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KOSHER FOOD RUNS OUT IN TEXAS 31 August 2017/ 9 Elul 5777

BY JAMES MARLOW

The call for people to contribute to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund set up by the Jewish Federations of North America and the Houston Jewish Federation comes as kosher food has reportedly run out. The floods have overtaken Houston and affected close to three quarters of the city’s Jewish population which is estimated to be around 65,000 people. Most of the Houston Jewish institutions and synagogues were in the path of the deadly force of waters and although households have faced tropical storms and floods in the past, this is by far the most extreme. Half of the total yearly rainfall fell in just three days reaching 50 inches and another 50 inches was expected. According to YWN, Houston’s Jewish Federation, Jewish Family Service and the Orthodox organization Agudat Yisrael immediately opened disaster relief funds.

In addition, they each set up and co-ordinated a crisis relief hotline providing food, air conditioning, internet, electricity for a limited time and some housing. Some staff members including therapists were available for people who have hurricane-related anxiety. Meanwhile, Chabad of Texas coordinated truckloads of kosher food to be sent to the areas hardest hit and set up a kosher food pantry available to the Jewish community as supplies reached the area. Chabad emissaries in Houston had been preparing and delivering kosher meals to people evacuated to emergency shelters or who took shelter in hotels. But Houston has always had a limited amount of kosher food. Even as its Jewish population has rapidly grown in recent years, as has the general population, it remains geographically distant from kosher manufacturing bases on the coasts and the heartland. Each week, trucks carrying

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Catastrophic flooding in Houston, Texas PHOTO CREDIT: YESHIVA WORLD NEWS

kosher food arrive from hundreds if not thousands of miles away. A handful of chain supermarkets carry kosher meat, poultry and milk to supply Houston’s Jewish

community. But Hurricane Harvey flooded two of these main supermarkets and caused the other two to shut down. One of those two supermarkets have now been turned

into a shelter by authorities. Rabbi Dovid Goldstein, a Chabad emissary in Houston who is CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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2 NEWS

31 AUGUST 2017

THE JEWISH WEEKLY

The JLC take on the CAA

BY ISAAC SHERMAN

An extraordinary war of words broke out on social media this week between two Jewish organizations. It began when the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) released research of a year-long study conducted by YouGov that suggested one in every three Jews had considered leaving Britain in the past two years and 37% of British Jews

conceal their Judaism in public. The research polled 10,567 people and although they found British attitudes towards Jewish people were more positive than in previous years, nevertheless British Jews were concerned about Islamist, far-left and far right anti-Semitism in that precise order. The survey attracted national p r e s s atten-

Gideon Falter

tion and the CAA Chairman, Gideon Falter was seen and heard on a number of TV and radio news networks discussing the findings. During his numerous interviews, Mr. Falter pointed out that four in five British Jews have witnessed anti-Semitism disguised as a political comment about Israel or Zionism and more than four in five Jews believe that the Labour Party is harbouring anti-Semites. However, the chief executive of the Jewish Leadership Council, Simon Johnson, questioned the findings and claimed it was

scare mongering. In a two-minute video posted on Facebook this week, Mr Johnson suggested that the survey results were a way of attaining national publicity. Mr Falter responded by telling Simon Johnson to “apologise or resign” after posting what he described as an “ill-advised attack” on his organisation. The video by Mr Johnson was taken down after it attracted a huge amount of comments. Facebook user Mark Haringman responded by writing: “Why are two UK Jewish

organisations having a public battle on Facebook? The Jewish Leadership Council published a video over last weekend that publicly rebuked The CAA. The said video was published on the JLC Facebook page that is open to public views. Mysteriously the said video was removed 24 hours later. The JLC have refused to make any comment on the videos content or its removal. Mark Haringman then wrote that copies of the video were available through him.

At least 22 dead in worst Texas floods in 100 years CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 coordinating the kosher food-relief effort for the community, told Chabad.org that supplies were low and that an order had been placed for kosher meat. Although it was scheduled to leave Miami on Tuesday on a refrigerated truck, it can only reach Houston if the roads are cleared of water. Israel Diaspora Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett wrote on his Facebook page: “For years, the Jews of Houston were there for us, and now we can be there for them - All Israel is responsible for each other,” he concluded, quoting the famous rabbinic saying. After hitting Houston hard on Sunday, Hurricane Harvey moved into the Gulf of Mexico and then headed north bringing heavy rain to Louisiana. Whilst the storm caused devastation across the state of Texas, it is the widespread flooding due to the rain and overflow of rivers that has caused the catastrophe. The International Aid Organization (iAid) based in Israel sent relief professionals to coordinate efforts with the Texas National Guard and American NGOs on Tuesday. In the long term, iAid hopes to help with technological needs of the community, such as water purification, using Israel

innovations. Bur for now, the freeway system is almost shut down and those that chose to stay in their homes could not leave once the storm hit, due to the amount of water that hit the highway system. Homes have been without power for days and floodwaters have reached the roofs of some family homes. Many animals and pets were seen washed away in the raging waters. At least 22 have been reported dead and the Houston television station KHOU said that six family members drowned when their van was swept away by floodwaters. The National Hurricane Centre Public Advisory for Harvey in an advisory said that “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding will continue in south eastern Texas and portions of southwestern Louisiana.” Rabbi Yossi Zaklikofsky, who serves as leader of the Shul of Bellaire and suffered the flooding of his own home said, “Even for those who were fortunate not to lose electricity, like us, it’s a matter of days until we have no milk and other basics.” He added that many of those who did lose their electricity lost whatever kosher food they had stockpiled. “And when the stores do reopen, it is open question as

to what they’ll actually have that’s salvageable.” For now, basic staples like rice and cereal are available in unflooded grocery stores. But thousands of people in Houston are still sheltering in place, and when that order is lifted, food supplies will inevitably plummet. Pinny Bard-Widgor moved to Houston from New York just last week with his wife and children. As weather reports poured in prior to Shabbat, Bard-Widgor decided to take his family to Fort Worth, a five-hour drive away. Local friends told him that he was overreacting. He still doesn’t know the extent of damage to his new home. With his family safe in Fort Worth, Bard-Widgor flew to New York on Sunday evening for work, and is now helping to coordinate a kosher-food shipment from Brooklyn. “We’re working on getting a truck of perishables and another of non-perishables,” says

A dog being rescued from the flood waters PHOTO CREDIT: YESHIVA WORLD NEWS

Bard-Widgor, though he was still having difficulty getting hold of a refrigerated truck. The Jewish Learning Centre of Dallas is sending meals to storm-affected areas and will also be hosting many people over Shabbat. In addition to supermarkets and kosher restaurants (all of which have also been flooded), a number of Jewish families in the Houston

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area have been storing their kosher food in a large freezer due to the High Holidays approaching, but have now lost all of it. The disaster saw rainfall that usually falls over six months in Texas fall in just a few days, with areas worst hit seeing over 10 feet of water in people’s homes.

WHAT’S INSIDE THIS WEEK 01 Home News 04 Israel News 06 Letters 08 News 16 Judaism 20 Business 22 Sports 24 Kids

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31 AUGUST 2017

NEWS 3

THE JEWISH WEEKLY

Another hint of anti-Semitism not taken seriously enough within Labour BY JAMES MARLOW

Labour Shadow Minister Chris Williamson has increased public opinion that the party is covering up anti-Semitism after suggesting that criticism of Jeremy Corbyn’s handling of Labour’s anti-Semitic crisis were “smears.” In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, the Labour MP replied, “I’m not saying it never ever happens but it is a really dirty, lowdown trick, particularly the antisemitism smears.” Williamson then went on to suggest that many people in the Jewish community were appalled by what they see as the weaponization of antisemitism for political ends. But he failed to acknowledge that most British Jews refused to vote for

Labour MP’s in the general election earlier this year. “It is pretty repellent to use that to attack somebody like Jeremy Corbyn, who has spent his whole life fighting for social justice and standing up for the underdog,” he said, but again failed to acknowledge that mere words by Corbyn were simply not enough – the leader must take concreate action. Williamson is a key ally to Corbyn on the front bench and suggested that people have stopped listening to the lies, dirty tricks and Jew-hate allegations. “I think for all the talk about Venezuela and antisemitism, and the latest thing is sexism now, Jeremy’s overwhelming landslide victories in the leadership elections and the general election mean

people have stopped listening to the smears.” But again, it was well documented that the Labour Party’s sudden increase in membership came from far-left Socialists who admitted they had not voted for Labour since the days of Michael Foot. Responding to the Shadow Fire Minister’s comments, Vice-President of the Board of Deputies, Marie van der Zyl said, “The Jewish community would expect a Labour MP and shadow minister like Chris Williamson to show solidarity with those suffering racism within his own party rather than blaming the victims.” She added, “After a second failure on equalities issues in a week, the Labour leadership should consider whether Williamson is a

NEWS IN BRIEF

Boris supports Theresa May BY ISAAC SHERMAN

Theresa May has said she wants to lead the Tories into the next general election, and that she intends to remain in power for the long term. The Prime Minister told the BBC that “It is my intention to deliver not just a good Brexit deal for the UK but to ensure ‘global Britain’ can take its place in the world, trading around the world and we deal with those injustices domestically that we need to do to ensure that strong, more global but also fairer Britain for the future.” Boris Johnson said Mrs May had his “undivided backing” to lead the party into another general election campaign. The foreign secretary, speaking from Nigeria, added that the prime minister could “certainly win an absolute majority. I’ve made it clear I’m giving my undivided backing to Theresa May.” Asked if the prime minister could win an absolute majority at a further general election, the foreign secretary confirmed “I certainly think she could, yes.” “I think she gets it. She really wants to deliver it. I’m here to support her.” The Prime Minister has been under tremendous pressure after losing her Commons majority in a snap election called earlier this year.

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Labour Shadoe Minister Chris Williamson

suitable person to serve as a frontbench spokesperson.” Marie was referring to Williamson causing controversy when he suggested there was “some merit” to the idea of women-only train carriages. One of the many criticisms of the current Labour Party led by Jeremy Corbyn is that the issue of anti-Semitism is not taken seriously enough and when well-known figures like Ken Livingston (and others) make offensive and outrageous

comments, they are not expelled. Williamson is the MP for Derby North and earlier in the year tweeted that he hoped no evidence would be found referring to anti-Semitism at the Oxford University Labour Club. He is also one of those Labour members calling for the reselection of Labour MPs who are not on the far left.


4 ISRAEL NEWS

31 AUGUST 2017

THE JEWISH WEEKLY

NEWS IN ISRAEL BY JAMES J. MARLOW

Netanyahu promises not to dismantle settlements Israel’s Prime Minister has pledged not to remove another West Bank settlement in a speech at a ceremony marking 50 years of Israeli settlements in Samaria last night. Speaking at the Barkan industrial zone, Benjamin Netanyahu said: “This is the inheritance of our forefathers, this is our country. We came back here to stay forever. There will be no more uprooting of settlements in the Land of Israel… It has been proven that this doesn’t help

peace. We uprooted settlements, and we got rockets.” Netanyahu said he explains to foreign leaders visiting Israel, that if Israel were to withdraw, the vacuum could be filled by “extremist forces of Islam,” which “would endanger us, but it would also endanger you, and all of our neighbours; the entire region and in fact the entire Middle East”. Education Minister Naftali Bennett also attended the event and called for Israeli sovereignty to be applied to Judea and Samaria from now on. Netanyahu has made similar pledges in the past, including in January 2014 in Davos. However, in Track Two negotiations in London, he reportedly allowed negotiations with the Palestinians to proceed based on the pre-1967 armistice lines, with some land swaps. Netanyahu also suggested that Israeli settlers could remain in their homes as part of a future Palestinian State.

Netanyahu

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Israel adds to its F-35 fighter jet collection Israel’s Ministry of Defence has completed the acquisition process of an additional seventeen F-35 stealth jets, officially giving the Israel Air Force two squadrons of the world’s most advanced fighter planes. The purchase of the 17 additional planes, whose delivery will be completed by December 2024, was approved by the cabinet in November and the contract was signed by the Director General of the Ministry of Defence Major General (res) Udi Adam. Israel, which has already received five F-35’s from the United States and is now testing them, will receive an additional two next week and another two by November, bringing the total of F-35’s in the IAF to nine. Known in Hebrew as “Adir” jets, Israel is expected to announce initial operation capability of the first squadron by December 7th. Lockheed Martin was able to reduce the average price of

F-35 stealth jet

each plane to less than $100 million which is seen as a significant reduction compared to the original price of $125 for the first 19 F-35’s. A second deal of 14 jets cost Jerusalem $112 million per plane. The cost of the plane is expected to drop to around $80 million in the coming years. The jet was designed to Israel’s own specifications and will be embedded with Israeli-made electronic warfare pods as well

as Israeli weaponry, all set to be installed once the plane arrives in Israel. Built in the United States by Lockheed Martin, the Israeli F-35s have components built by Israeli companies, including Israel Aerospace Industries who produced the outer wings, Elbit System-Cyclone that built the centre fuselage composite components and Elbit Systems Ltd which manufactured the helmets worn by the pilots.

Hamas says ties with Iran are now “fantastic” The new leader of Palestinian Hamas based in the Gaza strip said this week that his group has finally restored relations with Iran and is gearing up for future hostilities with Israel. Yahya Sinwar told reporters that Iran is now “the largest backer financially and militarily” of the Islamist terrorist organisation during his first press conference with journalists since taking up his post in February. Sinwar said that with Iran’s help, Hamas is accumulating military power in preparation for a battle for “the liberation of Palestine.” He added Hamas is “developing our military strength in order to liberate Palestine,” but he also stressed that it does not seek war for now “and takes every effort to avoid a war… At the same time, we are not afraid of a war and are ready for it.” Sinwar also went on to describe

the Iranian military support and specifically its renewed relationship with Tehran as “fantastic and returned to its former era.” Standing in front of a packed room, the terrorist leader confirmed what Israel has known since the end of the 2014 Gaza war which is that Hamas is building missiles and continuing military training. Sinwar added, that “thousands of people are working day and night to prepare for the next conflict. Iran was once Hamas’s largest backer, but relations cooled after Hamas refused to back Iran’s close ally Syrian President Bashar Assad in his country’s civil war. But earlier this month, a high-level Hamas delegation travelled to Iran to attend the inauguration of President Hassan Rouhani and subsequent meetings reportedly set up by Hezbollah turned a new page in bilateral relations between Hamas and Tehran.

Yahya Sinwar

It seems Iran was keen to restore ties with Hamas after Ismail

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Haniyeh was elected as head of Hamas’s political bureau and

Sinwar as the group’s Gaza chief. Both are considered to be more open to reconciliation with Iran than was Khaled Mashaal, the former political leader of Hamas. The group is in sore need of funds and backing as its current top patron, Qatar, is under fire from Gulf allies for supporting it. The Islamist terror group seized Gaza in a near civil war with forces loyal to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007. The two factions have been at loggerheads ever since. Hamas has fought three wars with Israel since 2008, tunnelling under the border and firing thousands of rockets into Israel. The group is committed to destroying the Jewish state and in response Israel maintains a security blockade on Gaza designed to prevent the terror group from importing weapons.


31 AUGUST 2017

THE JEWISH WEEKLY

Guterres: Calling for Israel’s destruction is anti-Semitism United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Israel on Sunday night for a three-day visit packed with meetings and briefings and stressed on a number of different occasions, that calling for the destruction of Israel is modern day anti-Semitism. The former Portuguese Prime Minister made his first visit to the country since taking the helm at the UN in January. Guterres’s visit was a perfect opportunity for Israel’s political and military leaders to unite and present the Secretary-General with a list of complaints about how the organisation he heads is riddled with anti-Israel bias. From President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Netanyahu through to Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman and new Zionist Union head Avi Gabbay along with the party’s delegation that included opposition leader Isaac Herzog and MK Tzipi Livni, the Secretary-General listened intensely to the criticism on UN institutions. Netanyahu welcomed Guterres by saying that he has demonstrated a desire to turn a new page in relations between the Jewish State and the UN, but then lashed into the organization’s “absurd obsession with Israel,” and its “flagrantly discriminatory tactics.” The UN mandate is to advance peace, security and international cooperation, but “has failed when it comes to Israel to live up to its mandate.” The Prime Minister added that “UNESCO is mandated with preserving world heritage, but denies the Jewish people’s 3,000-year connection to Jerusalem.” And pointed out that the UN is mandated to pursue peace, “but allows Palestinian hate speech to flourish in its institutions.” He further talked about human rights, “but it [UN] allows in its various forms the worst human rights violators to take up the cudgel and to accuse Israel of violating human rights.” For his part, Guterres said Israel should expect impartiality from the UN Secretary-General and that he will strive to be an “honest broker.” His comments stressing on a number of different occasions during the trip that calling for the

Israel saw the visit to discuss two key issues with the UN head - ending the anti-Israel bias and changing the mandate of the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL. Deputy Foreign Minister Tzippi Hotovely threatened funding cuts for the UN body if the changes were not implemented. The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, blasted the commander of UNIFIL, last weekend, accusing him of turning a blind eye to Hezbollah weapons smuggling. “General Beary says there are no Hezbollah weapons - That’s an embarrassing lack of understanding on what’s going on around him,” she said. Netanyahu had said during his meeting that the most pressing problem Israel faces now is Hezbollah and Syria. He warned UN

Antonio Guterres

destruction of Israel is modern anti-Semitism were welcomed. Guterres also met with the head of Military Intelligence, Major General Herzl Halevi and Major General Yoav Mordechai, the coordinator of government activities in the territories to discuss Lebanon and Hezbollah. Referring to Security Council Resolution 1701, which set the terms for the end of the Second Lebanon War in 2006, the UN was mandated with preventing weapons shipments to Hezbollah, but UNIFIL is not reporting the tens of thousands of weapons being smuggled into Lebanon for the Shia terror group, contrary to the resolution. UNIFIL’s mandate is up for renewal next week and both Israel and the US are pressing for its mandate to be strengthened in order to more effectively combat or at least report on Hezbollah’s weapons build-up and work to prevent a third Lebanese war. But once again France is expected to raise its voice against changing the mandate. Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN head, said that the purpose of his trip was “to engage directly with Israeli and Palestinian people and their leaders” about “finding a long overdue peaceful resolution to the conflict.” Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon greeted Guterres on his arrival at Ben Gurion Airport,

NEWS 5

Secretary-General Guterres that, “It is our right not to allow this noose to tighten around Israel.” The Prime Minister once again pointed the finger at Tehran saying that Jerusalem could not be expected to sit idly by as Iran entrenches itself in Syria and Lebanon and declares with Hezbollah that they are planning a two-front war against Israel. “Iran is busy turning Syria into a base of military entrenchment and it wants to use Syria and Lebanon as war fronts [in] its declared goal to eradicate Israel,” Netanyahu said. “It is also building sites to produce precision-guided missiles toward that end in both Syria and in Lebanon. This is something Israel cannot accept. This is something the UN should not accept.”

telling him, “We look forward to showing you our country, an island of stability and prosperity in a tumultuous region.” Guterres visited Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum on Monday morning and met later with President Rivlin and Prime Minister Netanyahu in Jerusalem. On Tuesday, he went to Ramallah for meetings with Palestinian Authority leaders and on Wednesday to Gaza but stressed would not meet any Hamas representatives. In addition, Guterres met the families of the Israelis held by Hamas in Gaza, and was urged throughout the visit to use his influence to A little from a lot of people can make unimaginable changes. bring about their Leaving World Jewish Relief a gift in your Will of just 1% of your estate release. Ambascould end Jewish poverty and bring hope to the world’s poorest Jews. sador to the UN Danny Danon To find out how or for more information on leaving a gift in called the meetyour Will please contact Richard Budden on 020 8736 1250 or go to worldjewishrelief.org/will ing “emotional.”

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6 LETTERS

31 AUGUST 2017

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Letters to the Editor

Send in your comments to letters@thejewishweekly.com

Dear Sir

Obituary

This week’s visit to Israel by the UN Secretary General is supposed to be the start of a new respectable relationship between us and them, but does anyone really believe the UN institutions will cease with their obsession and condemnations of Israel? There are just too many Islamic voters in the UN bodies that wish to cover up their own atrocities in their own violent undemocratic societies and keep the world’s attention fixated on the Jewish State. The UN is a great building on east 42nd street but it is only as good as its tenants and its tenants are mostly lousy.

Dr. Efraim Jaffe. Nov 1921 - Aug 2017.

Doreen Jacobs Hendon Dear Editor, The Jewish Weekly has been missed the past few weeks by my family. Shabbat was not quite the same without it during the summer break. I am looking forward to having it in my home again as it brings pleasure to all the ages in our family. Wishing the newspaper continued success,

Like “ Peter Pan” who never grew old, Dr Ephraim Jaffe who passed away aged 96, always looked the same. He swam everyday, davened shachrit and mincha for the amud on Yom Kippur in Higher Crumpsall & Higher Broughton Hebrew Congregation each year and continued daily with his care and support for the widow, the troubled and the needy, always providing his great wisdom. As a General practitioner, at the “drop of a hat” he was there for the screaming infant, and traumatised mother. He was always on duty on Shabbat and Yom Tov to attend to those taken ill during services. He was an ambassador for the Jewish people, sitting on so many prestigious committees. On one occasion it was his honour to greet Her Majesty the Queen when she arrived on a Manchester hospital visit. Like the Bal Shemtov, his legacy is that “He felt the suffering of others”. He leaves 5 children, grandchildren and great - grand children to perpetuate his memory.

Leah Golding North London

Edwina V. Rosenberg Manchester

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.

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8 NEWS

31 AUGUST 2017

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AJR plaque unveiled to honour Sir Rudolf Bing, Founder of The Edinburgh Festival

BY ISAAC SHERMAN

The Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) is delighted to announce the unveiling of a special commemorative plaque in honour of Sir Rudolf Bing on Sunday 27 August 2017 as part of the 70th anniversary celebration of the Edinburgh International Festival that he founded. Sir Rudolf was born in Vienna in 1902 and came to Britain as a refugee from the Nazi regime in 1934. Following the unveiling of the plaque at The Hub on The Royal Mile a 70th anniversary concert was held at Usher Hall, a mixture of music, archive film and filmed interviews, with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Martyn Brabbins. The programme included two pieces of music played at the first Festival in 1947. Before the concert a second plaque to Rudolf Bing was unveiled at Usher Hall, organised by

victims of Nazi oppression who rebuilt their lives in Britain. Alongside our social and welfare services we are committed to perpetuating the legacy of the refugees and are prominent supporters of several leading institutions engaged in Holocaust memorialisation in the UK. AJR Trustee Frank Harding, said: “Through the AJR plaque scheme we are honouring prominent Jewish émigrés from Nazism who made a significant contribution to their adopted homeland. Last year we unveiled a first plaque to Sir Rudolf Bing at Glyndebourne and arranged for nearly 100 AJR members to be present and attend a performance of Le Nozze di Figaro. Other plaques have commemorated the biochemist and Nobel Prize winner Sir Hans Krebs, Sir Ludwig Guttmann who founded the Paralympics, and the theologian, teacher and rabbi, Dr Leo Baeck. We have

the Edinburgh Jewish Dialogue. Sir Rudolf studied music and art history at the University of Vienna before relocating to Berlin in 1927 where he served as General Manager of opera houses, and later in Darmstadt. In February 1934, at the request of fellow émigré Fritz Busch, Bing negotiated the contracts for European singers to perform at Glyndebourne before arriving there himself in the summer of 1934. In 1936 Bing took over as General Manager of Glyndebourne, a job he held until 1939 and took up again in 1945 until he left to become the General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1949. Sir Rudolf became a British subject in 1946, a year before founding the Edinburgh International Festival. He was knighted in 1971 and died in September 1997, aged 95, in New York. Founded in July 1941, the AJR represents and supports Jewish

Lord Provost of Edinburgh Frank Ross, Frank Harding of the AJR, Festival Director Fergus Linehan, and the Austrian Ambassador to the UK, His Excellency Dr Martin Eichtinger PHOTO CREDIT: BETH CHALMERS

also installed a plaque on the site of the Cosmo restaurant in Swiss Cottage, in London, a famous meeting place for the refugees. “We believe that these commemorative plaques will help form a tangible link between the illustrious earlier residents and the

local community as well as fascinating residents and visitors. As well as being instructive and informative, they bring the past into the present, and they perpetuate the memory of the person being honoured.”

Community members given opportunity to help in disaster zones World Jewish Relief is launching an international Disaster Response Team to enable experienced members of the Jewish community with the necessary specialist skills to respond directly when international disaster strikes. The UK Jewish community’s humanitarian agency is expanding its

international response capabilities by creating a roster of skilled volunteers from within the community who can be deployed at short notice. They will support relief and recovery activities when an international disaster strikes. The organisation is expanding its humanitarian reach by recruiting a

group of volunteers with specialist skills who will join its operations just after an international disaster has struck. When an international disaster occurs, World Jewish Relief’s humanitarian team arrives in disaster-hit countries within days to carry out a needs assessment and select

Secret Jewish history of vodka BY JW REPORTER

World Jewish Relief supporters drank to a good cause as 40 people spent an evening learning about the secret Jewish history of vodka and sampling vodkas from across Eastern Europe. The charity’s Richard Verber, who spent time living in Russia, looked at the claims of Poland and Russia who both maintain they invented vodka and explained the extent to which Jews were involved in the alcohol business from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries in Eastern Europe. According to one census conducted in the mid-eighteenth century, as many as 14% of Jews living in towns in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and as many as 80% of Jews living in villages were involved in the alcohol trade, usually as innkeepers. Non-Jewish

landowners preferred to lease their taverns to Jews as they were more numerate and literate than the peasant population and could be trusted not to drink away the profits. Guests were invited to try vodkas from Ukraine, Poland and Russia. The event was organised by supporters Nick Reid, Emma Breger, Nurit Lasarow and Jonny Abrahams and raised nearly £800 to support World Jewish Relief’s programmes in Eastern Europe. Nick Reid, one of World Jewish Relief’s supporters who organised the event, said: “I was intrigued to learn about the Jewish community’s involvement in the vodka trade and be part of an evening raising money for our Jewish communities in Eastern Europe who are in urgent need.” If you would like to run a similar session for your shul or community, email richard@worldjewishrelief. org or call 0208 736 1256.

Vodkas from Ukraine, Poland and Russia

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local partners to work with. The new Disaster Response Team will bolster the organisation’s presence and capacity in this demanding context. The volunteers will utilise their skills in the local context, as well as supporting World Jewish Relief’s professional team on the ground to identify local partner agencies and ensure that the agency’s response directly meets the humanitarian need. The organisation is seeking people with demonstrable international experience that might include any of the following: Humanitarian response leadership, needs assessments, food distributions and cash-based responses, water and sanitation, logistics, gender specialism, emergency provision of temporary shelter and agriculture or livelihood development. Previous international humanitarian and development experience would be a significant advantage. Volunteers who are in employment would need to be able to negotiate time off from their employer at short notice for a 7-21 day deployment. World Jewish Relief will provide relevant training and support to all successful applicants. Paul Anticoni, World Jewish

Relief’s Chief Executive, said: “In the aftermath of any international catastrophe, responding in a timely and skilled way is essential to save lives and reduce suffering. World Jewish Relief needs additional expertise which we know exists within our Community to assist us in this critical endeavour. “This team of committed volunteers will enable us to rapidly scale up our humanitarian response and in the midst of disaster ensure a high quality, effective and targeted response to save lives and livelihoods. This is a brilliant opportunity for the right people to play their part in our front line emergency response work fulfilling the Jewish imperative of Tikkun Olam – fixing the world.” For more information, and to apply, please go to worldjewishrelief.org/disaster



10 NEWS

31 AUGUST 2017

THE JEWISH WEEKLY

CST publishes new guide about hate crime

CST has recently published a comprehensive guide for those affected by Hate Crime, co-authored with the Crown Prosecution Service and Tell MAMA, and supported by the Department of Communities and Local Government. The guide provides guidance and advice for victims and witnesses of hate crime on how to navigate the criminal justice system, from how to react to and report a hate crime to understanding the law and processes of the UK court system. Though the guide has a focus on antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred, its advice can, and should, be used by anybody who has suffered any kind of hate crime, which can occur due to race, religion, sexuality, age, disability, gender or any other characteristic. The publication of this guide is a natural continuation of the longstanding work that CST engages in everyday within the Jewish community, and in recent years with other communities affected by hate crime. CST is proud of our close relationship with Tell MAMA, a national campaign that tackles anti-Muslim hatred, and with allies who combat all forms of discrimination, forged through working partnerships such as CATCH in London and Stand Up! nationwide. Levels of reported hate crime continues to grow in the UK, and as it does, collaborative efforts to educate and inform those affected by it are increasingly important. Introductory statements within the guide include:

David S Delew, Chief Executive, CST Despite our best efforts to combat all forms of hate crime and hate incidents, levels of antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred in the UK are unfortunately on the rise. CST works hard to protect, support and inform victims of antisemitism. This collaborative guide will be an important tool for all those affected by hate crime in understanding their rights, and how to navigate the complicated criminal justice system. Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, Communities Secretary: Hate crime against any community is entirely unacceptable. Everyone in this country has a right to live without fear of abuse or attack and we must, as a nation, firmly condemn hate crimes and all other forms of bigotry. It is vital that victims have the confidence to report crimes to the Police. This Government is committed to making sure that those who perpetuate hate are subject to the full force of the law – but we cannot do this alone. This guide is an example of how we can work together to stamp out hate crime and support victims in bringing their cases forward so that justice can be served. Alison Saunders CB, Director of Public Prosecutions, Crown Prosecution Service: We want communities and individuals to have the confidence to come forward and report these offences, no matter how minor they

may appear. This guide is an important way of ensuring that victims can make informed decisions about the most appropriate course of action, taking account of their particular personal circumstances. Hate crime divides communities and the CPS has an absolute commitment to bring perpetrators to justice and support victims and witnessed through the criminal justice system. Iman Atta OBE, Director Tell MAMA We have seen a rise over the last five years in the reporting of anti-Muslim hatred. Tell MAMA has been at the vanguard of supporting victims of anti-Muslim hatred, whilst collecting evidence and mapping, monitoring and measuring incidents across the United Kingdom. Through partnership work in the production of materials such as this guide, we hope that we can collectively make it easier for people to report, take charge and feel confident when they report hate incidents. We stand together with other communities in working to counter hatred, intolerance and bigotry. In response to the CST’s launch of their guide, ‘Hate Crime: A guide for those affected’ today and the CPS cracking down on social media hate crime, Simon Johnson, chief executive of the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) made the following comment: “Whilst the UK is by no means ‘awash’ with antisemitism and

HATE CRIME

A guide for those affected The front cover of the 36 page guide

religious hostility, we know from recently released CST statistics that there is a measurable rise that needs to be addressed. The CPS’s public commitment to tackling online hate crime is certainly a step in the right direction, as is today’s guide from the CST, Tel Mama, DCLG and the CPS for those affected by hate crime. “Over recent years we have seen racist messaging move within the reach of the young and

impressionable. We have also seen racist and anti-Semitic content persist in the public domain for weeks – even months – after being identified. The CPS is taking the lead in this area, and we hope that social media companies will follow suit and crack down on this vile online hate speech.” Visit www.cst.org.uk to download the guide.

Norwood Sports holds inaugural inclusive Boccia Tournament

Norwood Sports held its very first fully-inclusive Boccia Tournament at Burnt Oak Leisure Centre on Monday, 21 August. Boccia is a precision ball sport, related to bowls. Athletes with disabilities play the sport competitively at local,

national and international level. Seven Norwood Homes from across London took part in the charity’s first Boccia Tournament. The homes played five-minute games against each other, with Team Woodcock Dell from Kenton

Enjoying a game of Boccia

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emerging victorious. This was a great result as Woodcock Dell have been receiving Boccia coaching form the Norwood Sports team for the last two years, as part of a programme supported by Sport England Funding. The Norwood Sports team now aims to provide this tournament on a regular basis and branch out into different inclusive sports. Andrea Ford, Norwood Sports Manger, said: “The tournament was a fantastic afternoon of fun and laughter teamed with healthy competition. Everyone was able to participate and it was great

to see teams made up of people we support and also staff from their home. We hope we will be able to hold similar events in the future. Helen, Assistant Homes Manager, Woodcock Dell, said: “I want to thank the Norwood Sports Team for their enthusiasm and motivation arranging the Boccia tournament. It was a very positive experience. The people we support were really engaged, which isn’t easy for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities. I hope that these opportunities can continue and develop in the future.”


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12 NEWS

31 AUGUST 2017

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ARK animals came in two by two to Jewish Care home Goats, sheep, chickens and donkeys were among the farm animals visiting Jewish Care’s Betty and Asher Loftus Centre in Friern Barnet last week. Residents, relatives

Stella Shupick, 99, Rosetrees resident with Glenda Raymond-Hallal

and staff from the three homes, Lady Sarah Cohen House, The Kun Mor & George Kiss Home and Rosetrees enjoyed stroking the animals from ARK mobile-farm, patting the friendly Labradors and feeding apples to goats, whilst ducks and geese splashed about in the bird bath. Lady Sarah Cohen House resident, Stella Shupick, 99, said, “I think the animals are fantastic, I could spend hours out here with them. It’s been a busy day, first I had my hair done, then I played bridge and now I’ve met these lovely animals.” After the visit, Alison Prior, Manager at Jewish Care Rosetrees home, said, ““We know connecting with animals can be a therapeutic, positive experience for older people and it was an enjoyable afternoon for residents, relatives and staff. The ARK Farm animals were calm, friendly and well-behaved and happily the sun shone for their visit.”

Annie Buckman, 85 meets the chicken with Ben Spooner

Sarah Lennard with Marlene Lee and a hungry goat!

NEWS IN BRIEF

HavdalahUK concert tickets go on sale

This year, London is seeing out ShabbatUK with an exclusive Havdalah concert featuring global a Capella superstars all the way from America - The Maccabeats and tickets are now on sale. The Watford Colosseum will play host to London’s biggest ever musical Havdalah event, as global A Capella stars The Maccabeats join the brilliant folkrock duo The Portnoy Brothers for a night of Jewish singing and celebration. Featuring a Havdalah ceremony and plenty of hit songs from both acts, the show will be presented by leading Jewish comic Ashley Blaker. The spectacular concert taking place on the 28th October 2017 will complete a weekend of celebrations for ShabbatUK 2017. The evening is set to be hugely popular so to avoid disappointment book your tickets via the Shabbat UK website!

‘Outstanding’ summer at RJCC The first week of school holidays brought another action-packed summer scheme at Jewish Care’s Redbridge Jewish Community Centre. Over 150 4-11 year olds attended the first week of Summerworld 2017 enjoying a wide range of activities including cooking, arts and crafts sports, parachute games and messy play. The holiday scheme, rated outstanding by Ofsted, is run by the centre’s professional staff team supported by 50 young people

Amelia is flying at Jewish Care’s Summerworld

(school years 9-13) trained through RJCC’s MIKE youth leadership programme. Senior Youth Worker, Adam Nickels, explains more about the programme: ‘Summerworld’s first week has been brilliant and we look forward to seeing the children and leaders having a great time over the summer. Parents and children love it, because it’s non-stop fun and each person is listened to so we find out what they will really enjoy doing each day. It’s also a great place to make new friends and get messy and convenient for parents as we provide snacks and lunch. I want to thank our fantastic leaders and volunteers, many of whom have attended the summer scheme themselves when they were children.” Summerworld leader, Katie Rich, age 19, who volunteered through the MIKE programme, says, “I enjoy getting involved with the kids and making sure they have a good summer. There’s loads of activities and it’s a great team, we always get new volunteers growing in their leadership roles. We take the children’s ideas on board to help everyone to stay engaged through the day.” Parents agree with the leaders as Rochelle and Simon Power say,

“We send our daughter to Summerworld because we know she can’t wait to run through the door with a great smile on her face. She spends time with her friends making yummy cakes. And we know she’s in a friendly and safe environment where we know she is enriching her cultural background.” Amy Harman feels the same, adding, “My son has been able to make more friends socially. He feels comfortable to be himself. The staff are great and make the parents feel confident to leave their kids here” As for the children, they all have their reasons to love Summerworld. 8 year old Mia’s favourite activity is the cupcake making for Jack, age 7 it’s the art says, “There’s lots of things to do in the art room. There are lots of different things to use like paints, which is really cool.” Whilst for Hannah, also aged 8 it’s all about the big outdoors, she says ‘I love playing outside. We do lots of sports sessions outside which I love’. Summerworld has been running at the Jewish Community Centre for over 35 years and with breakfast and after school clubs it offers a great summer holiday solution for working parents. For more information about

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Amelia, Ava and Amelia

A world of pure imagination

RJCC’s holiday programmes coming up, call 020 8551 0017 or email rjccyouth@jcare.org For further information or

photographs please contact: Lisa Wimborne T: 020 8922 2761 or E: lwimborne@jcare.org


31 AUGUST 2017

Nightingale House resident celebrates 101st birthday

Phyllis Kleiner celebrated her 101st birthday in style surrounded by family, friends, residents and staff at Nightingale House in South London. Phyllis’ daughter Joy organised a musical concert on the Wohl Wing, where Phyllis has resided for the past six years. Phyllis (née Hirschfeld) came to London from Birmingham at the age of eight and married Mark Kleiner in 1938. Her father-inlaw, Joseph Kleiner was a founder of the former South West London Synagogue and was a joint

treasurer at Nightingale House, retiring in 1957. He fundraised and volunteered for over 60 years, along with her husband’s cousins, who were also trustees at Nightingale. Her aunt was Lady Stern (nee Sybil Tuck), Lord Wandsworth’s sister-in-law, and her great grandfather was the legendery engraver and printer, Raphael Tuck. During WW2 Phyllis was in the WVS as deputy Area Warden for Hendon and housed and gave shelter to a family with a 16 year old daughter whose house had been bombed. When Phyllis

Phyllis Kleiner and daughter Joy

NEWS IN BRIEF

Solicitor fined £25k for anti-Semitism

Majid Mahmood, a solicitor who wrote on Facebook that it was a shame that a plane carrying Jewish refugees had not blown up, has been fined £25,000 by The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. Commenting on this, Simon Johnson, chief executive of the Jewish Leadership Council, said: “We welcome the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal’s decision to fine Mr Mahmood for his deeply offensive and unjustified comments. “What is posted on social media sites should be treated no differently to what is said faceto-face. These sites should not act as hiding places for racists and anti-Semites. Online comments arguably deserve greater scrutiny, as their reach is often far wider and they persist in the public domain until removed. “Regardless of Mr Mahmood’s respectable position, he abused his public platform and used it to spread hate speech. This decision by the Tribunal reflects that, and we feel the punishment is appropriate.”

NEWS 13

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moved to Hammerson House in 2001, Rosemary Wilcox, a fellow resident recognised her. It turns out Rosemary was the 16 year old daughter – the pair hadn’t seen each other in over 60 years but became firm friends, and now both live in Nightingale House and remain close. In fact, Rosemary participated in Phyllis’s birthday festivities. A lovely time was had celebrating by all residents, and a number of Phyllis’ friends who have moved to Nightingale House since Hammerson House closed for redevelopment were able to join Phyllis in celebrating her special day. Joy Meier, Phyllis’ daughter said: “It was delightful to share my mother’s 101st birthday with residents and staff. We all had a lovely time. We especially enjoyed the chocolate brownie cake!” Anna Platman, a resident at Nightingale House who moved from Hammerson earlier this year said: “It’s wonderful that we are able to celebrate Phyllis’ 101st birthday together”.

Students achieve fantastic results

Year 11 students from Hasmonean High School have attained excellent GCSE results. A significant number have outperformed their target grades. 60% of all GCSE grades are A*/A/9-7 and an impressive 92% of Hasmonean grades were A*-C /9-4. This continues a trend now in its seventh year and has broken the schools record for attainment in recent years. The percentage of students achieving 5 A*-C grades was 89% and 85% achieved 5 A*-C grades including English and Maths. 17% of students gained grade 9 in Maths.5 students gained 9’s in English Literature, Language and Mathematics.41% of students gained 8 or more A*/A or 9-7 grades. There were exceptional individual performances which included Daniel Mann who achieved 9 A*s and 3 grade 9s, Chloe Gold who achieved 8 A*s and 3 grade 9s as well as Sharoni Blass who received 8 A*s, 2 grade 9s, 1 grade 8 and one A grade.

Mr Andrew McClusky, Executive Headteacher commented: “Once again, Hasmonean has a great deal to celebrate. Congratulations to all of our students who achieved their target grades and to the staff who worked so hard to enable them to do so. It is wonderful to see both our brightest students and those who find academic study more challenging all achieve outstanding results. Academic performance is just one of the areas in which we encourage our students to excel. Their achievements in Jewish Studies, community leadership and their own personal endeavours are incredibly important to us. Heads of ‘ Girls School, Mrs Rachel Fink, and Head of Boys’ School Mrs Debbie Lebrett, said: “We are very proud of our students who have coped with the new, more challenging GCSE specifications very well indeed. Our thanks go to all of the Hasmonean staff for supporting students throughout their time at Hasmonean.”

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JLC’s Lead makes two new hires Lead, the leadership development division of the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) has announced the appointment of two new staff members to boost the Adam Science Leadership Programme, work closely with alumni and support the wider community’s lay and professional leadership. Miriam Lorie has joined as Lead’s Director of Programmes and Alumni Engagement, and Michelle Janes will take on the role of Director of Programmes and Consultancy , both part-time positions. Miriam and Michelle will be responsible for running the Adam Science Foundations Course and Leadership Programme together, as well as playing a key role in widening the range of Lead’s offering. In addition to this, Miriam, who was formerly Public Education Manager of the Cambridge Inter-faith Programme, as well as being an Adam Science alumna (2014) and co-founder of Kehillat Nashira (the UK’s first regularly

Miriam Lorie

Michelle Janes

meeting Partnership Minyan), will be responsible for developing and running alumni engagement strategies. Michelle has been working as Operations Director for Masorti Judaism for five years, managing programming, events and volunteer development. Having recently completed an MBA with a focus on senior lay-professional relationships within the UK Jewish community, Michelle will be responsible for providing consultancy in leadership development to communal organisations. Nicky Goldman, Director of Lead, said: “We are delighted that Miriam and Michelle are joining the Lead team. We firmly believe that our Programmes are vital in nurturing leaders in our community. “This is something Michelle and Miriam are also very passionate about. Both have many years’ experience working with the Jewish community, and we are looking forward to them bringing their talent and expertise to help develop leadership programmes and resources.”

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14 NEWS

31 AUGUST 2017

THE JEWISH WEEKLY

Amazing results at Manchester’s King David High school with the new scoring of 9 or an 8 as the top results

Oliver Jones received a 9 in Maths , 9 in English also 8 A*s

Amelia Tyler with 9 in Engish, 8 in English Literature, 3As and 1B

Jubilation at the results

Rebecca Harris and Coco Hinde both achieved 9 in Maths

Waving their results proudly in the air

PHOTO CREDITS: LAWRENCE PURCELL

Garage sale of Seforim Broughton Park families enjoy an afternoon at Boggart Hole Clough cycle track held at Torah World

Youngsters taking a closer look at the many of hundreds of seforim on offer under the Marquee and in the Garage.

Having a race with eachother

Prices started at just £2 at Torah World on Kings Road in Prestwich

A wide variety of bikes were available at the track

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A family enjoying a day at the track


31 AUGUST 2017

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NEWS 15

Levaya of Rabbi Oizer Rottenberg held at Machzekie Hadass Shul The levaya of the late Reb Oizer Rottenberg took place Sunday afternoon at the Machzekie Hadass Shul car park. Rabbi Rottenberg lived in Gateshead and gave out leaflets every week on the Parsha. He collapsed at the Salford home of Rabbi Donial

Orzel on Friday morning and sadly died in hospital later. Rabbi Naftoly Katzenstein, Son Yaakov, Son Yosef and Rabbo Orzel addressed the large gathering where emotions were running high.

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A large crowd gathered to pay their respects

Levaya of the late Reb Oizer Rottenberg

The big Jewish nosh fest The largest scale Kosher food festival outside London is back this September offering food and drink tasting, lots of live stage cooking and activities and fun for all the family. The BIG JEWISH NOSH FEST took the north by storm a few years ago and is eagerly anticipated by around 800 people a year. The Festival opens with the three geCHEFS! Taking centre stage will be Rabbi Jason Kleiman, Rabbi Shalom Kupperman and UHC’s Senior Minister, Albert Chait. Put on the spot to display their great culinary skills (or not so great as the case may be), audiences will be able to show support for their favourite contender. Also on stage will be the heirs to a culinary legend. Evelyn Rose’s daughter, Judi Rose, herself a food writer and cookbook author, along with cousin, Dr. Jackie Lewis, a GP and nutritional researcher, will take you on a journey of a light-hearted culinary adventure. They claim that their cooking show, ‘From

Fress to Fresh’, could quite literally change your life! The new Israeli Emissary (Shlicha) to Leeds, Reut Mor, makes her debut appearance to the community, demonstrating some of her favourite Israeli dishes. Seasoned Persian cook extraordinaire, Sima Raw, will demonstrate a traditional Iranian recipe to tantalise the taste buds. The food court will offer plenty of all day eateries and stands with spices, handmade chocolate in new exciting flavours, beer, wine, and gluten free. There’ll be lots of kid’s fun to include ‘The Juicer Bike’ – choose your own fruit, pedal and blend your shake! You can also take your chance at the Festival tombola and win a fantastic quality prize. The BIG JEWISH NOSH FEST takes place at the Etz Chaim Synagogue, Sunday 10th September between 10.30am and 4pm. Full programme of events on www.makorjewishcultureuk.org.

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The Three GeCHEFS, Minister Chait, Rabbi Kleiman and Rabbi Kupperman

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16 JUDAISM

31 AUGUST 2017

THE JEWISH WEEKLY

ASK THE RABBI Looking for answers? Send your question to asktherabbi@thejewishweekly.com

I’m writing to you after reading your response to the lady who asked, “when to get married – or not.” Your reply was no less provocative than I have come to expect but I found it alienating and unnecessary. Anna was seeking an answer to a legitimate question, something that many of us may ponder, yet what she received was a harsh response. Also, as an observant Jew, I didn’t appreciate seeing Halacha used in this way, to offend and alienate whole sectors of Jewish society. At a time of widening divisions within the British Jewish community we need to choose our language so as to build bridges not to burn them, which can be done perfectly well without compromising principles. Rachel Dear Rachel,

RE

Thank you for your letter, initially written to the editor, but he passed it on to me to reply to you. To be sure, yours was one of a select few expressing similar sentiments. I am only wondering whether I should be a little gentler in my response to you, or should I lay it on the line, as I did with Anne. Fact: She wanted to know about the issue of getting married in the three weeks, and I replied exactly to her point as to why this isn’t done. So she received her response to a legitimate question and you no longer have to ponder about it. Fact: She made reference to her in-laws being non-Jewish and her fiancé being a progressive convert i.e. in my eyes – and surely in your eyes (as you claim to be an observant Jew) he is a non-Jew. So I told her why it is a mistake to marry him altogether. If you find that insulting, then I think you need to check your own values. Let’s imagine she came to me in person and asked me the same question, what would you expect me to answer her? Just tell her that she shouldn’t get married in the three weeks, or tell her that she shouldn’t be marrying someone who is not deemed Jewish altogether. If you find these precise words

D

But respecting one another does not mean to respect and legitimise ideas or philosophies which are unacceptable or even repugnant to our own. Sometimes there are those who think that by taking the softly-softly approach on intermarriage they are building bridges, not realising that they risk drowning out the faith. In this 21st century taboos against mixed marriages are wilting, the memory is fading, and the community outside Israel is withering away. The barriers are coming down, and Jews are scrambling over. So while liberal minded “observant” Jews are more-inclined to treat intermarriage with sensitivity, I’m sorry – I won’t mince my words on the subject.

cessible to everyone. I would very much like to learn more about Kabbalah and Judaism by a professional, friendly authorised moderate figure. Mirta Dear Mirta, While Kabbalah is something that can be learnt by women, the bigger issue is whether it is appropriate for a non-Jew. Your question seems to stem from the assumption that Kabbalah is some life course that should be accessible to all, which it is not. Kabbalah is the esoteric dimension of Judaism, with Torah being the exoteric then clearly it makes no sense for someone to whom the Torah has no obligatory bearing to be studying Kabbalah. The very term Kabbalah means ‘tradition,’ revealed teachings handed down and transmitted

Kabbalah for a non-Jew? Dear Rabbi, Is it possible for someone who is not Jewish and a woman to learn about Kabbalah? I think the appeal of the Kabbalah that the likes of Madonna is in, is that it is ac-

through the ages. It seeks therefore to follow strictly the teachings and insights of that time-hallowed tradition. All the mystics stress that the study of Kabbalah is a sine qua non with practical observance. As an intellectual pursuit it remains inherently dangerous and subject to serious distortion. So if you are interested in Judaism then your starting point is crawling before running – or in this instance the basics of Judaism before delving into Kabbalah.

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

T

Dear Rabbi,

“his slapstick conversion in order to whitewash the marriage is utterly meaningless,” offensive, and you wouldn’t use Halacha like that – pray tell, how would you use Halacha when it comes to non-halachic conversions? Either it is or it is not acceptable. Wouldn’t you consider it sad if they were to marry? Wouldn’t you tell her so? Or would you sugar-coat it and just hope she would get the message. You talk about divisions. Are you aware that the greatest division in Jewish history was perpetuated by those who veered away from historical Judaism and introduced their own mode of conversion, thus raising the whole question of “who is a Jew?” Finally, let me be clear: I am the first to say matter-of-factly that there really is no such thing as Orthodox Jews or Reform Jews or Conservative Jews. All are simply Jews, unqualified in any sense. You can be more or less observant but ultimately all born of Jewish mother or who convert in accordance with historical, traditional Judaism, are and remain Jews.

H

When to get married, or not revisited.

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31 AUGUST 2017 Volume 29 No. 49

2 September 2017 Shabbat ends

11 Elul 5777 London 8.34pm JEWISH WEEKLY JerusalemTHE7.39pm

Ki Tetze

JUDAISM 17

Ki Tetze

Artscroll p.1046 | Hertz p.840 | Soncino p.1098

In memory of Yaakov Yehoshua ben Ephraim Hirsch

In memory of Yaakov Yehoshua ben Ephraim Hirsch “If a bird’s nest happens to be before you on the road, on any tree or on the ground – young birds or eggs – and the mother is roosting on the young birds or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. You shall surely send away the mother and take the young for yourself, so that it will be good for you and will prolong your days” (Devarim 22:6-7).

The Wayward Son by Rabbi Yoni Golker, Assistant Rabbi, St John’s Wood United Synagogue “Everybody knows how to raise children, except the people who have them”, famously quipped P.J. O'Rourke, an American political satirist and journalist. This week’s sidrah offers some ancient wisdom that may be of help.

mother’. The Talmudic Sages suggest that the reiteration teaches that a child could only be deemed a ben sorer u'moreh if his parents’ voices are ‘identical’. Rabbi Shimshon Rafael Hirsch (d. 1888) clarifies that the ‘identical’ voices referred to by the Sages are not to be understood literally, that both parents must possess exactly the same vocal pitch and tone; rather that they should be 'speaking with one voice'. In other words, if the father and the mother are not on the same wavelength and are at odds with each other, metzora would also bring three animal offerings especially on matters of behaviour and morality, and three meal offerings. the messages they are imparting to their child are Point to what is the significance the likely to Consider: be contradictory. The child willofbe cedar wood, thread messages and hyssop? (see confused by crimson the conflicting being Rashi to 14:4) received. Such a child cannot be blamed for making erroneous life decisions. 5th Aliya (Chamishi) – 14:21-32

Sidrah Summary: Tazria-Metzorah

Sidrah SidrahSummary: Summary: Ki Ki Tetze Tetze him to his idolatrous master (see Ramban). It is 1st Aliya (Kohen) – Devarim 21:10-21 Ki Tetze contains many mitzvot, of which a selection forbidden to charge interest when loaning to a Jew. “If a bird’s nest happens before theofroad, on any treetoorbring on the birdsmust or A vow made an ground offering –toyoung the Temple has been included here. toIt be starts withyou theon laws eggs – and the mother roosting on marriage the young or kept on the eggs, shalltime. not take the mother with within an you allotted the ‘female captive’ andisher potential tobirds a be

the young. You shall surely send away theofmother take the(Chamishi) young for yourself, so that it will be soldier in battle. It then discusses the laws a man and 5th Aliya – 23:25-24:4 good for you will(this prolong your days” (Devarim A labourer who is harvesting crops is allowed to eat who has two and wives later became prohibited in 22:6-7). normative Rabbinic law). He has a firstborn son with the wife he does not get on with, and another son with his preferred spouse, but he must still give the firstborn rights to the former, not the latter. The laws of the ‘wayward and rebellious son’ are detailed (see p.3 article). 2nd Aliya (Levi) – 21:22-22:7 If one spots someone else’s animal wandering off the path, there is a mitzvah to look after it and return it to its owner; this applies to all lost objects. If one sees a fallen animal on the road, there is a mitzvah to help its owner pick it up. A man is not allowed to wear women’s clothing, nor is a woman allowed to wear men’s clothing. If one sees a bird’s nest with eggs in it, there is a mitzvah to send away the mother bird before taking the eggs (shiluach ha’ken). 3rd Aliya (Shlishi) – 22:8-23:7 When building a new house, one must erect a fence on the roof to avoid someone falling off. One must not plant certain mixtures of seeds in one’s field or vineyard (kilayim); nor may one plough with an ox and donkey together, or wear wool and linen together in the same garment (sha’atnez). If a man falsely accuses his wife of having pre-marital relations, a heavy fine is levied against him. Adultery is subject to capital punishment. Whilst men from Ammon and Moab (extant in Biblical times) are allowed to convert to Judaism, they are only allowed to marry fellow non-converts.

whilst working, but cannot take any produce home. The laws for divorce are stated, including the prohibition to for a man to re-marry his ex-wife if she has married another man in the meantime. 6th Aliya (Shishi) – 24:5-13 For the first year of marriage, the couple should be constantly in one another’s company; the husband is not to serve in the army (other than in a case of national emergency). When lending money to a pauper, it is forbidden to hold onto security for the loan if this will cause the borrower discomfort. 7th Aliya (Shevi’i) – 24:14-25:19 An employer should pay a hired labourer on the day that the work was done. One must not show disfavour in judgment to a widow or a convert. Paupers are entitled to certain left-over crops from the harvest in the field and the vineyard. The mitzvah of yibum (levirate marriage) is detailed – if a man dies childless, a surviving brother can marry the widow, in the hope that they will have children to continue the deceased’s name. If they do not want to marry, a process called chalitzah is performed. All weights and measures need to be honest and accurate. The sidrah ends with the verses that we also read before Purim, on Shabbat Zachor, entreating us to remember how Amalek attacked the Israelites after their departure from Egypt. Point to Consider: what is the link between honest weights and measures and remembering Amalek? (see Rashi to 25:17)

Question: what is the reason given for Ammon Haftarah and Moab being limited in whom they can marry? Taken from the book of Yeshaya, this is the fifth of (23:5-7) Answer on bottom of the next page. the seven ‘haftarot of consolation’ read after Tisha 4th Aliya (Revi’i) – 23:8-24 B’Av. Yeshaya calls out to Jerusalem to no longer A man who becomes accidentally impure must be desolate and barren, but to break out into jubilant immerse himself in the mikveh. There is a mitzvah song in celebration of G-d showing her eternal to look after an escaped slave, rather than returning kindness and mercy. United Synagogue Daf Hashavua Produced by US Living & Learning together with the Rabbinical Council of the United Synagogue Editor: Rabbi Chaim Gross Editor-in-Chief: Rabbi Baruch Davis Editorial Team: Ilana Epstein, Michael Laitner, Sharon Radley Available also via email US website www.theus.org.uk ©United Synagogue To sponsor Daf Hashavua please contact Loraine Young on 020 8343 5653, or lyoung@theus.org.uk If you have any comments or questions regarding Daf Hashavua please email rabbigross@theus.org.uk

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The Torah describes a severe case of an oppositional adolescent, the “ben sorer u'moreh” – ‘the wayward and rebellious son’. After he 1st Aliyaextreme (Kohen)and – Vayikra shows specific12:1-23 signs of rebellious After childbirth, would several weeks behaviour, he a is lady taken by wait his parents to the before an elevation offering (olah) and to a “gatesbringing of the town”, where he may be subject sin offering (chatat). This(Devarim completed21:18-21 her post-birth capital punishment with Rashi’s commentary). purification process. God told Moshe and Aharon that someone who had the appearance a particular type appears of skin At first glance, the of Torah’s treatment disease (tzara’at) have to show the white extremely harsh. would Interestingly, the Talmudic sage blemish a Kohen. Kohen concluded would evaluate Rabbi to Shimon barThe Yochai that “there neverif the wasaffliction nor everwas will clearly be a wayward and decide tzara’at, and rendering rebelliousthe son (asimpure described the thus person (tameh).inIf the sidrah)” 71a). In other words, case was(Talmud unclear,Sanhedrin the Kohen would quarantine theperson punishment prescribed in days, the sidrah never the in a house for seven after which practically happened. the Kohen would re-inspect the afflicted area and

declare whether the person was tameh or tahor If so, why was the whole passage written (pure). in the first place? Perhaps, according to Question: what were the three types of blemish Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, the very fact that called? (13:2) Answer on bottom of page 6. the ben sorer u'moreh case can never happen 2nd Aliyaus (Levi) – 13:24-39principle; that there is teaches an important Itnever was also possible for develop from a any possibility of tzara’at a child to being so wayward burn. Tzara’at that all hope iscould lost. erupt on the scalp or on the beard area, causing a loss of hair. 3rd Aliya There is (Shlishi) a further– 13:40-54 homiletical interpretation of verses which and Athese slightly different formisof most tzara’atrelevant is detailed, instructive. The 'stubborn and rebellious son' A is which caused a more substantial loss of hair. described bywho the has Torahbeen as one “who doeswith not metzora (one contaminated listen towas the voice of his father to the of tzara’at) sent outside of theand camp andvoice had to his mother”. The Talmud queries the necessity for tear his/her garments (see p4 article). Tzara’at repetition the clothing. word 'voice' – the verse could could also of infect A suspected garment simply have statedbefore ‘the voice his father and a was quarantined the ofKohen made decision about whether it was tameh. If it was declared tameh, the garment was burnt.

A metzora who could not afford three animal The Torahcould is thus subtlybring hinting a vitaloffering, piece offerings instead oneatanimal of guidance to ensure the strength one meal offering and two birds. and stability of family life. The parents must strive to raise 6th Aliya (Shishi) – 14:33-15:15 their child in a spirit of unity and mutual Tzara’at also affected houses. The house owner respect. Coupled with the previous message, would report are the suspicious signs to a to Kohen. The that children never ‘too far gone’ become house wouldand be evacuated before Kohen’s productive responsible, the the Torah is arrival. If the Kohen saw deep green or deep red encouraging parents to agenerate a meaningful ‘affliction’, with he would order the house to be relationship their children. quarantined for a week. He would then re-inspect the house. If the affliction had spread, the infected stones would be removed and replaced. If the affliction nevertheless returned, the house would be demolished. However, if replacing the stones solved the problem, the Kohen would declare the house tahor (pure). The Torah lists specific discharges that would cause a man to be considered tameh, and details the purification procedure. 7th Aliya (Shevi’i) – 15:16-33 A similar set of laws is listed for a lady who has specific discharges, as well as the laws of niddah (menstruation), which form the basis of the laws of family purity.

Haftarah From the Book of Melachim (Kings II), the haftarah 3 In memory of Mordechai Avraham ben Nechemia 4th Aliya (Revi’i) – 13:55-14:20 takes places upon the background of the long The Torah details the process through which a siege and ensuing famine of the Shomron area metzora purified himself/herself after the period (Samria) by the King of Aram. Four metzora’im of isolation and the healing of the affliction. This were put outside the city gates because of their involved a Kohen taking two birds, cedar wood, affliction. They discovered and reported that the a crimson thread and hyssop. The Kohen would Arameans had actually left their camp, which slaughter one of the birds and – using the wood, thread and hyssop together in a bundle – sprinkle allowed the Jews to plunder the camp and thus In of Mordechai ben Nechemia its memory blood seven times onAvraham the metzora. The end their famine.

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mitzvah, we shall end with two questions to ponder. First, we generally recite a blessing before doing mitzvot. This sets the mood before the mitzvah and helps31 us AUGUST to prepare for the 18 JUDAISM  2017 action. For example, before we blow the shofar Bein Adam Lechaveiro Part 12: Bein BikurAdam Cholim – Cholim goes beyond Lechaveiro Part 12:Bikur Bikur Cholim – visiting the sick as an we make a blessing and before we shake a lulav act of care and compassion; it is aimed at on Succot we make a blessing. Why is there no The Message behind the Mitzvah How visiting the sick help the the ill person to Thedoes Message behind Mitzvah creating a tangible impact on the patient, by blessing recited before we visit the sick? live or even recover? by Rabbi Daniel Fine, Community Rabbi, Stanmore & Canons ParkCommunity United Synagogue by Rabbi Daniel Fine, Rabbi, Stanmore & Canons Park United Synagogue alleviating some of their illness and pain. The Talmud (Nedarim thatmitzvah 'one who visits looked and after.subsequent And third, mitzvah aims Visiting the sick is the type of being The Talmud authorities (forofato being looked after.40a) Andstates third, the aims to Second, is the mitzvah of visiting the sick limited Visiting the the sick is the type the sickthecauses them to live', and that to visiting in person? What if one called the the see patient themselves anMoshe added mitzvah that a kind soul imbue summary, the writingsthat of with patient themselves withrelates an added mitzvah aRabbi kind soul imbue of self-value i.e. thethree positive feeling that might have undertaken sense Feinstein d. 1986)might isolate components of sense self-value i.e.students the positive that patient by phone? Would Skype or Facetime one ofofRabbi Akiva's was feeling sick. When have undertaken the mitzvah. First, part of visiting the sick care enough to visit itself can 'others anyway. Do we really need 'others care enough visit him, me'; he thisexclaimed: itself can anyway. Dome'; we this really need Rabbi Akiva came totovisit work? We shall return to these questions next constitutes praying for their recovery. The improve the chances recovery. the chances of recovery. the Torah to tell us to visit improve the of Torah to tell us to visit “Rabbi, you have revived me!” week. Talmud (Nedarim 40a) states that 'one who visits we should do mitzvah anyway?of However, welimited often Second, is the visiting theas sick the sick causes them to live', and relates that see with ‘logical’ mitzvot, there is more to the the to visiting in person? What if one called one of Rabbi Akiva's students was sick. When mitzvah patient by phone? Would Skype or Facetime than meets the eye. JEWISH WEEKLY Rabbi Akiva came to visit him,THE he exclaimed: work? We shall return to these questions next “Rabbi, you have revived me!” week.

Bein Adam Lechaveiro Part 7: Judging People Favourably:A Definition by Rabbi Daniel Fine, Community Rabbi, Stanmore & Canons Park United Synagogue

Jewish Law, written those of who are unwell? Are those who are unwell? Are Shulchan Aruch (Code 1563) writes that certain times insimply the day are not we not being we not simply being Having discussed the reasons behind the Having discussed the reasons behind the conducive to visiting the to sickdobecause the How does visiting the sick help the ill person to reminded something reminded to do something mitzvah, we shall end with two questions to mitzvah, we shall end with two questions to patient might look more sprightly than they really live or even recover? should do anyway? However, as we often we should do anyway? However, as we often we ponder. First, we generally recite a blessing ponder. First, we generally recite a blessing feelwith and the visitormitzvot, might therefore pray ‘logical’ there is not more to with the before doing mitzvot. This sets the mood before see with ‘logical’ mitzvot, there is more to the see before doing mitzvot. This sets the mood sufficient compassion. Second, visiting thebefore sick mitzvah than meets the eye. mitzvah than meets the eye. the mitzvah and helps us to prepare for the the mitzvah and helps to prepare for the includes enquiring as to us whether the patient is The Talmud and subsequent authorities (for a action. For example, before we blow the shofar action. beforemet. we blow having For all example, of their needs This the not shofar only summary, see the writings of Rabbi Moshe Cholim goes beyond visitingwe theshake sick as an we make a blessing and before we shake a lulav we make a blessing and before a lulav Bikur Cholim goes beyond visiting the sick as an Bikur shows the medical staff (when the patient is in a Feinstein d. 1986) isolate three components of of carewe and compassion; itWhy is aimed atno on Succot we make a blessing. Why is there no on Succot make a are blessing. is there act of care and compassion; it is aimed at act care facility) that there those who care about the mitzvah. First, part of visiting the sick blessing recited before we visit the sick? creating a tangible impact on the patient, by recitedofbefore we visit the creating a tangible impact on the patient, by blessing the situation the patient, but sick? is also a constitutes praying for their recovery. The alleviating some of their illness and pain. The alleviating some of their illness and pain. The pragmatic way of making sure that the patient is Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law, written (Nedarim 40a) states that 'one who visits Second, is the mitzvah of visiting the sick limited Talmud (Nedarim 40a) states that 'one who visits Talmud Second, is the mitzvah visiting sick limited 1563) writes that certain times in the day are not sick causes them tooflive', andthe relates that to visiting in person? What if one called the the sick causes them to live', and relates that the to visiting in Akiva's person? What ifwas one called the conducive one of Rabbi students sick. When to visiting the sick because the one of Rabbi Akiva's students was sick. When patient by phone? Would Skype or Facetime patient by phone? Would Skype or Facetime Rabbi Akiva came to visit him, he exclaimed: work? patient might look moreto sprightly than they really We shall return these questions next Rabbi Akiva came to visit him, he exclaimed: work? We shall return to these questions next “Rabbi, you have revived me!” feel and the visitor might therefore not pray with week. “Rabbi, you have revived me!” week.

How does visiting the sick help the ill person to live or even recover?

The Talmud and subsequent authorities (for a The Talmud and subsequent authorities (for a summary, see the writings of Rabbi Moshe summary, see the writings of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein d. 1986) isolate three components of Feinstein d. 1986) isolate three components of the mitzvah. First, part of visiting the sick the mitzvah.Thinking First, part Part of visiting the sick Parallel 32: The Enigma of Consciousness IV The constitutes praying for their recovery. constitutes praying for their recovery. The Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law, written by Rabbi Dr Moshe Freedman, New West End United Synagogue Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law, written 1563) writes that certain times in the day are not 1563) writes that certain times in the day are not conducive to visiting the sick because the conducive to visiting the article sick because patient might look more sprightly than they really The last discussedtheBrooks noted that due to the importance of the patient might look Quantum more sprightly than they the really feel and the visitor might therefore not pray with mechanics, conscious observer in Quantum mechanics, it is feel and the visitortheory might therefore pray with sufficient compassion. Second, visiting the sick which not describes not just a case of “I think therefore I am” as sufficient compassion. Second, the sick includes enquiring as to whether the patient is motion and visiting interaction Descartes concluded, but “I think therefore you includes enquiringofas to whether theparticles patient is having all of their needs met. This not only sub-atomic are”. Our consciousness appears to hold reality shows the medical staff (when the patient is in a having all of theirsmaller needsthan met.anThis not only atom. One together. care facility) that there are those who care about shows the medicalofstaff (when the patient is in a the astonishing results theAmerican situation of theJohn patient, but Wheeler is also (d.a care facility) that there those who care aboutThe physicist Archibald from are Quantum mechanics pragmatic way of making sure that the patient is the situation of the patient, but is also a 2008), compared reality to an elaborate papier experiments, repeated in the laboratory many pragmatic way of making sure that the patient times, is that unless particles are detected by ais mâché construction supported by a few iron human observer, their location and velocity are posts. Those posts are only nailed in when human undefined. In other words, the particles which are consciousness observes that reality. the building blocks of the physical world only When discussing the nature of human existence, have a definitive existence when they are theIn Torah says that mankind is made “in the memory of Tzemach ben Yisrael observed by a conscious human mind. image of G-d” (Bereishit 1:26). Our experiences as In memory of Tzemach ben Yisrael Philosophers have understood the importance of humans are a metaphor which can give us an the conscious human mind for centuries. In 1637 insight into the mechanics of G-d. For centuries, the French philosopher René Descartes (d. 1650) Jewish philosophers have described how the published his ‘Discours de la physical world requires God’s constant creative Méthode’ (Discourse on the Method) which input. has been dubbed one of the most important Rabbi Chaim Volozhin (d. 1821) explains that G-d is philosophical works ever written. He sought to “the Place which bears and maintains all the address the question of whether it is possible to worlds and creations, that if He would, Heaven prove that the reality we experience is in fact forbid, remove His creative energy from it for even a real. Our senses are often wrong and mislead us. moment, the maintenance and life-force of all Worse still, while asleep Descartes himself once creation would cease”. dreamt that he had woken up and believed that he was awake. Perhaps, he mused, we are all The link is more apparent when we consider that dreaming or are simply part of some elaborate our conscious experience derives from our Divine illusion. Descartes could not even be certain of soul, which in turn is rooted in G-d. Our absolutes such as mathematics; maybe an consciousness describes our true inner essence, yet evil demon was manipulating his mind to our very existence, and the whole of reality we make errors in his calculations. All he had left experience, is entirely dependent on G-d. were his doubts.

However, there was one thing he could be certain of. He realised that even if his doubts were true, at the very least he knew that he was actually thinking. The inner consciousness of his thoughts was all that he had, proving at least that he existed as a thinking being. Descartes famously concluded with the words “Je pense, donc je suis” – ‘I think, therefore I am’, or in Latin, ‘Cogito, ergo sum’. In a feature article for the New Scientist (26 September 2012), science journalist Michael

memory of Harav Binyamin ben Shalom Harav Shalom InInmemory of Harav Binyamin ben Harav

sufficient compassion. Second, visiting the sick includes enquiring as to whether the patient is having all of their needs met. This not only shows the medical staff (when the patient is in a care facility) that there are those who care about In memory Tzemach ben Yisrael the situationof of the patient, but is also a pragmatic way of making sure that the patient is

Insights into Jewish History Part 80: Megillat Antiochus I

by Rebbetzen Ilana Epstein, Cockfosters & N Southgate United Synagogue; Head of Project Development, US Living & Learning The lighting of a menorah become synonymous In memory of Tzemachhas ben Yisrael with the holiday of Chanukah. Yet our early sources led us to question when this mitzvah was actually established.

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Megillat Esther, like the Torah itself, needs to be written on parchment, and have the lines faintly 4 drawn on the parchment prior to the words being added (sirtut). It also has a specific time when it is read. The Talmud (Shabbat 13b) states that Megillat Ta’anit was written by Chananiah Ben Chezkiyahu three years prior to the destruction of the Second Temple; nearly 200 years after the Chanukah story took place. Are there any accounts of Chanukah that were written closer to the time of the miracle?

Rabbi Isaiah Di Trani (known as the Tosfot Rid d. 1250), in his commentary to the Talmudic tractate Succah, writes that in the places where the custom exists to read “Megillat Antiochus”, there is no need to make a blessing before reading In previous articles, we have mentioned references it, as its reading is not mandatory. to the Chanukah miracles in the books of the 4 What is Megillat Antiochus, who was it written by Maccabees and Judith, which are part of the Apocrypha. The Biblical Apocrypha is a set of texts 4 and why is it not generally known about? of unknown authorship or of doubtful origin, The Talmud (Yomah 29a) states that Esther, the included in the Septuagint but not in the Tanach heroine of the Purim story, is compared to the (Hebrew Bible). The challenge with the Apocrypha rising sun, since the story of Esther marked ‘the texts is that they are translations of a translation end of miracles’. Yet 200 years after the Purim and at times we need to question the validity of the story, the Chanukah story took place, along with translations – who translated them and for what its miracles. What does the Talmud mean, purpose? Next time, we will investigate the elusive therefore, when it says that Purim was ‘the end of Megillat Antiochus. Perhaps it could be an earlier miracles’? source for the miracle of the Chanukah lights? The Tosafot commentators (Megillah 7a) explain that the Talmud does not mean Purim was the absolute end of all miracles; rather it was the last of the national miracles that was to be written down formally.

The History of Antiochus Epiphanes, or The Institution of the Feast of Dedication / trans. from Hebrew into Marathi by Joseph Ezekiel Rajpuker. Bombay: Bene-Israel Improvement Society, 1866

Another Megillah we have previously mentioned in this series is Megillat Ta’anit, which chronicles certain days that one is not permitted to fast or eulogise, and lists the annual ‘good’ days during the time of the Second Temple. Megillat Ta’anit discusses the ’days of Chanukah’, including a positive and full account of the miracle of the oil that lasted for eight days. However, in line with the commentary of Tosafot, this is not a post-Purim example of a miracle being ‘written down’, as Megillat Ta’anit does not have the same standing as previous Megillot. For example, it does not need to be written on parchment, nor does it have a specific day on which it is supposed to be read. In contrast,

Portrait of René Descartes, after Frans Hals, c. 1649-1700

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Answer: They refused to give the Israleites water when they were in the dessert and they hired Bilam to curse the Israelites.

In memory of Tzemach ben Yisrael

How does visiting the sick help the ill person to live or even recover?

In of of Harav Avraham Yitzchak YaakovYaakov ben Harav Gershon Inmemory memory Harav Avraham Yitzchak benNata Harav Nata Gershon

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Parshat Ki Tetze A teacher’s mistake once caused a national catastrophe.

Ellul Watch

In the Jewish month of Ellul, as we gear up towards the High Holy Days, we always take upon themselves to improve some of our various character flaws that we ignore during the rest of the year. As the Day of Judgment moves ever closer, it will be a good idea to try focus on not speaking Lashon Horah, and watch what we say about other people. There is a story of a photographer who turned up for a wedding half way through, and many people told their friends not to ever hire him as a result. However, one of these people who had

booked him for a future wedding decided to call him and ask why he missed the Chupa and half the dinner. It transpired that he was not actually booked for the wedding, but the panicked father of the bride had called him last minutes saying that the original photographer hadn’t bothered to show up, and would he at least be able to come down and take a few pictures, even if it was near the end. So we see how carful we must be when talking about other businesses and people behind their back, as we could lose peoples livelihood with a few carless words.

Tehillim

This week’s Parasha of Ki Tetze gives us the Mitzvah, ‘Timche Et Zeicher Amalek Mitachat Hashamayim Lo Tishkoch’, ‘Wipe out all remembrance of the Amalekites from under the heavens – never forget’. In the days of King David, as is recorded in the first book of Kings (Chapter 11), he asked the Chief of Staff of his army, Yoav, to fight against Amalekites. And it took Yoav six months in order to be victorious. At the end of those six months, he came back to David and triumphantly he declared, “I have killed all the males of Amalek”. David said to Yoav, “are you not aware of the Mitzvah in the Torah where Hashem commands us to wipe out the entire people of Amalek – they are the ultimate evil that can ever be on the face of the earth, their very presence will plague good people for the rest of time”. And Yoav said, “but the Torah only talks about the males”. David says, “where?” As is recorded in the Gemarah, Mesechet Bava Batra (21b), Yoav pointed to the verse in our Parasha, ‘Timche Et Zachar…’. David said, “not ‘Zachar’,

meaning ‘males’, rather ‘Zeicher’, the ‘remembrance’ of them all”. Yoav was stunned. Suddenly he realised that when at school, he was taught incorrectly. He went out and he sought to find his teacher. Eventually, he located him. By now, the teacher was an old man. Yoav came into his home with a Sefer Torah, he opened it up, he pointed to the verse and he said to the teacher “read it!”. And the teacher read, ‘Timche Et Zachar…’ – ‘Zachar’ and not ‘Zeicher’, the ‘males’ and not the ‘remembrance’ different vowel points. And Yoav was so angry, he took out his sword and he had to be restrained from actually killing his teacher. The fact that the Talmud reveals the story to us is a message all about the quality of education. Of course, we must have as many schools as possible, and we must populate them with as many pupils as possible. But together with that, we should never compromise on the standard of Jewish education. When a teacher or a parent makes a mistake, I don’t think it’s going to cause a national calamity, but nonetheless, we have a responsibility to always get it right. Shabbat Shalom

Psalm 20

This week’s Tehillim is in memory of Ephraim Yitzchok ben Zev - Dr Ephraim Jaffe z’l

This week’s Psalm, is one that we say every normal weekday in Shachrit. It shows us how G-D is always with us in times of distress, no matter how far away he may seem. “May Hashem answer you on the day of distress,” is King David’s plea that our prayers should be answered before it is too late. He then goes on to refer to Hashem as “The G-D of Jacob.” Of all the three forefathers, Jacob clearly endured the most difficult life. He spent many years on the run from his murderous brother Esau and never saw his parents in the process, spent years being swindles by his father in law Laban, had Dinah kidnapped from under his nose, lost his wife Rachel to early death in childbirth, and grieved over Joseph for 22 years amongst other various sufferings. Yet despite all these travails and difficult times, Hashem still protected him from the death he though would come much sooner, and he ended up living the last few years of his life reunited with Joseph in Egypt. The end of this Psalm sees the famous phrase, “They dropped to their knees and fell, but we arose and were invigorated.”

Rabbi Pesach Krohn gives a brilliant talk on this verse. He says there was once a man who had a son who was dying and he went to his Rabbi for a Blessing. His Rabbi mentioned this verse and said that he would always arise and stand tall if he just trusted in Hashem. Feeling significantly strengthened, the man left. However, a few weeks later, his son died. The man was heartbroken. What happened to his Pasuk? Why didn’t it save his son? He failed to communicate with anyone for a few weeks after, but then one day he found a deeper meaning in the verse. Sometimes, we will have to suffer terrible tragedies in life. Many lesser people will fall and never recover, but those who trust completely in Hashem will eventually arise and be invigorated that G-D knows what he is doing, even if we can never understand it. This is one of the great hidden gems that Tehillim provide us with in the very times that we need it the most. To sponsor a Tehillim for £90 call 0203 906 8488 or email office@ thejewishweekly.com

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Business succession planning BY MARC OVITS

BA (HONS) APFS CERT PFS (DM)

Everyone knows how important it is to make a Will and have a Lasting Power of Attorney in place. However, it is just as essential to put these structures in place for your business too. Have you ever thought about what would happen if you are too ill to run your business or what would happen to your business when you are no longer here? Below, we will uncover the different ways in which IBB Solicitors can help protect you and your business. There are four different types of business owners – sole trader, LLP member, director and partner. It is important for business owners to look at their business structures

and ensure that the appropriate documents and agreements are in place. For sole traders, it is advisable to consider the appointment of a special executor in your Will to run your business after your death. An executor has general authority to sell your business but does not have specific authority to run the business until it is sold. This could result in a loss of value of the business and could mean that less will be available to the beneficiaries. A further consideration for your Will is whether Business Property Relief (BPR) is available. BPR has been an established part of inheritance tax legislation for over 40 years. The

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• Do you have Key Man Insurance? This may be needed to ensure there are sufficient funds available to the other partner for them to be able to purchase the shares on death. • Is there a Share Purchase Agreement in place? • If the business is a partnership, is there a Partnership Agreement in place? If there is no Partnership Agreement, the partnership will be dissolved on the death of any of the partners. qualifying criteria are relatively straightforward. Once BPR-qualifying assets have been owned for at least two years, the taxable value of these assets can be reduced by up to 100% with BPR. However, not every interest in a business will qualify for BPR. Broadly speaking, businesses which carry on a trade rather than investment activities could qualify for BPR and include shares in qualifying companies that are not listed on the stock exchange, shares in qualifying companies on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) and an interest in a qualifying business, such as a partnership. BPR is available at either 100% or 50% depending on the type of business and how the assets of the business are owned. It can be a valuable estate planning tool and your Will should be appropriately drafted to ensure that the relief can be fully claimed. As there is no Inheritance Tax between spouses, gifting business assets that do qualify for relief to a surviving spouse may not be the best option for family businesses. One option would be for any business assets, which attract either 100% or 50% relief, to by-pass the spouse and pass instead into a trust from which the surviving

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spouse can benefit. This would enable BPR to be claimed on the first death, which might otherwise not be available to claim on the second death if the asset were owned by the spouse. Lasting Powers of Attorney are just as necessary as a Will. You can appoint an attorney to deal with your personal affairs and you can appoint different attorneys to deal with your business affairs. This would ensure that if you become incapable of managing your business affairs through an accident or ill health, your attorney/s can step in and continue running your business. Without an attorney, the business may fold if no-one has the authority to run the business in your stead. Succession planning is not just about Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney, although it is a good starting point. It also includes making sure your business has the right documentation and structure in place. These are some of the issues which might need to be considered: • If there is more than one shareholder, is there a Shareholder Agreement in place? If not, who will be entitled to purchase the shares on your death?

Regardless of what structures you need in place, business or personal, you will need expert advisers around you.

The Writer is the owner and Managing Director of Alpha Wealth Management Limited. Drawing on over twenty years’ experience in financial services, Marc helps private clients, businesses, charities, and trusts optimize their finances. He is a Chartered Financial Planner providing ‘Independent’ financial advice. Prior to being a financial adviser, Marc was a Director at several global investment banks, providing investment advice to Europe’s leading institutional investment and pension fund managers. For advice on inheritance, investment, protection, or retirement planning, please contact Marc on 020 8203 6920 or 07866 503 898 or marc@alphawm.co.uk.


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SPORTS

ONE NATION... ...MANY TEAMS

W E E K LY

Medals galore for Team Maccabi GB

BY DAVID SAFFER

Team Maccabi GB scooped 36 medals at the JCC Maccabi Games in Miami. The annual sporting tournament for teens aged 13 to 16 saw Team GB across in a number of sports. Participants won 9 gold, 14 silver and 13 bronze medals as they competed in football, tennis, table tennis, swimming Lining up a n d for a shot dance.

The GB delegation was also involved in Arts Fest which ran alongside the sports tournament. Joseph Salt won every match match on route to gold in the U14 Boys tennis division. Sam Klein won gold in the U16 table tennis group. And talented swimming trio Noah Stewart, Anatole Ferera and Romane Ferera won 16 medals between them. Both the U14 (Blue) and U16 football teams made it to the finals in their resepctive league. Both teams won a silver with the U14s losing out on glory in a penalty shoot out. Elsewhere, the Mixed Girls football team won bronze while the U14 (White) football team was knocked out at the quarterfinal stage. During the games, a number of GB athletes were awarded Midot medals for leadership, positivity

and embodying a spirit of fair play. A crowd of 3,500 attended the opening ceremony including a large number of GB spectators. Athletes also took part in the annual JCC Cares charitable project to benefit children in Uganda. Janice and Ian Aarons were joint heads of the Great Britain gelegation. “Team Maccabi GB are not only coming home with an astounding number of medals but are returning with amazing memories, new friendships and more opportunities open to them with Maccabi GB,” said Janice. “The JCC Games is more than just a sporting tournament, young Jewish people from across the world come together for one amazing experience.” The JCC Games will be held in Orange County, Los Angeles next year.

PHOTO CREDITS: LAWRENCE PURCELL

Manchester Maccabi Blues & Yellows v South Manchester

A strike at goal

An attempted tackle

Professional sports summer roundup

BY DAN SILVER

Many incredible things have happened in the world of football over the summer, there was the first £200 million pounds transfer, Wayne Rooney not only leaves Manchester United but retires from international football and Barcelona, one of the greatest teams ever, looks as if they’re about to crumble. Yet for me, I believe the most surprising thing that we have seen over the summer is how, on paper, the premier league’s worst team and a team which many tipped to not even have a slim chance of survival at the start of season, has now gone unbeaten throughout the whole of August. Huddersfield town, who’s last appearance in the top flight of English football was 1972 - before the Premier League started in 1992, drew with Southampton 0-0 at the weekend to extend their unbeaten run and therefore managing to get 7 points out of a possible 9 so far. But although Huddersfield have started extremely well, their is only

one team at the moment with maxi- but they’ll be hoping they can win mum points and that is Manchester their first title since 2013. Manchester City’s game with united. The Red Devils have started the season the best way they Bournemouth was a real intense could scoring 10 goals, conceding match with both sides looking as if zero and, in my opinion, an abso- they could win it and so much dralutely crucial decision, solidifying ma coming at the end of the game. and knowing their best starting XI. With one of the potential goals of Having brought in Romelu Lukaku the season in the first half by Charlie Daniels for Bournefor £75 million from Everton, mouth, and then City Nemanja Matic from Chelmaking it 1-1, by the sea for £40 million and 97th minute Raheem Paul Pogba showing why Sterling slotted he’s worth the £89 it in to win the million they paid for game for City him last summer, Manchester United and then being look like the team bizarrely sent to beat this year and off 2 minutes proved that with a later for runsolid 2-0 victory ning into the over Leicester City. crowd. Yet with But with Champithis emphatic ons League football win City, who coming up for Reds spent over £200 and their defence million this still needing to be summer, should fully tested, they be performing will need to immuch better Who will be taking the prove in some areas against teams prized trophy this year?

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who aren’t of the same calibre as them. With Alexis Sanchez possibly coming in before the transfer deadline is finished, he should add that finishing touch that is just missing from City challenging for both the Premier league and the Champions League. Classic classic Arsenal. After buying club record transfer Alexandre Lacazette and beating Leicester 4-3 on the opening day of the season, things were looking good. But last weekend I would’ve been embarrassed to call myself an Arsenal fan if I was one. Liverpool without the “ill” Philippe Coutinho, absolutely played Arsenal out of the park with an outstanding 4-0 victory, even though they had just played their Champions League qualifier against Hoffenheim on Wednesday. The front three of Firminio, Mane and new boy Salah ripped apart the Arsenal defence and showed how Liverpool are a real contender for not only top 4 but even winning the league. Arsenal on the other hand showed no passion, no quality and no desire to

win the game. And with Sanchez and Oxlade- Chamberlain possibly leaving the club and no players lined up to replace them, Arsenal are gonna be in for a tough time when trying to handle both competing for the top 4 and playing in the Europa League. Lol. Other results included Spurs still looking to end their Wembley curse, after conceding a late equaliser from Burnley and Chelsea’s new record signing Alvaro Morata proving his quality by getting a goal and an assist in their 2-0 victory over Everton. Possibly the club which had the biggest victory, not only for the scoreline but also for the whole atmosphere around the club, was Newcastle United. Rafa Benitez, the only manager ever to win every European club competition, won his first game this season with a brilliant 3-0 victory over West Ham United. With fears over his position at the club, this performance relaxed fans and showed that the Toon have what it takes to perform in the top flight.


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Parshat Ki Tetze We’ve gone through lots of mitzvot in the past few parashiot, and this one brings some more. Seventy-four more! Returning lost objects: If we find something that someone has lost we should try our best to find out who it was and return it to the owner. Burying the dead: We must respect the body of a dead person and bury it as soon as possible. Protecting the mother bird: We must send away the mother bird before taking her babies or eggs from her nest. We do this so she shouldn’t be sad and we learn from this to be compassionate to all creatures. Fencing: If one builds a new house they should also make a fence for the roof so no-one could fall off. We learn from this that we should not take any risks or put anyone in danger and always use extra precautions. No mixing: We should not mix two different things together, such us two different types of animal e.g., a horse and a donkey. Similarly with plants, we shouldn’t plant them too close together as they could cross pollinate. Shatnez is a similar idea to this as it says we must not wear wool and linen mixed together. Tzitzit: Tzitzit has to be attached to any four cornered garments that boys wear, which means we have to attach strings at the corners. In order to be able to do the mitzvah all the time we have a special garment with four corners that has strings attached. This is called tzitzit as well. Eating on the job: A worker should be allowed to eat whatever he wants if he is out in the fields picking fruits and vegetables, however he cannot take any of it home. A lesson from Miriam: If one talks badly of another Jew they are punished with tzaraat (leprosy). We learned this a while back in parashiot Tazria and Metzorah. The Jews are reminded of this here and Miriam is held up as an example that all the Jews saw. Because she spoke badly about Moshe she got tzaraat. The last mitzvah in this parshah is to remember Amalek, the evil nation who attacked the Jews after they left Egypt, and we should work to erase their memory.

Aboriginal-inspired dot painting

You will need

Arts and Crafts

• Canvas, cardboard or paper • Kitchen sponges • Elastic bands • Toilet roll • Earbuds

Method 1. Roll the kitchen sponge up and secure it with an elastic band to make a spiral sponge. Make another spiral sponge by wrapping it around a toilet roll and securing it with an elastic band (this can be used instead of a paintbrush). 2. Paint the cardboard paper using different colour paints. 3. Create a dotted pattern on the painting using the earbuds. 4. Best to allow the paint to dry before you create the dots. THEJEWISHWEEKLY.COM


31 AUGUST 2017

CUT OUT & KEEP

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THE JEWISH WEEKLY

TO CREATE YOUR VERY OWN JEWISH WEEKLY RECIPE BOOK

Rocky Road

Ingredients: • • • •

2 medium-sized bars of milk chocolate A couple of handfuls of mini marshmallows 6 digestive biscuits (broken into largish chunks) A handful of raisins (optional)

Method: 1. Melt chocolate in a double boiler, or you can just use a pan on top of a pot of boiling water. Make sure the water is low enough not to touch the pan. 2. Mix all of the ingredients together once the chocolate is melted, making sure not to break up the biscuits too much. 3. Pour the mixture into a lined baking tray, level it out and put it into the fridge for a few hours. 4. Once hardened, tip out, cut into squares and enjoy these yummy treats!

Did y u kn w? Fun facts about the sun The Sun is almost a perfect sphere. Considering the sheer size of the Sun, there is only a 10 km difference in its polar and equatorial diameters – this makes it the closest thing to a perfect sphere observed in nature.

Earth could fit inside the sun one million times.

At the sun’s centre, it reaches temperatures of 15 million degrees Celsius!

The sun is all different colours mixed together, but appears white to our eyes.

The sun takes 225-250 million years to complete an orbit of the centre of the milky way.

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Light from the sun takes eight minutes to reach earth.


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Every second counts!

r

By Chaya Sandle

T

here was chocolate dripping down from the ceiling, chocolate chips all over the floor, the baby was screaming in the corner, Gabriel’s finger was dripping with blood, and my mother was coming home in 15 minutes. Looking around at the filthy counters and listening to the utter chaos around me, I knew I had to do something fast. It all started when my mother told me she was going out for a couple of hours and asked me if I could watch the kids. I vaguely remember saying something like, “Yeah, sure, no problem, oh and while I’m at it I’ll clean up the entire house, bake with the kids and then bathe them.” I thought that two hours was an eternity and that I’d be reading on the couch by the time she returned. I was going to be the best babysitter ever. Admittedly this was the first time I had ever babysat, but…how hard could it be? Ominous foreshadowing, you know what’s coming next. Yep. It turned out to be a disaster. It turned out that my little siblings were not interested in doing what I said and cleaning up a room each. Ok, a minor setback, but I was the world’s best babysitter so this was nothing I couldn’t handle. So I turned on some music and started to dance around the room, throwing toys into the baskets, tidying up the papers as I jogged on the spot. My siblings were still not impressed! Not only didn’t they want to join, they screamed and complained as I tidied up their stuff! It seems that my brother doesn’t like it if I turn off his x-box for him. He claimed I ruined his chances of getting to the next level. Seriously, who cares? It wasn’t even an interesting game.

So he’ll play another football match. He loved doing that; what’s one more? Apparently he didn’t care too much for that logic. Or maybe I’m misinterpreting his storming off to his room. The door slam is a pretty good indicator though.… I decided to tackle the cleaning later. For now - bath time. That was a total disaster That went pretty well. Sort of. Then we started baking. The thought did cross my mind that perhaps I should have bathed them after baking, but it was too late. Then the baby stated throwing eggs on the floor! Whilst I stared helplessly at the mess and spluttered wordlessly dealt with the situation calmly, my other siblings continued baking. The assorted ingredients in the bowl were: • • • • • • • • •

Eggs - with the shells. Lots and lots of sugar Sprinkles Apple juice Chocolate chips A banana Chocolate syrup Peas Cornflakes

When they started mixing, I noticed what they were doing and tried to grab the bowl out of their hands, knocking it on the floor just as they knocked it on the floor. Chocolate chips THEJEWISHWEEKLY.COM

exploded across the floor and the sugar cascaded down like a flurry of snow. The rest of the mixture slowly oozed out and lazily conquered the floor, taking up permanent residence between some of the tiles. I yelled at everyone, causing them all to burst out crying The kids all burst out crying. I snatched the chocolate syrup from my sister and it squirted all over the ceiling My sister squirted chocolate syrup all over the ceiling and it began to drip down dramatically drop by maddeningly slow drop. A small beeping sound snapped us out of our argument discussion. My mother had texted. She would be home in 15 minutes. At last we united, and even my brother was coaxed out of his room by my frantic screams. A SWATT team could have done no better. In 15 minutes, the kitchen was presentable; the kids were dumped in the bath or under the shower, and all the mess downstairs disappeared. When my mother came home, she told us all how proud she was that we all behaved nicely and made such a nice surprise of tidying up for her. When she asked about the brownies, I made some vague comment and was saved by her exclamation of horror. “Oh no, we have mould on the kitchen ceiling!” She rushed to call my father. That should give me enough time to sort out all the stuff under the sofa.

MUM!


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Parasha Ki Tetze In a Nutshell This parashah includes 74 of the 613 commandments in the Torah. Some of the laws included are those of the beautiful captive, a firstborn’s inheritance rights, how we dignify and bury the dead, the wayward and rebellious son, returning a lost object, the duty to put up a safety fence around the roof of one’s home, before we take baby

birds from the nest we must send away their mother so she shouldn’t be sad and the various types of ‘kilayim’ (mixing) of different species such as a donkey and a horse or two different flower types. The judicial procedures and penalties for immorality are also depicted in this parashah. A ‘mamzer’, someone born from an adulterous or

incestuous relationship may not marry someone of Jewish lineage but must marry another mamzer. A descendant of Moav, Ammon and a first or second-generation Edomite or Egyptian also must not marry someone from Jewish lineage Other laws included in this Parashah are how to govern the purity of the military

camp, the prohibition against turning in an escaped slave, we should always pay our workers on time and allow anyone working for us (human or animal) to eat on the job, the correct way to treat a debtor, the prohibition against charging interest on a loan, the laws of divorce and penalties for the transgression of a Torah prohibition.

In the conclusion of Ki Tetze it obligates us to remember what ‘Amalek’ did to us on our way out of Egypt.

7 Things that can help you get a head start at school 1

2

HAVE THE PROPER SCHOOL SUPPLIES

I highly suggest getting folders and binders with patterns and designs to make note taking more fun. During the first day of class most teachers will tell you everything they require for their courses.

4

DO NOT PROCRASTINATE

This is something that we have all been guilty of in the past and have learned the stressful repercussions. Keep focussed and be strict on yourself about keeping goals and deadlines.

5

MAKE A SCHEDULE

The school year is such a busy time! Between taking test, doing home work, attending activities, and school events it can be really hard to keep track of everything. By keeping an updated schedule you can better manage your time and know what you have to accomplish.

GET INVOLVED

Getting involved with your school community is great because you can pursue your interest and meet peers who have the same and similar interest as you. Many studies have shown that students who are involved in sports and school activities are able to achieve higher grades.

6

3

KNOW YOUR COURSE SYLLABUS

Knowing your class schedule is so important for being successful in the course your taking. Teachers will typically hand out your syllabus in class or post it online. I highly suggest keeping it in a safe and convenient place so you can frequently view. Knowing when you have tests and projects due is so important for passing the course and keeping up your grades.

LIST ACADEMIC GOALS

Write out a list of goals that you want to achieve for the upcoming school year! This will help you track your progress and give you goals to aim for.

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7

LEARN WHAT TYPE OF LEANER YOU ARE

Everyone is unique and so is the way you learn ! There are three main types of learning styles which are auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Knowing what type of leaner you are is going to help you be a better student and have better studying habits.


31 AUGUST 2017

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News Bites LORRY WIPES OUT MOTORWAY SIGN AFTER DRIVING WITH TRAILER STILL UP

HUGE BRAND NEW BRIDGE OPENS IN SCOTLAND A lorry wrecked havoc on a The Queensferry Crossing is a brand new bridge that’s 2.7 km long. It’s been built over the River Forth in Scotland, linking Edinburgh and Fife. The bridge is 207 metres above high tide - that’s the height of 48

double-decker buses on top of each other! The steel that makes up the bridge is 35,000 tonnes which is the same weight as 200 Boeing 747s! It has special windshields on either side to protect traffic from the wind.

EXOTIC CRAWFISH INFEST BERLIN PARK The government district in Berlin is under siege by strange creatures - not politicians, but red swamp crayfish native to the southern United States. Procambarus clarkii, as they are properly known, are believed to have spread to Berlin’s Tiergarten park when they were released from local acquariums. The freshwater crabs - which are considered pests outside of their natural habitat - can devastate domestic fish tanks by eating all of the plants. Individual red swamp crayfish dumped outside the park appear to have gathered and bred.

Heavy rainfall in recent weeks may have altered the water balance or drowned the caverns in which the crawfish were living in Berlin. The crabs are a famous part of Louisiana cuisine, with the crawfish boiled with lemon, spices and vegetables. Strict poaching laws in Germany make it a criminal offence for Berliners to catch the crawfish and cook them - so officials are hoping foxes and raccoons will devour them instead. “We are focusing on the natural enemies of the crabs,” said a city official.

motorway in The USA as a result of travelling with its trailer up. The vehicle was driving along a motorway near Austin, Texas, where the driver had clearly forgotten to move the trailer back to its proper position after emptying out its contents.

Other road-users tried to warn the driver about the accident waiting to happen, however before it could be rectified the lorry slammed into a sign, bringing down the entire construction onto the road. Luckily, no other vehicles were involved in the crash and the driver is in a stable condition.

BOY RESCUED FROM WASHING MACHINE AFTER GETTING STUCK PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK A seven-year-old boy got stuck in a washing machine while playing hide and seek with his sister. The youngster had to be rescued by firefighters in the bizarre incident in the city of Kharkov in eastern Ukraine. The boy, whose name has not been released, was playing hide and seek with his sister in the family’s flat. He thought he had found the perfect hiding place when he crawled into the drum of the washing machine. But once inside, he found he could not get out again and ended up shouting for help. None of his family was able to

pull the youngster out of the washing machine so they called emergency services for help. Four firefighters arrived and, after surveying the situation, came up with the idea of covering the boy in sunflower oil.

Dear Joey,

KEEP CALM

I find it really hard to drink enough water as I’m so busy and just forget. But then I end up feeling really dehydrated by the end of the day. Please could you give me some tips that would help. Thanks Sam.

AND ASK

AGONY AUNT MIA AND AGONY UNCLE JOEY

The Jewish Weekly’s Teen Agony Aunt and Agony Uncle are here to help with all your questions, problems and difficulties. Just write your letter to agonyaunt@thejewishweekly.com or agonyuncle@thejewishweekly.com Disclaimer: All letters that are published may be edited. All letters are kept confidential and names can be changed for confidentiality upon request.

Hi Sam You’re definitely on the right track wanting to drink more water. Water is fantastic for a person’s overall health. One thing that often stops people from drinking enough water is that some consider it ‘boring’ and ‘bland’, so an idea would be to add flavour to your bottle. You can do this in a healthy way by adding slices of orange, lemon or your favourite fruit that will infuse the water. Try to make it a point to drink a glass of water after each bathroom break and to sip before each meal. If you

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And it paid off as the youngster suddenly slid out of the machine, almost unassisted. Once free, the rescuers checked him over and – once they were satisfied he had not been hurt – handed him over to his relieved mother.

don’t want to spend a lot of money on buying bottled water you can get a filter jug that you fill with tap water and it will filter out anything else in it. Water-rich foods such as cucumber, grapefruit, watermelon and zucchini are a great way to sneak in extra water too. Finally, you could buy yourself a bottle marked with ounces or millilitres that can help you reach your personal water goal each day and you’ll know exactly how many times you need to refill! It’s important to drink enough water, especially in hot weather and after exercising, when we can become dehydrated. Good luck, and thumbs up for trying to stay healthy. Agony Uncle Joey.


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THE JEWISH WEEKLY

L I B E R T Y

cover cop

surbmwance

ON RO AD

WET ears ears

T

Q) Where do polar bears vote? A) The North Poll.

Q) What do you get when you cross a snowman and a vampire? Q) Which flower talks the most?

A) Frostbite!

(Answers at the bottom of page upside down)

A) Tulips, of course, because they have two lips!

1. What has one head, one foot and four legs? Q) What do you call a cow that can play a musical instrument?

2. The turtle took two chocolates to Texas to teach Thomas to tie his boots. How many T’s in that?

A) A moo-sician

3. What starts with a P and ends with an E and has a million letters in it?

1. A bed.

2. There are 2 T’s in THAT!

3. Post Office!

1.A down right liberty 2.Undercover Cop 3.Car insurance 4.High Tea 5.On the open road 6.Wet behind the ears

Dingbats Answers THEJEWISHWEEKLY.COM


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THE JEWISH WEEKLY

Thunderstruck!

part 3 of 3

BY CHAYA SANDLER Yonatan is a great storyteller and after being struck by lightening his stories start to come true. Avi’s arguments had won Yonatan over. “Ok…” He cleared his throat and furrowed his brow. “Yonatan and his friends Avi, Yosef and Shimon found a huge treasure chest filled with gold, so much gold that it was more than any of them could spend in a lifetime. They lived happy lives filled with only goodness and fun adventures that always worked out well for them and nobody ever got hurt. They were always healthy and there was suddenly world peace and an end to poverty and oppression and the whole world lived happily ever after.” “I think that covers it. Cool Yonatan, do you realise what we could do with your new powers?!” The boys’ eyes were gleaming. However when they told Yosef and Shimon later, Yosef was enraged. “You don’t know what you’re doing! How can you just take a dangerous step like that when you have no idea what could possibly happen!” “You’re just a spoilsport Yosef,” Avi scorned. “What could possibly go wrong? And if anything does, then Yonatan can just storytell his way out of it.” The boys were arguing so loudly and fiercely that they didn’t realise that they were walking straight past their own streets and into a bad neighbourhood. The sun was setting and suddenly they found themselves alone in the dark, surrounded by some very nasty shadows. The shadows in question began to move towards the boys, one

flipped open a penknife and began swinging it in his fingers. Shimon yelled: “Run!” There were five lean, muscular men in black leather, with chains and ripped jeans, heavy sideburns and shaved heads. It’s almost as if they were trying to be a cliché. The boys ran and ran until they hit a dead end; a narrow alleyway stretched out before them. “Yonatan! Make up a story, quickly!” “I can’t think.” “Well you have to! Those guys have knives and I don’t think they’re coming to offer us cake, hurry.” “Um… the four boys were trapped at the end of the alleyway about to meet an unpleasant end. Suddenly the police showed up, the crooks scattered and everyone was saved.” The boys strained their ears but there was no comforting wail to be heard. “Um, the pursuers suddenly mysteriously disappeared.” Nothing happened. “They turned out to be friendly.” One of the men growled menacingly at the gang. “I told you.” Yosef sounded angry. “We don’t know how this power works. Maybe it takes time to work.” No-one replied, time was luxury they didn’t have. They backed up against the bins at the end of the alleyway as the fierce looking pursuers closed in. Suddenly Shimon yelped. When the others whipped round, Shimon had disappeared! “Shimon where are y o u ? ! ”

Yonatan called anxiously. “I fell down some sort of hole, jump down, there’s a soft landing.” Shimon’s voice came out faint and echoing, as if the drop was very far. “Leap of faith,” shrugged Avi, “It’s now or never.” With that he dived through the bins and was swallowed up in the mass of rotting rubbish. “I’m not going down there,” said Yosef uneasily. “Come on, we don’t have a choice.” The men were almost about to grab them when Yonatan grabbed Yosef and pulled the two of them down, leaving their puzzled aggressors behind. The gang studied their new surroundings in the dim light. “It looks like an old sewage system.” “Smells like one too, trust Yosef to know that. You probably know the map of it too, right.” “Very funny Avi, give him a break,” Shimon warned. “Actually,” Yosef started bashfully, “I sort of do.” He blushed as Avi smirked and slapped him on the back. “Leave him Avi, he might just save our lives with this totally random but currently vital information.” “Or, we could let Yonatan storytell us outta here.” “Storytell is not a verb Avi,” Yosef chided. “Who cares about verbs when our friend has a superpower!” “Which we don’t know how to use!” Annoyed at the fact that once again his friends were fighting about his new gift, without hearing what he had to say, Yonatan began to wander off. What did he have to say about it? He didn’t actually know what to think. It was really cool, but also slightly freaky. Does this mean he wasn’t normal? Then again, Yosef would say noone is normal, he mused. Still, what else had

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that lightning bolt done to him? And why? Besides, it hadn’t worked back in the alley. Maybe the alien theft incident was just a huge co-incidence. It was certainly more plausible than their current working theory and - ! Yonatan’s ruminations were interrupted by the sight of a huge golden chest. Its lid was open and gold coins spilled out of it, cascading onto the floor. “Woah!” He must have exclaimed out loud as Shimon, Avi and Yosef were swiftly at his side. His story had come true after all. One coincidence maybe, but two? “This is amazing, we’re going to be rich! You can do anything Yonatan.” “This is a scientific anomaly, imagine what that lightning did to you, this is incredible.” Yonatan felt anger rising within him. He was not an exhibit for Avi to gawk at, nor a phenomena for Yosef to study! Who were they to tell him what to do, to judge him? “What do you think?! I can do anything? You saw what happened in the alleyway, this is a weird power, I don’t know how to use it.” “We’ll work it out, and then-“ “Then what Avi? You’ll use me to get what you want?” Yonatan was shouting now. “You think I can just say And then it rained sweets when you’re hungry or.“ Yonatan’s tirade was interrupted as a pipe above their heads burst spewing thousands upon thousands of sweets raining down upon the boys! THE END


32 WOMEN

W oman of W orth ‫ֵֽא ׁ ֶשת ַֽחיִ ל ִמי יִ ְמ ָצא‬ Essex-based Gayle Klein has been involved in the local Jewish community for most of her life, particularly with Jewish Care. The charity, which provides help and support for vulnerable people within the Jewish community, is one of the largest health and social care organisations with over 70 centres and services caring for more than 10,000 people and their families every week. In Redbridge, Jewish Care is based at Redbridge Jewish Community Centre (Redbridge JCC), formerly known as Sinclair House. Redbridge JCC is the largest centre of its kind in Western Europe, providing education, welfare, social and community programmes and activities for the local community. It offers play sessions for children, youth clubs, and a wide range of activities for adults of all ages and abilities as well as a day centre for the elderly. Gayle’s connection with Sinclair House and Jewish Care started when she was very young as a member of the weekly youth club, and as a member of the AJY board as a teenager. After she married in 1995, she continued to attend talks and other events at the centre, along with her husband Andrew, who is Chair of the sports and entertainment committee for Jewish Care. Her involvement with Jewish Care increased as part of the ‘Local Angels’ Committee, which was set up in 2008. The committee was started by a group of women who wanted to raise the profile of Jewish Care in North East London/Essex area. The aim of the committee is to raise awareness as well as much needed funding for the local Jewish community through regular events such as talks, social events and their annual luncheon. The money raised helps to fund various activities and initiatives within the local services, including outings, refurbishment works, the care buses which transport members to facilities and has also funded the ‘Memory Way’ café which helps members, carers and their families of those with dementia to talk to experts as well as other people in similar situation. Jewish Care offer a Meals on

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Wheels service which is staffed by volunteers who deliver hot meals to many elderly and disabled members of the community who are unable to prepare meals for themselves. The service actually started in the Redbridge area, and Gayle has been involved in recruiting people for this service. The services that Jewish Care offers cost £50 million a year to run, and despite some statutory funding, the charity relies heavily on the generosity of its supporters to donate £15 million to ensure the continuation of these essential resources. There are three programmes for donors – Patrons, Friends of Jewish Care and Young Patrons. Gayle is the chair of the ‘Friends of Jewish Care’, which is based at their offices in Golders Green and generates nearly £1million as a collective. She is responsible for keeping these valued supporters updated on significant Jewish Care developments, and showing them how their generosity benefit the community. There is an annual reception held for these ‘Friends’ and supporters as a way to recognise their significant contribution. Last November, Gayle joined the Trustee Board, and is the

GAYLE KLEIN

only Trustee from the Redbridge area. She feels that this gives her a unique opportunity, and considers it a great honour and privilege to have been asked. “I have always lived in the Essex area, and I am very happy here. Being able to help this community through Jewish Care’s work is great. There’s lots to be positive about living in this area and the community itself.” As the only representative for the Jewish community in this area, she is ideally placed to voice the opinions and thoughts of the community in Essex, and to make Jewish Care aware of these. ”Within many Jewish organisations, much of the main activity is based in NW London, and it makes members of the community in NE London and Essex feel a little like they are out in the cold. I hope that by being able to present the feelings of the local community to the board, and also pass on feedback from them, it will help to redress the balance slightly, and give more confidence to the local community!” One of the areas that Jewish Care are trying to focus is finding ways to engage with the younger generation, and to get them more involved in the charity. “To

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many, Jewish Care’s services are much more focussed on elderly issues, so do not appeal so much to younger people. Many people don’t want to think about getting old, but it is inevitable, and Jewish Care is actually much more than that if people take the time to look.” The Jewish Care MIKE young leadership programme (Motivation, Inspiration, Knowledge and Education) is a scheme based in Redbridge for young people to be involved volunteering in the local community and to help develop their leadership skills. “My children are also involved in Jewish Care, and hopefully this will enable them to have more of a social conscience and interest in the community, that will stay with them throughout their lives” Steven Lewis, Chairman Jewish Care is very grateful for the contribution that Gayle has made to Jewish Care, and recognises her commitment to this important charity. “Gayle has a long association with Jewish Care’s Redbridge Jewish Community Centre and over

the last ten years, alongside her husband Andrew, has been active in fundraising and profile raising for Jewish Care in the local area. I was delighted when Gayle was recently appointed onto Jewish Care Board of Trustee’s. She is a valuable member of the Trustee Board who brings a wealth of knowledge about the community along with an abundance of energy and enthusiasm”.

If you would like to nominate a ‘Woman Of Worth’ to be featured on this page then please email micaela@thejewishweekly.com


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GABRIELLA SHEMTOV FLORAL When Gabriella decided to sign up to a floristry course on a whim, she did not realise that it would lead to a successful business. “I wanted to do something creative, which was very different to my usual working environment. When I did the course, something just clicked”. She decided to pursue this new found interest, and enrolled on the ‘Classic Flower Design Diploma’ at The Covent Garden Academy of Flowers. In order to do this, she had to reduce her hours at her sales and marketing job, so that she could study for two days a week. “It was very demanding both physically and mentally having to juggle work and study, but it was also very exciting”. As a way to get feedback on some of the work she was creating, she posted pictures on Facebook, and soon gained interest with people approaching her to make arrangements for them. “It all started through word of mouth and recommendations. I didn’t intend to launch my business whilst still working and studying, but it all developed organically and I didn’t want to turn clients away.” Since finishing her course in

2016, her business has been growing steadily, and some of her arrangements have even been featured in national bridal magazines. She describes her style as “very natural”, and she likes to use lots of foliage within her arrangements. “Using foliage, gives my work that slightly looser, just picked from the English country garden look. I also love mixing classic well known flowers with more seasonal, wild flowers and grasses.” Gabriella, who is based in Maida Vale, works in venues across London and the surrounding areas, and believes it is essential to meet with each customer for an initial consultation either at their venue or home. “It is important to me to get to know my clients, and understand their needs. I love being able to help people build on their own ideas and ensure they really

get the look they have in mind. After the first consultation, I create a mood board and proposal with suggestions, themes and styles that we can then discuss. Although her product is high end, Gabriella is always open to making suggestions of what can be achieved by clients on various budgets. Before their initial meeting,

can be tapped into within this environment. “Anyone starting a business is very lucky to have a launch pad within the Jewish community, and for me having that support and network has really helped me”. She has also had the benefit of learning about work ethic from her family. “My family has been in the jewellery business

Gabriella encourages clients to gather ideas themselves. “It is always good to have a starting point, even if it is just a colour, a shape or a theme, to work with. Knowing what you don’t like is also useful. Looking at Pinterest or Instagram can also help inspire you and help you visualise what things you may like or dislike. She also recommends that all her customers get several different quotes, as this gives them a better idea of overall costs. Being an event florist, means the work she is involved in varies from charity galas to private functions, bar/batmitzvahs to dressing chuppahs and creating bridal bouquets. She says “this is why I love my job. Every event is different and is a new challenge.” As an Orthodox woman, she works very much within the Jewish community, and recognises the great potential that

for 7 generations and they all work really hard. It is because of them that I have always wanted to run my own business and create something in my name”. For anyone who might also be looking to set up their own business and move into a more creative industry, Gabriella recommends getting work experience before giving up your current job completely. “To be able to develop creatively takes a lot of trial and error before you get things right, I’ve realised that for me, taking photos is a really important learning tool. I can post photos on social media and other sites to get feedback from people, but the pictures also serve as a visual reminder of my work for future reference. Every arrangement Gabriella makes, also includes after-care instructions to ensure that flowers last as long as possible. It is this at-

tention to detail and personal touch that she prides herself on. “I always give very specific instructions to clients about how to look after flowers. My product is not cheap, so I want my clients to get the most out of the flowers they have paid for”. As well as her floral event service, Gabriella also runs floral workshops, which can be adapted to the needs of different audiences, from charities to hen parties. The sessions start from £45 per person, and last up to 2 hrs. “I really enjoy running the workshops, and being able to share my knowledge. The people who attend find it really relaxing and for many it is an opportunity to try something creative and new”. For Gabriella, the most rewarding part of her job is working closely with her clients to deliver their perfect flowers. “The look on people’s faces when they see their flowers for the first time is an amazing feeling and getting good feedback from them makes it all worthwhile”

Do you know anyone who specialises in an area of female expertise and would like to be featured on this page? Let us know by emailing micaela@thejewishweekly.com

Tips and tricks - Nail Varnish

Jewish Weekly aims to source the most genius, time saving and useful hacks for you every week, so watch this space! For many, nail varnish is just something to make your fingernails look pretty, but here are some other uses which might come in ‘handy’. •

Never get your keys confused again – paint the tops of the keys with coloured nail varnish to tell them apart.

Get yourself out of a tight spot – Picture the scene: you are running late for work, and just as you are about to step out of the door you realise that you have a little ladder in your tights. No time to change? Dot a little bit of clear nail varnish around the edge, to stop a holey hassle.

Having problems threading a needle – put a little bit of clear nail varnish and run it through your fingers until it has dried. Should be much easier…

Keep your buttons in place – dab a little bit of clear nail varnish at the centre of each button to make sure the thread doesn’t break.

If you have any questions or there is something you want to feedback on, please contact us on office@thejewishweekly.com. Your question might be someone else’s solution!

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34 COMEDY

31 AUGUST 2017

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That’s life! And the annoying little things of life. COMEDY BY ED MOSS I remember some years ago attending a rather bizarre research evening where it seemed that the whole thing had been organised very much on a rent-a-crowd basis for the market research organisers’ commission, rather than for the benefit of the client. It was for the railways, and one of the key qualifiers was that attendees had to be regular long-distance train users. Of the eight people taking part in the research, I seemed to be the only one present who knew his Great Southern from his East Coast Mainline. I genuinely fell into the real-user category, working as I did for a Government agency in Leeds that required me to travel two days a week to Sheffield and one day to London. I fell in love with the trains I don’t think! However, there is a certain “je ne sais quoi” about being able to read someone

else’s newspaper over their shoulder as one stands in the aisle between London and Peterborough, having paid in excess of three figures for a seat one can’t have on an over-crowded train. So I had a personal interest, as a regular train commuter, to vent my pleasure/displeasure with the railways, in the blinkered, or was it naive, hope that someone might take some notice. Apparently, all these years later, they seem not to have taken any notice whatsoever, although I believe the government is on the brink of instituting a rule that cheaper fares should be available right up to an hour before travel on any long-distance journey. What I can’t get my head around is that of the eight attendees for the research, I was the only regular long-distance commuter in the group. Three confessed (privately) to not having been on a train during the previous 18 months! All very bizarre market research

recruitment. And that takes me nicely into some of the beauty product advertising on television. Have you ever noticed that when they say in the advertisement “the UK’s ladies agree this product dramatically improves their whatevers,” also appearing along the bottom of many of these advertisements is something along the lines of “according to 83% of 79 respondents”? Now I’m not denying 83% is a healthy majority, but could you imagine electing a government on the basis of an 83% majority of 79 (that’s 65.57 people by the way – not too sure who the unfortunate 0.57th person is!) votes cast? Worry not though. These products are stuffed full of wonderful-sounding ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, hydralift, advanced perfecta shield, battery acid, WD40 and grass cuttings, to make you look your best. All brought to you from a galaxy far,

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far away. Or is that brought in by a Galaxy driven from far, far away? According to one of the nation’s daily newspapers (and a broadsheet it was too!), some of the things consistently in the top 100 personal hates over the years have been people who drive too close behind you, people with body odour, those who eat with their mouth open, rude shop assistants, foreign call centres and people who yak constantly on their mobiles on public transport. I can concur with all of the above myself. Some of my own pet hates include people who park in a disabled space expecting stupidity or the inability to drive an unnecessary 4x4 behemoth to be readily accepted as a disability. I also hate the current fixation with minus Z-list celebrities, although I do admire the fact that said socalled celebrities can actually make a living from being socially inept and totally useless. I dislike intently being told my telephone call is very important, as I’m informed in the same computerised breath that I am in a queue as caller number 23. If my call is so important, answer it then! And I also hate being told my call is being recorded for training and quality purposes. No, it is not being recorded for training and quality purposes! It is being recorded so that anything I say may be played back and used in evidence against me. What really gets my goat are those call centres light years away across the other side of the world, where the telephonists have no training as to how to go off script when you ask a specific question. My mobile operator is served by utterly charming people in the Far East. However, they are charmingly incapable of answering the most simple of questions off their script! And I see red when their first response picking up the phone to me is: “And how are you today Mr Ewadd (sic)? Can I call you Ewadd?” And then when they see my location they immediately turn to ask me about Manchester United. By and large, when I phone them I am fine thank you, apart from the problem I wish to discuss with them and by the way, I know absolutely nothing about, and neither am I interested in Manchester United, thank you. The Pound Sterling has taken a bit of a hammering of late, thanks largely to that elephant in the country called Brexit. Those

of you old enough to remember changing from old money to new money back in the very early seventies will remember a similarly sudden inflation, something I have mentioned previously in this column. However, I was not so much taken aback as totally shocked, by a friend who travelled to Europe on business who obtained an exchange rate of just 91p to the Euro at Liverpool Airport. Now I appreciate fortune favours the brave and in the case of currency this means exchanging your Pounds for Euros by reserving them way in advance, but 91p a Euro when the official rate was around €1.12 at the time is really taking the rip-off-Britain biscuit! Oh, and by the way, if you are paying for anything abroad using a card, make sure you specify local currency and not Sterling, otherwise you’ll end up paying over the odds at what the place of purchase deems to be an acceptable exchange rate which is usually, without exception, far lower than the official bank rate, so it’s really only acceptable to them and not you. Finally, I must thank a young lady in the car park the other day who was so busy on her phone that she walked into, and broke off, my nearside car wing mirror. She was plainly oblivious to the fact that I was sitting in the car at the time, and as it was raining and I was at that very precise moment in between changing from my driving shoes to office shoes, I was unable to step out of the car to apologise for parking correctly within the prescribed space. Which is more than she afforded me after I hooted the car horn. All I got was the evil eye from interrupting her vital WhatsApping. Woe betide any of these people who witness a bank robbery, as when they are asked by police for details of what they witnessed, all they’ll be able to provide is details of their most recent text.

Ed Moss


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Travel News Roundup

Travel News Roundup is brought to you by Malcolm Ginsberg, Editor in Chief of Business Travel News (www.btnews.co.uk). He is a member of the International Travel Writers Alliance, a noted analyst on aviation matters and is seen from time to time on TV and heard on the radio. He would be pleased to hear from tour operators and travel agents who have future packages of a general nature that might interest Jewish Weekly readers. info@btnews.co.uk

Ben Gurion update

A comprehensive renovation of Ben Gurion airport’s domestic and low-cost airline terminal (T1) has been completed. Innovations include advanced check-in facilities, baggage-drop, security checking and passport control. A range of duty free stores, cafes and restaurants has also opened. All international passengers will still arrive into Terminal 3. Departing travellers to the UK with easyJet and Wizz will check-in at Terminal 1 and will be bussed direct to their aircraft. Those for British Airways, El Al and Monarch should report to Terminal 3. For arrivals by train from Tel Aviv and other parts of Israel there is a free, well signposted, bus shuttle to Terminal 1 every 15 minutes.

New boutique halachic hotel in Jerusalem The brand new Litov Jerusalem Hotel in Rechov HaNeviim currently has family suites available for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and a few last rooms available for Succot. This boutique hotel has been designed especially for the convenience of those who keep Shabbat and visiting Jerusalem for the Chagim or for family celebrations. Everything is set up along halachic lines. The hotel is under the supervision of Rav Rubin and its dairy restaurant is also open to the public. The hotel is under family ownership employing top interior designers to furnish the property in a calm and elegant style. All the 26 bedrooms have kosher kitchenette facilities, and there are family suites with private dining rooms for family Shabbat meals, or a choice of larger dining rooms for bigger gatherings. The events hall can seat up to 120 people with room for dancing, and has already become a popular venue for bar mitzvahs, sheva brachot, engagement parties and small weddings. The Litov Hotel is located near the Anna Ticho House, within easy walking distance of the Old City and downtown Jerusalem, as well as Geulah and Meah Shearim. More information at www.litovhotel.co.il

Jewish day out in London

One often joins a tour guide when on holiday and so why not in London. Popular Blue Badge tour guide Rachel Kolsky runs a whole series of walking excursions and one that caught my eye is “An Oasis in Whitechapel : Visit to Brady Street cemetery and Whitechapel “ with availably for 11:00 Monday 25 September.

Stunnning Japan in Autumn

This special event celebrates the successful partnership of photographer Louis Berk (www.louisberk. com) and Ms Kolsky. They have combined their talents and enthusiasm for East London to produce two books together, Whitechapel in 50 Buildings (2016) and Secret Whitechapel (due late 2017) and Louis’s own East End Jewish Cemeteries (2017) for which Rachel wrote the historical overview. The Monday morning tour is an opportunity to meet them both. Rachel’s walk around Whitechapel profiles some of their favourite sites from 50 Buildings, including a much loved hospital, glorious art deco social housing and mid-19th century artisan cottages. There is a very much upmarket series of residences once a synagogue with the benefactors’ names retained. You may know of them. At Brady Street cemetery Louis will showcase his photographic project, inspired by the seasonal changes in this tranquil urban oasis and lasting five years. His images capture the special qualities of this cemetery and its neighbour Alderney Road, also profiled in his book. They have both become natural havens for trees and shrubs which contradict the dense housing blocks surrounding them and the imposing commercial City towers which can be seen in the distance. £12.00 per person. Further information is available at www.golondontours.com

Autumn in Japan

Ben Gurion Airport

Japan is not a country where you would expect any Jewish heritage. You would be wrong. It is speculated that the first Jews arrived in Japan with Spanish and Portuguese traders in the 16th century and in spite of it being a major Axis power in World War II

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Jews escaping Nazism were made welcome. Today there is small Jewish community in Tokyo, two Chabad houses, and a kosher restaurant. Perhaps the most interesting of all Jewish connections is the story of Chiune Sugihara, the only Japanese Righteous Among the Nations who as the Consul General in Kaunas, Lithuania, in 1940 saved over 6,000 Polish Jews Autumn is a perfect time to visit Japan. ALPtours who specialise in 100% kosher VIP tours to places with a Jewish heritage will be revisiting Japan in late October. The tour is from the 19th October – 1st November, starting and finishing in Tokyo and is priced at £6,600 ($8,585) per person sharing. The tour starts and ends in Tokyo and visits the fabulous mountain area near Mount Fuji spending a night in a typical Japanese Ryokan. It is then by bullet train to Hiroshima where the mix is sombre and also beautiful and to Kyoto with its golden temples and fabulous gardens. Jewish history in Japan is exemplified in Kobe where the group will spend one Shabbat. It is then back to Tokyo via the town of Yaotsu, the birth place of Chiune Sugihara and its memorial museum. For more information email Aviva Preston at alptours@hotmail.co.uk or avivapreston@hotmail.com

Liverpool heritage tour

Liverpool is just 2hrs 15mins away from London Euston. It is a fascinating city now very much on the up. Jewish Heritage Tours is organising a two-day excursion on 3rd September. Overnight is at the Malmaison Hotel facing the river Mersey and very close to the famous Cunard Building, one of the Three Graces, outstanding structures from a bygone era.

Facing out west towards the New World, the Port of Liverpool was a magnet both for immigrants from Ireland, and emigrants to the West Indies and America. Until the mid-19th century, it was home to the second largest Jewish community outside London, but was to be outstripped by Manchester. The two cities were keen rivals during the Industrial Revolution. Liverpool’s Jewish population has fallen from about 7,500 in 1971 to around 3,000 today. The afternoon programme includes a walking tour over 2hrs 30mins with Dr Sharman Kadish and (kosher) tea at the Grade I listed Princes Road Synagogue an eloquent testimony to the contribution of Liverpool’s Jews to the life of the city. Also in the programme is the former Hope Place Synagogue (now Unity Theatre) and the Deane Road Cemetery (1836) now fully restored with £500,000 lottery grant. Day two is flexible allowing the visitors to make their own choice of attractions including the Beatles Story Museum, Beatles Tour (including the Caven Club and Penny Lane), Mersey Riverboat Tour, the Museum of Liverpool including the Liverpool Jewish Community Trail, Immigration Museum, International Slavery Museum, Walkers Art Gallery and St George’s Hall, Tate Liverpool and Albert Dock. Sharing a double or twin room is £145 per person. This covers Malmaison hotel bed and breakfast upgraded river view rooms and the guided tour including all museum and Synagogue entrance fees. Train fares on Virgin Rail are very much dependant on the time of booking and of course you can stay on for an extra day. www.jewishheritagetours.co.uk


36 NUTRITION

31 AUGUST 2017

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Is it Fact or is it Fiction?

BY ALAN FREISHTAT

“I thought that if I eat blueberries every day … ”. “Someone told me that if I eat only twice a day, I will surely lose weight”. “I heard chocolate is good for you so I started eating 70% dark chocolate, a whole bar a day to help my heart health”. “I started grazing instead of eating fixed meals so my metabolism will get faster”. These are but a small sample of what I hear from people day-in and day-out. We have more access to health news and in particular news about nutrition and weight loss than we have ever had. The problem is that not everything we read or see is based on science. Although people have the best of intentions, much of what we might hear has very little basis in terms of scientific evidence. Sometimes we might hear someone talk about how they lost a lot of weight following a certain program or diet, but at what cost? Did we damage our bodies by not getting proper nutrition? Did we lose the weight too fast so it will come back just as quickly and make us feel deprived or hungry? Let’s take a look at science-based ideas that work. Registered dietician Matthew Kadey MS has researched what works and what doesn’t. All of these tips are backed by science and none of them entail a radical change in our eating. Drink water before eating Within 30 minutes of eating a meal, drink a glass or even two of water. In a study done by British researchers in 2015, people who took this step lost an average of 3 pounds more weight over a 12 week period

counting your bites) will also help you with weight loss as when you eat slower you will feel fuller before overconsuming.

than those who tried other methods to feel full. It is true that having more water will also have you making more trips to the bathroom, however this is a minor inconvenience compared to the benefits gained. Aside from making you feel full, drinking enough water for hydration and for getting its essential nutrients is an important part of health in and of itself. Cut down on late-night calories One of the things that struck me many years ago when I first came to Israel to learn in Yeshiva was that unlike in America (and many places in the Western world) the main meal was lunch and not supper. But the Israelis have the right idea. Italian researchers examined the eating habits of 1200 middle-aged adults and found that those who consumed 50% or more of their daily calories at supper had a much higher obesity risk. Another study in the journal Obesity showed the opposite relationship. Those who consumed more calories at breakfast and lunch had greater fat loss

around their waistlines than those who ate later. Our metabolism is higher during the day and we are more likely to expend calories through activity in the daytime. Kaday advised “eating breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and supper like a pauper”. Count your bites Some of us have gotten used to counting our steps-per-day and trying to reach 10,000. But how about counting our bites of food? In a study done by Brigham Young University people were asked to count their bites. After a base-line was established the participants in the study cut their total bites by about 25%. That is, that by taking less bites, less food is consumed because I use up my bites. The result after four weeks was an average weight loss of about four pounds. Unlike counting steps, there isn’t yet a device that tracks bites, but keep a journal with a pen and paper. In addition to this, there is no question that eating slower and chewing well (not related to

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Don’t graze! There is no question that eating smaller portions more often is helpful in terms of feeling full and preventing type-2 diabetes. However, it seems we have gotten carried away and we have become guilty of chronic snacking. A study in 2015 says that grazing might be hurting our weight-loss efforts. This study of 18,000 adults that people showed that grazing, that is eating whenever we want to, resulted in weight gain. We are careful with our clients to have them eat meals and snacks, but they should be carefully planned so there aren’t excessive calories consumed. In addition to this study, another study of obese people found that when they scaled back their eating from a period of fourteen hours to eleven hours daily, they lost weight. Setting up a night curfew time to stop eating will help you accomplish this. One way to help with not grazing is to create a rule for yourself to only eat when seated. This will help you not pick at food all day long. Planning is everything! Whether it is during the week, on Shabbat, or eating out in a restaurant or at a simcha, it’s the planning that will make the difference. An interesting study in the journal Appetite showed that people who ordered meals in restaurants online before going out ended up eating more than 100 calories less than those who walked in and decided. If you are doing the cooking at home you know what you are preparing and you also know the menu. Even if you cook and prepare less-healthy choices from time to time, you also can prepare enough good choices to choose from at a meal. Again, plan what you will be eating, how much of it you are going to eat, and when you are going to eat. This is particularly important on Shabbat. It only takes about five minutes on erev Shabbat to sit down and figure out your Shabbat food plan. Most of all, once you have planned your menu, stick to it. Ignore clever branding

Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. certified personal trainer and a behavioural change and wellness coach with over 19 years of professional experience. Alan is the creator and director of the “10 Weeks to Health” programme for weight loss and is available for private coaching sessions, consultations, assessments and personalised workout programmes both in his office and by telephone or Skype. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. Contact Alan on 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or email alan@alanfitness.com. For more information visit www.alanfitness.com

Don’t fall prey to fancy food labels that claim health benefits to foods that are not so healthy. Words like “fitness” and “heart healthy” don’t necessarily mean that a food is good for you. A very recent study even showed that fitness-branded food leads people to exercise less intensely and to expend less calories. Also, a few different studies have shown that any food branded as healthy tends to be over-consumed. Just because it says low-calorie or low-fat doesn’t mean you can eat unlimited amounts. Wholegrain cereals, energy bars, wholegrain cookies and even no-sugar products can cost you a lot of calories. These are six scientifically proven ways to eat healthy and lose weight at the same time. Avoid hearsay and myths and stick to advice that is real and works. It will “add hours to your day, days to your year and years to your life.” These are six scientifically proven ways to eat healthy and lose weight at the same time. Avoid hearsay and myths and stick to advice that is real and works. It will “add hours to your day, days to your year and years to your life.”


31 AUGUST 2017

joyofkosher.com INGREDIENTS

• 3 - 4 pounds chicken leg-thigh • combination pieces • • 1½ teaspoons salt • • ¼ teaspoon black pepper • • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • • 1 onion, medium diced • • 2 teaspoons ginger, peeled and minced • • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon • • ½ teaspoon dried turmeric • • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced

FOOD 37

THE JEWISH WEEKLY

1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon paprika ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 cups chicken stock 2 cups green olives, pitted and halved 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons corriander, chopped Garnish: corriander, sliced lemons

PREPARATION

1. In large deep skillet over medium-high heat, 6. Add remaining teaspoon of salt and stir well. warm olive oil. 2. Sprinkle chicken pieces with one-half teaspoon 7. Add chicken stock; raise heat to medium-high and return chicken to pan, skin-side up. Continue cooking at low simmer. salt and the pepper. 8. While chicken is cooking, prepare olives by covering them with 3. Add chicken to skillet, skin-side down, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat; drain cook, turning, until well browned, about 15 water and repeat. minutes. Reduce heat to medium and remove chicken to a plate. 9. Add drained olives to chicken cooking on stove. Continue cooking until chicken is done, about 15 4. To same skillet, add onion pieces, ginger, minutes total from the time it is returned to the pan. cinnamon, turmeric, garlic, bay leaf cumin, paprika, and cayenne. 10. Add lemon juice and stir well. Add corriander and stir. Serve immediately. 5. Cook together, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, about 5 minutes.

BLACKOUT CAKE INGREDIENTS

Cake • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, • 1 cup hazelnuts or ½ cup ground hazelnuts (about 1.8 ounces) • 2 tablespoons potato starch • ½ cup sugar • 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate (at least 60% or more cacao) • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt • 4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature • Vanilla essence from 1 scraped vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons extract

Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze • 5 ounces 70% or higher bittersweet chocolate, melted • 3 tablespoons wine (leftover red wine or sparkling wine) or water, heated to a simmer

PREPARATION Cake 1. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with a circle of parchment paper. Grease both the sides and the parchment with cooking spray or oil. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 170°C. 2. Toast hazelnuts on prepared sheet until golden. Transfer nuts to a clean kitchen towel. Rub nuts in the towel to loosen skins. Reduce oven temperature to 160°C. 3. Transfer nuts to food processor with potato starch and quarter cup sugar. Pulse to grind nuts, or stir together ground nuts if using ground nuts. 4. Melt chocolate with salt in double boiler. Add olive oil and cool slightly. 5. Whisk in egg yolks, vanilla bean essence, and nut mixture. 6. Whip whites to soft peaks. Slowly add remaining quarter cup sugar, with machine running, until glossy peaks form. 7. Fold whites into chocolate mixture and pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 160°C for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 8. Cool completely before unmolding. Run a knife around the edge before removing from pan. Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze 1. Stir melted chocolate and wine together to form a pourable glaze. 2. Pour glaze over cooled cake, allowing the glaze to drip down the sides. 3. Allow glaze to set up before garnishing cake with grated chocolate.

THEJEWISHWEEKLY.COM

50 min Duration 35 min Cook Time 15 min Prep Time 6 Servings

CHICKEN WITH GREEN OLIVES 55 min Duration 40 min Cook Time 15 min Prep Time 8 Servings


38 PUZZLES

THE JEWISH WEEKLY

31 AUGUST 2017

Puzzle Page Crossword

Medium Sudoko

Down 1 English ladies — American women (5) 2 Construct (5) 3 Failure to remember what one is doing (7,2,4) 4 Garden (anag) — peril (6) 5 Understand what is meant (3,3,7) 6 Cry of sorrow (6) 7 River flowing into the Irish Sea (6) 12 One of the Great Lakes (4) 14 Scottish dance (4) 15 Hark back (6) 16 Pounds (6) 17 Enlist (anag) — mum (6) 19 Leaves (5) 20 Fabric woven from flax fibres (5) Across 1 Past master (3,4) 8 Normal amount (7) 9 German porcelain (7) 10 Infers (7) 11 Chair used as transport (5) 13 Woodwork (9) 15 (Of the nose) turned up (9) 18 Expand (5) 21 Burnt sugar (7) 22 Avoidance (7) 23 Mediterranean country (7) 24 Betraying one’s country (7)

Easy Sudoko

Puzzle Sources: www.theguardian.com THEJEWISHWEEKLY.COM

Crossword Answers


31 AUGUST 2017

THE JEWISH WEEKLY

MUSIC 39

Chazzanut meets Swing Hannah Harnest was born in New York in 1985 and grew up in Munich and Paris. She is a professionally trained pianist, having played internationally as a soloist and chamber music partner, and holds Masters degrees from the London School of Economics and the Royal Academy of Music, London. She currently works as a principal instrumental and vocal coach within the music department of the University of Edinburgh, and starting from the summer of 2017, she will take up studies at the prestigious School of Journalism at Columbia University New York.

BY HANNAH HARNEST The young and up-and-coming Israeli conductor Meir Briskman says that his roots will perpetually be connected to his innate love for music. Whenever his extended family comes together at the Shabbat table in his parents’

Meir Briskman

home in Jerusalem, their skilful singing abounds in much intuitive receptiveness to tunes and harmonies. One can imagine the natural musical talent and melting pot of different Jewish traditions in this household, since his mother emigrated from Cleveland and his father from Rio de Janeiro, both from important orthodox communities. Mr Briskman studied a combination of Jazz, classical composition and orchestral conducting at the Jerusalem Academy of Music. But he started out on his professional journey as a basically self-taught musician who was envied by all his colleagues because he had the luxury of ‘experiencing the miracle of every Beethoven Symphony for the first time’. However, the sharp mind to analyse difficult harmonic and contrapuntal progressions was already there and he just needed to add a name to it. Alongside his studies, Meir Briskman established himself pretty quickly as one of the leading choral and orchestral conductors in the Jewish music world. He worked in Israel, as well as abroad, with the likes of cantors Yitzchak Meir Helfgot, Israel Rand, Simon Cohen, Netanel Baram, and conductor Elli Jaffe. The great Naftali Herstik invited him

to teach harmony and voice lead- more natural with it. We know to make this project happen. Eyal ing to the students at the Cantorial that Yossele Rosenblatt and Louis Vilner is an Israeli saxophonist and Institute in Tel Aviv between 2012 Armstrong were friendly, as well as arranger who graduated from the and 2015. He is convinced that the Shlomo Carlebach and Janis Joplin New York-based prestigious ‘New high standard that is demanded in (apparently there is even a Broad- School for Jazz and Contemporary classical music, must also apply to way show about this, called ‘Soul Music’, and has since then foundChazzanut and other forms of Jew- Doctor’). Mr Briskman told me ed the “Eyal Vilner Big Band” that ish music – this ranges from being the anecdote about the American has already performed to great criton time for rehearsals to good in- composer of Ukranian-Jewish de- ical acclaim in well-known places, tonation in singing - and he wants scent, Sholom Secunda, who once such as ‘Jazz at Lincoln Center’. to progressively ensure that this is received a call from George Gersh- The singer-songwriter Brandon the case. win, asking him to compose Jazz. Bain with his beautiful Jazzy voice When I met Meir Briskman in He declined and later on realized has appeared on some of the major New York last week, he was car- that he could have made millions Jazz stages in New York, and has formerly worked as a journalist for rying the score of Debussy’s im- with it. pressionistic milestone ‘La Mer’ Briskman is planning on record- the New York Times. This group with him. At the same time he was ing ‘She-yibaneh Beis Hamikdash’ is joined by one of the most gifted also busy preparing to conduct by Israel Schorr, ‘Adon Olam’ by young cantors of our time, Netanel masterclasses in Berlin and in Sie- Frummer, ‘A Yiddishe Mamme’, Hershtik, who currently sings at na with the Italian Daniele Gatti, and a Moishe Oyshe medley, The Hampton Synagogue, as well who is currently chief conductor amongst other things. He is collab- as the great cantor Aryeh Leib Hurof the Royal Concertgebouw Or- orating with some amazing partners witz from Brooklyn. chestra in Amsterdam. For the past two years he has made his home in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, a neighbourhood that never sleeps and the home of the Chabad Lubavitch movement (the house of the Rebbe is just around the corner). With all its coalescing cultures, this is the ideal scene for a new and exciting project which Briskman launched at the end of June by recording a sample of Chazzanut melodies which were heavily influenced by the Swing movement in Jazz. European cantors who came to Chicago and New York during the first half of the twentieth century were influenced in their compositions by the golden era of the American big-band. Chazzanut doesn’t usually “swing,” but here it does since geAvailable for Shabbat services for all your simchas ographic proximity of cultures is stronger than anything. You don’t need to force it to swing, it actually sounds much

Chazan

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