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RAAB ARRIVES IN ISRAEL FOR TALKS

BY DAVID SAFFER

Foreign Minister Dominic Raab called to end the cycle of violence and make progress towards a lasting peace in Israel yesterday.

The one-day visit saw Raab hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi in Jerusalem. He also met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh in Ramallah.

Raab discussed the “flourishing” UK and Israel relationship,

importance of a durable ceasefire in Gaza and need to fight anti-Semitism with Netanyahu.

“The UK is committed to working with regional leaders to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and forge lasting peace,” Raab tweeted.

Raab’s visit followed Netanyahu holding talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jerusalem on Tuesday. Addressing Blinken, Netanyahu thanked US President Joe Biden for “firmly supporting” Israel’s right of self-defence”.

Israel’s leader recalled Blinken in 2014 backing Israel’s “Iron

Dome replenishments” after Hamas aggression. “Iron Dome interceptors save civilian lives on both sides,” Netanyahu noted. “If Hamas breaks the calm and attacks Israel, our response will be very powerful.”

Turning his attention to Iran, he commented, “I hope that the United States will not go back to the old JCPOA, because we believe that deal paves the way for Iran to have an arsenal of nuclear weapons with international legitimacy. Whatever happens, Israel CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Foreign Minister Dominic Raab

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Three arrested after Italian cable car tragedy

BY DAVID SAFFER Three people face manslaughter and negligence charges following the Italian Alps cable car disaster in Stresa that killed 14 people including five Israelis last Sunday.

Only five-year-old Eitan Biran survived the terrifying crash. Doctors at Turin’s Regina Margherita hospital are easing him from an induced coma.

Tragically, Eitan’s parents, Amit, 30, Tal, 26, and two-year-old brother Tom, and Tal’s grandparents, Yitzhak, 81, and Barbara Cohen, 71, did not survive. Amit’s sister Aya is by Eitan’s bedside.

The deadly crash is being investigated and cost the lives of four other couples and a five-year-old child.

The victims were on a Stresa-Mottarone cable car from Lido di Stresa piazza on Lake Maggiore to the Mottarone mountain in the Piedmont region when a cable snapped approaching the mountain top.

The cabin fell around 20m to the ground, rolled down slopes before crashing into trees.

Italy’s alpine rescue service responded with no direct road access in difficult conditions.

News outlets identified the suspects as the cable car service owner, a company director and chief of operations.

Verbania province public prosecutor Olimpia Bossi, according to AFP, told a press conference the brake was tampered with in a “conscious act” and intimated the cabin was unsafe before the tragedy to avoid service disruption. Bossi added the suspects did not expect the cable to malfunction.

There are reports a clamp was put on the brake a few weeks ago as a temporary fix but was in place when the horrific crash occurred. A “radical” repair would have probably shut the service. According to Bossi, the stop-gap measure was in “full knowledge” of company owners.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Pope Francis called for prayers for Eitan after the tragedy.

There are reports Eitan is breathing unassisted. And a MIR shows no brain or

spinal cord damage but there were fractures sustained in the fatal crash. Doctors described a “most delicate phase” in a brief update yesterday in Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper.

According to La Stampa, it is thought Eitan’s father was holding his elder son to reduce the impact of the crash, which probably saved his life.

The Israeli Embassy in Rome has assisted in returning the bodies to Israel today.

Tal’s father and brother immediately flew to Italy. A rabbinical service was held at Castelli Hospital in Verbania near the crash site before the bodies were flown to Israel.

Israeli diplomat, Eitan Avraham, told reporters he accompanied the family at the hospital. “I couldn’t leave them alone,” he reportedly said. “I went in, I cried, we broke down. It was very difficult.”

The cable car had reportedly operated without incident since late April when Italy came out of lockdown, and reports noted it had performed runs the morning of the accident. But at the end of a 20-minute journey, 1,491 meters above sea level, tragedy struck.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi described the crash as a “tragic accident”. “I

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Amit Biran, z’l, Tal Peleg-Biran, z’l, Tom Biran, z’l, and Eitan Biran

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express the condolences of the whole government to the families of the victims,” he said in a statement.

Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella expressed condolences to the families and communities in mourning “from the whole of Italy”.

Infrastructure Minister Enrico Giovannini announced an inquiry into the incident. “We are devastated, in pain,” Marcella Severino, Stresa’s mayor told broadcaster RAI. Rabbi Shmuel Chizkiya, of the local Chabad confirmed to Reshet Bet that Amit was studying medicine and worked at the school, community centre and synagogue.

“Everyone loved him, he always had a smile on his face,” he reportedly said. “It’s a terrible tragedy. Everyone is in shock.”

Aya Biran, Amit’s sister, who lives in Italy, told Italian media she found out about the tragedy on Whatsapp. Amit and Tal lived in Pavia in northern Italy.

The cable car service, which carries 40 passengers, opened in 1970.

Maintenance work reportedly took place between 2014 and 2016 when the service was shut.

WHAT’S INSIDE THIS WEEK 02 News 14 Opinion 19 Letters 20 Obituary 22 Bridge 24 Community 28 Features

32 Cookery 34 Travel 36 Judaism 42 Kids 44 Youth 46 Sport

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JNF UK: ALWAYS STANDING WITH ISRAEL

JNF UK was proud to stand by Israel during the recent outbreak of violence from Hamas, with our JNF UK volunteers giving vital support to those living under endless rocket fire.

Terrorism will not prevent JNF UK from fulfilling our vision of transforming the south of Israel into the new heart of the country, so that every Israeli can fulfil their potential. We will continue to support the communities in the Negev, as we have for many years.

JNF UK will always stand by Israel.

Registered Charity Number: 225910 JW - Full Page (Standing with Israel) FINAL.indd 1

26/05/2021 15:04:21

4 NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 will always reserve the right to defend itself against a regime committed to our destruction, committed to getting the weapons of mass destruction for that end.”

Netanyahu called for an expansion to normalisation between Israel and the Arab and the Muslim world to deepen peace treaties in place.

Netanyahu and Blinken also discussed humanitarian conditions in Gaza, including the return of MIAs and civilians and building economic growth for Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) with international cooperation.

As to a “formal peace” with the Palestinians, Netanyahu noted, “I think President Biden was absolutely correct when he said you’re not going to get peace until Israel is recognised as an independent Jewish state, and that is the key”. He concluded, “Thank you and the president for your strong statements against antisemitism masquerading as anti-Zionism, but it’s antisemitism. You took a bold position, a clear position, and we appreciate it. I think all decent people everywhere appreciate that stance.”

Blinken confirmed the Biden administration supported Israel’s right to defend itself against rockets fired from Gaza but there were challenges starting with the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

The US, Blinken added, was consulting with Israel about a return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal despite Netanyahu’s reservations.

Blinken held discussions with Defence Minister Benny Gantz, President Reuven Rivlin before meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and visiting Egypt and Jordan.

Prior to Blinken’s arrival, Netanyahu stressed at a Mossad ceremony that Israel would not allow the US to stand in the way of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. He reportedly said, “With or without an agreement, we will do everything to prevent Iran from arming itself with a nuclear weapon because that affects our very existence.”

Blinken was greeted by Foreign Minister Gaby Ashkenazi and Israel’s Ambassador to the US Gilad Erdan on his arrival.

Following the ceasefire last Thursday,

TO ADVERTISE CALL 020 3906 8488 brokered by Egypt and Qatar, calm has returned to the region but Israel is on high alert after 11 days fighting saw 243 Palestinians killed and 1,600 injured, and 13 people in Israel with 350 people reportedly injured.

Netanyahu hailed the success of ‘Operation Guardian of the Walls’ after some 4,400 rockets had been fired at Israeli cities from the Gaza Strip. The Iron Dome defence system intercepted 90% of rockets.

According to Bicom, the IDF stated it had destroyed 230 ground-to-ground rocket launchers and 70 multi-barrelled rocket launches and struck a “serious blow” to

“But we did do something different. We were fighting terrorists who are hiding among civilians in one of the most densely populated places on earth. They were firing rockets on our civilians while using their civilians as human shields. We did everything in our power to prevent civilian casualties, unnecessary casualties of non-combatants, while trying to attack the combatants who are trying to murder our citizens. We regret every loss of life, but I can tell you categorically, there is no army in the world that acts in a more moral fashion than the army of Israel.”

Israel’s leader added, “We achieved our

Following the ceasefire last Thursday, brokered by Egypt and Qatar, calm has returned to the region but Israel is on high alert after 11 days fighting saw 243 Palestinians killed and 1,600 injured, and 13 people in Israel with 350 people reportedly injured.

Hamas and PIJ’s rocket production capabilities. The IDF also destroyed dozens of facilities used by Hamas’s military wing in its day-to-day running of the Gaza Strip.

This included 10 government offices, 11 interior ministry branches and five banks, “which managed terrorist money,” the IDF said.

The IDF killed a number of senior Hamas and PIJ commanders, they had also stopped underground raids, destroyed dozens of anti-tank guided missile teams and intercepted drone and naval attacks.

“Israel didn’t initiate this conflict,” Netanyahu noted. “We were attacked in an unprovoked manner by the Hamas terrorist organisation that fired four thousand rockets into our capital and into our cities.

No country will sit aside when it’s attacked in such a criminal fashion. Israel is no different.

goals”, he concluded, “The public doesn’t know everything” about Israel’s gains in the operation “and neither does Hamas.”

Netanyahu warned Hamas terrorists against more attacks on Israel. “If Hamas thinks we will tolerate a drizzle of rockets, it is wrong,” he noted.

Defence Minister Benny Gantz, commented, “The military action is over. Now is the time for political action.” Gantz also warned Hamas about breaching the ceasefire.

The United Arab Emirates offered to help maintain the cessation in violence. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan made the comments to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

The United Nations Security Council called for “ full adherence” to the ceasefire and stressed humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians.

27 MAY 2021 Israel’s Foreign Ministry responded by stating it was “very unfortunate” the Security Council “ignored” the launching of over 4,000 rockets at Israeli civilians from populated areas in Gaza.

“If we come out of this operation with an extended period of peace and quiet, that’s good for Israel’s civilians and that’s good for Palestinians in Gaza too,” Mark Regev, senior adviser to Netanyahu reportedly said.

Israel’s security cabinet backed the truce following a three-hour debate. But a number of Israeli politicians criticised the move.

New Hope Party Gideon Saar warned it would “seriously harm Israeli deterrence” against Hamas and militant groups. Saar added that with the best intelligence and air force in the world, Netanyahu got from Hamas a “ceasefire with no conditions’”.

Avigdor Lieberman, Yisrael Beytenu Party, told Israeli media Netanyahu “nurtured Hamas and enabled it to get to where it is today”. Opposition leader Yair Lapid tweeted that the military succeeded in its tasks but the government had failed.

Globally there was relief and praise for the ceasefire from leaders.

Biden noted, “I believe the Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live safely and securely and to enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity and democracy.”

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab tweeted, “All sides must work to make the ceasefire durable,” adding, “The UK continues to support efforts to bring about peace.”

World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder mourned the loss of Jews and Arabs but stood resolutely by Israel and appreciated world leaders recognising Israel’s right to defend itself.

Lauder condemned antisemitic attacks in the wake of the conflict, anti-Israel demonstrators targeting synagogues and Jewish community centres, and blaming Jews globally for the violence. Lauder also called on governments and authorities to protect Jewish communities and institutions.

He also appealed to social media organisations to erase posts promoting violence against Jews.

Jewish composer and shul choir win award Composer Benjamin Till and New West End Synagogue’s resident choir Mosaic Voices have scooped the UK’s prestigious broadcast awards for religious content.

The Sandford St Martin Trustees accolade is for Psalm 23, Mizmor L’David, a musical video composed, directed and performed by Till during the first lockdown last year.

The piece, supported by the United Synagogue and West End shul, involved hundreds of people from US communities submitting images of life during lockdown.

Images were woven into a musical film documenting the experience of Britain’s Jewish community.

The jury were moved by the music video both on the beauty of the music and

eloquence of the presentation. The jury noted, “We were inspired and imagine that the many members of the communities you involved in the project must have felt inspired, fortified and uplifted too.”

The awards recognise the best UK broadcasting exploring religion, ethics or spirituality. Recent winners include Joan Bakewell, Stormzy and Neil MacGregor.

Comic Matt Lucas will present the award next month. The event, normally held at Lambeth Palace, will take place online.

Till, a BAFTA-nominated Composer-in-Residence of Mosaic Voices, is working on a new arrangement for inclusion on the group’s new album due out early 2022.

Composer Benjamin Till

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“It was a genuine honour to make this film,” he said. “The early days of the pandemic were extremely frightening for the Jewish community.”

Rabbi Dr Moshe Freedman of New West End suggested Till compose the Psalm 23 setting as the words may prove comforting to those grieving, lonely or confused.

“I was particularly moved by the photographic responses from the community, a wonderful blend of wit and poignance which really summed up the perplexing and otherworldly experience of that first lockdown,” Till added.

Richard Verber, US, said the choir found novel ways to bring joy to the community.

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27 MAY 2021

Bibi slams Iran in solidarity Euro meetings

Rabbi replaces vandalised mezuzot

BY SIMCHA ABIR Rabbi Alex Chapper of Borehamwood & Elstree United Synagogue has replaced mezuzot vandalised on the homes of two families in racially motivated crimes last week.

One household’s scroll and mezuzah casing were destroyed, another household’s mezuzah was reported missing.

Martine Stone has been “heartened” by support of the Jewish community and thanked Rabbi Chapper for his incredible “pastoral support” despite not knowing her neighbour nor herself.

Rabbi Alex Chapper reportedly said, “Having seen how distressed the families were when their mezuzot were vandalised, I was delighted to be able to provide them with a replacement and put it up for them.”

Secretary of State Oliver Dowden blasted the “malicious vandalism” and described the racially-motivated crimes as “vile”.

Four men have been arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offences. Police confirmed the men have been released on bail pending further enquiries.

The two homes are the sole Jewish

Rabbi Alex Chapper replaces a vandalised mezuzah in Borehamwood

families in the section of the road.

Hertsmere Police attempted to reassure the neighbourhood. “We will not tolerate antisemitism,” they noted in a statement.

“We have currently got extra patrols in place across Hertsmere, please don’t be afraid to approach us with any concerns when you see us out and about.”

The hate crimes came within 24 hours of antisemitic incidents in central London in the midst of the Israel-Hamas conflict. One mezuzah was ripped from the doorframe, the other was “maliciously” removed and the parchment trodden into the ground.

Dowden, local Hertsmere MP, is aware how vulnerable Jewish residents feel and has called for “robust action” to be taken.

A Campaign Against Antisemitism spokesperson said, “This is a heinous antisemitic crime that targets Jewish houses on their doorsteps and is designed to signal to Jewish families that they are unsafe even in their own homes.”

European Beth Din aligns with Israeli Chief Rabbinate

BY SIMCHA ABIR

it is not uncommon for people either to The European Beth Din make Aliyah or to (EBD) has enlarged its move from Israel to rabbinical court in recEurope. It is therefore ognition of the Israeli extremely important Chief Rabbinate. that our communities The EBD is an affilirecognise each other ate of the Conference to make halachic proof European Rabbis cesses as straight for(CER) and will provide ward as possible. We service to European have worked with the countries without a juIsraeli Chief Rabbinate ridical structure. for many years, and we The decision is sigare sure that this alignnificant for Gerut (con- Dayan Chanoch Ehrentreu ment will make the versions) and Gittin processes even easier.” (divorce) as it ends the need for a long CER Dayanim include Dayan Raphael recognition and certification procedure, Evers (Germany), Dayan Menachem Gelparticularly difficult for immigrants, who ley (UK), Dayan Yaakov Hotoveli (Austria), change a place of residence.

Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt (Russia), Following a virtual meeting of the CER Dayan Moshe Lebel (Russia), Dayan ReuStanding Committee, the decision was en- ven Ohana (France), Dayan Yehia Teboul dorsed by leading Rabbis across Europe. (France) and Dayan Eliezer Wolff (The Dayan Chanoch Ehrentreu (UK) heads up Netherlands). the EBD. The EBD is based in Basel, Switzerland, Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, CER serving communities across Europe. president, said, “This is the Jewish variEstablished over 15 years ago, the Euant of ‘The Hague Convention’. We are all ropean Beth Din was an initiative of Chief aware that Europe’s Jewish communities Rabbi Lord Jakobovits whilst president of have a close relationship with Israel, and the Conference of European Rabbis.

Benjamin Netanyahu

PHOTO: SHUTTRSTOCK

BY ADAM MOSES

Netanyahu went on to meet Kulhanek and Korcok.

Showing both the UAV, he commented, “The support for Hamas and Islamic Jihad comes from Iran. If you take away Iranian support, both of them would collapse in two weeks. Iran not only supports these various terrorist proxies, it actually engages itself in armed attacks against Israel. And here’s proof.”

At the start of his meeting with Kulhanek, Netanyahu said, “We have no better friends in Europe and we appreciate the support, the expression of support, the flying of the Israeli flag over a government building, positions that are expressed by both President Zeman and Prime Minister Babis and so many of the Czech people. We’re very, very grateful.”

Netanyahu noted the special solidarity between the Czech and Jewish people at historic crossroads.

At his meeting with Korcok, Netanyahu welcomed the solidarity expressed by the Slovak government.

Korcok, in turn, told Netanyahu that Israel had no choice but to defend its citizens against Hamas.

Returning to the downed Iranian drone, Netanyahu concluded, “There is a patron of all this terrorism that supports Hamas, supports Islamic Jihad in Gaza, supports Hezbollah and seeks to attack Israel. And that is Iran.”

“The foreign ministers’ visit to Israel is a demonstration of solidarity and support for Israel’s right to defend itself following Hamas’ rocket fire,” Ashkenazi reportedly said.

“This is further proof of the broad support and legitimacy Israel receives from foreign countries during these days of fighting. This is thanks to the diplomatic and political effort led by Israeli ambassadors around the world and the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem.”

National Security Council head Meir Ben Shabbat, German Ambassador to Israel D. Susanne Wasum-Rainer and Israeli Ambassador to Germany Jeremy Issacharoff attended the meetings.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has met German Foreign Minister Heiko Mass, Czech Republic’s Jakub Kulhanek and Slovakia’s Ivan Korcok in a series of solidarity meetings at the Kirya in Tel Aviv.

Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi set up the high-profile diplomatic talks that took place hours before Israel agreed to a ceasefire following 11 days retaliatory airstrikes against Hamas.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias had already visited Israel, more foreign dignitaries are expected this week including US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.

Netanyahu held “productive” talks with Maas and showed him an Iranian UAV downed in the Beit Shean area.

Netanyahu thanked Mass on behalf of the government and Israeli people for Germany’s “unwavering position” of support for Israel’s right of self-defense. And he pulled no punches in who to blame for the barrage of 4,000 plus rockets aimed at Israeli citizens.

“While we’re fighting on various fronts, the true backer of much of this aggression is Iran,” Netanyahu said. “Iran not only supports completely the Islamic Jihad in Gaza, and gives them all the finance, they also give weapons to Hamas as well as to Hezbollah and they provide the scaffolding on which these organizations really work.”

Netanyahu added that during hostilities, Iran sent an armed drone from Iraq or from Syria.

“Iranian forces launched an armed drone, which our forces intercepted on the border between Israel and Jordan,” he explained.

“That I think says everything on the true patron of terror in the Middle East and in the world, Iran.”

Maas told Netanyahu that he had come to express “Germany’s full solidarity” with Israel.

“Germany condemns the aggression of Hamas, which is responsible for the escalation, and that Israel had the right to defend itself,” he noted.

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Chabad-Lubavitch “rise above” antisemitism

BY SIMCHA ABIR Chabad-Lubavitch Utah has refused to be cowed by antisemitism.

Police are investigating a swastika etched into the front door window at the Chabad Community Center Synagogue in Sugarhouse earlier this month.

Rabbi Avremi Zippel, program director, at the synagogue, posted photos of the hate graffiti to his Twitter and Instagram accounts, noting, “We will not cower in fear.”

“As much as we’d like to believe this shouldn’t be happening in 2021, it’s become a very natural part of our discourse,” Zippel wrote.

“A swastika is not a political statement,” he added. “A swastika is an image of hate.

A swastika represents one thing and one thing only and that is death to the Jews.

Swastikas in 2021 are not something we expect to deal with.”

Noting the swastika symbol was “hateful, despicable and cowardly in every sense of the words”, Rabbi Zippel added that the congregation would be okay but were “shaken up”.

“We will rise above hatred,” continued Rabbi Zippel. “We will never give it the space and the attention that it demands and that it wants. We will live to fight another day and bring light to a world that so much needs it.”

Police are viewing video footage of the crime which took place in the early hours of a morning.

The incident came in the midst of Israel retaliating to Hamas bombarding border communities prior to a ceasefire coming

into force brokered by Egypt.

“We realise that we’re in a time of raised global tensions and there’s a lot of passionate opinions on both sides and the Israeli-Palestinian issue is a very, very complex one and we understand that being in the Jewish community,” Rabbi Zippel reportedly noted.

Chabad’s local leader confirmed his congregation are to replace the glass. Until that point, he has called for an artist to change the swastika into a symbol of peace.

Zippel, meanwhile, valued support from local and national leaders.

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall described the vandalism an “act of hatred and intimidation”.

“I stand with Utah’s Jewish community,” Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson tweeted. “Hate and bigotry have no place in our community.”

Mayor of Salt Lake County, Jenny Wilson, blasted the vandalism and stood by Utah’s Jewish community. “Hate and bigotry have no place in our community,” he tweeted.

Former Presidential candidate and Utah Senator, Mitt Romney lambasted the suspects of the crime.

“Those who commit acts of vandalism against Jews or their places of worship in Salt Lake City or anywhere else only disgrace their own souls,” he said.

Romney recalled how America’s first president, George Washington, historically welcomed those seeking religious liberty who settled in Newport, Rhode Island, back in 1790.

“By extending his hand of fellowship to

Swastika etched into the front door

PHOTO: TWITTER

a Rabbi and synagogue, our first president marked the way to be taken by all Americans,” tweeted Romney.

Romney’s comment regarding Washington was a timely reminder of US Jewish history.

The clause in the US First Amendment notes, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”.

Newport’s Hebrew Congregation, Kahal Kadosh Yeshuat Israel, now the Touro Synagogue, annually reads Washington’s

letter in a public ceremony.

The document came about after Moses Seixas, warden of Yeshuat Israel, wrote to Washington on behalf of the congregation in July 1790, as he was due to visit the city the following month on a goodwill tour following the adoption of the American Constitution in 1787.

Newport reportedly numbered just 500 Jews. Seixas described them as the “children of the Stock of Abraham” and the congregation was delighted that “the G-d of Israel, who had protected King David, had also protected General Washington”.

World Jewry lived under the rule of “monarchs, potentates, and despots”, Seixas noted, but as American citizens, Newport Jewry had “invaluable rights as free citizens”.

Washington’s response on August 17, 1790, has gone down in US Jewish history.

The letter is a foundation of American religious liberty and separation of church and the state.

Washington wrote, “…the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection, should demean themselves as good citizens.”

Washington in his conclusion adds, “May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while everyone shall sit under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid.”

The American Jewish Historical Society offers an archive online of American Jewish History.

Technion has bright ideas to improve solar energy Across the world, there is a growing acceptance that more needs to be done to fight climate change. In 2016, the Paris Agreement committed signatory countries to reducing their emissions to decrease the rate at which the planet’s temperature is rising.

The most significant way of achieving this is by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources, but these are not always as effective as staples such as coal and oil.

New research by Israeli scientists, however, might be about to revolutionise one of the key renewable energy sources – solar.

Solar power is one of the most wellknown sources of renewable energy, with solar panels converting the light rays emitted by the sun into another form of power such as electricity. The potential for solar power to replace fossil fuels is significant – some sources estimate that the amount of sunlight that hits the Earth in just an hour and a half is enough to cover our global energy consumption for an entire year.

Israeli scientists have therefore taken the lead in increasing the efficiency of solar panels. Professor Avner Rothschild, who works at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Technion,

the Israel Institute of Technology, has lead researchers from his university working in partnership with Ben Gurion University and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin.

Between the three universities, they have developed a breakthrough in understanding semiconductors - a key component of how one form of solar panels work.

Solar panels either use photovoltaic cells

or photoelectrochemical cells. The latter can only generate energy during the day and require external batteries to store energy during the night.

Photovoltaic cells don’t require these batteries but use semiconductors instead.

These semiconductors enable light energy to split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen, which are then stored as

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a separate fuel source for later. The most common material used as a semiconductor – hematite – is not as efficient as it could be though, leading to a loss of energy.

The scientists, led by Professor Rothschild from the Technion, have now developed a new technique for testing the efficiency of hematite and other semiconductor materials. This will in turn allow for the creation of more effective solar panels.

This breakthrough is only the latest success story to emerge from Technion – the Israel Institute of Technology. Since 1912, the academic institution has been at the forefront of spearheading Israel’s scientific endeavours. Israel today is the country with the highest percentage of scientists and engineers – and the majority of them studied at the Technion, home to three of Israel’s five science Nobel Laureates.

Alan Aziz, CEO of Technion UK, commented: “Reducing our use of fossil fuels is the single most important challenge our planet faces, and the answer has to be using the free energy that is all around us. Improving solar panels is just another bright idea to emerge from Technion scientists.”

27 MAY 2021

BY DAVID SAFFER

NEWS 9

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Dame Maureen quits Equity over Israel stance

Dame Maureen Lipman has quit Equity over its position on Israel.

The actors’ union called on members to support pro-Palestine protests against Israel.

An equity member for over 50 years, TV personalities and Jewish organisations are among many backers of Dame Maureen for her stance.

She told The Daily Telegraph, “I’m going to resign and I’m also going to ask for my £1,000-a-year membership fees to be given back to me, and I’m going to send it to a charity for the victims on both sides.

“I didn’t join a political union. I joined a union to protect its members. You don’t dictate to artists what they believe in, and don’t incite them to join a mob. How dare they demand sanctions? Where is Maureen Beattie on the Uyghurs, Rohingyas, the Sudanese, the Yemenites?”

The Coronation Street and West End star, famed for her BT adverts as Jewish grandmother Beattie back in the 1980s, added that Equity had become “stacked full of Cor- Dame Maureen Lipman bynistas” and the issue of Israel had become an “obsession”. stoke up religious hate.” Joly added, “This is Political activist and actress Tracy-Ann truly disgusting.”

Oberman alongside comic Dom Joly were The Daily Telegraph quoted an agent statamong numerous stars to come out and ing an “atmosphere of fear” among Jewish lambast the union after a rally had anti-Se- Equity members whilst an actor told the mitic banners. Ms Oberman, tweeted, ‘If paper Equity had ridden “roughshod over a you went on a DEMO that held these ban- very complex issue”. ners then you have to ask what you’re stand“All sanctions do is alienate its Jewish ing for.” She added, “How are UK Jewish members and single us out,” they added. performers & friends meant to feel safe?”

And actor Murray Hecht resigned as chair Sanjeev Bhaskar, The Kumars at No42 star, of the general branch of Brighton and SusHALF PAGE ADVERT JAN 2020:Layout 1 09/01/2020 1 noted, “Appalling banner solely designed to sex 16:04 Equity.Page He told the union, “Please listen

PHOTO: JAY BROOKS

to your Jewish members. How can we feel safe in this union? I have gone from being the proud chair of the Brighton and Sussex Equity General Branch to a very ashamed chair”.

Former Sun editor, Kelvin MacKenzie, meantime, tweeted congratulations to Dame Maureen for her position on Equity.

Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl blasted Equity for an “unbalanced” statement on the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Equity General Secretary Paul W Fleming

and Equity President Beattie described Israel’s “disproportionate actions” in the policing of Jerusalem and toward Gaza, as “particularly horrifying”.

“We stand in solidarity with Palestinians taking industrial action, and workers around the world taking action in support of them,” they noted, adding, “Members are also encouraged to join the COVID-safe protest organised by Trade Unions for Palestine this Saturday, which Council affiliated to this week.”

“Equity has lost the confidence of many of its Jewish members, resulting in a number of resignations including Maureen Lipman who had been a member for 50 years,” Ms van de Zyl said. “Most of the British Jewish community have family and friends living in Israel, and Jewish Equity members cannot sign up to the biased view of the Israel-Hamas conflict that has been foisted upon them by Equity, that failed to condemn the terrorist group Hamas against whose rockets Israel was defending all its citizens. No one should feel they have to choose between their commitment to trade unionism and loyalty to friends, family and community.”

Jonathan Metliss, Action Against Antisemitism, applauded Dame Maureen Lipman for a brave decision to quit Equity over its pro-Palestinian position. “She has consistently adopted a strong pro-Israel stance and has always been vocal in her condemnation of antisemitism, wherever it occurs,” he noted. “She is to be admired and praised”.

Dame Maureen has stood firm and this story is far from finished. The ramifications are set to continue.

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27 MAY 2021

Tzipi hails pro-Israel ra

BY DAVID SAFFER Israeli UK Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely has described a pro-Israel rally in central London on Sunday as a “moment of unity”.

Some 1,500 people attended the event near the Israel Embassy in the midst of a host of antisemitism demonstrations around the world following a truce between Israel and Hamas.

The UK, America and Europe witnessed appalling protests including in London, Manchester and Cardiff just 24 hours earlier. A spike in antisemitic attacks has taken place due to the conflict.

Over 4,000 rockets were launched by Hamas at Israeli civilians from populated areas in Gaza.

Commenting on the 11-days of hostilities in Israel, Ambassador Hotovely told The Jewish Weekly, “We need to defend Israel’s right for self-defence. All around Europe more and more governments support Israel. Millions of people sat in shelters including my own family. I know in the British media it seems the other side is being more vocal but the British government supports Israel’s right for self-defence and this is what matters.”

She added, “We have international support. America, Britain and friends in Europe support Israel. It is clear that a radical Jihadi terror organisation does not want anything but to eliminate Israel from the Middle East map. We are a democratic country that wants to live in peace. We were asked about the force used but the basic case is that Israel protected its citizens because of a rocket attack. This message is easy to deliver.”

Israel’s emissary added that Britain and the US recognised Hamas as a terror organisation.

She noted, “The charter of Hamas says Israel does not have a right to exist. And the kind of antisemitism we see today on the streets of London is based on this same ideology - Jews don’t have a right to exist, a Jewish state doesn’t have a right to exist.”

Ambassador Hotovely said that the ugly face of antisemitism was shocking, especially in Europe.

“We know where antisemitism can lead, the darkest chapter in the history of the Jewish people,” she explained. “Every person should be shocked, including people who are not Jewish. It’s not just a Jewish issue, so, I was very happy to see Prime Minister Boris Johnson meet leaders of the Jewish community and make a very clear statement.”

Israel’s emissary has been vocal across media platforms defending Israel and is aware of the strength of feeling from Jewish communities towards Israel.

“I knew how much the British community are proud Zionists,” she noted. “I didn’t expect or want to experience wartime in Israel when I arrived here but I’m

Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely at a pro-Israel rally in central London

“We have international support.

America, Britain and friends in Europe support Israel. It is clear that a radical Jihadi terror organisation does not want anything but to eliminate Israel from the Middle East map.” happy to see how much the community has expressed its support. I feel the support and will deliver our message. But after this military operation, it’s time to meet the people in actual meetings as lockdown will be over soon.”

She added, “The UK Jewish community is so impressive. I know you have been through a difficult time, many people have families in Israel, you feel the pain and I feel complete solidarity. We are one people. Many activists defend Israel’s right to self-defence. The support means so much to the Israeli people.”

Ambassador Hotovely concluded, “Israel is still on the same page. We want to deepen the relationship with Arab countries we signed Abraham Accords with and make sure Iranians won’t have nuclear weapons. Our challenges have not changed because of the military operation. Something that has changed is coexistence inside Israel which is a concern for many Israelis and the government.

The Hamas ideology has influenced the Arab-Israeli street. This is the next step, to make sure general goals are accomplished

but also to work on a unity of co-existence inside Israel.”

The recent hostilities though have dealt Hamas a severe blow to its military capabilities.

“We hope this will weaken Hamas,” noted Ambassador Hotovely.

Board of Deputies president Marie van der Zyl, JLC chairman Jonathan Goldstein and ZF chairman Paul Charney spoke at the rally.

“This was an important moment for Jews from all parts of the community to come together to show our support for the State of Israel which has been subjected to a storm of rockets launched by Hamas,” said Ms van der Zyl. “It was also an opportunity to display our resolve against the sickening antisemitism we have witnessed in recent weeks. We all hope against hope that one day the rockets will cease for good and there will be lasting peace.”

Charney told Sky News that the gathering was standing up for Israel’s “undeniable right to defend itself”.

Regarding a disproportionate number of Palestinians who died, Charney took issue,

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noting, “Disproportionate is the amount of rockets Hamas are directing at civilians in Israel.” He added, “Israel only targets the rocket launches and Hamas militants.

It does not target anything else. It’s unfortunate that Hamas has to use schools and hospitals to launch its campaign and create those as military targets. Get rid of Hamas, get rid of the problem.”

The Zionist Federation event with Community Security Trust passed off largely without trouble.

However, Campaign Against Antisemitism have been monitoring demonstrations and filed a complaint to the Directorate of Professional Standards after police in footage appeared to ignore antisemitic threats among demonstrators attempting to counter-protest at the end of the Kensington rally.

The Met Police has launched an internal investigation, footage shows protesters shouting,“We’ll find some Jews. We want the Zionists. We want their blood”.

A police spokesperson said, “The Met are aware of this footage and officers from the Met’s Public Order Crime Team are making enquiries.”

Anyone with information should contact the Met on 101 or by Tweeting @MetCC A CAA spokesperson however accused the Met Police of failing to intervene.

“Britain’s Jews need to be proactively protected by the police at this dangerous time,” they noted.

CAA recorded threats as “criminal”.

A Metropolitan police spokesperson said the demonstration concluded without incident. However former English Defence League leader Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) was spotted in the crowd.

A Board of Deputies spokesperson noted, “Far-right extremist organisations like the English Defence League are not welcome at our community’s events. Their message of hate and division must be confronted and defeated. We utterly reject their bigotry.”

A day earlier, demonstrators in London flew flags of antisemitic terror groups whilst speakers addressed protestors with inflammatory messages.

Placards praised Hamas as “freedom fighters” and claimed Israel is committing a Holocaust.

Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and Richard Burgon were among speakers.

“For two weeks, Britain’s Jews have been threatened with rape and murder, with a synagogue vandalised and a rabbi hospitalised,” noted a CAA spokesperson. “Now, our traumatised community has again had to endure politicians and activists addressing yet another antisemitism-infested rally.”

CAA added, “None of the speakers had words of regret for the abuse and violence

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NEWS 11

ally a“moment of unity”

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators in central London

An anti-Israel protestor tries to make a point

that has been incited against Britain’s Jews under cover of the ‘Free Palestine’ slogan, there was only inflammatory rhetoric and posturing.”

Agudath Israel of America , meantime, have condemned attacks against Jews in New York City, Los Angeles and other major US cities.

“It’s absolutely disgusting and unacceptable,” NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio reportedly told WNYC radio.

Govenor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement, “New York is the vibrant and dynamic home for people from around the world.

Those of all faiths, backgrounds and ethnicities must be able to walk the streets safely and free from harassment and violence.”

The Anti-Defamation League welcomed arrests of suspects in Los Angeles.

“The diligent efforts by LAPD and other law enforcement agencies sends a clear message that hate crimes targeting the safety of any group of individuals will not be tolerated,” Jeffrey Abrams, ADL, said in a statement.

The ADL have released data illustrating an increase in online and everyday incidents of antisemitism in the US as violence between Israel and Hamas escalated.

PHOTO: J METLISS

“We are tracking acts of harassment, vandalism and violence as well as a torrent of online abuse,” noted ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. “It’s happening around the world, from London to Los Angeles, from France to Florida, in big cities like New York and in small towns, and across every social media platform.”

An analysis of Twitter showed over 17,000 tweets used variations of “Hitler was right”.

“To those who choose to indulge in ageold antisemitic tropes, exaggerated claims and inflammatory rhetoric, it has consequences, attacks in real life on real people targeted for no other reason than they are Jewish,” Greenblatt said. “This is antisemitism, plain and simple.”

“ADL remains steadfast in its commitment to fight antisemitism and hate with every ounce of energy we have,” Greenblatt continued. “We call on leaders throughout our country to speak out against antisemitism and stand alongside the Jewish community.”

The ADL received 193 reports of possible antisemitic incidence in the week after the conflict began, up from 131 the previous week.

THEJEWISHWEEKLY.COM

PHOTO: J METLISS

12 NEWS

27 MAY 2021

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Coalition negotiations update

BY JAMES MARLOW

BIG DAY NEXT WEDNESDAY

Now that the Gaza conflict has concluded, at least for now, we return to the political rhetoric, the name calling and would you believe, the news networks are releasing fresh polls, as if election fever is once again in the air.

Yair Lapid has until next Wednesday to form a government or his mandate to attain 61 seats expires. Lapid could ask the President for an extension of two weeks, which is permitted under Israeli law. However Reuven Rivlin is only likely to grant such a request if the Yesh Atid leader can prove he is very close to cobbling together a functioning coalition.

But the simple arithmetic is not there and even Lapid acknowledged on Monday, “It would be a difficult task given the parliamentary math.”

In addition, the secret ballot for the two Presidential candidates, will take place in the Knesset plenum next Wednesday.

Jewish Agency chairman, Isaac Herzog

and Israel prize winning educator, Miriam Peretz will be seated while the 120 Knesset Members will vote. President Reuven Rivlin’s seven-year term ends on 9 July.

IF LAPID CAN FORM A GOVERNMENT…

The coalition agreement between Yesh Atid and Blue and White have been fully agreed, as has the deal with Yesh Atid and Yisrael Beteinu.

Avigdor Liberman will become Finance Minister and the party will also receive the Negev and Galilee Development Ministry and a third, unnamed cabinet post. Crucially, Yisrael Beteinu was handed the powerful chairmanship of the Knesset Finance Committee, which wields sweeping powers over the state budget.

The deal with Meretz gives the party 3 Ministries. Party leader Nitzan Horowitz is slated to become Health Minister, Tamar

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Zandberg will be Environmental Protection Minister and Issawi Frej Regional Cooperation Minister.

Some analysts noted that Meretz’s number 3 Yair Golan was not on the list of proposed cabinet posts as a nod to Yamina leader Naftali Bennett, without whom Lapid will not be able to form a coalition.

But to reach the required majority, Lapid must include all of the left and centre parties along with right-wing factions of Yamina and New Hope and at least one of the Arab parties.

All the parties state they are doing everything possible to avoid a fifth election, but they said that after the first election in April 2019. However we are hearing the same rhetoric between party leaders now as we heard before the latest round of rockets into Israel.

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BENNETT ATTACKS BIBI

Naftali Bennett sharply criticised Netanyahu for his handling of the campaign against Hamas. Writing on Facebook, he said “I do not remember such a period of weakness, lack of functioning and national embarrassment. Apparently, there’s nothing to be surprised about. The writing was on the wall.”

The attack also included Netanyahu’s handling of the Covid crisis, the tragedy at Meron, the internal strife between Israeli Arabs and Jews and his political appointments.

“Netanyahu appoints mediocre people, who in turn appoint mediocre people. A crooked decision making process dictated by personal and political considerations.

And all this while creating a smokescreen of cult of personality for a leader, whereby anyone who dares to criticize him is severely attacked.”

Not to be outdone by Bennett, Yair Lapid also jumped in on the publicity opportunity, by saying that the Prime Minister did “a terrible job” on the response to Hamas in Gaza, although he praised the IDF. But both failed to mention Defence Minister Benny Gantz, who of course Lapid and Bennett need, in order to have a chance of forming a “change” government.

Bennett backed out of coalition talks with Lapid two weeks ago as the fighting with Hamas was underway, but reports earlier this week suggested he was meeting with the Yesh Atid leader again.

However it is widely believed that Bennett is simply urging both Gideon Sa’ar and Benny Gantz’s parties to join with Netanyahu to avoid a fifth election, as both sides clearly do not have a majority without the Arabs.

THEJEWISHWEEKLY.COM

FINALLY…

After two and a half years of four elections, no budget, the State of Israel under attack and politicians playing it safe by living from poll survey to poll survey, we all appear to be in denial that this is a time of emergency.

Sections of the public have become addicted to the left-right-secular-religious sectoral approach. They fail to notice who out there is the real enemy. It’s not Bibi Netanyahu who has strong support in the country and his Likud party beat its nearest rival by 13 seats. The enemy is Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, Iran and right now, world opinion.

This is not the time to say, “I will never sit with Netanyahu”. Let the court decide his legal matters and create a functioning government.

As Bennett concluded on his Facebook page, “Whoever drags the country to a fifth election, to more poison and hatred, to another year of state dysfunction, to a huge waste of money - plays into the hands of those who do not want what is good for us.”

ELECTION NEWS BRIEFS: • Jewish Agency Chairman, Isaac Herzog has taken a leave of absence from his post until after the election. If Herzog is elected President, a 10-member selection committee, chosen by the Agency’s Board of Governors, will choose a successor. The support of 9 of the 10 members would be needed to approve a candidate, following the confirmation of the full board.

• Five Presidential candidates, former Labor cabinet minister Shimon Sheetrit, solar energy pioneer, Yosef Abramowitz, singer Yehoram Gaon and former Likud MK Yehuda Glick and Michael Bar Zohar, all failed to collect a minimum of at least 10 endorsement signatures from Knesset Members by the deadline last Wednesday 19 May. • The secret ballot for President will take place in the Knesset plenum on Wednesday 2 June and only the 120 Knesset Members are eligible to vote. President Reuven Rivlin’s seven-year term ends on 9 July.

• At his own faction meeting, Gideon Sa’ar who heads New Hope reiterated his vow not to join a coalition under Netanyahu. “I say again, we will not sit in a government under Netanyahu,” he said.

• Meanwhile the polls showed a rise in support for Yesh Atid, Blue and White and the Religious Zionists. Those parties that fell in the polls are Likud by 1 seat, Shas, UTJ, Yamina, Yisrael Beteinu, Joint List and Meretz. Labor and New Hope remained the same and Ra’am failed to cross the line.

The overall result – another stalemate and a sixth election.

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OPINION

27 MAY 2021

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

Hamas Declare Victory OPINION PIECE

BY JAMES J MARLOW I ended my opinion piece last week with “Hamas will declare victory when this latest round of fighting is finally over – they always do”.

And surprise, surprise, they declared “victory”. Despite losing at least 200 of their sworn loyal fighters, command centres, attack tunnels destroyed and severe damage to their “underground metro” system, they claim victory.

The conflict ended last Friday, or perhaps a more appropriate way of putting it, Hamas took a “break” while they re-group, re-train and rebuild their arsenal of weapons, until the next round.

We know there will be another round, because Mark Stone of Sky News managed to get an exclusive interview with co-founder and senior leader of Hamas, Mahmoud Zahar.

Conducted in English, it was quite revealing, in case anyone still believes,

naively, Palestinian Hamas could live side by side alongside Israel, “if only Israel withdraws from occupied territory”.

Stone also asked about the firing of “rockets and missiles from civilian areas here in Gaza at civilians in Israel - that’s not acceptable is it, that’s a war crime”, he said.

Zahar insisted “No single rockets were sent from a civilian area, most of the rockets from the border”.

But Stone replied, “But that’s not true though is it” and challenged him with video of rockets bring fired “from within the built up areas of Gaza City at Israeli communities”.

Under attack, Zahar changes his line of defence and said, “This is not against Israeli communities, this is against Israeli occupation – this is against Israeli aggression”.

So let there be no doubt in May 2021,

Social media has raised its previous levels of “cesspit” status, including a high level of death threats towards myself. Last week, a Holocaust survivor was bombarded with praise for Hitler on TikTok after wishing followers a “lovely, peaceful weekend”.

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After a burglary, the police came to their home. After seeing its awful state, rubbish piled high, dirty laundry lying all over the house, rabbits running around with their faeces littering the floor, beds unmade and the family in an awful state, the Police reported Abigail and Saul to Social Services who promptly placed the children in protective custody.

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the Hamas policy remains to kill every single person in Israel and this should be no surprise to many of us.

But what makes this conflict different from previous wars with Gaza, is by using the Al-Aqsa Mosque to incite violence, Hamas has galvanised young Muslims across the western world.

In the last two weeks in Britain, multiple protests have been held at which far-right figures have been identified standing alongside hard-left members and many Islamists.

We have seen protesters chanting the battle cry, “Jews….the army of Muhammed is returning”, whilst flaunting the emblems of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hizb ut-Tahrir.

We witnessed a police officer chanting “Free, Free Palestine” whilst hugging people at one of these anti-Semitic marches.

Another officer shook hands with and encouraged the driver of a “Free Palestine” convoy.

Elsewhere driving along the A41 Finchley Road, a “Free Palestine” convoy headed to central London from the M1 motorway through the Jewish neighbourhood, while some of its members on loud speakers shouted “F*** the Jews…rape their daughters”.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism said that police were warned a week before, that a convoy was planned, but did nothing. That is until videos began circulating and a huge public outcry was heard on social media. Only then did police dispatch a helicopter after the Prime Minister and Home Secretary demanded action.

Antisemitism on campuses has culminated in many death threats and physical

THEJEWISHWEEKLY.COM

assaults at Jewish students, despite the International Definition of Antisemitism charter.

The brutal beating of a Rabbi in Essex, car ramming’s of Jewish drivers, metal objects thrown at pedestrians, the tearing down of mezuzot from doorposts of Jewish homes in Borehamwood, Jewish shoppers, including outside Kosher Kingdom in Golders Green, being harassed and abused...

The list goes on and on and we haven’t even dealt with the hostile signs on the doors of homes in Stamford Hill.

Multiple anti-Semitic crimes have also been committed in Manchester, some of which have not yet been made public.

Social media has raised its previous levels of “cesspit” status, including a high level of death threats towards myself. Last week, a Holocaust survivor was bombarded with praise for Hitler on TikTok after wishing followers a “lovely, peaceful weekend”.

But one of the most disturbing incidents occurred on Tuesday morning when a woman visited the Royal Free hospital in Hampstead for a blood test.

The nurse who called her in by name, was wearing two badges on her jacket: A Palestinian flag and another read, “Stop murdering our children”.

The lady who at this stage wishes to remain anonymous, returned to the reception desk and explained, she felt uncomfortable with this particular nurse and her badges and asked for someone else.

The receptionist was extremely sympathetic and called another nurse, who took the lady’s blood. On her way out, the pro-Palestinian NHS worker said, “Excuse me” and the lady turned around.

According to the witness, the nurse winked at her and then with her forefinger, ran it across her throat. She then turned away and began to laugh.

The out-patient insists, she never indicated she was Jewish or pro-Israel.

However, feeling shaken, she reported the incident to the hospital management, who then asked the nurse to remove her badges.

Antisemitism has not suddenly appeared again. It has been on our streets, in our schools and campuses and on social media networks for a long time. But these past two weeks have been exceptional.

As Hamas continues its hateful rhetoric using Jerusalem as fuel and support for Hamas in the West Bank grows hugely, the British police have to step up.

In the words of the CAA, it’s not enough that the police investigate and make arrests. The Crown Prosecution Services must recognise criminal offences are being committed and action has to be taken. If not, the CAA will bring private prosecutions against these people.

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OPINION

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

The age-old hatred is alive and well in anti-Israel protests OPINION PIECE

BY JEREMY HAVARDI Anti-Israel protests have become a cesspit of hate in recent years, something never better exemplified than during the latest round of Hamas’ terror war against The Jewish State. They have provided proof that there is no firewall between traditional Jew hatred and anti-Israel hostility. One has become a breeding ground for the other with all the familiar tropes of antisemitic prejudice finding a ready home within the anti-Zionist movement.

The foundational antisemitic trope is that the Jews murdered the Christian god and remain guilty for his death for all time. At a rally in London on May 22, an individual held a placard which featured an image of “him” on the cross with the words ‘Do not let them do the same thing today again’. Here, Israel stood accused of wanting to carry out a new deicide, though with the Palestinians now sacralised as the new Yeshu. Antisemitic tropes from early Islam have also been in abundant evidence. At various UK rallies, cries of ‘Jews, remember Khaybar, the army of Muhammad is returning’ could be heard clearly, echoing a battle from 628 CE in which Jews were forced to surrender to the Muslim leader.

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Israel has been repeatedly compared to Nazi Germany in an attempt both to demean Jewish suffering and trample on the notion of Jewish victimhood. At recent rallies in London, protestors displayed the Israeli Star of David superimposed on a swastika while others held placards depicting Israel as ‘the new Nazi state’, accusing it of perpetrating genocide and arguing that it had ‘surpassed Hitler in barbarism’. To make sure that the point was rammed home, one placard from a rally held opposite Downing Street contained the words ‘Holocaust 1941’, accompanied by a swastika, and ‘Holocaust 2021’ next to a Star of David. In effect, they were casting Palestinians as the ‘new Jews’.

But the most vitriolic assault on Jewish historical memory came from veteran left winger Tariq Ali. Addressing a London rally on 22 May, he screamed that Israeli rightwing politicians had ‘learnt nothing from what happened to them in Europe’. The premise of Ali’s remark was simple enough: that the lessons of the Holocaust had devolved primarily on Jewish shoulders, that Jews were both summoned to the slaughter house and required to learn morality lessons in genocide, with ‘aggressive’ Israel the proof that they had failed so abjectly. It was a stunningly provocative comment.

Ali went on to say that ‘every time they

bomb Gaza, every time they attack Jerusalem – that is what creates antisemitism’. This is an update on the age-old notion that Jews are to blame collectively for Israel’s actions and that the victims are responsible for their own persecution.

Recent events have shown how easily this noxious idea can segue into violent intimidation. In the last two weeks alone, a synagogue in Norwich was sprayed with racist graffiti, a convoy of young men called for Jewish women in London to be raped, demonstrators at one rally called for a boycott of Marks and Spencer, dubbed ‘the Israeli embassy on the high street’, and students

at British universities were confronted with a barrage of online abuse, including death threats.

Indeed, there is no iconography too sacred to be exploited by these ‘protestors’. At one London rally, a giant effigy of an Arab leader was laced with crude antisemitic caricature, his face adorned with horns and a hook nose. It shows how Arabs can be demonized as ‘secret Jews’ when they are well-disposed towards Israel.

Progressive anti-Zionists like to think that old style antisemitism is wholly absent from attacks on Israel. They seek to insulate themselves from charges of antisemitism by claiming that all insinuations of racism are a mendacious smear by Jews who are desperate to protect Israel from criticism.

The simple test is to see whether age-old tropes, stereotypes and canards pre-dating Israel’s creation appear in the iconography and language of its detractors. As we can see, these rallies provide overwhelming proof that the obsessive, age old hatred is alive and well in Britain. As history repeatedly shows, we ignore it at our peril..

Jeremy Havardi is a historian and journalist based in London. He is currently Director, B’nai B’rith UK, Bureau of International Affairs.

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A tour of Rashi & his world With Michelle Sint, a seasoned LSJS tour guide

Sunday 6 June 1–2:30pm or 6–7:30pm

Price: £18 (£15 before 31 May)

The life and work of Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, known as Rashi, still fascinates us. In this new tour we will visit his hometown of Troyes and the ‘Rashi Synagogue’ where he studied. We will look at some of the many diagrams drawn in his own hand, his translations of key Hebrew words into Old French, the Italian printer’s ‘Rashi Script’, and legal responsa that shine a light on his life.

Book online at www.lsjs.ac.uk/bookings or call 020 8203 6427 THEJEWISHWEEKLY.COM

27 MAY 2021

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OPINION 17

18 OPINION

27 MAY 2021

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OPINION

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

Business as Usual OPINION PIECE

BY ROBERT FESTENSTEIN These last 3 weeks have been disturbing for many reasons, not least the lacklustre response of the UK Jewish communal leadership. I am not alone at being astounded at the idea that taking selfies and posting them online is going to make one iota of a difference against floods of Jew-hate on social media and physical demonstrations calling for the destruction of the State of Israel. I remember the dreadful lack of communal action during Operation Protective Edge in 2014 and almost 7 years later, clearly no lessons have been learned.

Alongside the toothless selfie campaign are the meaningless calls from the communal leadership condemning Hamas for their indiscriminate rocket attacks on Israeli citizens. What has been noticeable is the lack of any direction concerning the outpouring of hate from certain Labour MPs and sadly some in the Shadow Cabinet. No tips on how to write to MPs or councillors, no advice on how to deal with online hate crime and absolutely nothing about the biased reporting of the BBC. To make matters worse, much worse has been the frightening silence from the communal leaders concerning the Labour

Party. Some Labour MPs have gone into overdrive in condemning Israel without any reference to the rockets coming from Hamas and Islamic Jihad. On the 14th May former shadow chancellor John McDonnell tweeted the following: I wish #EidMubarak to all my Muslim constituents. Islam is a religion of peace. I urge my Muslim constituents to join me on Saturday in the demonstration in London to support the Palestinian people in their call for peace and justice. Assemble Marble Arch 12pm 15th May. I had to read this tweet several times to appreciate its significance. This British MP who apparently is concerned about peace and justice called only for his Muslim constituents to demonstrate, rather than everyone whom he represents. There is perhaps a refreshing honesty about the tweet because it reveals that despite his rhetoric about peace and justice, he understands the attacks by Hamas and Islamic Jihad are based on hatred of Jews.

It is difficult to escape the conclusion, that however unintentionally, this tweet amounts to a call for religious conflict.

There are many reports of other Labour MPs taking a similar partisan approach.

The Jewish Chronicle reported that In a video statement to the Foreign Secretary, Naz Shah, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion, called for sanctions on Israel and declared: “The longest

military occupation the world has ever seen must end.”

In the context of ‘Community Cohesion’ I am reminded of the quote from George Orwell’s seminal work – 1984 - The Ministry of Peace concerns itself with war, the Ministry of Truth with lies, the Ministry of Love with torture and the Ministry of Plenty with starvation. These contradictions are not accidental, nor do they result from ordinary hypocrisy: they are deliberate exercises in doublethink.

So here we are, 2021 and the Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion is dialling up the conflict in complete contradiction to her supposed role. Disappointing but not a surprise.

There are many more examples which sadly show the Labour Party is still replete with Israel haters and judging by the rhetoric of some, anti-Semites. These members are bolder than ever, despite the EHRC damming report on their party and the appointment of Sir Keir Starmer as leader.

The reality is that during the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, the party attracted substantial numbers of anti-Semites and despite the promises of the current leader, they are still there, providing support and encouragement for the likes of Naz Shah and John McDonnell.

In my capacity as President of the Zionist Central Council in Manchester I wrote to the Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy

MP in response to her dreadful one-sided letter to the Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab. In that letter I said: By demonising Israel – which is what the Labour Party is doing – Hamas and Islamic Jihad can only be encouraged that whatever outrage they commit, their crimes are safe from even being recognised by you and your party. This myopia serves as support for these terrorist groups.

The enemy of peace is not Israel but the refusal of those to recognise Hamas and Islamic Jihad for what they are, Jew hating groups determined to destroy Israel and undermine all the principles of democracy which Labour is supposed to stand for.

The Labour leaders talk of peace and Israel’s right to exist and conveniently forget about the Hamas dictatorship and their treatment of gays and women in Gaza, and when the rockets start to fall they return to their well-established positions of sacrificing the rights of women and LGBT on the altar of despising Israel. The last couple of weeks have shown that for Israel and the Labour Party, it is very much business as usual.

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.

Cable car accident

It was yet another tragedy this week involving Jewish people being killed, this time in the awful cable car accident in Italy. Of the 14 people who were killed, a Jewish family were amongst them. Parents Amit and Tal Biran, their 2 year old son Tom and great-grandparents Yitzhak and Barbara sadly perished whilst 5 year old boy Eitan has miraculously survived.

At the time of going to press he is slowly waking up with his aunt by his bedside preparing to give over the worst news imaginable to any child.

As Reb Eli Stefanski in my Daf Yomi shiur mentioned this week, all the disasters have been people falling down. The 45 people crushed in Meron, the two men in the Givat Ze’ev shul, and now this. What message is Hashem trying to tell us?

Our thoughts go out to all the family.

Israel

So we finally have a ceasefire. Thanks to the diplomatic efforts of mainly people who passionately care about the human rights only of everyone living within the borders of Gaza, but not anywhere else on

EE FR

From the editor’s desk the planet, now Hamas can have a breather and spend the next few months or years replenishing their arsenal of rockets to kill and injure as many Jews as they can.

It is only a temporary pause, even if it lasts a few years. The deep hatred instilled within each Palestinian from a young age will not simply dissipate because of a ‘ceasefire.’ We already saw this week two terrorist attacks in Israel, one wonders what will have to happen to ever bring peace. Some people wait for a two state solution. Others just wait for Mashiach…

Manchester Utd pay Palestinian price

Many readers of this paper are supporters of Manchester Utd Football Club, myself included. Whilst losing a big final is always hugely disappointing to fans, perhaps some justice has been done. When two players last week paraded the Palestinian flag at the end of the game, they effectively had the support of their manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who said his players have the freedom to do what they want politically.

Perhaps if the players had spent more time practising how to play football rather than getting involved politically in something they know absolutely nothing about they might have won.

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27 MAY 2021

LETTERS 19

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Letters to the Editor 18 OPINION

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OPINION

21 MAY 2021

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

Extremism and antisemitism must be drowned out OPINION PIECE

BY LORD ERIC PICKLES

I watched in horror this week as protests over the recent Israel-Gaza violence descended into a UK-wide hatefest, with Jewish people targeted in the streets and mezuzot desecrated. It is truly appalling that Jews in this country feared for their safety as they celebrated Shavuot.

The Jew-hating, women-despising thugs who threatened murder and sexual violence on our streets brought great shame to our nation. It was a source of personal sadness that many of the car convoys came from my native city of Bradford, a city with a proud record of cross-communal cooperation.

It didn’t take long for the thin veneer between anti-Zionism and antisemitism to be exposed.

At a rally in London where speakers included former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, banners with antisemitic slogans invoking the Holocaust were freely flown.

In sight of the platform where Mr Corbyn spoke, the Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Mohamed Bin Zayed, was

depicted as a devil with horns for making peace with Israel. The antisemitic imagery applied to the caricature was unmistakeable.

As the Home Secretary and Communities Secretary have said, the toughest possible action should be taken against those responsible for antisemitic behaviour.

One-sided content blaming Israel for the suffering of the Palestinian people has proliferated online; no doubt emboldening antisemites to take to the streets.

Yet the unavoidable fact is that Hamas is responsible for all casualties in this conflict. By using civilians as human shields and misfiring rockets, it is clear that Hamas places its genocidal aim of destroying Israel above the protection of Palestinian life.

Of over 4,000 rockets fired towards Israel

from Gaza, approximately 610 have fallen short and killed Palestinians.

While Hamas militants can escape to the underground ‘Metro’ tunnel network, Gazan civilians have nowhere to hide. There can be no moral equivalence between Hamas’s actions, which target civilians, and Israel’s precise targeting of Hamas facilities and extensive efforts to avoid civilian casualties.

As my good friend Lord Polak rightly said in the House of Lords this week, the shocking and disturbing scenes of recent days do not represent the views of the vast majority of Muslims living in the UK, nor do the murderous acts of Hamas, indiscriminately firing deadly rockets at civilian areas in Israel, represent the views or interests of the majority of the Palestinian people.

We simply cannot allow these moderate voices to be drowned out by extremists.

I was deeply heartened to hear that Ashdod hospital’s Arab doctors and nurses took on extra shifts to enable their Jewish colleagues to take time off for Shavuot, just as Jewish medical staff did last week to ensure the Arab workforce could spend Eid with their families.

The importance of promoting peaceful coexistence and community cohesion cannot be understated, both in Israel and closer to home.

Our overseas aid must support efforts bringing Israelis and Palestinians together, and measures combining strict policing and strong social cohesion are vital in removing fear from our streets and protecting our Jewish community..

Send in your comments to letters@thejewishweekly.com

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Please note: The views of the letters do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper. Letters may be edited and publication is at the discretion of the editor.

The importance of promoting peaceful coexistence and community cohesion cannot be understated, both in Israel and closer to home.

ANTISEMISITM AND THE PROLBEM

Lord Pickles was appointed Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust issues in September 2015, replacing Sir Andrew Burns. Lord Pickles works closely with the wide range of Holocaust academics, survivors and educational and social organisations in the UK. He CoChairs the United Kingdom’s Holocaust Memorial Foundation.

He was made a Life Peer in 2018.

From the editor’s desk Dear Editor Knock on effect I refer to the excellent of Israel at war content of, “From the editor’s desk,” in last week’s edition (THE JEWISH WEEKLY, 21 May) and in particular Yossi Saunders’ comment under the heading, “Football disgrace,” in Football disgrace which the last sentence read, “When it comes to racism, it really is time once and for all for football to kick it out.”

Regarding the problem of such ubiquitous anti-Semitism as well as all manifestations of racism - not just in football, but every facet of our society today, the powers that be as well as the movers and shakers, need to, “stop kicking these problems into the long grass as it is about time that they mowed the lawn.”

This week we have seen shocking violence against Jews here in the UK as well as around the world. Antisemitism made national headlines this week when some terrorist supporters from Bradford drove down to London via Manchester causing distress and panic with their actions. TV and media showed the awful footage where they called on people to do unspeakable things to Jewish mothers and daughters.

In Chigwell, Rabbi Rafi Goodwin was badly beaten up and hospitalised. In Hendon, a woman in her car was rammed by Palestinian activists in a petrifying incident on Parson Street. The same such incident happened in Manchester to a car on Upper Park Road, where Palestinian sympathisers tried to smash the windows. Mezuzot were ripped off doors in Borehamwood and a middle eastern-looking man came up up to me on the streets of central London yesterday and asked menacingly, if I was Jewish. In another indident saw six men jumped out of a car brandishing a gun at a Jew in Manchester last night.

Around the world too, horrific images and videos have surfaced. A Jewish man in Lod died this week, after succumbing

Palestinian flags. to injuries when an Arab Showing solidarity in the mob set upon him. A man midst of a war is redoubtin Toronto is seen being ably taking sides and is beaten up by an angry no different to previous crowd, and in LA, a crowd players and managers who asked some Jews at a have been fined for their restaurant who was Jewish. actions, such as Pep GuarTwo people said they were diola who was charged for and were promptly beaten wearing a yellow ribbon in up. solidarity with the Catalan When tens of thousands independence movement. of people pack London The FA responded to shouting “Free Free Palesletters this week telling us tine”, with a police officer PHOTO: LAWRENCE PURCELL. Pro Palestinians in Piccadilly Gardens Manchester that a player wearing an joining in, as Israeli flags internationally recognised are burned and vicious flag is not an issue. threats are screamed from atop traffic lights communal bodies to stand up more than If it was their national flag, they could and statues, one wonders how long it will ever before publicly and come out with corhave an answer, but Manchester Utd’s Paul take for Britain to turn into France and rect information about what really goes on become a dangerous place for Jews to live. in the Middle East. It worked with Corbyn at Pogba is from France, not from Gaza. For Shopping Centres in Manchester also had the election, why have they gone so publicly all Pogba’s self-importance, he has not just won the league and had gornisht to crowds of angry protesters screaming about quiet now? See page 27 for this Sunday’s celebrate at the end of the Fulham game, Gaza, as they walked menacingly through Israel Rally, led by the Zionist Federation. like a pack of wolves.

Perhaps the rally can also go to the BBC and so draping the Palestinian flag around Thanks to a weak government who allow Sky News headquarters, as well as the Israeli him is clearly a political stance, as well as a swipe at his Jewish owners. The actions these dangerous rallies to go ahead, and Embassy. of these players and the silence of the FA who allow incorrect, and biased media to will no doubt lead to more people getting egg on Jew haters with their vicious attacks angry on behalf of the Palestinians and on Jews, it is no wonder Palestinian and making our streets even more dangerous terrorist sympathisers feel energised to Jewish football fans were horrified this for British Jewry. When it comes to racism, whip up crowds into a frenzy. Jews are week to see famous players from Manches- it really is time one and for all for football now scared to go about normal day to day to kick it out. activities, and perhaps it’s time for our great ter United and Leicester City draped in

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20 OBITUARY

27 MAY 2021

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OBITUARY

Roman Kent The Holocaust survivor fought for justice

BY DAVID SAFFER World Jewish Congress has mourned the death of Holocaust survivor Roman Kent.

Roman, 96, devoted his life to getting justice for survivors. He represented the Foundation for the International Auschwitz Committee as President and held numerous roles at the Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference). A long-time board member at the Claims Conference, Roman served as treasurer, negotiating committee cochair, on the Leadership Council and as a Special Advisor to the President. He was also chairman of the American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Their Descendants.

Regarding the latter, Roman was a member of the US Presidential delegation to Poland in January 2010 to attend the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Former US President Barack Obama appointed Roman to the governing body of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council a year later for a four-year term.

WJC President Ronald S Lauder led heartfelt tributes to an “inspirational figure”.

“I was in awe of his lifelong commitment to the cause of Holocaust remembrance,” Lauder noted.

“He was a man who sought justice, not revenge, and who looked to the future instead of the past.”

He added, “I vividly recall his moving address at Auschwitz on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of that Nazi death camps’ liberation when he declared, ‘We do not want our past to be our children’s future.”

Born in Lodz in 1929, Roman survived the Lodz ghetto, then Merzbachtal, Dornau and Flossenburg and Auschwitz death camps. But his father died in Lodz of starvation and mother in Auschwitz.

Liberated alongside his brother, Leon, by the US army whilst on a death march to Dachau in 1945, they were reunited with two sisters, Dasza and Renia in Sweden.

Tragically, Dasza died soon after.

In June 1946, the brothers immigrated to the US as part of a government program for 5,000 orphans. Roman lived in Atlanta where he graduated at Emory University prior to founding an international trade company. But his life was dedicated to Jewish philanthropy and advocacy.

The Claims Conference (founded in 1951 by 23 international Jewish organisations with offices in New York, Israel and Germany) described Roman as a “leading voice among Holocaust survivors” who negotiated billions of dollars in compensation for Holocaust survivors from the

Roman Kent

PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA.

German government.

In his last public appearance for the Conference at ‘It Started With Words campaign’ which featured videos of survivors reflecting on moments that led up to the Holocaust, Roman poignantly recalled, “As a child, I went to a Jewish gymnasium, which was a private school, and when going to the gymnasium we had to pass the local Polish gymnasium. When walking to school one day, the boys from the Polish gymnasium started to call us names. They would taunt us by shouting words at us, words like “Jews, Dirty Jews”. As I grow older, I can understand that the most important thing (is that) everything starts with words. The First War, the Second War, and this is why we have to pay attention to the people what they say and how they say it, because everything starts with words.”

Gideon Taylor, President of the Claims Conference, said, “Roman made himself available for every cause that we put in front of him, tirelessly giving of his time and energy. He will be remembered as an unwavering force of good will and an undeniable advocate for the global Jewish community. He was more than a colleague, he was family and his loss will leave a hole that can never be filled.”

Greg Schneider, Claims Conference vice president, recalled that as his co-chair, the

title did not “scratch the surface” of the work Roman did.

“From negotiating billions of dollars in pensions and compensation for Jewish Holocaust survivors from the German government, championing survivor interests with insurance companies, German industry and eastern European governments, to advocating for Holocaust education, to taking on Facebook in demanding that they remove Holocaust denial posts from their platform, no task was too large or too demanding,” he recalled. “Even as his own health waned, he continued to fight against antisemitism and hatred.”

Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, Claims Conference special negotiator, said the passing of Roman as his co-chair was “incalculable”.

“I had the distinct privilege of working side by side with Roman during our ongoing negotiations on behalf of Holocaust survivors for more than a decade,” Eizenstat explained. “He made it his personal mission to advocate for his fellow survivors to the very end, participating on negotiations calls as recently as last week.

His strength and fortitude were unmatched, and his drive and determination to see justice served knew no bounds.”

He added, “There will be an enormous empty chair when we next negotiate with

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the German government. He will be sorely missed by all who were fortunate enough to know and him. Roman was not just my colleague in seeking justice for Holocaust survivors, he was my friend and my inspiration. Life will never be the same for me without him.”

The American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors issued a statement on its website.

“Roman was instrumental in all of our organisational activities, from the national and worldwide survivor gatherings of the 1980’s to the yearly memorial services at Yom HaShoah. He was an eloquent orator whose voice reached millions through his speech at the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Roman was a determined advocate for survivor reparations and for the acknowledgment of and advocacy for righteous gentiles, negotiating with the German government and winning concessions from them even as he was personally weakening from age and illness, to assure that survivors and those who had helped Jews during the war years might live out their days as free from want as possible.

“His enthusiasm for teachers and for Holocaust education led him to develop a strong relationship with HAJRTP. He often said that education would ensure that his past would not be our children’s future.

So many of our teachers were witnesses to his riveting testimony about his survival during the Nazi occupation of Lodz and his concentration camp experiences. He never failed to remind us of the devotion of his dog Lala who followed the family into the ghetto. He talked with humour and love about the years after the war, when he came to the United States as an orphan, lived with a foster family in Atlanta and was able to continue his education at Emory University.”

The organisation added, “Roman’s generosity was boundless. In his last years he made sure the teacher program would continue through personally funding “last dollars” when the program was in financial straits. He was a lively presence at our alumni reunions, regaling groups with his stories and jokes. He came to the teacher send-offs in recent years though it was increasingly difficult for him to travel and emotionally draining for him to speak. He always held the audience in the palm of his hand with his gentle manner and his insistent warning that we should teach children not to be bystanders.”

Roman’s wife Hannah, also a survivor, died in 2017. He is survived by a daughter, Susan Avjian, and son, Jeffrey Kent, grandchildren Dara, Eryn and Sean, and great-granddaughter.

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22 GAMES

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Games

Bridge

27 MAY 2021

Horsing around provides therapy for Camp Simcha children

With Harold Schogger

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1s 5+-card suit Perhaps 3NT would have been a better choice than 4s here, but declarer faced the problem of making ten tricks in spades after West led the queen of clubs. The opening lead meant that declarer could not afford to lose the lead. If he did, the defenders would cash two clubs and two hearts.

The main chance was to take the trump finesse and make five trumps, the ace of clubs, and, if the diamonds behave, five diamonds. While a successful trump finesse and a 3:2 trump was a given to make the contract, declarer can succeed when East has four diamonds too.

All that was required was a little forethought, as this declarer proceeded to show. He took the club lead with the ace and crossed to dummy with a low diamond to the queen. Next he played a low trump to the jack and, after that held, he cashed the king of trumps. When all followed he was almost home. However, he was at the crossroads. If he drew the last trump, he would need diamonds to be 3:2. Instead he cashed the king of diamonds before drawing the last trump. If diamonds were 3:2, declarer would cross to dummy with the ace of trumps and claim an overtrick.

When West discarded a heart on the king of diamonds, declarer played a diamond to the ace and ruffed a diamond. This established the thirteenth diamond in dummy. Declarer drew the last trump with dummy’s ace and cashed the good diamond. He made five trumps, four diamonds and the ace of clubs.

Josh Jacobs (blue coat) getting benefit from the therapy

Camp Simcha is investing in horse-power to aid the wellbeing of some of the seriously ill children and siblings they support.

Working with an Equine Therapy organisation, Strength and Learning Through Horses (SLTH), the aim is to provide an alternative form of therapeutic support for some of the emotions that the children may be struggling with.

Camp Simcha Head of Services Daniel Gillis explains: “Sometimes the children we support aren’t able – or don’t want - to put into words the feelings they are coping with.

“The equine therapy uses horses as a means to provide metaphoric experiences to help the children gain understanding and acceptance of their own emotions, especially for those children that are unable to verbalise how they are feeling.”

Clinical Psychologist Dr Jemma Hockley, who is the joint CEO and Therapy Programme Director at SLTH, explains that the programme works subtly and on many levels.

“It’s about giving children the opportunity to think about mental health and wellbeing alongside the physical, by observing the horses, their interactions with the young people and working with the horses’ behaviours.

“The children do not ride the horses, but they build relationships with them on the ground, including grooming and exercising them and training them to be safe around people. With horses you get immediate feed-back and, with a little guidance, it gives the children skills of noticing behaviour and reflection.

“We talk to them about the needs of the horses – such as the need to feel safe, food, companionship, trust, predictability and it helps the children to think about their own needs which they then discuss in a group or with the staff.

“There is also the aspect of how horses cope with things they find difficult which is particularly relevant to some of the Camp Simcha children, who may be facing scary medical procedures and difficult treatments – or siblings who are coping with all sorts of worries.”

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Dr Hockley and her team work with the young people helping them to understand how to manage anxiety in horses and at the same time helping them think about how to cope when they are faced with an anxiety-inducing situation themselves.

“We explain to the children that the horses are designed to be attuned to their own anxiety – it’s a warning system for them. When we are working with young people who are struggling with anxiety it helps to normalise it for them – in fact a lot of the work we do focuses on normalising emotions the young people are experiencing and helping them not to feel that these emotions are problematic.”

Equine therapy also looks at peer relationships, which can be a particular issue for seriously ill children who have missed a lot of school.

“The time they spend with us is fun, but it is also with new people, so they are developing relationships and are part of a group; this is something many have avoided and are fearful of.”

Eleven-year-old Josh Jacobs from Hertfordshire, whose sister Abigail is being treated for cancer, has been attending the therapy over the last few weeks and his parents have really noticed a positive impact.

“He is much calmer generally,” says his mother, Lara. “We have particularly seen it in how he is with his younger sister. He is more grown up with her and arguing less - and I have noticed how much more responsible he seems too, holding her hand when we cross the road and taking care.

“Josh found it very difficult when Abigail was first diagnosed and I was staying in the hospital with her. He felt very angry with her and with the situation, but because he has some additional needs, he is not the kind of child who would have really benefited from therapy, or even had the patience to sit and chat to someone.

“The equine therapy has been great because he was so happy to have something just for him – and to be the one who feels special. He goes there with a big grin on his face and is still grinning when we collect him at the end.”

24 COMMUNITY

27 MAY 2021

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Yavneh Nursery rebrands as Woodside Gan

Chief Rabbi Mirvis with Rabbi Pinchas Hackenbroch

Aimee Belchak

New Young GIFT Coordinator Aimee launches ‘The Great GIFT Raffle’ GIFT are delighted to welcome Aimee Belchak as the latest addition to the team in the role of Young GIFT Coordinator.

Aimee will be relaunching Young GIFT this summer. Aimee comes from a theatre background having worked as a production assistant on some major West End shows and has her own matchmaking business which she dreamed up during lockdown. Aimee has exciting plans to encourage young professionals to give and get involved with GIFT. Her first initiative with GIFT is launching The Great GIFT Raffle, an online raffle.

Aimee explains, ‘The Jewish community is full of entrepreneurial people and when you spotlight young professionals there is a sea of amazing people who have already begun building businesses. In a bid to celebrate young Jewish business and brand

owners, over 40 young professionals have donated raffle prizes to help spread the importance of giving. From makeup artists to theatre producers and everything in between these amazing people have clubbed together to help raise awareness of GIFT.’ Shira Joseph GIFT’s Volunteer manager said ‘We are so excited to have Aimee on board. She has been a really dedicated GIFT volunteer this past year and her enthusiasm and passion for giving to others is contagious. This is evident in how many young professionals have gotten involved in donating prizes to the raffle.’

The Great GIFT raffle went live on May 23rd and will run for 2 weeks ending on Sunday June 6th. Tickets cost £5. For more info or to buy a ticket visit jgift.org/raffle

THE HOUSE CLEARANCE SPECIALIST

Yavneh Nursery was delighted and honoured that the Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis joined us to unveil the newly rebranded Woodside Gan, formerly known as Woodside Park Synagogue’s Yavneh Nursery. This name change has been implemented based on research from our parent body and also because the word Gan means ‘Park’ which has been found to be both indicative of Woodside Gan’s approach to learning as well as being a humorous pun on the nursery’s location!

The name change is also due to the frequent confusion between the Woodside Park Synagogue nursery named Yavneh and the school of the same name in Borehamwood.

Natalie Mayer, Head Teacher at Woodside Gan, says, ‘We are thrilled to announce the name change of Yavneh Nursery at Woodside Park Synagogue to Woodside Gan. We are keen to showcase how our philosophy of ‘Learning through love’ comes alive in our nursery, which prepares children for school by feeling secure and loved throughout their time with us.’

Woodside Gan offers a nurturing education like no other for children aged 2 until the term before they join Reception. It issituated in the grounds of Woodside Park Synagogue.

Woodside Gan offers a curriculum that centres around the Jewish Calendar as well

as each individual child. Every week, the children celebrate Shabbat with a special mock Shabbat table, and they learn about the Chagim as they fall. It is critical to Woodside Gan that children are also encouraged to become independent from an early age, in order to prepare for their transition to Reception. The nursery is completely child led and all activities are based around the needs and requirements of the children themselves.

Having such a high staff to child ratio means that the staff members are able to really understand the needs and likes of each child.

Woodside Gan prides itself on its flexibility for parents. Being located close to Woodside Park Underground station, it is convenient for those travelling into Central London. The nursery offers early drop-off and runs until 4pm daily, and 12.15pm on Fridays. A hot, healthy lunch is made on site and security is on site permanently. To ensure that each child is nurtured and stimulated to their own level, the younger and pre-school children are separated, with a Phonics learning system utilised throughout the year for the elder children, in order to best prepare them for school life.

For more information please contact Natalie Mayer on 020 8445 7448 or gan@woodsidepark.org.uk

King David Primary School year 2 children who all made Shavuot Cheesecakes. From left, Melody Press, Zac Leigh, Mikey Edwards, Noa Lynch, Lyla Myers and Yoni Goldman, pictured with Hebrew Teacher Mrs Marian Saurymper and Mrs Rayna Glickman, Head of Jewish Studies.

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26 COMMUNITY

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Theresa May MP addresses Jewish Care residents Last Thursday, former Prime Minister, The Rt Hon Theresa May MP addressed a Jewish Care Friends of Rosetrees event, raising much needed funds for Rosetrees Care home in Friern Barnet.

Shoshana Boyd Gelfand, Director of Leadership and Learning at the Pears Foundation interviewed Theresa May, who spoke about many personal topics during the course of the evening including growing up in a vicarage, how being a person of faith inevitably informs her approach to life and her view on the funding of adult social care.

When asked if there was one piece of advice she would give to care home residents or older people in the community, Mrs May answered that it is vitally important to “Stay interested in life and interested in what’s going on around you. Remain inquisitive about developments.”

Leading on to a question about how the Government might look to relieve the burden on families when it comes to social care funding, Mrs May replied that this was something that the “Government has been looking at for a number of years and is yet to come up with an answer, as part of the difficulty is where you place the balance of funding,” but agreed that the issue has “come in to sharp focus during the pandemic, with the standards and staffing in care homes coming to the fore.”

She said that “Getting the balance right between generations is also key and that we are in need of a long-term solution which is sustainable. It is going to be about how we provide the high quality of care without overburdening the younger generation with the cost of adult social care.”

Mrs May also suggested that part of the solution is “how can we use technology to help or support people or help them to live independently for longer and in their own

The Rt Hon Theresa May MP

27 MAY 2021

Manchester King David Primary School welcomed The Friendship Circle. Esty Bruck, Friendship Circle programme Director and Adam Patchick, a Friendship Circle member visited each classroom to speak about Friendship Day.

Friendship Circle visit KD Primary with Yr 1 children

homes, rather than needing a care home environment. We need to be thinking about this in a variety of different ways. Encouraging people to be healthier will enable many to live independently for longer.”

Rita Roth, Chair of the Friends of Rosetress Committee, gave her express thanks to Theresa May for her time and to the audience for their help with raising funds for the home.

Adam Overlander-Kaye, Director of Fundraising and Community Engagement, said: “We were delighted to have Mrs May join us and share some wonderful anecdotes about her life and time as Prime Minister.

We are incredibly grateful to her and our 200 guests for helping us to raise funds for the Rosetrees Care home.”

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COMMUNITY 27

Kisharon boosts ONLINE ‘challenges’ programme START-UP

London landmark sites is among Kisharon challenges

Kisharon offers something for all ages when it comes to its ‘challenges’ programme.

Ian Tate has joined the team to guide the charity in a plethora of directions for donors wishing to fundraise for the organisation.

If an event is not listed anyone can fundraise for Kisharon by signing up to their own challenge event such as a triathlon or a cycle event, sky dive or sing-a-long.

Kisharon will support participants where practical but there are a number of events already set up.

Ian leads a family-friendly walking challenge taking in 10 of London’s iconic bridges between Vauxhall Bridge and Tower Bridge on July 4.

Options are a 6.5 mile or 13 miles. Participants will encounter many of London’s iconic landmarks and enjoy views of the London skyline as you zig-zag historic bridges along the Thames.

“The challenge is a great opportunity to get outside, get fit, spend time with friends and family and explore the best that London has to offer,” note Kisharon.

Donors can also run side by side in the Maccabi Fun Run, which is a great day for all the family.

Participants can choose 1km, 5km and 10km routes.

Sporty donors can join Kisharon for its first ever Golf Day on July 8th.

One of north London’s best courses includes 18 holes of golf, a light breakfast and canape reception, with prizes to be won for the winning team, the longest drive and nearest the pin.

The annual London to Brighton Cycle Ride is celebrating its 12th anniversary, on Sunday, September 19th and the event is set to be even bigger and better than ever before. Participants will get to cycle 55 miles through the English countryside from the capital to the coast on an epic challenge, one of the most popular annual rides in the UK. Looking forward, you can also guarantee a spot for the 2022 Virgin Money London Marathon.

And it is an unforgettable experience.

The Royal Parks Half Marathon takes place on Sunday, October 10th.

Thousands of runners will take on the 13.1 mile route through central London, taking in spectacular sites of the capital and the Royal Parks.

Meantime, the 10th International Jerusalem Marathon takes place on Friday, October 29th.

Participants can take part in the full marathon, half-marathon, 10 km race, 5 km race, family race (1.7 km) and community race (800m). The marathon routes pass through historical sites shedding light on 3,000 years of history in Jerusalem.

In the future, Ian wants to take Kisharon on more global challenges but for now he is starting slowly in terms of challenges, mostly in the UK. “If someone wants to do a bungee jump, sky dive or climb Mount Everest they can do that,” he said.

“Kisharon has never done a cycle event so it is a very exciting time. There is something for everyone.

“No one has done anything due to Covid-19 so it’s the right time to start up events again.”

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From the front line…

Civil aviation and personal freedom should be inviolate

BY JACQUELINE CURZON A horrific accident in the Italian Alps killed 14 people last week when a cable car plunged to the ground, possibly as the result of a snapped cable. Of the 15 occupants in the car, 14 of them - including one child - died. The only survivor was a little boy of 5, who lost his grandparents, parents and his 2 year old brother. In China disaster hit marathon runners three hours into a high altitude mountain race, when they encountered hail, freezing rain and gale winds. Emergency services were called out, and although 700 personnel undertook a rescue mission throughout the night, authorities confirmed that 21 of 172 participants had perished, including two of China’s professional long distance runners, Liang Jing and Huang Guanjun.

In an article about Britain’s craft renaissance it was brought to our attention about crafts under threat of extinction. The Heritage Craft Association added 20 new practices to the ‘critically endangered’ category of its latest red list. Amongst this list were wainwrights (skilled in the making and repairing of wagons and carts) and of special interest to me is pointe shoe making, which is essential to the ballet industry. As my daughter has recently gone ‘on pointe,’ I’ve become familiar with the brands available, namely Grishko (Russian), Bloch (German), Capezio, Sansha (Italian) and Freeds of London. Diamond cutting, barometer making and horse hair weaving are other crafts on the danger list, as is the making of glass eyes. Jost Haas, a maker of glass eyes, trained for four years in Germany, and still holds clinics at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, as an ocularist. As he approaches retirement, his skill will be lost for good. Some industries have fared better during covid, including gilding, reverse glass signwriting and rug tufting. If you fancy taking up a new hobby, look no further.

An unattended Honesty Gallery in Soho had all its pictures - valued at £1000 each - pinched by thieves, who even took the signs with them. The artist, Andrew Brown, who had devised it as a social experiment, said it had been a ‘dismal failure.’ Big shame!

The big C is back in the news; no longer covid, but the cost of cancer, which predicted 304,000 people have either missed a cancer screening or a referral. We are in danger of seeing cancer become the next pandemic. One case which I wish to flag up is that of Jess Brady (27), a satellite engineer experiencing chronic fatigue and a cough she couldn’t shake off. Doctors insisted it was long Covid, although she had never been diagnosed with coronavirus, and the sporty young woman’s symptoms made her increasingly

Jacqueline Curzon PHOTO: LARA MINSKY PHOTOGRAPHY

debilitated with weight loss and vomiting.

She contacted her GP surgery more than 20 times in five months and went to A&E. By last November her mother was alarmed over the possibility of cancer as large glands had appeared on her neck.

When they finally managed a face-to-face appointment with the GP, these concerns were dismissed because she was young and healthy, and there was no knowing how long a referral would take. Such was her mother’s concern that Jess secured a private hospital appointment with urgent tests, which identified a stage 4 adenocarcinoma which had spread throughout her body. As it was by then too advanced and aggressive to treat, Ms Brady died on December 20, less than a month after being diagnosed. Stories like this are an absolute disgrace, and a failure of GPs to resume face-to-face appointments will prompt more heartbreaking stories. Late diagnosis has set survival rates back by eight years, according to Cancer Research UK. I feel that GPs who had a hands off approach for the whole lockdown should be subject to disciplinary action, for they had an obligation to continue with urgent diagnoses and treatment. Dental patients are now facing up to a three-year wait to be seen under the NHS, with 80% of those surveyed by Healthwatch England complaining about waiting times. Some NHS patients are being removed from lists and told they can instead be seen ‘privately.’

A DHSC spokesman said ‘we are committed to supporting the dental sector… so everyone can access affordable, high quality care, and all practices have been able to deliver a full range of face-to-face care since last June.’ Who writes this nonsense?

A little bit of news concerning Scotland and the SNP relates to the Eurovision Song Contest. A senior SNP, Rhiannon Spear, has now apologised after posting a hostile tweet, after the UK’s entry flopped in Eurovision. [When has it not been a pop flop?] She had tweeted, ‘it’s okay Europe, we hate the UK too.’ If this is typical

of the sentiments and calibre of the party in power, we should simply resign ourselves to a divorce and be done with it.

Keeping a foot in the door of politics, it was outrageous to hear of the Ryanair plane forced to divert to Minsk, to facilitate the imprisonment of Belorusian journalist Roman Protasevich (26) and his Russian girlfriend Sofia Sapega (23).

They had been on a work assignment accompanying Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, an exiled Belarus opposition leader, to the Delphi Economic Forum. The flight - Athens to Vilnius - was diverted after a spurious security threat, and only 2 minutes before entering Lithuanian airspace.

To persuade the Captain to comply, a handy Belarusian MiG 29 fighter popped up alongside for ‘encouragement.’ Protasevich knew what the announcement meant, and told fellow passengers he could not land there, for he had been living in exile since 2019 and was designated a terrorist by Lukashenko. Things had begun to look suspicious at the airport when a Russian man standing behind the journalist at check in snapped a picture of his documents before suddenly turning away; however there were still other men in the queue watching him. Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair believes there were KGB agents on the flight, presumably to escalate the situation should the captain refuse to comply, or the journalist resist getting off the plane. There followed a document check for all passengers and a show of emptying some bags, but the SWAT team and accompanying police were only interested in the journalist, who said candidly, ‘the death sentence awaits me.’ Three other passengers got off at Minsk, all of them with Russian passports, so quite likely they were the KGB agents. I would have hoped that the flight would have forced its way on to Vilnius, with the Captain locking himself in his cockpit. It was only minutes from safety and extremely unlikely Lukashenko would have shot down a passenger plane, although we can’t be overly confident of that. One must additionally sympathise with the terror this obviously inflicted on the passengers and crew. Belarus has said Sapega and Protasevich are being held in Okrestina prison (Minsk), and a video was released last night saying he has ‘not been harmed.’ Believe that if you will. Make no mistake, we have just sent this young man to his death.

Such a blatant act of aggression was air piracy, plain and simple, instigated by a known dictator and underpinned

by Moscow. Hooray, let’s give ten points to the Kremlin: - The Aerovision Contest has no opposition. It's never going to be a fair game putting a fighter jet up against a lowly passenger plane, so interesting now to see how the west responds. There

seems to be nowhere in the world left where free speech is encouraged or permitted (often including here), with communist countries notoriously known for their suppression and harsh punishment of those who mouth the word ‘democracy.’ Were it so simple that sanctions were unilaterally imposed, decency would be restored, but as long as most of Europe are beholden to Mother Russia for energy supplies, their protests will be tokenism at best, and Putin knows that. President Biden last week partially removed sanctions on companies building the pipeline which runs from Siberia through Belarus to Europe. Assuming the Embassy doesn’t scour the internet looking for references to Russia and the Kremlin, I doubt they’ll come looking for me. Although, if you do see me being forced into a car, please don’t assume I’m going on a surprise vacation….

Okay, hands up those who are game for a run round the jungle gym? As my twins are now completing year six, they have a medley of enjoyable outings to round it all off. It was however a little disconcerting for them to insist that I accompany them to Go Ape. Having done zero research on this, I bravely decided when I got there I would just give it a go, and got harnessed up. I set off on the first level of the course, after which you’re expected to either progress to a much harder level, or to stick with what you’ve done already. Now, not one to be easily deterred, I opted for level two, only to find it quite alarming with bridges galore swinging wildly as one tried to wobble from step to step.

Never mind the considerable height you are above the forest floor and the slightly unnerving zip line you need to complete your circuit, I can honestly say the last time I undertook anything of this level would’ve been for a pre-RCB back in the 80s and of course I’m now considerably older with health issues, knee injuries, a mother of seven, with no level of fitness or personal training. To my great surprise I got round it in one piece and lived to tell the ‘tail,’ but I’m in no rush to repeat the ‘monkey business.’ At least I kept my girls happy.

Lastly, something to get you thinking. If you ever wondered what the secret to happiness was, scientists have now discovered it. Neuroscientists at UCL used the Happiness Project app and MRI scans of people’s brains to develop the following equation. Well, it’s beyond me, but here you go. (t)=w0+w1∑j=1tγt-jCRj+w2∑j=1tγt-jEVj+w3∑j=1tγt-jRPEj

Love Jacqueline x

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Meaning and Purpose Part 2

27 MAY 2021

This article is part of a serialisation of the book ‘Go to Yourself’ transformation through Jewish wisdom and Psychology’. The author Aryeh Sampson is a psychotherapist based in North London and counsel’s online. It combines approaches from psychotherapy and Jewish wisdom to address many psychological issues that modern man is faced with. This includes overcoming anxiety, low self esteem, improving relationships and creating a greater sense of meaning and spirituality.

BY ARYEH SAMPSON

2(A) THOUGHT (CONTINUED)

Without becoming too morbid, reflecting on our mortality and the preciousness of life can also help us track down the things which mean the most to us. This sentiment is expressed in Ecclesiastes: “It is better to go to a house of mourning than a wedding,” because the experience of going to a house of mourning causes a person to reflect on life and improve himself.

Irvin Yalom, an existential psychiatrist and writer, explained that thinking about death can cause terror. He described a phenomenon, known as “death anxiety,” where a person tries to cope with the inevitability of death by denial of its reality.

He explains, however, that the recognition of death is a factor that helps transform our lives and can actually be the source of zest and creativity. Stated dramatically, he writes, “The idea of death saves us.” Let’s look at a few varied examples of how thinking about mortality has helped people.

Alfred Nobel

PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA.

Alfred Nobel, inventor of dynamite, was born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1833. In 1888, he was astonished to read his own obituary, which was headlined, “The Merchant of Death Is Dead.”

Nobel’s brother, Ludvig, had actually died and the paper had confused the two brothers. The article disturbed Alfred Nobel greatly, causing him to think about the things that he had accomplished in his life and for which he would be remembered.

This inspired him to make changes to his will. He established the

Nobel Prizes, leaving his fortune to be used to create a series of prizes for those who had conferred the “greatest benefit” upon mankind.

At the age of seventy–two, Kirk Douglas, one of Hollywood’s most famous actors, was in a helicopter crash. Two people died, and he sustained severe injuries. As he lay in the hospital recovering, he was haunted by the tragedy. It led him in a search to discover the meaning of life, why we are here,and the nature of God. In his search for the meaning of life, he discovered and learned more about his Jewish identity and Judaism

2(B) SPEECH

Expressing our thoughts is another powerful tool to help us deepen our sense of purpose and is one of the reasons that people seek psychotherapy. Therapy provides a non-critical environment in which to examine these issues and to explore many of the questions listed above, such as, “What are my hopes, dreams, and aspirations?”, “What is my life’s purpose?”, “How do I want to use my life to contribute to others?”

A person can also explore the experiences and messages he received when he was young which may be holding him back.

Gestalt Therapy, for example, uses an imagery technique to help people resolve negative experiences and messages from their past. Let’s look at how it helped Aaron resolve issues from his past.

Aaron imagined the time when he was being ridiculed by his father for wanting to become a social worker. He recalled the following conversation: Aaron: I remember a time when I was fourteen and my father asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up.

Therapist: What happened then?

Aaron: I said, “I would like to become a social worker like my Aunt Judith.” And my father started laughing and saying, “You’ll never be able to support a family on her salary — I have not worked this hard for you to turn into a nobody!”

Therapist: How did you feel?

Aaron: I felt embarrassed and humiliated.

Therapist: What would you like to have said at the time?

Aaron: I feel too scared to say anything.

Therapist: Give it a try.

Aaron: I wish you would not laugh at me. It makes me feel so humiliated. What I really want to do is to help people and I have no interest in becoming a lawyer. I

don’t care about having a lower standard of living; what is important to me is to use my life to make a difference to other people.

so young?” they asked. “Because his life was full, he wrote many important books and touched many people,” he replied.

After Aaron expressed his upset, he went on, in therapy, to understand his father’s point of view and to forgive him. Aaron was subsequently able to find the internal strength to reach beyond his fear of ridicule. He decided to begin using his expertise as a lawyer to assist victims of abuse.

STAGE 3: TRANSFORMATION

2(C) ACTION

In previous chapters, we examined the power of taking small steps forward to help us overcome resistance to change. Similarly, in expressing our drive for meaning, we can implement this strategy by creating a plan of action and appreciating that every act counts. The Talmud warns about the dangers of being overly ambitious, stating “He who grabs too much, grabs nothing.”

The Rambam explains that we should look at the world as balanced — half meritorious and half lacking merits — and on the verge of destruction, and that one positive action has the power to make the difference. There is a beautiful story in the Talmud that illustrates the profound value of simple actions that reflect our care for the world.

A man called Choni was walking on the road and saw another man planting a carob tree. Choni asked him, “How long will it take for this tree to bear fruit?” The man replied, “Seventy years.” Choni then asked him, “And do you think you will live another seventy years and eat the fruit of this tree?” The man answered, “Perhaps not. However, when I was born into this world, I found many carob trees planted by my father and grandfather. Just as they planted trees for me, I am planting trees for my children and grandchildren so they will be able to eat the fruit of these trees.”

By filling our days with good deeds, we enrich our lives with a deeper sense of meaning. When Abraham was approaching the end of his life, he was described as “coming with his days” (as opposed to “coming with the years of his life”), because each of his days was filled with good deeds.

A story is told about a rabbi who died at the age of fifty. When the family returned from the funeral, the eldest son said, “Our father had a long life.” Everyone was shocked, “How can you say that of a man who died

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In our desire to live a deeply meaningful life, we often encounter traits and habits that hold us back, such as lack of confidence, laziness, and procrastination. In the Transformation stage, we look at going beyond merely overcoming the influence of these traits to stopping their influence completely by transforming them.

In Aaron’s case, his fear of ridicule persisted even after he started helping victims of abuse. In his new work he was afraid of making mistakes and appearing inept. He started to train himself to gradually go beyond his fear of ridicule; he repeatedly took small steps forward to confront this fear.

It took considerable time and effort, but this process slowly helped him to become more confident — until he had completely conquered his fear of ridicule.

We can use the same process of repeating positive acts to defeat any trait that is holding us back. When we succeed in our struggles and change our nature, we may also be able to use these experiences to help others with similar issues.

The psychiatrist Carl Jung wrote about this concept, which he called “the wounded healer.” The wounded healer is someone who has sought to heal his own wounds, and by so doing, has developed the compassion, wisdom, and strength to help others overcome theirs. He or she understands the pain of others, having also experienced it, and has become a gifted healer and a source of inspiration to those around them. We, too, become wounded healers by changing our character, and using our new capabilities to contribute more deeply to the lives of others.

If you are interested in viewing a webinar on Love, Communication and Marriage, or receiving a free download copy of Go to Yourself, email aryeh.sampson@gmail. com. He also has a YouTube channel, ‘Aryeh Sampson’ where he shares insights on a range of psychological issues. For more information about counseling view www. ascounsellinginnorthlondon.co.uk

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27 MAY 2021

Smoked Salmon and Avocado Tacos Recreating restaurant style food is extremely popular especially since Covid has meant home cooks want to add some excitement to everyday dining.

This recipe is quick, easy, and unbelievably delicious.

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

Variations such as sweetcorn, shredded red cabbage, refried beans, black beans can be added to ring the changes and offer variety to suit the family preferences.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: No Cooking Serves: 4 Ingredients 12 Taco Shells 2 avocados – destoned, peeled and chopped 2 cloves garlic- peeled and crushed 1 lime – juice and zest Salt and pepper 1 red chilli – finely chopped 2 teaspoons smoked paprika ~ 2 spring onions – finely chopped 3 tablespoons fresh coriander – finely chopped 100g cherry tomatoes – finely chopped 350g smoked salmon – roughly chopped Garnish: 1 lime zest – cut into julienne stripes 1 red chilli- finely sliced 100g smoked salmon – roughly chopped

Summer Shabbat Lunch

BY DENISE PHILLIPS We are now entering the longest days of the year which means Shabbat goes out late and the only advantage is that you have slightly longer on Friday to prepare! I love to create either a theme or style to my food as this is the lunch that does not have to be rushed.

Begin with a selection of dips with crudités but make it an interesting platter with colour, flavour and different textures. Try roasted spiced cauliflower florets with salsa, tahini, and a variety of hummus. Include both raw and cooked vegetables or even fruit – apples and pears with the skin on all work well. Vegetables can also be prepared the day before without spoiling.

Chicken satays or Tofu cubes with peanut sauce are a great family favourite. Wraps with hoisin sauce, sliced cucumber, spring onions with cooked turkey leg meat/ chicken or duck are so moreish.

Tacos of all varieties are fun. Make fillings like dried refried beans, guacamole, roasted peppers, shredded red cabbage, grilled salmon with lime yoghurt, black bean salad, shredded chicken or beef all work well.

Open puff pastry tartlets with heritage tomatoes, cheese and fresh herbs or quiche made from short crust pastry are a good reliable main course. Make them individual or as one large pie. Flavour your pastry with dried or fresh herbs or even use ground almonds or polenta for a slightly different

pie base.

Fillings like mushrooms, thyme and cheese, leeks with blue cheese, caramelized carrots with a carrot salsa topping, pea and smoked trout, salmon, cream cheese and dill are just some options.

Cooked kale, fine beans and red onions have strong colours that provide contrast and cook well inside a tartlet.

Main course salads include feta with roasted beetroot, salad niçoise with either fresh tuna/ or tinned, smoked salmon or even cooked chicken always looks as good as they taste. And more to the point these are easy to create in advance and require very little last-minute preparation.

Pasta salads with seasonal vegetables and fresh herbs are quick to make. Or try cous cous, bulghur wheat, green lentils, barley as they provide an alternative grain for a side dish or main course salad. Toasted bread salads like Fattoush, Panzanella are a delight to prepare and eat.

And for dessert - leftovers from Friday night’s dinner are normally on the menu but make individual portions so if you do have guests, they don’t realise this! Take advantage of the delicious fruits of the season – berries, nectarines, plums, peaches, cherries etc. Roast, bake or stuff; keep it simple as after having enjoyed a substantial meal something light and noshy is all that is required.

Shabbat Shalom

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Method - For the Base 1) P lace the avocado, garlic, juice and zest of lime, salt and pepper, chilli and paprika into the food processor. Whizz to produce a chunky paste.

Remove and transfer to a bowl.

2) A dd the spring onions, coriander, cherry tomatoes and smoked salmon to the avocado puree.

3) Spoon into the tacos just before serving or let your guests help themselves.

Garnish: Add lime zest, red chilli and smoked salmon on the top.

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27 MAY 2021

Travel

Malcolm Ginsberg, Jewish Weekly Travel Editor, is the Editor-in-Chief of Business Travel News, a member of the International Travel Writers Alliance, a noted analyst on aviation matters. Over the years he has been hosted by Jewish communities as varied as Hong Kong; Hobart, Australia; Quito, Ecuador and Cape Town, a very Jewish city at the tip of South Africa. Travel organisers please contact malcolm. ginsberg@btnews.co.uk www.btnews.co.uk With the limited lifting of restrictions it is possible to plan ahead for summer holidays, but it comes with a warning. Only book with travel agents (ABTA members) that you know, or direct with the provider, and by credit card. And check what the cancellation clauses are. BTN has a link to the Government overseas travel website www.btnews.co.uk or you can go direct www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. BTN also this week reports on passport problems. That also needs looking into!

The good news is that last week “seacations” started, mini-cruises, firstly Italian MSC with the family orientated Virtuosa out of Southampton, followed by Viking, perhaps still best known for its river ships, adults only over 18, from Portsmouth.

Up to 14 different cruise lines are now offering trips in UK waters up to the end of September. These range from three nights to seven and where there is a port visit, guests need to stay in their ‘bubble’ when on firm land. The rules will be

The latest on board attractions for the kids

rigidly applied although I have not heard of any miscreants at the time of writing.

For non-cruisers this plethora of trips is a wonderful (and cheap) way of trying out a seaborne holiday for the first time.

The law for ships can change with the next target date 21 June, although an announcement is likely earlier. As things stand, ships are limited to one thousand passengers maximum or half their normal capacity. The suggestion is you book early as the limited space is selling fast.

One thing for sure – the dates and itineraries keep changing. The following is as up to date as I can be and are the first cruises for each line. Check with the cruise company for the full programme.

MSC & VIKING ARE ALREADY AT SEA. 11 June: Long-established small ship operator Noble Caledonia opens up its

Not a deserted High Street but the main arcade on MSC Virtuosa

PHOTO: IVAN SARFATTI, MSC CRUISES

PHOTO: CREDIT IVAN SARFATTI, MSC CRUISES DECK

season from Oban, with Hebridean Sky on its way to Inverness, 9-night trip via Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland Islands.

The purpose-built ‘Sky’ has a maximum of 112 passengers and is best described as “intimate” with on board specialist lecturers for what will be a memorable trip.

26 June: Spirit of Discovery, from Tilbury, for 15 nights completely around the UK as far as St Kilda and taking in Newcastle, Edinburgh and Belfast. Marking the maiden voyage of the brand-new SAGA of Adventure takes place 26 July. Who names the ship remains to be seen.

27 June: P&O with Britannia departing Southampton the first of 3- and 4-night cruises through to September. The brandnew Iona leaves the port on 7 August bound for the Scottish islands after which she is named with the promise of a special party into the sunset. Hermolis is the kosher supplier for P&O (also sister companies Cunard and Princess), offering generous portions but you do need to book ahead. As with all cruise operators there is always a generous vegetarian selection.

3 July: Celebrity’s remodelled Silhouette will embark on a series of six-to eightnight itineraries around Britain’s coastline from Southampton. Guests will have the chance to explore the Jurassic Coastline from Portland, and learn about the Highlands and Lowlands. Inverness, Kirkwall, Glasgow and Belfast plus the spiritual home of the Atlantic liners, Liverpool.

4 July: Hurtigruten from Dover on MS Maud to the North Cape. Upgraded for 2021 this 16,000ton expedition-style ship carries 530 passengers.

5 July: Fred Olsen’s Borealis takes a 3-night maiden voyage from Liverpool.

Borealis, the former Holland America Rotterdam is a quantum leap forward for the Ipswich-based cruise line that is taking a cautious programme of ship reintroductions, the ever-popular Balmoral starting from Newcastle with a 10-day

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cruise. Bolette, also a maiden voyage out of Dover 16 August.

7 July: Royal Caribbean International will bring Anthem of the Seas to Southampton offering UK families a choice of 4-night Ocean Getaways in early July and 5- to 8-night British Isles cruises, starting 15 July featuring visits to Liverpool, Kirkwall and Belfast.

15 July: Disney Magic from Liverpool on a three night ‘taster’ trip, a great opportunity to find out what Disney Cruise Line is all about. Later she also offers similar trips from Southampton, Newcastle and Tilbury.

19 July: Cunarder Queen Elizabeth departs Southampton on a literary cruise with 24/7 entertainment and food, plus plenty of deck space to sit outside.

Top-rated authors are promised, and you can meet them around the ship. Queen Mary 2 leaves for New York on 14 November, her first transatlantic crossing since 2019. Queen Victoria returns into service in November.

26 July: Silversea’s Silver Whisper (388 guests) will embark passengers at Edinburgh (Leith) on an 11-night cruise to Tromso. The trip takes in the wonderful Norwegian fiords including Flam and goes to the North Cape and Honningsvag as far north as you can go.

31 July: Regal Princess leaves Southampton for a 3-night cruise. This is an American style cruise line, but without Americans for the most part not flying over at this time. Regal Princess and Sky Princess will offer scenic cruises and voyages with stops in UK ports-of-call including Liverpool, Belfast and Greenock, with itineraries ranging from three to seven nights.

2 August: SAGA’s Spirit of Discovery returns into service from Tilbury with a 13-night trip circumnavigating the British Isles, visiting Newcastle, Edinburgh, Belfast and Dublin. Named by the Duchess of Cornwall in July 2019 the ship was a subject of a BTN review 3 August 2020.

6 August: Virgin Voyages maiden voyage of Scarlet Lady, the ship based at Portsmouth and offering three- and four-night trips. Unveiled to the travel trade (and media) at Dover 21 February 2020 she left the following morning for Liverpool and thence on to New York, the crossing and high-profile arrival aborted mid-ocean due to the pandemic. www.celebritycruises.co.uk www.cunard.com https://disneycruise.disney.go.com www.fredolsencruises.com https://www.hurtigruten.co.uk https://msccruises.com www.noble-caledonia.co.uk www.pocruises.com www.princess.com www.royalcaribbean.com www.silversea.com https://travel.saga.co.uk/cruises/ ocean.aspx https://www.vikingcruises.co.uk/ www.virginvoyages.com

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ASK THE RABBI

Looking for answers? Send your question to Rabbi@RabbiSchochet.com GENOCIDE IN ISRAEL Dear Rabbi I really appreciated what you had to say last week about Israel and our response. But how do I retort to someone who says Israel is genocidal?

Harris Dear Harris For one thing, you can point them in the direction of some influencers on social media who realised after the fact that their inflammatory remarks triggered all sorts of anti-Semitic responses. So they backtracked, acknowledging, as in the words of one, “This is no time for hyperbole.” In other words, the claim is hyperbole – which only reflects how dangerous it is, and the damage it can cause.

Second, let’s consider the numbers. It is true Israel dropped 1000 bombs on Gaza (Yes, you read that right). 230 people were killed as a result.

Of those 230, 160 were Hamas terrorists. Israel can give you their names, where they lived and what they did. That leaves 70 civilians, and that is not to be undermined in any way whatsoever. Israel takes no pleasure in taking civilian lives. Take note, however, that of the 4000 missiles that Hamas sent into Israel, one third of them didn’t make the distance and fell back on their own population. So we can assume that the total number of civilian casualties caused

by Israel was 47. 1000 bombs, 47 causalities. Either Israel has really bad aim (and these are high tech precision fighter jets), or – wait for it – Israel wasn’t

targeting civilians, though alas that was an inevitable reality when Hamas continue to hide amongst civilians. I think the facts speak for themselves and I don’t have to preach the obvious in this column. But point that out to any hater and see what they have to say. The bottom line, as we all know is, Hamas sends their rockets over indiscriminately, hoping to kill as many Israeli civilians as possible. Israel drops its bombs with precision, hoping to avoid all civilians altogether. Ours is a false world, and, as I observed last week, the singling out of Israel for condemnation and ignoring the blatant facts, has nothing to do with anyone’s care about the Palestinians and everything to do with the undercurrent of anti-Semitism that is much like a sleeping dog – waiting to rear its ugly head once more.

TREATING INTERMARRIAGE Dear Rabbi I know that you often talk about tolerance of our fellow Jews. I am dealing with a real situation that I could use your guidance on. If a Jew (whom I know) who knows better and intermarries, how should one treat his or her spouse? Coldly? Warmly?

Somewhere in between?

Elliott Dear Elliott The Talmud (Sotah) relays two separate incidents of individuals who ought to have known better and in either instance, the Talmud makes the point that one should “push away with the

Pirkei Avot

left hand but draw close with the right hand.”

Treatment of the non-Jewish spouse is paramount when looking to make a difference to the Jewish individual’s life. My rule of thumb is to never do anything that implies, even in the slightest, a “sanctioning” of the relationship. He or she knows you don’t recognise the spouse and you should never soften your stance in that regard. It doesn’t mean, however, that you should be offensive to a point where the Jew in questions stops engaging with you. But your left hand is reserved for the spouse while your right hand is intended for your brother or sister.

To be sure, “one doesn’t sin unless possessed by a spirit of folly.” Even as we presume the individual to “know better,” no Jew, in their right mind, would risk severing their bond with their roots. As such, there really ought not to be a distinction between the treatment of those who “know better” and others who don’t.

Moreover, the verse in Samuel (2:14:14) states: “so that no one may be kept banished.” This oft-cited verse is a fundamental principle of kiruv. Regardless of the background and awareness of the individual, they have a pintele Yid – a Jewish spark which flickers within. The fact that you are now encountering them is no mere coincidence.

It means that it is now your responsibility to trigger that soul thus enabling the spark to become a passionate spiritual inferno. Find the balance between the rejecting left hand and embracing right hand and look

For Refuah Shalema for Eitan Moshe Ben Tal

‫ ֲעשָׂ ָרה‬,‫ַר ִ ּבי ֲחלַ ְפ ָּתא ֶבן דּ וֹ ָסא ִא ׁיש ְּכ ַפר ֲחנַ נְ יָ ה אוֹ ֵמר‬ ‫ ׁ ֶש ֶּנ ֱא ַמר‬,‫יהם‬ ֶ ֵ‫ ׁ ְשכִ ינָ ה ׁ ְשרוּיָ ה ֵבינ‬,‫ׁ ֶש ּיוֹ ׁ ְש ִבין וְ עוֹ ְס ִקין ַ ּב ּתוֹ ָרה‬ ,‫ ו ִּמ ַּניִ ן ֲא ִפלּ ּו ֲח ִמ ּׁ ָשה‬.‫(תהלים פב) ֱאל ִֹקים נִ ָ ּצב ַ ּב ֲע ַדת ֵקל‬ ‫ ו ִּמ ַּניִ ן ֲא ִפלּ ּו‬.‫ׁ ֶש ֶּנ ֱא ַמר (עמוס ט) וַ ֲאגֻ דָּ תוֹ ַעל ֶא ֶרץ יְ ָס ָד ּה‬ ‫ ו ִּמ ַּניִ ן‬.‫ ׁ ֶש ֶּנ ֱא ַמר (תהלים פב) ְ ּב ֶק ֶרב ֱאל ִֹקים יִ ׁ ְש ּפֹט‬,‫לשה‬ ָ ׁ ‫ׁ ְש‬ ‫ ׁ ֶש ֶּנ ֱא ַמר (מלאכי ג) ָאז נִ ְד ְ ּבר ּו יִ ְר ֵאי ה’ ִא ׁיש‬,‫ֲא ִפלּ ּו ׁ ְשנַ יִ ם‬ ‫ ׁ ֶש ֶּנ ֱא ַמר‬,‫ ו ִּמ ַּניִ ן ֲא ִפלּ ּו ֶא ָחד‬.’ ֹ‫ֶאל ֵר ֵעה ּו וַ ַ ּי ְק ׁ ֵשב ה’ וַ ִ ּי ׁ ְש ָמע וְ גו‬ ָ ֶ‫(שמות כ) ְ ּבכָ ל ַה ָּמקוֹ ם ֲא ׁ ֶשר ַאזְ ִּכיר ֶאת ׁ ְש ִמי ָאבֹא ֵאל‬ ‫יך‬ ָ ‫ו ֵּב ַרכְ ִּת‬ :‫יך‬ Rabbi Halafta of Kefar Hanania said: when ten sit together and occupy themselves with

Torah, the Shechinah abides among them, as it is said: “G-d stands in the Divine assembly” (Psalm 82:1). How do we know that the same is true even of five? As it is said: “This band of His has established on earth” (Amos 9:6). How do we know that the same is true even of three?

As it is said: “In the midst of the judges He judges” (Psalm 82:1) How do we know that the same is true even of two? As it is said: “Then they that fear the Lord spoke one with another, and the Lord hearkened, and heard” (Malachi 3:16). How do we know that the same is true even of one? As it is said: “In every place where

to bring them home.

THE JEW COMPLEX Dear Rabbi You are the only thing I read that is Jewish. Please, please don’t see this as an attack on Jews, but don’t you think if Jews didn’t call themselves “the chosen people” or if Israel didn’t exist, that maybe there wouldn’t be anti-Semitism?

Claudia Dear Claudia Tell that to the non-Jews: American president, John Adams (not Jewish): “I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize man than any other nation.

If I were an atheist, and believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that chance had ordered the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations…”

Russian novelist, Leo Tolstoy (not Jewish): “The Jew is that sacred being who has brought down from heaven the everlasting fire, and has illuminated with it the entire world. He is the religious source, spring and fountain out of which all the rest of the peoples have drawn their beliefs and their religions…”

PS: If you think there would be less anti-Semitism in the world if Israel didn’t exist, let me refer you to all of human history between 136 CE and 1948.

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

Perek 3: Mishna 6

I cause my name to be mentioned I will come unto you and bless you” (Exodus 20:21).

This Mishnah is reminiscent of much of how Gemara (the Talmud) works, quoting many verses as proofs to build up arguments. The main point to take is as the children’s song goes; namely that Hashem is here, Hashem is there, Hashem is truly everywhere. Even a person learning or praying by themselves will be in the presence of G-d. Of course it is much better to be in the presence of ten, but don’t be despondent to learn Torah alone. Hashem is always around!

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Torah from Israel

27 MAY 2021

Beha’alotecha: The Good Old Days

BY RABBI MOSHE TARAGIN “We want fish, We want fish!” These ridiculous chants boomed through the Jewish camp as an angry mob clamoured for a return to Egypt. Astonishingly, the hordes demanded a return to Egypt, a return to oppression and a return to the puny and putrid scraps of fish they received at the end of each dreadful day of labour. People always yearn for the “good old days” but, often, those old days weren’t that good to begin with. What lies at the heart of this illusion about the good old days? What incited this ludicrous demonstration in the desert?

In part, the Jews were suffering from a form of “prisoner anxiety”. Freedom carries great weight and great personal responsibility. Often the burden of freedom is too difficult to bear, especially for people who have enjoyed the tranquillity of a life without choice. Imprisonment and slavery snatch away freedom of choice, and relieve us of the heavy burden of decision making. The former Jewish slaves now faced a frightening march through the desert as well as a looming challenge of conquering the promised land. As adversity set in, it was easier to ‘flee” these challenges and escape back to their prior state of slavery – a world without ‘heavy’ expectations and a world in which they could rely upon their daily fish as a “given”. Facing a choice between fish and freedom these panicked slaves chose fish.

In addition to fearing their freedom, the Jews fell into a well-known psychological trap – the deception of nostalgia. Nostalgia allows our memory to selectively choose moments from our past, which, when dusted off and polished, appear shinier then our dreary present. We recall our past in a manner that our brains choose to remember it, and we imaginatively reinvent and glorify that past. As the past is unaffected by the struggles and hardships of the present, it always seems more radiant, more dazzling and more perfect. Often, anxiety about our current state, drives us into unrealistic memory of a “better” past.

Sometimes we experience collective nostalgia – not about our personal past but about past generations. Facing problems and challenges in our own societies we often look to previous societies as more successful versions of the human experiment. We convince ourselves that our world is dysfunctional and beyond repair; once convinced, we exonerate ourselves from efforts to improve our contemporary condition. Personal and collective nostalgia often provide easy escapes.

For Jews, the challenges of “generational nostalgia” are particularly complex. We live with acute historical consciousness and we reference our collective past and

compare it to the present. As we stream our contemporary experiences alongside the past, we are often nostalgic about past generations, viewing them as religiously and spiritually superior to our own fallen state. This view is captured by the concept of “nitkatnu hadorot” which asserts that later generations have literally become “smaller” and are in constant state of religious decline.

Is this completely true? Does the passing of generations bring with it religious deterioration, and is a later generation-by definitionspiritually inferior to previous generations?

In some ways this is true but in many other ways it isn’t.

Jewish faith and the transmission of Torah both emanate from one seminal event which occurred 3300 years ago. On that epic day G-d directly revealed Himself to over 3.5 million people; this once-in history event never recurred. Those who lived in closer proximity to that event, obviously, possessed a more accurate transmission of Torah than those who lived historically removed from “the source”. Since those “closer to Sinai” possessed a more accurate Torah, they also possess greater halachik authority than later generations. In addition to their proximity to Sinai, those who lived through the ensuing 1300 years of prophecy enjoyed supernatural access to “Heavenly” information. The Torah knowledge gathered under these conditions certainly surpasses the level of Torah achievable in subsequent generations who struggle to recover the traditions of Sinai without the aid of prophecy. Certainly, our collective level of Torah knowledge cannot possibly match the achievements of generations upstream in Jewish history.

Generational decline also affects the calibre of Torah personalities. Torah greatness can’t be achieved, it must be endowed.

Exposure to great people is absolutely necessary for Torah excellence. Those who lived in earlier generations were exposed to more surpassing Torah personalities and were therefore, better able to achieve their own Torah eminence. As history progresses we suffer deterioration, both in our collective knowledge of Torah as well as in the quality of Torah scholars.

If earlier generations possessed greater Torah knowledge, we would expect their moral and religious behaviour to be equally surpassing. Often this was true, but, sadly, human experience doesn’t always match expectations. During first Temple era, our religious behaviour was abysmal.

Widespread violation of cardinal halachik prohibitions doomed the great potential of that period and sentenced our people to its first exile. We were far too confident in our land, our Temple and our belief that G-d would protect us from any and all calamities. Convinced of our invulnerability,

As history progresses we suffer deterioration, both in our collective knowledge of Torah as well as in the quality of Torah scholars. we committed terrible sins. Our careless religious lifestyles wrecked our national potential and condemned the Temple.

Throughout our extended exile we also experienced periods of religious let-down. Unsurprisingly, the more Jews were persecuted the greater religious resolve we displayed; the more comfortable our surroundings and the greater the cultural embrace of Jews, the more our religious resolve atrophied. 15th century Spain and 19th century Eastern Europe provide two regrettable examples of religious regression prompted by excessive acculturation. Jews and Spain and Jews in Western Europe each became too comfortable in their respective cultures, and though each generation produced great Torah scholarship, they each experienced widespread religious regression. It is not always true that past generations exhibited greater religious commitment.

There is an additional area in which generations don’t necessarily retreat.

Regarding national faith and our response to historical adversity, later generations often surpass previous ones. Certain generations display uncommon courage in the face of excessive hostility. For example, the bravery of the Jews living under Roman persecution in the 1st and 2nd centuries was legendary.

Known as the ‘dor hashemad’, their courage in defying the great Roman empire reinforced Jewish religion and pride, and paved the way for the emergence of the Talmud.

Our own generation has displayed similar national valour. Our generation has faced two daunting challenges unimaginable to

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previous generations. After the nightmare of the Holocaust, our people were tasked with rebuilding Jewish communities and reconstituting the Jewish spirit. Over the past 80 years we have heroically rebuilt the foundation of the Jewish world and restored a sense of Jewish communal belonging. Alongside the mission of recovering from the Holocaust, we have also been challenged to rebuild and resettle our ancient homeland in the face of unrelenting opposition and constant invasions. Jews around the world have lobbied together to craft this historical miracle despite the hatred and violence directed against us.

The concept that generations deteriorate can be very misleading and worse, can become very enfeebling. This belief can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Convinced of our own helplessness, we become incapable of greater aspirations and too frail for great accomplishments. Jewish tradition is definitely built upon a hierarchy which acknowledges the authority of past generations. However, each generation faces its own “historical setup” and some generations display great heroism, courage and commitment in facing off against history.

Our generation has much to be proud of.

Rabbi Moshe Taragin 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.

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

From the Mikdash to the Machaneh

BY RABBANIT SHANI TARAGIN Parshat Beha’alotcha continues the theme of Sefer Bemidbar – teaching us of the sanctity of the “machaneh” – the encampment of Am Yisrael as it surrounds the Mishkan in a dynamic state, preparing us for our journey and imminent settlement in the Land of Israel. That’s why numerous laws and narratives that we would have expected to find in Sefer Vayikra (and some we do), are mentioned (or repeated) in Sefer Bemidbar from a different perspective, complementing the holiness of the Tabernacle stemming from Hashem, with the holiness of the camp, which the people themselves are responsible to maintain!

The kohahim, for example, in Sefer Vayikra, are presented as models and teachers of sanctity in the “ivory tower” of the Tabernacle, whereas in Sefer Bemidbar we’re taught of their participation with all members (thieves, promiscuous women) in the “machaneh”. A nazir may even reach a kohen-like state in the camp (see Ramban), and the princes consecrate the mizbayach on behalf of the people, just as the priests do for their sacrificial order.

Our parsha opens with the commandment to Aharon to light the menorah (8:1-4), also mentioned in Sefer Vayikra (24:1-4), with a different emphasis. In Vayikra, the lighting of the menorah constitutes a service for Hashem – “before the Lord continually.” In the book of Bemidbar, the lighting emphasizes the form of the menorah – “the whole of it one beaten work of pure gold,” expressing a central idea evident to the people and a symbol of Jewish identity (see this week’s haftarah, Zechariah, ch.4).

As the parsha continues with the appointment and sanctification of the Levites and their service in safeguarding, dismantling and carrying the mishkan, their role as representatives of the camp is emphasized. The tribe of Levi replaced the firstborn “from among the children of Israel,” a phrase that is repeated sixteen times in the unit. In addition to the kohanim, the representatives of Hashem in the Mishkan as highlighted in Sefer Vayikra, the Levi’im are set aside and authorized by the power of the people of Israel and for their sake – as part of their camp, in the book of Bemidbar.

Similarly, the “Pesach in the

wilderness” is presented in the parsha to properly re-establish Jewish identity on the anniversary of the ceremony through which we left Egypt as began our journey of religious identity. It is therefore necessary on the eve of our sojourn as a “machaneh” to Eretz Yisrael, to solidify our religious-national identity. Only now that there is “holiness” in the camp do we encounter the argument of “impure” people who cannot fathom national-religious FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) “among the children of Israel.” Hashem’s response to their initiative with the possibility of Pesach Sheini insures their inclusion in the collective of the machaneh.

In our parsha (9:15-23) the details of when to travel and when to camp “at the commandment of Hashem” are delineated, indicated by the cloud of fire above the Mishkan. Juxtaposed to the travel of the cloud, the commandment of blasting the trumpets comes to complement the Divine initiative with a human response.

Similarly, as the cloud leads Bnei Yisrael in the wilderness together with the Holy Ark of the Mishkan charting the course for the people, Moshe requests of Chovav to accompany them as well, serving as

“eyes” for their journey. Moshe Rabbeinu understands from the commandment to fashion and blow the trumpets, that in addition to journeying based on G-d’s command and initiative, it’s necessary for the people to play a role – to sound the trumpets and guide.

We are reminded of our divinely inspired abilities to respond to the source of kedusha, initiated by Hashem in the Mishkan, with actions in the machaneh.

Hashem does not want us to be a passive-robotic people, but rather an empowered and inspired nation who will participate and maintain a relationship of holiness through our actions in the machaneh. Even as we leave the “ivory towers” of yeshivot and midrashot, we’re meant to continue our symbiotic relationship of kedusha through our travels and tribulations in the wilderness, in our communities, and certainly as a nation “encamped” around the Mikdash in the Land.

Rabbanit Shani Taragin is educational director of World Mizrachi and teaches at Matan and other educational institutions in Israel.

Parshat Behaalotecha: “Like A Child”

BY GAVRIEL COHN Within this week’s sedra a painful, tragic fracture begins to occur. Sefer Bamidbar opens listing the regal, military encampment of the Jewish People in their desert journeys, how they would travel in an impressive, united formation, all surrounding the divine Tent of Meeting, basking in G-d’s Presence, and following His cloud and the call of trumpets. Yet this organised, G-d-focused picture is shattered in this week’s portion, when “the People took to seeking complaints”, and all begins to crumble, spiralling down into rebellions against G-d, punishments, plagues, civil war, and political strife.

Perhaps this week’s sedra could be seen to mirror itself, with the organised visionary first half, directly paralleling the fractious second part: The dissenting, grumbling complainers are a far cry from the Leviim consecrated for their Temple duty at the beginning of the sedra, set aside “to perform the service of the Jewish People in the Tent of Meeting” and to be entirely devoted to G-d. The raging divine fire that then consumed those complainers perhaps

mirrors the pure lamps of the Menorah described in the portion’s opening passage. The people’s protests to Moshe and Moshe’s own bitter cry, are further the antithesis of the ceremonious, confident short trumpet blasts commanded to be sounded in times of trouble in the first half of this week’s sedra, from which “you shall be remembered before G-d and you shall be saved from your enemies.”

The people’s visceral displeasure with the manna and the sustenance given to them by G-d, “rejecting G-d”, stands in stark contrast to the pious, impure men of Pesach Sheini eager not to “lose out by not offering the sacrifice of G-d.” Furthermore, those righteous men of Pesach Sheini were the very opposite of those at Kivros haTa’avah who began to gorge themselves on the excessive hordes of meat that they had gathered greedily as they were struck down by G-d.

So, what went wrong? What caused this utter breakdown, this complete shift from the organised structures and dutiful journeying portrayed from the start of Sefer Bamidbar until now, “when the people began to complain”?

The answers lies in one pivotal clause,

just before the slew of disasters and punishments are told: “They turned from the Mountain of G-d [travelling] a three day journey” (Bamidbar 10:33).

The Jewish People, as our Sages explain, “ran away from Mount Sinai like a child escaping from school” (brought in Tosfot, Gemara Shabbos 116a; Ramban, Bamidbar 10:35). After encountering the Divine and receiving His Laws at the foot of Mount Sinai, the Jewish People then turned and fled like a youngster running from school.

The Jewish People’s mentality was as a child’s. They perhaps failed to appreciate the inner value of the laws, seeming them only as acts of obedience that they needed to follow in order to gain reward.

Seeing Jewish Law that way, they were scared to take on even more rules and so fled from Mount Sinai. On having accepted the Covenant at Sinai they then expected desert life to be easy, for their obedience to be met with a showering of physical reward and luxury – just as a child does. They were unwilling to accept the natural reality of the Wilderness. “Like a child” the Jewish People thought that if they followed G-d’s laws then life would

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instantly and always be perfect, that they would presents and gifts would be thrown upon them from On High. However, instead, those Laws given at Sinai are meant to direct us to improve our moral characters, relationships, and society at large. Judaism’s true purpose lies improving us as people and connecting us to G-d and to truth. Without knowing the inner meaning of Judaism, the regal structures of the Law, like the military-like desert encampments of the Jewish People, are set to collapse. The Jewish People instead should have appreciated the rich meaning and purpose of each of G-d’s Laws, “why” G-d commanded us to adhere to them, and to thus come to serve G-d out of love, and not, misguidedly, for their own self-directed, material aims (see Rambam, Hilchot Teshuvah, chapter 10).

As the Rambam wrote, “it is more important for me to expound on a fundamental of the fundamental principles than any other matter I teach” (Rambam, Commentary on the Mishneh). Really, if we delve into this inner content, we have no reason to flee from Mount Sinai, or to then complain. Instead, “how great is our portion.”

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27 MAY 2021

A Torah bite for the Shabbat table

Applying the Brakes RABBI GOODMAN A Jewish life is a busy life. Always on the move, with Torah to learn, Mitzvos to keep, and character traits to perfect, there is not too much time for resting on one’s laurels. However, effective spiritual growth does not necessarily mean emulating Speedy Gonzales or Billy the Whiz. On the contrary, we learn from this week’s Parsha that sitting tight demonstrates a much greater degree of spiritual devotion and commitment.

Klal Yisroel spent forty years in the wilderness, embarking on no less than forty-two journeys, before reaching their destination. Rabbi Shimshon Rafael Hirsch (1808-1888), poetically describes these journeys, likening the Clouds of Glory- whose change of location signaled the onset of a new journey- to the shepherd’s raised staff, motioning his flock to journey forth. He explains that these journeys ingrained within us, the Jewish people, the ability to put aside our own agenda and instead follow Hashem’s lead with faith and devotion.

Rabbi Hirsch points out that instead of focusing on the arduous journeys that Klal Yisroel endured, the Torah concentrates

on their encampment between each journey. The pasuk says, “And whenever the cloud was lifted from atop the Tent, afterwards the Children of Israel would journey,”- meaning, Klal Yisroel would stay put until receiving instructions to move.

The Torah then states, “All the days that the cloud would rest upon the Tabernacle they would encamp,” and finally, “When the cloud lingered upon the Tabernacle many days, the Children of Israel would maintain the charge of Hashem and would not journey.”

Rabbi Hirsch explains that the Jewish People’s primary challenge during their forty years spent in the wilderness was to sit tight. Despite knowing that their current location- a dangerous and threatening place- was certainly not their ultimate destination, and that a great future awaited them in Eretz Yisroel, they had to wait patiently for the signal to carry on, and

not jump the gun. More importantly than learning how to set out on a journey, Klal Yisroel learned how to wait for the right time. Indeed, about this specific quality, the Torah declares, “V’shamru Bnei Yisroel es mishmeres Hashem,” that the Children of Israel would maintain the charge of Hashem.

Our lives are a series of journeys towards the ultimate destination- the World to Come - and we are as much under the guidance of Hashem as were Bnei Yisroel during their years in the wilderness.

Although we lack the Clouds of Glory, signaling to us when to embark on a new journey and when to stop, in their stead Hashem has granted us great spiritual leaders to guide us along the way.

This spiritual principle of waiting patiently not only applies to the Jewish People as a whole, but to every single one of us as well. Although spiritual growth is

More importantly than learning how to set out on a journey, Klal Yisroel learned how to wait for the right time.

about being proactive, being proactive is not always about being active, and while holding back in spiritually can feel wrong, often it is the right thing to do. Of course, each person must seek the appropriate guidance for his individual situation, but ultimately, whether the resolution is to move forward or hold back, both options qualify as service of Hashem.

A project of My Dvar Torah, Torah Bite is your resource for a short, dynamic, and meaningful Dvar Torah to share at the Shabbos table. Originally from London, Rabbi Ben Goodman has spent 20 years in Jerusalem, teaching and inspiring students from all backgrounds and from all over the world. He is the director of My Dvar Torah, providing tailor-made Divrei Torah for all occasions. www.mydvartorah.com.

He encourages feedback & ideas: ben@mydvartorah.com

Chovat Halevavot Hilchot Shabbat At times even one who has trust in G-d may find that their sustenance is not readily available.

Such a person can reason, “Hashem Who brought me to the world at a given time and decides how long I have here, is the same One who knows when I will earn my living and when not and whatever He decides will be for my benefit”.

Sometimes, a person only has just enough for food. One who trusts in Hashem can tell themselves: “Hashem who provided me with sustenance since I was a baby – where immediately upon my birth, my mother was able to nurse me as much as I needed on a daily basis until I was able to eat more “exciting” foods, in the same way that the milk I drank then was exactly what I needed and it did not harm me that it was precise, so too, if Hashem has enabled me to earn exactly the (couple of) hundred pounds that it costs to feed my family precisely, but not more, that too, is what He knows I/we need.

When a person withstands these tests

and trusts in Hashem even when their income is slow in coming, they are rewarded by Hashem, as He told the Jews in the Midbar that each day they should go out and collect the Manna they need for that day “in order to test them will they still go in the ways of my Torah” – meaning, even when they are given a precise amount of food will they still trust in Me and follow My Torah?”, the result being as we are taught later on in Devarim – “in order to bestow goodness upon you”.

Eventually G-d would tell the very moving words to Jeremiah – “Go out and call in the ears of Jerusalem saying: So, says G-d, I remember the kindness of your youth (meaning the Jewish people as a young nation in the wilderness) the love of our marriage when you followed Me into a wilderness where nothing is planted.”

G-d returns our faith in him with love and reward, not only in the present, but long into the future too.

We continue with the laws of items Muktzah due to their uselessness.

A utensil which has broken, whether on weekday or on Shabbat, is Muktzah if its pieces are useless. If the broken pieces are lying in a place where they may cause harm to a passer-by then they can be moved to the side.

If the shards are useful then they do not become Muktzah, so long as it is not the common practice to discard of such pieces. If the owner of perfectly usable items discarded them prior to the onset of Shabbat then they are Muktzah even for others who find a use for them, however, if they were only discarded by the owner on Shabbat and another person finds a use for them, then they are not Muktzah.

If a perfectly usable item was thrown out even before Shabbat by the owner, then another person is permitted to move them and use them.

Similarly, disposable items, such as used plates or used napkins, also become Muktzah and may not be moved for

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nothing. (If they are dirty, they can be discarded.)

If a piece of furniture or other utensil has a part of it which has broken, then it depends how easy it is to fix it. If it is easy to fix, then the pieces may not be moved as the Sages were concerned that a person will forget and transgress a prohibition of fixing on Shabbat. If, on the other hand, it is difficult to fix then one may move the pieces so long as the pieces have some use on Shabbat.

A door of a cupboard or of a room may not be detached on Shabbat and if they are detached, they are Muktzah. If, however, one detached it before Shabbat and had in mind to use it for a permissible use on Shabbat, then it is not Muktzah, but it may not be returned to its position on Shabbat.

27 MAY 2021

Beha’alotecha

Sidra Summary

“When you kindle the lamps, toward the face of the Menorah shall the seven lamps cast light” (Bemidbar 8:2)

Point to Consider: Why were the firstborn dismissed from their role? (see Rashi to 8:17)

3RD ALIYA (SHLISHI) – 9:1-14

1ST ALIYA (KOHEN) – BEMIDBAR 8:1-14 G-d tells Moshe to instruct Aharon, the Kohen Gadol, to light the Menorah every day in the Mishkan (Tabernacle). G-d tells Moshe to appoint the Levi’im to their service in the Mishkan. This involves bringing two animal offerings, the people placing their hands upon the heads of the Levi’im and each Levi being physically lifted in the air and waved by Moshe and Aharon.

2ND ALIYA (LEVI) – 8:15-26

The tribe of Levi is to take over the role that had been designated for the firstborn, who were sanctified on the night of the Exodus from Egypt, when the Egyptian firstborn were slain and the Israelite firstborn survived.

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In the second year after the Exodus, on 14 Nissan, G-d commands the people to bring their Pesach offerings. There are people who are ritually impure, having recently come into contact with a dead person. Unable to bring an offering, they come to Moshe and Aharon and express their desire not to miss out. G-d tells Moshe that they can have a second chance, a month later, on what becomes known as Pesach Sheni (‘the second Pesach’).

4TH ALIYA (REVI’I) – 9:15-10:10

A cloud covers the Mishkan by day, with a fiery appearance at night. The Israelites remain encamped until the cloud lifts, which is the signal to journey on. The duration of time during which the cloud covers the Mishkan varies. G-d tells Moshe to make two silver trumpets to summon the people before travelling in the desert. The trumpets are also to be blown when the nation is at war, in order to evoke Divine mercy, as well as to accompany communal offerings on Shabbat and festival days.

5TH ALIYA (CHAMISHI) – 10:11-34

In the second year after the Exodus, on 20 Iyar, the cloud lifts and the nation journeys from the Sinai desert to the Paran desert.

The Torah describes the order of the tribes’ journeying and the different stages of dismantling and erecting the Mishkan.

Moshe asks his father-in-law Yitro, referred to here as Chovav, to join the nation on their journey.

6TH ALIYA (SHISHI) – 10:35-11:29

When the Aron (ark) would start its miraculous journey in front of the nation, Moshe would appeal to G-d to scatter His enemies. The people complain. G-d sends a fatal fire against them, until Moshe pleads for mercy on their behalf. The ‘rabble’ then complain about the manna, which does not taste as good as the food in Egypt. G-d is angered. Moshe says he is helpless to deal with the nation’s complaints. G-d tells him to appoint 70 elders to assist in leading the nation. G-d tells Moshe that, in response to their complaints, the nation will be given meat for a whole month, until they are sick of it. The 70 elders are appointed and are given prophetic powers.

Point to Consider: Why are there inverted letter ‘nuns’ placed before and after the first

verse of this Aliyah? (see Rashi to 10:35)

7TH ALIYA (SHEVI’I) – 11:30-12:16

A wind blows quails into the camp. The people gather the quails and start eating them, but G-d sends ‘a mighty blow’ against the people for their original complaints. Miriam and Aharon speak negatively about Moshe. G-d rebukes them and Miriam develops a tsara’at skin affliction. Moshe prays for her recovery.

Miriam is quarantined outside the camp for seven days, during which the people do not journey.

HAFTARAH

The prophet Zecharia relates a vision in which an angel visits Yehoshua the Kohen Gadol and chastises him, as symbolised

by Yehoshua’s soiled garments. The angel also shows Zecharia a menorah and two olives trees to provide oil for lighting it, indicating that the Second Temple will not be built by use of force, but by G-d’s spirit.

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Beha’alotecha

Beha’alotecha Word Search

Parshat Beha’alotcha opens with the special Mitzvah awarded to Aharon and his descendants - lighting the Menorah each day in the Mishkan.

The Parsha continues with detailing how the Levi’im were chosen to replace the firstborns and how they were brought into their position through a very special ceremony.

There were people who were not able to bring the Korban Pesach in the second year so they begged Moshe for a second opportunity and we got a Mitzvah called “Pesach Sheni” a second Pesach for those who missed it through no fault of their own.

The Torah also describes how the Jews travelled in the Midbar and describes the special trumpets made for special occasions, including the nation’s travelling in the Midbar.

At some point the Jewish people got bored of the Man and asked for more exciting food.

Hashem was not pleased with their request and although they were sent the birds, some people suffered from them. It’s not good to complain.

The Parsha ends with the sorry story of the Loshon Hora spoken about Moshe between Miriam and Aharon. Even though the meant the good and even though they loved Moshe and even though Moshe was extremely humble, nevertheless, Miriam was punished with Tzara’at and the Jewish People waited for her for seven days. We learn from this story how important it is to watch our mouths!

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CLOUD • FIRE • LEVI • MENORAH • MIRIAM • MISHKAN • QUAILS • TRUMPETS

Tangram Challenge!

Using all the shapes on the left can you make the fish shape on the right?

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Beha’alotecha

In a nutshell Beha’alotcha is a fabulous mix of interesting stories and Halachot. First we learn of the unique Mitzvah given to Aharon and his descendants.

Each day they were to kindle the Menorah in the Beit Hamikdash. This was a form a consolation to Aharon who had missed out from the Nesi’im offerings which wee brought up each day of the inauguration of the Mishkan.

There were a group of Jews who were impure at the time of the Korban Pesach on 14th Nissan and therefore could not bring the offering.

Instead of giving up, they pleaded with Moshe for another opportunity and Hashem gave us all a new Mitzvah forever due to their keen desire.

Pesach Sheni on 14 Iyar is a new opportunity for the Jewish people to bring up a Korban Pesach if they missed out on the first chance. It is eaten with Matzot and Maror.

The Torah continues with the details of the travels of the Jewish people in the Midbar. They followed the Cloud of Glory at day and the pillar of fire at night.

Hashem told Moshe to make two trumpets of silver which were sounded on special occasions.

Some of the Jews complained to Moshe that they had had enough of the “Manna” food they were eating and missed the fish and cucumbers and other vegetables they had enjoyed in Egypt!

Hashem was not impressed with their complaint but sent them birds which they could eat. Some enjoyed the food but some suffered from eating them.

At the end of the Parsha we read of the unfortunate incident of Miriam talking to her brother Aharon about Moshe Rabbeinu. As the humble leader and teacher of the Jewish people,

Word Wheel

Use this area to write the words you have found.

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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.

Moshe himself was not offended but Hashem was very indignant about the honour of Moshe.

“Why were you not scared to talk about my servant Moshe”? He asked rhetorically. Moshe was not a simple prophet - he had the highest level of prophecy ever before or after him!

Miriam was afflicted with Tzara’at and Moshe davened to Hashem to heal her. The Jewish people waited for seven days. Many many years earlier, Miriam had waited for her brother - waiting by the River Nile when the baby was placed in the water in a basket. As 80 + years had passed since then, one may have been forgiven for forgetting that favour.

Not Hashem though, He doesn’t forget any deed we do and when the time comes to reward us, the reward comes.

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Last week’s words: Here are some words you may have found from last week - you may have found more! gin git nit rig tie tin

girt grin grit rein ring rite

tier tine ting tint tiny tire

inert inter iring nitre reign tiger

tinge titre trite tying entity gritty

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retying trinity integrity

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Q: How does the Man in the Moon cut his hair?

A: Eclipse it!

Q: What type of music do rabbits listen to?

A: Hip Hop!

(Answers at the bottom of page upside down)

1. What belongs to you, but other people use it more than you?

3. I make two people out of one.

What am I?

Q. Why is Europe like a frying pan?

A: Because it has Greece at the bottom!

Q: What animal keeps the best time?

A: A Watchdog!

2. David’s father has three sons: Snap, Crackle, and _____?

3) A mirror 1. Your name

2) David!

1. London Underground 2. Fun in the sun 3. Love is in the air

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Sergio signs off in style as Sixteen-goal Lions City crowned champions rout Scrabble in Cup

BY DAVID SAFFER

Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero scored twice in his final league game at EtihadDAVID Stadium as Pep Guardiola’s side ended BY SAFFER the Premier League campaign in style.

Aguero scored his 259th and as 260th goal Reiss Mogilner scored six goals Maccabi for the Blues as thumped he lifted a Scrabble fifth league London Lions A crown in the in a 5-0 rout against It only remains second round of theEverton.

Cyril Anekstein Cup. toTh beeseen if heLeague can capside hisracked time atup thea club Premier 16-0 withwith a Champions League title when City win Daniel Green and Michael Kenley face Chelsea weekend. both baggingata the hat-trick.

Ed Brafman, Dade Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus completand Phil vidKevin Dinkin, and Adam Hassanali Foden also in scored in a champagne ed the rout a mismatch of a tie. day for the club.could have scored in the opening Lions Guardiola Skybut Sports, “Every title minute of thetold clash soon opened the is nice, this is different because of the scoring and one led 9-0 by half time. pandemic and the problems we have The Division One team, that though outall had. battled That makes it mega special.” Reclassed, away to the end. garding added, “We love him so Lions Aguero, boss washelost for words at full time much,was he isthe a special of us.who We such displayperson from for hisall team cannot replace him. gave every respect to” the opposition.

Aguero Skysure Sports, “I want to say “I’m nottold really there’s anything to thanks my teamto mates because theytohave say, weto are happy make it through the helped me of a lot, you for everything. next round the thank cup,” he commented.

I’m a striker, my target to score so Hendon United Sportsisran out 3-1goals victors I’m so happy because it’s my last game so to against League One outfi t North London score two goals is fantastic for me.” He addRaiders. ed,Th“When I came the first titlesecond for me e Premier sidehere led early in the was the important, for the club for half onlymost for Raiders to equalise butand struck me, then win more titles two late Man goalsCity to started book atoplace in round so I’mofsothe happy because it’s not easy to be three competition.

10Hendon years at one meattentions it’s an honour. ” nowclub, turn for their to the Manchester past A Wolves league as they United travel toedged Oakwood for a 2-1 to end crucial topthe of campaign the table with clashanonunbeaten Sunday away record for the first time in the club’s (10am). history.

Daniel Kristall’s team stunned the league Anthony his first leaders lastElanga monthscored when they wongoal 2-0,fora the Reds, Nelson matched his victory would move Semedo them to within a point landmark the hosts before Juan of Hendon goal with afor match in hand.

Mata securedinthe from a penalty just Elsewhere thewin latest round of fixtures, before half timeLondon when referee 10-man North GalaxyMike madeDean it a awarded atitle penalty reviewing a VAR three-way race inafter the only Division One decision. clash of the day after defeating Oakwood B. UnitedMurray boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer BT Jamie saw red early on buttold Galaxy Sport, “To a season undefeated is rallied withgo goals from Josh Cohen away and Jasomething torecord be proud ” cob Leigh to an of. important 2-1 away Liverpool’s Sadio Mane secured a Chamwin. pions League with a brace a 2-0AtriGalaxy headplace Redbridge JewishinCare in umph against Palace after a season the table by justCrystal one point after 10 matches, plagued by injuries. third place Fairlop FC are five points beJurgen sideinonly put themselves hind withKlopp’s two games hand. inRafi withBloom a chance midweek and did not let scored for Oakwood. the slip away.

“Itopportunity was a fantastic performance in a

A delighted Klopp told Sky Sports, “I’m after 38 games and unfortunately, we so proud of what they’ve done the last 10 couldn’t quite make it.” He added, or 15 games and the reaction of the team in “When we started work together we were bad times. Eight wins out of 10, two draws, mid-table and just over two years later that’s impressive.” we’re challenging the elite and won the Chelsea almost blew a Champions FA Cup for the first time in our history League place after losing 2-1 at Aston Villa. and we’re on the right path without the During a tense afternoon Leicester City resources (of other teams). I have nothing were leading against Tottenham Hotspur but pride. The ownership have given me but lost 4-2 to miss out on the elite compe- amazing support.” tition for a second season running.

West Ham eased to a 3-0 win over SouthThe Blues wasted chances and looked in ampton at London Stadium. trouble when Bertrand Traore and Anwar The Hammers required a draw to guarEl Ghazi built a two-goal lead. Ben Chilwell antee Europe and Pablo Fornals’ first-half pulled a goal back, but in the end, Thomas brace ensured a superb season for David Tuchel’s side had Tottenham to thank for a Moyes’ side. Declan Rice sealed the win top-four spot. Tuchel told BBC Sport, “We late on. are lucky to escape today.”

Moyes told Sky Sports: “We’re thrilled Leicester missed out on the Champions we’re in European competition. We go into League in a thrilling encounter against Tot- the new season trying to play as well in the tenham at the King Power Stadium.

Premier League as we can, and we’ll try and Twice the Foxes led courtesy of Jamie enjoy the European games as well.”

Vardy penalties but the visitors equalised Arsenal ended a disappointing campaign through Harry Kane, whose effort earned with a 2-0 win against Brighton. him the Premier League Golden Boot, and Nicolas Pepe scored both goals. For a a disastrous Kasper Schmeichel own goal. brief period, with Tottenham losing at The visitors claimed the spoils Leicester, European football appeared on 16-goal with aMaccabi GarethLondon BaleLions brace late the cards but Bale ended that faint hope. on.

Leeds United eased to 3-1 win against Both sides will” play in the Galaxy playChampionship-bound West Brom to must-win game, commented Europa League season finish ninth in their first season back in er-manager Lukenext Lewis. with West top flight football.

“We sat Ham. back and allowed Oakwood the Tottenham’s deniedadvantage and Marcelo Bielsa has won new friends for ball, given the win one-man Arsenal to a place in the the club with their gung-ho attacking style looked hit them oncomthe counter attack petition. though the team has sharpwith pace.The Foxes will feel sore for agoals time but of far morethe right-hand ened up in defence.

“Both came down standing theirtheFAfirst Cup Rodrigo, side.

Leighwas crossed one into Cohen final success for slotting the first home time in Kalvin to finish, before himself. Up thefirst club’s to we hisgo.” tory Thwhich e Division Two title race also took ulti-with league leaders Herstwood circumstances,” said delighted Fortune awilltwist m a t egoing l y down to a 2-1 defeat at Temple boss Simon Linden.

Phillips and Vale m a r k Patrick ofBamford Fortune.

“We had a number players out, Ret Faithfold h i s B have played a game more buck got injured, secured the win.have asked so I couldn’t season.

Theplayers.

Baggies a a than Vale but moved level with a 5-3 win at any more from the We have wish Ben L e i London c e s - Raiders Masters. transition period to neNorth speedy recovery. terJacob boss gotiate, Hal Robson-Kanu Kalms struck twice for Fortune who “It was a proper old school performance, B r e n dthrough an a for consolation late scored leading scorer James Mil- we battled and scored defended the 90 minutes Rodgershistold on. letwith 17th goal of the season. and took our chances.

Experience proved BBC Sport, Thea big plaudits forwenow The result was all the more remarkable to be the winner. It’s win, one will “WeTemple foughtwere so down to 11 players with enjoy and we hope though belong to2019.

Bielsa, as to build on it in ” hard allBen season. team and50 particularly ‘keeper Rebuck dislocating a shoulder He added, “Thishis win marks years as a I the always said in warm up. football club and will be one Nigel Kyte and Sergio Aguero scored as Manchester PHOTO:from SHUTTERSTOCK you’re judged “This was a fantastic win given thetwiceeveryone associated with the club day

Gabriel Jesus scored in a 5-0 win over Everton

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Bamford, who has surprised pundits doubting he could be prolific at this level. Only Kane, Mo Salah and Bruno Fernandes scoring more league goals during the season.

The challenge for Leeds now is to keep Bielsa in a bid to consolidate a top-10 place in the league.

He told BT Sport, “I have a lot of gratitude for the moments I’ve been here and I’m very grateful. As soon as (my future is) resolved the club will announce it.”

Joe Willock scored for a seventh successive game as Newcastle defeated relegated PHOTO: DAVID SAFFER Fulham at Craven Cottage. Fabian Schar scored a late penalty to secure the points for Steve Bruce’s side.

Sheffield United have endured a torrid time in their second Premier season.

After impressing everyone last season their fate has been sealed for months. David McGoldrick scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Burnley before they return to Championship football.

So, congratulations to Guardiola and his all-conquering title winning squad who now turn their attentions to trying to land aone unique treble will enjoy. ” in the Champions League final.

Vale boss Jacob Emanuel was quick to City are favourites, there is no doubt wish Rebuck well following his injury. that,importantly, despite Chelsea’s des“Firstabout and most everyone at perate end to the the Fortune domestic camVale would like to wish ‘keeper paign, we in hope Tuchel theyhim have a a quick recovery, to see back manager guided”his on the football pitch aswho soonhas as possible, he team to success over Guardisaid. olaAsand will look to do so again. for the defeat, Emanuel commented, the medals have big beena handed out “ItOnce doesn’t matter how squad you all eyesyou willcan turnnever to theaccount European have, forChampiunavailonship finals which start month team then ability or injury.

Only fivenext of today’s the Olympic in Tokyo before thea played in our Games recent win over FC Team, Premier League startsand again! lack of togetherness poor individual

“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.”

City were crowed champions

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Super sub Gav blows Premier title race open Hendon pressure the Maccabi defence

BY DAVID SAFFER Hendon United Sports have blown the Premier Division title race wide open after defeating league leaders Maccabi London FC 1-0 at Hadley FC. HMH head Maccabi by three points after a double header against relegation-bound Faithfold White.

Oakwood are also in the mix after North London Galaxy forfeited their clash.

Hendon’s super sub Gav Noe scored the only goal of a hard-fought clash against Maccabi.

The match was in the balance until the end but eventually the defending champions took the points.

Hendon’s David Garbacz was delighted with the win after a couple of disappointing results.

“We proved today that we aren’t finished quite yet,” he noted. “We were on our game and made it difficult for a top Lions team to get into any rhythm. We defended brilliantly as a team and when the decisive moment came Noe rolled back the years

PHOTO: DAVID SAFFER

with a superb finish.” Garbacz added, “It was a beautiful feeling to win an important game, hopefully it should set us up for a strong finish to the season.”

Maccabi’s Max Kyte was gracious in defeat. “It was a deserved win. In a game of fine margins, they had the edge.”

HMH scored a hatful of goals against relegation-bound Faithfold that could prove decisive in the run in. Sharpshooter Oscar Wagner scored five goals in both matches.

Wagner bagged a treble in an 8-0 win with Ethan Krell (2), Dom Feldman, Ariel Rahamim and Thomas Prais also hit the target. Wagner was then on song in a 6-0 victory. Krell, Alex Moss and Sam Monjack completed the scoring.

HMH boss Avi Goldberg was thrilled how his side bounced back from a midweek Cyril Anekstein Cup defeat to Maccabi.

“Another match, another Wagner hat trick as we take a key six points to top the league,” he said. “Credit to Faithfold for putting up stout resistance particularly in the first half of the second match.”

HMH are in the box seat but have no

Maccabi go close against Hendon

game on Sunday. They will look out for results of Maccabi vs Galaxy and Oakwood vs Jewdinese. If results go to form an exciting finale to the league awaits.

North London Raiders eased to a 5-2 win against Jewdinese.

Hertswood Vale lead the way in Division One after a 1-0 win against Temple Fortune.

Vale came into the match knowing a win was essential and a Harry Graham’s header from a Jordan Harris corner secured top spot.

Vale boss Jacob Emmanuel noted, “We weren’t anywhere near the level we should be at. We got away with the points when it very much looked like a draw was on the cards.”

Vale’s victory followed a huge midweek triumph against Club De Chigwell.

Hertswood came from 2-0 down to defeat the pre-match league leaders 3-2 with a James Millet hattrick of penalties.

Millet tucked home his first after the CdC keeper saved from the spot, but his other two were clinical.

MJSL update Haroldeans are three points from clinching the Manchester Jewish Soccer League title after thumping closest rivals Manchester Maccabi 3rd 9-0 at Brooklands.

Marley Rubens scored four goals for the Merseysiders who all but sealed the title.

Adam Shiffman and Nathan di Ginaccio bagged a brace apiece and Jack Bookey got his name on the scoresheet.

Jewventus defeated Broughton Park Rangers 3-0 at Frederick Road. Shimi Moses scored twice and hit the woodwork, Jack Isaacs sealed the win.

PHOTO: DAVID SAFFER

London Bears are two points adrift after a 7-0 triumph over Paris Saint Jewmain.

The Bears crucially have a match in hand and are a point ahead of CdC in a titanic title and promotion battle. Sharpshooter Zacki Doumou bagged five goals and Sam Martin a brace.

“The league is in our hands but we will have tougher tests in the remaining six games,” said boss James Harpin.

FC Team’s clash with CdC at the weekend was postponed just before kick off due to a pitch being available. The decision was particularly tough on the Essex side who made an early start to fulfil the fixture.

Brook Farm Rovers came out on top 2-0 at Faithfold Green.

Stoke Salmon lead the Division Two table after FC East London Bees forfeited their clash.

But NWL Azzurri are back in the title race after thumping Redbridge Jewish Care 8-0.

Zak Jackson hit a hat-trick, Ollie Miracco, Danny Miracco, Josh Levi, Ben Rosen and Josh Sarna-Star also scored.

“We controlled the game, it was another top class performance from every Azzurri player,” noted Spencer Saffer.

West Hendon Wallabies picked up another win with an impressive 4-1 win against SPEC. Cameron Hough, Arian Osmaniq, Benjy Harta and Marcus Godfrey scored for the Wallabies who have grown into the season. Ricky Lawrence scored a consolation for the visitors.

Wallabies boss Gad J. Harari, commented, “A brilliant performance from our team, we controlled almost the entire game. SPEC lost their heads at 3-1. “ Hampstead Ducks defeated Straw Hat Pirates by 4-1 at home.

United penalty heartache in final Manchester United suffered Europa League final heartache last night when they lost to underdogs Villareal 11-10 on penalties in Gdansk, Poland last night.

Reds keeper David de Gea missed the crucial spot kick after his opposite number Geronimo Rulli had edged the Spaniards side ahead for a dramatic victory.

A poor game saw Gerard Moreno open the scoring on 29 minutes before Edinson Cavani equalised early in the second half for United.

Neither side could find a way past resolute defences as the game finished 1-1 after extra time.

For Ole Gunnar Solksjaer a first trophy as manager still eludes him. United finished runners up in the Premier League and have qualified for the Champions League but this result is a huge blow.

Villarreal had never won a major honour. Manager Unai Emery has won this competition for a fourth time so his team play in the Champions League next season.

Clashes for the ball

PHOTO: LAWRENCE PURCELL

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