JACS offers a solution to loneliness epidemic
I found the article by Baroness Neuberger (Loneliness is a national epidemic, JC, October 5) very moving and I would like to offer a partial solution.
I am National Chairman of the Jewish Association of Cultural Societies (JACS). We have 18 branches who meet mainly in synagogue premises on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday afternoon. They offer a variety of interesting programmes, ranging from speakers to musical entertainment.
After the entertainment, refreshments are served, and members have an opportunity to chat to each other. Some branches also organise visits to theatres and places of interest.
Twice a year we organise a seaside holiday, where there is a variety of entertainment and activities. Many members tell us that without this holiday, they would not have one.
If those interested would pay a visit to www.jumpingjacs.org.uk they can see the name of the club nearest to their home, and some of the clubs publish their programmes.
If there are any synagogues interested in starting a JACS club, please contact me.
Harold Newman MBE
National Chairman, JACS
haroldnewman@hotmail.com
Julia Neuberger was right to highlight how a sense of alienation and isolation can affect people of all ages.
There have been worrying increases in the rate of mental health issues affecting young people; a recent study found that one in 10 young people experience mental health problems with the rate as high as one in five for girls aged 15.
We are fortunate in the Jewish community to have excellent youth movements across the religious spectrum which enable our young people to find a sense of involvement and friendship. But we should not be complacent about the stresses facing young people whether through exam pressures, social media or later on the challenges of finding work or housing in an uncertain economic climate.
Youth work may not be a career choice that many consider. It has, however, a hugely valuable role to play in helping young people deal with the challenges of modern living through a Jewish perspective.
As a community we should find new ways to promote the value of youth work as a career to ensure our young people have the help they need to flourish in today’s world.
David Finlay
Former Chair, National Youth Agency
London NW11
Call a spade a spade
Stan Labovitch (Letters, Oct 5) is wrong to characterise Europe’s obsession with Israel-bashing as “held to a higher standard than its authoritarian neighbours...an indirect compliment”.
Europe holds Israel to a higher standard than it holds itself, and the so-called “compliment” is really just an excuse for hatred.
Israel is constantly being vilified for defending itself. A police officer who shoots to kill during an active terrorist attack is termed “brave” if English or Australian amd a “brutal executioner” if Israeli.
And while Europe denounces the IDF as “disproportionate”, recently-retired US, UK and Australian army heads testify that the IDF’s “extraordinary and innovative methods to mitigate civilian risk” are “virtually unprecedented...exceed the requirements of LOAC (Laws of Armed Conflict)” and “risks creating a precedent to which (other) military forces will likely be expected to adhere in the future...” (2014 Gaza War Assessment, by Gaza Conflict Task Force. See also the High Level Military Group.)
Double-standards are never acceptable. They are pure racism. International law in general, and humanitarian law specifically, require that all people have the same rights and all are held to the same standard. Failure to call out authoritarian neighbours supports and enables their oppression of their own subjects and their aggression against others. Holding Israel to an unreachably high standard is antisemitism that promotes terrorism and even genocide.
Judith Rona
Sydney, Australia
Passing a simple test
One can empathise with Yossi Klein Halevi’s positive sentiments in his Letters to My Palestinian Neighbour, as reviewed by Daniel Sugarman (JC, October 5), and perhaps even more so with its existential rub: “...many Palestinian moderates see Israel sovereignty as an unavoidable injustice” and “...from years of conversations with Palestinians” who see even a two state solution as temporary…” to be replaced with one state-with Jews in the minority, if existing at all-once Palestinian refugees return…”
There is further to add here. Even if a Palestinian state were to be established, with or without East Jerusalem as its capital, it is highly unlikely that Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, among others, would be duly appeased and pacified.
On the contrary, with their influential penetration through war-torn Syria, they would more likely see it as an incisive opportunity to deepen their infiltration of Judea and Samaria in their strategy to wipe out Israel.
In the development of this more sinister and profound existential struggle with Muslim countries we should acknowledge the unwitting facilitation by the Allies’ failure to pursue Nazi War criminals, coupled with the Cold War political and military exigencies of using their knowledge and skills. Thereby a fascist resurgence found fertile ground in historically antisemitic Arab Muslim Middle Eastern countries quietly also willing to rehabilitate them. So has arisen a more persistent virulent antisemitic ideology whose psychopathic ideal is a “Zionist Frei” Middle East.
We must remember that over the last 70 years not one of its many existential wars has been of Israel’s choosing. For Israel, there are no second chances. This is the looming ethos overshadowing the many vital local and individual efforts at Arab-Israeli reconciliations and co-operation.
Despite so much negativity there remains a starting opportunity for the current Palestinian Authority to demonstrate its genuine desire for regional peace. Will it insist its Arab brethren, and indeed itself, desist from all antisemitic- anti-Zionist rhetoric? That’s a an easy request to initiate, although I fear President Abbas will find it as difficult as might our very own Jeremy Corbyn to utter the words without choking: “Hamas and Hezbollah are not my friends.”
Dr Stanley Jacobs
London SW18
We stood against Nazis
Amidst all the furore about the proposed £50 million Holocaust memorial, one essential fact seems to have been ignored.
There was no Holocaust in this country.
The location for the memorial is completely divorced from the events it purports to represent.
It is proper for those countries that were responsible for the atrocities and share guilt for what happened to erect memorials. But, given Britain’s stand against Nazism, it is offensive to many British people. What other foreign atrocities for which we had no responsibility should we be pushed to memorialise?
The nearby Imperial War Museum already contains a new Holocaust centre, which places the narrative of events within the wider context of the Second World War.
Instead of the proposed monstrosity, a modest information panel in Victoria gardens could direct people to the museum.
George Rooker
Whetstone, N20
Beware the etrog
Over Succot a correspondent lauded the merits of etrog liquor (made from vodka and etrog peel).
I agree; it is very tasty.
However your readers should be made aware that since etrogim are not produced for the food market but for the ritual market, food safety regulations do not apply.
This means that the producers of ritual etrogim use large quantities of pesticide to reduce the danger to the crop of “pegamim” (blemishes) which means that all use of these etrogim to make liquor or jam should be discouraged to avoid excessive intake of pesticides.
Barry Landy
Cambridge
Join the parade
2018 is a year of Special Remembrance. AJEX wishes to invite descendants of men and women who served in 1918 at the Battle of Amiens or the newly created Royal Air Force, with the Anzac Forces under General Sir John Monash, with the Dambusters (in the 75th anniversary year) or in operation Market Garden in 1944 to be our special guests at the 84th Annual Ceremony and Parade on Sunday November 18th.
Reply please with full details to headoffice@ajex.org.uk
Ron Shelley MBE
Parade Commander, AJEX
Christian protest
As one of the Jewish Danes brought to the safety of neutral Sweden by the Danish Resistance I read Colin Shindler’s informative article (How Denmark’s Jews were rescued, JC, September 21) with great interest.
He is, however, wrong when he says “even King Frederick participated in a protest” (against the deportation of the Jews).
In 1943 our Sovereign was our beloved King Christian X who died in 1947.
Walter E Goddard
London SW7
Jewish penicillin
According to the Independent, in a poll of 2,000 adults about catching and curing flu, two of the most common ways of preventing flu are thought to be dosing with vitamin C or drinking a hot toddy.
One in 4 people think that you should sweat it out. A fifth think you should starve it. And 16% think that it can be cured by chicken soup.
I wonderin which area the survey was carried out.
Kay Bagon
Radlett WD7
