, shtetls of Poland, and tundras of Siberia would now blaze the trail back to Yerushalayim. Without mesirut nefesh Yerushalayim lies “beyond”. The patterns of history were in full force in 1967.

THE CITY OF OUR “SUBCONSCIOUS”

In Breishit, Avraham is the first to visit Yerushalayim, but not the last. As Ya’akov flees his murderous brother, the sun sets unexpectedly, and he accidentally stumbles upon Yerushalayim. He didn’t realize the powerful draw of this city until it bursts on to his dreams. It is all unintended, but irrepressible. Yerushalayim is deeply lodged within Jewish subconscious, but sometimes it remains imperceptible. Great moments remind us of just how deeply we are knitted to this city. 1967 was a modern reminder. In the years prior to 1967, national surveys revealed that Yerushalayim held no special attraction to the younger generation. Born after 1948, most hadn’t even visited the city, and those who did could not visit the kotel. Seemingly Yerushalayim had faded from public consciousness. Until it all changed. Just as Ya’akov did, unexpectedly, we returned to the city of G-d and the city of

gold. In preparation for the inevitable war, our military brass was preoccupied with the Egyptians in the south and the Syrians in the north. We begged the Jordanians to stay out of the conflict, and any thoughts of liberating Yerushalayim were preposterous. Suddenly, within a day of battle, we stood at the kotel and blew a shofar. Secular and even anti-religious soldiers broke down sobbing, as they softly caressed the ancient stones. Devotedly, they scribbled notes of prayer to insert in the wall’s crevices. Their hardened commanders were shocked at the unexpected outbreak of piety among secular soldiers. Something primordial moved these battle-worn soldiers. It was the echo of Yerushalayim within the Jewish soul. Thousands of years earlier, Yerushalayim exploded into Ya’akov’s dreams. That day in 1967, it sailed from our dreams into our world.

A CITY OF UNITY

We last left Yerushalayim as a fractured people. We abdicated Yerushalayim to the Romans because we could defend it as a united front. Our city was plagued by civil war, as numerous factions violently battled each another, while burning each other’s food silos. The Romans entered Yerushalayim to a city of corpses and starving skeletons. We lost Yerushalayim because of internal strife. Yerushalayim must be acquired through unity. As the city of G-d, it cannot be contained by any individual- only by a united nation. For this reason, in the Temple era, the city wasn’t legally allocated to any tribe but remained a national commons.

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A city which reflects Hashem’s “Oneness” in this world, can only be inhabited by a people united as “one”. Dovid hamelech himself, could not seize the city until he had federalized his authority and established his monarchy over an entire unified nation. Yerushalayim is not of individuals and not of factions. In 1948 we were far too fractured to return to Yerushalayim. During the British mandate, too many Israeli militias formed and too many military factions had acted independently- often times hostile to each other. Though, in 1948 they officially joined forces and formed “Tzahal” they still operated fairly autonomously. We were not yet ready for the city of the “One”. By 1967 we had become sufficiently fused into one army and sufficiently united as one nation, that we could enter the city of the “One”. The return to Yerushalayim miraculously melted social and religious divisions. An entire nation was captivated by one city, one dream, and one song- Naiomi Shemer’s “Yerushalayim shel zahav”. United in spirit and joined by lyrics hewn from the stones and sand of our dreamland, we entered Yerushalayim. It all happened before, and in 1967 it happened again. The writer is a rabbi at Yeshivat Har Etzion/Gush, a hesder yeshiva. He has smicha and a BA in computer science from Yeshiva University as well as a masters degree in English literature from the City University of New York.

26 MAY 2022

JUDAISM 29

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Weekly Dvar Torah F R O M E R E TZ Y I S R A E L

Trauma, Terumah and Temurah BY RABBI STEWART WEISS

A dizzying, tumultuous time in our calendar is soon coming to an end. We are once again riding this annual emotional roller-coaster, careening through modern Jewish history and experiencing all of its many ups and downs: sharing the loss of so many of our precious people at Yom HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron commemorations; then joyously marking Yom HaAtzmaut and Yom Yerushalayim. Our tears of sadness intermingle with tears of joy, for such is the lot and life of the Jewish people. Our parasha this Shabbat of Bechukotai deals in its own way with the highs and lows of life, and adds a bright and brilliant postscript to it all. After detailing the blessings and curses, the parasha relates the fascinating law of temurah: If someone designates an animal to be used as an offering, but then substitutes that animal for another, both

animals become holy; both must be used as offerings. Sefer HaChinuch explains: When something is made kadosh, that holiness is permanent and can never be removed. Attempting to do so will fail, and both animals will achieve an exalted status. Says the Chinuch: “One who seeks to uproot holiness – the kedushah will spread even further.” The late Sage Rabbi Pam zt”l sees in this law a message for Jewish history: Every time the nations of the world seek to limit or destroy the kedushah of Am Yisrael, they not only fail, but there is a noticeable expansion of that kedushah! In Egypt, attempts first to break the spirit of Bnei Yisrael and then kill us off resulted in our growing exponentially; “as they oppressed us, so we multiplied.” Many non-Hebrews even joined our ranks. In the days of Mordechai and Esther, Haman’s plot to wipe us out backfired on him, and we gained a yom tov as great as

Yom Kippur. As a result, here too, many non-Jews joined our people, including even some descendants of Haman! And in our own days, this pattern has repeated before our very eyes. The Nazis and their many murderous accomplices devoted all of their energy to killing us. But we survived, and we went on to flourish in the Diaspora and also to create the State of Israel. Yes, terrorist groups and sponsors like Iran strive to defame and destroy us. But what is the result, Baruch Hashem? We have grown more than ten-fold in just six decades and built a powerful, prosperous nation. We have seen our population grow to 9.5 million; projected to be over 11 million by the year 2030. We have the highest fertility rate in the OECD and the highest number of multiple births per capita of any country; 191,000 babies were born here in the last year! We have become the single largest Jewish community in the world and fast approach constituting

the majority of the world’s Jews. Israel’s vast proliferation of yeshivot is the embodiment of the blessing, ki miTzion tetzei Torah, and we are an inspiration for millions. As we conclude Sefer Vayikra with the words chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek, we should be strengthened by appreciating that all of the vitriol launched against us is doomed to failure. Instead of harming us, it will only result in our becoming a stronger, safer, more prosperous people. Temurah has the same letters of both trauma and Terumah: The trauma threatened by our enemies ultimately contributes to our triumph. Am Yisrael Chai!

their ways for the better. For the Rambam, the commandments of praying, fasting, and repentance all help a person to do that, allowing them to recognise that their actions have been destructive and to turn away from their harmful behaviours, the cause of their difficulties. That is also the one of the purposes of the Temple, to have a place where each individual can cleanse themselves of the crimes they may have committed, their past sins, and be able to move on. Thus, the tochacha and the Temple are indeed linked (Hilchot Taaniyot, chapter 1; Guide for the Perplexed, 3:36; see also Bechor Shor, Shemot 30:1). Indeed, as the Rambam describes in numerous places, despite this winding, hiccupping journey of human history, the harrowing evil perpetrated by man, eventually, mankind will open their eyes and awaken from their slumber passivity of viewing world events as fuelled simply by chance or the distant forces of nature.

Instead, we will begin to fully appreciate the great power of our actions and begin to help those in need, resolving to do only good. That “through repentance and charity will Israel be redeemed,” ushering in the Messianic Age. So, in short, that is the Rambam’s take on human history and destiny. Whilst ultimately, both suffering and world history are far beyond human comprehension (as the Rambam admits as well), undeniably, we are driven through life by our own actions and choices. Read the tochacha quickly and quietly perhaps, but let’s not forget that message. As one British poet said, “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” Chazak, chazek, ve’nitchazek! [To be sure, there are other understandings of the interplay between free will, Divine providence, reward and punishment, and world history. The Ramban (Nachmanides), for example, stresses the Divine Hand as the primary force in these roles, more so than human free will].

Rabbi Stewart Weiss is director of the Ra’anana Jewish Outreach Center (jocmtv@netvision.net.il), leads kosher tours around the world and is a member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau (www.mizrachi.org/speakers).

Parshat Bechukotai:

What Drives History? BY GAVRIEL COHN

Our sedra contains the tochacha, a whole litany of curses that will befall the Jewish People should they turn away from a life of faith and observance. It is a terrifying account of punishments and persecution, a troubling read. It may be a hard ask then, to write a short pleasant Dvar Torah on it. “Why,” Chief Rabbi Hertz asks, “does Scripture enter into such dreadful detail concerning the consequences of disobedience?!” Indeed, many Ashkenazi communities have the custom of reading these passages quickly and in an undertone. Rabbi Dovid Povarsky, the late Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovizh, related how in his youth in Poland, congregants refused to be called up to the Torah for this portion, being too afraid of the curses therein; large sums of money had to be given to persuade someone to take the aliyah. Are these punishments the right note with which to end Sefer Vayikra with? What link do these passages have to the Temple anyway, one of the main topics of the book? The tochacha may not be the lightest

read yet, in the thinking of the Rambam, it is certainly empowering. It helps us understand world history and pave our way to a brighter future. Judaism sees history as shaped not by epochs and “structures” but by human beings. The Biblical saga is driven by people, not by processes or natural cycles. Patriarchs, prophets, judges, and monarchs dominate its stories. It is our ability to choose and act, the Rambam maintains, that shapes our path in life. If we fail to focus on the morality and monotheism that Judaism teaches, keeping the mitzvot that help us to reach perfection in this world, then, quite naturally, we will suffer and civilisation will breakdown, as the tochacha describes (see, for example, Hilchot Meilah, 8:8; Guide for the Perplexed, Part 3; see also the Ralbag on our Parsha and perhaps our Sages in Pirkei Avot, 6:7). A society experiencing such malaise must realise that they are most probably failing morally and change

If we fail to focus on the morality and monotheism that Judaism teaches, keeping the mitzvot that help us to perfection in this world, then, quite naturally, we will suffer and civilisation will break-down, as the tochacha describes. THEJEWISHWEEKLY.COM

Gav works as an Account Executive in Public Relations. The views expressed here are entirely his own. Questions? gavcohn@gmail.com

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Bechukotai

Sidra Summary

1ST ALIYA (KOHEN) – VAYIKRA 26:3-5

G-d promises that if we keep His laws, then He will provide rain, the Land will give plenty of produce and we will not suffer any physical threat from enemies.

2ND ALIYA (LEVI) – 26:6-9

More blessings are promised if we follow G-d’s will. Wild beasts will withdraw from the Land and our enemies “will fall before us”. G-d will make us fruitful and multiply our numbers.

3RD ALIYA (SHLISHI) – 26:10-46

This aliyah opens with further blessings

26 MAY 2022

“Any tithe of cattle or of the flock, any that passes under the staff, the tenth one shall be holy to G-d” (Vayikra 27:32)

if we choose the right path – a huge abundance of crops and a tangible sense of G-d’s presence amongst us: “I will walk among you, I will be G-d unto you and you will be a people unto Me”. However, it then continues with the tochacha, the Passage of Retribution, which is recited in an undertone by the person reading from the Torah. If we do not listen to G-d and do not observe the mitzvot, the consequences will be grave. Five stages of punishments are listed. These include: being captured by enemies, the Land being unproductive, livestock being destroyed, famine, hunger and being chased from the Land but finding no comfort on foreign soils. Eventually, however, G-d will remember His covenant with the forefathers. He will never fully reject Israel. Point to Consider: With which transgression does Rashi associate the onset of the retribution? (26:14)

4TH ALIYA (REVI’I) – 27:1-15

One is able to make a vow pledging to give one’s monetary value or the monetary value of someone else, to the Temple. These gifts are referred to as erechin (‘valuations’). The amount is based on a list of fixed values depending upon age and gender. After designating an animal to be brought as an

offering, one is not allowed to try to switch its status to another animal.

5TH ALIYA (CHAMISHI) – 27:16-21

The Torah details how to ‘redeem’ a house or field, as first discussed in the 3rd and 4th aliyot. This includes calculating the amount of time left until the Jubilee year (Yovel) at the point of redemption.

6TH ALIYA (SHISHI) – 27:22-28

A firstborn animal is dedicated from birth to be a Temple offering. If a person dedicated a non-kosher animal to the Temple, he must redeem it and bring its monetary value instead, after adding a fifth to its value.

7TH ALIYA (SHEVI’I) – 27:29-34

Certain types of agricultural tithes can be redeemed if an additional fifth of the original value is added. This is the closing part of the book of Vayikra. We stand for the final verse and after it recite: “chazak, chazak ve’nitchazek”, a phrase asking for continued strength for our study of the Torah.

HAFTARAH

The prophet Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) admonishes the people for worshipping

idols and forecasts the downfall of those who turn their hearts away from G-d. In contrast, Yirmiyahu encourages those who trust in Him, comparing them to “a tree that is planted near water, which will spread its roots alongside brooks and will not see when heat comes, whose foliage will be ever fresh”.

Bechukotai RABBI DR RAYMOND APPLE

A WALK IN THE STATUTES

The Sifra is puzzled about the opening statement that says we should “walk in G-d’s statutes”. To tell us to *fulfil the commandments* would be obvious, but the fulfilment of the mitzvot is actually stated separately in the same sentence as the one we have quoted. The idea of walking must have a particular purpose if it is given independent mention. What the Sifra is telling us is that statutes (blunt rules for which the text gives no elaborate explanation) require a special kind of activity. We have to obey such laws without too much discussion or debate. They are clear and unambiguous. What G-d is telling us is, “Do this, don’t do that, don’t argue about it! Take this path, walk the way I tell you, don’t make a fuss about it: I know what I am doing, My wisdom is reliable; don’t think you can find a better way!”

A MISPLACED PERORATION?

“These are the statutes, ordinances and

laws which HaShem gave the Children of Israel” (Lev. 26:46). The Alshich finds it strange to have a summing up of this kind placed at the beginning of a section of the Torah. It seems more logical, he thinks, to make this the peroration of the whole Torah. The explanation is that it is the heading of the solemn message which Moses has brought down the mountain with him. It is the introductory announcement of the agenda that both he and the people of Israel will henceforth have to live by in the wilderness and then in the Promised Land. There was certainly a case for a good peroration at the end of the Torah but the list of the laws needed a heading.

REAPING A REWARD

Judaism insists that reward and punishment are determined by human action. If you obey G-d you will be rewarded, if you disobey you will be punished. The general principle is beyond debate, but the details are a problem. How do we define reward (or punishment)? Are we rewarded financially, agriculturally, climatically, intellectually, emotionally, psychologically? Is the reward (or punishment) in this world or the next? Are there personal consequences of our deeds, or are the

consequences communal? Who gets the reward or punishment, me or my society or mankind as a whole? What does the word “obey” (or “disobey”) connote – believing in G-d, fulfilling a ritual mitzvah, being ethical? An unexpected approach comes in Pir’kei Avot 4:2, where Ben Azzai says that the reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah and the punishment of a sin is a sin. Maybe this means that the reward of a mitzvah is the thought and feeling that you have done a good thing. Maybe it means that the reward of a mitzvah is the opportunity of going on to do the next mitzvah.

THE SIGH OF RELIEF.

Regular synagogue-goers tend to breathe a sigh of relief when the Torah readings come to B’chukkotai. Weeks and weeks have been occupied by the Book of Vayyikra; Temple rituals, priests and sacrifices have been our weekly agenda. This Shabbat, however, Vayyikra comes to an end, and the “interesting” parts of the Torah resume next week. However, the Torah itself does not seem to share this approach. It states in this week’s portion, “These are the statutes, the ordinances and the laws which HaShem ordained between Him and

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the Children of Israel on Mount Sinai by the hand of Moses” (Lev. 26:46). Nothing is said about the Book being replete with boring material. Instead it assures us that the sacrificial laws and the other allegedly boring stuff derive from Sinai and must be treated with respect. Possibly one explanation is that the sacrificial system has an underlying symbolism which dare not be minimised. A philosophy which remains in the realms of theory has little chance of building and changing people’s lives. A set of principles that does not translate into detailed actions has neither excitement nor inspiration. A cause that does not evoke a spirit of sacrifice can never draw people to its service. Belief in G-d requires day-to-day commitment. Rabbi Raymond Apple was for many years Australia’s highest profile rabbi and the leading spokesman on Judaism. After serving congregations in London, Rabbi Apple was chief minister of the Great Synagogue, Sydney, for 32 years. He also held many public roles, particularly in the fields of chaplaincy, interfaith dialogue and Freemasonry, and is the recipient of several national and civic honours. Now retired, he lives in Jerusalem and blogs at http://www.oztorah.com

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JUDAISM 31

Sefiras Ha’omer: Achieving the Impossible BY RABBI SHMUEL REICHMAN

Imagine a teenager lying on a grassy field, gazing into the night sky. As he stares up at the stars, he thinks to himself, “Look at how enormous the universe is. The sky just expands endlessly... It must go on forever.” After sitting with that thought for a few moments, he becomes uncomfortable. “How can anything go on forever? Everything must stop eventually.” But after a few moments of relaxation, his thoughts intrude again. “But how can the universe stop? What exists on the other side when the universe ends? It must go on forever...” And this inner dialogue continues as he struggles to contemplate the infinite within his finite mind. This struggle is not a childish one; it is a challenge that confronts any finite being who tries to connect to the infinite. Younger children, however, do not face this struggle. They are dreamers, living in a world of fantasy where anything is possible. Just ask a group of children what they want to be when they grow up, and you’ll get some of the most fantastic, unrealistic responses imaginable. “I’m going to be an astronaut fireman, so that I can save people on the moon,” or “I’m going to become a great tzaddik and learn how to speak every language so that I can teach Torah to everyone.” Children live within the infinite, the realm of endless possibility. However, as we grow up, we begin to experience the struggle of reality, where our notions of the infinite start being challenged. We then face the question: How do we, as physical and limited beings, transcend our finite dimensions? How do we relate to the abstract, to the infinite, to the spiritual? Let us approach this question through the lens of sefiras ha’omer, the counting of the omer.

SEFIRAS HA’OMER: OUR YEARLY COUNTING

We are commanded to count the days between Pesach and Shavuos, a period known as sefiras ha’omer (Vayikra 23:15– 16; Devarim 16:9). At first glance, this can be understood on a very simple level: As we approach Shavuos, we excitedly count down to Matan Torah as we anticipate our acceptance of the Torah. This can be compared to a countdown toward a wedding, a vacation, or some other exciting event. However, there is a feature of the sefiras ha’omer count that is markedly different: Rather than counting down toward the destination, Shavuos, we count up from the starting point, Pesach. We don’t mark how many days remain until Shavuos; we count how many days have elapsed since Pesach. What is the meaning behind this strange method of counting? And more generally, what is the purpose of counting in the first place? By no other holidays do we count the days between them; we don’t count the days between Sukkos and

Chanukah. Why then do we specifically count the days between Pesach and Shavuos?

day, trying our best to place each individual brick perfectly while we build toward our ultimate destination. Each day of the omer is a new brick — a new part of our journey toward Matan Torah, toward the infinite, and toward marrying Hashem. May we be inspired to create something magical as we build toward Matan Torah, one day at a time.

BUILDING, NOT COUNTING In truth, we are not counting down to Matan Torah, but rather are building toward it, ascending one day at a time. We do not wait for Shavuos to arrive; we actively bring it ourselves through the time and effort we invest as we count the omer. If Shavuos — and its accompanying Matan Torah — are a skyscraper, each day of the omer is a brick. Each day we place the next brick in our building, and each day we build ourselves one step higher. The extensive halachic emphasis on counting each and every day of the omer highlights the fact that every single brick is essential and that every single day is fundamental (Tosafos, Menachos 66a). If while building a staircase you miss one step, you simply cannot build the next step up. Each step requires a foundation to rest on. The same is true of counting the omer. Each day builds upon the previous ones, ascending toward our ultimate destination. Matan Torah does not come after forty-nine days, it comes because of them, built by our effort and investment during sefiras ha’omer. This is why we count up. We are not counting down to Matan Torah; we are building up toward it, one day at a time.

the same root as the word sheva (seven), reflecting the seven weeks that creates the chag of Shavuos.)

CONNECTING TO THE INFINITE

Just like the teenager in the introductory story, we all struggle to connect with the infinite; to see the spiritual within the physical; to find genuine meaning and purpose in an often turbulent and chaotic world. It can feel overwhelming — if not impossible — to build a skyscraper; the task is quite daunting. However, the key is to have the ultimate goal in the back of our minds while we focus on each individual

TIME-BOUND MITZVAH?

This elucidation of sefiras ha’omer sheds light on the Ramban’s enigmatic approach to the counting of the omer. He maintains that women are obligated to count the omer because it is not a mitzvas aseih she’ha’zman grama — a time-bound commandment. How are we to understand this? Sefiras ha’omer, the counting of each specific day between Pesach and Shavuos, seems to be the epitome of a time-bound mitzvah! However, a deeper understanding of sefiras ha’omer clarifies the Ramban’s opinion. In general, a time-bound mitzvah is an opportunity to tap into a certain power of time that exists at that moment. On Pesach, when we eat matzoh, we tap into the power of freedom, a pre-existing reality. This same principle applies to all time-bound mitzvos. For sefiras ha’omer, however, we don’t tap into a pre-existing time; we create time. When we count the omer, we do not tap into the reality of the omer, we create it. Time does not create the omer; we do. This is why there is no specific date mentioned for Shavuos in the Torah. Shavuos — and Matan Torah — are not tied to a specific day (the sixth of Sivan); it is the result of the forty-nine days that we count. The fiftieth day, the day of Shavuos and Matan Torah, emerges from the forty-nine days of counting. We bring it into existence. This is why the holiday of Shavuos literally means “weeks” — the seven weeks that we count create the holiday of Shavuos. (Shavuos also shares

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Rabbi Shmuel Reichman is the author of the bestselling book, “The Journey to Your Ultimate Self,” which serves as an inspiring gateway into deeper Jewish thought. He is an executive coach and speaker who has lectured internationally on topics of Torah thought, Jewish medical ethics, psychology, and leadership. After obtaining his BA from Yeshiva University, he received Semicha from Yeshiva University’s RIETS, a master’s degree in education from Azrieli Graduate School, and a master’s degree in Jewish Thought from Bernard Revel Graduate School. He then spent a year studying at Harvard as an Ivy Plus Scholar. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife and son where he is pursuing a PhD at the University of Chicago. To enjoy more of Rabbi Reichman’s deep and inspiring content, visit his website: ShmuelReichman.com

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Helping your teen overcome exam anxiety

26 MAY 2022

BY PSYCHOTHERAPIST AND JTEEN FOUNDER, YAAKOV BARR

“I’m so worried about my exams- I can’t concentrate on my revision”

“I revise so well but when it comes to the exam my mind goes blank”

“I can’t do this, I just want to give up” I wonder, as a parent, if you have heard these types of exclamations from your teenage children who are now sitting their exams? Jteen has received lots of contacts from anxious teens who are struggling with the pressure and anxiety of the exam season. So how can you help your child feel calmer? Here are 7 easy tips that can make a huge difference.

1) IT IS NORMAL

It is a common phenomenon in psychology to worry about worry. We think it is a problem to worry, so become even more worried. When it comes to exams, parents often quickly become excessively worried about their childrens’ exam anxiety, which then only makes the child more anxious. What we should do as parents is appreciate that anxiety and pressure around exams are normal. The big difference is that we are going to help our teen control their anxiety, rather than letting it control them.

2) SLEEP, SLEEP AND MORE SLEEP

It is the oldest trick in the book, but perhaps the least practiced! Everyone needs sleep for their brains to concentrate and focus to the maximum, none more so than the developing teen brain. Encourage your teen, especially the night before an exam, but ideally a few days before, to hit the pillow and forgo the late night/early morning cramming sessions. Sleep is putting your mind and body on recharge mode. So, coming to the exam with a full battery is a sure way to beat off anxiety and stress.

Also remember that caffeine consumption which is often used to give more energy to study, can often impact on sleep quality and patterns.

3) IT IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD

Many of us know the phrase, “think good, feel good.” This idea demonstrates the key role that thoughts play in the way we feel. If a person goes into an exam thinking that their whole life depends on getting a good grade right now, how do you think they will feel? Obviously, very anxious. Help your teen put the exam into the correct perspective, “It’s important to do well and I want you to try your best, but it’s not the end of the world and you certainly are not a failure if you don’t.” This is a much healthier attitude and will consequently lead to healthier feelings. There is one snag. Parents are often the ones who are influencing a teenager’s perspective on the significance of an exam. If we transmit a healthy perspective on exams that will undoubtedly result in a calmer mindset for our children.

4) DISTRACTION FREE ZONE

Many of the teens who have reached out to Jteen with exam anxiety acknowledge that the problem is exacerbated by their lack of preparation and efficient use of revision time. Concentration and focus have become harder to obtain, largely due to the proliferation of distractions, usually devices that compete more than ever for a teen’s attention. Help your teen create a study environment which is free of distractions,

whilst at the same time building structured breaks into the revision time. Students who generally have access to social media have found huge improvements to their concentration levels when social media apps are deleted off their phone for their study and exam period.

5) ARRIVE AT THE EXAM LOCATION ON TIME

It seems obvious but being late can make a stressful situation even more difficult. Rushing to show up on time might only add to your child’s stress before the exam and they are then far more likely to carry that with them into the exam. Getting your teen to the exam location early prevents those issues. Plus, it provides some time to transition from one’s everyday headspace to “exam mode.”. Coming prepared, not being hungry, and a healthy mindset on the day of an exam does wonders for a teenager’s prospects in the examination room.

6) REMEMBER TO BREATHE!

Breathing may seem absurdly simple — after all, we do it practically every second. But it can be a surprisingly powerful tool to soothe anxiety. The diaphragmatic breathing technique achieves this goal. Slow breathing reduces the heart rate, lowers the blood pressure, and allows the body and mind to chill out. Try it yourself so you can effectively teach it to your teen for when they are feeling anxious:•B reathe in slowly and gently through your nose. •L et your abdomen (diaphragm) expand alongside your ribs, rather than

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breathing through your chest alone. • Very slowly and gently breathe out of your nose. • Repeat the cycle until you feel calmer. That is it. It is easy and can be used before and during an exam to relieve anxiety.

7) SUPPORT

Teenagers being teenagers often want to feel independent and might be reluctant to share their feelings or listen to advice from parents. As a parent, it’s important to recognise that this is normal teenage behaviour, whilst at the same time encouraging them to reach out for support. Jteen is a text and phone support service that helps teens reach out anonymously with whatever emotional challenges they face. Encourage your teenager to contact Jteen so that our trained counsellors and therapists can help him/her cope with the pressures and anxiety that exams so often bring. In some cases, children need more than support and advice. A trained therapist can offer more guidance with personalized coping techniques to help your teen work through exam anxiety.

Yaakov Barr is a psychotherapist, clinical director and founder of Jteen. Jteen is a charity supporting the emotional wellbeing of our teens. For further information about Jteen, go to www.jteensupport.org. The Jteen text helpline is open for teens every night from 6-12. The number to text is 07860 058 823

36 COOKERY

26 MAY 2022

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Summer Blueberry & Chickpea Salad

Another delicious recipe from Denise Phillips For more recipes and inspiration visit my website: www.jewishcookery.com

I have made this recipe using a bulghur wheat and quinoa mix of grains, but any grain could be substituted. This transports well so use as part of a picnic or for a packed lunch now that working back at the office is becoming more prevalent. In addition, it is a good salad to be made in advance, so is ideal for Shabbat lunch or seudah. Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Serves: 6 Ingredients 150g bulghur wheat & quinoa mix 400ml vegetable stock 1 400g tin chickpeas – drained and rinsed 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon dried coriander 3 tablespoons olive oil plus 2 teaspoons 40g walnuts 1 tablespoon honey Juice and zest 1 lemon 1 garlic clove – peeled and crushed 15g fresh mint – leaves shredded 150g blueberries 120g feta cheese – optional 60g rocket or mixed salad leaves Salt and pepper – to taste Method 1) P reheat the oven to 200C/ Gas mark 6. 2) P lace the chickpeas on a baking tray lined with baking parchment paper. Mix the paprika, dried coriander, 2 teaspoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the chickpeas. Roast for 20 minutes.

3) Add the walnuts to the tray for the last 5 minutes. 4) C ook the bulghur wheat and quinoa in the vegetable stock according to the packet instructions. Cool and set aside. 5) R oughly chop the nuts. Mix the lemon juice, zest, honey, garlic, herbs and 3 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl. 6) Add the chickpeas, nuts and most of the dressing to the cooked bulghur wheat grains. 7) Fold through the blueberries, feta cheese – if using and salad leaves. Garnish with sprigs of mint and drizzle over the remaining dressing.

Celebrating Shavuot BY DENISE PHILLIPS

Dairy foods are the focus at Shavuot but there are different traditions for the Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews and from country to country. There are two main themes: one is dairy; the other is about the harvesting of barley during Pesach that ends with the wheat at Shavuot. Dairy ingredients come in all types and forms – cream, cheese, in particular cream cheese with all the different fat contents and flavours,- yoghurt, butter, milk chocolate, white chocolate and you can now see that there is definitely a ‘white theme’! White signifies cleanliness, softness, spirituality, beginnings, purity and light. The Ashkenazim traditionally enjoy blintzes filled with sweetened cream cheese and these are often on the Shavuot dessert menu. Cheese kreplach are square or triangular ravioli dumplings that are boiled or fried. Rugelach, cheese pastry filled with raisins, apples and nuts are popular too. Kugels either savoury with grated vegetables and cheese or sweet using cream cheese cream cheese and blueberries is one of my favourites. Dairy lokshen puddings are

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also on the menu for many Ashkenazim Jews too. Some Sephardic Jews make a seven layered bread (siete cielos), the seven Heavens symbolising Mount Sinai. This is an ancient Sephardi custom originating from Salonika. However, the Jews of Ethiopia have a completely different agenda as they don’t consider themselves Ashkenazim or Sephardim. They believe that the children were familiar with the laws of Kashrut and eat meat at this time. Dishes include chicken with pita, Shlug – a spicy paste made with red peppers and spices; and hilbe a spicy paste with fenugreek seeds. Persian Jews’ view is that Shavuot is about the marriage of G-d and the Jewish people. The festival symbolises a wedding, so they prepare for it like one and enjoy lavish dishes with grains and cereal dishes, fruits and sweets. Shavuot is also about the seven weeks of growth that the barley crops take to become wheat. So, I thought I would share a recipe that combines both grains and dairy as an all-inclusive Shavuot experience. Summer Blueberry Salad has bulghur wheat and feta cheese as part of the ingredients. Enjoy and Chag Sameach

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Euro giants set for Sixteen-goal Lions Champions League final

rout Scrabble in Cup BY DAVID SAFFER

Liverpool and Real Madrid meet in the UEFA Champions League final at Stade de France this weekend. BYJurgen DAVIDKlopp’s SAFFERReds are aiming to win a seventh crown against the 13-time champions.Mogilner And theyscored are aiming for an unprecReiss six goals as Maccabi edented Lions Champions League, FA Cup London thumped Scrabble A inand the League round Cup treble England. second of theinCyril Anekstein Cup. Liverpool won all sixside group games Th e Premier League racked up athen 16-0 defeated Milan, Benfica and Villarreal win with Inter Daniel Green and Michael Kenley to reach the final. MadridEd won five group both bagging a hat-trick. Brafman, Dagames thenand overcame Paris St Germain, vid Dinkin, Adam Hassanali completChelsea andinManchester ed the rout a mismatchCity. of a tie. Benzema hashave scored 15 goals in this seaLions could scored in the opening son’s campaign, his record 10 in knockout minute of the clash but soon opened the games equalled Cristiano Ronaldo’s for scoring and led 9-0 by half time. Madrid in a triumphant 2017 campaign. The Division One team, though outThis isbattled the firstaway timeto the same classed, the end.clubs have met in three European Lions boss was lost forCup/Champions words at full time League finals. such was the display from his team who Bob Paisley’s Liverpool beat Madrid in gave every respect to the opposition. 1981 with an Alan Kennedy Madrid “I’m not really sure there’sgoal. anything to triumphed 3-1 against Liverpool intoKyiv say, we are happy to make it through the in 2018. Benzema and” aheGareth Bale brace next round of the cup, commented. settled a thriller. Hendon United Sports ran out 3-1 victors The LaLeague Liga champions never lost against One outfithave North London a Champions League final. This is a record Raiders. eighth appearance final The Premier side in ledthe early in for theMadrid second passing by AC Milan and Juventus. half onlyseven for Raiders to equalise but struck Carlo the first coachin to lead a two lateAncelotti goals toisbook a place round team in finals and is aiming for a record three of five the competition. fourth victory. Hendon now turn their attentions to the Clubsasfrom Spain are league theyEngland travel toand Oakwood A confor a testing atop fifth another record. Livercrucial offinal, the table clash on Sunday pool’s record against Spanish clubs is W19 (10am). D13 L16,Kristall’s the same as stunned Madrid’s Daniel team theagainst league English sides. leaders last month when they won 2-0, a Liverpool have devictory wouldhistorically move themintofinals within a point feated Borussia of Hendon with Monchengladbach a match in hand. (1977), Club Bruggein (1978), Realround Madrid Elsewhere the latest of fi(1981), xtures, Roma (1984), Milan (2005) Totten10-man NorthAC London Galaxyand made it a ham Hotspur They lostDivision to Juventus three-way title(2019). race in the only One (1985), (2007) and Real Madrid clash of AC the Milan day after defeating Oakwood B. (2018). Jamie Murray saw red early on but Galaxy Real with Madrid rallied goalsdefeated from JoshReims Cohen(1956), and JaFiorentina (1957), (1958), cob Leigh to recordAC anMilan important 2-1Reims away (1959), Eintracht Frankfurt (1960), Partizan win. Belgrade Juventus Jewish (1998),Care Valencia Galaxy (1966), head Redbridge A in (2000), Leverkusen (2002), Atlético the tableBayer by just one point after 10 matches, de Madrid andFC 2016), (2017) third place(2014 Fairlop are Juventus five points beand Liverpool (2018).inThey lost to Benfica hind with two games hand. (1962), Inter scored Milan (1964) and Liverpool Rafi Bloom for Oakwood. (1981). “It was a fantastic performance in a Liverpool are just the bookies favourites

Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema and Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson

but don’t write off Madrid, they have come from behind time and again. The Reds have 16-goal Maccabi London Lions won two cups on penalties, this could also go all the way. Domestically, Premier Galaxy Leagueplayenmust-win game,” the commented joyed a thrilling to the season last Suner-manager Lukeend Lewis. day with titleand and allowed relegation going down “We satthe back Oakwood the to thegiven wire. the one-man advantage and ball, Manchester City lifted a fourth crown in looked to hit them on the counter attack five seasons with pace. after a memorable comeback from twogoals goalscame to defeat Aston 3-2 at “Both down the Villa right-hand Etihad Stadium. side. Leigh crossed the first one into Cohen and Philippe Coutinho to Matty finish,Cash before slotting home himself.put Up Villa to first2-0 weahead go.” on 69 minutes before Pep Guardiola’s side hit back through The Division Two title race substitute also took Gundogan and Rodri before GundogaIlkay twist with league leaders Herstwood an hitgoing the title winning goal on 81atminutes Vale down to a 2-1 defeat Temple to deny Liverpool, who beat Wolves 3-1, a Fortune. chance of landing quadruple. Faithfold B havetheplayed a game more Guardiola Skylevel Sports, are legthan Vale buttold moved with“We a 5-3 win at ends. When you win the Premier League North London Raiders Masters. inJacob this country four times seasons it Kalms struck twiceinforfive Fortune who is because these leading guys arescorer so, so special. We scored through James Milwill be remembered. ” the season. letwith his 17th goal of Liverpool City’s goalremarkable blitz were Th e result up wasuntil all the more searching a winner league with title as Templefor were downand to 20th 11 players at Anfield. ‘keeper Ben Rebuck dislocating a shoulder Neto in Pedro the warm up.opened the scoring before Mane Late goalswin fromgiven Mo Salah “Thisequalised. was a fantastic the and Andy Robertson sealed the win.

Klopp told BBC Sport, “These boys played an insane season. I am very proud of this group, this club and how we came out of the pandemic with the atmosphere we created, absolutely outstanding.” With the title race wrapped up and Champions League places all but sorted only a relegation place had to be settled with Watford and Norwich City both Championship-bound. Leeds United were favourites for the drop with Burnley needing to match their result at home to Newcastle United. Brentford looked to bow out on a high at home to Leeds who took a second half lead through a Raphinha moments becircumstances, ” saidpenalty delighted Fortune fore the Geordies took a 2-0 lead on the hour, boss Simon Linden. courtesy of aaWilson brace, at Turf Moor. “We had number of players out, ReJesse of buck gotMarsch’s injured,side so Isuddenly couldn’t were have out asked the bottom three tensions rose when any more from thebut players. We wish Ben a Burnleyrecovery. pulled a goal back through Maxwel speedy Cornet Newcastle andperformance, Sergi Canos “It wasagainst a proper old school equalised we battled for andBrentford. defended for the 90 minutes Moments Canos was red-carded, and took ourlater chances. Experience proved and his side down to bethough the winner. It’s a were big win, oneto wenine will men, aand Burnley equaliser would Leeds enjoy we hope to build on itsend in 2019. ” down. But United’s Jack Harrison’s He added, “This win marks 50 yearsfired as a home anclub injury break Burnfootball andtime willwinner be one to Nigel Kyte and ley heartsassociated after six seasons in club the top flight. everyone with the from day Chelsea, who defeated Watford 2-1, had

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confirmed third spot leaving Tottenham Hotspur to rubberstamp the last ChamPHOTO: DAVID SAFFER pions League spot by thumping relegated Norwich 5-0 at Carrow Road. Son Heung-min scored a brace to share the Premier League Golden Boot with Salah. Dejan Kulusevski also scored twice and Harry Kane hit the target. Arsenal blew their Champions League chances last week but ended the campaign with a 5-1 home victory over Everton who assured top flight status a few days earlier. Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah struck before Donny van de Beek pulled a goal back. Cedric Soares, Gabriel and Martin Odegaard completed the win. Arsenal will one will enjoy. ” beVale joined by Jacob Manchester United the Euboss Emanuel wasinquick to ropa Rebuck League.well following his injury. wish The Reds a dismal campaign with “First and ended most importantly, everyone at a 1-0would defeatlike to Crystal Wilfried Zaha Vale to wishPalace, the Fortune ‘keeper to the delight of home fans. ascoring quick recovery, we hope to see him back Ham will playasinsoon the Europa ConferonWest the football pitch as possible, ” he ence League after losing at Brighton having said. led half through Michail Antonio. Asatfor thetime defeat, Emanuel commented, Joeldoesn’t Veltman, Pascalhow Grossbig anda Danny “It matter squad Welyou beck scored fornever the Seagulls. have, you can account for unavailLeicester finished a 4-1team vicability or injury. Onlyeighth five ofwith today’s tory over KingFC Power Staplayed in Southampton our recent winatover Team, a dium. Maddison, and lack of James togetherness andJamie poor Vardy individual Ayoze Perez, with a brace, scored.

“It was a proper old school performance, we battled and defended for the 90 minutes and took our chances. Experience proved to be the winner.”

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THE BUTCHER, THE BAKER & THE CANDLESTICK MAKER The issues of Sinas Chinam

WHAT PALTI BEN LAYISH & THE CHOFETZ CHAYIM HAVE IN COMMON?

IF BOAZ WOULD HAVE KNOWN In conjunction with Orah

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