1325 - 27th July 2023

Demockracy

When former prime ministers, chiefs of staff, spy bosses, fighter pilots, reservists, tech entrepreneurs and approximately half the population forcefully oppose what you’re doing, you’d imagine it would give pause for thought.

When former heads of the IDF, Mossad, Shin Bet and the police accuse you of “promoting legislation while completely ignoring its damage to Israeli democracy”, and of “negating basic values held dear by Israeli society, tearing the nation apart, disintegrating the IDF and inflicting a fatal blow to Israel’s security”, you’d imagine it would give pause for thought.

When allies such as the UK and the United States

VOICE OF THE JEWISH NEWS

start talking about how they’re allies because of your shared values, not least in the importance of democratic norms and about how countries need “a robust system of checks and balances”, you’d imagine that, too, would give pause for thought.

Alas, there was neither pause nor thought this week, when hot-headed Israeli lawmakers belonging to the parties in the governing coalition (the opposition boycotted it) couldn’t vote fast enough to strip Israel’s Supreme Court of the power to review the reasonableness of Israeli ministers’ decisions.

Why? As Sir Mick Davis writes in Jewish News this week: “It is an attempt by extremists who have a hold

on this government to gerrymander the constitution to enable them to do extremist things.”

Did anyone order a dose of perspective? No one is saying at outright ‘no’ to any judicial and constitutional reform. On the contrary, most of the millions of protesting Israelis would be likely to agree to small and sensible changes. But these are neither sensible nor small. They are seismic and they eviscerate the country’s independent judiciary, removing the one remaining check and balance to prevent unbridled government power.

How? Because Israel is not a country with a written

Continued on page 16

Fury in the Knesset, chaos

Disbelief in the Knesset and fury on the streets greeted the approval this week of Benjamin Netanyahu’s divisive plan to reshape the country’s justice system

The new “reasonableness law”, which will bar the Supreme Court from striking down government decisions and appointments of ministers deemed “unreasonable”, passed with 64 votes for and 0 against, as the entire opposition boycotted the vote. Opposition lawmakers were chanting “shame, shame” at the government during the Knesset vote.

The law, which is part of the government’s judicial reforms, was last used by the court to overrule Prime Minister Netanyahu’s decision to appoint Shas party leader Arieh Dery as health and interior minister in January, arguing that it was “unreasonable in the extreme” due to Dery’s criminal past.

A shocking television survey carried out on Tuesday in the wake of the first found that almost 30 percent of Israelis are now considering leaving the country.

Senior Yesh Atid lawmaker, Ram BenBarak, told Jewish News that the law was passed by “extremists” and will “damage” Israel’s democracy. Justice minister Yariv

Levin hailed the passing of the law, saying the government has “taken the first step in a historic process to correct the judicial system”.

The government argues that the law is needed to restore checks and balances in a judicial system where the Supreme Court has far-reaching powers.

Speaking to Jewish News on Tuesday, Simcha Rhotman, Religious Zionism lawmaker and architect of the judicial reforms., said: ‘Every government should have the right to appoint its own legal advisers. When there is no trust between the legal adviser and the prime minister and his ministers, the legal advisor shouldn’t be staying in o ce. With or without the reasonableness standard.”

Critics of the law, which include Supreme court President Esther Hayut and Attorney General Gali Baharav Miara, argue that the removal of judicial oversight of government decisions is an attack on Israel’s democracy, which does not have a constitution.

Chaos erupted outside Knesset on Monday morning before the vote, with hundreds of demonstrators blocking the entrance to parliament.

Police used water cannon and force to remove demonstrators. Nineteen people were arrested by police.

Attempts to reach a compromise on the law failed on Monday after President Isaac Herzog

conducted marathon talks with government and opposition representatives.

Israeli media reported that defence minister

Yoav Gallant attempted to halt the vote to reach a compromise with the opposition until the last minute, but that his proportion was dismissed

‘DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED’: BOARD AND JLC REACT

The Board of Deputies and Jewish Leadership Council expressed “deep disappointment” with the outcome of the judicial reform vote.

Following the passing the “reasonableness law”, which bars the country’s highest court from striking down government decisions and appointments of ministers deemed “unreasonable,” the

Board and JLC issued a joint statement, outlining their support for President Herzog’s e orts to achieve compromise between supporters and opponents of the proposed reforms.

They stated deep disappointment that “at this stage, the e orts have failed”.

The statement came after the Knesset passed the first judicial reform on Monday,

leading to thousands of demonstrators taking to roads and highways in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in protest.

The left-leaning UK organisation Yachad said the principles on which Israel was founded “are being eroded by this extremist government” and that “Israel can no longer claim it wishes to be a democracy”.

CREDIT RATING LOWERED

Investment bank Morgan Stanley has lowered Israel’s credit rating in the aftermath of the Knesset’s first vote on judicial reforms.

The company downgraded Israel’s sovereign credit rating to a ‘dislike stance’, highlighting its concerns about

financial risks following the passing of the “reasonableness law”, which bars the country’s Supreme Court from striking down government decisions and appointments of ministers deemed “unreasonable”.

In an analyst statement, Morgan Stanley said: “We

see increased uncertainty about the economic outlook in the coming months and risks becoming skewed to our adverse scenario.

Markets are now likely to extrapolate the future policy path and we move Israel sovereign credit to a ‘dislike stance’.”

on the streets

remaining reforms on the government’s agenda to reach a “broad agreement”.

Speaking to the nation on live TV, Netanyahu claimed that the “reasonableness law” will “restore a measure of balance between the authorities” in the judicial system.

“We passed the amendment to the reasonableness standard so that the elected government will be able to lead policy according to the will of the majority of the citizens of the state,” he said. “In no way is carrying out the will of the voter ‘the end of democracy’. It is the essence of democracy.”

The government, Netanyahu continued, will not give up on the “chance of reaching broad agreement – and I tell you that it is possible”.

He added: “Already in the coming days, the coalition will turn to the opposition in order to advance a dialogue between us. We are prepared to discuss everything, immediately, and do so in the round of talks during the Knesset recess and reach a comprehensive agreement on everything and we will add more time should it be needed, until the end of November. That is more than enough time to reach agreement on everything.”

Opposition parties accused Netanyahu of succumbing to “extremists” in his coalition instead of halting the new law, which will prevent the Supreme Court of Justice from striking down government decisions or appointments of ministers deemed “unreasonable”.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said following the prime minister’s speech: “Netanyahu’s statement tonight is another lie, the sole purpose of which is to reduce pressure from the Americans and put the protests to sleep.

100 UK JEWISH LEADERS NOTE ‘GRAVE DANGERS’

Senior British rabbis and communal leaders have penned an open letter to the Israeli government pledging their support to prodemocracy protesters opposing ministers’ power grab at the expense of Israel’s judiciary, writes Adam Decker.

In it, more than 100 representatives of British Jewry say they have “deep concern for the future of Israel’s democracy”, adding that they “believe it is our duty to speak out when we witness threats to the values and institutions that form the bedrock of the Jewish nation”.

It follows the Knesset’s vote on Monday to abolish the “reasonableness standard” in Israeli jurisprudence, and ahead of Tisha B’av, a mourning day in the Jewish calendar.

The signatories cite “the need to safeguard Israel’s democratic principles and maintain a system of checks and balances”, adding that the new laws “have raised grave concerns among many Israelis, and among Israel’s friends around the world, including us”.

In the letter, the leaders say: “Our history has taught us the dangers of tyranny, oppression, and the erosion of democratic norms. As Jews, we carry the collective memory of countless struggles for freedom and justice.

“We have seen the devastating consequences of societies divided and polarised, where voices are silenced and dissent is stifled. We must not allow this to happen to our beloved Israel.”

Signatories include the most senior rabbis

from Reform, Masorti and Liberal synagogues around the UK as well as the heads of several big Jewish youth movements, the Union of Jewish Students, parliamentary pro-Israel groups such as Labour Friends of Israel, big UK-Israel organisations such as UJIA.

Former heads of the Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies have signed the letter, as have the heads of pro-Israel NGOs such as the New Israel Fund and Yachad, along with several Labour Party representatives.

Initiated by Defend Israeli Democracy UK, the letter echoes a similar initiative in the United States and appeared to reflect the growing unease of British rabbis with the direction of Israeli politics.

“These reforms are being carried out in the name of religious Zionism, and this corruption of our values is why you’re seeing such a strong response from clergy,” said Rabbi Deborah Blausten, a signatory from Finchley Reform Synagogue. “We all have a duty to use whatever channels we can to prevent a situation in which Judaism is made synonymous with the degradation of democratic principles.”

Sharon Shochat, a leader from Defend Israeli Democracy UK, said: “We are encouraged and gratified by the support of the Jewish community. There may be difficult times ahead, and we need the support of the entire community to win this crucial fight for Israel’s soul, and possibly its very existence.”

by justice minister Yariv Levin and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

On Monday night, Netanyahu called on opposition parties to begin negotiations on the

“The government of extremists and messianists cannot tear apart our democracy at noon, and in the evening send Netanyahu to say that he is proposing dialogue.”

 History’s painful parallels, page 20

Sunak: ‘Democracy underpins our values’

Rishi Sunak has echoed America’s President Joe Biden in reminding Israel of the importance of democracy for continued diplomatic relations.

In a statement issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, a spokesperson for the prime minister said the UK’s “strong relationship with Israel has always been underpinned by our shared democratic values”.

It continued: “While Israel’s exact constitutional arrangements are a matter for Israelis, we urge the Israeli government to build consensus and avoid division, ensuring that a robust system of checks and balances and the independence of Israel’s judiciary are preserved.”

A statement from White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre emphasised President Biden’s position as “a lifelong friend of Israel”, but it also made clear that it was “unfortunate” that Monday’s vote on judicial reform “took place with the slimmest possible majority”.

The White House says it understands talks are ongoing and “likely to continue over the coming weeks and months to forge a broader compromise even with the Knesset in recess”

and confirmed that the United States will “continue to support the efforts of President Herzog and other Israeli leaders as they seek to build a broader consensus through political dialogue”.

The White House confirmed that plans for a meeting between the US President and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu later this year are still scheduled to go ahead.

Ex-PM warns: Netanyahu is ‘close to nervous breakdown’

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has told Jewish News that he fears current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “close to a nervous breakdown”.

“I think he is in a deep emotional crisis, very close to a nervous breakdown. That’s what I feel about him. The way he appears on TV, you can see it in his face. And he su ered now from some heart problems which forced him to be hospitalised,” Olmert claimed on Tuesday, referring to Netanyahu’s recent hospitalisation where he had a pacemaker installed.

“Therefore, I don’t think he will be able to prevail. Sooner or later things will break down. The reactions of the international community, the Israeli reservist, the High Court of Justice all together will cause major problems (for him),” Olmert added.

Olmert, who was prime minister from 2006 to 2009, also repeated his warning that Israel is on the verge of a civil war following the passing of the judicial reform, which will prevent the High Court from striking down government decisions and appointments of ministers.

I don’t think he will be able to win. Sooner or later things will break down. The reactions of the international community, the Israeli reservist, the High Court of Justice all together will cause major problems (for him),” Olmert added.

“I’m very concerned about the atmosphere, it’s di erent from anything I can recall. The prime minister, with his group of thugs, have created a feeling of hostility between them and those who aren’t supporting them, which is rare in Israel’s history,” he said.

Olmert isn’t the only one who is concerned about the outbreak of a civil war and the rise in violence on the streets of Israel seen in recent months.

Demonstrators have been attacked by civilians who used their cars to drive into groups of people while others have been pepper sprayed.

Police violence against demonstrators has also risen, in particular in the past couple of weeks, with water cannons being sprayed directly at people protesting peacefully and

video documented incident of police using excessive force against demonstrators.

“The police was a lot more aggressive yesterday than ever before. My son, who was at one of the demonstrations, was attacked by a police o cers who hit his hip with a baton,” He didn’t do anything, he was just standing there,” Olmert said. “His doctor told him that the guy who hit him had one thing in mind: how he can stop you from walking. It was a brutal and unnessecary attack. And there were many such event, which were disturbing,” Olmert added.

Olmert also commented on the heated debate in Israel over the more than 10,000 soldiers in the IDF reserve, including top pilots, who have announced they will stop showing up for duty after the passing of the law.

“They will ground the Israeli airforce. It’s not a joke. But that top ministers who are

calling the pilots cowards and say they should be jailed – that the prime minister doesn’t react or take measures against those minister – that’s one way of authorising attacks (on them),” Olmert said, referring to Transportation Minister Miri Regev who claimed that soldiers refusing to show up for duty should be jailed.

Netanyahu and his new minister Ben-Gvir.

The government thinks it’s “allowed to do everything” it wants and could proceed with firing the attorney general following the passing of the first judicial reform, Olmert said.

Several ministers in the government have repeatedly called for Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to be fired, accusing her of incompetence and being in bed with the demonstrators.

They want to get rid of the attorney general

and all the legal advisors to the ministries. Firing the attorney general would, however, almost certainly have been struck down by the High Court, which would have deemed it an “unreasonable” decision.

But with the passing to the “reasonableness law”, Olmert says it’s “common wisdom” in Israel that the government wants to fire Baharav-Miara. “They want to get rid of the attorney general and all the legal advisors to the ministries. They want the advisors to be personally appointed by the ministers, which means they can pick someone from the Likud Central Committee and declare that person as legal advisor without the right credentials, as is requested. There is a total lack of restraint in the exercise of authority. They are acting like drunk people, thinking they can do everything and control everything.”

One of Anglo-Jewry’s senior statesmen has chastised Jewish groups in the UK for o ering “negligible” support to pro-democracy protesters in Israel, in a dramatic now-or-never call to action, writes Adam Decker.

Sir Mick Davis, 65, a major philanthropist to Israeli causes, said the Israeli government’s attack on the country’s judiciary – and on its system of checks and balances - is “an existential threat to Israel and, therefore, to Jews everywhere and to the ties that bind us”.

Urging far more British support, he said: “It is not just an Israeli problem or responsibility. The building and upkeep of the Jewish state was

never a solely Israeli project but a joint venture and responsibility of worldwide Jewry.

“Through investment, international support and aliyah, diaspora Jews have been an active partner in Israel’s past. We must not shirk our responsibilities for Israel’s future.

Israelis are appealing to us to step up.”

Over the past two decades, Davis has chaired some of the biggest Jewish organisations and initiatives in the UK, including the Jewish Leadership Council, United Jewish Israel Appeal (UJIA), and the Holocaust Memorial Commission, so his words and warnings carry credence.

He said the Israeli government’s diminish-

ment of the judiciary is “a prelude to going after the media and freedom of speech, annexing the West Bank, burying even the slenderest hope of a two-state solution and imposing their strident interpretations of Jewish law on a pluralistic and diverse society”.

In a hard-hitting opinion piece, published in this week’s Jewish News, Davis asked “whether we are witnessing the self-inflicted destruction of the third Jewish commonwealth… when the leader of Israel empowered zealots to implode the pillars on which our Jewish and democratic state depend”.

 Sir Mick Davis, page 18

UK JEWS URGED: ‘DON’T SHIRK RESPONSIBILITY’

ULEZ backlash / MP criticised / News

Anger at Labour MP for inviting Corbyn to address student group

A Labour MP has sparked anger after inviting Jeremy Corbyn to address students at her “political summer school” event in Westminster and then proceeding to praise “the politics of hope he represents”, writes Lee Harpin.

Kate Osamor, MP for Edmonton and a former frontbencher under Corbyn, wrote she was “really pleased” to be joined by the Islington North MP at the inaugural event for Year-10 students from her constituency.

The 54-year-old MP and Socialist Campaign Group member later wrote in a social media post of Corbyn’s involvement: “Really pleased

to be joined by Jeremy Corbyn at my political summer school. Without exception the students remain inspired and excited by Jeremy and the politics of hope he represents.”

But Osamor’s decision to invite Corbyn – who had the Labour whip removed in 2020 over his response to the equalities watchdog’s report into antisemitism in the party – to the event in parliament last Tuesday has infuriated members of her local party, many of whom are Jewish.

One told Jewish News: “What is really disappointing is to see Kate Osamor, my local MP, who should know better, celebrating Jeremy Corbyn being at her political school

event. She has a blindspot when it comes to Jeremy, she has consistently supported him ...when he was leader, and continues to do so.

“We’ve got an array of minority

communities who are members of the CLP, and the Jewish members are not the only ones who feel let down by Kate.”

The Labour member added:

“I joined Labour to fight against racism, that was a big part of why I joined. Alongside Jewish members, and our allies we have fought against antisemitism in the party and we’ve been very successful.

“But there are still pockets in the party who are problematic. Kate should be helping fight back against these people, rather than pandering to someone like Corbyn who can’t bring himself to fully accept the recommendations of the EHRC.”

Andrew Gilbert, of Enfield Fabians, also confirmed he had written to Osamor demanding an apology for her decision to praise Corbyn after he took part.

TORIES TARGET ANTI-ULEZ ‘BAGEL BELT’

Conservative election chiefs believe they can capitalise on growing opposition to Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ scheme in the so-called “Bagel Belt” seats of north London, after they narrowly held Uxbridge and South Ruislip in last week’s vote.

In a surprise result, Tory candidate Steve Tuckwell held the west London seat with a majority of 495 over Labour candidate Danny Beales, and immediately credited the controversial anti-pollution scheme for his success.

Among those campaigning for Tuckwell was Chipping Barnet MP Theresa Villiers, who was repeatedly pictured holding “Say No To Ulez” placards and has regularly condemned Khan in the Commons over the scheme.

A large team of Jewish Labour Movement activists joined some 800 Labour campaigners in Uxbridge backing Beales, a Camden councillor and staunch supporter of the community in the battle over antisemitism in the party.

The vote saw a 6.7 percent swing from Conservative to Labour when Keir Starmer’s party needed a 7.6-point swing. The failure is likely to spark a bitter ULEZ showdown between the Labour leader’s office and Khan’s.

of living. I do everything that suits me, with an air of new backgrounds – the communal spaces are often bustling with people always wi ll ing to have a chat and a cup of tea.”

yaw wen a gnicneirepxe I sraey emit tsr fi eht roF“

Deputy who quit over migration bill recently expressed support

An elected member of the Board of Deputies, who resigned from the organisation citing president Marie van der Zyl publicly voicing concerns over the government’s illegal immigration bill, wrote a glowing letter of approval expressing his “unwavering support” for her position on the same issue just four months ago, writes Lee Harpin.

Khaled Hassan, the former deputy for Darlington Reform Hebrew Congregation, told last week’s Jewish Chronicle he resigned from the Board after accusing Van der Zyl of “political grandstanding” by expressing opposition to government legislation, which he claimed had led to a breakdown of relations between the communal organisation and the home o ce.

But Jewish News can reveal Hussan, an Egyptian-born former YouTube moderator, wrote a letter to the Board and its president on 10 March this year backing her stance on the bill, and condemning those, such as the Conservative peer Lord Polak who he said were leading a

“shocking” attempt to “silence” the communal body from voicing criticism of home secretary Suella Braverman’s illegal migration bill.

In his letter, Hassan wrote: “I am writing to express my unwavering support for the decision to issue a statement condemning the government’s illegal immigration bill.

“Many members of our community, and friends of mine, fled persecution in the Arab world and sought refuge in the UK. Many arrived here

with nothing more than a suitcase.

Jewish News can reveal that Hussan wrote a letter to the Board on 10 March backing its stance on the bill and condemning those, such as the Conservative peer Lord Polak who he said were leading a “shocking” attempt to “silence” the communal body from voicing criticism of Suella Braverman’s illegal migration bill. “Alas they would have fallen under the government’s misleading definition of what con-

stitutes ‘illegal migration’”.

Hassan’s letter noted that there were “similar protests” against the arrival of Jews to this country last century and therefore: ”We are thus a community that knows very well what it means to have to leave your home only to find all doors shut.”

He also criticised Lord Polak after he penned a piece in the Jewish Chronicle attacking the Board for issuing a statement in March expresssing concerns about the migration bill. Hassan, an elected deputy since 2022, wrote in his letter earlier this year to the Board: “If Lord Polak thinks we’re left-leaning, for not supporting a far-right policy, so be it.”

Yet speaking to the Jewish Chronicle, Hassan appeared to have totally changed his position, claiming the Board had no authority to take positions on issues that were considered to be divisive. He claimed that by raising “concerns” about the legality of Braverman’s bill, the Board’s relationship with the government was now “completely broken.”

This claim ignored the fact that the Board has continued to engage in meetings with senior government o cials since it issued its statement raising concerns that the bill breached both the Refugee Convention and the Human Rights Act, a position supported by numerous legal experts. Meetings with Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and another with the chairman of the Conservative Party Greg Hands are a matter of public record, along with a meeting with the faiths minister.

Hassan told Jewish News: “I was proud of my support for the Board’s statement on the government’s immigration scheme, as shown in the email dated 10 March, 2023. Nevertheless, having spoken to many members of our community, I realised the statement should have been discussed with the deputies and only issued if it secures the backing of a majority.

“Instead, deputies continue to learn about major Board announcements and developments from the press.”

Special Report / Greece wildfires

‘We saw very high flames close by... we grabbed our passports and ran’

A Jewish teacher from Radlett has described the terror she and her boyfriend experienced as they fled the wildfires in Rhodes.

Six days into a week-long stay at the Mayia Resort hotel, outside the village of Kiotari, Jessie Weiner, a 27-year-old teacher at Kerem school and her 26-year-old boyfriend noticed ash falling from nearby fires along the coast.

They also saw helicopters returning again and again to the sea to gather water to douse the flames. “No one had been evacuated,” Weiner told Jewish News. “Friday was a very hot night but we thought nothing of it.”

They smelt smoke the next day but spent the morning by the pool, until about 1pm when “suddenly, the smoke smarted billowing out of the front of the hotel, in the nearby fields and land”. The hotel did not advise guests to evacuate. Weiner says: “The message we received was: ‘If a guest asks about it they could tell us about it,’ but otherwise no one knew anything.”

It was on returning to their room, at the front of hotel, that they saw the fire.

“Just a lot, a lot of smoke and very high flames which hadn’t yet entered the area of the hotel but wasn’t far away,” recalls Weiner. “My boyfriend said, ‘Let’s empty the safe and go.’ He grabbed our passports, our phone charger, battery packs, a beach bag and we left. Then we suddenly got an

alert on our phone from the Greek government: ‘Fire nearby, you need to evacuate.’”

The couple raced out of the hotel, where other guests were already running. “Some managed to get a suitcase, some had absolutely nothing, not even a passport. The staff were taking off their name tags, because they didn’t have a procedure in place, and were telling guests to go to the beach at the back of the hotel.”

Alongside families with young children, one father was carrying a baby in a nappy, with towels over their faces. The couple, in swimwear and flipflops, walked in 38C heat for two hours, across five or six miles, to flee the flames, applying suncream as often as they could.

“I didn’t want to be trapped on the beach, so we just walked on the roadside,” recalls Weiner. “You could see the fire following us.”

Alongside hundreds of others, they reached another hotel that appeared “far away enough from smoky danger”, and “didn’t look like it would come near to us”.

With no rooms available, the hotel, affiliated to holiday company TUI, set everyone up in the dining room, providing sandwiches. A convoy of army trucks drew up four hours later. They were moved to a second hotel, 40 minutes away whilst Weiner took photos because she realised “no one is going to realise how crazy this journey has been”. Thousands turned up, some with possessions, while “others had absolutely nothing”.

Exhausted and resting by the pool, they once

again saw the fire. “We’d just escaped it, and it was there again,” says Weiner. It was “very, very scary to see.”

Eventually, at 2am, they managed to get a coach to the airport, which they reached two hours later. Once there, they found people sleeping on the floors.

Weiner and her boyfriend waited at the airport for about 15 hours before boarding a plane. “Everyone was just so thankful to be on the flight. I was crying when we touched down in the UK. We are so lucky to be home, I can’t tell you.”

Israel sends aircraft to douse the fires

Israel is among the countries sending teams to help put out the fires raging across Greece, with planes dropping water in coordination with Greek authorities.

“The Israeli team successfully completed the mission, and the operational and professional cooperation enabled us to meet tight schedules,” said Supt Chaim Bar-Gil, of the Israel Police Air Division, who served as the mission commander.

“Our primary focus was to suppress the fires, preventing further outbreaks, and despite challenging weather conditions, we achieved our goal.” The fires in Greece

affected dozens of Britons whose holidays were disrupted.

They described turmoil as the fire continued to rage in its sixth day, with power cuts causing “chaos”.

In previous days the wildfire had been confined to the island’s mountainous centre, but aided by winds, high temperatures and dry conditions, it spread at the weekend towards the island’s centraleastern coast.

Local media reported the fires had reached three hotels, which had already been evacuated, while three coast guard

vessels, plus one from the army, were evacuating people from two beaches. Fire Service spokesman Yannis Artopios said more wildfires could break out as temperatures were set to reach 45C.

Thomas Cook said 40 of its customers were at hotels in Lardos and Kiotari – the areas most affected by the fire.

Foreign secretary James Cleverly tweeted: “The safety of British nationals is our top priority. I encourage those in Rhodes, and those with family and friends there, to continue checking FCDO travel advice for updates.”

CHAI GAVE US OUR MUMMY BACK

“When I was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, I just didn’t know what to do. I had my surgery in Israel as both mine and my husband’s families live there. Then I had a big decision to make - where would I have my treatment? How could I uproot my husband and girls? But equally, how would I get through my chemotherapy here without our families’ support? Then my oncologist told me about Chai. They have been amazing – I truly believe there is nothing like it in the world.

Being able to rely on Chai’s all-encompassing support gave me the confi dence to come home to my husband and girls.

Thanks to Chai, we’re together as a family again”

All fired up, ‘Apprentice’-style!

Israel has hosted an Apprentice-style employability challenge set by mentoring charity ORT UK, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

An immersive hybrid initiative in media partnership with Jewish News, the ORT UK Employability Skills Israel Programme was held at World ORT Kadima Mada’s Kfar Silver Youth Village with 21 students from the UK, USA, Brazil, Ukraine and Israel.

The challenge was to create a solution to boost mental health support further for the thousands of teenage MDA volunteers in Israel. Working in teams, participants learned the art of design thinking, market research and pitching.

The young entrepreneurs faced industry experts in the collaborative challenge and presented their ideas to a panel of judges including Jewish News’ Justin Cohen and MDA UK chief executive Daniel Burger.

The judges reported they were so impressed that they awarded each group a specific win in di erent categories before finally selecting four wellbeing programmes:

to create fully-equipped relaxation rooms; upgraded apps to support the wellbeing of volunteers and their families with di erent options; therapeutic support accessed via art animals and music, and a mentoring programme with former volunteers.

ORT UK chief executive Dan Rickman said:

“The students embraced every opportunity to learn to work collaboratively in their teams, network and build connections and present innovative practical solutions for MDA, which will start being implemented immediately.

Rickman confessed he was “overwhelmed and incredibly proud” of the students’ “com-

mitment, passion and teamwork demonstrated in their final presentations”. Thanking the Wohl Foundation for supporting a series of pilot employability projects and for the role of World ORT and Kadima Mada, he added: “ORT UK strives to make an impact through education and no doubt these young people not only had an experience they will never forget, they also gained skills and insight that will serve them into their careers.”

MDA UK’s Daniel Burger said: “I was delighted by the high calibre of presentations delivered by the students. Mental health and wellbeing are especially important in a medical emergency service where the youth have no idea what type of situation they might encounter.”

Justin Cohen added: “ORT deserves huge praise for developing this innovative, fun and hands-on way for young Jews from Britain and elsewhere to engage with Israel and the heroes of MDA. It was a great honour for Jewish News to be media partners on this and a wider programme of initiatives.”

HERTSMERE’S WHERE JEWISH HEARTS ARE JOINED

Almost 300,000 households across England and Wales have people of di erent religions living alongside each other, according to analysis of census data published for the first time.

The figures are hailed as reflecting the “rich complexity of religious life” in the two nations

RIGBY STREET

BROUGHTON PARK, SALFORD, M7 4BQ

and showing that “increasingly, households and families are also arenas for religious diversity”.

The latest census, in March 2021, was also the first of its kind to report the religious a liation within the 17.3m multi-person households in England and Wales – of which 285,000

(1.6 percent) had at least two di erent faiths. For single-faith households, the census found 88,600 were Jewish (0.4 percent).

Hertsmere in Hertfordshire was the local authority area that was recorded with the highest proportion of households that were

Jewish-only (15.7 percent). Daniella Myers, the director of Hertfordshire Jewish Forum, said: “The community is proud to be the highest proportion of Jewish-only houses in the country and works hard to give back to the area in every way it can.”

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IT ENDED WITH A JOB AT THE BBC

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IT STARTED WITH A CALL TO RESOURCE

Shul disinvites ‘rejecter’ rabbi

An Israeli synagogue withdrew an invitation to a British-born rabbi to speak to the congregation after learning he had been named as a “mesarev” or “rejecter” for refusing to comply with a ruling by the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations, writes Jenni Frazer.

Rabbi Saul Djanogly is locked in a six-figure financial dispute with his father, David, and his brother, Avi. The matter is due to be heard in the High Court.

The rabbi, a well-known figure in adult Jewish education, has a long parallel career in wealth management and financial investment.

Details of the dispute have been heard by two sets of Jewish religious judges. First by the head of the Federation of Synagogues Beth Din, Dayan Yisroel Yaakov Lichtenstein, and later by the Beth Din of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations (UOHC) in Golders Green. Both ruled against Rabbi Djanogly.

Dayan Lichtenstein consid-

ered submissions from the two parties for three years before making his ruling.

However, Rabbi Djanogly did not accept the judgment and the disputants took the matter to the UOHC for this second hearing.

When Dayan Dunner, Dayan Cohn and Dayan Eisner of the UOHC also ruled against him, Rabbi Djanogly again did not accept their ruling. In return, the UOHC rabbinate “regrettably” found him to be a “mesarev l’beis din”.

Those given the label

mesarev are refused honours, such as an aliyah, in congregations aware of the ruling. It is a ruling more often applied to men who refuse their spouses a get [Jewish religious divorce].

Last month Rabbi Djanogly, who moved to Ra’anana with his wife Anne in 2019, was invited to give a Shabbat preshacharit shiur (sermon before the morning service) at Eretz Hemdah, a synagogue which is part of an institute for training rabbis, and which has a large following in the religious Zionist community.

In publicity announcing his invitation, congregants learned that “Rabbi Djanogly’s passion is adult Jewish education” and that he is much in demand as a speaker on this subject internationally”.

But on 8 June the synagogue’s executive decided to “disinvite” him in what it said was a unanimous response.

One member of the executive said withdrawing the invitation was “the correct decision in the circumstances”.

NEW REVIEW INTO ALDERNEY DEATHS

Holocaust experts are to review deaths during World War Two in the Nazi-occupied Channel Islands, the only part of the British Isles to be occupied, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

Backed by the British government, the academics from Canada, Germany, France and the UK will conduct fresh research into Jewish prisoners held at four camps around the tiny island and British crown dependency of Alderney.

Their inquiry will also cover the post-war Pantche report, written by a British army o cer and believed to contain details of mass killings and burials on the island.

As reported by Jewish News in 2021, accepted histories of Alderney hold there were some 6,000 Jewish and Russian slave labourers taken there to build massive fortifications. Most were Russian, Polish, and Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians.

There were also French Jews and German and Spanish political prisoners, held in at least two camps at Lager Sylt and Lager Norderney.

Lord Eric Pickles, the Conservative peer who heads the UK delegation of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, has long campaigned for an investigation.

In remarks reported by ITV, he said: “It will be an academic peer review of the numbers of prisoners murdered by the Nazis by brutality, neglect, work or judicial process. No human remains will be disturbed.

“We want to make this as transparent as possible ... we’ll open the books and anybody, a distinguished historian or an amateur historian, or somebody who has been collecting facts about Alderney who wants to put in a theory backed up with evidence, we’ll listen to you.”

Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge told The Guardian: “It is time for the British government and Alderney authorities to finally face up to the horror of what happened on British soil. There can be no more lies and no more cover-up.”

News / Winton film / Limmud Festival / Artwork hunter

First look at Hopkins as beloved Sir Nicky REGISTRATION OPENS FOR THIS YEAR’S

The first images from the highly-anticipated feature film of the life of Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas ‘Nicky’ Winton have been released, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

British actors Anthony Hopkins and Johnny Flynn play the older and younger versions of the man known as the ‘British Schindler’.

Winton was a young investment banker when, over Christmas 1938, he went to see what help he could offer in Prague, rather than go skiing as planned. Over the next nine months, he organised the evacuation of 669 children, most of whom were Jewish, to escape the Nazis in an operation later known as the Kindertransport.

He found homes for the children and arranged for their safe passage to Britain, but never spoke about his wartime exploits until they were revealed in 1988 by television presenter Esther Rantzen in a

now-famous episode of BBC’s That’s Life

The film, One Life, features the moment Rantzen asks if anyone in the audience is among the children Winton helped bring to the UK, and for them to identify themselves. The entire audience stood up.

Helena Bonham-Carter plays Winton’s mother, Babi. The cast also includes Jonathan Pryce, Lena Olin, Romola Garai and Alex Sharp.

The film will have its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this September.

It is based on the book, If

It’s Not Impossible…The Life of Sir Nicholas Winton, written by his daughter Barbara. Winton died at the age of 106, after which Jewish News ran a successful campaign for him to be remembered with a Royal Mail stamp.

More than 106,000 people signed the paper’s petition.

Registration for Judaism’s largest crosscommunal celebration of Jewish life, learning and culture is officially open.

This year’s Limmud Festival returns to Birmingham and runs from 22 to 27

December.

It will be the first carbon-neutral Limmud event, as promised by incoming chair Hannah Gaventa, appointed in May. The residential event features renowned speakers, educators, artists and thought-leaders and last year welcomed 1,500 participants. The full programme is expected in November.

Looted art hunter dies

Richard Barancik, the last surviving member of the Allied military corps that hunted down and recovered countless artworks stolen by the Nazis, has died, aged 98.

As an Army private and member of the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives (MFAA)

Section, unofficially known as the Monuments Men (though it included a few women), Barancik was dispatched to Salzburg, Austria in 1945.

He is survived by two sons, three daughters, four grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren.

Tech awards / Measles outbreak

Honours await young techies and creatives

The deadline for nominations for the community’s young tech titans and creative wizards is now just four days away, following a flood of entries since the project’s launch by Jewish News

Names are being accepted until 31 July through our website for two Forty under 40 lists: Creatives40 sponsored by Dangoor Education and Tech40 sponsored by LabTech.

Nominations will also come from two expert panels – facilitated by fashion business leader Andrew Gilbert – who will select the 40-strong lists to be profiled in JN in the autumn.

Justin Cohen, co-publisher of Jewish News, said: “The calibre of our judges is testament to the contributions made by our small community in these areas and the nominations received already shows that this is set to continue for years to come.”

Nominees can be business owners, practitioners, funders or contribute in other ways across any part of the tech or creativity arenas (the online nomination form features a breakdown). Potential listees must have live in the UK and be aged under 40 on 1 October.

Two further lists, property and business services, will be launched later this year.

• Nominate at www.jewishnews.co.uk/creatives40

AJEX remembers nameless heroes

The Jewish Military Association has held a special service of Remembrance at The Jewish War Memorial at Willesden Jewish Cemetery.

The service paid tribute to the Jewish fallen of HM forces in both world wars and honoured those who have no known graves.

The commemorative event brought together more than 100 attendees to Remember 120,000 Jewish servicemen and women who valiantly served during both world wars.

Additionally, the ceremony marked the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, remembering all Holocaust victims and those persecuted by the Nazis.

The Willesden Cenotaph, the first Jewish war memorial in the country and the oldest collective war memorial for the Jewish community in the UK, stands as a poignant symbol of remembrance. The memorial is a tribute to all Jewish veterans who rest in unknown graves. The ceremony was led by AJEX national chair, Dan Fox, and Rabbi Major Reuben Livingstone. Mike Bluestone, vice president of AJEX, led the exhortation and Melvyn Hartog from the United Synagogue the kohima epitaph. Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, Robert Voss, delivered a poignant speech and was among the wreath layers.

MEASLES OUTBREAK ALERT IN HACKNEY AND HARINGEY

Up to 160,000 children are at risk from a measles outbreak in Hackney and Haringey according to a risk assessment from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

The government agency has esti-

mated between 40,000 and 160,000 cases could occur in London due to lower levels of vaccine coverage in areas like Hackney and Haringey.

Health professionals are encouraging families to check that they and

their children have had two doses of the measles mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and that anyone who hasn’t already had two doses of the free MMR vaccine contacts their GP surgery for an appointment to get

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vaccinated. Unvaccinated contact of measles cases may be required to stay off school for up to 21 days.

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American educators add Sacks’ teachings to their curriculum

Educators from Jewish day schools across north America have met to develop a curriculum based on the thoughts and values of the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks.

Teachers from California, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Wisconsin, Toronto, Montreal, Tennessee, Ohio, and Mexico City convened for the Rabbi Sacks Legacy’s Torah V’Chochmah programme this month.

Organisers said the curriculum was designed to

“incorporate the teachings of Rabbi Sacks into their classrooms to help inspire the next generation of stu-

dents to lead meaningfully Jewish lives”. Sacks, a former Chief Rabbi who died in

November 2020, was a prolific author and educator with an ability to distil and communicate

COURT RULES AGAINST RABBI IN SEX CASE

complex biblical text and Jewish philosophical concepts to a wide variety of audiences.

Joanna Benarroch, head of The Rabbi Sacks Legacy, said: “By infusing the Jewish day school curriculum with his wisdom, his legacy will continue to inspire students of today, and future generations, broadening their understanding of Jewish values and their application to everyday life.”

A royal invitation to Morocco for Bibi

Morocco’s king Mohammed VI has invited Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Morocco days after Israel recognised the country’s claim to the disputed Western Sahara.

“The invitation was sent in a warm, personal letter in which

His Majesty thanked the State of Israel for its recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara,” Netanyahu’s o ce said, adding the visit would “open up new possibilities for strengthening relations between their two countries”.

Israel and Morocco normalised ties in 2020 under the Abraham Accords between Israel and a few of its Arab neighbouring countries. Senior Israeli o cials have visited the country, but this will be a first for an Israeli prime minister.

A Jewish religious court has ruled a rabbi accused of manipulating women into sexual contact should not hold positions of religious authority in the Jewish world.

The decision follows testimony from at least 15 women who accused Reuven Yaacobov of Berlin of using his rabbinical status to force them to comply with his sexual demands over more than a decade. Yaacobov also testified before the court (beit din) after it delayed its process for him.

“Reuven Yaacobov is not fit to hold a rabbinical position,” the beit din said in a letter to the plainti s, who were authorised to share the letter publicly.

“Accordingly, he should not serve in any religious, rabbinical, or educational positions such as a rabbi, shochet (ritual slaughterer), mohel (circumciser), sofer (scribe), and teacher,” the letter said.

Yaacobov filled all those roles in Berlin over nearly two decades. The Jewish Community of Berlin, the communal umbrella organisation, fired him on 31 May, a day after hearing testimony from several women who said Yaacobov took advantage of their naivete or emotional vulnerability to use religious arguments to lure them into sexual relations.

Stop, stop, stop... before it’s too late

Continued from page 1

constitution, and nor does it have a two-chamber parliament. This is not “reform”. It is revolution.

This newspaper has always worn its blue and white with pride. Over the past 29 weeks, we have worn it in support of those waving their flags on the street or at the airport.

We haven’t blocked roads or been sprayed by water cannon, but we have shouted. ‘Save Israeli Democracy’ sounds dramatic, but it is no understatement.

Unlike some on the left, we do not see the passing of Monday’s law as the end of Israeli democracy – Israel has been a buoyant democracy for 75 years and will be so long after this government has become a bad memory.

Unlike some on the right, we do not see the protesters as “a bunch of leftists”. The scale, scope and composition of these demonstrations are unprecedented in the country’s history – and for good reason. The danger to the state cannot be overestimated, not just because of the laws themselves but because of their impact on Israelis.

Still, we remain hopeful. In particular, we hope Mr Netanyahu remembers his priorities. Keeping this odious coalition of brutes and halfwits together is less important than overseeing the fundamental fracturing of Israeli society – and of Israel-diaspora relations. At the very least, you’d imagine it’d give pause for thought.

EU and a Palestinian state

Letter writer Fraser Michaelson seems hopelessly muddled as to who is entitled to build where in Judea and Samaria.

The 1993 Oslo Accords granted Palestinian Arabs complete autonomy in Area A, autonomy in Area B with joint Palestinian/Israeli security control and Area C where few Arabs and the majority of Israeli “settlers” live, under complete Israeli jurisdiction.

The Palestinians can build anywhere in Areas A and B (Israelis only in Area C), yet the reality is that they are not building in A and B, but are instead engaging in massive illegal construction and appropriation of land in Area C.

Ongoing for years, with the active encouragement and financial support of the EU to the tune of half a billion euros annually, the obvious aim is to create a de facto Palestinian state in all the West Bank, violating not only Oslo but also the binding San Remo and Mandate for Palestine treaties.

Mr Michaelson need not worry about “Palestinians’ rights” to live there as free citizens, but rather spare a thought for the Jewish citizens living there with the ever-present danger of terror attacks from Arab areas, incentivised and financed by the PA, with eager western backing.

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Shabbat comes in Friday night 8.41pm Shabbat goes out Saturday night 9.51pm Sedra: Vaetchanan

Anti-Netanyahu protests in this country, led in the most part by the expat community, could unwittingly unleash great harm to the Jewish state as a whole. Israel is deemed an apartheid state by a biased media which would be delighted to bring down the Israeli government. We are feeding hatred aimed at us. Bringing this anger into this country could harm us all.

Thousands of people are protesting in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, London and elsewhere for Israel’s democracy. Removing the independent power of the judiciary will alienate the population. Israel has been continually fought for but never before among its own people. Division between the government and citizens is fodder for our enemies.

HARMING US ALL FODDER FOR OUR FOES YOU TOLD A PORKIE!

Maybe for a Jewish newspaper a more suitable clue for ‘1 Down’ in last week’s crossword could have been ‘Type of hat’ rather than ‘Popular picnic food’. The answer: Pork pie.

Support your Jewish community. Support your Jewish News

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Today we’re asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do. For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.

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BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT

I’m a bereavement counsellor and feel that there’s a Jewish community need which does not seem to be met.

There isn’t an organisation that specifically facilitates individuals who’ve lost a wife/husband/partner and are seeking to meet people either for companionship and/or to enter into a relationship with. Perhaps there could be one for an older age group (say, 65 plus), who’ve generally had their families and live alone now. However, these people are still young enough to want to live life to the max.

There may well be social media sites and apps for them to communicate with people on, but some in this age group are not tech savvy. Telephone contact and face-to-face engagement would be more suitable here.

Possibly one or more shuls could help to set one up in a particular area – south Hertfordshire, north-west London etc. H Smith, By email

I WAS PROUD AS PUNCH

I was sad to hear of the death of Jules Konopinski, one of our greatest antifascist fighters.

I too was a member of the 43 Group and several times spoke to crowds from the back of a truck at the corner of Church Street and Kensington High Street. I was also

present when the 43 Group disrupted Jeffrey Hamm of Mosley’s Union Movement, who held a meeting opposite the London Hospital in Whitechapel. He was hit with a half-brick to the side of his head and had to be admitted with serious injury.

THE JACOB FOUNDATION

Jewish News is owned by The Jacob Foundation, a registered UK charity promoting cohesion and common ground across the UK Jewish community and between British Jews and wider society. Jewish News promotes these aims by delivering dependable and balanced news reporting and analysis and celebrating the achievements of its vibrant and varied readership. Through the Jacob Foundation, Jewish News acts as a reliable and independent advocate for British Jews and a crucial communication vehicle for other communal charities.

Barnet Council looks over plans for a proposed eruv in Golders Green...

Marble Arch M&S saved from an act of self-harm

The beating heart of London’s Jewish community may be moving ever further north to the pastoral idyllic of Hertfordshire, but its soul remains firmly rooted in the West End.

It is the home to two great cathedral shuls. There is Western Marble with its magnificent stained glass windows and vibrant morning minyan. And, just a few hundred yards away the West London Synagogue, the oldest Reform congregation in the UK, with its splendid 19th-century rococo interior.

There is much more than buildings and lively communities. Edgware Road nearby is now populated by Middle-Eastern cafes and restaurants. But not far away from the Marble Arch, remnants of the commercial Jewish West End and Mayfair stand proud. Among them The Arch, the insiders’ name for the flagship Marks & Spencer store on Oxford Street.

On Mount Street in Mayfair sits Scott’s

restaurant with a heritage traced back to 1840. These it is now a hang-out for celebrities. It was outside Scott’s in 2014 that Charles Saatchi and Nigella Lawson had an infamous spat which made it to the tabloids.

Scott’s, famous for its fish and Dover sole in particular, was in the post-war years was the favourite meeting place of the property magnates who rebuilt post-war London.

My father-in-law, the late Saul L Magrill, worked nearby before and after RAF service at commercial agents Dudley Samuel. He recalled, on one occasion, being asked by his senior partner to sack Harry Hyams, who went on to develop Centrepoint.

As a young financial journalist I remember joining one of the powers behind British Land (BL) the late Cyril Metliss for luncheon. The atmosphere crackled with deal-making. It was in and around Mayfair that bombsites of 1950s and 1960s London were turned into today’s real estate gems by men such as British Land developer Sir John Riblat, Harold Samuel, the founder of Land Securities, and property magnate Sir Charles Clore.

Less elegant than Scott’s was the Lyon’s Corner House at Marble Arch, no longer

there, but a favourite of my parents for its chocolate meringues. My grandmother Rachel Lyons was able to claim a family connection to the name over the door.

When Rabbi Daniel Epstein and his wife Ilana moved to Western Marble Arch from north London, among the first pictures they posted was of a visit to Selfridges just down the road. They sampled some of the chocolates on display: kosher of course. At one stage Selfridges was the jewel in the crown of Clore’s shoe and property empire.

Selfridges sits adjacent to that other great monument to Jewish enterprise, the historic Marble Arch store of Marks & Spencer –fabled throughout the world.

It is the automatic starting place for shoppers from the USA and Israel.

It has a special place of a ection in the Anglo-Jewish community. The first shares likely to be brought by any family were in M&S. The firm has the largest number of private shareholders on its register of any non-privatised UK company.

What happens at M&S is of enormous interest. Of importance around the Friday night table are its Israeli produce, changes

in the lingerie department, quality of the chopped herring as well as the recovering share price.

The current management of Archie Norman and Stuart Machin have been campaigning to demolish the Marble Arch store and put up a modern, sustainable glass and steel edifice in its place. Fortunately, that friend of the Jewish community, Michael Gove, has come to rescue and says it must be saved. Machin has issued a veiled threat to close the store altogether.

As a landmark on Oxford Street, adjacent to the luxury venue of Selfridges, that would be an act of self-harm. The carbon footprint of demolition and rebuilding would in the end be greater than the alternative of a full refurbishment. In 2004, M&S regiments of private shareholders stood up and revolted against a takeover by Topshop retailer Sir Philip Green, fearing the character of the group might be forever altered.

Once again these private investors need to be heard. The Marble Arch M&S is part of the fabric of the Jewish contribution to the West End. It is too important to be sacrificed on the altar of modernity.

Israelis need us. Will we be there for them?

How tragic that in the week of Tisha B’Av, a reckless Israeli government has us asking whether we are witnessing the self-inflicted destruction of the third Jewish commonwealth. Will future generations of Jews add 2023 to the list of catastrophes that have befallen us this month, when the leader of Israel empowered zealots to implode the pillars on which our Jewish and democratic state depend?

I hope not. But we all have a responsibility to ensure the 9th of Av remains a reminder of the consequences of division, hatred and zealotry in ancient Israel rather than a contemporary replay.

If we, around the Jewish world, are to help Israelis struggling to protect their state from aLack from within, we need to renew our commitment to the State of Israel and repurpose the Zionist dream.

We have a state because Zionists of a previous generation were inspired, in the words of President Isaac Herzog, by an ancient dream. To keep it we must commit ourselves to healing its fractured society.

The 75 years of modern statehood have been a golden age of Jewish liberation, selfgovernance and ingenuity but is being put at risk by a reckless, hubristic government. This Tisha B’Av we need to reflect on the potential of the Jewish people to destroy what we hold dear. But it is not enough to reflect. We need to act.

And we need to be clear what is happening. This is not a constitutional debate. The judicial overhaul is not, as its leaders, spokespeople and apologists suggest, a minor procedural rebalancing of power between branches of government.

Rather it is an attempt by extremists who have a hold on this government to gerrymander the constitution to enable them to do extremist things. That couldn’t be achieved in a settled, if imperfect, constitutional environment so they need to play fast and loose with democratic checks and balances.

There is a discussion to be had on responsible judicial and constitutional reform, but this isn’t it.

Instead, a prime minister whose priorities do not seem to include the welfare and cohesion of the country he leads, has unleashed ultra-nationalist and theocratic forces who don’t want to “rebalance” the power of the judiciary but crush it.

Bringing the judiciary to heel would be a prelude to going after the media and freedom of speech, annexing the West Bank, burying even the slenderest hope of a two state solution and imposing their strident interpretations of Jewish law on a pluralistic and diverse society.

That is why they now curtail the Supreme

Court’s ability to rule policies to be unreasonable: they wish to do unreasonable things. Remember, a senior government minister was sanguine about the sacking of the Palestinian village of Huwara as if that was a “reasonable” proposition.

Israelis understand this instinctively. You don’t get half a million protesters on the street for 29 weeks over a procedural rebalancing of constitutional powers. Former

Saturday. Despite their warnings, however, Prime Minister Netanyahu even refused to hear a security briefing on the day of the vote.

This is an existential threat to Israel and, therefore, to Jews everywhere and to the ties that bind us.

It is not just an Israeli problem or responsibility. The building and upkeep of the Jewish state was never a solely Israeli project but a joint venture and responsibility of worldwide Jewry. Through investment, international support and aliyah, Diaspora Jews have been an active partner in Israel’s past. We must not shirk our responsibilities for Israel’s future.

Israelis are appealing to us to step up. The defence of Israel’s democracy isn’t “none of our business” but integral for the future of the Jewish people, including our community. Israel is our beating heart and an autocratic, messianic Israel will break it.

heeded their call but institutional support from Anglo-Jewry has been negligible.

Now is the time for our community to realise that we have a stake in Israel’s future and in the constitution of its soul. We have agency to speak up and a responsibility to do so. That responsibility cannot simply be left in the hands of individuals but should also be carried by our institutions. This is not a time for leaders to fudge, but to lead.

The damage being done to Israel’s social fabric will take years to heal. To play our part in that process we need to acknowledge and address the unfairness, divisions and resentments that a ect so many Israelis: between the centre and periphery, between those around the high-tech table and those left behind, between religious and secular, Ashkenazim and Mizrachim and Jew and Arab.

prime ministers, IDF chiefs of sta , heads of intelligence agencies; fighter pilots, reservists, tech entrepreneurs and millions more from every walk of life know that the soul of the country is at stake.

“Prime minister, the Israeli government under your leadership is promoting legislation while completely ignoring its damage to Israeli democracy.

The legislation negates basic values held dear by Israeli society, is tearing the nation apart, disintegrating the IDF and inflicting a fatal blow to Israel’s security,” wrote former heads of the IDF, Mossad, Shin Bet and the Police in an unprecedented letter last

If we do not want this Tisha B’Av to be another harbinger of heartbreak and destruction we need to speak up – not limply and apologetically – but with clarity and conviction. We can take inspiration from Israelis, like the tens of thousands who marched from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Like the hundreds of thousands who filled the streets to protest peacefully after Monday’s vote. Like the UK based Israelis who have held several demonstrations here, most impactfully when PM Netanyahu visited London and most recently when over 1000 people marched over Tower Bridge.

They have implored British Jews to support their protests. Some individuals have

Yet no divisions can be healed by kowtowing to those who fan and exploit their flames.

Instead, a pre-requisite of a more hopeful future is a forthright, outspoken rejection of the extremist, anti-democratic tendencies that are holding the Jewish state, and with it the Jewish people, hostage to a divisive agenda.

If we do not speak up now then, if yet another disaster is added to the rollcall of Jewish trauma we mark on Tisha B’Av, we will have been complicit. In modern history, the greatest development in Jewish life is to know that Israel is there for us.

Now that Israelis are actively asking for our community’s support, will we be there for them?

THIS HAS BECOME AN EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO JEWS IN ISRAEL AND, THEREFORE, AROUND THE WORLD

Reasonableness has now passed… so what’s next?

in-between. This exchange took place in the Knesset just prior to the vote, with Gallant appealing to Levin to soften the wording of the law. “Just give me something,” he pleaded.

The annulling of the reasonability clause was a transformational moment in Israeli politics.

Despite the sustained and unprecedented mass protests – along with warnings from a plethora of former senior o cials, and last-minute e orts to reach a compromise – the government cancelled the court’s use of reasonability.

The day after reasonability law passed, Israel was served a reminder as to its interconnectivity to the world economy, when three prestigious international institutions released negative statements.

Perhaps most significantly, the markets seemed to respond to the Israeli government appearing to fall short of its commitment to only pass these reforms with a broad agreement, in a measured way and at a slower pace.

The image of the week was Defence Minister Gallant arguing with Justice Minister Levin, with Prime Minister Netanyahu sat quietly

That exchange can also be seen as a metaphor for a lack of clarity on where this government will go next.

To be clear, despite coalition discipline holding out and winning the vote 64 to zero, there is no unity among the government.

On the one hand the radicals see the reasonability law as part one, or ‘the first course’ of the set of reforms outlined by Minister Levin at the beginning of the year. For them, the next stages include: changing the composition of the judicial selection committee. Cancelling the court’s

ability to override legislation; changing the status of ministerial legal advisors (so they are beholden to the minister, not independent).

In addition, other measures could also include removing the automatic seniority of the president of the Supreme Court, lowering the retirement age of judges and splitting the role of the Attorney General.

Another question will be if and when the government wants to test the reasonability clause.

This could be tested by reappointing recidivist Shas leader Aryeh Deri (the court ruled earlier this year that his appointment was ‘extremely unreasonable’, as he was twice convicted of tax violations), or even firing the attorney general, who has blocked numerous outlandish proposals emanating from this government.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeated his commitment (including to President Biden) from now on to only

advance further reforms with a national consensus. Supporting Netanyahu, there are a handful of pragmatic Likud MKs who also recognise the damage caused to the IDF (in unity and preparedness), to the economy, and to Israel’s image abroad.

The protest movement also faces a dilemma how to maintain its momentum when at least for the next two months there will no more initiatives; can it a ord to relent and if need be return?

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How lucky we are to be Jewish and British

Last year 526 people made aliya from the UK, according to figures from the Jewish Agency. Are you thinking of moving to Israel?

It’s a question the rabbis considered: do Jews have a religious obligation to live in Israel? The Torah is clear Israel is central to Jewish life. The performance of mitzvot (commandments), has, in some cosmic way, more power when done in Israel than outside.

But since the destruction of the First Temple by the Babylonians and later the Second Temple by the Romans there have been sizeable communities outside Israel. Now we have Jewish autonomy again in the modern state of Israel, should we all move back?

The rabbis disagree. Rambam (Maimonides) does not list the obligation to live in Israel as one of the 613 mitzvot, though he rules you are obligated once living in Israel to remain there (except for a few very specific reasons).

The Ramban (Nachmanides) disagrees and says there is an obligation to move there.

The great 20th-century rabbi, Rav Moshe Feinstein, rules though one is doing no wrong by living in the diaspora, moving to Israel is an optional, rather than obligatory, mitzvah and one is rewarded for doing so.

These questions are on my mind having spent a week in Israel on the Nachum Goldmann Fellowship (NGF) with community leaders from around the globe. The fellowship might be, as one participant put it, the best-kept secret in Judaism, bringing together young leaders to connect and learn then return home invigorated and inspired to develop their communities further.

The fellowship is run by the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture, now under the wise leadership of Jonathan Arkush, former president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

The British Jewish community is not without its challenges, of course, but having heard some of the di culties facing other communities I realise how lucky we are.

Across the UK, we have hundreds of synagogues, schools, kosher restaurants and cultural institutions from which our 300,000 Jews can choose.

In Paraguay, a country of 6.7 million people, there are only 200 Jewish families. The burden of leadership falls on just a handful of families to keep the community going.

Cape Town remains a wonderful place to be Jewish, but the community has shrunk by 60 percent in the past few decades with thousands of South Africans moving to the UK, Australia and Israel.

I learned from American participants that in some shuls talking about Israel has become so polarised that many rabbis have stopped mentioning the Jewish state from the pulpit. This might sound very downbeat. But

without downplaying the real problems which exist across Jewish communities in the diaspora, NGF gave me a lot of room for hope.

If we can empower these talented young leaders to take their communities forward alongside rabbinic leaders, the diaspora has a bright future.

I know from our community development work at the United Synagogue shul leadership is not always easy, but community volunteering brings rewards no other voluntary role can.

The transformational impact on individuals and families is second to none and you can point to tangible results that have changed lives as a result of the time and e ort you have personally invested.

The story of the Jewish people has rarely been an easy one and there is surely no Jewish community today without challenges – even if it must be one of the best times in history to be Jewish. But having met such gifted, passionate and committed leaders, their Jewish communities are in the very best hands.

 More info about the fellowship can be found at www.ngfp.org

Painful parallels of lost Jewish sovereignty in Israel

RABBI JONATHAN WITTENBERG

MASORTI JUDAISM

RABBI CHARLEY BAGINSKY

LIBERAL JUDAISM

RABBI JOSH LEVY

MOVEMENT FOR REFORM JUDAISM

RABBI LEA MUHLSTEIN

ARZENU UK

We live in unprecedented times. On Monday the Knesset voted to pass the first part of the judicial overhaul, abolishing the reasonableness clause, and in doing so, significantly diminishing the power of the Supreme Court.

In the past few days tens of thousands of Israelis have marched for days, defying extreme heat and sleeping in tents, to reach Jerusalem.

In a demonstration which was the culmination of months of innumerable protests of growing strength across the country, they surrounded the Knesset defiantly to challenge the government’s proposed overhaul of Israel’s judicial system.

As rabbis, we have regularly heeded the call to speak up for Israel when the country was under grave threat from external enemies.

Today, Israel’s future is imperiled by dangers from within, which threaten to undermine the foundational values of the state as expressed in Israel’s Declaration of Independence: liberty, justice, peace and the commitment, as taught by the Hebrew Prophets, to uphold ‘the full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of race, creed, or sex’.

In the name of these very values, we feel compelled to speak for the sake of Israel’s future.

We act in solidarity with colleagues across Israel who have appealed to us, and to the leadership and communities of the Jewish diaspora, to stand with them at this critical time.

As we approach Tisha b’Av, when we mourn the destruction of the Temples and the loss of Jewish sovereignty in the land of Israel, it is di cult to escape painful parallels. Isaiah, whose words we read on the Shabbat preceding the fast, cried out repeatedly for the supremacy of justice over self-interest.

Decrying the betrayal of integrity, Jeremiah declared himself broken in the brokenness of his people. The rabbis of the Talmud, struggling to comprehend the disaster which overtook their people, found the courage to suggest that it was baseless hatred which led to the destruction of the Second Temple.

It was to this that opposition MK Orit Farkash HaCohen referred when she said in the Knesset: “We will destroy the third home [the modern state of Israel] because of internal hatred.”

While the battle over this component of the government’s planned judicial overhaul may seem lost, the struggle for Israel’s core values is not, and must not, be over.

In the coming months, further pieces of legislation will be put forward that represent equally grave challenges to Israel’s democratic character.

Our Israeli partners need our solidarity and support. They have called on us in the name of Judaism’s central values to stand by their side in the struggle for Israel’s soul.

The unprecedented crisis in which Israel, and with it the whole of the Jewish world, now finds itself, calls for an unprecedented response. It has been heartening to see scores of Jewish community leaders

in the UK publicly express their concerns, including in a letter to the Israeli government.

In London, New York and cities across the world, Jews have taken to the streets, wrapped in or holding the Israeli flag in vocal demonstrations of solidarity with the country and its foundational principles.

As in Israel, organisations across the spectrum – from Defend Israeli Democracy UK, responsible for the rallies in this country to rabbis of di erent denominations – have taken to the streets. Israel is far too important to us as Jews for us to withdraw from fighting for its values with all our hearts and souls.

Though it is the bleakest fast of the Jewish year, Tisha b’Av ends not in despair but in hope. We herald the rebuilding of a new Jerusalem, the capital city of a country based on justice, human dignity, equality and freedom, and filled with life and joy.

This is the outcome for which we protest and for which we pray, and we invite and encourage all those who care about Israel’s future to join us in doing so.

 To follow Defend Israeli Democracy on Twitter go to: twitter.com/defendisraeluk

WITH TALENTED YOUNG LEADERS, THE DIASPORA HAS A BRIGHT FUTURE

1 HAIR-RAISING ENDEAVOUR FOR CANCER CHARITY

Cheered on by family and friends, 30 girls cut their hair and raised funds to help make free wigs for children with cancer at the 2023 Zichron Menachem Summercut at Hasmonean Boys’ School. The charity supports Israeli children suffering from cancer and their families in Israel. In the last year Zichron Menachem has also helped 18 children and young adults in the UK with custom-made wigs. Pictured: Eden Bracha Ahiel, Lielle Sassoon and Freya and Raphael Drage.

2 CHARITY GOLF DAY RAISES £30K FOR DISABLED CHILDREN

The inaugural Golf Day for the Malki Foundation UK at Hartsbourne Country Club raised £10,000 for essential therapies for severely disabled children in Israel. The charity was established to preserve the memory of Malki Roth, murdered in a Jerusalem terrorist bombing in August 2001. Winners (from left) are Derek Murray, Julian Goldie, Geoff Hartnell, chair of trustees Malki Foundation UK, Cedric Solomons and Jeff Rubenstein.

3 HISTORIC SHABBATON FOR 130 STUDENTS

Aish UK made history in hosting more than 130 Jewish students at the first Interrailing Shabbaton in the heart of Budapest. Set in the magnificent Kazinczy Street synagogue, one of Europe’s largest, the event brought together post-Year 13 students who were interrailing through Europe. The following day, a group of 40 joined Aish UK on a tour of Budapest’s key Jewish sites, culminating in a memorable Havdalah ceremony at the Danube River near a Holocaust memorial honouring the memory of those lost during the dark period of Hungarian fascism.

4 HOLOCAUST REFUGEE, 99, LAUNCHES FIRST BOOK

AJR (Association of Jewish Refugees) members gathered at Hampstead synagogue to celebrate the launch of the book Once a Refugee Always a Refugee by 99-year-old member Eva Evans. The group enjoyed a lively and heartfelt conversation between Eva and her daughter Janet Lew – delving into Eva’s early years in Berlin, the process of writing her autobiography and the deep impact being a refugee had on her life story.

5 SHENLEY SAYS FAREWELL TO RABBI ALAN GARBER

More than 100 members of Shenley United Jewish Community gathered at a reception in Shenley synagogue to say ‘thanks and goodbye’ to Rabbi Alan Garber, Rebbetzen Tanya and their five children after a decade in the community. The evening was hosted by SUJC life president Phil Diamond.

6 KISHARON NOÉ SCHOOL PAYS TRIBUTE TO NHS

In a heartfelt tribute during their end-ofterm play, the students of Kisharon Noé School expressed deep gratitude to the NHS for the exceptional care and support they have received. The play, The Sky’s the Limit, showcased various potential career paths, with each class portraying different professions such as baking, hospitality, construction, transportation – and the NHS. Every student, no matter their ability, actively participated on stage. Deputy head teacher Adina Collins said: “Every pupil and class had a chance to shine. We are so proud of them.”

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Iwas 15 when Nigel Planer first made me laugh. As one half of the stand-up act The Outer Limits, he and Peter Richardson (who founded The Comic Strip) introduced me to alternative comedy. I was hooked.

Ridiculous and irreverent, it was the equivalent of South Park for this 70s teenager, who could never have imagined that, 37 years later, Nigel would appear in a film I co-wrote with Richardson. The Comic Strip Presents Red Top was a satire about the phone-hacking scandal in which Nigel played a downtrodden Rupert Murdoch sitting in a wheelchair and still managed to be funny.

Beloved as hapless hippy Neil of The Young Ones, Nigel has appeared in many TV and theatre productions over the years, but it was only when I asked him to talk to me about Emanate Productions’ The Arc: A Trilogy of New Jewish Plays at the Soho Theatre that his Jewish heritage was mentioned. That he shared this revelation first with Hadley Freeman in the Sunday Times

talking PLANER

last week, I’ll take on the chin, but it in no way diminishes the impact of him being the son of a German Jew.

Documents and photos shoved in a drawer provided the evidence that his late father George had escaped Berlin as Hitler took power, but Nigel and his two brothers had never asked questions. As he told Freeman: “When my dad left Berlin, people were being encouraged by the state to grass up their own parents if they were Jewish. I was born in 1953, not long after the end of the war. So it was kind of a reasonable position for him to take, don’t you think?”

Nigel wonders if his interest in acting and fiction writing stems from him not being allowed to know the truth as a child. Regardless, his latest novel, Jeremiah Bourne In Time, which he describes as “a steam punk, historical futuristic, time travel adventure comedy”, carries the baggage of his father’s experience.

That his story about a boy who discovers mementoes of his missing mother in a biscuit tin and then falls through time trying to find her is his

A look

Hitler’s ‘unwanted’ Nicole Holofcener’s life as a movie

own examination of rootlessness is powerful. But Nigel has no desire to identify as Jewish, and doesn’t go in for identity politics, particularly of the religious kind. So I’ll forgive him for not saying anything, even though there was the announcement of him playing not one, but two Jewish grandfathers in the next few weeks. There’s Catherine Dyson’s The Egg Man on Radio 4 and the trilogy of plays that explore life’s pivotal moments through a Jewish lens.

“I’m in Birth, which is written by Amy Rosenthal (daughter of Maureen Lipman and the late screenwriter Jack Rosenthal) and Marriage by Alexis Zegerman,” Nigel tells me. “Birth is the delivery seen retrospectively by a retired gynaecologist and Marriage is about first dates and where they lead to. I play an old man who may also be God. I’m looking forward to them starting.”

Any help he has needed preparing for the roles was available from his Jewish wife Roberta, whom I’ve always known about, as Peter Richardson was best man when they married 10 years ago. “Roberta has helped me understand all things Jewish, because I was brought up secular and atheistic, even though my father and grandparents escaped from Berlin in 1933,” he says to underline the point. “My mother was not Jewish, so I am a category error.”

But could not being Jewish and playing a Jew be a bone of contention in a business currently obsessed with ‘like-for-like’ casting? “From my point of view, if one had to be exactly like for like I would get no work at all,” he sni s . “I would not qualify as any particular identity. So I am not

very much for identity casting. I am a non-categorisable individual, half one thing, half another. Like Woody Allen’s The Great Roe – a creature which had the head of a lion – and the body of a lion. But not the same lion.”

Nigel isn’t convinced that casting restrictions will impede actors or put an end to drama training. “But in general terms I don’t think it’s altogether helpful as we have other problems to contend with, such as AI.”

Of the three playwrights who have conceived The Arc, Nigel was only familiar with Ryan Craig.

“I saw his first play at the Menier Chocolate factory years ago, but never met him. I worked with Alexis when we were tutors on an Arvon writers’ residential course, which I highly recommend for those unsure of the direction of their writing. And I’ve never worked with Amy, but I know her from something called The Dramatists Club, which has been going since about 1910. It meets quarterly and is an opportunity for

playwrights to moan to each other over a nice dinner and be sure to have a sympathetic hearing.”

Nigel is hopeful audiences will give a sympathetic hearing to his portrayals of Jewish characters. “Funnily enough I’ve always wanted to do this, “he admits. “I am relishing incarnating my grandparents.”

He has also published a poetry collection titled Making Other Plans “These are poems stretching backwards in a sort of reverse memoir to 1970. In the 90s I published poems in the Guardian and several anthologies as well as touring the country as a performance poet with the likes of Henry Normal, John Cooper Clark, Lemn Sissay and Owen O’Neil.” He’s touring again with Henry Normal this autumn.

• JeremiahBourneInTimeis published by Unbound at £14.99. TheArc:ATrilogyofNewJewish Playsis at Soho Theatre 15-26 August sohotheatre.com

Nigel Planer has been making Brigit Grant laugh for decades. Now he gets serious about his Jewish heritage

Good people in bad places

On the face of it, Peter Clenott’s grandfather was guilty of the ultimate betrayal. A Harvard graduate, he was a First World War veteran, a decorated airbase commander in Iceland during the Second World War; and in the years following, chief prosecutor who secured the conviction of 15 Nazis at the Dora Trial, held at Dachau concentration camp in 1947. But William Berman was also harbouring a secret. During his time overseas, the American-Jewish lawyer had an a air with a German woman, resulting in the birth of a daughter.

The child and her mother were shunned by Berman’s family and Clenott admits having “no connection” to or knowing the whereabouts of

his half-aunt, who by now would be in her midseventies if she is still alive.

But his interest was piqued by those postwar events, particularly in how his grandfather came to be in a relationship with a German. The 72-year-old author began reading more about the period, including about the Holocaust, inspiring him to write his latest work.

Clenott, who has written screenplays, short stories and novels for the best part of 50 years, credits his grandfather’s secret as the starting point for his historical thriller The Unwanted

A main theme of the novel, which centres on two teenage girls who become embroiled in the murders of an American o cial and a fleeing SS o cer, is that not all Germans were willing participants of Nazism and many su ered

because of Hitler’s policies. The writer, who lives just outside Boston and works for a non-profit organisation helping people facing homelessness, says: “I learned that after the war ended, the situation worsened for many German women – two million of them were raped after the war by the Russians, but also by American, British and French soldiers. There were hundreds of thousands of children born out of rape.

“And it wasn’t unusual for German women wanting to avoid the poverty that existed after the Second World War or coming under the leadership of a communist regime, intentionally trying to strike up relationships to escape that.

“My grandfather was around 53 at the time, an attractive man, an attorney and o cer. I don’t really know the details about what happened, but you can perhaps understand some of the reasons why it did.”

During his research, Clenott also came across chilling detail about the Nazi’s euthanasia programme – the murder of institutionalised patients with physical and mental disabilities – which began in 1939. It aimed at restoring the racial ‘integrity’ of the German nation and it was in many ways a forerunner to the Final Solution.

“The Nazis took a popular eugenics idea at the time, sterilisation, and went a step further,” Clenott says. “They wanted to create a pure race. They didn’t want Jews, but they also didn’t want gypsies or homosexuals. They didn’t want people who were bipolar or had manic depression or any other mental or physical disability that would be a burden on the German state. The Nazis came up with a phrase: ‘Life unworthy of life.’ People were encouraged to give up their child to one of these euthanasia centres in Germany and Austria for ‘treatment’.”

He acknowledges that his son, who is gay and has autism, would almost certainly have been a candidate for such centres during the Nazi era, excluding the fact that he is also Jewish.

An estimated 10,000 disabled children were murdered out of 250,000 individuals overall as part of the Nazis’ euthanasia programme. Clenott based one of his main characters, 14-year-old Hana Zigler, against this scenario. As a result of her obsessive-compulsive tendencies, and because of suspicions that her mother had an a air with a Jewish man, Hana is taken by her grandfather to an institute to be euthanised.

Despite the novel’s dark opening, there’s a twist ahead in the guise of Silke Hartenstein, a member of the Bund Deutsch Madel, the girls’

wing of the Hitler Youth. With blond hair and blue eyes, she looks every inch the Aryan, but she is becoming disillusioned with the Nazis, especially when she is pressured to have a child so she can pass on her ‘perfect’ genes.

“I wanted her to be someone who is sympathetic, who was appalled by the Nazis. When she meets Hana she’s horrified by what she sees and is drawn to help her. Silke is heroic in many ways, because she is unafraid to stand up to the Nazis and comes from a family that raised her to be a decent human being.”

At the core of the murder mystery is the close bond that develops between Silke and Hana and their impetus to survive against the odds.

Having widened his knowledge around the Holocaust, has Clenott changed his thoughts at all on Germany society at that time?

“My perspective definitely changed,” he admits. “They weren’t all Nazis, they weren’t all bad. Many good people su ered. We learn at school that wars have a start date and an end date, but they don’t. The Second World War didn’t end with the Allies’ victory, because the su ering continued for many years after, particularly for women. The rapes, the violence, the threat of hunger and starvation, displacement and homelessness, the arrival of the communists and so forth. It was a nightmare for millions that went on for years.”

For Clenott, one lesson he learned from writing his novel is that the events on which his story is based could, he believes, “absolutely happen all over again. Only recently we had neo-Nazis marching down the street saying, ‘Jews will not replace us’ – and Trump telling everyone those are ‘nice’ people. We have to learn what could happen even in a democracy.

“It really could happen again, so it’s important that we have good people who come together and are brave enough to fight the darkest side of humanity.”

 The Unwanted by Peter Clenott is published by Level Best Books, £13.99

Peter Clenott’s thriller considers the fate of those who were not willing participants of Nazism, writes Sarah Miller

Feeling her Way

watching her drop her child off,” says Nicole. “And I could watch that scene now and start to tear up.”

Similarly, Please Give (2010), in which a middle-class woman feels uneasy about profiting from selling dead people’s furniture, dealt with her “white privilege guilt, which I still fully have”, she says. “I’m still that character. So while it’s a blast to watch actors act out my issues and emotions, unfortunately nothing is cathartic.”

Ever since making her first independent feature film, Walking andTalking, in 1996, the acclaimed American writer-director Nicole Holofcener has used her own life as inspiration for her movies. “They are not factually autobiographical,” she says, “but they are still all really personal.”

What, then, would it be like to find out that someone close to her doesn’t like her work? Could they separate how they feel about it and about her? Given that the work is a reflection of her personality, how would that be possible? Such questions inspired her funny and perceptive new film You Hurt My Feelings

In it she homes in on her insecurities as an artist by casting Veep and Seinfeld’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a neurotic author, Beth, who is broken by the discovery that her therapist husband has been lying about liking the book she is writing. She toyed with the character being an actor; but when Nicole asked Louis-Dreyfus, “writer or actor?”, she emphatically said the former.

“Because she’s an actress, I think it was too close. Too self-reflective,” suggests Nicole. “But I’m willing to out myself any time.”

Her films usually contain something she was experiencing or struggling with. A scene in the rom-com Enough Said (2013), in which a mother, played by Louis-Dreyfus, sees off her daughter at the airport as she’s leaving for college expressed her “dread” about what it might be like when she came to do it herself.

“I was literally crying at the monitor

The legacy of childhood and of what parents do to their children runs through some of Nicole’s films. In You Hurt My Freelings, Beth is haunted by the verbal abuse she received from her father as a child, which Nicole initially treats with humour, then gives emotional weight to, in her typically funny/sad style.

Meanwhile, Beth’s son accuses her of setting him up to fail by overrating him in certain things, making him unsure of his own abilities and worth. In Please Give, a woman’s abrasive behaviour is partly explained by the shock of her mother’s suicide.

Nicole, who was born in New York and moved to Hollywood at the age of eight with her set decorator mother, Carol Joffe, and movieproducer stepfather, Charles, had “a good childhood and loving parents”. But, she says, “my kids are at an age where they’re very articulate about how I f***ed them up. And I want to hear it. It’s just

hard to believe that the things I’ve said to them, with love and goodwill, somehow affected them in the opposite way. It’s like, ‘Oh f*ck.’ But you’re just gonna f*ck them up. You don’t know what you’re doing. I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m doing my best.”

She had small traumas during childhood, “like everybody else. My parents divorced when I was really young, blah, blah, blah” – but nothing like her characters’.

Nevertheless, she is extremely sensitive and says she can imagine what it might be like from “the pain that I’ve felt just being alive”.

I recall to her that Emma Thompson told me that to be a good artist you do not need an elephant hide; instead you need to be sensitive and wounded, and then you’ve got to get up. Nicole nods. “It’s funny she used that analogy because I’ve often wished I had thicker skin, even just in life. Everything gets to me really deeply. A little too deeply, sometimes. Having such thin skin can destroy you over and over and over again. Like I really want people to like my work and when they don’t, it crushes me a little bit. But, if I had really thick skin, if I didn’t have really thin skin, I don’t think I’d be in it fully and be willing to reveal myself this way.”

Her humanity contrasts with the AI that writers striking in America want to see banned from being used by studios for writing or rewriting source material. She is concerned about AI, but she’s more worried “that this

planet is going to melt. I’m worried that I’m gonna get shot, that my kids are gonna get shot. AI writing screenplays is like this big (ie small, she suggests, with forefinger and thumb) compared to the mess and the hate that is taking over my country. I’m worried about that. But I think I’m just more globally depressed about the state of the world and the state of this country. America is a mess. It’s upsetting.”

She had a largely secular upbringing – “I grew up with some Jewish traditions, like Passover and we celebrated both Chanukah and Christmas, so I really cashed in” – but “now more than ever I feel antisemitism, and it’s scary”, she says. “So, I feel very Jewish.”

Times are changing and in You Hurt My Feelings, Beth is told she is competing with new, younger voices, from different backgrounds. I wonder how the landscape has changed for Nicole since her debut in 1996. “Now I’m old as f*ck, you mean?” she asks wryly.

She was a late starter at 35 when she made her first feature, and is aware of a new generation coming through. “And while I have the experience or the success or whatever, I think youth is more attractive in every way. And that’s just the way things are. It’s their turn.”

Even so, she does not think anyone is having an easy time at the moment, whatever their age. “I would have hoped that at my stage in my career it would be easier,” says Nicole. “But I still got [You Hurt My Feelings, her seventh feature] made, so I feel really lucky. I have great producers who have helped me and I get to cast who I want, so that’s a blessing. I’ll take what I can get. It’s more than some people can say.”

• You Hurt my Feelings is available on Prime Video

Nicole Holofcener tells Stephen Appelbaum why she has made a movie about her insecurities

Business / Generative AI

ISRAEL DOUBLES DOWN ON ROSIE THE ROBOT

Do you remember The Jetsons? It was a futuristic cartoon where machines and technology had advanced to become a routine part of daily life. Fast forward (or backward) and while we may not have a robot housekeeper called Rosie, artificial intelligence is revolutionising the way we live, work and interact with each other.

Generative AI has been thrust into the limelight recently with the launch of tools like ChatGPT, a free natural language chatbot. Ask it any question and it will answer. It can help to compose emails, essays and code.

But ChatGPT is just one of over 800 Generative AI companies out there, says Eze Vidra, the co-founder and managing partner of Remagine Ventures. It has been investing in Generative AI since early 2019 – before the term ‘Generative AI’ even existed. And Israel is a key player, home to around 100 Gen AI startups.

Vidra says: “Israel has long been a strong producer of AI startups. The talent pool in AI, and Israeli entrepreneurs’ high disregard for the impossible, combined with an active investment ecosystem gives Israel a great starting point to excel in the generative AI space.”

The most notable Israeli generative AI startups include AI 21 Labs, developer of the Jurassic LLM (an alternative to GPT) and Wordtune, a product that helps users to rewrite, summarise and enrich text.

Remagine recently published the first Israeli generative AI landscape mapping 68 startups that are active in the space across a range of areas. Among them are HourOne, Munch and Piggy.

PIGGY

Piggy is a mobile content creator that enables smartphone users to create fully designed, visually appealing documents speedily from their phone using text prompts. Whether it’s a presentation, marketing material or teaching resources (plus much more), via the Piggy app users can come up with something within a minute and then amend if they want to. There’s also the option to add videos, voice memos, GIFs and create quizzes. The documents are in a shareable format and can be incorporated into social media platforms like TikTok and Facebook.

Founders Shaul Olmert and Ilan Leibovich

Founded 2022

Investment $7.7m

Based Tel Aviv

Case uses/clients Educational resources, media companies,

marketing materials, publishing and promotional content.

Rationale Co-founder and CEO Shaul Olmert says: “The original idea came from my daughter’s friend, who was asked to write an essay for school about how Covid affected her morale and mood, and instead of an article, she came up with something really creative and posted it on TikTok. It showed me that there was a whole new generation of people that grew up with a smartphone and a new form of creativity so let’s help them unleash their creativity, providing them with the right tools to do so.”

On Generative AI

Shaul Olmert: “The pick-up of Gen AI is outstanding. At first it was mainly about the marvel and people being fascinated by the technology, but now, people are using Gen AI in their day-to-day lives, and thinking how it can help them solve a problem.”

What does Gen AI mean for jobs?

Shaul Olmert: “The internet has created a wave of very shallow content which can be used for marketing and promotional articles but when it comes to more in-depth analytical pieces, you can’t replace people. For everyone concerned about AI replacing humans, I remember the same concerns over the invention of personal computers. People thought we were going to be replaced by robots. Yes, things will have to change, but it’s good because the computers can do a lot of the legwork, which helps people to develop skills that machines can’t. There’s always suspicion when new tech emerges, but we need to see it as an opportunity.”

HOURONE

Hour One creates virtual humans, aka avatars, for use in professional video communications. Taking just a few seconds of video, Hour One’s technology creates life-like digital clones of real people. It uses deep learning algorithms to analyse a person’s voice, mannerisms and facial expressions, and then creates a digital avatar that can mimic their behaviour and speech patterns in real-time, bypassing the need for the actual person to be in front of the camera.

There is also an Hour One self-service platform, Reals, enabling users to generate their own fully-produced videos automatically and within minutes. You simply type what you want in the text box and a storyboard for your video is created. It can then be edited before hitting ‘generate’.

Named Fast Company Next Big Thing in Tech in 2021, Hour One is proving popular with HR teams for their training videos and for those with product tutorials. Customers across the world include some of the biggest names in e-learning and media, including Berlitz, NBC Universal and DreamWorks, spanning HR, e-commerce, SaaS and more.

Founders Oren Aharon (CEO) and Lior Hakim (CTO)

Founded 2019

Invested $25m

Based Headquartered in Tel Aviv and New York

Case uses/clients HR professionals, people with no expertise or resources for making videos or with no coding experience, anyone who wants to create a video.

Rationale Natalie Monbiot, head of strategy and a founding executive at Hour One, says: “We know that video content featuring real people talking to the camera and explaining something is one of the most effective ways to communicate. Yet it can be one of the hardest ways to generate – you need a studio, with crew, hair and make-up etc, and if you then wanted to create more, you’d have to do it all again and it might not look exactly the same. We wanted to democratise access, enabling as many people and businesses as possible to generate their own videos.”

What does the impact of this Gen AI mean for jobs?

Natalie Monbiot: “Where we see the opportunity is in the white space. Video professionals will still be focused on making professional videos – ours are more businessfocused and about talking to the camera, fulfilling a white space where videos don’t tend

Generative AI is transforming our world, particularly when it comes to creating content. But what does it all mean? Candice Krieger asks some of Israel’s leading innovators in the field for their views on the latest tech revolution

to exist. As the technology improves for Gen AI video, the upside is that people who don’t have the skills can now make videos. People who never thought about translating their story into video form now can. All companies need to be thinking about the implications of Gen AI for their business and skillset. We need to be aware of the implications it has on jobs across the board. If you’re a copywriter or video editor, you need to think about what your uniqueness is so you’re not just replaced, but also how you embrace these opportunities to add more strings to your bow, and enable you to be more prolific. It’s not a good time to ignore that Generative AI is here.”

MUNCH

Where do you see the big opportunities for Gen AI in the future?

Natalie Monbiot: “Content, but the potential in genetics and science is extremely exciting too. And what the implications are of anyone being able to code. Sometimes with technology you don’t know what the implications and possibilities are. We had that with the internet and smartphones, and now we have it with AI. Anybody can try it out. It’s very accessible. And seemingly immediately so.”

Munch uses Generative AI to extract the most engaging, trending and impactful clips from long-form videos, to create a short video, perfect for posting on social media.

Founders Oren Kandel and Peter Naftaliev

Founded 2021

Based Tel Aviv

Invested $5m to date

Case uses/clients 90 percent are small

businesses (mostly in the US, Canada and the UK), plus large media companies that want to get their videos in the right format for social media.

Rationale Oren Kandel, co-founder and CEO, says: “We wanted to address the traditional pain point of creating large amounts of content for those who have a limited budget and resources to do so, or can’t afford to pay agencies to do so. There has been a lot of progress in terms of the quality of video tools, but a lot of them are not day-to-day tools. We can assume that businesses today want to create massive amounts of short videos on a daily basis, to use for marketing and brand awareness, and to create a folk lead-

Generative AI / Business

ership and following. People aren’t really watching long-form videos any more.”

What makes Israel so well-placed when it comes to Gen AI?

Oren Kandel: “First and foremost, there’s the fact that we are a very small country and everyone knows everyone – it’s very easy to start a business and quickly make connections that can help you succeed. On top of that there is the complex security situation, the nature of our history and some of what we go through in the army makes us more willing to take risks and to start our own businesses.”

Other Opportunities for Generative AI: Oren Kandel: “AI and specifically Gen AI is lowering the barriers to entering every knowledge-based industry, meaning you will be able to start creating new companies faster than before and with fewer resources, which means you will either succeed fast or fail fast. Now we have GPT companies that can write code, build websites and do so much for you, the capacity of what you can do is amazing; the barriers are lower. We will see an explosion in creativity – a renaissance based on this type of technology.”

More more information about these companies, visit: piggy.to, hourone.ai and getmunch.com

MAKING SENSE OF THE SEDRA

Inside out

Parshat Vaetchanan mentions the mitzvah of tefillin. The Torah calls the head tefillin, which are divided into four compartments, totafot (Devarim 6:8). The sages (Sanhedrin 4b) explain that this word is composed of two foreign words: tot in Coptic (Katfei) and fot in Phrygian (Afriki), each of which means ‘two’.

Why should the Torah use foreign languages to describe the tefillin? The late former Chief Rabbi Immanuel Jakobovits explained that there is an essential di erence in purpose between the arm and head tefillin.

The head tefillin are specifically revealed outward, to show

the nations of the world that the name of Hashem is upon us (Berachot 6a). The Torah deliberately uses foreign languages to describe the head tefillin to emphasise the elements of Judaism that need to be shared with the outside world.

The arm tefillin, on the other hand, are specifically covered up; they are inner focused – “a sign for you, but not a sign for others” (Menachot 37b).

This highlights the aspects of Judaism that are private, particularistic and limited to Jews.

Rabbi Jakobovits said there were groups within Judaism that focus on both extremes.

There are those who wear only the metaphoric head tefillin – solely focused on relating to the world and nations around

us. There are others who wear only the metaphoric arm tefillin – with no care or concern to what happens beyond their immediate orbit. The sages (Sotah 44b), however, emphasise that there should be no interruption between the two!

The Shulchan Aruch rules (25:6) that if one inadvertently picks up the head tefillin before the arm tefillin they should ‘pass over’ the head tefillin and first don the arm tefillin.

Rabbi Jakobovits extrapolates from the chronological sequence a fundamental didactic message: that we first need to build up ourselves – strengthening our core Jewish identity and knowledge – and only then can we take this to the rest of the world.

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

ASSISTANT

Progressive Judaism

LEAP OF FAITH

How did our ancestors cope with weather extremes?

For our biblical ancestors, the significance of weather was not that they su ered physically when it was bad, but rather that bad weather might cause famine. When it struck, they did not complain that they were uncomfortable, rather, they would leave the land they were living on in search of food.

In the new land they came to, they were sometimes able to produce food for their animals and themselves, and sometimes they arrived as refugees hoping for charity.

The story of Abraham in the 12th chapter of Genesis suggests the former: when Abraham came to Egypt because of the famine, he found favour in the sight of Pharaoh (because of Sarah’s beauty) and became successful. The story of Joseph and his brothers in the 42nd chapter of Genesis suggests the latter, as Joseph’s brothers appeared as supplicants begging for food to take back home. But in either case, they expected that while there was famine at home, there would be some-

where to flee to, that the situation was temporary and things would at some point return to normality.

For the last half-century, we in the developed world have largely taken for granted that famine was something that might occur in distant lands but not in ours; that food would always be available. We might worry that our next holiday abroad will be ruined by heat, as indeed we have seen with the terrifying wildfires in Greece this week, but we don’t worry that crop failures might cause more than just discomfort. Our food comes from places that have been dependable sources of food for decades. What will happen if our sources of food become unreliable?

The ultimate weather-related crisis in the Torah is, of course, the flood. Our ancestors were able to imagine a world so evil that God would destroy everyone in it. But in the biblical account, God doesn’t decide simply to destroy the evil people. God says: “I will destroy them together with the Earth.” The 16th-century Italian commentator Sforno interprets this as God saying: “I will destroy the climate which could support life on earth by interfering with the Sun’s orbit and rearranging it from the beginning of the deluge for the entire future.” This accounts for a human lifespan having been drastically reduced after the deluge. The Earth’s climate changed, there were greater extremes of heat and cold, and Earth’s produce was less capable of supporting a long lifespan.

When we read news reports of places where there is record-

breaking heat that is only barely survivable, our first thought may be the e ect it will have on our comfort, and perhaps our health and safety, but the biblical accounts remind us that the sources of food we rely on are in a delicate balance with the environment. When that balance is disturbed, we can no longer be certain that one of the essentials of life – our food – will be there in the future. Our biblical ancestors understood this and so should we.

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Either way, you will be a lifelong learner excited by innovation, committed to continuous improvement and have a passion for developing and fostering students’ deep connection to their Jewish identity, heritage and Israel. We welcome Jewish Studies teachers from all streams of Judaism. It is important to us that you respect and support our community’s Jewish diversity and are comfortable teaching and exploring pluralist Jewish themes.

For more information about our School, the position and details of how to apply, visit www.emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au

A stimulating series where our progressive rabbis consider how Biblical figures might act when faced with 21st-century issues

I find all this talk about AI scary. How do recruiters use it, how can I use it to find a job and how will jobs be affected in the future?

Samuel

Dear Samuel Recruiters use AI to save time by eliminating the routine and tedious task of wading through a pile of applications.

They use algorithms to scan applications, CV’s and cover letters to identify the most suitable candidates, those who match the skills criteria of the job advertised. So, for your application to be found, it’s important that you include those key words that fulfil their criteria. By carefully reading the job description and skills needed, you

and aspirations, but also to identify any financial risks and operational challenges you may encounter.

ADAM SHELLEY ACCOUNTANT SOBELL RHODES

Dear Adam

I’m setting up a new business and have been advised to build a business plan. Are you able to provide any guidance?

Louise

Dear Louise Companies at any stage in their life cycle can benefit hugely from creating and implementing a business plan. Not only is the plan there to map out your goals

will be able to determine the right language for your own application.

But AI is valuable for you too. For example, you can use an AI tool such as ChatGPT or Bard to help you compose a cover letter. Provide some basic details about the job and the skills criteria and it will generate a letter for you. Of course, you will need to review and edit it (Resource can help support you with this) to make sure it reflects your personality but it’s a good starting point. If the thought of interacting with a machine rather than a human puts you o , don’t forget the value of using your network to find contacts and leads for your new job.

AI is already used to automate repetitive jobs, for example in manufacturing or using robots on assembly lines. As AI advances, other occupations involving repetitive work such as data entry and administrative roles will be impacted in all sectors of industry and commerce.

But the good news is that new jobs will be created and existing jobs will be transformed. We need to be ready to adapt to the new occupations, developing our skills to work alongside AI.

A business plan will usually outline strategies to avoid all these issues – that’s why it’s important to create one as early as possible. It has a number of advantages, including communicating your business goals, market knowledge, and financial understanding to potential shareholders and investors.

A business plan is also instrumental in accessing funding. If you want a lender to take you seriously, you’ll need to prove how you’ll use their money to grow your business and give them a return on their investment.

To avoid the risk of closing prematurely, your business

plan should account for any threats you may face and how you would overcome these obstacles. Cashflow forecasting can play a crucial role in this process, especially for existing businesses.

Usually, it’s best practice to keep your plan reasonably short but there are a few things you must include if you want it to be comprehensive and a solid representation of what you’re expecting of your business. You should include market research, financial planning including cashflow forecasting, an income statement and a balance sheet. Information on marketing strategy, management and personnel structure, business operations and training and development plans are also important.

DR BEN LEVY GOAL ATTAINMENT SPECIALIST MAKE IT HAPPEN

Dear Ben I want to plan the family holiday of a lifetime this summer. I’m really excited by the idea but I’ve never done anything like this before. Where do I start?

Dear Carina

Good on you for having such a positive and ambitious goal!

I’m sure it feels daunting

to make this wonderful holiday happen (even more so if you are putting pressure on yourself to make it epic).

Luckily, there is no need to be an expert (or work day and night) to make this dream come true. What you need is a bulletproof, manageable plan. To get there, you need the most important thing of all: clarity.

So let’s do this exercise: I want you to imagine you are having the perfect holiday with your husband and kids. What exactly do you see in your mind’s eye? What do your surroundings look like? What are you saying and doing? Your family? What are you each feeling, precisely? Take time to envisage how it will look, sound and feel.

Write down your thoughts,

because this is our target. (By the way, it’s valuable to ask your husband and kids to do the same exercise and compare notes. Where do your answers overlap?)

Next question: do you now have a place in the world in mind? If not, who can help you identify a location that will match your vision?

Once you’ve identified the place, you will have a sharper goal. In other words, clarity. And with clarity, you will also find you have more energy and focus.

And you will be surprised by how quickly and easily we will create a plan to reach your goal, once it has been tuned up in this way. There’s a few more tips and tricks I’ll share as we go along, but I’ll leave that for when we meet…

Our trusty team of advisers answers your questions about everything from law and finance to dating and dentistry. This week: Harnessing AI in the recruitment process, help in making a business plan, and planning the holiday of a lifetime

Ask Our Experts / Professional advice from our panel

PRIVATE HEALTHCARE SPECIALIST

TREVOR GEE

Qualifications:

• Managing director, consultant specialists in affordable family health insurance

• Advising on maximising cover, lower premiums, pre-existing conditions

• Excellent knowledge of health insurers, cover levels and hospital lists

• LLB solicitors finals

• Member of Chartered Insurance Institute

PATIENT HEALTH 020 3146 3444/5/6 www.patienthealth.co.uk trevor.gee@patienthealth.co.uk

HUMAN RESOURCES / EMPLOYMENT LAW

DONNA OBSTFELD

Qualifications:

• FCIPD Chartered HR Professional

• 25 years in HR and business management.

• Mediator, business coach, trainer, author and speaker

• Supporting businesses and charities with the hiring, managing, inspiring and firing of their staff

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ANGELA DAY-MOORE

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DR MONICA QUADIR

Qualifications:

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• Medical director at Psymplicity Healthcare, a private mental health clinic based in London, with a national online presence

PSYMPLICITY HEALTHCARE 020 3733 5277

www.psymplicity.com enquiries@psymplicity.com

FINANCIAL SERVICES

ADAM SHELLEY

Qualifications:

• FCCA chartered certified accountant

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• Specialises in charities; personal tax returns

• Maurice Wohl Charitable Foundation Volunteer of the Year JVN award

SOBELL RHODES LLP 020 8429 8800 www.sobellrhodes.co.uk a.shelley@sobellrhodes.co.uk

CHARITY EXECUTIVE

JONATHAN WILLIAMS

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DIRECTOR OF LEGACIES

JOE OZER

Qualifications:

• Executive director for the United Kingdom at DCI (Intl) Ltd

• Worked in finance for more than 20 years

• Specialists in distribution and promotion of Israel Bonds

DEVELOPMENT COMPANY FOR ISRAEL 020 3936 2712

www.israelbondsintl.com

joe.ozer@israelbondsintl.com

GOAL ATTAINMENT SPECIALIST

DR BEN LEVY

Qualifications:

• Doctor of psychology with 15 years’ experience in education and corporate sectors

• Uses robust, evidence-based methods to help you achieve your goals, whatever they may be

• Works with clients individually to maximise success

MAKE IT HAPPEN 07779 619 597 www.makeit-happen.co.uk ben@makeit-happen.co.uk

CHARITY EXECUTIVE

LISA WIMBORNE

Qualifications:

Able to draw on the charity’s 50 years of experience in enabling people with physical disabilities or impaired vision to live independently, including:

• The provision of specialist accommodation with 24/7 on-site support

• Knowledge of the innovations that empower people and the benefits available

• Understanding of the impact of a disability diagnosis

JEWISH BLIND & DISABLED 020 8371 6611 www.jbd.org Lisa@jbd.org

CAREER ADVISER

CAROLYN ADDLEMAN

Qualifications:

• Lawyer with over 20 years’ experience in will drafting and trust and estate administration. Last 14 years at KKL Executor and Trustee Company

• In close contact with clients to ensure all legal and pastoral needs are cared for

• Member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners

KKL EXECUTOR AND TRUSTEE COMPANY 020 8732 6101 www.kkl.org.uk enquiries@kkl.org.uk

REMOVALS MANAGING DIRECTOR

STEPHEN MORRIS

LESLEY TRENNER

Qualifications:

• Provides free professional one-to-one advice at Resource to help unemployed into work

• Offers mock interviews and workshops to maximise job prospects

• Expert in corporate management holding director level marketing, commercial and general management roles

RESOURCE 020 8346 4000

www.resource-centre.org

office@resource-centre.org

Qualifications:

• Managing director of Stephen Morris Shipping Ltd

• 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 stephen@shipsms.co.uk

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 mail@jdeaf.org.uk

PRINCIPAL, PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOL

LOUISE LEACH

Qualifications:

• Professional choreographer qualified in dance, drama and Zumba (ZIN, ISTD & LAMDA), gaining an honours degree at Birmingham University

• Former contestant on ITV’s Popstars, reaching bootcamp with Myleene Klass, Suzanne Shaw and Kym Marsh

• Set up Dancing with Louise 19 years ago

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Info@dancingwithlouise.com

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LAW MENTOR

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Former “Magic Circle” solicitor offers help with:

• CVs and personal statements

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For more information contact Tom lawmentor@btinternet.com / 07590 057097

LEGACY- LEAVE A GIFT IN YOUR MEMORY

HOME & MAINTENANCE

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 lawmentor@btinternet.com / 07590 057097

WEB DESIGN

Fun, games and prizes

THE JEWISH NEWS CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

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

SUGURU

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.

WORDSEARCH CODEWORD

The listed words related to bicycles 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.

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.

See next issue for puzzle solutions.

All puzzles © Puzzler Media Ltd - www.puzzler.com

Last issue’s solutions