Antisemitic crime drops in Barnet

Barnet, home to Britain's biggest Jewish population, has reported a significant drop in racist and religious hate crime and an increase in catching the perpetrators.

There were 284 racist offences during the 2009/10 year, which ended in March, compared to 428 in the previous 12 months.

Up from 35 per cent to 50 per cent was the rate of clear-up - where police identify the culprits and a punishment is applied ranging from a caution to a prison sentence.

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Joel Weiner: my role in the leaders' debate

The Jewish teenager who took on BNP leader
Nick Griffin about the Holocaust during an edition of the BBC’s Question Time
last year has taken centre stage again during the first party leaders’ televised
election debate on ITV.

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Liverpool's Harold House closure warning

Harold House, Liverpool's Jewish community centre, faces temporary closure unless it can raise £100,000.

The centre is due to move into the new King David schools complex under construction on a neighbouring site and IS scheduled to open in September 2011.

But Harold House chief executive Stephen Simpson warned that the centre cannot continue until then without a cash influx.

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Sephardi survives 'no confidence' motion

The ruling body of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews' Congregation has survived a motion of no confidence but has failed to heal the divisions within the community.

Efforts were made at the annual meeting to draw a line over the resignation last year of Rabbi Natan Asmoucha at Bevis Marks Synagogue, after tensions with the mahamad (executive) over his participation in an interfaith demonstration against high bank interest charges.

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JFS row teacher is key JCoSS appointment

JFS head of English Kate Lightman, whose daughter was refused entry to the school in a row over conversion, has been appointed to a senior post at the new Jewish Community Secondary School, JCoSS.

Mrs Lightman will be assistant head with responsibility for English at JCoSS, which opens in Barnet in September. She has taught at JFS for more than 20 years.

In 2005, she and her husband David applied for a place for their daughter Maya but were turned down because the London Beth Din rejected Mrs Lightman's conversion in Israel.

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El Al to help BA travellers

Israeli airline El Al has stepped in to try to help out people travelling to Israel for Pesach as a result of the threatened British Airways cabin crew strike, run by the Unite union.

El Al has decided to run seven extra flights, between London Luton Airport and Tel Aviv between March 22 and March 27.

A British Airways strike is also planned for the following weekend, but BA will not give details of which flights have been cancelled until the beginning of next week.

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New government fund for faith groups

Communities Secretary John Denham has announced a new fund to help faith groups which work with the government.

Speaking at a conference about faith and social action, Mr Denham said the groups would be able to bid for funds of £1.2 million to be made available after the general election.

There will be an additional £50,000 in prize money for the best innovative faith project.

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Charedi plan to buy Skinners' School

Hackney's Charedi community is to renew its efforts to buy the old Skinners' School after councillors rejected a home-building plan for the site.

The planning sub-committee voted 5-4 against Berkeley Homes' proposal to knock down the school and build luxury homes. The decision was greeted with delight by local Charedim who packed the public gallery.

Members of the Belz, Satmar and Lubavitch communities maintain that the site should remain in educational use.

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Killer of Jewish shopkeeper 'could still be at large'

The contract killer of Beatrice "Biddy" Gold, the London woman shot dead in the basement of her clothing business 35 years ago, might still be at large, it emerged this week.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) confirmed that the case of John Errol Heibner, convicted in 1976 of Mrs Gold's murder, will be referred back to the Court of Appeal.

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Obama envoy praises the CST

Barack Obama's special envoy against antisemitism lavished praise on the Community Security Trust when addressing its annual dinner in London.

Hannah Rosenthal said the CST's work in recording and analysing antisemitic incidents was invaluable to American agencies dealing with hate crime.

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Stamford Hill couple attacked by burglars

A Stamford Hill couple were attacked and tied up by a gang of burglars who broke into their home in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

It is believed the five-strong gang entered the Castlewood Road property through an unsecured window.

They woke the couple, who are in their early thirties. Their children were asleep in other rooms.

After tying them up and assaulting them, the gang took the keys to the husband's office in Clapton Common but failed to open it. They otherwise fled the house empty-handed.

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Rabbi cancels engagements because of illness

Bushey Synagogue's Rabbi Meir Salasnik has cancelled all engagements for the next few months because of ill health.

Congregants have been informed of the news by letter. The shul gave no indication of his illness but said "the early prognosis is positive". Alternative arrangements will be made through the synagogue office for congregants who had booked the rabbi to officiate at a function.

Rabbi Salasnik, 58, has been minister at Bushey since 1979. He is secretary of the Chief Rabbi's cabinet and is responsible for hospital visitation.

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Jewish nurseries are hugely oversubscribed

Nurseries at voluntary-aided schools are facing almost unprecedented demand for places in September, with some receiving five applications per place.

Although it is recognised that parents will make applications to a number of schools, head teachers have expressed concern about the small number of places remaining after siblings have been accommodated.

Simon Goulden, education consultant at the United Synagogue, said a number of issues had impacted on the situation this year.

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