1469 - 30 April 2026

FUND THE FIGHT FOR BRITISH JEWS

So many of you like what we do at Campaign Against Antisemitism and believe it’s the right approach. We know because you’ve told us. We know because you turn to us. We know because you value the results we deliver.

We pushed for restrictions on the hate marches. The police pushed back. When our pressure intensified, they finally imposed conditions on the marches. Leaders of the PSC and Stop the War, so used to doing whatever they wanted, breached those conditions. They have now been convicted in court.

The BBC has not wavered in its bias against Israel. We kept the pressure up, putting antisemitism at the BBC on the national agenda. First, Gary Lineker went. Then it was the turn of Director General Tim Davie and the CEO of BBC News. With a new Director General in position, we are maintaining the pressure to expose and counter the BBC’s spouting of inflammatory propaganda.

The ban on Israeli football fans by West Midlands Police was a national disgrace. We maintained the pressure alongside politicians like Nick Timothy MP and Lord Ian Austin until Chief Constable Craig Guildford was forced out. The episode showed the extent to which radical Islamism is able to warp British law enforcement, and exposed the appeasers to the full glare of the British public.

Just months ago, Kanye West released a song called “Heil Hitler” and profited off swastika merchandise. He has apologised in the past before releasing a new album, only to return to hate. When he wanted to perform in the UK, we piled on the pressure and led the media backlash. The Home Office barred him from entry and the music festival was cancelled.

‘This is not who we are as a country’

‘We stand with the Jewish community’

‘An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us’

Bull$#@# bingo Jews bleed. Cue the clichés...

‘Hate has no place in British society’

‘This horrific act has no justification’

‘Our hearts go out to the victims and their families’

‘We must choose unity at a time like this’

‘Our thoughts and prayers are with you’

‘This is not just your fight. This is our country’s fight’

Visiting Kenton Synagogue after it was targeted for arson, the prime minister talks to Lee Harpin about antisemitism and communal security

Keir Starmer has launched a scathing attack on Zack Polanski after the Green Party leader questioned whether British Jews are facing “perceived” or “actual” antisemitism, branding the observation as “disgraceful”.

Speaking to Jewish News during his visit to Kenton United Synagogue in north-west London, where he surveyed the aftermath of the 19 April antisemitic arson attack and met Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, United Synagogue leaders and members of the congregation, the prime minister was asked for his response to Polanski’s remarks about rising antisemitism.

Starmer told Jewish News: “I think it’s disgraceful, and to even suggest that this is a perception of the reality is to totally misunderstand antisemitism. This is very real. It’s visceral, and it’s felt throughout the whole community, and anybody denying or belittling that is guilty of all the usual assumptions in relation to antisemitism.”

He added: “It’s really important. I have no doubt in my mind about just how real this is and the impact it’s having.

“You have families and individuals worried about whether they can wear their traditional clothing and jewellery in public ... You have people who’ve been subjected to an attack in this very synagogue who are clearly feeling very fearful, and I think it’s disgraceful for anybody to suggest otherwise.”

Starmer’s criticism followed Polanski’s interview with Haaretz, in which the Green Party leader acknowledged the rise in antisemitic attacks affecting the community, but

then said: “There’s a conversation to be had about whether it’s a perception of unsafety or whether it’s actual unsafety, but neither are acceptable.”

He also accused Labour of “weaponising” antisemitism claims against Green candidates ahead of local elections.

In a wide-ranging interview, Jewish News also asked Starmer whether he agreed with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch’s claim that racism against Jews is not taken as seriously as that faced by other communities, including Black people.

“We will fight racism and hatred in all its forms,” the PM replied.

“We help nobody by trying to suggest there’s a hierarchy of racism and hatred.

“We must fight all of it, because this is a fight for the country that I believe in. A country where people are free and secure, whatever their identity, and that’s why I see this very much in relation to these latest antisemitic attacks. Not just coming up alongside the Jewish community to support them in their fight ... It’s actually our fight. It’s my fight, because I want to live in a country where not just the Jewish community but all communities, religious communities, feel they can practice their religion.

“They can have their identity without fear of intimidation and attacks like these.”

The attempted arson attack on Kenton Synagogue was the fourth such assault on the Jewish community in northwest London in the past month.

The prime minister began his visit with a private meeting with Chief Rabbi Mirvis, followed by discussions with United Synagogue leaders. Among them were president Saul Taylor, chief executive Jo Grose, Kenton Synagogue Rabbi Yehuda Black, chief operating officer David Collins and community chair Ruth Black, who described the shul’s response in the immediate aftermath of the attack.

While Starmer’s visit was welcomed, community leaders and members did not shy away from expressing fears, frustration and anger at ongoing attacks and urged the government to turn tough rhetoric into concrete action.

Starmer was asked whether he was surprised by the anger and frustration he heard at the meetings, which also included conversations with older members of the community at a regular synagogue coffee afternoon.

He replied: “It was really important for me to hear it … It’s difficult to hear the levels of anxiety.

“I’m not surprised because of the nature of the attack on this synagogue and the impact it must have had on them.

“I’m also not surprised because, sadly, I’ve heard too many from our Jewish community express the same deep personal concern and anxiety about these ongoing attacks and the

rise in antisemitism we’ve seen, particularly in recent years.

“But it is nonetheless really important that I hear it, carry that with me to ensure that we drive ahead with the necessary measures that we are taking.”

At the meeting’s outset, Starmer told those assembled: “I’ve come here to stand with you.

“The Britain that I want is a Britain where people can practice their religion, their faith, in safety and security.

“That’s amongst the reasons I wanted to come here personally myself this afternoon to hear firsthand from the people affected by the attack this weekend.”

Chief Rabbi Mirvis highlighted the community’s anxiety following the attacks and added that he had asked the prime minister to “guarantee normalisation of antisemitism in the UK will stop, and that there will be zero tolerance”.

The Chief Rabbi later told Jewish News his role enabled him to have “many opportunities to share thoughts and information” with the prime minister.

“It is important that at all times I be open with him to bring to his attention the anxieties of our community together with the resilience of our community,” he said.

Earlier, United Synagogue president Saul Taylor had called for steps to halt pro-Palestinian hate marches.

Taylor also addressed the enormous costs of security at synagogues, saying: “The charity now spends upwards of £1m a year on security. It cannot be right that in modern Britain this level of security should be necessary.”

STARMER ACCELERATES PLANS FOR PROSCRIBING IRGC

Keir Starmer this week confirmed his government will introduce new anti-terror powers to enable it to ban state threats such as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), writes Lee Harpin.

The legislation will be outlined in the King’s Speech on 13 May. The prime minister told Jewish News: “We need legislation to take necessary measures and that is legislation we’re bringing forward as soon as we can.”

The PM added he was “very worried” about the increasing use of proxies by the Iranian regime, adding: “I want to make Britain a country where our Jewish community feels safe, as they have done for a very long time.

“I’m determined to do that. That means making clear that we stand alongside our Jewish community.”

It was important the whole country saw the fight against antisemitism “as a fight for all of us, it’s a fight for Britain, a fight for the Britain we love”, he added.

“Of course we need to put in place the necessary changes in law in relation to protests, and root out the antisemitism we have found in schools and colleges, and even the NHS,” the PM said.

“But we will bring forward legislation and we are making sure the police and CST are working very closely because the use of

proxies in this country is a real and growing concern.”

The IRGC, which was set up to defend Iran’s Islamic system and has become a major military, political and economic force in the country, has been linked to global attacks on the Jewish community, including the most recent spate of incidents in this country.

Islamist group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, suspected of having Iranian links, claimed responsibility for an attack on Jewish community ambulances in north London and other incidents in the UK and Europe.

Labour had promised to proscribe the IRGC ahead of the last general election, but

ministers have since claimed current laws to ban terror groups were inadequate when dealing with state-aligned groups.

Independent reviewer of state threats and terrorism law Jonathan Hall was commissioned by the government in December 2024 to conduct a review of whether there were tools available in terrorism legislation that should be emulated or adapted to address threats to the UK.

The National Security Strategy, published on 24 June 2025, committed to take the recommendations forward, and to draw up new powers, modelled on counter-terrorism, to tackle state threats.

Golders Green stabbing / Vandals jailed / Exhibition axed / Bibi

Two Jewish men stabbed in Golders Green terror attack

Two people were stabbed in Golders Green on Wednesday after a man allegedly ran through the area armed with a knife and attempted to attack members of the public, in the latest incident to raise concern in one of Britain’s largest Jewish communities, writes Annabel Sinclair.

The incident sparked a furious response from Israel’s foreign ministry, which in a post on social media said the stabbing followed attacks on synagogues, Jewish institutions and community ambulances in the UK.

“After attacks on synagogues, Jewish institutions, community ambulances and now Jews targeted in Golders Green, the UK government can no longer claim this is under control,” the ministry said.

Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis said: “Following the antisemitic stabbing of two Jewish people on the streets of Golders Green this morning, words of condemnation are no longer su cient. This must be a moment that demands meaningful action from every institution, every

community, every leader, and every decent person.”

Shomrim North West London said the suspect was seen running along Golders Green Road carrying a knife and trying to stab Jewish passers-by.

The volunteer neighbourhood watch group said its members responded quickly and detained the

suspect before Met Police arrived. The two victims were treated at the scene by Hatzola emergency responders and taken to hospital where they were said to be stable..

A Met statement said a 45-yearold man had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and was taken into custody, adding: “We are

Pro-Palestine vandal gang jailed for 20 months each

Three pro-Palestinian activists who carried out a 16-hour rooftop protest at a defence-linked factory have been jailed for 20 months each.

Julian Gao, 22, Saeed Najam Shah, 53, and Daniel Jones, 30, broke into Teledyne UK Ltd in Shipley in April 2024, causing an estimated £570,000 damage to the roof and interior.

The company has previously been linked to the manufacture of equipment used by the British Army and exported to other countries, including Israel.

The three men, along with a fourth defendant, Ruby Hamill, 21, were convicted in February of criminal damage and possession of articles with intent to cause criminal damage.

Hamill, of Emu Road in London, was convicted in her absence and remains wanted by police.

Sentencing the men at Bradford Crown Court, Judge Ahmed Nadim said the protest was “deliberate, planned and sustained” and had caused significant damage and disruption.

During the demonstration, the group changed into red boiler suits and were filmed carrying sledgehammers, ladders and crowbars, alongside flags and banners. Drone footage later showed them smashing roof tiles and windows after climbing on to the building.

Emergency services were forced to implement a containment plan when the protesters refused to come down.

AXED

An artist whose recent exhibition included work described as showing Jews “depicted as blood-soaked, baby eating demons” and singled out key British Jews for condemnation has had a new show in London cancelled after gallery owners were warned of potential legal and reputation risks.

The Delta House Gallery in Wandsworth was due to host works by Evening Standard former art critic Matthew

Collings next month but withdrew after UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) raised concerns about the exhibition.

UKLFI pointed out the paintings including depictions that demonised Jews and Israelis, promoted conspiracy theories about Jewish control and drew comparisons between Israel and the actions of Nazi Germany.

The organisation pointed out the material could poten-

tially engage provisions under the Public Order Act 1986 and expose both the artist and the gallery to legal risks – and the gallery and its owners would also incur reputational risks.

Collings last month held an exhibition titled Drawings Against Genocide at a gallery in Margate. He described it as “a window into the Zionist lobby’s connection to our government, mainstream media and the art world”.

working to establish his nationality and background.”

The attack was later declared a “terror incident”, with assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of Counter Terrorism Policing, and team taking over the investigation.

“Our highly specialised teams of o cers are working with the Metropolitan Police to progress the investigation quickly – and establish exactly what has happened,” he said.

“We are also working with the security services to ensure we have a full intelligence picture. One of the lines of enquiry is whether this attack was deliberately targeting the Jewish community in London.”

Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and Finchley and Golders Green MP Sarah Sackman faced heckles and shouts of “shame” from some locals as they spoke to the media after the attack.

Courts minister Sackman confirmed the prime minister has called a Cobra meeting, while Sir Mark revealed the suspected knifeman

had “a history of serious violence and mental health issues.”

As Rowley and Sackman made their statements at the scene, one bystander shouted “protect the Jewish people” and another shouted “you support the Sharia”.

Home secretary Shabana Mahmood also pledged the government will “strain every sinew” to keep Jewish people safe.

Mahmood said she would not “tolerate a situation where our Jewish citizens have to lead smaller lives. I’m very clear, our Jewish community are a part of our community here in the UK and I want them to feel safe.

Addressing MPs in the Commons, Keir Starmer described the attack as “deeply concerning”, while local Golders Green councillor Dean Cohen told Jewish News: “I’m shocked and appalled.”

Barnet Council chief executive Cath Shaw said: “This is a shocking and distressing incident ... there is no place for antisemitism in Barnet.”  Editorial comment, page 18

Will the Jewish vote swing

Labour, Tories and Reform battle for borough. By Lee Harpin

The local elections are fast approaching, and in Barnet – where approximately 15 percent of the borough’s population is Jewish – the community may once again prove pivotal in determining the outcome on 7 May.

There was little doubt that in 2022, the Jewish vote played a role when Labour, under veteran Barry Rawlings, secured a majority at the town hall for the first time since the borough’s creation in 1965.

Keir Starmer, then leader of the opposition, visited Barnet at dawn after polling day, hailing the victory as evidence that his efforts to win back Jewish voters after the “dark days of Jeremy Corbyn” were succeeding.

Despite the celebrations, later analysis showed Labour’s vote share grew by only about 4% compared to 2018 – small margins that can make all the difference in Barnet.

While overall turnout in Barnet’s local elections typically hovers below 40 percent, estimates suggest that in wards with larger Jewish populations, turnout can reach a more significant 60 percent.

As one of the country’s most politically engaged communities, Barnet’s Jewish voters consistently attract special attention from political parties, who tailor their campaign messages and organise events with community leaders hoping to win support.

This year, however, local elections unfold against a backdrop of anxiety for many Jewish residents.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch – who polls indicate enjoys greater popularity among Jewish voters than the broader electorate – will hope her firm support for Israel and strong stance on antisemitism bolster her party’s local prospects.

A recent spate of arson attacks on synagogues, more than two years of heightened hostility toward Israel, ongoing war in the Middle East, and a pervasive sense of fear and insecurity have left the community on “red alert.”

Professor Tony Travers of the London School of Economics predicts the Conservatives could reclaim control of Barnet this time.

“It’s a Conservative/Labour marginal; given what we know about the swing between those par-

ties, the Tories are likely to win it back,” he says. “But Reform are likely to win some seats.”

A YouGov poll published this week also predicted victory for the Conservatives.

Despite forecasts of a Conservative resurgence, Labour insiders who spoke privately to Jewish News remain optimistic.

Boundary changes have eroded some Conservative strongholds, while demographic shifts may favour Labour.

Local party insiders contend that, despite dire national polling, Barnet’s Labour councillors enjoy support.

While Conservative supporters may turn out in high numbers in seats that have traditionally favoured the party, Labour activists still believe their support will show up elsewhere, almost certainly in reduced numbers, to ensure victory in other seats in Barnet.

Then there is the added impact of the resurgent Reform UK and Green Party to consider.

In 2022 the political landscape was very different; in Barnet the Greens failed to make significant breakthroughs, while Reform UK did not even contest the election.

Now, Barnet Reform leaders claim Nigel Farage’s party will make major gains, targeting Jewish voters disillusioned by both main parties’ records on antisemitism and immigration.

For the Conservatives, Dean Cohen – standing again in Golders Green, one of the most religiously Orthodox wards in the country – is confident his party is poised to retake the council, citing security, cost of living, education, and housing as key doorstep issues.

Cohen, continuing a family tradition of public service as a councillor established by his late father and former Barnet mayor Melvin, said: “The Jewish community is under unprecedented attack – both nationally, with rising antisemitism, and locally, where arson attacks

on community buildings in the last month, coupled with the murder in Manchester, have shaken the community badly.

“Since the 7 October attacks and antisemitic marches in London, I established the Jewish Conservative Alliance to address the concerns of many in the community and to advocate to both the former and current government.

“The Labour government’s stance on Israel and its perceived weakness on antisemitism is a massive issue for many of my residents.”

Addressing those turning away from the Peter Zinkin-led local Tory Group and considering a vote for Reform UK, Cohen adds: “We understand the community’s frustrations and the temptation of voting Reform. However, the Conservative Party has consistently stood up for and supported the community over many years—in government and opposition. In Barnet, we are fortunate to have the UK’s largest Jewish population, with scores of Jewish councillors elected as Conservatives who truly understand what the community needs.”

Currently Barnet Council comprises 63 council seats: 40 Labour, 19 Conservative, 1 Reform UK (defected from the Conservatives) 1 Green (defected from Labour) and 2 vacancies. Many seats are historically split along party lines; the 2026 contest remains unpredictable.

Mill Hill, with 15 candidates, is a case in point.

Local jeweller Avi Benezra is among the Reform candidates standing there; Nicole Ereira, also Jewish, is the Tory candidate, while Labour’s Adam Langleben – another familiar communal figure – hopes to do well for his party.

Ella Rose-Jacobs, also standing again in Whetstone, is eager to highlight the Labour Group’s achievements since 2022.

“The Conservatives ran Barnet on the back burner, with no ambition for our wonderful borough,” she tells Jewish News

“They left behind a legacy of cuts, depleted reserves, and services outsourced to Capita. Labour has been ambitious for Barnet, and we’ve delivered.

“That’s why we’ve filled over 16,500 potholes—61 percent more than the Conservatives managed in power. We upgraded and expanded a CCTV system that previously wasn’t working 70% of the time.

“We have improved or rebuilt 20 playgrounds, secured 1,000 new council homes, and delivered much more – all while keeping council tax lower than all our neighbours.”

Rose-Jacobs, national chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, also emphasises Labour’s work to combat antisemitism. She said: “We know antisemitism is an ongoing issue, and I pay tribute to Cllr Sara Conway, our Cabinet Member for Community Safety...she’s worked day in, day out, with the police, Shomrim, CST, and the wider community to counter the rising scourge of antisemitism.”

On community concerns about Labour’s Israel stance, she added: “Local elections are about who represents you locally, who works hard to keep streets clean, potholes filled, and services running. I’ll be voting for the people who do that best; I’d encourage everyone to do the same.”

Meanwhile, Reform is aiming for significant gains, particularly in Hendon and Mill Hill.

However, many believe Reform will siphon more votes from the Conservatives than from

swing Barnet once again?

Labour. The 2023 Whetstone ward by-election illustrated this dynamic: Labour’s Ezra Cohen won, but the combined Tory and Reform vote outstripped Labour’s total.

Mark Shooter, Reform UK’s Barnet leader and a candidate in West Hendon, predicts a surge in support for Farage’s party.

“We’re seeing a very strong, positive response on the doorstep,” he tells Jewish News.

“We have 23 Jewish candidates out of 63, which is a tremendous testament to the support we’re building within the community—often beneath the surface. People are responding not just to Nigel Farage’s clear and consistent support for the Jewish community and Israel, but also to the belief that Reform can deliver locally.”

Shooter, who defected from the Tories in 2024, becoming Reform’s first Jewish councillor, insisted the election is being driven by local concerns.

He said: “Barnet residents are paying more and getting less. People can see the decline in services —potholes, fly-tipping, and pressure on parking. We’re focused on practical solutions: fixing roads faster and more cost-effectively, offering up to 30 minutes of free high street parking to boost

footfall, and creating additional parking capacity, including up to 100 extra spaces at Barnet Hospital for patients.”

He also rejects the idea Reform is splitting the anti-Labour vote, saying: “The idea of ‘vote splitting’ is often used to defend the status quo.

“Voters are choosing Reform because they want change. What we’re seeing is fragmentation elsewhere, particularly on the left. This election is far more open than many assume, with a record number of candidates standing. In Barnet, if you vote Reform, you get Reform.”

“We’ve already shown our strength—in the recent Hendon by-election, we achieved over 30 percent in a ward we weren’t even targeting, while Labour fell into the low teens. That reflects a real shift in voter sentiment. Many residents feel the

Conservatives and Labour have become too similar and disconnected from everyday concerns.”

Other sources told Jewish News that Reform had actually campaigned hard in the Hendon election, thinking they would win there.

And what of Zack Polanski’s Greens?

While neighbouring boroughs like Haringey, Brent, and Hackney appear fertile ground for a party dogged by allegations of antisemitism among its candidates, in Barnet, although the Green vote may rise, the likelihood of winning council seats remains limited.

The Greens appear to be focusing their efforts on Woodhouse ward in North Finchley and Friern Barnet, both previously won comfortably by Labour.

While younger, renting voters elsewhere in

London are expected to support the Greens, Barnet’s substantial Jewish population is likely to be dissuaded by repeated and troubling reports of antisemitism within the party.

One local commentator who asked not to be named sought to sum up the political geography.

“You know which bits are Tory and you know which bits of Barnet are Labour,” they said, pointing to wards like Hampstead Garden Suburb (staunchly Tory) and East Finchley (solidly Labour). Similar splits are seen in wards on the Hendon side of the borough.

Historically, key battlegrounds have included East Barnet and Brunswick Park. In 2022, marginal wards included Barnet Vale, Brunswick Park, Childs Hill, East Barnet and Edgwarebury.

Meanwhile the Liberal Democrats, once hopeful of success in Barnet, have shifted campaign efforts elsewhere in London. Still, they hope to show an improved performance across the borough compared to 2022.

A spokesperson for Barnet Lib Dems said the party have “a strong track record in representing the communities we serve. ”

“We are really committed to listening to residents and making a real change,” they added. ” Our candidates are all community champions, who have volunteered in local neighbourhoods across Barnet: supporting young people getting into work, running foodbanks and helping local people with the cost of living.”

On concerns about the leadership’s heavy criticism of Israel they added: “As a party we are strongly committed to a two-state solution, with Israel living in secure borders, free from the threat of terrorism, alongside an independent Palestinian State.”

Jewish News contacted the Greens for comment, but no response was received by the time of publication.

Greens in new candidates storm

The Green Party is facing further questions about some of its council candidates, including one who posted on social media: “you have designed with psychopathic patience and care all these years the narrative of ‘Jews eternal victims’ and ‘Islamic=terrorist’ and all this time we believed it and all this time the truth was exactly the opposite”, writes Daniel Sugarman.

Tina Ion, a Green candidate in the Blakeley and Cowgate ward of Newcastle, wrote this in Italian on Facebook in October 2025, in which she also effectively called for the ethnic cleansing of all Jews from the region

Other Green candidates to be called out include Dr Philip Brookes, standing in Newcastle’s Manor Park ward, who, as reported by the BBC, had posts on his Facebook page which included an image describing Israel as “a bunch of Polish, Russian, Hungarian terrorists killing Palestinian people for 76 years”.

His account also published an image of an Israel flag being torn to reveal a Nazi swastika flag, and in

a post about the war in Gaza said it “takes serious effort not to be a tiny bit antisemitic”.

The BBC also reported Mohammed Suleman, a candidate in the Arthur’s Hill ward of the city, shared a TikTok video which claimed Jewish prisoners of war buried Soviet prisoners alive under Nazi instruction during World War Two.

The Greens are also facing further questions about Bernard Mani, who had originally been announced as a candidate in Lewisham council’s Forest Hill ward.

He was reported earlier this month no longer to be standing for the party after posting “false flag” claims about 7 October, 2023, as well being videoed in November pulling down balloons at solidarity rally for Israeli hostages organised by the local Jewish community in Brighton and Hove.

Social media posts purportedly from Mani also appear to show him backing claims that Israel “killed its own people” on 7 October and then “covered it up to justify genocide.”

Responding to a post showing

a photo of a man holding a placard making the “false flag” claims, Mani wrote, “Yes” in response to another poster asking, “Is this true?”

In another post, Mani appeared to respond to an accusation Palestinian terrorists had murdered “a baby, a toddler and their mother” – Shiri Bibas, four-year-old Ariel, and ninemonth-old Kfir – by writing, “They were killed by an IDF bomb, just like most of the 1000s of kids in Gaza.”

Earlier this month, the Green Party told Jewish News: “We can confirm that Bernard Mani is no longer a Green Party candidate” – but new footage show him campaigning with the party in Lewisham.

The party has reportedly suspended another its candidates, Mark Adderley, who was standing as a local council candidate for the Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood ward in Croydon. Adderley, husband of Loose Women star Nadia Sawalha, has posted regular rants on his YouTube channel, including comparing Israel’s actions in the Middle East with Adolf Hitler’s policy of “lebensraum”.

Khan: I am not in denial about antisemitism fears

Sadiq Khan has rejected suggestions he is in denial about the severity of the threat posed to London’s Jewish community following a series of attacks on synagogues and communal buildings, writes Lee Harpin.

Speaking exclusively to Jewish News after meeting rabbis, communal leaders and Barnet council chiefs at Finchley Reform Synagogue, the London mayor also spoke of an urgent need to tackle the radicalisation of young people in the capital.

Tellingly, Khan also echoed the concerns of senior police chiefs that the Iranian regime could be linked to recent arson incidents targeting Jewish sites across the capital.

“I don’t want to give the impression that either the government or I myself or the police are in denial,” Khan said. “We get this is serious.”

“There’s a very good reason the deputy commissioner Matt Jukes and the security minister Dan Jarvis are visibly seen in the Jewish community … to show the haters, the antisemites, the Iranian regime.”

Jarvis and Jukes had joined other communal and council leaders for a meeting the same day at the shul to discuss the “continued and impressive” response to the attacks on the community, including an arson attack at Finchley Reform.

Later, the mayor sat down for a meeting with Rabbi Miriam Berger, Cantor Zoe Jacobs, Board of Deputies president Phil Rosenberg, Barnet council leader Barry Rawlings and London Assembly member Anne Clarke among those present.

Khan listened intently to accounts of a congregation and wider community living in fear, including questions from younger shul members on why being born Jewish now leaves them facing a gauntlet of hate from antisemites living in London.

But there were also accounts of resilience, of packed and uplifting services at Finchley Reform in the aftermath of the 15 April attacks. A 46-year-old man and a 47-year-old woman have since been arrested.

The 23 March attack on the Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green, has also seen three people – Hamza Iqbal, 20, of Leyton, Rehan Khan, 19, of Leyton, and a 17-year-old boy from Walthamstow – charged in connection with the incident.

A fourth person, Judex Atshatshi, 18, of Dagenham, has now also been charged with arson, being reckless as to whether life would be endangered.

A 17-year-old boy and a 19-yearold man have been arrested following the arson attack on Kenton United

Synagogue as part of the Counter Terrorism Policing London investigation into the attack.

The mayor was unflinching about the scale of recent events across north-west London saying: “We’ve never had, in my lifetime, in this short period, five churches, five mosques, five temples, five gurdwaras attacked this way,” he told the meeting.

“And so all of us should recognise this is an attack on our way of life. One joy of this great city of ours is you’re free to love who you are, you’re free to worship who you want to be.

“If you’re Jewish, there’s a price — and that’s unacceptable.”

The mayor, like other political leaders, often receives flak, including from within the Jewish community, for posts on social media offering solidarity, but seemingly little else in the aftermath of all-too-frequent antisemitic incidents.

But at the heart of Khan’s message to Jewish News is an urgent call to tackle the radicalisation and grooming of vulnerable young people, which he said was accelerating because of social media algorithms, disinformation and misinformation.

He is unsparing about those carrying out the attacks. “These are evil people,” he said. “What their religion of birth is doesn’t matter. What religion they have converted to in prison doesn’t matter. They’re evil people.”

The mayor also issued a stark warning radicalisation is now hap-

pening faster than ever before, driven by social media algorithms, online disinformation and propaganda.

On schools, the mayor pointed to the importance of projects, some funded by City Hall, aimed at ensuring students avoid “being prone to being groomed or being radicalised.”

He added: “Nobody’s born an extremist. Nobody’s born an antisemite or filled with hate.

“And so we’ve got to start early in terms of giving young people the stoicism, the resilience, the antidote to this hatred.”

He stressed the renewed importance and significance of City Hall’s investment in grassroots programmes to counter extremism in schools. “What we do from City Hall – although we’re not in charge of schools – is we fund projects. I think

we’ve invested £30m,” he said.

“It’s like the Shared Endeavour Fund, where we are funding groups, some Jewish, some non-Jewish, to go into our schools, with clinical expertise, to work with young people, give them what I call life skills – teach them about what’s going on in the real world, explain to them some of the haters out there, explain about disinformation — to avoid them in the future being prone to being groomed or being radicalised.”

Khan said he was fully aware after numerous meetings with the community over the past two years, the Community Security Trust and police chiefs, of the fear now gripping London’s Jewish community.

“I’ve seen since 7 October 2023 a massive increase in the numbers of Jewish friends, colleagues, neigh-

bours I’ve spoken to who are genuinely scared,” he said. “This sense of heightened fear is really important because it’s just the lived experience of a Jewish person. Whether you’re a child going to school, an adult going to a synagogue, or someone coming to central London, you are scared. And this can’t just be an issue for the Jewish community. All of us have a responsibility to respond.”

Pointing to the significant policing effort already under way, Khan said: “There have been literally thousands of additional shifts over the last two and a half years. Even more over the last six weeks.”

The mayor also acknowledged the police’s emerging lines of inquiry pointing to the Iranian regime. “The deputy commissioner has said publicly that there are thugs for hire,” he said. “Who is hiring them? That’s the investigation taking place.”

He voiced support for the home secretary Shabana Mahmood’s decision to ask independent reviewer Jonathan Hall KC to examine whether current laws around protests are fit for purpose.

“The police’s job is to act to enforce the law without fear or favour,” he said. “They’ve been pragmatic in interpreting the law differently to make sure some things are now quite clearly against the law — for example, the globalised Intifada.

“Because quite clearly, whether you go to Bondi, whether you go to Heaton Park synagogue, whether you go to London, over the last five, six weeks — there’s something going on.”

Khan is aware of criticism he has not spoken out himself on the incendiary chanting often heard at proPalestinian demos.

In reality, Khan has spoken out, including in an interview on Radio 4’s Today programme in which he asked those engaging in chants to consider the impact on Jewish neighbours, colleagues and friends, though his vocal pro-Palestine stance has clearly angered some in the community at the same time.

Asked about criticism he had not made clear enough his objections to those using inflammatory chants at protests, Khan insisted he had spoken out directly on the limits of protest.

He said: “I’ve been quite clear about saying to people who are protesting: the fact that it’s not unlawful for you to protest doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do,” he said.

“Be cognisant of the fact that you may not be breaking the law, but you’re scaring people. You’re not being a good neighbour. You’re not being a good citizen.”

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Jewish pupils discover swastikas on school wall

Jewish students visiting Hendon School as part of the Alan Senitt Upstanders Leadership Programme were confronted with swastikas gra tied on the walls of the drama studio they were meeting in.

Jewish News understands pupils from Jewish schools including Immanuel College entered the mixed secondary school at around 9am on Tuesday for sessions due to run until early afternoon.

One parent said: “The Alan Senitt leaders suddenly asked them to move away from one side of the room.

“When they looked to understand why, they all noticed that there were around

10 swastikas gra tied along the wall.”

The parent added when the school was approached, the authorities maintained the studio was let out externally over the weekend and was then out of bounds to its own students on the Monday.

Other participating schools in the track

are believed to include King Solomon High School and JCoSS.

A note sent to parents of pupils at Immanuel College, seen by Jewish News, said the gra ti was noticed by students and reported to the ASULP sta , who in turn reported it to the school, who took prompt action to paint over the gra ti.

“This was a minor, albeit unpleasant, incident that was not reflective of our wider experience we have had in working with Hendon School students, and indeed our visit there,” the note added.

CST said it was aware of the incident and welcomed the school’s response.

New training for fan ban police

West Midlands Police has delivered its first anti-Jewish racism training session in what senior o cers say is a “considerable step forward” in e orts to rebuild trust after last year’s controversial ban on Israeli football fans, writes Adam Decker.

The force, led by acting chief constable Scott Green, began the programme after three months of planning and consultation with Jewish community groups.

The initiative comes in the wake of the

widely criticised decision to restrict supporters of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv from a match at Aston Villa, a move that led to the early retirement of the force’s former chief constable, Craig Guildford.

The force said the new training is part of a wider programme to improve “cultural competency” across the ranks, which has already included sessions on Black history and will next address anti-Muslim hate in the UK.

The new module focuses on Jewish history, identity and contemporary life in Britain, including the community’s relationship with Israel.

O cers, sta and volunteers will receive the training after a pilot session was delivered to senior leadership. Green said the programme formed part of a wider e ort to repair relations with communities after what he previously acknowledged as a damaging episode.

MAN IN COURT FOR RACIAL ASSAULT

A man has admitted racially aggravated assault after being filmed abusing an Orthodox Jew and accusing him of “killing babies”.

Shafiq Rahman, 48, pleaded guilty at Reading Magistrates’ Court to racially aggravated common assault, fear or provocation of violence by words and criminal damage.

The court heard the victim was working in Slough on 20 April when Rahman cycled past and started shouting abuse at him.

A video in which Rahman called the victim a “dirty Jew”, accused him of “killing babies in Palestine” and threatening to “break his jaw”, was shown in court.

District judge Devinder Sandhu described the attack as a “pure hate crime”, adding: “I am appalled and startled by what I saw on that footage, a completely unprovoked attack on a man who was simply doing his job.”

In the dock, Rahman spoke to confirm his name, address and date of birth and admit the charges.

The prosecution said the victim was working in the area when the defendant shouted from his bicycle: “Jew, what are you f****** doing here Jew”. The victim was wearing a kippah and the prosecution said he believed that it was for this reason he was targeted in this attack.

The victim, who gave his name to the BBC as Moshe, was not in court but part of a statement he gave to police was read out in which he said:

“This incident has changed my perspective on what it is to be a Jew openly in public.”

While he had “read about attacks on the news” he had not experienced anything like it before and felt “physically targeted due to my religion”.

Rahman was released on bail for sentencing at Reading Crown Court on 10 July.

First Lady presides over Bridge to Israel Awards

Israel First Lady Michal Herzog was guest of honour at MDA UK’s inaugural Bridge to Israel Awards at JW3 on Monday – a celebration of resilience achievement in the aftermath of 7 October 2023, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

Launched as part of the charity’s Towards Machratayim (Hebrew for The Day After Tomorrow) initiative, the awards marked the work and impact of those striving to build ties between the UK and Israel.

The first award went to Nivi Feldman for her tireless campaigning work leading the UK Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

Media partnered by Jewish News and hosted by GB News presenter Josh Howie, the event saw a further 13 awards, most decided by a judging panel chaired by Robert Rinder.

Guests included Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, Jordanian National Red Cross Society president Dr Mohammed Al Hadid and MDA Europe president Michel Ktorza.

The First Lady also dedicated a new ambulance, donated by MDA UK vice president and supporter Barry Segal, as an education roadshow museum to explain the work the charity’s volunteers carry out daily.

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Kate Goldberg, a stalwart supporter of the Goldberg Family Charitable Trust, the Sybil Shine Memorial Trust, independent charity Gateways

and Jami’s Head Room who also served as chief executive of the Wohl Legacy – the Maurice and Vivienne Wohl Philanthropic Foundation.

The Community Organising Award, whose nominees and winners were voted for by Jewish News readers, was presented to the Borehamwood Vigil, founded in the days after 7 October, whose members assembled in Borehamwood every Friday for two years, holding shoes, posters and orange balloons to represent those murdered and taken hostage.

Among them at the vigil were Michael and Lisa Marlowe, whose son Jake Marlowe was murdered while rescuing fellow festival-goers.

The couple presented the Jake Marlowe Award for Young Impact to Birthright growth manager Libi Fileman, who leads recruitment for trips and connects young Jews to Israel as a gateway to a deeper Jewish identity. The Corporate Philanthropy Award was presented to London-based algorithmic trading firm XTX Markets, founded in 2015 by Alex Gerko, which donated £1m to MDA UK after 7 October.

Recognised with an award for Individual Philanthropy was MDA UK vice-president Judy Saphra, who said the evening was about saving lives and noted “award ceremonies like this are a great way to get the next generations involved”.

Joint winners of the Campaigning Award, the Glasgow and Northern Ireland Friends of Israel groups, were recognised for coordinating friends and allies across different UK nations, while MDA UK’s Partnership Award went to the British Red Cross, a fellow member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent.

The team behind We Will Dance Again, Lucie Kon, Leo Pearlman and Sheldon Lazarus, received the Culture and The Arts Award for exposing the events of 7 October and offering advance screenings in the UK.

The Campus Award went to British-Italian undergraduate at King’s College London Miles D’Amone-Mackay, who while not himself Jewish, is a CAMERA fellow and has played a part in documenting the concerning rise in campus antisemitism.

Hen Mazzig received the Online Impact award; the London-based Israeli writer, jour-

nalist and broadcaster is a prominent commentator on Jewish identity and the Middle East. Jo Woolfe also received a Special Mention for her efforts to bring the Nova Exhibition to London.

Dr Al Hadid awarded Prof Eilat Shinar the Red Shield Award for Humanitarian Services for her work with MDA’s Marcus National Blood Services Centre in Ramla, while MDA Europe director Ilan Klein accepted the International Award on behalf of MDA director general Eli Bin and the entire organisation for their work as a lifeline for Israeli citizens during emergencies. The event was sponsored by The Bernard Lewis Charitable Trust and Cardonet.

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06.29am ... Nova massacre exhibition comes to London

The Nova Festival Exhibition is coming to east London for six weeks from 20 May, as part of an international tour to tell the story of the 413 people massacred and 44 taken hostage from the site on 7 October 2023, writes Michelle Rosenberg.

A successful community campaign in March raised funds to bring the recreation of the festival site to the UK. The exhibition was first shown in Tel Aviv in 2024, followed by visits to cities including New York, Toronto, Berlin and Buenos Aires, drawing more than 600,000 visitors in total.

Titled 06:29AM – The Moment Music Stood Still, the exhibition features the staging, burnt-out vehicles and thousands of personal items discarded in the chaos of the attacks.

It also includes first-hand witness phone footage from the day, bulletriddled structures and porta-loos, inperson testimonies from survivors, returned hostages, and bereaved families, who will be present at the exhibition every day.

06:29AM sheds light on the lives

of revellers from countries including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the US, Israel, Philippines, and Mexico, changed forever in that moment .

Londoners Lisa and Michael Marlowe, whose son, 26-year old son Jake, was murdered at the festival, said: “Bringing this exhibition to London feels like our boy is coming home for six weeks.

“He was our shining star. On that day, he could have run, but he chose to stay and try to save as many lives as possible. That sums up who he was.”

Festival co-founder and producer Ofir Amir said: “We hope the British public will engage with this exhibition, especially given the UK’s strong music festivals culture.

“The Nova community is centred around light, and we must continue to share the message that We Will Dance Again without fear.

“This exhibition is about caring for our community, supporting healing, and educating the world on the events that occurred on that day.”

Amir’s co-founder and producer

Sassi added: “The story of the Nova Music Festival is one of strength, resilience and community. It was so important for us to bring the next leg of the exhibition’s tour to the UK, so as many people as possible can experience it and remember the innocent festival-goers who came together to

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dance and celebrate music, because this could happen in any music festival around the world.”

Reut Feingold, curator and director of the exhibition, described how “a visit to the exhibition is a raw and moving journey, one that touches the most fragile moments of

humanity alongside those in which the human spirit reveals itself in its full force.

“It is a living testament to the power of love, brotherhood, and community – values that transcend borders and cultures, and are tested each day anew.

“I invite you to come – to smell, to touch and to listen to the voices, the eerie silences and the sounds that will continue to echo in your hearts long after your visit.”

Jo Woolfe, head of The Nova Exhibition London, who has led the campaign to bring it to the capital, said: “I visited the exhibition in Toronto and was so incredibly moved – that was my own ’06:29AM moment’. It could have been my own kids.”

 Visitors should allow 60-90 minutes to experience the exhibition. Opening hours are:

Tuesday – Saturday: 10:00am – 8:00pm (last entry 6:40pm), Friday: 10:00am – 5:00pm (last entry 3:40pm); Monday: Closed (except Bank Holiday Monday)

Immanuel College saved after rescue plan

by Michelle Rosenberg michelle@jewishnews.co.uk

Immanuel College has been dramatically rescued from imminent closure after a group of donors stepped in to save the Bushey school.

It was announced last week that the community’s only private secondary would close its doors this summer after 35 years, provoking a wave of tributes to the institution and a desperate search for places elsewhere for its current pupils for next year.

A series of financial challenges culminating in the levying of VAT on fees by the government led to the governors’ “painful” decision that the future was likely unsustainable. But a small group of parents refused to accept the news and came together last week to try to raise the funds needed. Claudia and Robert Salem, Annabel and Lee Sheldon, and Jeremy and Davinia Teacher reached out to the community.

Their efforts were backed by the financial commitment of the Meromim Foundation, the Charles Wolfson Foundation and senior rabbinical leaders Rabbi Zalman Shmotkin, Executive Director of Chabad.org; Rabbi Zalman Duchman, Executive Director of Colel Chabad-Charities for Israel; and Rabbi Mendel Shmotkin, CEO of Lubavitch of Wisconsin, who were rallied by Rebbetzin Shterna Sudak and flew in from the United States.

The group reached out to donors, raising funds and persuaded the governors, led by Daniel Levy, to reverse the original

closure decision and vote in favour of their new plans.

A spokesperson from the group of parents told Jewish News: “London, one of the world’s great centres of Jewish life, culture and learning — a city whose Jewish community has shaped its legal, medical, academic and cultural institutions for generations — cannot be without a private modern Orthodox Jewish school. The importance of Immanuel College to the fabric of that community was felt in every call.”

They added that their mission, “from day one, was to secure Immanuel’s future for generations to come”. That crystallised when they met Aaron Etingen and Yakir and Elena Gabbay — individuals whose experience in building world-class educational institutions gave the group confidence they had found the right team to lead Immanuel into its next chapter.

Thanks to the “complete turnaround” since the announcement last Tuesday, the school no longer needs to close its doors.

“Children were left with no school to attend last week and with GCSE exams starting Monday morning, they can go into those with peace of mind and focus. We understand that parents are looking for stability and clarity and that will of course be given,” the spokesperson said.

“What the community has achieved in 10 days and the support from around the world, is testament to strength of the Jewish people.”

Immanuel’s chair of governors, Daniel Levy, lauded Aaron Etingen, incoming Chair of Trustees for the school, saying:.

“Aaron brings an exceptional track record and a clear commitment not only to Immanuel, but to the future of Jewish life and education in London and across the UK. Aaron is the founder and CEO of GUS (Global University Systems) which has 30 institutions operating across the globe educating 170,000 students on-campus and 20 million students online.”

Levy described the agreement as representing “a pivotal moment. It ensures that Immanuel is not only protected in the immediacy but positioned to thrive for years to come.”

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Claudia Winkleman: Rise in antisemitism terrifying

by Annabel Sinclair annabel@jewishnews.co.uk

Claudia Winkleman described rising antisemitism as “terrifying” as she addressed a Jewish education fundraiser at St John’s Wood Synagogue.

The Traitors and Strictly Come Dancing presenter was speaking at a PaJeS event in support of the Lira Winston Fellowships, a leadership programme designed to develop senior educators across Jewish schools.

While she didn’t raise the current climate during the Q&A with television producer Ben Winston, Winkleman said in response to an audience question: “The industry itself doesn’t feel antisemitic to me … but the growing antisemitism, and the growing Islamophobia and racism that we see everywhere, is really terrifying.

“And that’s why it’s so important that people look after each other and support other communities.”

In conversation with Winston, Winkleman also reflected on her career, describing her success as largely down to “luck” and the people she works with.

“I’ve just been incredibly lucky,” she said, adding that choosing projects often comes down to trusting the team behind them.

“I think it’s mainly about people,” she said, explaining how successful TV shows such as The Traitors were not expected to become major hits at the time.

She also spoke about embracing pressure and risk in her career, including her preference for live television. “Live is exciting,” she said, adding that she enjoys “being tested” rather than relying on pre-recorded formats.

Alongside her career reflections, Winkleman spoke about her Jewish identity and family history. Winkleman’s maternal grandparents were Jewish refugees who fled Nazioccupied Europe, and she has previously spoken about how that legacy shaped her family’s outlook. At the event, she emphasised the importance of continuity, describing a love of “multi-generational family … all being together”.

She also paid tribute to the teachers who influenced her, recalling one history of art specialist who transformed her outlook.

“She clicked her fingers, made us all stand up and made us walk to St Paul’s Cathedral and took us inside, and she said, ‘I’ve had enough. You look up, and this is what we’re going to teach you. And this is going to change your life,’” Winkleman recalled.

“And all of us went on to study the history of art … she was unbelievable.”

Nearly 800 guests attended the Lessons in Leadership event, which followed

the graduation of the first cohort of fellows on the Lira Winston programme.

The fellowships, launched in memory of Lira Winston z”l, provide mentoring, training, and support for senior leaders, aiming to strengthen Jewish education at a time of increasing pressure on schools.

Opening the evening, PaJeS chief executive Rabbi David Meyer stressed the urgency of investing in Jewish education.

“There has never been a more important time for us to be standing proud and educating our children,” he said.

“Ensuring that they are inspired, and that they value the importance of their heritage and the fundamentals of our faith.”

He added that strong schools depend on strong leadership, underlining the purpose of the fellowship programme.

Winston, whose family established the fellowships initiative in memory of his mother, said the evening was about securing the future of the community.

He added: “I loved tonight. It was an honour to speak with such an incredible leader and trailblazer in the entertainment industry, who still puts her family and others first. Claudia Winkleman is truly inspiring.

‘To see nearly 800 people come out to support the Lira Winston Fellowships was deeply moving. There has never been a more important time to invest in Jewish education and our community, and I’m so grateful to everyone who came.”

Speaking on behalf of the graduating cohort, teacher October Wright described the realities of leading within Jewish education.

“Jewish education carries layers of responsibility that are both professionally and profoundly personal,” she said.

“In a role that can often feel isolating, the Lira Winston Fellowships has been nothing short of a lifeline.”

She added: “It’s given me the confidence to not just lead, but to own my leadership."

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Bondi event axed over Jew hate

A fundraising concert planned in support of victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack has been cancelled after members of a Greek choir reportedly refused to perform alongside a Jewish choral group, writes Annabel Sinclair.

The event, titled Concert for Hope and Unity, was due to take place at Sydney Town Hall on 28 June and was expected to bring together the Australian Hellenic Choir and the Sydney Jewish Choral Society for a joint performance.

According to The Australian, the concert was called off after a vote during rehearsals last week found more than half the Hellenic choir objected to appearing on stage with the Jewish group. Some reportedly raised political objections, while others expressed fears over potential security risks linked to the event.

The concert was planned as a fundraiser for victims of the December terror attack at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach.

In that attack, 24-year-old Naveed Akram and his father, Sajid, allegedly opened fire during the gathering, killing 15 people before Sajid Akram was shot dead by police. Authorities said the attack was inspired by the Islamic State terror group.

Sydney Jewish Choral Society chair Anne Spira said the cancellation had left members deeply upset. “The result is, like many other Jews in the arts since 7 October 2023, we have been cancelled,” she told The Australian

“We have been de-platformed ... it is deeply upsetting for us and the broader Jewish community, who have been the target of anti-Jewish racism in this country for two and a half years.”

Spira also reportedly made a submission to Australia’s Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, established following rising antisemitism after the Bondi attack.

Australian Hellenic Choir president James

Tsolakis acknowledged tensions within parts of the local Greek community.

“There’s a bit of antisemitism in the Greek community; I didn’t realise the extent of it,” he said. “The Jewish people are all into it, I’m into it, but the Greek choir was a bit anti doing it because of the political climate.”

He added: “Unfortunately, we have a lot of people in the community blaming the Jewish community for what’s happening in Israel, Palestine … that’s not correct.”

“You want to hate (prime minister Benjamin) Netanyahu? Hate Netanyahu, but what have the Jewish people done to you? The whole antisemitism thing has got to be wound back.”

Tsolakis said concerns about the wider climate in Australia and fears surrounding the event had influenced members’ decisions.

The cancelled performance was expected to include a joint rendition of The Ballad of Mauthausen, a work centred on the relationship between a Greek prisoner of war and a Jewish prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp.

The two choirs had previously performed together in 2022 and organisers had reportedly anticipated a crowd of around 2,000 for the latest concert.

US SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP ‘PROBABLY ISRAEL’

Britain’s ambassador to Washington has reportedly suggested the United States’ only true “special relationship” may now be with Israel rather than the UK, in comments that have aroused political attention during King Charles’s state visit to America, writes Annabel Sinclair.

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The Financial Times reported ambassador Christian Turner made the remarks during a private discussion with British sixth-form students visiting Washington earlier this year. Turner, who took up post in February, was quoted as saying: “I think there is probably one

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country that has a special relationship with the United States – and that is probably Israel.”

The comments are said to have been made shortly before the US and Israel carried out joint strikes against Iran in late February, at a time of growing military and strategic coopera-

tion between the two allies.

The phrase “special relationship” has traditionally been used to describe the close political, military and intelligence ties developed between Britain and the US, dating back to the Second World War.

However, Turner report-

edly told the students he was uncomfortable with the phrase, describing it as outdated and overly tied to history.

Despite that, Turner was said to have stressed that the UK and US remained deeply connected, particularly on defence and security matters.

Editorial comment and letters to the editor

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

VOICE OF THE JEWISH NEWS

Message to Britain

This isn’t a message to the mainstream Jewish community in the UK – we know how we feel, after yet another terror attack.

This is a message to the rest of the country.

Where are you? Why are so many of you so silent?

Let us be clear. There is a campaign of terror currently being waged against Jews in this country. We will stand firm against it.

We would appreciate if we weren’t quite so alone in doing so.

This is not about the government, or the police. This is about you, reading this – whether you’re a lawyer in London, a barista in Bristol or an engineer in Edinburgh – or anyone else.

What can you do, exactly? That’s simple. Do not stand idly by, whether you’re seeing Jew-hate in real life or online.

Call it out. Don’t shrug your shoulders or pretend that so much of what you’re seeing is simply ‘legitimate criticism of Israel’.

Because it isn’t. And deep down, you know it isn’t. You know what criticism of Israel is, and you know that when people start ranting about “Zionism owning politicians and the media” or sharing falseflag conspiracy theories about attacks on Jews or Jewish institutions, it’s yesterday’s National Front talking points, reheated for today’s mainstream consumption.

You know why antisemitism is so resurgent in the West today? It’s because people stopped calling it out. Every time someone keeps silent instead of speaking up, the taboo weakens, until it vanishes.

We hope we have a future here. Whether we do will be impacted by what you do next.

Anger minus proportion?

I don’t deny some settlers have committed terrible acts of violence. Such behaviour is unacceptable and indefensible – not justified even as a reaction to attacks by Palestinians. One wrong can never justify another.

What concerns me is the disproportionate attention Western politicians would devote to settler violence. Serious though it is, it remains statistically very rare. As a social sciences teacher, I decided to examine the relevant data and discovered that even Al Jazeera – a strongly anti-Israel outlet –reported that between 7 October and early November 2023, settlers were responsible for 241 attacks, causing around 1,000 Palestinians to

flee their homes. That sounds grave, and it is. But with an estimated 600,000–700,000 settlers living in the West Bank, even if each attack had been carried out by a different individual, that would represent less than 0.04 percent.

To put this in perspective: in London, there are over 250,000 violent crimes a year – around 2.5 percent of the population, or 0.2 percent in just one month. In other words, the West Bank appears to be roughly five times less violent than London. Yet many of our politicians seem concerned only about one of those places. I will leave it to others to ask why.

David Frencel, N4

THE THREAT TO US IS NOT A THEORY

Zack Polanski’s remarks about Jewish perceptions of safety suggest a worrying detachment from reality. British Jews do not “feel” unsafe in a vacuum. Heightened security outside schools and synagogues is not theoretical.

We have seen this pattern before. During the Corbyn years, concerns about antisemitism within the Labour party were too often dismissed and denied, rather than addressed.

History offers an even starker warning. Figures such as Max Naumann believed hostility in Nazi Germany would pass if Jews simply integrated further. They were proven catastrophically wrong.

Eli Cohen, NW11

UNITED WE STAND... WELL, SORT OF

HAS KHAN FULFILLED HIS EARLY PROMISES?

Sadiq Khan visits Finchley Reform shul, saying: “I understand the fear” while arriving in his bullet-proof Range Rover and cohort of security officers. As usual, like a scene from Casablanca, the usual fawning suspects were rounded up [communal leaders, councillors and Board Deputies] to greet him. Another opportunity for him to offer the usual platitudes, mop up some more votes and, as he promised when electioneering in 2024 [a new bus service Golders Green to Stamford Hill], perhaps offer a new bus service from Finchley to Tel Aviv. Llewellyn Gaba, Cardiff

WHAT LAW AND ORDER LOOKS LIKE

THIS WEEKEND'S SHABBAT TIMES...

A rally and a march, organised by different Jewish groups, organised to take place in central London on the same date – an hour apart. You couldn’t make this up! Maybe “they” will now see that we really don’t control the world!

Shimon Cohen, N2

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In any other country, a cop ripping a kippah off a Jewish man’s head, chucking him into the cells and then returning said kippah cut up would be considered antisemitism. But in Israel this passes for law and order. Another one for the ‘Only In Israel’ file?

Joe Millis, By email

From one inspirational teacher to 14 new ones

BEN WINSTON TV PRODUCER & DIRECTOR

Mrs Dale changed my life. She was utterly brilliant. I owe her so much. That’s what Claudia Winkleman told me when I interviewed her this month for the third instalment of the Lessons in Leadership series to raise funds for The Lira Winston Fellowships. Developing transformative teachers like Mrs Dale, whose influence lasts a lifetime, is what the work of the Lira Winston Fellowships is all about.

My mum, Lady Lira Winston, who passed away in December 2021, had a talent for making things look effortless, when in fact, they were anything but. She dedicated her career to Jewish education, supporting teachers and educators without needing – or ever seeking – credit for it. Over the years, through her work with UJIA, Jewish Continuity or PaJeS, I understood how much she cared about it. Now with two young children of my own, I understand it even more.

As a family, we wanted to do something in mum’s memory, and established the Lira Winston Fellowships in partnership with PaJeS. The principle behind the fellowships is simple: if you want a Jewish community in which education thrives, you need to invest not just in buildings or curriculum resources but in the ongoing development of the people doing the teaching.

Last week, that principle produced something tangible. Just before our fundraising event with Claudia, another event happened. The first cohort of Lira Winston Fellows graduated. From an idea three years ago, to watching 14 teachers – from Liverpool to Stamford Hill, almost all of them middle or senior leaders in Jewish primary and secondary schools – complete the programme was, for me, an incredibly moving moment. Hearing October Wright, deputy head of King David School in Liverpool, speak about how the programme had been “life changing and truly transformative” made me feel like my mum would have been proud. Not of us (Jewish mothers are always proud of their kids), not of her name being used (something she would be mortified to see), but of the teachers themselves who carry out the ultimate task that truly impacts our community’s future.

Our first cohort of Fellows are gifted, committed individuals who chose to invest in their own development and who have grown because of that decision. Talking with them, what struck me most was not just the skills and knowledge they had gained, but the confidence – the sense that their vocation was worth taking seriously, and that others thought so too.

That is something mum instinctively understood, and that is why, beyond the Fellowships itself, there is a broader point worth making.

Jewish continuity is not self-sustaining. It requires active, ongoing investment and people who understand why that investment matters.

The sad news about the closure of Immanuel College is a reminder, if one were needed, of how much depends on that kind of commitment to Jewish education and the people who give their lives to it.

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks spent a lifetime making the case that Jewish identity is passed on through education – through the patient work of one generation showing the next who they are and why it matters. The Fellows graduating this year are exactly the kind of people that argument calls for.

What the first cohort proves is that

when you invest seriously in the teachers in our Jewish schools – giving them genuine professional development, mentorship and experience they wouldn’t ordinarily get, talented people step forward. And as our recently recruited second cohort has shown, they always will.

Now the Lira Winston Fellowships is truly up and running, mum would encourage us to measure success by outcomes, not recognition. The question she would have asked is not how the graduation went, but what happens next. For the Fellows: how do they take what they have learnt and use it to push themselves and inspire those they teach? And for the Fellowship itself, how does our programme continue to grow? Those are the right questions, and we intend to keep asking them. Education has always depended on people who care enough to make it their life’s work. Mum was one of those people.

The Lira Winston Fellows – the 14 who have just graduated and the new cohort now following them – have shown that they are too. She would not have wanted a Fellowship in her name. But she would have wanted exactly this.

Teachers, in classrooms, carrying the work of Jewish continuity forward.

I told Parliament about the Iranian regime threat

TOM TUGENDHAT, MP

In February 2023, I told the House of Commons what our intelligence agencies had discovered: between 2020 and 2022 the Iranian regime had been collecting intelligence on UK-based Israeli and Jewish individuals in preparation, we believed, for future lethal operations. In short, Tehran was drawing up a target list of British Jews on British soil.

I did not use those words lightly, and as I said at the time, I would not have mentioned Israeli and Jewish targets without good reason, because we had been seeing sustained Iranian operational activity directed at the community, and by that month we had counted fifteen credible plots since the start of 2022 to kill or kidnap British or UK-based individuals. This was not, as I said then, the work of rogue elements but the strategy of the Iranian regime.

The Iranian state does not always send o cers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to carry out its work. Increasingly, it subcontracts, paying organised criminal gangs

based in Britain to conduct the surveillance.

The regime’s spokesmen like to present this as an extension of their quarrel with Israel, but it is nothing of the sort. Antisemitism is embedded in the ideology Khomeini built, the old libels grafted onto the theology of the revolution and then exported by the IRGC wherever it operates.

At the launch of United Against Nuclear Iran’s Khamenei-Free Zone campaign last year I called that framing complete rubbish, and I do not retract a word.

The obsession this regime has with Jews is not incidental: Ali Khamenei himself translated the writings of Sayyid Qutb, the key Islamist theologian behind the Muslim Brotherhood, into Persian as a young cleric, and Qutb’s antisemitism, including the pamphlet Ma’rakatuna ma’a al-Yahud (Our Struggle with the Jews), runs through the ideological foundations of the Islamic Republic.

In o ce I did what I could to close the gaps, and the National Security Act 2023 –the first serious update to our espionage laws in a generation – gave prosecutors the tools to pursue foreign intelligence activity con-

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ducted through criminal proxies, while the Defending Democracy Taskforce coordinated the response across government.

What I did not achieve was the step that would have sent the clearest signal, because although I argued inside government for the proscription of the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, the Foreign O ce fell back on the definitional argument that proscription was designed for non-state actors and the IRGC was constitutionally an organ of the Iranian state. My view then, and now, is that the IRGC is a standalone instrument of terror that should have been listed.

Today, the threat to British Jews has not receded but has, if anything, sharpened, because although the war with Israel has weakened the regime and Khamenei himself is gone, weakened regimes lash out, proxies take initiative in the absence of central direction, and criminal networks already on the IRGC payroll do not stand down when Tehran is having a bad week.

So it was no surprise when four men were arrested last month for spying on sites linked to the Jewish community in London,

nor when MI5’s Director General disclosed in October that more than twenty lethal Iran-backed plots had been foiled over the previous year.

What should happen next isn’t complicated, just overdue. The IRGC should be proscribed; the Islamic Centre of England and others a liated should be scrutinised, and where the evidence justifies it, closed; the Ayatollah’s designated representatives in this country should be expelled; the powers written into the 2023 Act should be used for the purpose they were drafted; and where organised criminal gangs act as contract intelligence o cers for a foreign state, they should be charged on that basis rather than merely for the underlying o ence.

To the community itself I would say only this: the police, the intelligence agencies and the Home O ce know what I have set out here, and you are neither imagining the threat nor carrying it alone; our country must and will protect all its citizens.

A country that cannot keep its Jewish citizens safe on its own streets has stopped being a free country.

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How Bibi broke Israel’s vital bond with the West

DAVID AARONOVITCH

For 60 years Israel has enjoyed an almost militant goodwill in the US. The reason has not been the all-powerful Israeli lobby, though of course there is one just as there is an oil lobby, a Saudi lobby, a tech lobby, and most murderous of all, a gun lobby. To US administrations, Israel represented an occasionally infuriating ally in a strategic but alien region.

But the support enjoyed from the US public was not primarily based on alliances or overt propaganda – it was centred on identification. There was the closeness of the Israeli foundation myth to the American one – huddled masses yearning to be free, escaping persecution and setting up a lively democracy in a promised land.

Nearly 20 years ago I had just this argument in public during a “Doha Debate” in Oxford, in which the former US ambassador to Israel, Martin Indyk, and I took on journalists Andrew Cockburn and Norman Finkelstein – possibly the angriest man I

have ever met. What they wanted to portray as a form of conspiracy we argued was in fact the result of politics.

This exact argument came back to me following the revelations that Binyamin Netanyahu had talked Donald Trump into the attack on Iran.

That reality merged with a dangerous sentiment on both the left and the right in the US that their country’s interests were now subordinate to those of a foreign nation – one with which they no longer sympathised.

Jason Willick in the Washington Post earlier this month put it succinctly: “Contrary to the notion of an ‘Israel lobby’ dictating American policy toward Israel, the US has often supported Israel because the American people want a pro-Israel foreign policy. The corollary: If the American people don’t want a pro-Israel policy, the policy will change.”

At the end of March, the Pew Research Centre conducted a poll involving 3,500 respondents. The top line from this poll was that just 37 per cent of Americans viewed Israel favourably a few weeks into the Iran war, compared with 60 percent who viewed

it unfavourably. Much of this is likely down to Gaza, where initial support for Israel has been worn away by the scale of Palestinian su ering. Note too, to some readers, that you can’t really blame the BBC for this one.

But in the US and in the West generally the behaviour of the Israeli state and government towards others has now become intolerable.

And more people now have eyes on the West Bank, where the Netanyahu government has accelerated its policy of de facto annexation and therefore its corollary of effective apartheid.

When recently Chancellor Merz repeated Germany’s opposition to annexation, Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, responded by telling Merz that there would be no return to “the days when Germans dictated to Jews”, adding: “Our return to the land of Israel is the answer to anyone who tries to destroy us, and we do not apologise for it for a single moment.”

In Italy, L’Espresso carried a cover story on the behaviour of settlers and the Israeli military on the West Bank towards local Palestinians. The picture on the front

showed a male settler in military fatigues taunting a Palestinian woman as she tried to harvest her olives.

The Israeli ambassador to Italy thought it politic to condemn, not the behaviour of the settler, but the magazine itself.

Jonathan Peled complained that “the image distorts the complex reality with which Israel must coexist, promoting stereotypes and hatred”.

Other Israeli sources claimed the photograph was faked.

But it wasn’t. And the readers and the Italian public knew it wasn’t. Just as the German public almost certainly agree with their conservative chancellor.

A credibility gulf has opened in which Israel’s leaders and institutions can no longer be believed or trusted by people in the West.

The identification with the country is being lost and a generational aversion is being created – which is manna for antisemites.

One casualty of this are the Jews in diaspora, about whom Netanyahu, Smotrich, Ben Gvir and the assorted Likudniks, Kahanists and Jewish ultranationalists do not give a fig.

A progressive vision for Zionism’s future

RABBI CHARLEY BAGINSKY & RABBI JOSH LEVY MOVEMENT FOR PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM

This week, The Movement for Progressive Judaism (MPJ) released its first publication, titled Progressive Judaism, Zionism and the State of Israel. As we were editing the volume, alongside MPJ chair Ed Kessler, one question was at the forefront of our minds – why this book, and why now?

The idea that Zionism and Israel would be the topic didn’t start with an idea for a book, it grew out of a conversation that kept returning over many years in di erent places and in di erent ways. A conversation about Israel and Gaza, about the word Zionism, about what we mean when we use it and what others hear, about the weight of history, theology and identity carried in that language.

After 7 October 2023 that conversation became sharper, more loaded, and in many

cases harder to hold. As we then toured the country, working on the merger of Liberal and Reform Judaism into our new unified Progressive Judaism, it quickly became clear this issue was shaping how people showed up in communities, what could be said and what could not, and how people were hearing one another.

In some places the pressure led to division, while in others there was a deliberate e ort to stay in conversation, with clergy holding space even when it was uncomfortable and people choosing to remain in the room when it would have been easier to step away.

At times it felt counterintuitive that the first thing we would put into the world as a new Movement was a book on Israel and Zionism, at this moment when the conversation felt so unsettled.

Pushing the topic aside would not make it disappear. It would remain, and over time it would do harm. Naming it, and creating space for it, began to feel necessary.

That is where this book comes from. It grows out of an ongoing conversation that is already taking place across many di erent starting points, rather than any attempt to set out a single position on Israel or Zionism.

It brings together 40 di erent voices that do not all agree, including personal reflections on changing relationships with Israel, theological explorations of land and covenant, engagement with biblical texts, questions about language, and writing shaped by trauma and grief.

It is not neat, because the reality is not neat. Part of what has made this moment so di cult is the sense that the conversation has been narrowed before it begins, as though only certain ways of speaking are acceptable and others fall outside.

That does not reflect how people are actually thinking, and it does not reflect the kind of Judaism we are trying to build.

We can be religious Zionists and still insist on the right, and the responsibility, to define what that means with intellectual honesty, theological depth and moral credibility. As a Movement with a commitment to intellectual openness, that is something we can hold.

Across the book, certain themes keep returning, including questions about language, reflec-

tions on trauma, and a renewed engagement with our texts in light of the present moment.

Alongside these are voices from Israel grappling with how to hold moral seriousness and compassion together.

We are not pretending this resolves anything. Indeed, it shows how much is still unresolved. It feels more honest to open the conversation than to close it down, and more faithful to a Progressive Judaism that has always made space for complexity, for holding more than one thing at once even when that is uncomfortable.

In the end, this book is trying to make space for a conversation that is already happening not just in our communities but across the Jewish world. Stepping into that conversation, rather than stepping back from it, is part of what leadership looks like. The task is to keep it open, and to keep it going.

 Progressive Judaism, Zionism and the State of Israel is out now. See amazon.co.uk/ Progressive-Judaism-ZionismState-Israel/dp/B0GTVQBL88

Livingstone Formulation to the Polanski Principle

DANIEL SUGARMAN DEPUTY EDITOR, JEWISH NEWS

In 2005, David Hirsh, widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading authorities on antisemitism, coined the term ‘The Livingstone Formulation’, named after former London mayor Ken Livingstone.

In its most straightforward terms, it works as follows. An individual makes a comment which is widely seen as containing antisemitism. When called out on it, however, the individual in question goes on the attack, accusing their questioner of falsely attempting to use the accusation of antisemitism to stifle legitimate criticism of Israel. It’s hard to know exactly what Zack Polanski believes, in reality – or whether it makes much of a di erence. The most successful Western politicians since the advent of the mass-screen era of civilisation –in the UK, America, or elsewhere – are those who are not just eloquent but manage to get themselves to a point where they genuinely believe what they are saying, sometimes in the face of significant evidence to the contrary. This has, if anything, only worsened

since the rise of social media. It has never been easier to find people who are absolutely certain in their beliefs – and now more than ever, certainty is often mistaken for truth.

For a while now there has been a strong sense that Zack Polanski does not take antisemitism – either within the Green Party or in general society – seriously, despite disclaimers to the contrary. That feeling has developed from suspicion to certainty, in the wake of two comments from the Green Party leader.

The first was posted by Polanski himself on social media: “Jewish communities are living in fear amid rising antisemitism, including these appalling arson attacks. We must confront this. At the same time, antisemitism is being weaponised to shut down criticism of the Israeli government. Both true. Both concerning. Both antisemitic.”

I want you to imagine for a minute that a senior Muslim politician, in Reform UK, perhaps, posted the following: “Muslims are living in fear amid rising Islamophobic attacks. We must confront this. At the same time, Islamophobia is being weaponised to shut down criticism of Rotherham rape gangs. Both are true.”

Personally, I don’t believe that the obvious implication of ‘Jews/Muslims being targeted is terrible, but you know what’s also bad?

Jews/Muslims using charges of bigotry to falsely silence dedicated truth seekers who hate injustice’ is anything other than hideous. Because the original element (‘this bigotry is wrong’) is the necessary throat clearing before getting to the red meat that the fans want to hear (‘you’re di erent. What you’re engaging in is right, and bad people are trying to silence you’).

The second statement, however, is potentially even worse, so much so that I believe it is worthy of a new name in its own right: the Polanski Principle.

Last week, an interview with Polanski was published by the New Statesman, with a précis provided on social media by his interviewer. Of course, one of the topics raised was that of antisemitism; and Polanski’s response is incredibly revealing.

“Actual cases of antisemitism don’t go challenged” on the left, he says, “because we’re fighting back against the weaponisation of criticism of the Israeli government”. His aim is “to make sure that [the Greens] push back against false allegations of antisemitism, but also make sure that actual antisemitism is also being dealt with”.

Like all of Polanski’s ideas, this is not new. The notion that the far left – supposedly made up of people possessed of some

of the finest anti-racism antennae on the planet, are somehow completely incapable of understanding the nuances of this one type of hatred – has been around for decades. It is a natural extension of the Livingstone Formulation - if only those pesky Zionists didn’t try to confuse the issue of antisemitism by complaining about genuine criticism of Israel, we doughty fighters of injustice could face down this hatred easily! But Polanski is the first, as far as I’m aware, to suggest this in the context of a political party. In the same New Statesman interview, he ludicrously claimed that accusations of antisemitism in the Green Party “didn’t pass the sni test” – I’m sure we all wish him a refuah sheleimah from his politically convenient cold.

Polanski, while claiming that it’s Israel which is muddying the waters with regards to antisemitism, is in actual fact doing so himself.

Claiming that people are trying to stifle your criticism of Israel via allegations of antisemitism? That’s the Livingstone Formulation. Suggesting the Left is unable to e ectively deal with antisemitism because people are somehow unable to distinguish between genuine criticism of Israel and Nazi-grade comments from Green candidates?

Welcome to the Polanski Principle.

Miles of marathon smiles!

The community was proudly represented among a record number of 59,830 runners in this year’s London Marathon, with Jewish participants raising thousands of pounds for charities including Chai Cancer Care, Beit Halochem UK, Kisharon Langdon, Jewish Care, GIFT and Camp Simcha. From fi rst-timers who later described the day as “the best of my life”, to a third-timer who heroically helped another runner close to collapse as he approached the last kilometre, everyone was cheered on as they took on the 26.2-mile route from Greenwich to the Mall.

Wednesday 13th May 2026

Alexandra Palace, London

EVERYTHING

EVERYONE

MAUREEN LIPMAN

Curb actor Richard Kind has stepped into the lead role in The Producers for just seven weeks. By Darren Richman

“

By the way, I’ll be eating a banana while we’re talking,” says Richard Kind at the start of our conversation in that comforting nasal tone that has been familiar since the heady days of Spin City and Mad About You in the 1990s. You might know the name, you probably know the face, but you definitely know the voice of the Pixar mainstay.

Kind is filling in for seven weeks as Max Bialystock in The Producers at the Garrick Theatre, 20 years after last playing the role at the centre of Mel Brooks’ masterpiece. He found the prospect of joining the cast with the show already up and running “daunting”, especially since he would be replacing Andy Nyman, “a great actor who’s great in the role”.

Zero Mostel’s performance in the original film of The Producers a ected the young Kind greatly and he estimates he’s seen it around 80 times. That formative influence is essential to the way he works in the relatively intimate space of the Garrick. “I’m doing The Producers the movie as opposed to the big Broadway extravaganza.”

Oddly enough, Curb Your Enthusiasm built its fourth season around Larry David being cast in The Producers on Broadway and Kind’s performance as Cousin Andy ensured he became a fan favourite despite appearing in just eight episodes of the iconic sitcom. The first of those appearances, in season three, comes when Larry realises his mother had died and his father has chosen not to tell him until after the funeral. It is a truly transcendent scene, amongst the funniest in television history, and just when it seems as though it cannot possibly sustain the laughs generated by David and Shelley Berman, enter Kind.

Having started out doing improv at Second City in Chicago, he seemed an ideal fit for the

Inside A look

Seret – the Israeli Film Festival AI on the frontline

Being Kind

unscripted approach on Curb. Je Garlin recommended Kind for the role but David felt he was too famous to play a character that wasn’t Richard Kind, a rule that was considered essential to aid verisimilitude in the show’s early seasons. The actor wore them down by insisting: “I am not too famous, trust me.” When he read the outline for his first scene, he did not sense comedy history was in the o ng:

“My stupid, bullheaded way was that when I read what I had to do, I thought – of course they tell their son, this is so stupid. I’ll play it but this isn’t right… I’m stupid. I like it when artists are smarter than me.”

Kind needs reassurance and would conclude every improvised scene in Curb by turning to the star and asking: “Larry, is that what you want?” When I tell him the creator

whatever. I like acting.”

Kind grew up “very reform” and describes himself as “Jewish by heritage and observant twice a year”. In terms of faith, he gives the most Kindly analysis: “Every day of my life I believe in God. Is he Jewish? I dunno. But he’s not Christian. I tell ya that, he ain’t Christian.”

He grew up at a Jewish country club not dissimilar to the one depicted in Red Oaks in which he played the father of the central character: “Everybody was Jewish. It’s enough to make you antisemitic.”

Which brings us back to The Producers. He feels, 20 years on, we have to “observe it in a di erent light” and that there is a “percentage of Americans and probably Brits who like what Hitler preached”.

He elaborates on his despair at the state of the world: “I hate Netanyahu and I love Israel… I don’t know how to reckon with it.”

When he sees somebody has died these days, he takes comfort in knowing they will no longer have to witness what is happening in America. Clearly, as is evident in the work, Kind contains multitudes. It is probably one of the reasons such a high proportion of geniuses have employed the actor over the past 40 years. Kind has his own theory: “They need somebody who’s like me. Anybody who looks like me was wise enough not to get in this business.

Richard Kind is filling in for seven weeks as Max Bialystock at the Garrick Theatre

of Seinfeld and Curb is my favourite artist ever to have lived, he gently rebukes me with an incredulous: “Not Stanley Kubrick?”

While Kind might not have worked with the latter, he has been employed by an astonishing number of the most significant creatives of the last few decades, including Clint Eastwood, Stephen Sondheim, David Milch, John Mulaney and the Coen brothers. Working with the Coens on A Serious Man was almost the opposite of Curb since the brothers do not like any deviation from the script as written. “Like Alfred Hitchcock, they know what the movie looks like even before they’ve started shooting,” says Kind. He is open to either approach, so long as he is always working and the material is strong. His ultimate ambition

opportunity to cast me in

“They can go a di erent way. They can go with Stephen Root, which they do often. They can go with Paul Giamatti. Or you get me, who’s much cheaper.”

is to play Roy Cohn in Angels in America, although a viral monologue written by Jesse Eisenberg during lockdown suggested Kind’s goal in life was to one day be cast as a gentile. When I mention this, he channels Cousin Andy: “I have not seen Jesse since. He’s had plenty of opportunity to cast me in things but he hasn’t.”

Perhaps not but, in reality, he has played Jews and gentiles on stage and screen in roles both dramatic and comic. He is man who simply loves to work: “I love doing radio like I love doing stage like I love doing TV like I love doing opera like I love doing musicals like I love doing

reality, he has played Jews and comic. He is man who doing radio like I love doing doing musicals like I love doing

Being shut out of UK cinemas has not stopped Seret - the Israeli Film Festival - from showing movies and talent that demand to be seen.

By Brigit Grant

Choosing films for Seret, the Israeli film festival she founded with Patty Hochmann, is the part of the job Odelia Haroush relishes most.

This year, her picks speak volumes. There’s Reading Lolita in Tehran from esteemed Israeli director Eran Riklis, which is a true story about the women in post-revolution Iran who secretly read banned books to carve out spaces of resistance and hope. There’s Esty Bitton Shushan’s The Book of Ruth, which charts an ultraOrthodox couple whose dream life fractures under tragedy. And then there’s the coming-ofage comedy-drama Cuz You’re Ugly and the raw, searching Burning Man.

For Haroush, programming for the festival is about more than taste. “The main issue is that we like to show the wonderful culture that we have in Israel,” she says. “That people see all the social and cultural diversity within Israeli society. And I think it’s very important to show it in as many venues as possible.”

This year, that last ambition has proved the hardest. Which is why the 15th festival wasn’t launched in a cinema, but inside the House of Commons. Nice as this was, the choice was not symbolic but necessary: no commercial cinema would host it.

Instead, guests were shown Image of Victory, Avi Nesher’s powerful account of the 1948 War of Independence as a reminder of the cost of creating the Jewish state, preceded by a panel discussion that showed the price is still being paid today.

All screenings across the festival will take place in privately-hired venues or at JW3. The o cial reasoning from cinemas has centred on “the situation in the Middle East”. But as Lord Ian Austin, who hosted the launch alongside MP Luke Akehurst, put it bluntly: “This is obviously nuts because America is in that war too and no one is banning films from Hollywood.”

According to Daniela Grudsky, Israel’s Acting Ambassador, who was also at the Commons, what is happening to Seret reflects a broader pattern. “There is no logic to it. Pressure campaigns, financial fears and threats of audience boycotts are shaping decisions. You have to ask, where is the freedom of speech that we cherish so much?”

For Danny Cohen, also attending, the issue cuts deeper still. The reluctance to host Israeli films, he argues, is not just caution – it is complicity. A failure of leadership that risks normalising exclusion.

And yet Seret goes on, driven by the persistence of Odelia, who believes the House of Commons launch helped widen the audience and spark meaningful conversation. “Every little helps,” she says, and this year’s programme has a distinctly universal pull.

cultures. Actors Yossi Marshak and Shai Avivi

There is also the added draw of hearing directly from the filmmakers and performers themselves. Among the visiting talent are director Eran Riklis and executive producer Jonny Persey, who on 8 May will take part in Crossing Borders, a discussion exploring global partnerships, creative collaboration and what it takes to bring films to life across countries and cultures. Actors Yossi Marshak and Shai Avivi will appear alongside their respective films Cuz

Haroush, who has run Seret for 15 years and has launched it in Germany, the Netherlands, Chile, Argentina, and most recently, Spain, says she has never encountered anything like it. Since October 7, she explains, UK cinemas have refused to engage.

is obviously nuts because America is in Germany, the Netherlands, adds. “I feel they want to ban Israeli films not because of

“This is very sad,” she adds. “I feel they want to ban Israeli films not because of their content but because of their origin.”

You’re Ugly

the screening on 10 May of Nandauri, Eti

You’re Ugly and Burning Man, while Neta Riskin – best known for Shtisel – will attend the screening on 10 May of Nandauri, Eti Tsicko’s award-winning road movie about identity, heritage and return.

Riskin has already been recognised

Riskin has already been recognised for her role as a lawyer retracing her Georgian roots in a bid to rescue a young boy. It is one of Haroush’s personal favourites – though, as she readily admits, she could say that about many of them. That, after all, is precisely why they made the cut. Now they just need to be seen.

Ÿ Visit seretfilmfestival.org for screenings

UK TECH COMPANY SAVING WORKERS A DAY A WEEK

Alex Stephany’s technology company Beam uses AI to cut admin, ease pressure and help frontline staff support more people

ntrepreneur Alex Stephany is using artificial intelligence to tackle one of society’s biggest problems: the strain on frontline workers. From social workers to probation officers to work coaches, hundreds of thousands of people in the UK spend every working day supporting millions of fellow citizens.

EThrough his technology company Beam, Stephany has developed AI-powered tools that draft documentation, provide insights, do real-time translation and can even flag risks for review for frontline workers. The goal is to allow frontline workers to focus on delivering humancentred support rather than paperwork.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has highlighted the potential for AI to reduce time spent on paperwork in social care as part of the government’s broader push to integrate AI into public services, an issue that has become increasingly urgent as demand rises and frontline workers report high levels of burnout.

Stephany says the aim is not to replace frontline workers but to give them back time to focus on the people they support. “Within a couple of weeks, you could see that people were able to support more people and they were enjoying their job more,” Stephany tells Jewish News.

Beam’s technology is now used by more than 80,000 frontline staff across five countries, saving workers on average one day in admin time each week.

The company’s tech is used by two in three council social care teams. Partners include local authorities, the NHS, charities, employment support services and social services providers, including the Leeds Jewish Welfare Board and Jewish House in Sydney.

Stephany says the company’s approach is shaped by its origins, which began by using online crowdfunding to fund training and employment opportunities for homeless people. “Beam has always been about putting technology to work on social issues.

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“As technology has evolved, so have we.”

But as the team were delivering services themselves, they encountered the same challenges faced by frontline workers across the sector. “Our team told us very clearly: you’ve got to help us with the documentation and the paperwork. They were spending so much time documenting everything. Every time they sent a message, a text, an email, they would have to write it up.”

Beam’s technology is unique because it has been developed by people who have worked in frontline services themselves. “Most of the people building it and training others around the world have actually sat in those meetings, deal with serious real-world risks,” Stephany explains.

One of Beam’s core products is Notes, which records meetings with consent and automatically generates transcripts and structured case notes, which practitioners can review before uploading to their case management systems. Notes handles a meeting every second during the working day.

Beam has since developed other AI tools designed to support communication and service delivery, including systems that allow people accessing services to get information around the clock and tools that can translate conversations in real time.

“The technology is already showing measurable impact on workloads,” notes Stephany. “In Somerset, people in the children’s social care team are reporting weekly time savings of 11 hours a week.”

Stephany also cites a meeting with the Prime Minister where a social worker described how the system had transformed her work. “She is severely dyslexic and really struggled with the paperwork part of her job. “It was painful and demoralising and she hated it.”

She told the Prime Minister that she is able to see twice as many people, while enjoying her job far more.

Stephany acknowledges that use of AI in social services, where decisions can affect vulnerable people, raises questions about trust and safety but he is clear that Beam’s technology is designed to support professionals rather than replace them. “AI is a tool,” he says. “Like any tool, it can be wielded well for good, or it can be wielded badly. Our tech

does not make decisions on behalf of frontline workers. All the documents that AI creates are checked by human beings. But it’s the difference between using technology to get 9/10 versions of work to review within seconds, or creating everything from scratch, which can be slow, expensive and also demoralising when that work starts bleeding – as it often does in over-burdened services – into people’s evenings and weekends.”

Beam has also worked with academic researchers to assess the technology for potential bias and risks and done over 100 evaluations of its work in the field.

A former corporate lawyer, Stephany is a multi-award-winning social entrepreneur. He founded Beam in 2017 after exploring how technology could help tackle homelessness. The company has grown to a team of around 200 with offices in London, New York and Melbourne and is backed by mission-driven investors including the founders of Booking. com and Dropbox. Beam has won more than 40 awards, including City AM’s 2025 Innovative Company of the Year.

Stephany has been vocal about the wider environment for entrepreneurs in Britain. In April, he was interviewed by Robert Peston for his podcast The Rest is Money, where he explored how Beam’s technology has been swiftly by public sector bodies around the world and by innovators in UK councils “from the Isle of Wight to the Orkneys” but far more slowly by UK Central Government.

He believes Whitehall still has a major opportunity to harness the UK’s technology sector to help tackle public sector challenges. “The UK has the third-biggest technology ecosystem in the world,” he said. “That is a huge opportunity for the government to tap into that talent and those companies.”

Stephany says he would welcome more partnerships with organisations in the Jewish community following the adoption of Beam’s technology by the Leeds Jewish Welfare Board. “There are lots of charities doing incredibly important frontline work, and technology like this can really help the people delivering those services,” he says.

“If you’re, say, a domestic violence charity, you might receive calls at any time of day or night. Our technology can help identify the conversations that need urgent attention so teams know what to prioritise when they come in the next morning.

“We started Beam first and foremost because we want to level up services and tools for the unsung heroes on the frontline of services, from social workers and homelessness outreach workers to mental health practitioners and more, doing the vital work that keeps society functioning.”

In the meantime, Stephany’s focus is simple: helping frontline workers focus on people rather than paperwork.

MAKING SENSE OF THE SEDRA

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

RABBI

STEVEN DANSKY CRANBROOK SYNAGOGUE

In this week’s parasha, Emor, the verse “I will be sanctified among the children of Israel” teaches that holiness is not only a private matter but something expressed within the community.

One of the clearest ways this is seen is through prayer with a quorum of 10 and the study of Torah in a communal setting. Sanctifying God’s name is therefore not just about belief; it is about living as part of a people.

Many understand “Kiddush Hashem”, the sanctification of God’s name, as referring primarily to martyrdom: a person may be called upon to give up their life rather than

betray their faith. Jewish history has tragically shown this reality in terrible moments, including the Holocaust and the murders of October 7. Those who died simply because they were Jews are remembered with deep reverence and holiness.

Yet Maimonides presents a deeper and more challenging perspective. He begins with the command that a person should live by the mitzvot, and only afterwards notes that in extreme circumstances one may be required to give up their life.

This order is significant. It suggests that the primary purpose of Torah is not death, but life. The highest expression of sanctifying God’s name is to live as a Jew: to embrace Jewish identity, follow Torah and use each day to fulfil more commandments.

This interpretation is especially powerful in our own time. When Jewish institutions are attacked and antisemitism rises, as we have seen in the last few weeks in London, the response should not only be fear or withdrawal, but pride.

To live openly and confidently as Jews is itself an act of sanctification. In the UK, where Jews are still able to pray, study, celebrate festivals, and keep mitzvot freely, there is a precious opportunity to demonstrate what Jewish life looks like at its best.

The article also calls for honest self-reflection. Am I living as a proud Jew? Pride in Jewish identity may be shown outwardly through symbols such as a Magen David or hostage tags, but there is a deeper challenge: to be proud of observance itself. Pride in Torah, in prayer, in

charity, and in Jewish conduct has a ripple e ect. When others see a Jew living nobly and joyfully, they may be inspired to deepen their own  commitment.

Kiddush Hashem does not always require dramatic sacrifice. More often, it is found in the quiet, consistent decision to live visibly and faithfully as a Jew. That kind of life proclaims dignity, resilience and devotion. In that sense, sanctifying God’s name is not only about how one dies, but far more importantly, about how one lives.

Progressive Judaism

LEAP OF FAITH

BY RABBI DANNY RICH SOUTHGATE PROGRESSIVE SYNAGOGUE

Jewish life can continue to thrive in the UK

A declaration of interests: I have traced a branch of my family in the United Kingdom to the early 18th century, although the majority of my antecedents fled antisemitism and poverty from Poland between 1840 and 1908.

Also, I am Mayor of the London Borough of Barnet, which is not only home to some 56,000 Jews – the largest Jewish community in the UK – but has recently been the scene of terrorist-inspired attacks on Hatzolah and Finchley Reform Synagogue.

The story of Jews in the UK is primarily one of welcome and achievement although it does not have an unblemished history, as the

expulsion of the Jews of England in 1290, the world’s first blood libel centred on the case of William of Norwich in 1144 and the cases of Baron Lionel de Rothschild and Sir David Salomon (both elected but unable to serve in Parliament in the 1840s) attest.

Jewish communities have a remarkable capacity to survive but it requires a partnership of the state and its Jews for Jewish life to thrive.

The response of the Metropolitan Police, Barnet Council and other statutory bodies to the recent outrages should provide reassurance that an attack on the Jewish community is an a ront to all decent individuals and their representatives.

Furthermore, the grant of more than £28m of taxpayers’ money to the Community Security Trust (CST), coupled with the decision by King Charles become patron of CST, a rms that joint public and Jewish vigilance will secure, to the best of our ability, the safety of Jews in the UK.

Despite an inauspicious start (see earlier), Jews in the United Kingdom are protected by modern equality law and have been so since the Jewish Relief Act 1858, which enabled Jews to take a modified oath as a Member of Parliament.

Today there are hardly any public o ces which a Jew may not occupy, perhaps symbolically demonstrated by the participation of Jewish Baroness Gillian Meron in the coronation of the King.

In a recent policy paper, the Prime Minster declared: “Anti-

A stimulating series where our progressive rabbis consider Judaism in the face of 21stcentury issues

semitism [is] morally unacceptable [and] a threat to the fabric of the nation.”

Everything else rests with the commitment and e orts of the Jewish community itself. From

birth to death, in arts and sport, on the environment and caravanning, in political parties and pressure groups, Jews are playing significant roles either as a separate Jewish partner or associated with the whole.

Jewish life has never been easy, and my suspicion is that it was never intended to be.

I understand the fears and challenges of those Jews contemplating a move to the United States, Dubai or even Israel but recent evidence shows these societies are not without their own dilemmas.

Meanwhile, Jews and Jewish communities here continue to thrive and enjoy the benefits of Jewish thinking, traditions and practice in a United Kingdom, which may have its challenges, but which o ers a backdrop for continuing Jewish success.

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