London joins global Jewish cities

Jewish communities from the greatest cities across the globe are to be linked for the first time through the World Jewish Cities Project.

The new scheme was launched by London and New York when the London Jewish Forum met representatives of the New York Jewish Community Relations Council in the American city last week.

In the first phase of the project, Paris and Budapest will be approached to join and in the second phase Buenos Aires in Argentina, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo in Brazil, and Johannesburg in South Africa.

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Oxford rugby club planned ‘bring a Jew’ social night

A university rugby club invited its players to take part in a ‘bring a Jew' night and told them to find female Jewish students as dates.

Members of Oxford University's men's under-21 side were encouraged to ‘dress up as Jews' and carry money bags.

The event, due to take place on Wednesday, was cancelled after complaints from Jewish students, but it is thought some players went ahead with the night out as planned.

Officials from the university and student union had told organisers to cancel the social and are now investigating.

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Shipping tycoon awarded an honorary KBE

The Israeli businessman and shipping tycoon Samuel Ofer has been awarded an honorary KBE in recognition of his services to UK maritime heritage.

Mr Ofer served in the Royal Navy during World War II. He and his brother, Yuli, went on to create one of the largest private shipping companies in the world, operating a significant part of its fleet from London.

In 2008 he contributed towards projects connected with the UK's maritime heritage in Greenwich, where a major new area at the National Maritime Museum will be named the Sammy Ofer Wing.

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Menorah in window leads to race attack

Vandals attacked a Jewish convert's home after he displayed pictures of a Star of David and menorah in his window.

Gerry Forrest was forced to install an arson-proof letterbox last week at his Hemel Hempstead home after police, who are treating the attacks as antisemitic, feared lit fireworks gathered for Bonfire Night would be pushed into his hallway.

The 65-year-old is a full-time carer for his wife, Lorna, who suffers from MS. He made a "do-it-yourself" conversion to Judaism over 40 years ago.

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Sports writer beats Sahar at own game

Sports reporter Craig Silver left Israeli footballer Ben Sahar red-faced this week after beating him in a heading competition.

The contest took place at the Israel stand of the World Travel Market at London's Excel Centre on Tuesday. Passers-by were invited to try their luck against the 19-year-old Chelsea striker, currently on loan at Portsmouth. Up stepped the JC's Silver, 22, who had trials at Leyton Orient as a teenager. Silver managed around 40 headers in a one-on-one with the professional footballer, before Sahar lost control and dropped the ball.

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Funding cut fears over Simcha on the Square

Organisers of the culture festival, Simcha on the Square, hope to run the event in Trafalgar Square again next year, despite fears of funding cuts.

SOTS director Geraldine Auerbach said larger contributions from the Jewish community would be needed because of a reduced grant from the Greater London Authority.

This year the GLA provided £48,000 towards the event, which costs around £100,000 to stage.

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Teachers to be questioned on Shoah lessons

The launch of the first national survey into how the Holocaust is taught in English secondary schools will help to stop internet stories that Britain has stopped teaching the subject, according to a leading official in the field.

Holocaust Educational Trust chief executive Karen Pollock, who helped set up the research project, said: "Specialists in the field of Holocaust education all want to understand better how training programmes and resources are used in the classroom and impact on both teachers and young people.

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LibDem president backs new anti-Zionist group

Liberal Democrat president Simon Hughes has been strongly criticised by the party's Friends of Israel group for signing a virulently anti-Israeli early day motion.

LDFI secretary Matthew Harris also castigated the anti-Zionist group that the EDM welcomed.

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