Think of our community and you think of family, shuls, simchas and all the other gatherings that fill up our diaries. But one in three British Jews lives alone. Many - not just the elderly - can go days without genuine interaction with someone else.

It's an issue that is rarely mentioned, but with studies showing that loneliness carries the same level of health risk as obesity, it's one that should have a far greater priority. That's why we have joined with Jewish Care to launch our series highlighting the scourge of loneliness, and to offer practical suggestions of how we can each help tackle the problem. It makes for salutary, and important, reading.