Two weeks ago we revealed the extent of the financial crisis facing British Jewish charities - and prompted a debate about the extent to which charity should begin at home.

The Chief Rabbi's remarks about young Jews living in a bubble and needing to do more to alleviate poverty elsewhere were not intended as part of that debate, but they nonetheless have salience to it. Many young people will doubtless reject what he has to say and protest that they spend much of their time engaged in tsedek. But it is difficult to deny that he has a point.

With the huge rise in the numbers at Jewish schools, there is a pattern emerging of Jewish school followed a university with a concentrated Jewish student body followed by living in a neighbourhood with a large Jewish population: life in a bubble, in other words. Some will find such a label offensive.

But it is to the Chief Rabbi's credit that he is prepared to confront such issues. The easy path would be for him to spout the usual platitudes of congratulation for charitable work. Good on him for making us think.