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The Diary

Dutch synagogue crowned in orange

May 6, 2013

Dutch Jews marked the coronation of their new king, Willem-Alexander, with a special service on the eve of his ascent to the throne.

Amsterdam’s historic Portuguese Synagogue was lit with orange candles and a traditional blessing recited, which asked protection for the monarch from “He Who releases His servant David from the evil sword”.

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Bottled prayers from Poland

April 27, 2013

Browsing in the duty-free shop at Warsaw’s Modlin Airport last Friday, I spotted the kosher Polish slivovitz (plum brandy) I had recently enjoyed sampling at the Kosher Food and Wine fair in London.

How could I resist buying some when the sales assistant told me that it came with a special gift. A siddur.

“Do you mean a cigar”, I wondered.

“No, a siddur”, she insisted.

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How the JC can make you money

April 27, 2013

Hold on to your JCs if you want to leave a little gift to your great-grandchildren. A bound set of Jewish Chronicles from November 1841 to April 1842 is being auctioned by Kestenbaum in New York next Thursday with an anticipated sale price

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Travelling in distinction

April 27, 2013

Her Majesty’s representatives liked to travel in style, as newly released National Archive documents show: they include a note from British officials departing Palestine in 1948 about their Rolls Royces and Daimlers.

A contrast with modern thrift: when Communities Minister Don Foster went to Warsaw last week to lay a wreath at the Ghetto Uprising memorial, he flew by Ryanair.

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MPs' prayer for Thatcher

April 27, 2013

Word has been going round that on the eve of Baroness Thatcher’s funeral, a group of Jewish Tory MPs had visited the crypt under the Commons where her body lay and said Kaddish.

In fact, Kaddish was not recited: a memorial prayer in English was read along with the opening of the Shema.

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Tilly's sew good on telly

April 27, 2013

The Great British Sewing Bee is the BBC’s latest tele-contest after Masterchef and The Great British Bake-Off.

Our golden needle goes to Tilly Walnes (below), who was among the handful from 1,500 applicants chosen to go on the series, which ended this week.

Tilly, who is the daughter of Anne Frank Trust director Gillian Walnes, has been sewing for only two years.

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Jill takes on the Naked Chef

April 22, 2013

Films Without Borders teaches film making to Palestinian, Israeli and Rwandan youths. Jamie Oliver chastises parents of obese kids. Now they’re duking it out for the BritWeek UKTI business innovation award in philanthropy. Before they both fly out to California, FWB founder Jill Samuels muses on who would win in a fight. “Me,” she said. “I think we should eat him for breakfast.”

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Hot gossip on Iceberg street

April 13, 2013

More speculation this week that the United Synagogue hopes to cash in on a sale of the Chief Rabbi’s residence in Hamilton Terrace.

I am told that the latest valuation has put the St Johns’ Wood premises at £10 million, while that figure could leap if planning permission were obtained for residential development.

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Strictly for Essex grills

April 13, 2013

Not a mix and match the Bible would dream of. You could understand why this Basildon market stall might want to sell off its matzot post-Pesach.

But perhaps could it be pioneering a slimline, unleavened version of that old British favourite, the bacon sarnie

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Baroness Thatcher, for queen and country

April 13, 2013

When Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher made a trip Israel in 1986, she was asked by David Landau, the then diplomatic editor of the Jerusalem Post, why the Queen didn’t visit. “But I'm here," was the priceless retort.

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