Posts by Hannah Tosh

Where to go, what to do, who to see

Hannah Tosh — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:11:31 +0100

Moving to a new city does not need to be daunting. We asked students for their top tips on where to eat, drink, party and pray on their campuses.

Nottingham

Melanie Charles: "The best things to do are the huge events like Booze 4 Jews. Our JSoc makes it easy for us to travel to all the Booze 4 Jews in other major cities which is great because I get to see all my friends and meet other Jewish people at different universities around the country.

"In Nottingham I love going to Coco Tang and sipping cocktails with the girls. It's a relaxed atmosphere and something a bit different for my evening."

Leeds

Ben Friedman: "My favourite thing to do with JSoc is to go to all the different events such as Booze 4 Jews and Friday Fever. It means you're able to socialise with different people who you might not otherwise meet.

"In Leeds I like to go to different pubs such as the Library and the Hyde Park. My friends and I often go to places like O2 Academy on a Wednesday night or Mission on a Thursday night."

Sheffield

Jamie Rudette: "Sheffield has a smaller JSoc and I love that it gives you a home away from home with the support of the local Jewish community. I really enjoy the movie nights they put on for chilling with friends.

"In the city itself I would recommend the Bowery Bar, and Bungalows and Bears to catch up with friends and meet people."

UCL

Hannah Marber: "I really enjoyed the Purim party at Sound in Leicester Square.

"Moonlighting is a super grimy bar on Greek Street. It plays the cheesiest music around and is always unbearably sweaty, but somehow we end up there most Monday nights."

On this day: Letters of recognition

Hannah Tosh — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 09:01:24 +0100

In 1993 Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) finally reached agreement over the distribution of land with the Oslo Accords, fully named the "Declaration of Principles on Interim Self Government Arrangements".

This was the initial stage in the first direct attempts between the organisations to solve the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict.

The letters, agreed in Oslo, stated that Israel would now have the right to exist as a secure state with "peace and security" and also there would be preliminary acceptance of the division of land into territories in Gaza and the West Bank.

Moreover, both sides committed themselves to the peace process, hoping to eventually permanently solve all issues.

The Palestinian letter also said that "Accordingly, the PLO renounces the use of terrorism and other acts of violence and will assume responsibility over all PLO elements and personnel in order to assure their compliance prevent violations and discipline violators"

The Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin, responded and agreed with this letter. There was then a ceremony in Washington with the President at the time - Bill Clinton, Yasser Arafat and Rabin.

The Oslo Accords were a move towards peace, made against the backdrop of the end of the Cold War.

What the JC said: The milestone draft accord between the government of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Yasir Arafat's PLO is, of course, only a beginning. Even if the final textual details are satisfactorily resolved, Mr Rabin faces public anger at home over an accord denounced by its opponents as a formula for Israel's destruction. Still, it is an immensely important beginning…it represents an opportunity to put in place a process whereby peace, though by no means assured, is at least possible

See more from the JC archives here

On this day: The Blitz begins

Hannah Tosh — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 09:57:22 +0100

Nazi Germany started bombing Britain in September 1940. The bombings continued on for 76 consecutive days - until May 10 1941 - as Germany attempted to destroy Britain's infrastructure and cripple the country's war economy.

It was reported at the time that the attacks were the worst offence committed by Germany since the war began.

Britain fought back and 88 German war planes were shot down; yet the bombings went on for many days with little pause for recovery.

Germany sometimes bombed for eight hours straight, even destroying air raid shelters and thus devastating London further.

London was the worst hit from the attacks, with Hull also badly damaged. More than a million homes were destroyed and 40,000 people were killed.

The Jewish community was caught up in the centre of all the bombings and the Jewish Chronicle reported that January that many of the main London synagogues had been practically destroyed. Likewise, many Jewish families were bombed out of their homes and had to rely on their communities for support.

Despite the Blitz, the Allies triumphed and Germany was defeated four years later.

What the JC said: Large numbers of Jewish dwellings and business premises have been wrecked and many Synagogues damaged in recent raids on the Metropolis. A London Synagogue suffered almost total destruction when a bomb fell on the-large sheds; adjoining the building in a recent raid. The Synagogue was built in 1904 and included classrooms and a beadle's flat. Most of the Sefarim had been sent into the country at the outbreak, of the war. Those that remained in the Synagogue were courageously rescued by the local demolition squad…When the bomb fell there were a number of casualties in houses nearby…The Chanucah lights of 5701 will be remembered by those many Jews - and non-Jews too-who saw them kindled in underground air-raid shelters this year. They brought rays of cheer into these black-out nights.

See more from the JC archives here

On This Day: hostages at the Munich Olympics

Hannah Tosh — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 09:42:56 +0100

Nine members of the 1972 Israeli Olympic team were snatched from their apartment in the Olympic village and murdered by the terrorist group Black September.

Eight gunmen struck as the athletes slept. Others were spared when a colleague- Yossef Gutfreund heard a disturbance, raised the alarm.

The hostages had been taken as a response to the 200 Arab prisoners that Israel held at the time. Black September had demanded the release of two German prisoners. However, the Israelis refused to negotiate.

Israel offered to send Special Forces to help the German Police who had no hostage training. They declined.

The terrorists then threatened to kill two hostages and refused attempts to exchange them for unlimited amounts of money.

The hostages were killed when the gunmen retaliated by opening fire after a German sniper’s failed attempt to shoot the group’s leader.

What the JC said: Israel was dumbfounded and taken completely by surprise by the deaths of her nine members of her Olympic Games team murdered by Arab terrorists in air field battle near Munich…As the shattering reality of the disaster hit home the first reaction here was one of self condemnation for the failure, having relied exclusively on the security arrangements made by the Olympics Committee. All local authorities announced the cancellation of receptions and festivities planned for Rosh Hashana.

See more from the JC archives here

On this day: Germany invades Poland

Hannah Tosh — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 09:53:00 +0100

For the second time in less than 20 years Britain and France were declaring war on Germany, this time, for the invasion of Poland.

Hitler's obsession with expanding Germany into a greater nation with more "Lebensraum" (living space) began with the Polish territories.

On the Eastern side of Germany past Poland laid another German territory, East Prussia. In the years leading up to this Hitler tried everything to unite the territories by manipulating Poland through schemes such as the Anti Commitern Pact and the German-Polish Non Aggression Pact. However, all had failed and Poland was becoming unsettled by Germany's behaviour with Russia; thus fearful of losing independence.

So, Hitler decided to obtain the land by force and without warning on the 1st September 1939 1.5 million German troops invaded Poland from the North, South and West.

In response to this Britain and France mobilised their troops to support Poland. Germany made swift progress by land and air because the Polish forces were weak and unprepared.

German bomber planes were obliterating large Polish cities such as, Krakow and Warsaw. Five separate armies were destroying the Polish defence on foot. There were many Jewish and Non Jewish casualties. By the evening the Nazis were listing their demands for dividing up the conquered Polish Land and as a result Britain and France had declared war in Poland's defence.

Early JC reports portrayed the environment as very difficult and the Polish Prime Minister talking to the paper stated "the Jews had done their duty in an exemplary manner, fighting heroically for Poland" and "the misfortune of war had united the entire nation" against the Nazis.

What the JC said: Meanwhile, official Nazi German broadcasts belie the reports of a change in the official attitude towards the Jews. Attacks are made regularly in the news bulletins. They are still saying that Britain is fighting for "Jewish financiers and Jewish gold." In one broadcast, it was declared that the verminous atmosphere left by the hundreds of thousands of Jewish inhabitants of, beleaguered Warsaw would have to be blown away.

See more from the JC archives here