1373 – 27th June 2024

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‘Beware of fairweather friends’

Sunak’s last-ditch appeal to JN readers as Labour leads communal voting poll

Thousands

Rishi Sunak has accused Keir Starmer’s Labour Party of trying to “bully” Israel into early recognition of a Palestinian state.

“would never use such an approach to bully Israel when it faces such a great threat to its security”.

heading for a resounding victory in the election, called early by him.

Speaking to Jewish News as the election campaign enters the final straight, the prime minister accused Starmer’s deputy Angela Rayner of “saying just a few weeks ago that Labour would recognise Palestine very quickly”.

With polls showing a big dip in support for the Tories ahead of the 4 July election, the prime minister stressed that he had been firm in his support for Israel’s right to defend itself after the 7 October Hamas atrocity.

“It hasn’t always been easy, but I’ve not wavered from it,” he told Jewish News this week. That’s what you’ll get from me. I am not a fairweather friend.”

A poll of Jewish voters by the respected firm Survation, published last week, had shown that while Sunak and the Tories still had more support than Labour, Starmer’s party was enjoying a surge in popularity from the community.

A second survey, conducted by the Institute for Policy Research, even suggested that more British Jews would vote Labour rather than Tory next week.

Under his leadership, Sunak said, the Conservatives

by Lee Harpin [email protected] @lmharpin Conservatives

In the defiant interview, Sunak said he was only too aware of the opinion polls suggesting that Labour was

“There have been many polls and Continued on page 2

WHAT A DIFFERENCE FOUR

When we last analysed pre-general election polls, in the winter of 2019, the community was on shpilkes fearing a Jeremy Corbyn-led government.

It was a prospect, as the three main Jewish newspapers put it, that would have presented an existential threat to our community. Nearly five years on and however you view the

two contenders for Downing Street, no such threat exists.

Under successive Tory prime ministers over more than a decade we’ve enjoyed a golden era for UKIsrael relations. We’ve seen recordbreaking trade, the banning of Hezbollah and, finally, an o cial Royal visit – by Prince William – to Israel, followed quickly by a second – by

King Charles. Domestically, the government has backed up good intentions with funds for community safety and Holocaust education.

At the same time, there is little doubt that Sir Keir Starmer has done almost everything he could to make good on his pledge to fight the antisemitism that plagued his party. On Israel, he has remained steadfast

YEARS

HAVE MADE

in defending Israel’s right to defend itself, even at the cost of support in his party and in parts of the country.

That doesn’t mean Starmer has convinced everyone in the community. Despite the latest poll suggesting a big lead for Labour among British Jews, many remain unconvinced that he will stick with Israel through thick and thin.

If the many constituency hustings we’ve supported have shown anything, however, Jews will cast their votes on a wide range of issues.

Whoever you want to run the country, there’s little point in staying at home and shouting in frustration at the telly on election night.

This is your chance to make a difference, so use it wisely.

‘Labour is bullying Israel on Palestine recognition’

Continued from page 1

I’m sure they’ll be more this week,” said Sunak, “but the only one that really matters is the one on 4 July.”

He then stressed that his own focus was on “making people see the very clear choice at this election – continue to have your taxes cut under the Conservatives or face significant tax rises under the Labour party.”

The prime minister argued that since becoming leader he had made huge progress “cutting tax for people at every stage of their lives, abolishing national insurance for the self employed, abolishing stamp duty for first time buyers, the triple lock plus for pensioners”.

He claimed Labour would “just hike people’s taxes” and he “did not want that to happen”.

But asked to address the concern that some in the Jewish community now had with both him and his party, Sunak said: “I’d say just look at our record. I have been a consistent friend to the Jewish community.

I’m also a defender of Israel’s right to defend itself. I will continue to do both those things.

“You’ve seen that over the past eight or nine months, particularly when things have become very di cult.”

Sunak seemed to be aware that some of his party’s most staunch supporters in the community had been concerned by the approach taken by the foreign secretary over Israel and the fight against Hamas in Gaza, especially when in January David Cameron himself appeared to propose recognition of a Palestinian state ahead of the conclusion of a peace process with Israel.

The prime minister also suggested that Cameron’s proposal on Palestine recognition was in fact taken in a way “not as it was intended”.

He continued: “Neither the foreign secretary nor I believe this is the right way with Palestinian recognition, while Israel is not secure. We would never as Conservatives use such an approach to bully Israel when it faces such great threats to its security.

Labour is planning to change the laws around proscribing organisations as terrorist groups if elected to power, after watching the current government failing to act over Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Following through on a manifesto commitment to declare the IRGC a terror organisation, Labour has concluded a radical overhaul of current ways to do this is needed.

Communal groups including the Labour and the Conservative Friends of Israel organisations have both

“And, David’s been very clear recently, whether it was over making sure we have a robust process on arms exports and licensing, whether it’s his comments on the ICC. You can see very robust support for Israel and its right to defend itself. The priority is that the talks are on-going and it’s important we give them space to conclude.

“We all want to see a deal that gets the hostages out, aid in, and allows for a pause. But as David Cameron has said, it is Hamas who started this war, they should be the ones seizing the opportunity to secure a deal, not blocking it. That’s the best way to stop the fighting.”

Sunak continues to be scathing of Starmer, particularly over his time serving in Jeremy Corbyn’s cabinet.

The previous evening Starmer had appeared at a leaders’ debate hosted by the

called for the IRGC to be proscribed, as have the Board of Deputies and Jewish Leadership Council.

Counter-terrorist experts revealed 15 plots by Iran to kill or kidnap on British soil, including of individuals with Israeli backgrounds.

The IRGC, a military group with its own air, land, naval, and special forces, leads the way in protecting Tehran’s hardline regime.

A report in the The Telegraph suggested one aspect of Labour’s new “bespoke” approach to prescription

Sun newspaper where he had suggested that by expelling the former leader from the party he had taken the most serious action possible in dealing with his former boss.

But the prime minister refused to accept this explanation. “He’s incredibly opportunistic,” Sunak said of Starmer. “He serves when it is in his political interest, but when it isn’t....”

The prime minister added: “This is a guy who supported Corbyn not once, but twice. He went out of his way to say, in his words, he would be a ‘great prime minister’ .

“That’s Jeremy Corbyn who led an institutionally antisemitic party, the Labour Party investigated by the EHRC. Corbyn who described people in Hamas as ‘friends’.

“I think it’s appalling. And you know what. There were other members of the senior Labour team who made a principled decision, which I respect, not to serve. Keir Starmer was not one of them. Many members within the Labour Party decided not to serve because they

would be the formation of new “joint cell” between the Home O ce and the Foreign O ce to work together on how to tackle state-based threats posing a risk on UK soil.

The Tory government was divided over whether it was beneficial to proscribe the IRGC, with di ering views emerging from ministers in Suella Braverman and Tom Tugendhat.

There were also concerns raised that proscription of the IRGC would mean cutting o all diplomatic back channel routes through to Tehran.

had principles. They saw it wasn’t right. But Keir Starmer did. And when it didn’t suit him anymore he decided not to. It tells you everything you need to know about him.”

had principles. They saw it wasn’t right. But Keir Starmer did. And when it didn’t suit him anymore he everything you need to know about him.”

Corbyn, Starmer could always be viewed as a patriot, who would hold the same view as

Pressed again to accept that unlike Corbyn, Starmer could always be viewed as a patriot, who would hold the same view as him on issues such as support of Nato, Sunak claimed: “If Keir Starmer is prime minister he will show up at the Nato summit in July and the first thing he will have done is cut defence spending from our pledge to increase it.”

He added: “In July if he goes to the summit as prime minister, instead of us having a leadership position in Nato and being able to encourage others to invest more as we’ve done in the past, he’ll be at the back of the room having been the person to cut defence spending.”

Sunak also continued his attack on Labour over Palestine recognition, even though Labour’s manifesto commitment is to the recognition of a state only when Israel’s security could be guaranteed and as part of an “international process”.

He accused foreign secretary David Lammy of “actively working” on moves for earlier recognition of Palestine. He said that while Starmer may portray himself as a friend of Israel, “every time I’ve been in parliament he can say what he wants to me, by the last hour of my statement you’ve just got Labour MP after Labour MP queuing up to bash Israel”.

He also claimed that Labour planned to cut spending on defence and security at a time when they world “is a more uncertain place than its been since Cold War”.

But Sunak appeared to accept that there were some long-time Tory voters who where saying that while they could not vote Labour, they would likely not vote at all on July 4, with issues such as the election date gambling scandal proving the final straw.

“I absolutely understand and appreciate people’s frustrations,” he says. “But this election is so important, it’s determining the future of our country, and which government is going to decide our future.

“If they don’t show up to vote what they are going to see is Keir Starmer in No 10 with a blank cheque to do what he wants, and the exact opposite of what they care about.”

LABOUR TO CHANGE LAW TO MAKE IRGC BAN EASIER

Both Labour’s Yvette Cooper and David Lammy – who will become Home Secretary and foreign Secretary if the party are elected into power – are both committed proscribing the IRGC.

As part of this process both will back an update of the UK’s cross-government counter-terrorism strategy, called Contest, introduced in the wake of the Sept 11 2001 attacks in America.

Labour’s election manifesto states: “From the Skripal poisonings

to assassination plots by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, threats from hostile states or state-sponsored groups are on the rise, but Britain lacks a comprehensive framework to protect us. Labour will take the approach used for dealing with non-state terrorism and adapt it to deal with state- based domestic security threats.”

Full proscription of the IRGC will only be possible once Labour’s proposed new laws have passed their way through parliament.

More British Jews voting Labour rather than Tory

More British Jews intend to vote Labour than Conservative at next week’s general election, in a surge in support for Keir Starmer, a major survey has revealed, writes Lee Harpin.

The largest-ever Jewish voting intentions survey conducted by the respected Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) organisation showed that 46 percent of Jews intend to vote Labour on 4 July.

This compares with 30 percent of Jews in the UK who say they plan to vote Conservative.

The figures, based on the responses by 2,717 members of the JPR Research Panel to the 2024 Jewish Current Affairs Survey, are an apparent vindication of Starmer’s pledge to root antisemitism out of his party. Jewish support for Labour had slumped to an all-time low of less than 11 percent in the 2019 General Election under Jeremy Corbyn.

Responding to the poll results Mike Katz, national chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, said: “This is a great poll for Labour – one that you would hardly think possible

given the nadir of 2019. It underlines how far and fast we have changed as a party since then. It backs up what we are picking up on the doorsteps – Jewish people recognise that Keir Starmer has made good on his promise of zero tolerance for antisemitism and that Labour has been transformed under his leadership.”

Dr Jonathan Boyd, JPR executive director and co-author of the report, said: “Viewed as a collective, British Jews intend to vote very similarly to the UK population as a whole, and clearly favour the Labour Party over the Conservatives on the eve of the 2024 general election.

“Their views have evolved over

STARMER: 7/10 ATTACK HURT US AS A FAMILY

by Lee Harpin

[email protected]

Keir Starmer said there is “no doubt” his and wife Victoria’s family have been affected by the 7 October terror attack, adding that “thank God” they had not been directly impacted.

He told the Guardian’s Charlotte Edwardes that “half of the family are Jewish” and are “either here or in Israel”.

The Labour leader also hinted in the same interview about historic issues that arose after his father-in-law Bernard married his late wife Barbara, who converted to Judaism.

He said: “Bernard’s dad’s family didn’t accept that”, an apparent reference to Orthodox rules on status, which mean his own children are determined to be “not Jewish”.

But in the interview he goes on to stress how important Jewish heritage is to the family now. Occasionally attending a liberal synagogue, Starmer said that “pretty much every week” they buy challah on Shabbat.

With Labour clear favourites to win the 4 July election, Starmer defended his deci-

sion to serve in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet, telling a debate organised by the Sun that he had shown his position, by expelling the former leader.

“Jeremy Corbyn not only lost his whip as a Labour MP, he’s now been expelled from Labour,” said Starmer. “No Labour leader has ever done anything as serious about changing his party before. And I’m really proud of this fact.”

Starmer told Jewish News on Tuesday that he understood anger in the community after a man who terrorised staff at a Golders Green kosher supermarket whilst brandishing a big knife escaped a jail term.

Asked if the failure to send Gabriel Abdullah to prison added to the perception that the law was too soft on those who carry out knife crime, Starmer told Jewish News: “I do recognise it, and that is but one example. Other examples are where people have been carrying knives and the penalty has been writing a letter.

“We’ve got to stop the sale of knives in the first place. You do have to have a Young Futures programme to pull people out of beginning to get into difficulty. But the third bit is really important. If you carry a knife you have to carry the consequences.”

the course of the current parliament along very similar trajectories to the British electorate as a whole, and their tendency to support the Labour Party has bounced back since the 2019 general election.”

The poll showed that support for Labour among Jews at 46 percent was now higher than the average 42 percent of the general population who said they backed Starmer’s party.

The 30 percent support for the Tories was also higher than the 22 percent who are backing the party nationally.

In the 2017 election, 67 percent of Jewish voters backed the Tories and 11 percent supported Labour, according to figures supplied by JPR.

The survey showed British Jews were far more likely to vote for the big two parties than is the case with the wider population.

It showed 10 percent of British Jews supporting the Green Party (compared with six percent in the general population), 8 percent supporting the Lib Dems (11 percent general UK), six percent supporting

Reform UK (15 percent) and under one percent supporting SNP or Plaid Cymru (six percent).

Data was gathered 16-20 June and compared with previous JPR data gathered during this parliament.

The poll also showed there are significant differences in Jewish people’s voting intentions by denomination, with the more traditional and Orthodox religious sectors much more likely to lean Conservative and the progressive and unaffiliated sectors much more likely to lean Labour.

Young Jewish voters are much more likely than their elders to prefer a party other than Labour, Conservative or the Liberal Democrats.

Conservative voting increases across age and religiosity; Jewish women are more likely to vote Labour than Jewish men; and 29.2 percent of Jews under the age of 30 say they will vote for neither of the big parties.

JLM’s Katz added: “We don’t expect every Jew to vote Labour; but this poll shows they feel they have a proper choice at the ballot box – a choice they were denied in 2019.”

Corbyn facing defeat as Islington independent

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is heading for defeat in Islington North, a poll commissioned by some of his staunchest supporters has revealed, writes Lee Harpin.

The poll by respected firm Survation has Labour’s candidate Praful Nargund on 43 percent, while Corbyn, standing as an independent, is on 29 percent.

Nargund, a respected local councillor, has been forced to put up with a torrent of online abuse as he campaigns to win the seat, held by the former Labour leader since 1983.

After it emerged that a group of Jewish school children had been subjected an antisemitic abuse at Belsize Park tube station, Nargund joined Mayor of London Sadiq Khan in condemning the attack. He wrote: “I condemn this unconscionable attack against Jewish children in the strongest possible terms. All our young people should be safe and secure to go about their lives in our capital without the risk of violence.”

A 2015 video clip posted to X in which Nargund appears to say that “privatisation of healthcare is very, very important” has been deliberately edited and the candidate has stressed that it does not represent his views.

The 33-year-old, who was previously a director at his family’s private IVF treatment firm, also said he “fully and proudly believes in an NHS that is free at the point of use”.

Nargund, whose parents came to the UK in the 1980s to work in the NHS, told the Islington Gazette: “My politics are rooted in the fact that I come from an NHS family and

believe in those values. What I was talking about was actually about how IVF services should become more affordable, [to]highlight this was an important issue which needed to be talked about.”

Bradford-born Nargund, who moved to Islington in 2015, said he would continue to campaign to reduce waiting lists at the Whittington Hospital, as well as opposing the potential closure of its maternity unit.

The cost of living crisis and London housing crisis were problems he said he would like to help to tackle if elected.

Jewish News revealed last week that one Corbyn supporter, who was chair of the local CLP, hid in a bush after Labour activists caught her out on the streets campaigning for him.

Alison McGarry resigned from the party rather than face expulsion.

Survation surveyed 514 Islington North voters over the age of 18 between 20 and 25 June 2024.

Way to Downing Street runs through Hendon

The candidates squaring up for battle in key London constituency

by Jenni Frazer [email protected]

Hendon, described as a bellwether seat between the Labour and Conservative parties, is up for grabs again in the next week’s general election as eight candidates across the political spectrum fight it out.

Besides Green, Liberal Democrats, Labour and Conservative hopefuls, voters this time have the pick of the Social Democrats, Rejoin EU, Workers Party of Britain (a late substitute candidate from the previously announced one) or Reform UK.

Labour’s Andrew Dismore won the seat in 1997 in the Labour landslide but lost in 2010 to Conservative Matthew O ord who scored a shock victory by just 106 votes.

O ord increased his majority in 2019 to 4,230 over Labour’s David Pinto-Duschinsky but in May 2023 announced he would stand down at the 2024 election, leaving PintoDuschinsky now on his second attempt to become Hendon’s MP, up against a challenge from new Conservative candidate, Ameet Jogia.

With a large Jewish population, plus deprived neighbourhoods in west Hendon, Hendon is a fascinating battleground. The most Orthodox candidate is Reform UK’s Joshua Pearl, a former Conservative Party member, who says he is running “because I felt someone needed to stand up for rightwing views in Hendon and I felt we weren’t getting anything, so I put my hat in the ring”.

He described previous MP O ord, as “part of the Conservative Party which has been extremely liberal in almost every way, in terms of raising taxes, tripled immigration, the way they have allowed gender ideology to be taught in schools…all these things

show they [the Conservatives] are not right-wing any more”.

A trainee solicitor who is also a part-time Jewish studies assistant at Kisharon special needs school, Pearl is brimming with confidence and says he’s ready to take part in hustings with candidates from any party.

On the doorstep, he says he has found it “very interesting” to hear what concerns people have, ranging “from the cost of car insurance to the kind of weedkiller being used by Barnet Council”.

When Gaza has been raised, he says his response is that “it breaks my heart to see the loss of life, especially children, but I don’t see any good solution to the conflict”.

The Conservative Party obviously believes Hendon is an important seat as it has picked Ameet Jogia, a political adviser to prime minister Rishi Sunak as its candidate. Jogia, a Hindu like Sunak, is the son of East African immigrants who settled in Hendon.

It wasn’t an easy start for Jogia and unlike the prime minister he knows what it’s like to be poor. He has spent 10 years as a councillor in Edgware and says Hendon is “very special” to him, jumping at the chance to succeed O ord. He is about as di erent from O ord as can be imagined, and has been working hard to engage with the diversity of di erent communities in Hendon — not least the Jewish.

He’s at pains to clarify that he stepped down from his role in Downing Street the day the election was called, so any “bad optics” currently on show by Sunak cannot be attributed to Jogia.

Unsurprisingly, however, he is defensive about some Conservative ideology, not least Sunak’s insistence he will, if he forms the next govern-

ment, enact the Rwanda policy on illegal immigrants. As the son of immigrants, and doorstepping many families in Hendon who themselves come from immigrant stock, Jogia nevertheless believes wholeheartedly in the Rwanda scheme.

“When my parents were given 90 days to leave Uganda”, he says, “they didn’t jump into a boat. They queued outside the British High Commission. There’s a process, and we are talking about targeting those who abuse it”.

Hendon, says Jogia, “is the most diverse constituency in the country, and I am proud of that diversity. I’m a practising Hindu, and have grown up with Jewish neighbours and friends, members of the Muslim community … we have never had any disagreements, and I want to promote that”.

He admits it’s not all plain sailing when it comes to talking about Gaza. “After October 7 I spoke up very strongly for the Jewish community and Israel, because it was the right thing to do”. That’s not been easy, once such views were expressed on line: “During the pro-Palestinian protests, I’ve been mobbed, and I’ve experienced how intimidating it can be, just for my beliefs.

“I am scared; I have a young family

and people know where I live. I spoke to Mike Freer [the outgoing MP for Finchley and Golders Green] and he told me to be careful”.

Nevertheless, Jogia, who has been spoken of, admiringly, by some in the Jewish community, says he is “passionate about public service”. His biggest challenge, he thinks, is apathy.

Hoping any vestiges of “Downing Street glamour” can be overturned is Labour’s Pinto-Duschinsky, a management consultant and former special adviser to Gordon Brown’s late chancellor Alistair Darling.

The candidate’s father, Michael, was born in Hungary in 1943, to a family which had produced seven generations of rabbis, so the Hendon hopeful is not only the son of a Holocaust survivor but can point to a glittering rabbinical background.

“There’s a huge di erence between my first run at becoming MP in Hendon and now”, he says, pointing to what he says is a fundamental change in the Labour Party in relation to antisemitism spearheaded by Sir Keir Starmer.

“Because of these changes, Labour is now back in the service of working people, a party that all can support and feel comfortable with. But there

are other di erences: the country is in a terrible state. People are crying out for change, but they have been let down, to the point where nothing works any more.

“And the other change is that we are living through one of the most challenging periods in my lifetime to be Jewish in Britain. I’ve knocked on thousands of doors, and people are telling me that they are taking their mezuzot o their doors, or that they are scared to wear kippot on the street, or that they’ve told their kids to take their blazers o on their way to and from school, because they have magen Davids on them.

“So since the barbarity of 7 October, we are facing collective trauma as a community and surge in antisemitism. It’s breaking my heart, and has made me more determined to stand up for our community.”

Pinto-Duschinsky says he has been active in denouncing antisemitism on social media and has attended numerous marches and vigils held by the Jewish community. And he adds that the choice in Hendon is very stark: “More of the same, if you vote Conservative — five more years of things not working — or change if you vote Labour.”

‘TINDER FOR POLITICS’ LAUNCHED

A 25-year-old French-British entrepreneur has co-founded a startup focused on fighting antisemitism and helping young people become more interested in politics, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

Tiger Solomons-Tibi is chief executive of the free Pollstr app, which has garnered 1,000 users since its release on the Apple App store on 17 June.

Developed in just 12 days at a cost of £800 “because the election was called much sooner than anticipated”, Pollstr is like Tinder but instead of swiping people, users swipe political policies.

Pollstr is targeted at boosting electoral turnout, Solomons-Tibi said, and allows users to learn about politics in a fun, digestible and interactive way. It is designed with young people in mind, especially first-time voters, with users viewing cards that feed into an algorithm which shows them which parties they like the most. Users can also browse policies by theme and by party.

A member of the Jewish community, Solomons-Tibi grew up in Paris and has been living in London for seven years. As a student he succeeded in getting the

International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism accepted as the o cial definition at UCL.

Solomons-Tibi told Jewish News: “The goal of Pollstr is to create a legitimate, trustworthy platform to give your opinions to. [Young people] can’t connect to the politicians – it’s not their generation.”

Pollstr is aimed at combating the rise of extremist parties by letting users learn about their policies.

Kevin El-Sayed, the app’s chief technology o cer, said: “It is paramount that

young people feel connected to politics to ensure that our democracy stays afloat. This launch symbolises the start of a non-partisan youth movement that has education at its core.”

Solomons-Tibi told Jewish News:

“We don’t really have a social media where you can learn in a non-partisan way. You either have Twitter, which is loaded with people who say awful things, and the other platforms aren’t really made for political discourse. The future is to vote on your phone. You can vote by post, why not by phone?”

Our Message to our Community: Labour has Changed

The months since the inhumane atrocities of October 7th have been horrendous for the Jewish community. In the midst of our collective bereavement and trauma, our community has faced a surging wave of antisemitic hate.

As we pray for the return of the hostages and for an end to the war with Hamas, many of us have worried about our own safety and that of our families.

We are proud to be Jewish. And we are determined to ensure that our community is safe, our voices are heard and that Britain continues to be a welcoming home for us all.

That is why we were leaders in the struggle against antisemitism in the Labour Party. We confronted and defeated the racists and purveyors of hate.

We are proud that under Keir Starmer, Labour has changed for good.

Keir has matched strong words with stronger action, pulling out antisemitism by the roots and standing with our community in our darkest days. And it’s that determination that leads us to write to you today.

We believe that it is more important than ever that we have strong MPs in Parliament who understand our community, who will fight for us and who can take our voice and our concerns to the heart of government. We know that Labour’s candidates will provide that voice.

It’s a voice we’ll need more than ever in the coming months. Our Jewish community faces huge challenges and so does our country.

At the General Election on 4th July, each of us has a choice: Another five years of Conservative chaos and decline, or a changed Labour Party which is ready to serve.

We hope that you will join us in voting Labour.

Parliamentary Chair of the Jewish Labour Movement MP for Barking, 1994-2024

Pupils attacked at station

British Transport Police is appealing for information following an alleged antisemitic assault on a group of Jewish students on Monday at Belsize Park tube station in north London, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

Authorities were called at about 4pm following reports that eight Year 7 students from Hasmonean had been attacked by the group of at least four students from an as yet unnamed school.

Speaking to Jewish News on the condition of anonymity, the mother of one of the Year 7 students said the verbal abuse towards the Jewish boys began en route to the station and continued as the Jewish boys walked down the stairs to the platform. She said her son and his friends have seen the group “many times in the past and they have taunted them with antisemitic verbal abuse”.

On this occasion, she claimed, “they ran ahead of my son and kicked one of his friends to the ground. They were trying to push another kid onto the tracks. They got him as far the yellow line. I’m not sure how he managed to get away. My son ran a few steps up to try and get help. They ran after him, he was elbowed in the cheek and hit his head against

the wall. They dislodged a tooth and shouted, ‘Get out of the city, Jew!’”

A member of the public “helped the boy who had been kicked to the ground”, she added. “When my son got elbowed, another man saw it, said it was not OK and that he’d call the police.” The woman’s son and his two friends got on a train and came home. She does not know what happened to the other Jewish students who were part of the group.

She tells Jewish News: “The child who was being pushed was being taunted all the way from school and

on the way to the tube. They followed him. My son is very shaken. He couldn’t sleep last night. He said ‘It’s not fair. Why do they do this to us’.”

She added: “I feel that encapsulates what antisemitism feels like. Why? What have we done?”

She says that “police are taking it seriously. They went to Hasmo and sat down with the assistant headteacher. The school has also spoken at length to theCST.

“There’s a lot of support from the British Transport police. It feels like they’re not going to let it slide.”

A second mother said her son “wasn’t attacked because he’s a big boy and they weren’t going to start with him”.

While her son noted the name of the attackers’ school from their uniformed blazer, she told Jewish News she will “wait for their headteacher to deal with it before disclosing their names”.

Jewish News understands police are now reviewing CCTV footage of the incident.

In a statement released to Twitter/X on Tuesday afternoon, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “I condemn this sickening attack against children. Antisemitism has no place on the streets of London.”

In a statement on Twitter/X, CST said it is “providing extra support and reassurance to the school as well as liaising with British Transport Police, who have confirmed that a hate crime investigation has been opened and will ensure additional police presence in the area.”

• Anyone with information on the Belsize Park assault is asked to text 61016 or call 0800 405040 with reference 471 of 24 June. To remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Three anti-Israel campaigners have been convicted of failing to comply with a direction to stop protesting outside Sir Keir Starmer’s home.

The members of the group Youth Demand were accused of tying a banner to a tree in front of his home on 9 April.

The banner read ‘Starmer stop the killing’ and had a number of red hands on it. Several children’s shoes were left on a walkway to the front door of the property.

Leonorah Ward, 21, of Leeds, Zosia Lewis, 23, of Newcastle-uponTyne, and Daniel Formentin, 24, of Leeds, were convicted last week at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. They were sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. They were also given a community order and were prohibited from entering the NW5 postcode.

Manchester community legend

Sir Howard Bernstein dies at 71

Sir Howard Bernstein, widely credited as one of the driving forces behind the regeneration and economic growth of Manchester and a ‘titan’ of the Jewish community, has died, aged 71, writes Lee Harpin.

The former Manchester council chief executive, who always spoke openly about his Jewish background as the driving force behind his belief in the importance of community, passed away after a “period of illness”, officials in the city confirmed.

Sir Howard, a vice-president of the Jewish Leadership Council, leaves his wife Vanessa, two children and three stepchildren

Confirming his death, the family said in a statement: “With profound sadness, we announce the passing of our beloved Sir Howard Bernstein.

“He was born into a Jewish family in Cheetham Hill in 1953, the older of two brothers.

“He was married to Lady Vanessa Bernstein, brother to Russell, a loving father to Jonathan and Natalie, and a devoted stepfather to Danielle, Francesca and Dominique. Sir Howard was also a proud grandfather to seven grandchildren.

The statement added: “Sir Howard

is best known as one of the chief architects of Manchester’s resurgence over the last four decades.”

The family noted Sir Howard began his career at Manchester Town Hall in 1971, eventually serving as chief executive of Manchester City Council for 20 years until his retirement in March 2017, adding: “His deep love and passion for Manchester shaped the city we know today, and he remained committed and active in supporting the city up to his passing.

“Sir Howard is widely recognised as the driving force behind the transformation of modern Manchester.”

A lifelong supporter of Manchester City FC, Sir Howard was its honorary president and was also president of Lancashire Cricket Club for a decade. After retiring from public life, he became an honorary professor of politics at Manchester University.

Among those paying respects, former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson said: “Sorry to read of the death of Sir Howard Bernstein. He was a visionary public servant – the city chief exec that all other city chief execs looked up to. With

Richard Leese he helped make modern Manchester the global powerhouse it is today. My thoughts are with his family and many friends. “

Former JLC chief executive Simon Johnson described Sir Howard on becoming a JLC vice-president as “the outstanding local government leader of his generation”.

He added: “His unparalleled

MDA honours 33 volunteers murdered in Hamas attacks

Thirty-three Magen David Adom volunteers murdered in Hamas’ attack on southern Israel were remembered at a dinner for key supporters of the charity in the UK.

Pictures of the heroes, many of whom were killed while coming to the aid of the wounded on 7 October, took pride of place at the event, whose guests had helped to raise £15m in the UK for Israel’s medical emergency service in eight months.

Deputy director general of MDA in Israel Alon Fridman recalled a medic in Be’eri who spent 10 hours treating victims at the kibbutz clinic before being killed by terrorists. She would have survived if she had stayed at home.

to send medics to be trained in Israel? Imagine how many ambassadors for Israel could be created.”

Head of fundraising Josh Diamond added: “As we emerge into a new era for Israel, we are ready to lead the conversations about the State of Israel, to use everything that’s brilliant about MDA as a narrative, as a vehicle for showcasing to the whole world all that’s best about Israel.”

In one of his first addresses since becoming Board of Deputies president, Phil Rosenberg called for an “optimistic alliance” between Jews, Muslims and others to tackle extremism.

experience will be of huge value to our community.”

The Board of Deputies said the “entire Jewish community mourns the loss”, adding: “He was a titan both in his service to the city of Manchester and encouragement of British Jews’ communal initiatives.”

Former chancellor George Osborne once dubbed Sir Howard

“one of the very, very best public servants [he had] ever come across”.

In a 2016 interview with the Manchester Evening News, Sir Howard told how his Jewish upbringing in the shadow of the Second World War shaped his outlook on life – and would come to shape his home city.

“My father was always very… not political, but very socially aware,” he told the newspaper.

“I think most Jewish families were in that era, from where they came from, and where their parents came from. Being in a community was fundamental. Treating people with respect, working across the community – that always was seen as being very, very important.”

On his public service career, he said: “For a Jewish guy to become chief executive of the city council and never once in his entire career experience any kind of racism or prejudice – I find that quite remarkable. I think that speaks a lot about this city.”

Among his achievements, Sir Howard negotiated nearly £600m of public- and private-sector cash to rebuild the city after the 1996 IRA bomb attack, He was was knighted in the 2003 New Year Honours list.

ANOTHER YEAR FOR TZIPI

Israel’s ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, will remain in post for an additional year following four years in the job, the embassy has announced.

The former settlements minister and deputy foreign minister for Likud pledged to be an ambassador for “the whole Jewish community with all its streams” at her appointment in 2020.

A close ally of Benjamin Netanyahu, Hotovely was the youngest MK when she entered the Knesset and became the first female Israeli ambassador when she replaced ambassador Mark Regev, Netanyahu’s former spokesperson for international media.

She is a strong supporter of Israel’s settlement movement and has previously opposed the two-state solution, provoking some British Jews to oppose her appointment in 2020.

She thanked Netanyahu and foreign

minister Israel Katz for their “trust and their decision” to extend her tenure. She added: “Britain has long been, and continues to be, an important ally of Israel. I have been incredibly proud to serve as ambassador for the past four years, and I am grateful for the privilege of continuing to represent the State of Israel during this significant period for our two democracies.”

In a powerful address, Mike Marlowe, whose son Jake lost his life as he tried to protect others as a security guard at the Nova Festival, spoke of the “courage, bravery and modesty that summed up what MDA is all about”.

Liz Padmore, chair of the British Red Cross, whose wartime appeal saw some funds go toward MDA’s

lifesaving work, was among the 125 guests at The Berkeley Hotel who heard from MDA UK CEO Daniel Burger and chair Russell Jacobs.

The latter stressed the charity’s work carried out by volunteers of all faiths saving lives of those of all faiths and backgrounds stood as a beacon of hope.

Looking to the future, he added: “What if each signatory of the Abraham Accords becomes eligible

Muslims, he said, were often the first victims of Islamist extremism whether in Syria, in Gaza under Hamas or in facing indoctrination at home.

He also hailed the ‘heroes’ of MDA as a living example of the alliance he wanted to see. Since the start of the war with Hamas, MDA UK has purchased 84 vehicles including 27 ambulances and motorbikes, as well as more than 800 training sessions for medics.

BARNET

£63K FOR SHOMRIM

Jewish neighbourhood watch group Shomrim has received a substantial grant from Barnet Council to continue its work in north-west London.

The £63,500, sponsored by Conservative councillor Dean Cohen, is in recognition of the increased demand for the charitable organisation’s services and unprecedented incidents of antisemitism since 7 October.

The grant is in addition to the

recent £45,000 sponsored by councillor Cohen for Hatzolah NW. Councillor Cohen said: “Supporting organisations like Shomrim NW and Hatzolah NW is vital for the well-being and safety of our community.

“Over the last decade, we have seen much community growth with new housing developments, especially for the most vulnerable.”

LGBT group exits Pride march over safety fears

Jewish LGBT group Keshet UK has withdrawn from the London Pride march on Saturday over safety fears, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

The charity has in recent years partnered at the event with West London Synagogue, (WLS) Gay Jews In London and Parents of Jewish Gays and Lesbians.

Pride in London, whose theme this year is ‘we are everywhere’, issued a statement on Instagram on 12 June accusing Israel of a “devastating war and genocide in Gaza”, adding that it stands with “all the innocent civilians in both Israel and Palestine who have been subjected to terror and violence in this humanitarian crisis and all Muslims and Jews worldwide who are facing rising hate and discrimination here in London and around the world”.

It added: “We are also deeply concerned about all those facing human rights

violations all over the globe, including in other wars and conflicts, and remain committed to supporting communities worldwide while serving our LGBTQ+ community here in London.”

In a joint statement with WLS, Keshet UK said: “LGBT+ Jews need safe spaces for celebration, joy and to feel pride

in who we are. With this especially in mind, we have long valued our Jewish presence at Pride in London. We understand the importance of visibility.

“Against the background of what has been a challenging, and at times a complex year for many Jews in the UK, including LGBT+ Jews, some

of our friends and congregants have said that they do not feel as safe marching in the Pride in London event as they have felt in previous years. We have listened very carefully to those concerns expressed about the event. Our primary duty is to create a safe space where we can all feel joy, pride and community.”

The organisations added that “unfortunately” instead of taking part in the parade they will host a Pride picnic and “while we fully appreciate that this is not the outcome some would have wanted, we hope that you will understand this change of plan. In light of this change, we’d be very happy to speak directly to anyone who would like to do so.”

Pride in London partners for the march include Tesco, Lidl and Transport for London. Deliveroo is sponsporing the parade’s after party.

Jewish News contacted Pride in London for comment.

SUCCESSFUL FIRST WILLESDEN EVENT

at

Willesden Jewish cemetery in London has held the first in a series of one-day workshops with volunteers to repair the headstones of 200 babies and children, many of whom who died during the Great War and Spanish Flu pandemic, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

At the event on 16 June, 11 volunteers and five members of staff re-erected loose headstones, secured tombstones and cleaned memorials.

Attendees helped with gardening, stone masonry, laying gravel and cleaning.

One volunteer, Leo Howard, said: “I was very

proud to take part in this task to help preserve memories that are over 100 years old. I have thoroughly enjoyed it.”

Miriam Marson, community engagement manager and head of heritage at the United Synagogue and one of the organisers, said: “This was a really successful and emotional beginning to the project. All of the volunteers expressed interest in returning for future workshops, and it gave everyone a real sense of community and achievement.”

New workshop dates will be announced shortly. Email: [email protected]

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Mandatory military draft for strictly-Orthodox men

Israel’s High Court this week unanimously ruled that strictly-Orthodox men must be drafted into the military, in a decision that threatens to further inflame political and social divisions, writes Francine Wolfisz.

The move, approved by the nine judges on Tuesday, prompted anger from ultraOrthodox politicians, with one saying: “There is no power in the world that can cut off the people of Israel from studying the Torah.”

An estimated 67,000 Haredi males living in Israel are eligible for the draft.

According to the ruling, the government can no longer instruct the IDF and Defence Ministry to exempt Charedi men from IDF service.

Financial support for yeshiva students studying in lieu of military service will cease following the High Court decision.

The details of exactly how the ruling will be enforced or how many strictly-Orthodox students need to be drafted has yet to be revealed.

Charedi political parties were swift to voice their dismay at the ruling and are demanding blanket draft exemptions are reinstated.

Shas party chair Arye Dery, who formerly called the legislation “a mark of Cain and unprecedented bullying of Torah students in the Jewish state”, said he would defy the ruling.

Posting on Telegram, he said the Torah is Israel’s “secret weapon against all enemies” and that any attempt to stop Jewish people studying it would “fail miserably”.

Sue

He wrote: “The Jewish people survived persecutions, pogroms and wars only thanks to maintaining their uniqueness, the Torah and the commandments

“No high-handed ruling will abolish the community of scholars in the land of Israel, which is the branch on which we all sit.”

United Torah Judaism chairman and Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf called the decision “expected and very unfortunate”.

He posted on X: “The state of Israel was established in order to be a home for the Jewish people whose Torah is the bedrock of its existence.

The holy Torah will prevail.”

Jerusalem affairs minister Meir Porush said the ruling “inevitably leads to two states”.

He added: “One run like the current state and one in which yeshiva students will continue to learn like they did in the state Ben Gurion declared.”

However, across the

political spectrum there was much support for the ruling, which overturns the decadeslong “status-quo” agreement exempting strictly-orthodox boys and girls from the army.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said the days of “discrimination between blood and blood is over”.

On a statement on X he said: “The days are over when there are those who shout ‘we will die and not enlist’ and those who die because they did enlist.

“Discrimination between blood and blood is over. We are at war on seven fronts, the IDF does not have enough soldiers. If we do not fight together, we will die together.”

Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Liberman called the ruling “a significant step on the way to historical change” and posted on X: “In a year where a whole brigade of soldiers was lost or badly injured, in a year where

Harris Trust tests more

than 100 potential lifesavers

More than 100 new potential lifesavers were swabbed by blood cancer charity the Sue Harris Trust last weekend in an effort to save a life, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

A 50-year-old husband and father of two teenagers, Ignacio has a blood cancer called myelofibrosis. His only chance of successful treatment is with a stem cell transplant from someone with a matching tissue type.

Because Ignacio is Jewish, a matching donor is far more likely to be Jewish too.

During a donor drive at Sunday’s Maccabi GB Community Fun Run at the Stone X Stadium, Phil Rosenberg, the new president of the

Board of Deputies, was among those aged 16-55 to be swabbed. between 10am and 3pm.

The charity was founded by the late Sue Harris and her friends in 1993.

BEIGEL SHOP BACK AFTER ‘CHALLENGES’

The Brick Lane Beigel Shop reopened this week after a “family dispute” and “health setbacks” had contributed to its sudden closure.

The yellow-fronted shop, which first opened in 1855, had been shuttered since February, after a law firm took possession of the building.

In a statement published on Monday, the family disclosed the reopening on 26 June, after what it said had been a “challenging chapter”.

The statement blamed the closure on the “culmination of a long-standing family dispute over the building’s ownership and subsequent rents, alongside the health struggles of our beloved father and uncle, Aron, who remains in recovery from a heart attack and multiple strokes.”

reservists served for over 200 days, there is no clearer proof that the IDF needs more recruits, more people to share the load.”

Labor Party chief Yair Golan called the ruling “a just decision”.

decades, fostering connections and sharing fresh warm beigels with generations of patrons.

“Stepping into the next chapter, the younger generation, including Aron’s 22-yearold quadruplets and Mazal’s three children, are eager to carry on the Beigel Shop’s cherished legacy by taking over the business.”

Despite these setbacks, it hoped to move forward with “renewed vigour and optimism”, the statement added.

“Led by siblings Aron, David and mazal, our family has poured heart and soul into this establishment for

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Its said its rent had doubled and, as financial pressures continue, the family set up a GoFundMe appeal for donations, with a £50,000 goal. The business needs a new beigel machine because its ‘vintage’ one frequently breaks down, shop repairs and a new oven. It is offering a Beigel Shop tote bag to the first 50 customers to give more than £5.

Our eternal survivors

New technology ensures the story of the Holocaust will continue to be told

by Michelle Rosenberg [email protected]

A groundbreaking project is using artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) technology to ‘immortalise’ real Holocaust survivors and allow school pupils to hold conversations with them beyond the survivors’ lifetimes.

The Testimony 360: People and Places of the Holocaust programme, created with the USC Shoah Foundation, launched last week and is the first of its kind to be seen in British schools.

Costing more than £1m to develop, it rolls out nationally from today after its launch at the Sacred Heart Catholic School in Camberwell, London, where pupils met 94-year-old Manfred Goldberg, who was nine when war broke out.

He is the first survivor to feature in Testimony 360. He and three others – Susan Pollack, Hannah Lewis and John Dobai – each spent five days being filmed.

They each answered more than 1,000 questions to ensure their virtual selves could tackle almost any query a student might raise about their experience of the Holocaust. The testimonies are set to be rolled out in schools from 2025.

Testimony 360 is set to revolutionise access to survivor testimony – and wider education –for generations to come. It is designed to support the national curriculum and help Year 9-13 pupils aged 13 to 18 understand the Holocaust.

Survivors share their experiences with thousands of students every year. But as they become older, fewer and frailer, the community is approaching a time when this is not possible, and the Shoah is no longer in living memory.

Testimony’s technology allows survivors to continue to have lifelike conversations with pupils for generations to come, ‘immortalising’ real people and their stories in the form of talking portraits and answering up to 1,000 questions which students may pose.

Artificial intelligence understands each pupil’s questions and then the virtual version of the survivor responds with actual, recorded answers to what is being asked, with the technology ensuring the exchange feels like a smooth and natural conversation.

After ’speaking’ with survivors, students then use virtual reality headsets to explore key

sites related to the survivors’ stories, such as where they lived before the war, the places to which they were deported and the concentration camps or ghettos where they were detained – all without leaving their classrooms.

Through virtual reality headsets, students can explore multiple 360-degree stereoscopic virtual spaces connected to survivor testimonies, where they can also interact with additional artefacts that bring survivor stories to life.

In the virtual-reality depiction of Stutthof concentration camp, where survivor Manfred Goldberg was detained, students can engage with items ranging from a prisoner uniform, a tool used by prisoners who were forced into labour at the camp and a cigarette case engraved by an inmate while at the camp – all of which help students understand what daily life in the camps was like.

Holocaust Educational Trust chief executive Karen Pollock said: “Testimony 360 is a groundbreaking educational programme which will revolutionise how we learn about the Holocaust, allowing young people to hear from eyewitnesses even when they are no longer with us.

“While it is impossible to replace survivors, Testimony 360 will help to ensure that their incredible legacy lives on beyond their

lifetimes, and that generations to come will still be able to have the unparalleled experience of hearing directly from a Holocaust survivor, and visiting the places they lived, were imprisoned and rebuilt their lives.

“With the threat of antisemitism reaching levels not seen since the liberations of the camps, this programme could not be more vital in ensuring that young people understand where antisemitism can and did lead.”

Survivor Goldberg said: “This technology is simply remarkable – it feels close to magic. Never during those dark days of the Holocaust did I ever imagine that one day I would see myself, and my story, immortalised in this way. I have spoken to thousands of pupils over the years – perhaps now I will make it millions.

“If this is my legacy, it will be a truly remarkable one.”

Sacred Heart school history teacher

Richard Price said: “It was an absolute honour that my class was chosen to be the first in the UK to experience Testimony 360.

“We have previously been lucky enough to have survivors speak in our school, but this will ensure that future generations of school children will get the opportunity to do the same, even when survivors are sadly no longer with us.

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“Combined with the virtual reality aspect, it allows pupils to connect with the people and places of the Holocaust like never before.

“It’s really exciting to think about the wider applications for history teaching this sort of technology could have in the future.”

 Testimony 360 is sponsored by The Eyal & Marilyn Ofer Family Foundation in partnership with the Holocaust Educational Trust and the USC Shoah Foundation.

It felt really good that Chai was there for me and all my family

At least 20 dead in shooting at Russian synagogue and church Biden ‘appalled’ at Los Angeles attack

Gunmen opened fire on a synagogue and two Orthodox churches in Russia’s north Caucasus region ` Dagestan, killing at least 20 people including police o cers and a priest, local media reported.

The synagogue is in the city of Derbent, a predominantly Muslim region.

O cials said the Derbent synagogue was set on fire. A clip from the scene showed flames and smoke coming out of the building, which is listed as a Unesco heritage site.

Reports said one o cer was killed when shots were fired using automatic weapons at the synagogue and at a nearby church. The interior ministry said: “One police o cer was killed and one injured”

Sergei Melikov, governor of the Dagestan region, said in a video published early on Monday on the Telegram messaging app: “This is a day of tragedy day for Dagestan and the whole country.”

In a separate shooting which occurred simultaneously, a group opened fire on police in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, about 75 miles north along the Caspian Sea coast.

According to local authorities, at least one police o cer was killed and six injured.

“We understand who is

behind the organisation of the terrorist attacks and what goal they pursued,” Melikov said, who confirmed at least six “militants” were also killed.

Russia’s state media cited law enforcement as saying that among the attackers were two sons of the head of central Dagestan’s Sergokala district.

Melikov said that among

the dead was an Orthodox priest who worked in Derbent for more than 40 years.

Russia’s investigative committee classified the shooting as a terrorist attack and has opened an investigation.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, although Isis and other Islamist groups have been behind terrorist attacks in the region in the recent past.

Melikov said in his statement that the situation in the region was under control of law enforcement and local authorities, and pledged that an investigation will continue until “all the sleeping cells” of the militants were uncovered.

He claimed, without providing evidence, that the attacks might have been prepared from abroad, and referenced what the Kremlin calls “the special military operation” in Ukraine in an apparent attempt to link the attacks to it.

by Francine Wolfisz [email protected]

Pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with Jewish residents outside a synagogue in Los Angeles on Sunday, amid fears that US demonstrations against the war in Gaza are becoming increasingly violent.

Footage of the brawl, outside Ada Torah shul, in the Pico-Robertson neighbourhood, shows a crowd of masked protesters screaming, swearing and punching Jewish members of the community.

The scenes include people being kicked, wrestled with and spat on.

Witnesses said the protesters used pepper spray

against residents, with many su ering burning eyes and throats. Some said they heard chants of ‘intifada’, as the violence spilled into nearby streets.

The synagogue had been due to host an event on homes available in English-speaking neighbourhoods in Israel.

Hussam Ayloush, of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said the incident occurred because the event was about buildings on “brutally stolen Palestinian land”. President Joe Biden said he was “appalled”, adding: “Intimidating Jewish congregants is dangerous, unconscionable, antisemitic and unAmerican.”

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Under the Conservatives, the UK-Israel relationship is stronger than ever

Many victims of the Holocaust were young children under the age of 12 and 13 who did not live to celebrate their Bar or Bat Mitzvah.

You can make sure their names are never forgotten.

Complete the on-line Twinning Form to make your day even more special by sharing it with a child Holocaust victim who was denied a future, and become a link in the chain of the wonderful miracle of Jewish History. A Yad Vashem researcher will find a twin from the vast records whose life matches yours as closely as possible.

The Twinning Pack consists of:

• A Page of Testimony with details of your chosen twin

• A Study Guide

• A certificate

• A letter from a Holocaust survivor

• A Yad Vashem lapel pin

• Memorial and Shabbat candles

• An invitation to become a Guardian of the memory

Phone: 020 8187 9881

Email: [email protected]

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‘Jews everywhere have a role in Israel’s future’

Middle East

by Sandy Rashty @SandyRashty

Former naval commander Ami Ayalon once had the highest security clearance. As the exhead of Shin Bet from 1996 to 2000, he was trusted to oversee counter-intelligence projects and high-risk operations – all in a bid to protect the Jewish State from an attack.

He later moved into politics, sitting as minister without portfolio under Ehud Olmert in 2008, months after losing the Labour Party leadership bid to Ehud Barak in 2007.

But on 7 October – 50 years since the Yom Kippur War – his worst fears were realised. That morning, he received a call from his son, a teacher. “He called me asking for the code to our family safe, so he could take his gun. It’s a very big safe, they built it when I was director of Shin Bet. I wanted to know why.”

He said: ‘You don’t know what is happening here?’ I turned on the radio and I understood.” Within a few hours, Ayalon was on an El Al flight back home to Israel.

Since then, two of his children have been called up to serve as reservists, and he has a grandson heading to the northern border as tensions escalate with Hezbollah.

Speaking to ahead of a visit to London with pro-peace group Yachad UK, he says the Hamas attack made him “angry” – but that he also saw an “opportunity” for peace.

“I was just furious. It was clear to me that we were heading to a wave of violence,” says Ayalon, who also believes Israeli society has changed. “We are afraid, we lost confidence, we lost a sense of security, we are humiliated. We feel that we do not have leadership.”

He adds: “We hate, we are

looking for revenge. We think that anyone who tells us we are wrong hates us and is antisemitic.”

Ayalon, 78, blames Israel’s decision-makers for mistakes made ahead of the Hamas attack.

“We assumed [Hamas] had been deterred,” says Ayalon, who served in Israel’s navy for 34 years, receiving the Medal of Valour.

“We had all of the information, but there was a double failure from our security community and our government. For years, the government has tried to manage a conflict instead of solve it. When you try to manage a conflict, the conflict ends up managing you,” he says.

Today, he is politically homeless – saying he votes for “policy, not a political leader. I am trying to convince people that when we go to vote, we have to ask questions.”

He explains: “I will support any party that says they will not only ‘support’ a Palestinian State, but that they will ‘recognise’ one.”

For Ayalon, this is the primary road to longlasting peace.

Asked to respond to critics who

because it is much easier to negotiate with a state than with organisations. Even for the right of return; if they have a state, Palestinians will return to the State of Palestine.”

And will a two-state solution, whereby Palestinians run a Palestinian State, bring an end to conflict and to terrorism?

“No, that is too idealistic,” he says. “We are living in the Middle East and I am not naïve. What I am saying is, Israel will be safer, while keeping our identity as a Jewish democracy.

“We will still have terrorism but on a minor scale,” he says adding: “We also have Jewish terrorists. Remember, the terrorists that killed our prime minister [Rabin] were Jewish.”

It’s safe to say that Rabin – who put Ayalon forward for the Shin Bet role before his assassination in 1995 – was his hero.

“Rabin was the bravest Israeli prime minister,” he says. “Leadership is always a combination of a dreamer and a pragmatic leader. He was

a political leader who understood the limits of what can be achieved using military power.”

Ayalon adds: “He understood the major lesson of the Yom Kippur war: our security doctrine should be based on a political agreement and peace.”

Born in Tiberias in 1945 to Romanian parents who fled the Holocaust, Ayalon grew up in a kibbutz. Now living in a moshav, he finds peace in relaxing by his olive orchard.

But he’s not coming to the UK for a rest. Ayalon, who has written a book, Friendly Fire, is in the UK to spread a message, through media interviews and meeting community leaders.

“The Jewish community abroad should play a major role in the future of Israel,” he says. “Israel is the only state in the world which belongs to people who are not its citizens; it is a state for the Jewish people. Every Jew can decide whether he wants to be a citizen, whether he wants to play a role in deciding on the future.”

‘At your shul both men and women have them and they’re followed by a kiddush? No dear, Rosie Duffield said only women have a cervix, not a service’

Rabbis must stir debate but truth really matters

SIMON EDER

Tensions have been high at one of London’s largest synagogues, New North London, following the inclusion in a haggadah of an essay by one of its rabbis, Lara Haft Yom-Tov, that refers to the Israeli leadership as instigating war crimes and other unsubstantiated claims.

The controversy elicited the response, subsequently retracted, by the synagogue’s leadership that “each Masorti rabbi is representative of their own opinion”. Many, both in the community itself and beyond, have voiced their deep concern that Rabbi Lara or any rabbi for that matter, should indeed be free to voice their opinions unhindered.

It is somewhat ironic that the Reform pioneer, Rabbi Stephen Wise, has been referenced in his fight for ‘freedom of the pulpit’ in this whole debacle. In early 20th century America where he lived, faced with an antiZionist establishment at the time, it was above all a determination to speak out in favour of a

Jewish state that drove his own focus on the need for free and untethered speech.

Rabbi Lara’s words must certainly invite us to ask what ‘freedom of the pulpit’ should look like for our own rabbinic leaders today.

The first element that this should entail must surely be a commitment to truth.

Whatever one’s views about the present Israeli government, hurling unfounded accusations, not backed by substantive evidence, is the distortion of truth itself and has to be called out.

Just as we would all rightly baulk at the idea that using the argument of freedom of speech should lend itself to our leaders espousing views that deny the Holocaust, so too in other areas our rabbis’ words must be guided by responsibility at all times.

Judaism values the power of words. As the late Rabbi Lord Sacks reminds us, ‘’Language is life. Words are creative but also destructive. If good words are holy then evil words are a desecration.’’ Three times a day we stand in prayer and at the end of the Amidah read: ‘’My God, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from deceitful speech.’’ ‘Freedom of the pulpit’ then requires an attachment to upholding

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these essential values.

The second central principle that should steer our approach is a notion of speaking truth to power. Calling a halt on unwarranted allegations cannot be taken to mean, therefore, that voicing critique should cease in its entirety.

We are of course heirs to the prophetic tradition and throughout Jewish history we can draw pride in rabbinic authority upholding ethical and moral principles, which have often included advocating justice, honesty and compassion. Just as the prophets of old like Amos, Hosea or Jeremiah spoke out in outrage at the moral and ethical failures of their day or in more recent times Abraham Joshua Heschel, who marched shoulder to shoulder with Martin Luther King Jr advocating for civil rights, so too today, it is vital that our our own rabbinic leadership, where justified and outside of party political allegiance, express their concerns at the moral wrongs of the day.

The final component that should inform how ‘freedom of the pulpit’ is applied relates to upholding the overarching principles of the movements to which our rabbinic leaders belong. Whatever denomination we belong to,

we would all be somewhat stumped if we woke up on a Shabbat morning and found ourselves listening to a sermon from a rabbi espousing the doctrine that ‘Jesus had died for our sins’.

We would of course expect and encourage our rabbinic leadership to challenge and stir debate, perhaps even push the boundaries of their movement’s founding philosophies but rather than fuel, we would surely envisage them to resolve and not provoke cognitive dissonance within their communities.

The late Rabbi Dr Louis Jacobs in an article once declared that while “religion has been used to comfort the troubled, now it must be used to trouble the comforted”. This proposition must certainly guide how we interpret and apply what ‘freedom of the pulpit’ means for us today. This, however, should never be at the expense of a demonstrable attachment to truth, an adherence to the fundamentals of the movement to which a person belongs and a profound understanding of the weight of responsibility which rests on their shoulders.

• Simon Eder is co-editor of Voices Of Hope, 36 Essays in Response to 7 October, Izzun Books

Labour’s antisemitism problem is in the past

ADAM WAGNER BARRISTER

In one moment two weeks ago, I knew the Labour Party’s major problem with antisemitism was in the past. It related to a test I had set for the party, without even realising I had done so.

First, let me take you back to two secret meetings I had six years ago.

It was 2018. Jeremy Corbyn was at the height of his power, after performing better than expected in the 2017 election. Labour’s antisemitism controversy seemed to be worsening, with new controversies every day – the mural, ‘the Zionists have no sense of irony’ comment and, more importantly for me, Labour’s seeming inability to grapple with what was going wrong.

As a Jew on the left, I had thought I could play a bridging role. I had grown up through Habonim, a Jewish socialist youth movement, and assumed I could connect with the passionate and idealistic new Momentum movement which Corbyn had inspired –impressively, from where I was standing.

But I kept banging my head against the brick wall of denial. So I arranged two private meetings; one with a member of Corbyn’s o ce, the other with the Momentum team.

Both meetings worried me hugely. Corbyn’s aide told me if the antisemitism issue was going to be solved, we would need to ‘work around’ Corbyn himself, who was convinced the Jewish community organisations were his enemies. This shocked me. I had assumed it, but it was startling to hear it from a Corbyn aide.

But the second meeting, with the Momentum executive team, I, as a British Jew, will never forget. They used almost identical words about Corbyn. But it was the face of a young member which will always stay with me.

He had been tasked to understand what was happening online. He said he had been given the job three months before and at first had been sceptical. But what he found in the pro-Corbyn Facebook groups and other places where the ‘very online’ movement congregated had greatly disturbed him.

He said antisemitism was rife in those places, and hardcore antisemites were infiltrating the groups to ‘groom’ (I will never forget the use of that word) younger members of the movement. He had a complex spreadsheet he was building to record and tackle the problem. He looked like he hadn’t slept for weeks.

I left the meetings realising despite my own idealism there was little point attempting to solve the crisis from within.

Fortuitously, I had a call from Gideon Falter at the Campaign Against Antisemitism,

‘CHANGE’ IS A SLOGAN REFLECTING REALITY FOR TODAY’S JEWS TOO ❝

which wanted me to work with it to persuade the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to take unprecedented enforcement action against the Labour Party.

After painstaking and detailed work, from CAA and then the Jewish Labour Movement, the EHRC ruled in October 2018 the party had breached equalities law. Labour had discriminated against and harassed Jewish people.

Corbyn, because of his reaction to the report, was ultimately expelled.

The EHRC investigation had two other important outcomes. First, the report made clear denial of antisemitism could itself amount to harassment – a landmark finding that put into legal language an experience Jewish people had been su ering for years.

The second was the Labour Party had to comply with a detailed action plan set by the EHRC, giving Keir Starmer, the then-new leader, a structure for his stated plan to rid the party of antisemitism.

I met him about this when he became leader and he seemed to have an ironclad determination to make the party safe for Jews again – and to understand the cultural issues of denial needing to be addressed. I wanted to believe him, but like many others I was sceptical.

Now, Labour is practically a di erent party, which brings me to that moment a couple of weeks ago and Luciana Berger. I felt among other Jewish women – especially Margaret Hodge, Louise Ellman and (then) Ruth Smeeth – she was subjected to the most vicious, bullying treatment, hounded from her job as an MP in Liverpool. But unlike the others, she seemed to have been broken by it – and perhaps, understandably, reluctant to return.

Two weeks ago, I saw she had posted a video on social media of her on the doorstep, smiling, campaigning for Sarah Sackman, my wonderful and dedicated barrister friend who is standing for Labour in my constituency. I had been waiting for that. Labour is a broad movement and it is wrong to think Jews can ever be complacent. But I am now as enthusiastic as I have ever been to vote. I hope other Jews will see “change” is not an empty Labour campaign slogan. It reflects reality for Jews too.

 Adam is a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers. He is writing in a personal capacity

A manifesto to empower an incredible community

PHIL ROSENBERG PRESIDENT, BOARD OF DEPUTIES

Next week’s election comes at an inflection point for the Jewish community. The Board of Deputies’ Jewish Manifesto for the 2024 General Election, released last week, has been unmistakably forged in the shadow of 7 October.

It responds to the aftermath of the appalling Hamas terrorist atrocities of that fateful day – the biggest loss of Jewish life on a single day since the Holocaust – which sent shockwaves around the world.

In addition to the 1,200 people murdered – many of them tortured and raped –hundreds of men, women and children were taken hostage in Gaza, and 116 remain there now, more than eight months on. This has been accompanied by a massive rise in antisemitism around the world.

When casting their votes, many Jews will look at which parties will stand firm for Isra-

el’s right to defend itself, whilst protecting civilians, and which will keep us safe.

The challenges of terrorism, hatred and extremism, are not ones that face Jews, or Israel, alone. Our response must be to unite. We must build an optimistic alliance across people of all faiths and none to stand up for a cohesive society that does not import conflict, but exports peace instead. We will be looking to which politicians can best help us to achieve this vision.

The 2024 Jewish manifesto – the latest in a series which has been running for a decade – contains an expanded section on antisemitism, and the clarion call to secure the release of the hostages held by Hamas, two key focal points for our community.

It covers core Jewish issues, like religious freedom and faith schools, welfare and Jewish culture. At the same time, however, many of the issues covered are ones that are felt across society, from the cost-of-living crisis to housing, from health to social care; each discussing the unique challenges that the Jewish community experiences.

While times are hard, there is much to celebrate about being Jewish in the UK. There has been a broad cross-party consensus about protecting our religious freedoms, something which we must continue to work to maintain.

British Jews contribute so much to the common good of our country, with our own diverse traditions and heritage. We are leading partners in e orts to take on universal challenges like the cost of living crisis, discrimination, inequality and climate change.

The manifesto, which runs to 32 pages, starts with the Ten Commitments – a summary of Jewish interests and concerns, with politicians invited to share their support for these commitments online.

The snap election has led to a rapid turnaround of the manifesto, but over recent months we had been preparing with for the election through extensive consultation with deputies and a wide range of communal stakeholders. While there is no single Jewish view, the Board has sought to represent as

much of a consensus as possible.

The launch of the manifesto comes alongside around 30 hustings events organised by Jewish communities around the country, supported by the Board of Deputies, the Jewish Leadership Council, the London Jewish Forum, and regional Jewish representative councils, with Jewish News as our media partner. We encourage our community to attend the remaining ones.

Combined with the manifesto, these events give the Jewish community a tremendous opportunity to participate in the democratic process and make their views known to our prospective political leaders.

However, the manifesto is not intended to simply be for elections. It is also there to act as a guide for politicians in the months and years of the next parliament, showing them how to best stand with our community.

Whoever forms the next government, our mission at the Board of Deputies will be to use this manifesto to hold them to account, in order to protect, support and empower our incredible community into the future.

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One of the Jewish calendar’s most popular communal fundraising events, the Maccabi GB Community Fun Run and Israel Festival, returned on Sunday at StoneX Stadium in Mill Hill.

More than 7,500 people came together to raise funds for more than 85 participating charities, making it the biggest to date.

People of all ages and abilities took part in the 10km, 5km, 5km walk and 1km run to support organisations including Beit Halochem UK, Jewish Care, Chabad, Camp Simcha, Etz Chaim Primary School, GIFT, Leket, Noa Girls and the Sue Harris Trust.

Each run was declared open by the blowing of the shofar by Rabbi Habib of Chabad Golders Green. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis officially opened the 1km run.

Runners and spectators enjoyed a variety of activities throughout the day, including the Israel Festival, which was new to the Fun Run this year. The popular Fun Zone featured inflatables, glitter tattoos and a climbing wall. Visitors also enjoyed the food court, shuk marketplace for small Jewish and Israeli businesses and charity fair.

After completing their runs and walks, every runner received a medal marking his or her participation from the Israel Government Tourist Office.

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A look

Inside

Red, white and rosé: a guide to the summer’s best-buys

Victims of 7 October live on through a project to celebrate and share their favourite foods. By Jo Nissim

The food we prepare for our loved ones is not just fuel. It represents the life that we share together and, for so many of us, it is the universal love language.

On 8 October 2023, Asif – the Culinary Institute of Israel – sprang into action and set about supporting the country in the best way it knows how, through food. In days it was enabling restaurants who had had to close their doors to the public to still provide food and much-needed morale to the front line.

In addition to this, it arranged for meals to be sent to displaced families to give them a taste of home.

As the weeks passed we learned about the people and lives behind the names and faces of those taken hostage and murdered on that fateful day. Naama Shefi, founder of Asif and The Jewish Food Society, wanted to find a way of keeping the memory of those victims alive.

The natural way for her to tell their stories was through food and so a new project, A Place at The Table, was born.

The dedicated sta at Asif invited families of victims to recreate special dishes that they shared with their loved ones. The aim of the project is to create a unique and powerful inventory of the victims and hostages through their much-loved recipes, which

will live on. Due to the scope of work that was taking place at Asif to support the ongoing war e ort, it took nearly six months to get the project o the ground, but there was no shortage of people wanting to take part. They put together a team of videographers, interviewers and editors to work with families to recreate the dishes that had meant so much to them.

The sta were sensitive and spent time getting to know the families before cooking with them in their homes. The films were then edited beautifully and with the help of the expert kitchen team at Asif, the recipes were fine-tuned and posted along with the video on their website and social media channels. The idea is that the public can recreate the dish at home and share in the memory of that person when cooking.

So far, 12 stories have been filmed with another 15 in the pipeline, with people across the globe wanting to participate. Families

from Ethiopia, Morrocco, Tripoli and Thailand are looking forward to sharing precious dishes that were much loved by their family members and friends.

welcoming to the Asif team. For the these extremely personal and often

Chico Menashe, CEO of Asif, explains that most families were keen to share their stories and extremely welcoming to the Asif team. For Asif, it was imperative to find the most respectful way to showcase these extremely personal and often painful memories and convey the true essence of their loved one through their food.

One of the most powerful stories Chico recalls is that of David Kachko Katzir, known as Doov, told by his wife Ayelet. The tale is not just of the cream pu s that he so dearly loved but of the beautiful love between man and wife.

Whilst making them for the camera, she laughs and cries, recalling memories of eating them together and him telling her how much he loves her. She tells the camera that he was restricted to eating only four but he would sneak another few whilst she wasn’t looking. It is these personal details

that truly bring the recipe to life, and we get to know who David was.

Another story is of Shani Gabay, who was murdered at the Nova Festival on 7 October. Her mother had made her favourite dish of spicy fish on the Friday night before Shani went to the festival. Here, she makes it to the camera for the first time since that day.

Chico reveals that many of the families found it therapeutic to connect with relatives through the process of talking about them whilst making their favourite dish and keeping the love alive.

who are involved in making

ence. In many of the videos you can hear the tone of the conversafrom behind the camera as in front.

As powerful as it was for the families to share in this way, it was an intimate process between the families and the Asif sta who are involved in making the films to share this experience. In many of the videos you can hear the tone of the conversation and as many sni es coming from behind the camera as in front.

In addition to sharing the videos on social media, some of the beautiful recipes, such as makbouba (Tunisian cooked tomato and pepper salad) which was lovingly prepared by Etty Geta, mother of Stav Geta, who was killed as she tried to flee the Nova Festival, have also been added to the menu in the Asif cafe for everyone to enjoy. Sadly, this is an open-ended project with so many stories to tell and will take much time and resources to ensure every narrative gets told. There may be an exhibition in the future but for now all the videos and recipes can be accessed via the Asif website (asif.org/en/aplace-at-the-table) or social media.

Tal Sunderland-Cohen uncorks his favourite wines for summer, including some inexpensive picks for the savvy Londoner

A midsummer’s sip

and vibrant - perfect for the heat. Think uncle to

AMidsummerNight’sDream, the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur, creating a magical tapestry of love, mischief, and enchantment. Similarly, the right summer wine can transform an ordinary day into a memorable adventure. Whether you’re lounging in a London park, basking on a sunlit beach, or enjoying a sizzling barbecue, these wines will add a touch of Shakespearean magic to your summer gatherings. Summer wines are light, refreshing, and vibrant - perfect for the heat. Think of them as your own personal love potion, capable of making even your grumpy uncle smile at a barbecue. A few simple facts are the key to the success of these wines. Look for white, rosé wine or sparkling wines with a high acidity, which gives the wine its freshness, or reds that are free of tannins and have not been aged in oak barrels for an extended period of time.

Raise a glass, toast to the season, and let the enchantment begin.

WINES FOR PICNICS

Picture this: you’re lounging on a striped blanket, surrounded by friends, and the spirit of Shakespeare’s playful fairies is in the air. The wines for such an occasion should be portable, versatile, and delicious.

floral notes, reminiscent of a spring garden in full bloom. Dry and charming like a midsummer romance, this rosé is perfect for light salads and giggles. Order from kosherwinecellar.co.uk for £17.50

WINES FOR THE BEACH

For those days when you’re more mermaid than mortal, and the sea breeze tangles your hair like a mischievous sprite. Beach wines should be vibrant and invigorating, much like your attempts at beach volleyball.

WINES FOR BARBECUES

When the grill’s fired up and the air is filled with the scent of sizzling meat, you need wines that can hold their own. These are wines with enough character to stand up to barbecue flavours, yet refreshing enough to cool you down when the grill (or the conversation) gets too hot.

7. Waitrose Beaujolais Villages

4. Tesco Finest Vinas Del Rey Albariño

1. Dalton Family Collection

Sauvignon Blanc

From Spain’s Rías Baixas region, Albariño boasts citrus and stone fruit flavours with a saline edge, evoking the ocean’s kiss. With flavours as bright as a fairy queen’s crown, it’s an excellent match for ceviche and fish dishes. Tesco Finest has a great one for £11

This French grape is as crisp as Puck’s wit, with green apple notes that pair well with picnic staples. Known for its zesty acidity and refreshing as the morning dew in Titania’s forest, its bright character complements fresh salads, soft cheeses, and seafood. Find it at kosherwine.co.uk for just £16.99

2. Atlantique Vinho Verde

light sandwiches at price that salads,

cent, with a playful spritz akin to

A Portuguese wine that’s slightly fizzy—much like the fairies’ laughter. Often slightly e ervescent, with a playful spritz akin to Puck’s mischievous antics. Its lime and green apple flavours pair beautifully with picnic staples like charcuterie and light sandwiches at price that won’t prank your wallet –just £6.99 at Sainsbury’s

3. Carmel Private Collection Rose

A delightful expression of refined elegance and vibrant freshness. This wine greets the nose with an enticing bouquet of fresh strawberries, ripe raspberries, and delicate

has a great one for £11

5. Campo Viejo Rioja Blanco White

pairs well with grilled vegetables and everything from sausages to veggie

This varietal is bright and aromatic, with notes of green apple, lime, and herbs. It’s a versatile beach wine that pairs well with grilled vegetables and light pasta dishes, and shellfish. Sainsbury’s sells it for £7.50

6. Darom by Yatir White Darom of Yatir Winery is a series of young and accessible wines that express the terroir in the south of the Land of Israel - a magical combination between silence and simplicity and desert modesty and strength. A symbol of the great potential that lies in the wine vines in the south of the country. The wine has flavours of ripe crushed fruits, the aroma of citrus flowers, freshness and juiciness. Enjoy it with sushi or a simple baguette with butter. Crisp and mineral, like a dip in the ocean. Perfect for just sipping while contemplating life’s mysteries. Grab it online at kosherwine.co.uk for £26

Made from the Gamay grape, Beaujolais is light, fruity, and best served slightly chilled. Its cherry and raspberry flavours cut through the richness of grilled sausages, burgers, and vegetable skewers. Light, fruity, and as charming as Lysander, this wine pairs with everything from sausages to veggie skewers

Available at Waitrose for £10.99

8. Felicette, Grenache Blanc

white peach, pear, and citrus. It’s

This southern French white oXers a fuller body with notes of white peach, pear, and citrus. It’s a delightful partner to grilled chicken, fish, and even barbecued corn on the cob. With its full body and peachy notes, this wine is the Puck of your barbecue—versatile and slightly cheeky. Tesco has it for £8.50

9. Barkan Classic Argaman

balanced experience with velvety tannins

10. Yarden Mount Hermon Moscato

A unique and vibrant red wine, showcasing a deep ruby hue. It oXers a rich bouquet of dark plums, ripe cherries, and subtle hints of spice. On the palate, it delivers a smooth and balanced experience with velvety tannins and a lingering, fruit-forward finish. Buy it at kosherwine.co.uk for £14

A delightful treat, bursting with aromas of peach, apricot, and honey. Its palate is sweet yet balanced by a lively acidity, featuring lush fruit flavours and a hint of floral notes. Perfect for dessert or as a light, refreshing aperitif, this Moscato oXers a joyous and vibrant finish. Buy in Kosher Kingdom for £12.99

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MAKING SENSE OF THE SEDRA

In our thought-provoking series, rabbis and educators relate the week’s parsha to the way we live today

BY MOSHE ARIEL ABEL RABBI AND SOLICITOR, LONDON AND LIVERPOOL

In the book of Joshua, resident Canaanites assisted the incoming Israelites in taking the city of Luz: “They showed them the [secret] entrance to the city” (Judges 1: 23-26). This city was psychologically vital for the Israelites as it represented the return of the descendants of Jacob to the land of their ancestor: Luz was the place where Jacob was blessed after the vision of the ladder reaching heaven; he renamed the location Bethel, or House of God.

The prophetic reading of this week’s spy mission sent by Moses to discover the land of Canaan, is a repeat spy mission to Jericho.

Joshua sent spies to locate Rehab, who dwelt in the wall of the city. Joshua sent the men “heresh lemor”, literally: silent to report back (Joshua 2:1).

Joshua himself was the lead spy in the time of Moses, as part of a group of twelve representing the tribes of Israel. Joshua and his colleague Caleb demonstrate how espionage is interpretable, subjective to the view of the perceiver. They saw the size of fruit brought back as encouraging evidence of the country’s potential. Their other ten colleagues presented matters very di erently when delivering their report back to the Israelites. For them, Israel’s fate was sealed by Canaan’s might, and the evidence was the selfsame fruit.

Recent events in Israel raise the same concerns only on the flip side of the same coin. Hizbollah has publicised virally high resolution photographs of sensitive security installations deep inside Israel. If nothing else, this exposure, achieved by drones is precipitating

the sending of tanks to the northern border in advance of a likely invasion of south Lebanon. In adaptation of Joseph’s postulation to his brothers, the messsage back to Hizbollah is: “you are spies! You have come to see the land in its nakedness” (Genesis 42:9).

Spying is an enterprise which from the outset received mixed feelings among our ancestral rabbinic class.

Commentaries surmise that the idea of sending spies out to Canaan was not a great one, and that it was motivated by a political gesture from Moses to the leaders of Israel rather than by divine design. In an apology for the spying mission, God is seen to agree de facto to Moses’s plan, but, in reality, Moses had not a priori consulted God as he is seen to have done on other occasions. Would not a divine promise stand as satisfactory for the people?

Why did they need a reconnaissance trip? Was the “reccie” military, or was it purely a political a air of state? The outcome was, in

10

any event, a disaster for them all. Thirty-eight years of national inertia ensued, with the leaders of Israel in a hostile stalemate with their lawmaker, deliverer and saviour, Moses. It is not the spying itself that might compromise a mission; militarily it is crucial. What risks its success is the motive for which it is carried out. Security is a legitimate aim; political gaming risks a catastrophe for everyone involved.

LEAP OF FAITH

BY RABBI KATH VARDI CO-CHAIR OF THE ASSEMBLY OF REFORM RABBIS & CANTORS

Many religious communities in the past have not been welcoming places for LGBTQI+ people. Often built around heteronormative assumptions, they have been guilty of ‘blindness’ at best and discrimination at worst.

Progressive Judaism is di erent. We are founded on the values of justice and diversity – and that is the kind of religious community we strive to build together.

Our Progressive congregations are communities of all our members and all those who love them. It is through embracing and celebrating our di erences and richness that our communal thriving is born.

We recognise that Judaism is a living, changing and thriving force in the lives of our members and that our ancient tradition has much wisdom to o er a contemporary world that can sometimes feel confronting.

Ancient wisdom, however, is not the same as outmoded and narrow views of what is deemed to be ‘proper’ and what is not. And while, for many, the unique challenges faced by members of the LGBTQI+ community may feel less pressing than in previous decades, we would be wise not to fall into complacency. LGBTQI+ rights and protections are being rolled back in many parts of the world, both explicitly and in more hidden, but no less detrimental, ways.

It is for all these reasons that Progressive Judaism is proud to support Pride Month and Pride Shabbat, both of which have become significant moments in our ritual calendar.

However, let us also remember that Pride Month is just one month out of 12. Becoming truly diverse and inclusive communities means committing to building shared spaces where we each are honoured in our uniqueness, not only in June but every day of the year.

Our communities must be places where we can each see ourselves reflected. The language we use, the role models we promote, the history we chose to celebrate and teach - all of these have the potential to include and the possibility to exclude, erase and injure.

Welcoming members of the LGBTQI+ community requires us to do much more than simply extending the invitation to step in, as important as that first step most definitely is. Taking the time to understand why heteronormative and sexist assumptions in our tradition may feel alienating is not being woke.

War still rages in Ukraine.

A stimulating series where progressive rabbis consider how to navigate Judaism in the face of 21st-century issues

It is taking seriously the injury committed against members of our own communities by elements of our tradition. This is the purpose of Jewish community - to nurture, celebrate and pursue the possibility

of meaningful belonging for all. At its best, community shows us a glimpse of what the world could be, of what we could be, of what we can be, as we glimpse the possible: a world in which we are each seen.

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STEPHEN MORRIS

Qualifications:

• Managing director of Stephen Morris Shipping Ltd

• Works with clients individually to maximise success

MAKE IT HAPPEN 07779 619 597 www.makeit-happen.co.uk [email protected]

SUE CIPIN OBE

Qualifications:

• 24 years+ hands-on experience, leading JDA in significant growth and development.

• Understanding of the impact of deafness on people, including children, at all stages

• Extensive services for people affected by hearing loss/tinnitus

• Technology room with expert advice on and facilities to try out the latest equipment.

• Hearing aid advice, support and maintenance

JEWISH DEAF ASSOCIATION 020 8446 0502 www.jdeaf.org.uk [email protected]

• 45 years’ experience in shipping household and personal effects

• Chosen mover for four royal families and three UK prime ministers

• Offering proven quality specialist advice for moving anyone across the world or round the corner

STEPHEN MORRIS SHIPPING LTD 020 8832 2222 www.shipsms.co.uk [email protected]

Antique – Reproduction – Retro Furniture (any condition)

Epstein, Archie Shine, Hille, G Plan, etc.

Dining Suites, Lounges Suites, Bookcases, Desks, Cabinets, Mirrors, Lights, etc. House clearances

Single items to complete homes

MARYLEBONE ANTIQUES - 8 CHURCH STREET NW8 8ED 07866 614 744 (ANYTIME) 0207 723 7415 (SHOP)

- e-mail -

@maryleboneantiques.co.uk

YOU CONTACT US BEFORE SELLING

Dave & Eve House Clearance

Friendly Family Company established for 30 years

We clear houses, flats, sheds, garages etc. No job too big or too small! Rubbish cleared as part of a full clearance. We have a waste licence. We buy items including furniture bric a brac.

For a free quote please phone Dave on 07913405315 any time.

ADVERTISE IN THE UK’S BIGGEST JEWISH NEWSPAPER FOR LESS THAN £24 A WEEK

Email Sales today at [email protected]

ARE YOU BEREAVED?

Confidential Bereavement Counselling for adults and children individually. Support Groups available. We offer in person, online and telephone counselling. Contact Jewish Bereavement Counselling Service in confidence. 0208 951 3881 [email protected] | www.jbcs.org.uk

MENTOR

Former “Magic Circle” solicitor offers help with:

• CVs and personal statements

• interviews and assessment days

• coping with stress and workload

• promotion and new opportunities

Sheltered Accommodation

We have an open waiting list in our friendly and comfortable warden assisted sheltered housing schemes in Ealing, East Finchley and Hendon. We provide 24-hour warden support, seven days a

and

For

and

oder

For more information contact Tom [email protected] / 07590 057097 LAW MENTOR

Former “Magic Circle” solicitor offers help with:

• CVs and personal statements

• interviews and assessment days

• coping with stress and workload

• promotion and new opportunities

For more information contact Tom [email protected] / 07590 057097

THE JEWISH NEWS CROSSWORD

11 Female rabbit (3)

12 Morally proper (7)

SUDOKU

10 Expression of pain (5)

Man-made god (4)

13 Blue Shoes, Presley song (5)

14 Culinary pulveriser (6)

16 Plus (2,4)

19 Farmland units (5)

21 Make more secure (7)

23 Try to win the affection of (3)

24 Sudden thrust (5)

25 Take away (7)

26 Tending flocks (11)

2 Dog’s restraining chain (5)

3 Appendix to a will (7)

4 Wax light with a wick (6)

Evict (4,3)

Within a house (6)

SUDOKU

Fill the grid with the numbers 1 to 9 so that each row, column and 3x3 block contains the numbers 1 to 9.

Fill the grid with the numbers 1 to 9 so that each row column and 3x3 block contains the numbers 1 to 9.

1

4

9

WORDSEARCH

with brass bands can all be found in the forwards or backwards, in a horizontal, direction, but always in a straight, unbroken line.

___ roll, canoe manoeuvre (6)

Aquatic missile (7)

Brand of cooking fat (4)

Came to a close (5) 24 Distinctive (7)

25 Have a home (6) 26 Belgian ferry port (6)

Large flightless birds (4)

Watched over (7) 3 Cook from above (5) 5 Strikes with something flat (7)

5 ___ basket, wickerwork carrycot (5)

6 Bishop’s area (7)

7 Signal to take action (4-2,4)

6 Housey-housey (5) 7 Dismissal (8)

8 Bouncy, bubbly (5)

10 Of clothes, reaching the middle of the leg (4-6)

15 Squash (7)

17 With vision (7)

18 Heavy uninteresting food (6)

20 Lottery (5)

13 Kit for mob controllers (4,4)

15 Went too far with (7) 17 Make a detailed list of (7)

SUGURU

SUGURU

18 Get very hot (5)

20 Travels on horseback (5)

21 Wood-producing plants (5)

22 Practise for a feat of endurance (5)

22 Flowed from a cut (4)

Each cell in an outlined block must contain a digit: a two-cell block contains the digits 1 and 2, a three-cell block contains the digits 1, 2 and 3; and so on. The same digit must not appear in neighbouring cells, not even diagonally.

Each cell in an outlined block must contain a digit: a two-cell block contains the digits 1 and 2 a three-cell block contains the digits 1 2 and 3; and so on. The same digit must not appear in neighbouring cells not even diagonally.

CODEWORD

The listed lost or abandoned cities can all be found in the grid. Words may run either forwards or backwards in a horizontal vertical or diagonal direction but always in a straight unbroken line.

CODEWORD

In this finished crossword, every letter of the alphabet appears as a code number. All you have to do is crack the code and fill in the grid. Replacing the decoded numbers with their letters in the grid will help you to guess the identity of other letters.

In this finished crossword every letter of the alphabet appears as a code number. All you have to do is crack the code and fill in the grid. Replacing the decoded numbers with their letters in the grid will help you to guess the identity of other letters.

Sudoku Suguru