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07 JUNE 2017

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JS restaurant firebombed in shocking arson attack

BY ISAAC SHERMAN JS Restaurant, the oldest kosher restaurant in Manchester, has been gutted by fire following a suspected arson attack on Tuesday at approximately 4:00am.

The fire, which engulfed the entire ground floor at the popular Prestwich diner, was brought under control after an hour and fifteen minutes by three fire engines.

It is believed a man wearing a mask approached the restaurant

before the attack took place.

Greater Manchester Police are investigating an arson attack and in a statement noted that “no one was injured and no arrests have been made.”

Earlier this week, Ta’am, another kosher restaurant in the city, was firebombed for the second time in two years, and CCTV captured images of two youths conducting the attack, although thankfully, it was unsuccessful.

A spokesman for JS Restaurant told The Manchester Evening Police standing guard outside the JS Kosher Restaurant in Prestwich News that it looked like the attackers kicked in the window and got information at this time to prove that the attack was or was not into the premises.

They then doused the restaurant anti-Semitic and we don’t want in a liquid and set it alight, similar to jump to any conclusions about to an arson attack at the nearby what has occurred,” said a CST spokesperson.

Ta’am restaurant last year.

“We will be sending out security “We are working very closely with GMP but there is no specific advice to restaurants and shops in

Inside the JS Kosher Restaurant Kings Road Prestwich showing the extensive damage

PHOTO CREDIT: LAWRENCE PURCELL

Moving on together

The city of Manchester has shown tremendous unity since the terrible bombing attack a couple of weeks ago. Singer Ariana Grande, who’s concert was targeted

Greater Manchester today but this is purely precautionary.”

Anybody with information on either attack should contact Greater Manchester Police on 101.

by the extremists, courageously arranged a tribute concert on Sunday evening with many world famous singers raising £2 million for victims and their families.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis delivered the prayer he wrote for the victims and families of the Manchester terrorist bombing at Holy Law Synagogue

Looking at the vast array of floral tributes to the victims of the Manchester bombing Contact details:

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WHAT’S INSIDE THIS WEEK

Armed Police officers

A message in St Ann’s Square Monday morning

PHOTO CREDIT: LAWRENCE PURCELL

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07 JUNE 2017

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NEWS 3

4 NEWS

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Kent Police facing probe after refusing to attend when London Jewish family ‘pelted with stones’

BY JAMES MARLOW

Kent Police has arrested two males aged 16 and 18 following an outcry over their failure to deploy officers when a young Jewish family enjoying the seaside at Minster beach on the Isle of Sheppey was attacked over the bank holiday weekend by a gang of youths shouting “Jews” and hurling stones. The family called the police, but were told that officers would not be attending.

In a statement, Kent Police said, “The 18-year-old man and 16-year-old boy were arrested on 30th May on suspicion of committing a racially aggravated public order offence and have been released pending further enquiries.”

The arrests were made using footage captured on a smartphone by a member of the family during the attack.

The family of two parents and their five children aged 8 to 15, had been playing on the beach when two boys and three girls aged 16 to 18 allegedly ran towards them, hurling stones. As the attack continued and the parents tried to shelter their children, the family called Kent Police, but the emergency operator advised them that no officers would be dispatched, despite the assailants remaining at the scene. Instead, they were told that an officer would contact them the following week to “investigate”.

The family cut short their holiday and returned home to London, where they received support from the Stamford Hill Shomrim security patrol.

Shomrim and the organization, Campaign Against Antisemitism publicised the incident through social media which sparked a sharp

response against the police.

Kent’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Scott was then forced to release a statement criticising the police force and demanding a full review. He said, “I am sorry and saddened that an alleged hate crime against a family visiting Minster-on-Sea took place on Sunday afternoon in our county, and that concerns have been raised about the way in which the matter has been handled by Kent Police.”

The statement went on to say that as Police and Crime Commissioner, his job was to hold Kent Police to account, “So I have met with the Assistant Chief Constable and the Director of Corporate Services to discuss the case.”

Kent Police have since reviewed the case, met with the victims, and as a result made two arrests. The investigation remains ongoing to

Kent police

determine the reasons behind the decision not to attend and to consider the call handing procedure to be independently reviewed.

Mr Scott did confirm that police officers are normally deployed to an ongoing incident or where suspects remain on the scene.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, said “After years of police and the Crown Prosecution Service failing to charge anti-Semites, this news of

Op-ed Audience member shouts “Jew Jew Rabbi Arnold Saunders Councillor Jew” at Bradford Hustings after Labour Conservative Kersal Ward, Salford candidate said Israel has right to exist Although the general election campaign is finally behind us, Labour candidate for Bradford West, Naz Shah, was shouted at during a hustings in Bradford. When berated by a member of the audience for being a “Zionist”, Ms Shah confirmed that she believed that Israel has a right to exist, to which an audience member should “Jew, Jew, Jew!” According to the International Definition of Antisemitism adopted by the British government “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination (e.g. by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour)” is anti-Semitic.

Video seen showed the hustings continued with the next candidate playing to the audience and talking about “Palestine.”

Social media posts from 2014

by Ms Shah led to her being suspended from the Labour Party in May last year after she suggested that the Jewish state should be “relocated” to America.

She also wrote that she would “Tweet Barack Obama and David Cameron and put this idea to

them.”

On another occasion she tweeted, an image with the quote “Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal” and added “#ApartheidIsrael.”

In August 2014 Ms Shah tweeted a link to an article claiming that Zionism used “religious symbolism…to groom other modernised men and women of Jewish descent

to exert political influence at the highest levels of public office by using the guilt of the pogroms and offered a solution to the ‘Jewish Question’ in Europe.”

When the posts were discovered, Ms Shah apologised for them and was subsequently readmitted to the party.

Naz Shah

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Depending on when you are reading this, you may or may not know the result of the General Election.

At the time of writing, I certainly don't! This has been a rather strange election. The prime minister called the election almost three years early, asking the electorate to give her a big majority to strengthen her hand in the forthcoming Brexit negotiations.

At the time, the Conservatives had a massive lead in the polls and it did seem to make sense to try to use the prime minister's undoubted popularity to gain a bigger majority. As someone who was literally at the prime minister's side as she launched her campaign in Bolton - along with my son Yoni (see the picture in the April 26 edition) - I can certainly vouch for the euphoria that pervaded the hall. However, after a wobble in the polls - which actually varied widely - the actual outcome is difficult to predict.

However, I would be surprised if Mrs May was not the Prime Minister on Friday.

As we now have the Fixed Term Parliaments Act, which was enacted by the Coalition Government, the decision to hold the election had to be approved by a two thirds majority of the House of Commons. In the end it was approved

a police force refusing to come to the aid of a young Jewish family under attack is extremely alarming.” But the statement added “We are pleased that Kent Police are now working hard to identify additional suspects, though it should never have been necessary for them to be pressured to do so.”

Anyone with information about the incident can call Kent Police on 01795 419 119, quoting reference 28-0929. with an overwhelming majority with only 13 Labour MPs - including mine - voting against. Given the state of the polls at the time, I was somewhat surprised that the Labour Party voted for the election as, to paraphrase a well-known saying (making it "kosher") "a chicken does not vote for Shabbat." Of course if Labour do well, they will have been vindicated.

Incidentally, that Act is now effectively "dead in the water" as it would be virtually impossible for any Opposition party to oppose an election in the future as they would now be accused of being afraid to face the electorate. Indeed, it may even be repealed . It did its job in keeping the Coalition Government afloat - something for which the Tories and Lib Dems do not get enough credit in my opinion.

Many people believe that the reason Mrs May felt she needed her hand strengthening was to be able to marginalise the die-hard remainers - the so-called "Remoaners" in her Party. But I actually believe that she felt it was just as important not to be beholden to the "arch-Brexiteers" on the right wing of the Party. I dub them "Moaner Leavers" - you heard it here first!

This would then allow her the flexibility to negotiate truly the BEST deal for the UK - somewhere between the two extremes.

So Theresa may or Theresa may not be PM come Friday. As her predecessor Harold Wilson once said, "A week is a long time in Politics!"

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NEWS IN ISRAEL BY JAMES J. MARLOW

FOLLOW JAMES AT TWITTER: @JAMES_J_MARLOW

American UN Ambassador to visit Jerusalem’s Old City

Nikki Haley, one of the most outspoken pro-Israel champions of the Donald Trump administration is in Israel this week touring the country from the Gaza periphery to the northern border.

Ms Haley was expected to arrive at Ben Gurion Airport on Wednesday morning for her first visit to the Jewish state since taking office in January. During her three-day stay, she is set to meet with Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin as well as with senior Palestinian dignitaries.

She will also visit the Old City of Jerusalem, including the Western Wall, pay an official visit to Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum and see Tel Aviv. In addition the Ambassador will take

several helicopter rides to Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip and its northern border.

“We’re happy to host in our country a true friend of Israel,” Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, said in a statement. “Haley has been standing with Israel for many years now, and especially since she arrived at the UN. Her important visit is an opportunity to present to her our country and the joint challenges that stand before us.”

According to a press release, Danon will accompany Haley throughout the visit, but her expected visit to various sites in the Old City of Jerusalem is billed as private, which means that no Israeli officials will accompany her.

Hunger strike suspended

Jailed Fatah terrorist Marwan Barghouti said the Palestinian prisoners’ strike has not ended but rather been put on hold and could be resumed at any time should Israel not live up to its “promises.”

But Israel claims it made absolutely no promises. Barghouti insisted that the hunger strike brought the issue of the prisoners back to the forefront of the international stage and that the prisoners “stood strong in a historic and unprecedented manner for the national movement.”

But the convicted killer of five people denied that the strike had officially ended, saying, “We have paused the strike in order to give a chance for dialogue, and we stress we are prepared to renew it if the Israel Prisons Service does not keep its promises.”

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan denied Barghouti’s insistence that promises had been made. “The murderer Barghouti continues to lie,” Erdan said. “No promises were given and Barghouti was forced to invent results for the strike” as none had actually been achieved.

Palestinian officials also claimed that Israel conceded to 80 percent of the prisoners’ demands, resulting in “a fundamental transformation in the terms of the prisoners’ living

conditions.” But Israel, on the other hand, has said it neither negotiated with the Palestinians nor conceded a single demand.

Barghouti added that the Palestinian Authority should not hold peace negotiations with Israel before every one of the 6,500 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel is released.

Both the Israelis and the Palestinians announced the end of the strike, agreeing only that the strike was over and that the prisoners would have an extra family visit per month reinstated - a demand that had nothing to do with Israel, as such visits are organised by the Red Cross.

Israel reiterated that it only spoke with the Red Cross and at no stage negotiated with Barghouti. The Palestinians for their part say that Israel negotiated directly with Barghouti in marathon 20-hour talks that ended at 4 a.m. last week.

Issa Qaraqe, head of the Palestinian Committee of Prisoners’ Affairs, said in a statement that Israel had also agreed in principle to a whole raft of the prisoners’ demands including being allowed to make more phone calls to family, receive more frequent visits from family in Gaza, allowing family members to bring clothing and candy to prisoners, and enabling more distant family members to visit.

The Palestinian news agency

Last month, US President Donald Trump visited the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, both located in the “disputed” Old City. Trump became the first US President to make such a visit while in office but in a private capacity, without official Israeli accompaniment.

Israel captured the Old City and other parts of East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six Day War and subsequently annexed them. The entire international community, including the US, has never recognized Israel’s claim to that part of the city.

Many foreign visitors to Israel who want to visit the Old City do so in a private capacity so they don’t appear to be tacitly

Ma’an also reported that Israel will lift a security ban on hundreds of family members, including 140 children, to visit prisoners.

According to Qaraqe, Israel agreed to place all female prisoners in Hasharon Prison and give them better conditions.

Imprisoned minors will have access to education. Overcrowding and improving general prison conditions will be negotiated. And prisoners will be placed in prisons closer to their families.

According to the Israeli officials, Barghouti and the other prisoners agreed to call off the strike after the PA promised to pay for the additional visits, at an estimated cost of $6million per year.

The hunger strike was initiated by Barghouti, a prominent Fatah terrorist and political figure, on 17 April 2017. He is serving five life sentences for murders committed during the second Palestinian intifada.

Israel largely viewed the strike as having less to do with actual conditions and more to do with internal Palestinian politics, saying it was a strategic political move by Barghouti, who wanted to demonstrate his influence on the Palestinian street ahead of a bid to succeed PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley (L) and Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon at the United Nations assembly hall

recognizing Israeli sovereignty in the contested area.

In the lead-up to Trump’s Israel visit, some senior US officials refused to say whether they consider the Western Wall part of Israel.

Haley was the only senior member of the administration who took a clear stand on the matter.

“I don’t know what the policy of

the administration is, but I believe the Western Wall is part of Israel and I think that that is how we’ve always seen it and that’s how we should pursue it,” she said in a May 17 interview. “We’ve always thought the Western Wall was part of Israel.”

PHOTO CREDIT: SHAHAR AZRAN

Bibi visits Africa Israel and Senegal announced this week the resumption of full diplomatic relations, which had been frozen after the West African nation cosponsored a UN Security Council against Israeli settlements.

Prime Minister Netanyahu met with Senegal’s President Macky Sall at the ECOWAS summit of West African leaders in Monrovia, Liberia, after which the two leaders announced the resumption of full ties. Israel will return its ambassador to Senegal, and Senegal will back Israel’s candidacy for observer status at the African Union, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

The leaders also agreed to advance cooperation in defence and agriculture, according to the PMO. In the wake of the passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 in December, Israel recalled its ambassador to Dakar, Paul Hirschson, and cancelled its foreign aid programs in Senegal as part of a rash of retaliatory steps against countries that sponsored the measure.

The resolution, which passed with 14 yes votes and an American abstention, condemned Israeli settlements as having “no legal validity” and being “a flagrant violation under international law.” Israel reacted furiously to the resolution, denouncing it as “shameful.”

Netanyahu also met with President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita of Mali at the ECOWAS summit. Mali, a Muslim-majority country, does not have

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formal diplomatic relations with Israel, but according to the PMO, Netanyahu and Keita agreed to “warm up” relations between the two countries.

Earlier on Sunday, Netanyahu’s scheduled meeting with Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé was postponed after Israeli security personnel refused to allow the Togolese security detail to enter.

Israeli diplomatic reporters said that a physical altercation between Netanyahu’s bodyguards and those of Gnassingbé led to the cancellation of the meeting between the two leaders at the ECOWAS summit.

The PMO later said that the meeting had been rescheduled and was set to take place later on Sunday.

Prior to leaving for Liberia, Netanyahu said he would use his trip to the ECOWAS summit to try to garner support for Israel at the UN and other international forums.

“The purpose of this trip is to dissolve this majority, this giant bloc of 54 African countries that is the basis of the automatic majority against Israel in the UN and international bodies,” he told journalists Saturday evening ahead of the flight.

Netanyahu said he hoped to use his attendance at the annual conference of the ECOWAS to build off his visit in July 2016 to the East African nations of Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia, which marked the first time in decades an Israeli premier had travelled to Africa.

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Iran to resume financial aid to Hamas Iran has decided to renew financial aid to Hamas after a prolonged period of frosty relations between the two sides that lasted for years, according to a report in the English newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.

The report claims that the decision was made after a series of meetings between senior Hamas figures and members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in Beirut.

Intensive talks were held between the sides in which senior Hezbollah figures also took part. It was also agreed that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh would visit Tehran in the near future in an effort to bring about a reconciliation and build new bridges between Tehran and Hamas.

The decision to bring the Islamic Republic closer to the Gaza terrorist organization was made when Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani sent a letter of congratulations to the new political bureau chief, Haniyeh, for his election.

Relations between Iran and Hamas have been in a state of stagnation since the outbreak of the civil war in Syria after Hamas expressed opposition to Bashar Assad’s regime and support for the rebels, contrary to Iran and its proxies in Lebanon, especially Hezbollah.

The connection between Khaled Mashaal, the former head of Hamas’ political bureau, and Iran’s sworn enemy in the region, Saudi Arabia, also did not contribute to the strained relationship.

Iran feared the election of Musa Abu Marzuq as the leader of the organization would further weaken the already precarious relations because Abu Marzuq was believed to have thought that Iran was not helping Hamas. An anonymous source (apparently a Middle East intelligence agency) broadcast about a year ago an intercepted phone call between Abu Marzuq and another man, in which he strongly attacks Iran, accusing it

Ismail Haniyeh

of talking too much without acting in support of Hamas.

In a letter sent by Soleimani, he also congratulated Yahya Sinwar, one of the released prisoners of the Shalit deal who was appointed Hamas leader in Gaza and supported the renewal of the alliance with

Soleimani

Iran.

“We expect to strengthen cooperation with members of Hamas, the allies of the axis of resistance, in order to restore the debate on the Palestinian issue,” Soleimani wrote.

Soleimani told Haniyeh that

he expects their efforts to bring the Palestinian issue back to the forefront of the global struggle of Muslims and free believers.

Al Jazeera Lebanon arrests Iraqi says sorry for claiming to be Israeli spy anti-Semitic tweet The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported this week that an Iraqi citizen arrested in Lebanon two months ago is suspected of collaborating with Israeli security officials.

Marvin Ben J. J. told his Lebanese interrogators that he was recruited by Israel to gather information about Hezbollah, the Lebanese and Syrian armies and to recruit agents in Lebanon and Iraq. But what is most significant is that he was asked by a man called Ilan Nissim who approached him on Facebook to collect information about Ron Arad’s burial place.

Israeli navigator Ron Arad was captured by a Lebanese militia on October 16, 1986, while participating in an attack on terrorist targets south of Sidon. The Phantom plane he was flying in was damaged as a result of a technical malfunction and he along with the pilot abandoned the plane in Lebanese territory. A helicopter was sent to evacuate the two but only managed to rescue the pilot, while Arad was captured by the Shiite organization Amal.

In 1988 the Amal leader Mustafa Dirani, with strong links to Iran,

Ron Arad in 1986

was understood to have sold Ron Arad to another Shiite organization who in turn sold him on to other groups which may have included the newly founded Hezbollah. All trace of him completely disappeared in May 1988.

There were reports that Arad was killed by his captors on May 3, 1988, during a paratroopers’ operation against Hezbollah in the village of Maidon. Others reports say he was killed while trying to escape.

According to the report, Nissim first spoke with the suspect Marvin Ben J. J. about six months ago and while Marvin initially feared arrest

and punishment, he was later persuaded to transfer the information to his Israeli handler.

Marvin was arrested on 20 April in the al-Sabtiya area east of Beirut by the Lebanese General Security Service, as part of a series of arrests intended to impede “subversive networks in Lebanon.”

His origin is from the Dahuk district of northern Iraq and during his interrogation, it was revealed that Marvin had been active in the Kurdish Pashmerga forces for the last six years, who have military cooperation with Israel.

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The news network Al Jazeera English which is funded by Qatar and has studios in Doha, London and Washington, apologised for what it says it “Mistakenly” tweeted a classic anti-Semitic caricature last week.

The image contained a meme known as the “Happy Merchant” and depicts a hook-nose Jew in a yarmulke (kippa) rubbing his hands together which was often seen during the time of the pogroms.

The online news website Buzzfeed called the character the “Internet’s favourite anti-Semitic image.”

After tweeting and then deleting it, Al Jazeera apologized and called the post an error suggesting it was a reply to an old thread.

But the image was seen by twitter user Eli Meixler who quickly took a screenshot.

The image was originally tweeted over Shavuot to promote a story about climate change on the day US President Donald Trump announced he was pulling out of the Paris agreement.

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Radiohead frontman slams BDS criticism of their upcoming Israel performance Singer songwriter Thom Yorke of the pop band Radiohead called the criticism against them “patronizing in the extreme” and said the ban was “divisive” and unhelpful.

Speaking to the American magazine Rolling Stone, the English musician defended his decision to go ahead with their performance on 19 July in Tel Aviv.

In the interview, Yorke addressed the BDS organization’s attempts to prevent the scheduled concert, saying “There’s an awful lot of people who don’t agree with the BDS movement, including us.”

The composer was speaking in

response to an open letter, organized by Artists for Palestine UK and signed by 47 cultural figures, urging the band to reconsider performing in a country “where a system of apartheid has been imposed on the Palestinian people.”

It was also claimed the band was operating with double standards after they supported Tibet’s bid for independence.

“In asking you not to perform in Israel, Palestinians have appealed to you to take one small step to help pressure Israel to end its violation of basic rights and international law,” the letter read.

Yorke went on to say that he admired people who had been critical of him playing in Tel Aviv like English film director Ken Loach.

But said “I would never dream of telling him where to work or what to do or think.”

It seems Yorke was angry that the BDS publicly criticized the band for agreeing to play in Israel rather than “Choosing to engage with us personally” and added “It’s deeply disrespectful to assume that we’re either being misinformed or that we’re so retarded we can’t make these decisions ourselves.”

Yorke seemed even more

offended when Radiohead’s guitarist, Jonny Greenwood was publicly mentioned by the BDS movement saying he should know better because “he has both Palestinian and Israeli friends and a wife who is an Arab Jew. However later in the interview Yorke clarified his position on the boycott by saying although it creates divisiveness because “You’re not bringing people together or encouraging dialogue or a sense of understanding,” he was opposed to the Israeli government.

“Now if you’re talking about trying to make things progress in

any society, if you create division, what do you get? You get **** Theresa May, you get Netanyahu, you get *** Trump - That’s divisive.”

Thom Yorke PICTURE CREDITS: GETTY IMAGES

Arabs states cut ties with Qatar

Soon after Muslims in the Gulf completed their Fajr prayers on Monday, the tiny State of Bahrain announced it was cutting ties with Qatar and would close its sea and air borders with its neighbour.

Minutes later Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates followed suit in a coordinated move, and Qatari citizens in both countries were given 14 days to leave.

An hour later Egypt made the same announcement, as did Libya’s eastern-based government (the country is split due to civil war).

Next to announce it was cutting relations with Qatar was Yemen’s internationally backed government who is also at war. Yemen has already lost the capital and large portions of its war-torn country to Iranian-backed militias. The Maldives in the Indian Ocean,known for its beaches, blue lagoons and reefs, also declared it would cut ties with Qatar.

These nations gave differing reasons as to why they were taking this action, but all accused Qatar of supporting the “Iranian-backed terror groups,” spreading “instability in the region” and supporting “al-Qaeda ideology.”

The news comes just two weeks after US President Donald Trump, who visited Saudi Arabia, demanded that Muslim states must fight terrorism and the radical ideology that encourages terrorism.

Qatar denounced the move, saying the accusation that it supported

terror was based on lies. Moreover, the Gulf State has been accused of being a funding source for Islamists for many years, as has Saudi Arabia.

It is well known that Qatar is a strong financial supporter of the Islamist group Hamas based in the Gaza strip and gave refuge to its former supreme leader, Khaled Mashaal, in Doha, so Israel is satisfied that the Gulf state is finally being marginalised.

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit expressed regret that relations between Qatar and major regional powers had got to the point of suspending diplomatic relations.

Iran, long at odds with Saudi Arabia and a behind-the-scenes target of the move, blamed Trump’s visit last month to Riyadh. Trump even mentioned Hamas in his speech while in Saudi Arabia. “This isn’t new,” he said. “Qatar has been lavishing Hamas and Islamists from Tunisia to Egypt, Libya and Syria with cash for half a decade.”

In a tweet on Tuesday, Trump wrote “During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of radical ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar – look!”

Later on Tuesday, Qatar’s foreign minister said Kuwait is trying to mediate the Gulf crisis between Qatar and its Arab neighbours.

This is said to be the largest diplomatic crisis in the Persian Gulf since the 1991 US-led war against

Iraq, and it has pitted several nations against Qatar, which is home to some 10,000 American troops and a major US military base.

Airlines suspended flights, and Qatari residents, nervous about the peninsula’s lone land border, cleaned out grocery store shelves and stocked up on supplies. The combined ban involves sea, air and all borders, and Egypt has even banned Qatar from using its air space, according to reports.

The state-run Kuwait News Agency reported Kuwaiti ruler Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah spoke with Qatar’s Emir and urged him not to give a defiant speech against its neighbours in order not to raise the tensions. The call came after a senior Saudi royal arrived in Kuwait with a message from the

Saudi king. An Omani diplomat also travelled to Qatar on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Philippines also announced it will temporarily suspend the deployment of Filipino workers to Qatar. Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello said the ban took effect Tuesday, but there is no plan yet to repatriate the more than 200,000 Filipino workers in Qatar. More than 1 million Filipinos reside and work in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain.

The decision to tighten the sanctions on Qatar came after a slow campaign of media explanations

by Trump and Gulf leaders to lay the groundwork.

These Gulf States and their ally Egypt have even warmed to Israel in recent years over the common interest on who is the real enemy

Stadium in Qatar preparing for World Cup PICTURE CREDITS: AFP

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in the region. The coalition of Iran, Hezbollah, Sunni Jihadists, Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood are seen as a major destabilisation and a supporter of chaos in the region.

Qatar also funds the Al Jazeera news network, which in recent years has taken a decisive anti-Israel stance with myths and a complete rewriting of history and facts about Israel.

Al-Jazeera, which is based in Qatar, was blocked in the UAE several weeks ago after airing more articles and broadcasts critiquing Saudi Arabia’s Yemen policy of supporting the internationally recognised government.

The diplomatic standoff also threatens the international prestige of Qatar, which is set to host the 2022 World Cup Finals. But anything that reduces support for Hamas or Iran in the region is welcome news in Jerusalem.

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KLBD bakeries battle it out to earn Cheesecake of the Year mantle Seven KLBD bakeries took part in this year’s competition, offering a wonderful variety of different cheesecakes, which were put before a panel of United Synagogue colleagues; categories for scoring included appearance, texture and (ultimately most importantly) taste.

The contestents were: Carmelli Bakery Carmelli provided four amazing and completely different cheesecakes: salted caramel; banoffee; marshmallow and maple syrup.

Daniels Bakery Daniels sent in slices of three different cheesecakes – chocolate, strawberry and plain.

Finebake Finebake, a commercial bakery, sent a traditional cheesecake to sample and the panel thoroughly enjoyed it.

La Brioche La Brioche are no strangers when it comes to the You & US Cheesecake of the Year competition, having been crowned champions on two previous occasions.

This year, they put forward a slice

of their traditional cheesecake, which was well received by all members of the panel.

Munch n’ Crunch Current champions, Munch N’ Crunch, provided us with the most amazing variety from their range of cheesecakes.

There was everything from plain, blueberry, strawberry, chocolate and dulce de leche, to the more unique mini cheesecake pot, an individual layered slice of cheesecake, a cheesecake ‘sandwich’ and the intriguing mini crumble sponge cake with a cheese filling.

Parkway Patisserie Parkway’s entries this year included two delicious cheesecakes, one topped with summer fruits and the other with chocolate, together with large slices of both plain and a fruit cheesecake.

Sharon’s (Edgware) Our final competitor was Sharon’s Bakery, whose cheesecake was traditional and tasty. There was a hint of lemon, which some members of the panel particularly enjoyed.

competition being as close as ever.

In truth, any of these entries would have been worthy winners but the judge decided that the winner of Cheesecake of the Year 2017 wasCarmelli Bakery’s Salted Caramel Cheesecake.

The Verdict

Munch n’ Crunch entries

Offerings from Sharon’s Bakery

The standard this year was exceptionally high, with the

Tasty treats from Parkway Patisserie

jLiving at the Palace jLiving Chairman Bradley Reback and board member Maureene Collins were delighted to attend the Queen’s recent Garden Party as representatives of the community’s largest housing association.

Bradley said “We both had a super afternoon and were incredibly proud and privileged to be representing jLiving. The Queen looked stunning and mingled with the guests. Our sheltered homes may not be Buckingham Palace but the smoked salmon bagels certainly put us at ease! Maureene and I had a glorious afternoon never to be forgotten. Thank you ma’am.”

The winning cheesecake from Carmelli Bakery

Schoolchildren raise £400 for Great Ormond Street Hospital On Sunday, a group of girls from Hendon United (Raleigh Close) Synagogue who attend Hasmonean Primary School and the Independent Jewish Day School baked and sold cakes, biscuits an other sweet treats, raising £400 for the

Bradley Reback and Maureene Collins pose with a guard

Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) ‘Bake It Better 2017’ initiative. It was a lovely initiative, run at the suggestion of the kids themselves, to raise money for a really worthy cause.

The young bakers with their cakes

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COMMUNITY 13

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Private Equity professionals raise capital for Norwood Over 370 business leaders attended the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on Monday 5th June for Norwood’s annual Private Equity Dinner, raising over £200,000 for the charity – vital funds that will help to support thousands of vulnerable children and their families, children and young people with special educational needs and adults with learning disabilities and autism, in the community.

The event – sponsored by Investec Private Banking – saw WPP Founder and Chief Executive Sir Martin Sorrell take to

the stage, as guest speaker, where he spoke of the essential role that the media should play in current political discourse, saying; ‘Part of the reason we failed to predict Brexit or Trump was because we were only speaking to ourselves.

And since then, it appears that greater uncertainty has polarised people even more. How then, do we encourage free and open debate, rooted in facts and a common frame of reference, to sure we come togethener and move forward as a country? A good start will be with fair, and financially sustainable press.’ He urged newspapers to ‘work together more regarding advertisers,’ and said that ‘printed newspapers are essential in this country for good local news.’

The room then heard from Simon Piler, supported by Norwood, Anthony Bellau (left) with Simon Piler

who spoke of how the charity has helped him, saying; ‘Norwood has done a lot for me. I came to Norwood, in London, from Harrogate. I made good friends, and the support staff are brilliant. I really appreciate all they do for me’.

Guests were also treated to the talents of impressionist Jon Culshaw, who kept everyone entertained with his repertoire of over 300 celebrity voices, including Andy Murray, Arsene Wenger, Jeremy Corbyn, Boris Johnson, Headline speaker Sir Martin Sorrell (centre left) with Donald Trump, and Barack ObaNorwood and Investec private banking delegates ma. He also announced the raffle prizes, including one which was won by one of The Jewish Weekly Directors!

The event was a huge success, with Private Equity Dinner committee Chair, Marc Cohen, commenting after the event; ‘There’s a great turnout, with lots of people here, and a really good atmosphere – and it’s a small way for our sector to be able to give back’.

Impressionist Jon Culshaw on the stage

Bushey Synagogue enjoy uplifting shabbat with the Travelling Chassidim Last week Shabbat Parshat Naso, the Travelling Chassidim and their families were privileged to be hosted by the Jewish community of Bushey.

The Shabbat was dedicated in honour of the induction of the new Rabbi of the community, Rabbi Elchonon Feldman.

Led by Mr Binyomin Binet of Stamford Hill in North London, the group added to the ambience of this special Shabbat with their unique Ruach and lively singing. The ladies of the community were entertained by the Travelling Chassidim’s family members, who contributed to the Shabbat atmosphere with wit and camaraderie,

forging new friendships as the Shabbat progressed.

The moving Carlebach-style Kabbalat Shabbat led by Chazan Moshe Meislik was followed by a communal Shabbat meal in the shul function hall. Over 100 community members enjoyed a Shabbat meal courtesy of Kelman’s, in conjunction with Reich catering replete with words of Torah, singing and spirited dancing.

At the Seudah Sh’lishit the 200-strong crowd were addressed by several guests to the community, amongst them Mr Shloimy Stark of Travelling Chassidim’s Manchester division and Mr Menasche Scharf of its London

Recently appointed Rabbi Elchonon Feldman (centre) with the group

branch. All speakers commended the remarkable spiritedness and noteworthy hospitality of the community members and their good fortune of having such a dynamic personality as their new Rabbi.

The visit ended with a moving Havdalah which culminated in lively dancing and singing.

Community members freely shared their feelings of gratitude with their guests.

One member wrote a message to a wife of one of the Travelling Chasidim saying, “Wow! is all I can say… I feel so blessed to have had you come to our community.”

Another participant said “that the inspiration from this Shabbat easily did more than several lectures from a Rabbi.”

One of the Shul’s committee members commented that “I was looking forward to teaching these Chassid’s a thing or two. Boy, did I make a mistake - I ended up learning quite a few things about life, Shabbat and Judaism in general - a real eye opener!”

The Traveling Chassidim founded in the USA by Rabbi A. M. Royde of Monsey, NY - is a

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Havdalah ceremony

group of Chassidic families from London and Manchester who travel around the country. The Traveling Chassidim – a not-forprofit organisation - is part of the World of Belz institutions under the guidance and leadership of the Rebbe of Belz in Jerusalem.

The group was inspired by the teachings of the late Rabbi Noach Weinberg of Aish HaTorah, especially by his innovative Project Inspire initiative. Bringing with them classic Chassidic warmth and liveliness together with the special aura of the holy Shabbat day the Traveling Chassidim form a deep connection with the host community resulted in a Shabbaton that was truly transformational and memorable.

Motzei Shabbat dancing

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07 JUNE 2017

THE JEWISH WEEKLY

Steel City Jewish community determined to survive

BY DAVID SAFFER

VIRTUOSO violinist Itzchak Perlman was performing in November 1995 in a symphony at the Lincoln Center in New York City when, a few bars into his rendition, one of his four strings snapped.

Pausing for a moment, he instructed the conductor to restart. Pearlman completed his recomposed, unrehearsed piece to rapturous applause.

Modestly, the renowned musician told a captivated audience that on occasion it is an artist’s task to discover how much music they can make with what they have left of their instrument.

Linking Perlman’s memorable anecdote to the United Synagogue Sheffield may seem bizarre, but that is not the case for the shul’s minister, Rabbi Yonoson Golomb, who likens the Israeli’s musical mindset at an inopportune time to Rabbi Golomb’s task of keeping his shrinking Jewish community alive.

“Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks told this wonderful story; we are not a big community as we once were but we will make music with what is left,” recalled Rabbi Golomb.

Rabbi Golomb’s sentiment, ignited by the former Chief Rabbi, echoes a history and ongoing challenge for a South Yorkshire shul that retains its Jewish identity against the odds.

The Steel City, as Sheffield is often referred to, prospered during the industrial revolution when Jewish traders passed through the South Yorkshire town.

Brothers Isaac and Philip Bright, Jacob Gehrwin and Abraham Gershon were the first Jews to settle in the area in the 1780s, while shochet Solomon Meyer held a

regular minyan at his home and supplied meat to the early Jews of West Yorkshire neighbours Leeds.

The tale of Sheffield’s synagogues is one of hope, woe and renaissance.

Sheffield’s first shul, Central Synagogue, was established in the city centre in 1851 as Jews impacted on political and secular life.

Wilson Road Synagogue was established in 1914 following communal disputes. Boasting 970 seats, Wilson Road was the larger shul of the two for much of the 20th century.

When bombing destroyed Central Synagogue during World War Two, elongated discussions resulted in the building of a community centre and synagogue for its members in 1956. These buildings form the basis of today’s Kingfield Hall complex where services still take place.

Sheffield Jewry enjoyed a peak of 1,500 members in the 1950s. A decade on, diminishing numbers resulted in an amalgamated United Sheffield Hebrew Congregation, later renamed Sheffield Jewish Congregation and Centre.

A further decline in numbers saw the demise of Wilson Road in the 1990s.

Sheffield Orthodox Synagogue opened in January 2000 and became part of the United Synagogue in 2015. The shul is now known as United Synagogue Sheffield.

Rabbi Golomb celebrated 25 years in the post last month.

Though a clear milestone, it is not top of the agenda for a lay

leader who was and continues to be inspired by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.

Rabbi Golomb first encountered the Rebbe as a babe in arms, then as a teenager, and following his marriage to Faige Rochel in 1985 (the couple have 12 children), annually in a family trip to Crown Heights, Brooklyn, until the esteemed rabbi’s death in 1994.

“The Rebbe inspired me to do outreach work, and I constantly find there are Jews living around the corner,” explained the 54-yearold minister, who hails from Sutton in Surrey.

“Recently I was called out to Rotherham Hospital where there was a family with four Jewish children. The mother was Jewish and they lived five minutes from our home.”

Festivals are always a hive of activity in the Golomb household.

“We have guests from backgrounds that have no connection with a Jewish community,” said Rabbi Golomb. “During Pesach we talk about the four sons at the Seder table. The ‘fifth’ is not at the table so it’s my role to find him.

“My challenge is to find Jewish people, and if you educate them, they will want to be a part of things. Not so long ago, I bumped into a non-believing couple who did not belong to a Jewish community, did not send their children to cheder, and their sons had not been bar mitzvah, yet on a family holiday they visited an ancient Spanish shul as they were interested in the history of the Jewish people.

“Jews will always connect, so you must have faith in their soul because it is inextinguishable. As the Rebbe taught me, everybody makes a difference.”

The rabbinical road to Sheffield for Rabbi Golomb started in London where h e at-

The newYonoson look frontier Rabbi Golomb and Rami Sherman on Purim

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Former IDF chief of staff Rami Sherman addresses the Sheffield community

tended Lubavitch schools, then at yeshivot in Paris, London, Manchester and Montreal, where he received semichah in 1985.

Further studies continued in New York and Manchester prior to a Leeds Kollel before an opportunity came for a rabbinic position in Sheffield.

First time around, Rabbi Golomb did not get the post, but he did not have to wait long for another opportunity.

“When I first went for an interview, a number of people did not think a Chabad rabbi would be suitable for Sheffield,” he recalled.

“A rabbi was appointed but only lasted a few months, and the synagogue was extremely bruised by the experience. So a different couple from the Leeds Kollel went over on a Shabbat rota.

“After my turn in the summer of 1991 the shul restarted the recruitment process, and I didn’t harbour any grudge for not being initially chosen.”

Before accepting his biggest challenge, Rabbi Golomb sought the Rebbe’s blessing.

“The Rebbe rarely told people specifically to do anything,” he recalled.

“If you had opportunities, sometimes he would circle one, he might suggest you seek advice or he’d just give a blessing.

“I asked for a blessing on the Sheffield offer, which he gave, so I accepted it.”

Rabbi Golomb took up the position at the sole Orthodox synagogue in Sheffield in May 1992.

Lamentably, however, the community has continued to shrink down the years.

Membership has drifted from 500 addresses to less than 200

whilst actual members have shrunk from 750 to around 250 Jewish residents.

“Young people do not stay in Sheffield because resources have dwindled. The next generation have mainly gone to London and a few to Israel,” explained Rabbi Golomb.

With daily minyanim and 30-plus cheder numbers a distant memory, the United Synagogue stepped in to offer financial stability for the shul two years ago.

Despite recent challenges, life continues apace within the Jewish community.

“The United Synagogue has been a knight in shining armour,” said Rabbi Golomb. “They rescued us, and whilst we have a functioning minyan they will continue to support the shul running its facilities.

“We still have a Thursday minyan, one for yahrtzeit at any point in time, Friday night and Shabbat services. Also, a kosher butcher travels over from Manchester on a Thursday morning. We have a room set aside at a butcher’s, which we double up as a café.

“It’s a hub of activity as people come in to buy meat, challah, and have breakfast; and it’s also my surgery time.

“Socialising is a major part of any community, so whilst there is a framework for that to happen we will keep going.”

He added: “I didn’t come here with the foresight to save a dying community, but I did come with a view that I was going somewhere that was a bit distant. I wanted to bring back a little bit of Yiddishkeit to somewhere that might not have that spirit in an abundant amount.

“A shul must fire on several pistons. You need to have social

07 JUNE 2017

COMMUNITY 15

THE JEWISH WEEKLY

Festive fun at United Synagogue Sheffield

aspects, religious services and basic facilities. We have a shul and hall; we run activities and will continue to do so.”

In terms of daily life, Rabbi Golomb has enjoyed bringing Chassidic traditions to a new area.

“I live and behave in Sheffield exactly as I would in Crown Heights,” he said.

“All my family events have been celebrated in Chassidic ways, within reason, and I take pride that my children can mix easily in Lubavitch circles and also speak with ease to Jews in Sheffield not necessarily as Orthodox.”

He added: “It’s an ongoing challenge because Sheffield is not like Leeds, where there is a healthy

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“The first time we held an upsherin [a haircutting ceremony for a 3-year-old boy), community members had not experienced one but embraced it as they did when we made our first two daughters’ weddings here in Sheffield.

“Lubavitch weddings are traditionally very lively and nobody

had experienced anything like it, but one lady told me she did not stop smiling for a week, which was wonderful.”

Judaism clearly is alive and kicking in the Steel City, as was illustrated when 80 members of the community celebrated Purim.

IDF commando Operation Entebbe Rami Sherman, a former

Defence Minister of Israel and IDF chief of staff, was guest speaker.

“We had a fantastic time and it was wonderful to shake the hand of a real hero,” Rabbi Gololmb enthused.

“Rami was a lovely man and communicated his story at a marvellous event.”

Rabbi Golomb is modest in terms of the impact he has made in the area.

When it comes to his inspiration to persevere, he returns to his roots.

“The Rebbe wants us to keep ‘coals’ burning,” he enthused.

“I want the Jewish people in Sheffield to feel at home in their home.

“If you don’t enjoy your faith, why would you want to do it? And if you don’t feel welcome, why would you participate?

“I tell everyone that my secret agenda is for every person to do just a little bit more, to do another mitzvah if possible.

“It’s all about promoting, enhancing, fostering the Jewish soul that lays within, in fanning that little flame within the soul and making it brighter if possible.”

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‘Work Hard, Play Harder’

Chaverim boys showing solidarity with Israel

HAVING FUN AND SECURING OUR COMMUNITY

BY MORDECHAI ULLMAN The progress the orthodox community has made over the last few decades, is to the credit of a number of individuals who have acted with incredible foresight and determination.

One such person is the indefatigable Shmuel Yosef Davidsohn.

The Stamford Hill-based community activist has risen to two of the most challenging tasks the Jewish

community faces: occupying the youth and securing our interests.

Our conversation starts with the former. As executive director of internationally renowned Chaverim youth group, Shmuel Yosef directs northwest London’s sole youth organisation for the strictly Orthodox community.

Upon his return from yeshivah 26 years ago, Shmuel Yosef found a niche in his local community and founded South Tottenham Jewish Boys Group. A short time later,

this morphed into what is today Chaverim Youth Organisation. He has since moved the main efforts to northwest London but is still active with the youth of North London.

The weekly programmes are aimed at boys ranging from age 10-17. This includes weekly shiurim and recreational activities during the weekday evening, as well as motzei Shabbat. The organisation manifesto expresses their offer for “Intelligent Sport

and Adventure programmes focused on motivating and building our boys’ character.” In the youth centres, they aim to provide computer and sports facilities, as far as communal funding allows.

The running of this organisation entails a full-time office, where ideas and their implementation take place. Additionally, Chaverim offers Shabbatonim: a Shabbat away four or five times a year, where Chaverim offer over fifty boys a holiday weekend

retreat, packed full of fun activities and youthful inspiration. The programme is more than simple “kill-time” fun; Shmuel Yosef sees leadership qualities in many of the children the organisation comes across and so offers leadership seminars to equip the young charges with the wherewithal to be community drivers.

Twice a year, Chaverim offers fortnightly camps, one in the CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

24 BUSINESS

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Exploring nature CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

summer and, unlike any other organisation catering to the strictly Orthodox, a winter camp. The size of these camps fluctuates, with the intake in the region of 100-150 boys. Shmuel Yosef feels that by limiting the attendance at the camp, the boys can thrive in a smaller setting and enjoy the experience far more.

Among the weekly activities, Chaverim have a programme geared at A-level students and older teens. Called “Achim” it invites this age group to socialise and enjoy a shiur over kugel and hot cholent in a cosy setting, perfect for occupying the upper teens in a “kosher” setting. In addition, Chaverim guides boys to the correct Yeshiva setting for them, be they here in the UK, in America or in Israel. This is besides liaising with schools and parents – offering help with homework and school studies.

Since 1991, Mr Davidsohn has offered the Jewish community a service that is every parent’s dream – a clean environment for their teenage boys to socialise and thrive in a caring and fun

environment. 26 years means an entire generation of grateful teens and their families who have in some way benefitted from the multiple options offered by Chaverim. All this has been done with the guidance of rabbinic figures and pedagogues. In the words of a distinguished northwest London rabbi, “Chaverim is a real credit to our community.”

In addition, Mr Davidsohn is responsible for the security concerns of the community. From small local events to gatherings of over 10 thousand, he works closely together with the police and the CST to face up to the ever-growing security threats our communities – and as recent tragic and barbaric events have shown, the entire civilised world face. Through government funding, Shmuel Yosef ensured that all the local Cheders took it a level further and allotted £1.3 million of CST funds in enhancing the security infrastructure of many Jewish schools, which paid for CCTV cameras, alarm, gates, windows and doors in local institutions.

With Shmuel Yosef as the security coordinator for the chareidi community, over 50 members of

the Stamford Hill community are now fully trained as volunteers and have been taught the skills for action in case of any incident, G-d forbid.

Most importantly, Mr Davidsohn chairs the Independent Advisory Board for the Police in the Haringey Area of North London.

It is there that the strictly Orthodox have earned the respect and admiration of numerous officials who appreciate the caring but no-nonsense approach of Mr Davidsohn. In 2015 he received a commendation in recognition to his contribution to the policing in Haringey and London. He also sits on the Metropolitan Police’s Cen- Fun at the arcades tral Independent Advisory Group relationship with Shmuel Yosef, for Diversity. David Lammy, MP, who hosts an annual Chanukah who has also worked hard for reception in Mr Lammy’s honour. the community, enjoys a close His work with the council has also

Chaverim boys on a paintballing outing

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07 JUNE 2017

helped families secure planning permission for home extensions, also providing relief for local families.

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Team GB Maccabiah Games coverage

Team GB set for memorable Maccabiah Games

BY DAVID SAFFER

The final countdown has begun to the 20th Maccabiah Games in Israel. Around 10,000 athletes from 80 countries will compete in 47 sports from July 4 to 18. Team Maccabi GB has a 400 strong delegation heading out to the Games and many will have aspirations to win a gold medal.

Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa host many sports but events also take place elsewhere, including venues in Netanya and Ashdod.

The opening ceremony broadcast live on Israeli television will see competitors from around the globe enter the Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem, before a capacity crowd of 30,000 on Thursday, July 6th.

For Joel Nathan, general team manager of Team Maccabi GB, participating is the ultimate accolade for amateur Jewish athletes as it

Joel Nathan

is the third largest sporting event in the world “Only the Olympics and Pan American Games as a multi-sport event are bigger,” he said. “Taking part at a Maccabiah Games as an amateur sportsperson is the biggest international event in which they will ever represent their country.

“But there is so much more to it because of the Maccabiah experience. Singing the Hatikvah in front of the 30,000 people at the opening ceremony is an unforgettable experience. But it’s also about the overall experience and part of my role as team manager is to make sure every athlete experiences that as well. I’ll be going around the country every day. My goal is to watch every sport so I will ensure my schedule is meticulously planned to allow that to happen.”

Having competed at the Maccabiah Games as a player, Joel coached at the 2009 Games, was manager of the U16 football gold medal team at the European Games in 2011 in Vienna and two years later led the U18 football side to a bronze medal in Israel. As general manager of the 14th European Games in Berlin, Team GB enjoyed a record haul of medals in 2015.

Following the event, Joel was asked to carry on the role at Maccabiah 2017.

Winning is the goal but it’s not everything when it comes to this unique sports extravaganza. “We all sign up to a sporting event but there is so much more to the Maccabiah than just sport,” he explained. “Meeting athletes from around the world, making new friends that last a lifetime, the whole Maccabiah

experience is unbelievable.”

As for work behind the scenes in putting together a Team GB squad, there is no let up. “Planning starts as soon as you get off the plane from the last Maccabiah,” Joel explained. “We appoint team managers, coaches and back room support for all sports but the buck stops with me on all sorts of issues.

It’s more of a logistics than handson role for a particular sport but it’s important to know about all the sports in which we are taking part .

“I’ve learnt more about rhythmic gymnastics in the last year than I’ve ever known and it’s the same with lacrosse. We have experienced managers and coaches for all our teams but I’m making sure that I know something about every A previous opening ceremony sport. One of the mantles I took on is that I want to know every ath- cost to the athlete themselves,” he lete, manager and coach, before said. “It’s a huge effort just making they get on a plane in July. So, I’ve it to the games, so I’m not going been going around different train- out with the aim to bring back a ing sessions to meet them all to see record total but it would be great how they are all preparing.” to bring back as many gold medals Security and getting around Isra- as we can.” el is naturally an area of great deSo where does Joel rank being tail for all the competing nations. Team GB boss alongside other The Maccabiah organising body highs from his sporting career? has seen it all before. .“Once we “I’ve been involved with Maccabi land in Israel, everything is taken sport since 1979 and have got as care of, travel and security is top much pleasure being a manager of notch,” Joel said.

Team GB at Maccabiah 2013 came back with a haul of 24 medals (three gold, nine silver and 12 bronze).Joel would not predict a medal total for Team GB who will be participating in Juniors, Open, Paralympic and Masters events this time around but believes meticulous training, planning and hard work will be rewarded.

“Getting athletes to Israel is becoming harder due to the financial constraints of the games and the

a junior football team doing well as competing as a player. Taking on this role is a huge honour and nothing will make me prouder than leading Team GB into the games for the opening ceremony. There will be ups and downs along the way but we will deal with everything thrown at us. This will be the pinnacle of my Maccabiah career and I want every GB athlete to have the best experience possible.”

2017 coverage sponsored by

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34 YOUTH

07 JUNE 2017

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Parshat Behalotecha In a Nutshell Aaron is commanded to light the Menorah in the Mishkan(Sanctuary).

The Menorah had seven branches made from one lump of solid gold.

Additionally, the shevet (tribe) of Levi is initiated into their special task of

serving in the Mishkan.

Those Jews who were unable to bring a Passover offering at the right time, which was the 14th of Nissan, felt left out. As a result, Moshe said they could have another chance on Pesach Sheini, the 14th of Iyar.

1 TIPS T

Further on in the parsha, the Jewish people were getting manna every day, they complained and asked for meat.

In addition, Moshe appoints 70 men to help him lead the Jewish people.

At the end of the parsha

Miriam speaks lashon hara (gossip) about Moshe and is punished with leprosy.

Moshe prays for her, and Hashem heals her.

KEEP HYDRATED

Summer is just around the corner, meaning it’s that much more important to stay hydrated. Here are some tips and tricks to help out.

1

Try to drink at least 8 glasses of pure, clean water every day—but not with meals so as not to dilute your digestive juices.

2

Make drinking water a daily habit. When it’s hot out or you’re ill, take in even more water—two to three glasses more than usual.

3

Exercise will increase your need for fluids. Make sure to drink water before and during your workouts. This will help reduce body temperature, moderate stress in muscles and improve performance.

4

5 6

7 8

9

Feeling thirsty or experiencing dry mouth, flushed skin, fatigue, or head-ache can all be signs of dehydration. Hydrate the body with some water.

If you don’t like plain water, try adding lemon, lime, or fruit juice for flavor.

Eat hydrating foods such as watermelon or make your own fresh fruit ice lollies with a little crushed fruit diluted with water. Check out our recipe for Watermelon Ice Lollies on the kids pages.

To increase your fluid intake, enjoy a few pieces of vegetables or fruit a day, as well as some homemade vegetable soup.

Heat and dehydration can affect children most. Remind kids and younger siblings to drink water throughout the day. Adding a bit of juice to water can help them make the switch from the unhealthier drinks.

Research shows milk is better than water and sports drinks for rehydration and recovery after exercise. Just be sure to choose a slimmed-down carton since the fat in whole milk can delay fluid replacement.

10 When traveling, stay hydrated by drinking lots and avoiding salty foods.

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News Bites SHELTER STAFF TEACHES DOG FRENCH FOR HER NEW HOME BURGLAR BEAR PLAYS PIANO Police in a Colorado city said a resident checked her security camera after an apparent burglary and discovered the culprit was actually a pianoplaying bear.

The Vail Police Department said a resident contacted authorities to report her home appeared to have been broken into while she was away.

A responding officer found evidence that the culprit was actually a black bear that came in through a kitchen window while apparently searching for food, and the resident was able to confirm the identification of the suspect, which police said was successful in stealing food from the freezer.

NURSE MAKES SUPERHERO CAPES FOR INTENSIVE CARE BABIES Babies in the neonatal intensive care unit may not look like stereotypical comic book superheroes, but they do to this nurse.

Stephanie Treherne of the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal is being hailed for going above and beyond the call of duty of her job by hand-stitching tiny superhero capes for the intensive care babies.

For the last nine months,

she has made about 100 felt capes featuring the baby’s initial sewn on the front.

KEEP CALM 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

A sweet little mixed-breed will soon be moving across the channel to her forever home amongst the historically pampered pups of France.

So to prepare her for her new family, the shelter staff of Dogs Trust Shrewsbury have been teaching her French.

Since the shelter staff started prepping Indie for her big move, she has already learned the French commands for sit, stay, and lie down. “There’s never a dull moment here at Dogs Trust! ” said Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre Manager, Louise Campbell.

DAD ATTENDS SON’S GRADUATION WEARING TIE HE MADE 7 YEARS AGO

A Texas dad warmed the hearts of the world by attending his son’s graduation proudly wearing the Pokemon tie the boy made for him in first grade.

Dylan Olivo, 18, shared a photo from his high school graduation in Austin showing him posing with his father, who is wearing a tie featuring a handdrawn Pikachu surrounded by Pokeballs.

“I made this tie for my dad when I was in 1st grade. 11 years later he wears it to my graduation,” Olivo wrote.

“I still remember making the

tie for him, and I think he does toom” Olivo said. “He had it

planned this whole time to wear it.”

Dear Uncle Joey,

Hi Nathan,

I am currently in lower sixth now and we have just had career advisors come in to our school to discuss our future careers. I have always been an intellectual and enjoy science subjects very much. My parents and teachers feel that I should apply to university next year to be a doctor. However, I would like to be a pilot as I love the thrill of travelling, and I’ve had a few private lessons already. My parents feel that I would spend too much time away from my family and that I should rather utilise my talents to help save people’s lives by becoming a doctor. However, my heart lies in being in the air. I am feeling stressed and worried, and I would really appreciate it if you could help me make a calculated decision.

I remember when I was your age and the career advisors came to school. I was also in the same position, in that I found it so very difficult to make a choice. Being an agony uncle wasn’t on the list! When making important life decisions, it is absolutely vital to take some time and think things through clearly. This goes for all major choices in life. I sympathise that making a decision with so much riding on it can be extremely stressful; however, it is vital to try to deal with it in a mature manner. This is the first of many important decisions you will make in your life, and instead of feeling worried you should welcome it as an opportunity to learn how to deal with the everyday pressures of adult life, which you would no doubt face as a pilot or a doctor! You still have another year to decide, so there’s no need to rush into a life choice you may one day regret.

Thanks, Nathan

Good Luck, Joey

Disclaimer: All letters that are published may be edited. All letters are kept confidential and names can be changed for confidentiality upon request.

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36 YOUTH

07 JUNE 2017

THE JEWISH WEEKLY

SSAGE

Q: Did

FAIRY WOLF DUCKLING

A

MIGR INE JUMBO

WISH

you hear about the guy who dreamed he was eating a giant marshmallow?

A: When he woke up, his pillow was gone.

BY

&

Q: What is white when it’s dirty and black when it’s clean?

A: A chalkboard.

Q: What did the cross-eyed

(Answers at the bottom of page upside down)

teacher say?

A: I can’t control my pupils!

1. What can you give and keep at the same time?

Q: What is the king of all inches?

A: The ruler.

2. If you have me, you want to share me.

If you share me, you haven’t got me.

What am I? 3. What is tall when it’s young and short when it’s old?

2.

A secret 1.

A cold!

3.

A candle

1.Incoming Message 2.The Goodm The Bad and The Ugly 3.Wish Upon a star 4. A Splitting Headache 5. White Elephant 6.By and Large

Dingbats Answers THEJEWISHWEEKLY.COM

07 JUNE 2017

YOUTH 37

THE JEWISH WEEKLY

Stranger than Fiction

part 5 of 5

BY CHANYA SANDLER

Benjy’s play has become real and he’s stuck in it. His only hope is to finish the play, but will that get him home? Meanwhile, having escaped the police, he must give Green Eyes the gems in order to save his sister.

RECAP

The lights flickered on and off, casting Green Eyes’ face perpetually into shadow, streaks of lightning occasionally flashing and glinting in those cold, dead eyes. Outside, the rain crashed down like soldiers rampaging through the streets, carrying out the orders of this version of reality – be dramatic. Green Eyes tapped his custom-made, Italian leather shoes on the concrete impatiently. He did not like to be kept waiting.

Benjy stepped off his motorbike, waiting for the peal of thunder that was sure to – yep, there it was. His footsteps echoed as he trudged across the car park. “Where’s my sister?” Green Eyes smirked wickedly. Ezra was a fantastic actor. He really got into his part and he had Green Eyes down to a tee; evil, cold, brilliant. All of which meant that the real Green Eyes was a mastermind. Still, Benjy had an advantage – he knew the script.

“Show me the gems and I’ll tell you where she is.” Although Benjy knew what was going to happen anyway, he shivered. This guy was seriously creepy.

“I want to see her first.”

“I think you want her to live.”

“I want to make sure she’s alive. I don’t trust you.” Green Eyes smiled and nodded to one of his henchmen. Shortly a black van pulled up. Whoa, the real props had only been cardboard cut-outs that everyone had to crawl behind, but this…. Once again Benjy marvelled as the story was brought to life. Then

sadness pierced through, like a shadow breaking up the light, frosting over the edges of Benjy’s heart. This wasn’t real.

And he needed to leave. The closer he got to the end of the play, the more his apprehension grew, a niggling feeling at the back of his mind that demanded to be felt, a voice of reason that just wouldn’t be quiet. What if…. What if the play ended and…. What then…. He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind.

He had to focus. Not now. He’d think about it later when… if….

Dalia got out the van. She seemed to be ok, feisty little kid, her hands weren’t even tied. Benjy knew that she’d bitten a few of them and they couldn’t control her. Shame he couldn’t see that in real life but he’d see it later from the side of the stage. If….

“Now Gabriel, the jewels if you please,” said Green Eyes, laying a menacing hand on Dalia’s back and letting his other hand rest at the edge of his jacket. He shifted so that Benjy caught a glimpse of what was inside. The implication was clear. Benjy withdrew a brown cloth bag from his own pocket. Holding it up to the light that mysteriously appeared, shining down on him, he slowly undid the string, letting the

sides fall away to reveal the sparkling contents. Green Eyes couldn’t contain his excitement, the desperation in his eyes betraying the calm mask of control, greed fighting need, logic desperately trying to conceal the two and stop them dancing across his face. Eventually one of the two overcame his dignity and he snatched the jewels from Benjy’s hands.

“Thank you Gabriel. And now,” he said as his henchmen closed in, “it’s time to say goodbye.” Dalia came over and clung to Benjy. “You cowardly… coward! You can’t even do your own dirty work!”

“Ha, nice try little girl.” Dalia bristled and was about to fly at the gangster, but Benjy held her back. Wait, he mouthed.

But as the men closed in, nothing was happening. Come on, they had to come.

This is the overly dramatic drama version of reality, they’ve got to be here. Plot holes, ex machine, work the convenience, come on convenience, come on, please God…. The roar of the motorbikes filled the room as three streaks of metal and flesh flew around the room, weaving through and around the men, cutting off Green Eyes’ escape and confusing his henchmen.

But it paled in comparison to the deafening wail of sirens as five police

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cars rocketed in and Detective Summers bellowed. But his yells were lost in the pandemonium, and Benjy and Dalia leapt onto their friends’ motorbikes and fled into the night, leaving Green Eyes and the gems for Summers to deal with.

The wind ran through Benjy’s hair as the heady sense of freedom and triumph filled him. The tension left him and he laughed as they sped through the streets leaving their problems behind.

“Two birds with one stone, and best of all….” Benjy grinned around at his friends, all of them sitting around the table in their hideout. He let the moment drag a bit. If he was going to have to perform this later, this is how he wanted it to end – on a dramatic high. “My mother’s jewellery was fake anyway!”

And the real jewels spilled out of his hands across the table, like glowing stars across the sky. The play was over. Now what?

Aron looked at him strangely, apprehension tinged with sadness. He looked like he was on the verge of tears.

“What now?” His voice held a mix of hope, regret and guilt. Why? “Do you leave us now?” And Benjy understood. If this wasn’t real, if the play ended now…. ”It wasn’t real anyway,” he gently replied.

Aron looked at him strangely again. “I know, but do we walk off stage for the finale or take a bow now?” What? Benjy looked up to the applauding crowd and the bright lights, Mrs Lyon beaming with pride, his friends waving like mad. The play was over….

THE END

40 WOMEN

W oman of W orth

S

andra Waldman has been involved in Jewish youth organisations from a very young age. Starting out in JLGB when she was just 10, she went on to become a warrant officer. It was here that she discovered that she enjoyed working with young people. She started her career as a youth worker in her early 20s at Barkingside Jewish Youth Club in Essex, where she worked for 10 years, qualifying as a Youth and Community worker in that time.

She moved from Barkingside to help restart Southend Jewish Youth Club, and after two and half years she was approached by Chigwell Jewish Youth Club to help re-open their club, which had been closed for 3 years. Over 25 years later, she is still working at the club as Youth Director and is set to celebrate the club’s Silver Jubilee later this year.

Chigwell Jewish Youth Club (ChigsJYC) is one of the few independent, self-funding, voluntary youth clubs still in existence. It runs regular weekly club nights offering activities and outings for different age ranges, from Chiglets (4-7 years old) to Juniors (8-10 years old) up to Inbetweeners (11-18 years old).

Members are able to take part in activities such as football, computing, table tennis, arts and crafts and cookery, and they get a chance to make long-lasting friendships. The Inbetweeners also have monthly club night trips, where they get the chance to go bowling, ice skating etc.

Sandra believes that having this kind of space is very important for young people as it allows them to gain confidence along with other essential life ‘tools’ in an environment that is encouraging and open.

“Youth work is about giving kids confidence and skills for them to become fully rounded human beings. I am very passionate about it, which is probably why I have stayed in it for so long.”

The club offers its own leadership programme to children from Year 7 upwards, and Sandra works closely with these volunteers who help with organising and planning the club activities. Many of these volunteers often go on to work within the Jewish community, using their skills to help others.

“The leadership programme is a unique experience that could only happen through a club like ours. It gives them the chance to

07 JUNE 2017

THE JEWISH WEEKLY

‫ֵֽא ׁ ֶשת ַֽחיִ ל ִמי יִ ְמ ָצא‬

be involved in the running of the club through planning activities and running sessions, and it helps them develop to become leaders of the future.”

Working within the community for so long, Sandra sees many of those who attended the clubs themselves now bringing along their own children, which highlights what she calls the ‘continual cycle of the Jewish community.’ She enjoys seeing the next generation getting involved in the community, and it means that both children and their parents stay connected.

As well as club nights, Chigwell also offers schemes with school holidays, and it was the first youth club in the area to run programmes for all school holidays rather than just during the summer. The programmes offer members the chance to take part in a varied range of activities, from sports to arts and crafts.

Sandra is also the manager of Skeet Hill House, better known as ‘Skeet,’ organising bookings and events at the centre. Skeet was purchased by the Jewish Youth Fund (JYF) in 1943 for use by The Brady Boys’ Club and offered a place of respite from the difficulties of living in the war-torn East End at that time.

Today it offers a chance for children, including those with learning and physical disabilities, to spend time enjoying a variety of activities

Sandra Waldman such as zip wire, swimming and even camping. The fully kosher residential centre, set in seven acres of beautiful Kent countryside, is used by many organisations across various segments of the Jewish community.

“For me, Skeet is the one neutral territory for Jewish people, where everyone is equal, no matter what your Jewish background or beliefs.

It is a great way to let kids get back to nature and enjoy the freedom of being in the countryside. It gives them the chance to make great memories, and those memories help Skeet to continue.”

The centre, which can accommodate over 70 people, is not only used by schools and youth organisations.

It is available for private hire, and Sandra has been involved in organising bar mitzvahs and family gatherings and is happy that the centre is able to cater for the many different needs of the Jewish Community.

Sandra’s passion and enthusiasm for working with young people seems to have been passed down to her daughters, who have both come through the leadership programmes at the club and went on to become leaders themselves as part of the Maccabi leadership courses. Sandra jokes that for both of her children, it was probably inevitable that they would be involved as Sandra brought them along to club sessions from a young age.

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Chigwell Jewish Youth Club

“They were brought up at the club.

“For me, resources like Chigwell They were at the club as babies and club and Skeet are both about givhave never left!!” ing children the chance to make Both have continued to work good memories, and for those memwithin the Jewish community, Jessi- ories to be passed on to their chilca (26) at Kisharon school, and Ta- dren. This is how these places will mara (24) worked for Maccabi Lon- survive for future generations.” don for two years. Sandra is proud that what they learnt from club has If you are interested in finding stood them in good stead for their out more about making a adult lives and future careers. booking at Skeet Hill House, Her daughters volunteer at the please contact Sandra club whenever they can, as does sandra.skeet@hotmail.co.uk Sandra’s mother, Edna, who at 92 or call 07961 754 500. years old still regularly helps out by making sandwiches and biscuits for If you are interested in joining the younger groups. A truly impresChigJYC - check out their sive family!! website www.chigsjyc.co.uk or With any organisation, the future call 02085 001610 of its existence is very much reliant If you would like to nominate on funding, and support from the loa ‘Woman Of Worth’ to be cal Jewish community, and Sandra featured on this page then hopes that both Skeet and Chigwell please email club will be able to continue their micaela @thejewishweekly.com good work for a long time to come.

07 JUNE 2017

MUMMY

& ME

WOMEN 41

THE JEWISH WEEKLY

Splash time baby

Lauren is an experienced mother and parenting expert who is glad to answer your baby-related queries.

Please visit the Woman’s Weekly section of our website if you would like to ask Lauren a question.

Dear Lauren,

Hi Gila,

I’m going away this summer and I would like to be prepared and organised. I’m considering buying a baby swim float for my baby to enjoy in the pool with us. We have never been on holiday as a family so we are looking forward and want to make it an enjoyable experience for all of us.

We have already laid out a lot of money for the holiday, so I am looking for something not too expensive. Could you guide me towards a good and safe baby float?

Baby floats are a great way for you and your little one to have a fab time in the pool. Just make sure to always be beside them and hold the float, as it’s dangerous to leave them unsupervised. I have listed five that are all reasonably priced. Personally, my favourite is the Speedo float. Enjoy your holiday and don’t forget to continuously put sunscreen on your baby.

Lauren

Thanks, Gila

BABY SWIM FLOAT

JOJO MAMAN BÉBÉ £15.00 This baby float offers back, neck and chest support. Thie comes in two sizes, 0-12 months and 12-24 months. For the smaller size (0-11kg), ensure baby is happy to sit up before using the float. For the larger size (11-15kg), ensure baby is confident at sitting.

BABY BUNDLE SWIM FLOAT SEAT JOHN LEWIS £14.95

This swim seat is comfortable and secure, allowing baby to enjoy the experience of water. Baby’s legs can kick and move easily, which is not only fun but also very good for strengthening the legs and general exercise. It comes in 2 sizes, 3-12 months and 12-24 months.

SEA SQUAD SWIM SEAT SPEEDO £16.50

This swim seat comes in two different sizes, 0-12 months and 12-24 months, which means that even very young babies can safely go into the water. Baby will feel extremely comfortable and secure and love being in the water.

ZOGGS BABY SWIM SEAT ARGOS £14.99

NABAIJI BABY SWIM SEAT RING DECATHLON.CO.UK £8.99

This swim ring seat allows for the discovery of water in a fun and completely safe way. Once in the comfortable seat, baby is led by an adult by the handles and can observe the water through the cleverly designed window. The three inflation chambers provide great stability on the water.

Suitable for babies weighing 11-15kg.

This seat has easy-toinflate safety valves for quicker inflation with four chambers, and a pillow back for extra support and comfort. It’s suitable for babies from 3-12 months.

THEJEWISHWEEKLY.COM

46 WINE

07 JUNE 2017

THE JEWISH WEEKLY

Wonderful Summer Wines

BY GABRIEL GELLER While there are prestigious wines from all over the world, some of the least expensive offerings should certainly not be disregarded. On the contrary, it is in everyone’s best interest to also provide wines that anyone can drink and enjoy on a weekly basis, if not even on a daily basis.

Bordeaux wines have somewhat of an elitist reputation as wines for rich people, wine snobs etc. This is of course a distorted image of the reality. Like with any other wine region, Bordeaux also offers some wines that sport a high QPR, fantastic value for money.

Let’s not forget about Israeli wines either!

L’chaim to all!

Champagne Drappier Carte d’Or Champagne is considered by many as THE glamorous wine par excellence. The whole experience with drinking Champagne and other Champagne Method wines is designed to give the drinker a sensation of luxury. The shape of the bottle, the fancy label and the foil, the entire package is making a statement: You are in for a special treat. The glass in which Champagne is typically served is no less special and original, called a flute. The long, narrow shape of the flute allows for a better and longer preservation of the bubbles, which often look like they dance while ascending from the bottom of the glass.

Now let’s talk about Drappier in general and this wine in particular.

Drappier is one of the most famous and ancient Champagne houses.

General Charles de Gaulle and his wife Yvonne made it into the official Champagne of the Elysée Palace after de Gaulle was elected as the first president of France’s Fifth Republic, in 1958.

The Carte d’Or is a blend of

Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the latter being fermented as a blanc de noirs, meaning that only the juice (and not the grape’s skins which give the colour to the wine) was used in the winemaking process. It has aromas and flavours of baked apples and pears, as well as hints of ginger and yeast which bring to mind the smell and taste of fresh bread. The precise, medium bubbles as well as the refreshing acidity turn it into a great pairing with all things deep fried and salty, and it will also accompany just about any meat or fish dishes well, including sushi.

Remember, Champagne is not only for special occasions; it is the ultimate food wine, always!

Château Trijet Bordeaux 2015

Carmel Selected Moscato 2016

This inexpensive, non-mevushal wine is yet another winner. Sure, 2015 was a great vintage in Bordeaux, but it does take talent, experience and knowledge to produce good wine, even when you already have great grapes.

Speaking of which, Château Trijet is made with grapes that are organically grown according to European standards, which means that little to no pesticides are used on the vines. This wine is blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, mediumbodied, with a silky mouth-feel as well as notes of raspberries, black cherries, lavender and tobacco.

It is very pleasant to drink now with either cold or warm meat or poultry dishes, and it will likely develop some of those lovely notes of wet earth and barnyard funk as it develops in the bottle over the next few years.

There are very few quality kosher Bordeaux wines retailing around £10 so you’d better grab this one!

With all due respect to our dear Bartenura which may be the bestselling Moscato, yet it is far from being the only one.

Carmel has been making Moscato for quite some time, under the good old label “Moscato di Carmel”. With the 2016 vintage this is changing, and it is from now on part of the Selected series which is the quality entry-level offering from Israel’s largest winery.

Lightly frizzante, with fun yet balanced bubbles, this is a pleasant wine with sweet and fruity flavours such as lemon, peach and apricot with good acidity. Neither thick, cloying nor high in alcohol, it is a nice quaffer to drink chilled and a really good match with a piece of creamy cheesecake on Shavuot.

Inexpensive, fun and simply delicious, Carmel prove again that they make quality wine at all price points.

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Tulip White Tulip 2016 Tulip winery has a great story.

They make quality wines with the help of adults with special needs, residents of the village in which the winery is located. Their red wines may be seen as “classic” for Israel, with the typical grape varieties and blends most Israeli wineries like to produce. However, Tulip’s white wines happen to be among the most original ones out there. In this particular case we have a dry wine made with two varieties: Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer.

Gewürztraminer, which is a very popular variety originating from Germany and Alsace (which is in France now but also used to be part of Germany), usually produces some of the world’s most delicious and refreshing off dry and dessert wines. There are also dry versions, but they’re way harder to come by.

This dry blend is 40% Gewurz and 60% SB. For anyone who is familiar with Gewürztraminer, it is obvious that here it overpowers the Sauvignon Blanc. The wine has aromas and flavours of litchi, apricots and dried rose petals, with the SB contributing some notes of citrus fruits and balancing acidity. A charming wine to sip throughout the summer, with or without food.

This is a wine that will please sophisticated and amateur palates alike.