Marginalised in a Marginal Seat: Thoughts of an anguished voter

Today is the first day my vote has ever mattered in a British general election. Chingford and Woodford Green has always returned a large Conservative majority. Now it’s a marginal seat.

Today is also simultaneously the most obvious voting decision I have made. But it’s also the most complex. Let me explain.

I was comfortable voting for David Cameron in 2010 and 2015. I was anguished voting for Theresa May in 2017. I am disgusted to have to vote for Boris Johnson in 2019. But that is what I must do.

I am totally aware who I am voting for. I don’t need reminding of how Boris Johnson has made racist remarks, got journalists beat up, lied repeatedly or decide to support the economic and societal upheaval that is Brexit because it would help him become Prime Minister (well done Boris, what’s next?). He is the first British Prime Minister who I find repugnant: I try to be tolerant towards leaders. I think Tony Blair and David Cameron deserve to be remembered for the good they did, not just the mistakes. Theresa May was not a successful Prime Minister but she was a model public servant, who gave her all in difficult circumstances. In addition to all that, I am against Brexit. And if any Brexit has to happen, I don’t trust the Brexiteers running the Conservative party to deliver it.

However, I still feel an unqualified moral and historical imperative to vote for him. Or rather, I feel an unqualified moral and historical imperative to ensure Jeremy Corbyn is defeated, and by a large margin.

I won’t waste your time listing Corbyn’s antisemitic history here, whether his own actions, his tolerance for others’ or his clear animosity for the Jewish community, its institutions, leaders and members – it’s been well documented. But here’s my view on why he is on a different planet of unsuitability to Boris Johnson.

First, Boris Johnson’s comments have been repugnant, but they are not ideological. They were thoughtless, arrogant and nasty. But whereas Johnson’s worldview is to do whatever it takes to get elected, Corbyn’s antisemitism is at the heart of his entire belief system. Corbyn is willing to tolerate the suspension of any progressive cause, whether women’s or LGBT rights, in order to support anti-Semites and fight against Israel. In power, I do not believe that Boris Johnson’s policies will be discriminatory against minorities. It is not in anyone’s interest to institutionally discriminate against minorities in Britain today – but Corbyn is not a pragmatist, otherwise he would have made peace with the Jewish community long ago.

Second, Electing Jeremy Corbyn is a vote to overhaul the entire system of British society. His cabinet will be led by Marxist revolutionaries. There is no guarantee that the other institutions guaranteeing democracy and tolerance would be safe with Labour in power. Boris Johnson will not overhaul the institutions of state, and therefore would be held to account (and indeed, would likely lose an election if faced with a stronger, moderate opposition). The social upheaval of a Corbyn government would dwarf any form of Brexit that Boris Johnson takes out of the oven.

Third, Jeremy Corbyn would endanger national security. Despite what he has been forced to say over Trident, he is a pacifist who believes the British army commits war crimes. Indeed, he is critical of every action the British army ever takes. If he is in power, his foreign policy will be pro-Iran, anti-USA and anti-NATO. Other countries will not share intelligence with the UK, making the country far less safe. Boris Johnson will do none of this, because his worldview does not include destroying the Western capitalist system from within.

Lastly, a common view among Corbyn supporters is that Conservative austerity has ‘murdered’ people. Unkind, unfair, unethical – maybe. But this assertion takes us on a dangerous path whereby public policy either ‘saves’ or ‘murders’ and ascribes malign intentions to politicians with which one does not agree. On the other hand, Jeremy Corbyn has been openly supportive of people who have actually committed murder against Jews and British citizens. I can tolerate a Prime Minister whose policies are misguided or wrong. I cannot tolerate a Prime Minister who supports murderers.

My vote was cast by proxy, as I am sitting thousands of miles away in Israel. But I care to write this because I am proud of being British, and I have fond memories of the life I had there. My British passport matters to me, and I am legally allowed to cast a vote as a foreign national. Yet at the very time that my thoughts and energy are focused on the UK’s future, and when my vote really does make a difference, I also feel distant. It’s partly due to the insensitive and antisemitic comments I have received on social media for sharing my views and partly the realisation that millions of my fellow Brits could vote an anti-Semite into power.

So, I’ll hand over my ballot paper to be counted among those who will claim it is another vote to get Brexit done at all costs. But what I need you to understand is that the cross is the easiest and hardest voting decision I ever made. It represents my British values, my fears, my politics, my morals and my Jewish identity. It is a vote cast not just to make my family and community safe, but the whole of Britain. I hope I never have to make such a choice again.

Mauricio Pochettino: He's a Role Model, you know

When I write or blog on social media, I usually write about things that mean something in life. Religion, politics, education. Rarely football. I am a huge football fan but I class it as a leisure activity that I enjoy, not essential to what I stand for or aim to achieve.

Yet, as the news breaks of Mauricio Pochettino’s sacking, I can’t help myself put pen to paper to reflect on one of the most incredible, exciting – and yes meaningful – football journeys I’ve experienced.

Because Pochettino is not just a manager, he is a role model – and created a team of role models, for how football was to be played and life to be lived. Here’s why:

1) Pochettino doesn’t believe that football is more important than life itself. Football is there to be enjoyed, but it’s never a ‘real drama’. Without taking away any passion – on the contrary he is one of the most passionate people in football – he helped people understand that real dramas occur in real life.

2) He taught us what being loyal means. Pochettino had every opportunity to leave Tottenham but never did. If a player or staff member believed in his mentality and worked hard for the team, he repaid that loyalty. In today’s world, loyalty is seen as a bonus relative to the need for success. For Pochettino, loyalty takes precedence.

3) He is humble. Never taking credit for himself, always showering players with praise. It was always about the club, not himself. And he also conveyed this to his players, who consistently in interviews emphasised that message.

4) Modern western society, with football at its epitome, constantly reminds us of what we don’t have and ‘should’ desire. Money buys happiness, money is the solution to problems. And yet with Pochettino money isn’t the essence. He believes that with hard work, passion, determination and raw talent, there is no end to your potential. Tottenham nearly won the Champions League having not bought a single player that season – it is typical of Pochettino’s belief that the intangible human values are more important than money.

5) Politics and society have become infested with the need to blame. Someone must be at fault for our problems – and it’s never us. Unlike most managers, Pochettino rarely blamed referees, opposition players or his own players. He was introspective, believing that if something went wrong, he needed to work harder and take more responsibility. Pochettino’s world is less angry and more reflective – and the world would be in a better place if everyone had this attitude.

6) Pochettino is, in one word, a ‘mensch’. He respected every player, manager and club from Barcelona to Colchester. He did not gloat or capitalise on the failures of others, nor did he covet other teams’ players. He was ambitious, but not at the expense of others. In today’s world so often the people at the top are ruthless, selfish and single-minded. Pochettino taught us that it’s possible to be a leader, achieve greatness and yet not make an enemy on the way, treating friend and foe with the utmost respect.

7) He created a team who worked for one another, spoke kindly and respectfully in interviews and became role models for young people. In the image of their manager, we have seen Harry Kane become a deserved England captain, Dele Alli become a professional and not the prima donna party boy he threatened to have been – and the team built around personalities such as Heung-Min Son, who showed after the Gomes incident what a genuine character he is.

I’m sure there will be people who point out to me his failings, and when he didn’t live up to the above praise. And it’s true – because he’s human. But in today’s world it’s considered normal to expect perfection from others while not striving for it themselves. In Judaism, no one person in its illustrious history, even Abraham or Moses, is considered to have been perfect because no one can be. And for those fans who live and breathe football, they can do no worse than looking to Mauricio Pochettino as a role model in life.

The Frum Traveller's Guide to Japan

Our experience was just one of many, and we do not claim that what we state here is the definitive experience of Judaism in Japan. However, we have tried to portray accurately what we found in order to give you an idea of what things will be like. We took a two-week holiday in Japan, spending most of the time in Tokyo and a few days in Kyoto during August.

Community

Japan’s Jewish community is small but varied, and comprises a wide range of traditions and observances. Options for religious Jews in Tokyo is limited to the two Chabad houses, as the JCC is not orthodox. Rav Mendy and Chana Sudakevich and Rav Binyamin and Efrat Edery each run Chabad houses, which although an hour’s walk from each other, function as two entirely separate communities.

It can be confusing to navigate the two Chabad houses’ websites and piece together what Jewish provision there is, especially when Rav Mendy’s Chabad house is the only one listed on chabad.org and claims to be the ‘official’ Chabad on his website, whereas Rav Binyamin has the title of ‘Chief Rabbi of Japan’. Therefore, I have listed below a summary of each Chabad house and what they provide:

Rav Mendy & Chana

• Located in Minato near Sensakuji station.
• Listed on chabad.org and claims to be the official Chabad.
• As well as a shul, there is a mikveh on site and the ‘Chana’s Place’ restaurant open between 17.00-21.30 on weeknights.

Rav Binyamin & Efrat

• Located in Omori, around 10 minutes’ walk from Omori station.
• Openly messianic on the website and in the house (e.g. saying ‘Yechi’ after tefilla)
• They set up a second branch in Kyoto, which they are serving simultaneously, and currently are looking for shlichim to take it on full time.
• Used to run ‘King Falaffel’ website which has now closed down.
• Run the ‘Kosher Japan’ hechsher, which you can find on two brands of Sake and other items.

There is also a Sephardi synagogue in the city of Kobe, which is a 30-minute train ride from Kyoto. This community goes back many years and is the only regular functioning Orthodox community aside from Chabad. There is an apartment in the shul complex which you can stay in for a fee over Shabbat, and the Rabbi can arrange Shabbat hospitality. We considered going there for Shabbat, however we found the cost of travel to and from Tokyo to be very high and felt that as tourists Kobe did not justify a visit compared to other places.

Based on recommendations, we decided to spend both of our Shabbatot with Rav Binyamin and Efrat, one in Kyoto and one in Tokyo. While the messianism was uncomfortable, everything else about our experience was the exact opposite. We found a warm and hospitable family that create a wonderful Shabbat atmosphere and it was a real experience for tourists – and included great food. They aim to create a real connection with guests, and are very well liked by locals including non-Jewish visitors. We did not spend Shabbat with Rav Mendy and Chana, partly as they were away during our visit (and we have heard that they are often are away during Av), and their Chabad house was staffed by yeshiva bochurim in their absence.

Shabbat Accommodation in Tokyo

We stayed at the Omori Tokyu REI Hotel, which is one of Rav Binyamin’s list of recommended hotels (see their website). Apart from being a great hotel in general, including the advantage of being located in the Omori station complex which gave great accessibility to Tokyo, it was a very good place to be for Shabbat. We found the staff to be helpful, though with limited English and little familiarity with religious Jewish guests. However we didn’t need their help as keeping Shabbat is relatively straightforward there. The keys are all cylinder, and there is no electric key card entry. You can control all lights apart from the one closest to the door which turns on automatically upon entry (there is a way of solving this halachic problem). The highest floor is the 8th floor, which is relatively low for many hotels (we recommend asking for a 7th floor room as the lower ones are smoking rooms – and reception is on the 3rd floor). The toilet has an automatic heater, which you cannot turn off, however there are halachic solutions to this problem.

With regard to entering and exiting the hotel, this can be an issue. There are two entrances, one on the 3rd Floor by reception which adjoins the station and one on the 1st Floor through a coffee shop to the street. There are stairs to both of these floors however you must wait for someone to trigger the automatic doors in order to enter/exit. On the 3rd floor there are two sets of automatic doors before you get to the station, at which point you can walk to the street. On the 1st floor the door to the coffee shop is automatic, however there is a regular door that is sometimes in use if it is not blocked in. We also needed to check out on Shabbat, which was not a problem as you pay on arrival and we gave a suitcase of muktzeh items for them to look after from Friday, which they were happy to do.

Shabbat in Kyoto

We decided to stay at the Chabad house for Shabbat as there are a couple of guest rooms, so we are unable to recommend local hotels. There were around 50 people for Friday night and 30 on Shabbat lunch, comprising mainly of tourists plus a few locals who made the effort to attend Chabad Kyoto’s 1st Anniversary Shabbat, with which our visit coincided. The food was excellent, there were minyanim throughout Shabbat (partly due to the Shabbaton) and there was a great vibe, perfect for tourists who want an exotic and traditional Shabbat experience, and the ability to meet other people too.

The Chabad house is easy to find (the website has good directions to get there from Kyoto Central Station) and is located in a beautiful area of Kyoto (where isn’t?!). Examples of Shabbat-friendly activities in the area include: walking the ‘Philosopher’s Walk’ by the side of a canal, known as one of the most popular activities in the city; walking to the hub of museums and shrines to see the outdoor market and other cultural activities; seeing an interesting cemetery including a grave in the shape of a tortoise!

Shabbat in Tokyo

Our second Shabbat was spent with Rav Binyamin, and once again we ate all meals at Chabad. There were no minyanim on this particular Shabbat and a small group of tourists, however we got the impression that this was a quiet week. There is not a great deal to do in Omori other than see the architecture of the neighbourhood (there is a small museum and gardens near Chabad however they aren’t tourist sites).

Food

As there are very limited kosher products in Japan we brought our own food from Israel, bought a cheap rice cooker and made our own meals. Rice from the supermarket is kosher and you can find the Kosher Japan hechsher on two brands of Sake (Dassai is the most common). There is one brand of sake that we found a KLBD hechsher on.

We went to Chana’s Place for dinner one night, which had nice food although it is more of a kitchen and a few tables than a fashionable restaurant. The menu resembles an Israeli meat restaurant (albeit with a smaller menu) and we felt the Japanese food options to be very expensive. My meal was nice, and the quantity of food was good.

One of the most popular attractions in Tokyo is the Tsukiji Fish Market. We managed to find a seller in the outside market who only sells tuna, and we bought some sashimi (raw tuna), which was delicious. Most of the stalls sell kosher fish as well as sea food.

In the Hakone area, a popular tourist site with views of Mount Fuji, the area of Owakudani is well known for its unique black eggs. These are regular eggs that have blackened shells due to the volcanic gases in the area, and are a big tourist draw. Although not conclusive, it seemed that there is bishul akum involved in the making of these eggs and therefore we did not eat any.

Overall, it is certainly possible to have a successful holiday in Japan while keeping Shabbat and Kosher - and you'll have some Jewish experiences you won't be able to have anywhere else in the world!

The Frum Traveller’s Guide to Seoul, South Korea

Our experience was just one of many, and we do not claim that what we state here is the definitive experience of Judaism in Seoul. However, we have tried to portray accurately what we found in order to give you an idea of what things will be like. We spent four days in Seoul, from a Friday to a Tuesday in August 2017, en route to Japan.

Community

Seoul’s Jewish community consists of a small number of Anglo ex-pats and a fluctuating number of US military servicemen. Chabad’s centre in the Itaewon area of Seoul is the only functioning Jewish community centre and is where we chose to spend Shabbat.

Shabbat Accommodation

The Chabad website has a list of hotels and guest houses which are situated close by and have some familiarity with guests who keep Shabbat. We recommend choosing one of these, as the knowledge and understanding of the needs of a religious Jew are almost non-existent in Korea, and there are many obstacles one would have to overcome to successfully keep Shabbat in some places. For example, when we considered booking a hotel not on this list, we discovered that not only was entry to the rooms via electronic card, but also leaving the room required an electronic keypad. Some hotels do not have stairs and require use of the lift, and you cannot rely on the staff’s level of English to be able to deal with situations.

We decided to stay at the IP Boutique Hotel, which is Chabad’s recommended hotel. If you book directly with the hotel (we simply emailed them through the website and confirmed everything this way) and explain you are staying at Chabad you can receive a discount. You should also request a room on a low floor (they may offer this anyway). The staff at the IP Boutique are extremely helpful, speak good English and understand the needs of those who keep Shabbat. Every time you enter the hotel on Shabbat, a member of staff will offer to escort you to your room and open the door via the electronic card (there is no regular key option).

You can enter the hotel main gate via a regular door, and there are stairs. In the room itself the light immediately as you enter will turn on automatically (all the others can be pre-set before Shabbat) and the toilet heater comes on automatically when you sit on it. Both of these issues do have halachic solutions.

The hotel is under 5 minutes’ walk from Chabad however it is very hard to find your way, partly because locals are unfamiliar with the Chabad house and partly because Google Maps does not offer walking directions in Korea. After getting lost on Friday afternoon and only finding the way due to bumping into another lost group of Jews, we have written the following instructions:

1. Turn left out of hotel

2. Very soon you will see a shop called ‘Friendly Fish Fun’ on the same side of the road as the hotel. It is on a corner with a side-road, which you should turn left onto.

3. Take the first right turn.

4. Take the first left turn, where you will see a restaurant called ‘New York Burger Place’ on the corner.

5. When you see a flag attached to a pole with ‘Chabad of Korea’ turn right and the house is on the left (there is a chanukiah above the gate).

In our view the hotel was not cheap however we felt that it was worth paying more and having an enjoyable Shabbat in a nice place than having the worry and concern of staying somewhere where a day of our holiday could be ruined, or compromised.

Meals & Minyanim: The Shabbat Experience

Having emailed the Rabbi to request to eat both Shabbat meals with them, we arrived on Friday night and made our way downstairs to the small shul. There was no minyan (though we were close, and sometimes they do have one), however we did not eat till late due to a lengthy shiur. Dinner itself was nice, and there were around 30 people including lots of young Israeli travellers.

The Shabbat morning service started at 10.00. There was a minyan (12 or 13 men), which finished at 13.30 due to there being a 15 minute discussion of each aliyah punctuating the leyening. After this there was a Kiddush, a break for Mincha and then lunch, which finished at around 15.00. They do not provide a formal seuda shlishit, though they are open to facilitating this. At the end of Shabbat there was no minyan for Ma’ariv but the Rabbi made Havdala for those present (and people came for a while after to make their own Havdala).

Overall we found Rabbi & Rebbetzen Litzmann to be very hospitable and we enjoyed our Shabbat there, although we felt that the experience is more catered towards the local community than tourists.

Shabbat Afternoon

We wanted to use Shabbat to soak up the local atmosphere, rather than just spending it in home and shul, and this was very easy in Itaewon. The IP Boutique and Hamilton Hotels (another Chabad recommended hotel) are located on the main road in Itaewon, and serve as a good base to explore the area - simply walking around is an experience itself. As the area is home to the US military base, you are more likely to find people who can speak English and signs in English.

We decided to walk to the War Memorial of Korea, which is about 25 minutes’ walk from the IP Boutique. Given that finding your way through side streets is extremely hard, this walk is very easy as you just walk down the main road to get there, only needing to navigate one junction correctly. The museum is free and a fascinating window into the Korean War and how it affects South Korea today. The National Museum of Korea, also free of charge, is within walking distance however it takes around 35 minutes to get there from Chabad/the IP Boutique.

Food

Chabad have a small shop in a room of their house, which has a relatively large variety of products such as cheese, soups and sweets. We bought our own food to Korea and did not take up this option. We did find a few confectionery products with a hechsher around Seoul, such as Haagen Dazs ice cream and cookies from America. The chain ‘Paris Baguette’ stocks one brand of kosher cookie.

Overall, although Seoul may not be one of the most popular destinations for religious Jewish travellers, you can definitely make it work and benefit from the many rich cultural experiences in South Korea.

Post-Chanukah Depression

Is anyone suffering from post-Chanukah depression? This condition is unique to Chanukah, for most other festivals have a happy ending. The story of Pesach ends with the giving of the Torah at Shavuot. The wandering in the desert, as celebrated at Sukkot, ends with the Jewish people reaching the Promised Land. On Purim the Jewish people are physically saved and the centre of Jewish life moves to Israel, where the Second Temple was taking shape.

For all the joy, miracles and salvations we experience on Chanukah, it all comes crashing down when we internalise the reality of what happened afterwards...

The full article can be found on my Times of Israel blog

Israel’s leadership and the challenge of consensus

It’s getting unbearably hot in Israel. The aftermath of Friday’s terrorist attack, which bears all the hallmarks of being carried out by Jews, has led to anger, outrage and a sense that something needs to happen, fast. And rightly so — Israelis and Jews around the world are proud of Israel’s tolerant society and respect for all human lives, whether Jewish or not.

The problem is that many of the reactions from Israel’s leadership, however understandable, are lacking, and don’t present a real solution to the huge challenges Israel faces.

The full article can be found on my Times of Israel blog.

Reflections on visiting the King Solomon Israel Trip

I was privileged to spend Shabbat with the King Solomon Israel Trip two weeks ago, as well as seeing them at the Kotel on Tuesday night, just before they returned to the UK. In addition to being special on a personal level, since I taught many of the students in my time at the school, I believe it was a truly unique trip, and I'd like to share some thoughts about it.

1) The ruach on Shabbat was truly one of the most incredible I have ever experienced in my life - and I have merited to eat many a Shabbat meal with groups of young people. Everyone without exception stood on their chairs and sang at the tops of their voices - there was a palpable feeling in the room that something unique was happening. When you consider that tefilla and Jewish songs do not play a large role in the school, this is all the more remarkable. What I take from this is that Israel allowed these young people to express themselves in ways they aren't able to do in a mixed Jewish and non-Jewish school. In Israel, they felt free to be Jewish, sing Jewish and keep Shabbat (even though most do not keep Shabbat at home). Only here was I able to fully appreciate the words of our Sages, "The air of Eretz Yisrael makes one wise", meaning that it has a transformational impact on people's lives.

2) Conversations with some of my former students reminded me of some key principles of education, which it is always important to remind oneself of: Never write anyone off - one of the children who was particularly disobedient in my Jewish Studies classes and could have been dismissed as 'disinterested' three years ago, was the same one who made up an optional Mincha minyan, and who is passionate about returning to Israel next year. There is not a moment when an educator is 'off-duty' - it was fascinating recalling events of years gone by, and being surprised at what still stands in their memories (usually the out-of-the-ordinary hadracha-style lessons and personal comments as opposed to the most content-heavy lessons!). Remember people's names, personalities and stories - young people want to be remembered more than they want to be taught.


3) In the time I was with the group, a few people tried to derail the amazing educational experience that was being had, namely the hotel manager who stormed into the dining room and told the group to stop singing so loudly and the two outwardly-religious men at the Kotel who told the group to be quiet when they were singing Jewish songs. If only they had known what experience they had the effect of damaging, I thought. But then, when I tried to explain it to one of them, he wasn't prepared to engage in any form of conversation. For this insensitivity, lack of understanding of one's fellow and unwillingness to engage in dialogue, I mourn this Tisha B'Av.

4) It is quite clear that what King Solomon students need most of all are madrichim, to serve as proud, Jewish role models that they can aspire to. They had them on the trip, and loved them. Sadly, because of the demise of youth groups in North East London - particularly JYSG, whose niche has never been filled and whose closure has been thoroughly tragic for the community - they are not exposed to many Jewishly-inspired madrichim, or for that matter, Jewish Studies teachers. To anyone in London reading this blog, who has the ability to fulfil this role as a formal teacher or in an informal capacity, I encourage you to get involved, and try and make a difference to a community that really needs you. You will be as enriched by the experience as they will!

Despite the fact that there are many challenges maintaining Jewish identity and education within the North East London Jewish community, I hope these words serve as a comfort to those who are working for it, and a motivation to those who could. The Jewish youth of King Solomon High School deserve only the best that the wider community can provide.

Jerusalem Day: Reroute the parade, reframe the day

I've changed my mind, though the High Court haven't. For years I've been uneasy about the Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) Flag Parade taking place in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem due to the provocative actions of some marchers, but this year I have become unequivocal.

The catalyst for this was my Facebook feed. Prior to Yom Ha'atzmaut, social media is filled with expressions of pride and joy at Israel's achievements, hope for the future and a religious appreciation of the miracle of the State of Israel. By contrast, the first article I saw for Yom Yerushalayim spoke of racism, incitement and "chilul Hashem" (sacrilege).

The full article can be found on my Times of Israel blog.

15th Iyar: The Origins of the Omer

“They journeyed from Elim, and the entire community of the children of Israel came to the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. The entire community of the children of Israel complained against Moshe and against Aharon in the desert. The children of Israel said to them, If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat, when we ate bread to our fill! For you have brought us out into this desert, to starve this entire congregation to death” (Shemot 16:1-3).

In the Jewish calendar, we see many months contain an historical event of note on the fifteenth of the month, for example Pesach, Shushan Purim and Tu B'Av. The essence of these months are defined by the month's central event, hence Nisan is considered the month of redemption. I would like to suggest that in the same manner, the month of Iyar is also defined by the event that took place on its fifteenth of the month: the giving of the manna.

In the first year of the Exodus, the Jewish people did not have an easy journey from leaving slavery in Egypt to arriving at Mount Sinai to accept the Torah. They had five major difficulties on the way: war with Egypt at the Yam Suf; no water at Marah; no food in Midbar Sin; no water at Masa U'merivah; war with Amalek at Refidim. Of these, the most serious and fundamental challenge to the Jewish people and its relationship with God was the manna, given by God in response to their complaints of food.

It is the complaint of food that first brought the accusation against Moshe and Aharon that their entire motive of the Exodus was to starve the people. Beforehand, when the people complained about a lack of water, their complaints did not reach this level of criticism, as they simply asked 'What shall we drink?' The manna, as a response to this complaint, was certainly the most difficult change for the people to implement. They struggled with the idea that they had to take all of the manna that fell, and not leave any for the morning - and even more so on Friday, when they had to trust that the food would last them two days.

Following years of slavery, the people could deal with the challenges of war, which required an immediate salvation. They could also deal with the challenge of a lack of water, since if it was there, they would drink it, and if it wasn't they would ask and immediately receive it. Yet the challenge of not being able to make food constituted a fundamental change in attitudes to daily life. It is not natural or pleasant to be reliant on someone else to provide food for one's family. However bad slavery was, it allowed people a modicum of this aspect of normal life.

The purpose of the manna, and the reason why it needed to be eaten for an entire generation, was to inculcate in the people the fundamental truth that wherever they are in the world, all sustenance is ultimately bestowed by God. The manna was never intended to be an ideal. Rather, it was a practice for the ultimate test: living in the Land of Israel, working in agriculture, producing one's own food and realising that at every turn, the final product was only possible due to God's guiding hand and providence.

It is fascinating, therefore, that the first time we encounter the word 'omer', it is in the context of the giving of the manna on the fifteenth of Iyar, and appears six times in the chapter. The omer is a measurement, and the amount for each person to take of manna each day. The Torah is very precise about this, mentioning that the people measured it, and describing the omer relative to other measurements (it was a tenth of an ephah).

And it is this very same measurement that the Jewish people are commanded to bring before God as an offering, "when they come to the Land...and you reap its harvest" (Vayikra 23:10). The Torah in brief, and the Mishna in detail, explain how the Cohen waves the omer before God as a sign of the people's acknowledgement that it is God who gives sustenance to the people. The significance of using an omer's worth of produce should not be missed: it is through the omer of manna that the people internalised this truth.

The ritual of Seder Night teaches us to appreciate our political reality - freedom as opposed to slavery, and how it was God who gave us it. The ritual of the Omer teaches us to appreciate something even more fundamental: our very existence as human beings depends on His sustenance. Perhaps this is why the Omer ritual was to be performed on the sixteenth of Nisan, the very next day after Pesach and the Seder night.

Yet the Torah does not merely proscribe the internalisation of this message to one day. Rather, after describing the Korban Omer (Omer sacrifice) performed by the Cohen, the Torah commands each and every person to count "for themselves" the days from when the Omer was first brought (16th Nisan) for seven complete weeks (Vayikra 23:15), after which a 'new offering' of bread is brought, on the holiday known as Shavuot. Through these mitzvot, we see that the process of the Omer is an individual and national journey of appreciating the level of interaction between God and the Jewish people. God is not 'merely' a power that can free the people from slavery, or conjure up water, but rather nurtures us constantly, creating the conditions by which man can produce his own food, and live each day in appreciation of how he is able to do it.

A month after the Exodus, the fifteenth of Iyar saw the biggest challenge of the post-Exodus plan. In the same way that the short-term response to it was far-reaching in its ramifications, with the people eating manna for 40 years, the long-term response was similarly far reaching, with the mitzvah of counting the Omer encompassing every day of the month of Iyar each year. Therefore as we count the Omer today, like all other days, and internalise the reality that God is the ultimate source of all our physical day-to-day needs, we transform a day that could have created an irreparable rift between the Jewish people and God to one that cements our interdependence, and everlasting relationship.

Israeli Elections Day: The Festival of Freedom

Whether right, left or centre, the one thing all Israelis agree on is that they are happy today is a national holiday. As a religious person, it makes a pleasant change to have a day off that doesn't include biblically-ordained restrictions. As a British person, it seems bizarre to miss a whole day of work for an action that takes a few minutes. But I have come to realise that the reason why we don't work is because today is truly a national holiday.

For most of the campaign, I have imagined that holiday to be somewhat of an extension of Purim. The extravagant warnings of dire consequences of voting for the other side that we constantly hear. The numerous amount of humourous political video clips. Netanyahu's narrative that if we don't vote for him, the Persians will finally succeed in destroying the Jews, who only he can save. I have thoroughly enjoyed the last few months of Israeli politics, but I wish it had only remained in the realm of the 'Purim Spiel'.

However as the day approached and the time came to finally decide who I was going to vote for, I realised that Election Day can really be compared to Pesach, the time of our freedom. On Purim, the Jews were bystanders as Mordechai and Esther contrived to save the Jewish people, but on Pesach every family and person made their own contribution to the Exodus by sacrificing the Korban Pesach and painting blood on the door. A small act, and indeed nothing on the scale of Moshe and Aharon's actions - let alone God's - but an act nonetheless. The moment when the people defied their Egyptian taskmasters and followed this mitzvah was when they became a free people, placing their destiny in their own hands.

My individual act of voting may seem a small act, making relatively little impact when cast alone. But as part of a nation, we as a collective are able to choose our own destiny. Today is a modern day Chag Hacherut, festival of freedom. It is unlike other Jewish festivals, both modern and ancient, in one stark way: You have to live in Israel. It is possible to celebrate great historical events and miracles anywhere in the world, but to create the history for future generations, you can only be in this land.

And it was for this purpose that I made Aliyah. When I vote in an Israeli election, I am able to play a part in shaping the future for the world's only Jewish state, and in fact the Jewish people entire. Rather than speculating and analysing from afar, I now have to get off the fence, choose a direction and be prepared to face the consequences. In football terms, it's the difference between being a commentator and a manager. Being a manager is much harder, and forces you to take risks - but that's how success is achieved.

It was only after this realisation that I decided how I would vote. One of my options was to vote for one of the two main parties because Israel would benefit from two-party dominance, and this would assuage the concerns I had in voting that party in. Another option was to vote tactically, based on who I would prefer to be Prime Minister, how the coalition negotiations would pan out and what I think other voters would end up doing on the day. But as much as I believe in the two-party system, and as much as I am fascinated by the coalition permutations to Carling Opta proportions, those shouldn't be reasons why I should vote for a certain party. With one vote, I can't second guess the entire population, and I can't single-handedly change the political system in one day.

Rather, I will vote for the party that I believe has the best vision for what Israel should look like tomorrow, with the desire to work tirelessly towards that goal. After all, that's what I came to the country to do. And as I prepare to place my card in the ballot box, I will for the first time understand the line of the Hatikvah, "To be a free people in our land". Chag Sameach!

Guide to the Persian Elections 2015

It's been a year of turmoil for Persian politics. Following a year of war, internal palace backstabbing and political maneuvering, Persians are once again going to the polls. Here's a short overview of the leading candidates and parties aiming to take control of Persia in the elections taking place in Adar 2015.

Likud

Led by Achashveirosh, nicknamed "King Achashveirosh", who is entering his 12th year in charge of the party, the Likud are seen as the most likely party to win the Persian elections. However recently the party has been rocked by an expenses scandal involving Achashveirosh's excessive spending at feasts paid for by taxes which he levied. Achashveirosh's major platform is security, and preventing the Greeks from obtaining a nuclear javelin. However, many people point to the wars, civil unrest and attempted assassinations and question Achashveirosh's security credentials. Despite all this, Achashveirosh's fluent declarations in each people's language and script still make him a strong candidate, and polls show that he is still liked by "most of his brethren".

Persian Union

The newly-formed Persian Union is the main challenger to Achashveirosh for the kingship, and their 'it's us or him' campaign, and calls for a 'revolution' have succeeded in making this a two-horse race around Shushan. The surprise of the campaign was the alliance of two former political rivals, Haman and Vashti, who have committed to sharing the throne in the next term of office should they win the election. The two leaders come from contrasting backgrounds; whereas Haman has always been a rival of Mordechai and a champion of the left, Vashti has had a nomadic career, which started with her being second on Achashveirosh's list, a position which ended when she refused to come to a crucial cabinet meeting and was subsequently sacked by him. Haman's lack of charisma means that he faces a battle to win over the electorate, who regularly make fun of his voice at public events all over the country.

Mordechai Hayehudi

Formerly known as the National Religious Party, the Mordechai Hayehudi party promotes the Jewish people's return to the homeland and is hawkish on many issues of religion and state. It's main platform is that Persia's provincial system does not work, and it wants Shushan to annex two thirds of Persia's 127 provinces and bring them under Persian law. This would mean that controversial laws such as 'making each man dominion over his wife' would be extended, thus placing into question Mordechai's attempts to modernise the party (though this is slightly mitigated by his placing of Esther as number 2 on his list). His publicity stunt of not bowing down to Haman, and social media campaign encouraging others to not bow down to things they don't worship, has elicited criticisms of scaremongering. However Mordechai, who once worked as Chief of Staff of Achashveirosh's office, is increasingly being touted for the top job in Persia.

Yesh Atid

This relatively new party was formed by Bigtan before the last elections, and took the country by storm. Previously a TV show host, Bigtan was famous for his on-screen partnership with Teresh, and the two co-hosted famous shows such as 'Persian Idol' and 'Xerxes Factor', which eventually produced Esther as a celebrity wife for Achashveirosh. Bigtan's political career soured following a fall-out with Achashveirosh, where the latter famously accused Bigtan of trying to mount a coup. The situation escalated when Mordechai told Achashveirosh that Bigtan was preparing an assassination attempt on him, and Achashveirosh subsequently dissolved the government. Disgraced, and the loser of a personal political dual with Mordechai, Bigtan is not expected to win many seats this time around.

Culanu

Culanu is a new party led by Charvonah, and could be the surprise package of this election. Charvona is seen as a populist, whose main platform is the targeting of rich magnates who inflict evil on the population. His sudden rise to fame came in preventing Haman from destroying the Jewish people by hanging him on the gallows he made for Mordechai. However aides of Achashveirosh are at pains to point out that this policy was only successful due to Achashveirosh's strong leadership and approval of the plan. That being said, it was Charvona who took the credit and will be remembered for good.

Wanstead and Woodford Synagogue: End of an Era

This article was written for the Shul Times, the newsletter of Wanstead and Woodford Synagogue, Parashat Beshallach 5775.

"We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us" - Sir Winston Churchill, MP for Wanstead and Woodford

Some shuls are renowned for their beautiful architecture. Others boast an illustrious list of famous rabbis or worshippers. Many can trace their roots back hundreds of years. Wanstead and Woodford Synagogue, in North East London, does not fall into any of these categories. Yet as we approach its final Shabbat before merging to form a new community, I believe that this shul leaves a legacy far more meaningful than design, history and famous people.

From the outset, the founder members designed a building to fit the needs of the community. The creation of multi-purpose open spaces as opposed to fixed furniture allowed the shul to be a 'Beit Knesset', a house of assembly, in the fullest sense of the word. And I would suggest that the very nature of the building has shaped the community: whereas some shuls prioritise the preservation of the building above all else, in Wanstead and Woodford, the focus was always on the people, not the building. We'll move the chairs and pews to fit the purpose, because that's what the community needs. We aren't beholden to what was, but rather embrace change to fit the present. Every person is important and precious.

These attitudes explain why when I was growing up, young people were encouraged to take part in services, hold youth service 'takeovers' of the main shul, run our own youth minyan, have free rein of the shul to run a very successful branch of Bnei Akiva and even paint a 'BA room' in a classroom! Shabbatot and chagim were geared towards children, and we were encouraged to take part in every aspect of shul life. It was in Wanstead and Woodford that I learned how to daven, leyen, give a shiur, dance at a simcha, run an event, speak to people of all ages, hold an explanatory service - and above all, care about the Jewish people. And it's not just me - many of my friends and peers gained tremendously from the responsibility they undertook, and it's no surprise to see those who grew up in Wanstead and Woodford active in all fields of Jewish life, such as J-Soc activists, youth movement workers, teachers, school governors, rabbis and much more.

The constant focus on education is entrenched in the nature of the Wanstead and Woodford community. When there was an educational programme after the Shabbat morning service, I was often amazed to see well over half of those who came in the morning staying to learn Torah. For many years, the shul's own nursery, staffed mainly by teachers from the community, gave hundreds of children a great start in life, and connected them and their families with their local shul. I have been privileged to run explanatory services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a project which grew in interest each year in spite of declining numbers at High Holydays services.

One of the most incredible aspects of the shul has been the absolute determination to maintain the highest religious standards, and particularly to ensure there is always a minyan. In the face of an ageing community and a gradual exodus to North West London of committed members, the fact that a daily Shacharit minyan has been maintained appears nothing short of a miracle, but was made a reality by a small group of dedicated people. I don't ever remember a time when more than 15 people came to Shabbat Mincha on a regular basis, but I have also never heard anyone question the viability of holding it.

However, the minyan wasn't just about getting 10 men and rushing through the service. There was always time to daven, time to sing Hallel, and sing new tunes. In recent years, a 'Carlebach' Kabbalat Shabbat became the norm, not the exception, including frequent bursts of dancing. Even the saying of 'Ma'aravot' and 'Veyiten Lecha' signalled a desire to go above and beyond, adding more holiness to the service. Whether it was the Hakafot on Simchat Torah led by the youth, which always lasted for hours, or Neilah services, with the entire shul singing loudly, Wanstead and Woodford has provided many people with countless religious experiences that are truly without parallel.

At the heart of all the amazing things listed above is the fact that the community displays a genuine warmth and kindness. Welcoming guests, raising money for tzedaka and Shabbat hospitality are just a few examples of the trait of chesed that runs through the shul. I am truly privileged to have been surrounded by these people for many years, and the community has been one of the greatest influences on my life. To have been a part of the Wanstead and Woodford community is one of the greatest honours I will ever have, and I will be forever indebted to all those who founded, maintained and led it. And the greatest testament to what Wanstead and Woodford Synagogue stands for is its decision to place the future ahead of the past and merge to form a new shul, Woodford Forest United Synagogue, which will serve the needs of the community for many years to come. B'hatzlacha!

I'm sorry, I haven't a clue

Please, thanks and sorry. Three simple words that formed the cornerstone of my earliest sentences. They were not superfluous extras, and if I did not mention one of them where appropriate, a reminder from my parents would swiftly follow.

All three words are admissions that you are in some way reliant on others in order to co-exist together. If you don’t apologise, it means you don’t need other people to carry on. If you don’t say please, you imply that others are there to serve you. If you don’t thank someone, you are failing to appreciate what you have. These three implications cut to the core of the most fundamental ethics of Jewish teaching; that of loving one’s fellow, treating people with respect and appreciating what one has.

I started thinking about this idea when I saw the Bayit Yehudi (National Home) Party’s new satirical promotional clip on Facebook. It features leader Naftali Bennett dressed up as a hipster, walking around Tel Aviv apologising for things he clearly hasn’t done. A waitress spills coffee over him, a car drives into his and a lady takes a bike he was about to take – and in all three cases, he apologises. After reading an article in the left-wing newspaper Ha’aretz entitled ‘Israel must apologise’, he reveals himself and announces that “from today, we stop apologising”.

Without entering into the political implications of this promotion, the satirising of an apology as weakness is a very dangerous step. In one of the Torah’s most dramatic moments, Yehuda, who had descended into a cycle of sin and depravity apologises for his actions, admitting he was wrong. God viewed this as a sign of strength, not weakness, and it is because of this episode that Yehuda was able to assume the mantle of Jewish leadership, and ultimately kingship, for all time.

Living and working in Israel, and specifically in the Religious Zionist community, my anecdotal perception is that people say please, thanks and sorry less in Israel than in Britain. This perception is compounded by the many times I have heard Israelis make fun of British people for being polite. Don’t worry, I have a sense of humour – but I don’t find this joke funny. I am proud to maintain my British manners of saying please, thanks and sorry even when my parents are in another country – and I won’t apologise for it.

I agree that people – and states – should not apologise for things they haven’t done wrong and should apologise for things they have. But even this basic level of nuance is not reflected in his ‘anti-apologist’ message. What starts as a political campaign could well reinforce societal norms. Israeli society on a day-to-day level needs people to start healing wounds with one another, and could do with its leadership promoting the notion of apologising when relevant.

It could be that Naftali Bennett has a point that the Bayit Yehudi, or more broadly Israel, needs to be less apologetic for its beliefs and actions. However with this strategy, he is playing around with one of the traits most crucial to maintaining Israel as a tolerant and inclusive society. It is time for those of us who have grown up with a culture of saying please, thanks and sorry to unashamedly bring these words, and associated concepts, to the discourse of Israeli society. If we can’t, well, I’m sorry, I haven’t a clue.

The Squeezed Middle of the Big Society

In the post-modern, multicultural and globalised world we live in today, it is much harder for western countries to define a sense of national identity and shared values. The UK is a prime case in point. Should it define itself through its Christian, imperial history or its multicultural, liberal present? In the days of New Labour, the latter was stressed. Now, following the ‘Trojan Horse’ scandal, the Coalition government are moving to the former.

Beyond this debate lies the UK’s Jewish community, happily going about its business. British Jews, with a long history of loyalty to Queen and country, a religious and cultural predisposition to integrate into a host country’s society and a broad sharing of values with modern Britain, seem to be above this kind of national identity crisis. Defining its relationship with mainstream British culture by its contribution to it, which has undoubtedly been disproportionately influential, the Jewish community’s place within British society is seemingly beyond question.

Or perhaps not. In Sir Michael Wilshaw’s (Head of Ofsted) Advice Note to the UK government in light of ‘Trojan Horse’, where inspections revealed that groups of governors with Islamic extremist tendencies had dramatically altered the ethos of some state schools in Birmingham in accordance with their agendas, he says that “in culturally homogeneous communities, schools are often the only places where children can learn about other faiths, other cultures and other styles of living”. As a result, all schools – including faith schools, will be required to “promote the values of wider British society”.

Although this policy seems innocuous, it could well represent a fatal blow to the right of the Jewish community to define the way it wants to live in the UK. Most would agree that Jewish schools prepare their students for life in modern Britain – even Charedi schools, who, despite their radically conservative approach, still produce law-abiding and respectful citizens. However they do much more than this. Whether it is Zionist principles of Jewish nationalism, support for the IDF and a positive disposition towards Aliyah or religious Jewish principles of fighting assimilation, traditional family values and differing roles for men and women, any inspection focusing on beliefs and attitudes within Jewish schools will put them on collision course with Ofsted and call into question their very existence within society.

The fundamental shift here is the switch from defining a minority community’s relationship with mainstream society by contribution, to one by belief. Although there are certainly problems with extremist values being taught in schools, turning Ofsted into the ‘thought police’ sets a dangerous precedent.

British politics is experiencing a polarisation of views to both the left and the right. The disaffected liberal middle class is pushing Labour towards the left, abandoning Tony Blair’s ‘third way’, whilst the disaffected working class is pushing the Conservatives towards the right, manifested indirectly through widespread support for UKIP. The Jewish community is becoming abandoned in the middle. Support for the IDF arouses the ire of the left, whilst the concept of a dual loyalty to Britain and Israel will soon cross a red line for the right.

History has a tendency to repeat itself. Jews have always been the enemy of the far left and the far right. However, bad things happen when they are attacked from both sides simultaneously. And what’s more, of all the issues to affect the Jewish community, it is the right to educate children in the Jewish way that represents one of the absolute fundamentals of Jewish life.

Ironically, it is the Jewish people who taught the western world the value of education and the right of every child to receive one. It is the Jewish people who have vast and successful experience of teaching Jewish values in a host country. It is the Jewish people who have consistently integrated into cultures the world over, bringing their own vigour and creativity to improving the society around them.

The UK Jewish community are fast becoming the 'Squeezed Middle' of the 'Big Society'. But sadly, neither Ed Miliband nor David Cameron seem to be paying attention.

Singing in Auschwitz

An open letter to the Director of the Auschwitz Birkenau Memorial and Museum.

I am the head of the World Bnei Akiva MTA programme, whose visit to Auschwitz on Friday 1st August has garnered much publicity throughout Israel and the Jewish world due to the detention and fining of its tour guide, Rabbi Rafi Ostroff.

Since the story has broken, your policy has been to defend the actions of your security personnel. Your PR department has made numerous comments on Facebook, including many examples of inaccurate reports about our group's behaviour. These include, but are not limited to: running around the site, not having a memorial guide and waving flags so that other visitors had to move away quickly. You have described our behaviour as "awful" and claimed that we were "disrupting public order". You have admitted that groups are able to sing "at the top of their lungs" when they are "alone" on the site, yet your police drove over to stop the group singing when no-one was around (see picture).

You followed a policy of constantly responding to posts about this incident, however the result has been that your story has been inconsistent. In some - but not all - cases, you have apologised for making inaccurate claims about our group and mixing it up with other groups on site. In addition to this, you claim to have video footage of the event, and to have received "numerous" complaints by visitors and guides. But you haven't specified how many, nor have you released the video.

You have constantly talked about the requirement for sensitivity within the site, yet I have not seen you address the lack of sensitivity displayed by your security personnel throughout the day, which could have prevented this incident from escalating. In particular, but not exclusively, I am referring to the incident which actually resulted in the calling of the police, which followed the group singing on the path from 'Mexico' towards the convent, and then towards the exit with no-one else in sight. The security officer, who drove out of his way to challenge us, approached me and we had a long conversation. I tried to defuse the situation, saying that the boys are not disturbing anyone and will be out of the site in a minute. His decision to escalate matters by insisting they stopped singing at the exit (see picture), detaining Rabbi Ostroff and eventually calling the police displayed a lack of sensitivity towards our group at a site that requires it more than any other.

You have also tried to claim that ours was an isolated incident, yet I know of two other groups who also faced similar problems with security personnel in Auschwitz over the last few weeks. Given that singing by Jewish groups in Auschwitz is an established practice for many years, I find it hard to believe that the general demeanour of Jewish groups has changed recently. Indeed, this was my third visit to Auschwitz as part of a group of young Jewish people and each time we have sung at the same locations and conducted ourselves in the same way without any issue with the site management. As a principle, singing slow and sad songs is how Jewish people commemorate and memorialise the Holocaust, and remember their loved ones at sites where their family members perished, especially Auschwitz.

As a result of all this, I request that you personally write a letter to the 18-year-old members of the group and apologise for spreading mistruths about their conduct, in addition to apologising to Rabbi Ostroff for the incident itself. I also request that rather than punishing the participants by taking away 1000 zloties from their group's budget, you return the money, which I will put towards more Holocaust education for the programme. Finally, I ask that you initiate a training programme for your staff in order for them to understand the sensitivities required with regard to Jewish and Israeli groups.

A people that dwells alone

The song 'Hein Am' by Yaakov Shwekey has, in recent years, become a popular tune at Jewish celebrations. It is a quote from Bamidbar 23:9, uttered by the non-Jewish prophet Bilam, who famously tried to curse the Jewish people yet after divine intervention ended up blessing them: "From the top of the rocks I see him [referring to the Jewish people], and from the hills I behold him; behold, it is a people that dwells alone, not reckoned among the nations".

The tune and upbeat nature of this song suggests that the words are to be celebrated: in this case, that the Jewish people were, are, and forever will be alone, and that we should accept this, and rejoice in it. This feeling of loneliness among the nations is felt throughout the Jewish world today, especially during times of war in Israel, as is the case currently. It was certainly the overriding feeling felt by millions of Jews who lived through the horrors of the Holocaust and the bold attempts to establish a Jewish state in the Land of Israel against the odds.

However, Rabbi Sacks makes a strong argument that this prophecy remains that which Bilam intended - a curse. He brings the Talmud Sanhedrin's statement that all of Bilam's 'blessings' turned into curses with the exception of one. Furthermore, the great commentators understood the phrase to mean that Jews are indestructible (Rashi), don't assimilate (Ibn Ezra) and maintain their own integrity (Ramban). To be isolated, says Rabbi Sacks, is not a blessing, nor is it our destiny.

Although the notion of Jewish isolation has played a role in my education, and was my way of dealing with the challenges of being a religious Jew at a non-Jewish school during the Second Intifada, I have grown to appreciate Rabbi Sacks' assertion. The Jewish mission of bringing peace and justice to the world through a recognition of God cannot be achieved without it. Just as with my religious Zionist belief that we can hasten the redemption through our actions, so too here, we must win over the nations of the world and not shut ourselves off from it. As Rabbi Sacks says, "It is vitally important not to believe in advance that we are destined to be alone...If we are convinced we will fail, we probably will. That is why the rabbis were right to suggest that Bilam’s words were not necessarily well-meant" (Covenant and Conversation, Parashat Balak 5771).

Yet despite all this, during Operation Protective Edge, I find myself once again resorting to feelings of loneliness. The accusations I have heard are familiar refrains: Israel has no regard for international law; Israel places a lower value on Palestinian life compared to Israeli life; Israel deliberately targets, or doesn't do enough to prevent, civilian casualties; terrorism comes as a result of Israel's policies; Israel's response to attacks on its citizens is allowed, but always disproportionate - and more. Whilst it is undoubtedly true that there are key figures such as world leaders and newspaper editors who do support Israel's actions, these accusations still run abound throughout the world media and popular opinion.

Yet as Israel approaches each new conflict, and specifically in Operation Protective Edge, there are two things that improve. One is the effort to which Israel goes to protect Palestinian lives, be it through phone warnings before strikes, setting up field hospitals or calling off airstrikes if civilians are detected. The other is Israel's determination to film action on the ground and publicise it on social media, so that rather than merely hearing from an IDF spokesman, we can see for ourselves the Hamas tunnels, stores of rockets and the hospitals and schools being used as rocket launch bases. In 2014 Israel has become extremely proficient in both areas, and leads the world in how to respond proportionately to constant terrorist threats, whilst maintaining dignity for the rights of civilians despite the often-blurred lines between civilian and terrorist.

This is why I feel alone when I hear the familiar accusations against Israel in 2014. Even if they applied to any degree in previous campaigns, I find it impossible to justify them with regard to Operation Protective Edge. Israel have not ignored the world and practiced isolationism. Rather, the effort to project Israel's message to the world has been the best yet - from political decisions made with world opinion in mind to mass media campaigns affecting the common person. Furthermore, this conflict has been with Hamas, a terrorist organisation whose charter, rhetoric and recent military and political decisions, one would think, leaves it morally indefensible.

I want to resist the natural reaction and declare that indeed, we are destined to be a nation that dwells alone. I don't want to believe that no-one understands us. Moreover, I do not want to resign myself to the knowledge that Israel must be seen as the aggressor, and that we should give up persuading the world otherwise. But how can this apparent chasm between the ideal and the reality be bridged?

One of the oft-repeated frustrations shared by supporters of Israel is the tendency to lend a higher level of scrutiny to its actions in comparison with other world conflicts, whether through media attention, UN resolutions or governmental action. Although this frustration is understandable, especially, for example, in light of the atrocities being committed in Syria, it also misses the point. Irrespective of other conflicts, Israel should be acting to the absolute highest moral standard and world attention should be a cause for optimism, so that we can showcase our ethical values to the world. In effect, it's not enough to be 'better' in comparison. As a Jewish country, we should only strive for the absolute best in every moral count.

Perhaps herein lies our challenge. At times of war, the people of Israel come together and unite. This unity is not just based on a common concern for each other's welfare, rather it is also based on a unity of values, such as the right of self-defence and the care for all casualties of war, on both sides. However in times of peace, do we experience the same unity? And if we do, how often is it unity based on common values? For all Israel's achievements, we who strive for only the highest moral standards, know that we can do more to improve our society and thus influence the nations around us. Is our society free of corruption, free of crime and free of intolerance? Can we do better in helping minorities, balancing inequalities and creating the haven of social justice envisioned by our prophets? We know that the answer to this is that we can improve - and that's natural, since we are a relatively new state, which is work in progress.

The world, subconsciously or not, is looking to the Jewish state to provide the highest possible moral standard in everything it does. We know from history that when the Jewish state was at its religious and ethical best during the time of King Solomon, it ushered in an era of financial security and peace, and Israel was the envy of the nations. We shouldn't need to compare ourselves to other nations, rather we only need look to our own heritage, traditions and values, and act accordingly. I would like to suggest that the chasm between the ideal position of Israel within the world and its current standing will not be bridged during the flare-ups of war. Rather, the times of war merely express the disquiet the world feels with our inability to fully realise the Jewish mission to be the world's moral standard every single moment of every single day.

Bilam's prophecy cleverly played on the notion of chosenness, a positive force which he turned into a negative one by foretelling our isolation among the nations. If we want to rid ourselves of this curse and never to feel the loneliness we currently feel, we need to channel this force and dedicate our efforts to making Israel the absolute moral entity we have dreamed for, prayed for, and are on the way to achieving.

A Tribute to Uncle Max

These words are a tribute to 'Uncle' Max Fishel, who sadly passed away on Friday, 29 Sivan 5774. Our thoughts are with 'Auntie' Rene and all the family.

I have many aunties and uncles. As well as my biological ones, I count the various parents of my generation growing up in Wanstead & Woodford Synagogue as aunties and uncles - and I know my friends do the same. The people I went to shul with were family and I still feel part of a very special community exuding warmth, care and a passion for Judaism and Israel. And there was one man who everyone in the community looked up to, who embodied all of these values. 

Uncle Max was the ultimate shul man, putting his heart and soul into the good of the Wanstead & Woodford community. He was the shul's 'sweet man' - when you came into shul, your first stop was to go to Uncle Max, where you would receive a 'Good Shabbes', a smile and a sweet (and a chocolate on Rosh Hashanah!). He was the shul's librarian, opening up the collection of books, tapes and videos to all on Sunday mornings. And, after every service, he would go through the bookcases ensuring that all the siddurim and chumashim had been placed the right way up. He understood what a shul is all about - respect, learning and warmth.

Uncle Max was truly someone who embraced all, and as a result, brought many people closer to Judaism - in fact, I fail to ever recall a bad word said about him. There are people who owe their Jewish identities to him as a result of him taking them in, offering them a seat and guiding them through the service. His dedication to going to shul was beyond all expectations. In health, he would be ever-present, but despite many spells in hospital in recent years, he would summon immense courage and retake his regular seat in shul, still smiling, getting called up as the shul's most honoured Levi, and chatting to people at kiddush.

One of my most vivid memories of recent years was seeing Uncle Max standing guard by the Aron Kodesh at Neilah of Yom Kippur, with the community enjoined in passionate prayer. Nothing pleased Uncle Max more than a full shul, and I am sure that the sight he saw at that moment, albeit a rare occurrence, filled him with happiness.

In recent years, when his health declined, Rafi Saltman and I, amongst others, were privileged to lead Seder nights for Uncle Max and Auntie Rene. Even in poor health, he attempted to say the brachot, eat matza, sing along to Dayenu and make his customary jokes on the way. We were both inspired as we returned to our families - Uncle Max represented the indomitable spirit of the Jewish people, committed to the Torah despite his hardships. 

Another Pesach, Uncle Max was taken into hospital on first day Yom Tov. On the afternoon of the second day, a group of eight young people all walked to Whipps Cross Hospital to visit him. The hospital couldn't quite work it out - if we weren't all grandchildren, what were we all doing visiting a 90-year old man? But to us it was obvious. The fact that all the young people in shul would spend their Yom Tov afternoon visiting Uncle Max was a given, and to see his happiness in seeing each and every one of us, meant more to all of us than words could imagine.

My community, and the Jewish people as a whole, have lost a truly great man, one of the most righteous people I have known and one of my life role models. I have written this article partly to share my memories and stories, but also to encourage us to learn lessons from his life. All it takes is a welcoming smile to a newcomer or visitor in shul - the difference we make may last for generations. If we can all take this upon ourselves, we will truly have perpetuated Uncle Max's legacy.

Yehi Zichro Baruch.

Why I won't sign on the Green Line

Before you read this blogpost, you should check something first:

Have I signed on the Green Line?

Because no doubt that before you read whatever I am going to post, you'll want to know whether I do or don't subscribe to the Green Line being drawn on all maps of Israel. Once you know this, you can place me in one of the two camps, which a new campaign started by 16 young British Jews is trying to create.

Well, I haven't signed on the Green Line and I'm not planning to. I don't have a problem with drawing the Green Line on a map, and my decision not to sign has nothing to do with my political views about the peace process.

It's that this campaign is aiming to divide the community. Organisations that are "yet to sign up" are held hostage by this campaign by being named and shamed publicly - all this assuming that not signing up to the campaign is something to be ashamed of.

This is an extremely dangerous precedent. It is true that Jewish organisations are sometimes forced into making yes or no choices which have public ramifications. Shuls either do or don't say the Prayer for the State of Israel, and I for one strongly disagree with those who don't. However I don't believe we need to name and shame them, thus creating unnecessary division. If unchecked, this type of campaign could be repeated for any divisive issue in the community, pitting half the community against another.

However it goes further than that. Just because such decisions are made does not mean that the reasons behind them are uniform. By listing all non-signed up organisations in one 'wanted list', assumes that whatever reasoning they may have for not signing up, it's not worth noting. Not only do we not know their reasons, we do not care either - because they have all been listed as 'yet to sign up', which suggests that once they have seen the light, they will.

But what if we say that the campaign, despite its questionable tactics, is ultimately right, and there is never a situation where it is acceptable to omit the Green Line from a map? The answer is - that's not the point. Whether the organisers intended it or not, the decision to sign or not will be viewed as whether one's views on the peace process are left-wing or right-wing. People will be judged before their views have been heard on the subject, and that does nothing to facilitate an "honest, well-informed discussion on Israel", as the campaign wishes.

Furthermore, one of the claims of the campaign is that it is not political, and that their quest is to bring balance to Israel education. However if one signs up to the campaign, they may notice that there is a tickbox which allows you to find out more information about the work of Yachad, who are supporting the campaign. Yachad are a political organisation with political objectives - notably a two-state solution and the division of Jerusalem. The box is automatically ticked. The fact that this campaign is being backed to that extent by a left-wing political lobbying group undermines its supposedly apolitical stance.

So, if you've managed to read this far, well done. You've hopefully realised that in all of my above points, I have not indicated whatsoever what my political leanings are. And no simplistic campaign will ever force me to reveal them.

iDeals or Ideals?

We've read the history books and learnt about the great figures of the past - but that's not us, right? They lived in times when people lived for their ideals, not surrounded by the self-centred culture we are exposed to today. Nowadays, people just aren't as idealistic as they once were.

Having grown up in the UK Jewish community, I have heard these sentiments expressed in a number of forms on many occasions. So it is refreshing to see people breaking down the myths and showing it is possible to live for an ideal and carry it out.

This week, Gideon Bratt, Eve Minsky and Gabi Sacofsky made aliyah. All three, before and after their year on Bnei Akiva's Hachshara programme, have made huge contributions to their local communities, J-Soc and Bnei Akiva, including Gideon and Eve working on the Mazkirut. It's not a new thing for British BA-niks to make aliyah, but it is rare for three bogrim to jointly make a decision to come together, a very short time after finishing university, and as a natural next step after fulfilling senior tafkidim in Bnei Akiva.

The public nature of the aliyah, from the crowd that greeted them at Ben Gurion to the huge amount of Facebook publicity it generated, will have an impact far and wide. Younger BA-niks should be inspired that not only is aliyah possible, but it's something you can do with friends who share your goals and dreams to the extent that it would make them move countries.

The fact that all three had spent time in England between their gap year in Israel and Aliyah should not be understated. Not only does it show a huge determination to fulfil their goals, it also meant that they were able to inspire and educate hundreds of chanichim to make similar life choices.

With six previous Mazkirut members making Aliyah in the last year as well as many others, everyone connected to Bnei Akiva UK should reflect on what an amazing chinuch framework it has, and specifically that unlike much of society around it, the drive, passion and idealism of its leaders shows no sign of abating - and that is something to be inspired by.

New Realities

This Erev Shabbat is not like any other. We knew it wouldn't be, since it is one of the occasions when the Fast of Tevet falls on a Friday, a rare event that can only happen with this fast.

But this year in Jerusalem it has been different. Much has been made of the early snowfall this year, but could there be significance in its timing to coincide with the Fast of Tevet?

At Shacharit I wondered this when I saw that snow is mentioned in today's Selichot as a metaphor for being pure and clean from sin. But as the day progressed I saw a deeper correlation.

Although there were warnings of snow, the scale of the snow today still took people by surprise and it became evident early today that it would be impossible to leave Jerusalem. After I had internalised this reality and made different Shabbat plans, there was a power cut, which again changed the reality of the day. Apart from the lack of heating, there was the chance that there would be no hot food on Shabbat. Then I heard that the Eruv in Jerusalem was down, which forced many people to go out in the snow before Shabbat to give food and presents that they otherwise would have done on Shabbat.

It is certainly a day like no other, and it isn't over yet. We haven't gone through the odd religious transition of leyening for fast days followed by Kabbalat Shabbat and then breaking the fast on Kiddush. But over the day we have constantly adjusted to new realities that have made life, and specifically the observance of Shabbat, more challenging than they would otherwise have been. What started as an innocent piece of weather news ended up as an all-encompassing reality.

I would like to suggest that this is in fact the idea behind the Fast of Tevet. It is the anniversary not of a war but of the start of the siege of Jerusalem. Being under siege meant no travel out of the city, difficulty finding food and if it happened today, power outages. Normally when we fast we spend the day appreciating the blessing of food and drink. This fast has taught us to appreciate that and much more, and helping us to identify more with the historical events of the day.

The aim of fast days is to awaken thoughts of teshuva through remembering the sad events that have been inflicted on the Jewish people throughout history. However with the Fast of Tevet the event itself was not significant - life may have been fairly normal on 10th Tevet. But the effects would be felt in the weeks and months ahead. In religious thought, there was still time to do teshuva and stop the descent towards the destruction of the Temple, just as it was possible to end the siege. However the opportunity was not taken and the Temple was eventually destroyed.

The Fast of Tevet marks the beginning of a process where we are forced to adjust to new realities. If what we have learned from today is to appreciate more the source of all our basic needs, then that can act as the foundation for a collective teshuva and a catalyst for the process leading to the rebuilding of the Temple, which is the ultimate new reality we should aim to adjust to.