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Simon Rocker

EU to look into antisemitism on continent

By Simon Rocker, May 25, 2012

The European Union has commissioned a major investigation into antisemitism by the London-based Institute for Jewish Research (JPR).

An online survey, which will be carried out by Ipsos MORI, will gather evidence on the experience of antisemitism in nine EU countries.

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Should Orthodox deputies cover their heads?

By Simon Rocker, May 24, 2012

One of the novelties of the vice-presidential elections at the Board of Deputies on Sunday was that they were live-streamed, enabling web spectators to follow events.

Comment

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Thank heaven for Shavuot

By Simon Rocker, May 24, 2012

Shavuot ought to be the most popular of the major festivals. There are no long services, like Rosh Hashanah; no fasting as on Yom Kippur; no rain-spattered meals in a draughty succah. And a slice of cheesecake is a lot more appetising than a week-long diet of matzah.

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Sweet shopping for the rabbi

By Simon Rocker, May 24, 2012

Rabbi David Hulbert's daughter Lianna recently moved to Brixton in south London. When the minister of Bet Tikvah Progressive Synagogue in Ilford went to visit, he popped into the sweet shop next door, to re-appear with this snack tailor-made for him: a packet of Rabbi Coconut Candy balls.

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Naomi Campbell is the model guest at King David, Israel

By Simon Rocker, May 24, 2012

Staying at the King David in Jerusalem this week was supermodel Naomi Campbell, who arrived for her 42nd birthday.

After visiting the Old City, she went to Bethlehem, where she was quoted as saying: "Weapons and war, greed and oil… I hope it all stops". Don't we all (except for the oil, of course).

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Avram Grant at Auschwitz

By Simon Rocker, May 24, 2012

The England team's run-up to the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine will include a talk next week from two Holocaust survivors.

Meanwhile, former Chelsea manager Avram Grant was at Auschwitz this week, recording a Radio Five Live programme which goes out on Tuesday.

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A Streisand who wears tefillin

By Simon Rocker, May 24, 2012

Barbra Streisand's cousin, Dale, has turned to Israel's Supreme Court to help him make aliyah. Last year his application to settle in Israel with his Philippines-born wife and daughter was rejected, reportedly because his Facebook page had a link to a Christian messianic group.

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New Statesman goes to the shtetl

By Simon Rocker, May 24, 2012

The left-wing New Statesman magazine put a kippah on the cover this week for a 72-page special issue on British Jewry, which was due to go on sale yesterday.

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New team at Board of Deputies face fresh challenges

By Simon Rocker, May 24, 2012

"It's an upset," one old-timer declared after Sunday's election results. Not that Laura Marks was elected, but that she had captured the top vice-presidential slot barely four months after becoming a deputy. Her election clearly signals a widespread desire for a breath of fresh air.

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Mitzvah Day's Laura Marks sweeps the Board of Deputies poll

By Simon Rocker, May 24, 2012

The head of a campaign to encourage more women into Jewish leadership roles set the perfect example on Sunday when she topped the poll for vice-president of the Board of Deputies. Laura Marks, founder of the cross-communal social action event Mitzvah Day, was elected senior vice-president - just four months after becoming a deputy.

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UK support for Israel 'declining'

By Simon Rocker, May 24, 2012

Pro-Israel sentiment in the UK has dropped from 25 per cent to 17 per cent in a decade, while support for the Palestinians remained at the same level at 18 per cent.

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Lieberman visit triggers bitter community clash

By Simon Rocker, May 24, 2012

The Reform Movement has stood by its attack on visiting Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman after coming under fire at the Board of Deputies.

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GCSE question asks "why do some people hate Jews?"

By Simon Rocker, May 24, 2012

Education Secretary Michael Gove has strongly criticised an exam board over a GCSE religious studies question in which pupils were asked: “Explain, briefly, why some people are prejudiced against Jews.”

Last Thursday more than 1,000 students — including pupils at JFS — sat the paper, which was set by one of the three major English exam boards, AQA.

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The Arrow of Justice

By Simon Rocker, May 21, 2012

Rabbi Aryeh Leib(Lionel) Broder addresses the question of why does God allow cruelty in the world and other hot topics in his examination of biblical stories, from Joab’s conquest of Jerusalem to the tragic naivety of the last king of Judah, Zedekiah.

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Deputy debut for pr boss
By Simon Rocker, May 21, 2012
A new face at the Board of Deputies will be Shimon Cohen, founder of The PR Office, who has been elected to represent Hampstead Garden Suburb Synagogue. The Board was “a great idea” which had not yet achieved its potential, he explained. “The only way to change that is to get involved.”
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A feather with a steely edge
By Simon Rocker, May 21, 2012
A purge at West London Synagogue where three of its five serving delegates to the Board of Deputies were ousted in an election. One who did keep his seat was Robert (aka Anthony) Feather.
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Hacked off with confused MP
By Simon Rocker, May 21, 2012
Labour deputy chairman Tom Watson was left with a little facial egg after tweeting Rupert Murdoch to complain that he had been insulted by Times columnist Hugo Rifkind.

A baffled Rifkind asked for, and got, an apology from the MP, who admitted that he had confused him with fellow Times columnist Giles Coren.
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Laura Marks romps to victory in Board elections
By Simon Rocker, May 20, 2012
Mitzvah Day founder Laura Marks became the new senior vice-president of the Board of Deputies, after topping the poll in Sunday's election.

Daily Mail City editor Alex Brummer, vice-chairman of the Board's international division came second, with the third vice-presidential place clinched by Jonathan Arkush, senior V-P in the past triennial.
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Daniel Taub salutes Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies at gala dinner
By Simon Rocker, May 18, 2012
Israel Ambassador Daniel Taub saluted the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies at a gala dinner to celebrate its 40th anniversary. And Mr Taub can claim first-hand knowledge of its benefits — he once was a student there.

While an undergraduate at Oxford, he took a course in Yiddish at the centre with legendary teacher, Dovid Katz.
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Why I won’t be singing on Jerusalem Day
By Simon Rocker, May 17, 2012
When Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks issued his new edition of the Singer’s Prayer book, the United Synagogue’s standard siddur for the first time mentioned Jerusalem Day.
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