The JC letters page, 8th June 2018

Robinson is a right-wing populist who, for years, has been exposing this terrible flaw in the justice system. He filled a gap left open by the political classes and media who wouldn’t touch the  hot potato because of fear of being called racists. It took  the likes of Robinson and  Andrew Norfolk  of the The Times to show courage  to fight the establishment.

While the cowards kept their mouths shut, Mr Aaronvitch, did you know what was going on?

Barry Bernstein 
London  N12

Post-Platinums 

I think I am somewhere in between Lee Harpin’s enthusiastic report of “a night of joy” for “a thoroughly entertained audience”, and Mike and Judy Baum’s  “Very flat Platinum” (JC, June 1). The noble attempt by the organisers to display the modern diversity of Israel created a rather bitty concatenation of events which compere Rob Rinder gallantly tried to knit together. 

This reminded me of Tony Blair’s embarrassing efforts to rebrand Britain as “Cool Britannia”.  And Israel Bonds’ delivery sounded too much like a TV ad. 

Celebration of modern Israel cannot and should not be severed from its historic roots, and it need not be whimsical or sentimental.  The rather mundane performance of the amateur dancers at the beginning, lovely as they were, I think was a lost opportunity. They could have dramatically enchanted us on both stages. 

But a Danny Boyle-style event —as promised— it was not.  

The Arab songs by the A-Wa sisters were indeed evocative, but why no Jewish, religious happy songs, even just out of respect for Chief Rabbi Mirvis?

 
And modern Israel still has significant theocratic elements.  I felt some speeches were overly long, and should have been presented at the front stage adjoining Prince Charles. Natan Sharansky was a powerful presence, as were the White Dancers and Revolutionary orchestra.  Their modern ballet was awesome, 

The art events were fun and the Baltic Beat Box was a riot — a little too much, though, for my elderly ears.  So top marks for effort but, unless the result is significantly enhanced, I don’t think our family would attend a future similar event.

Dr Stanley Jacobs. 
London SW18

I refer to the photograph of the Royal Box at last Thursday’s event at the Royal Albert Hall. I was dismayed that, of the galaxy of occupants of the Royal Box, only two were women.  While it is great to see Dame Gail Ronson and Valerie Mirvis alongside the men’s club, I am consoled that, from now, the Board of Deputies will be led by Marie Van der Zyl, and alongside her will be Sheila Gewolb and Amanda Bowman.  I’m sure Edwin Shuker will know his place!

Flo Kaufmann
Former Hon Treasurer and Vice-President, Board of deputies

The photograph of the “celebs” around Prince Charles at the Israel at 70 event could have been captioned “Old Men at 70”. A group of almost exclusively men in drab suits and ties, looking more like they were on the way to the office than attending a celebration.  Hardly the image to encourage younger generations to support Israel.

Barry Hyman
Bushey Heath

Don’t co-op with Co-op

Are we keeping up with high-street shops and companies that are boycotting Israeli goods and products? The Co-op is opening a new food store in Hampstead Garden Suburb. 

I telephoned their customer service department to ask if the Co-op still boycotts Israeli products. The answer was they “boycott products from conflict areas”. I took this as a yes.

Fellow Zionists (people who believe in the development and protection of a Jewish nation in what is  Israel ) that means all of “us”, should make a point of remembering this and avoid using any Co-op.

Adrian Wayne
Hampstead Garden Suburb

Positive about MS

World MS Day was held last week.  Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common neurological disorders and disproportionately affects young adults, especially women.

When I was diagnosed with MS I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair, but MS impacts each individual very differently.  Eleven years on, I have good days and bad days but, with the help and support of friends and family, last October I was able to climb Europe’s highest active volcano, Mount Etna.

I have learned over the years that, whatever my MS brings, I can remain in control by acting and thinking positively.

 
That’s why, last year, I set up my own charity, MS Positive, to provide emotional and practical support to individuals and families impacted by MS across North London. 

With the generous support of London’s Jewish community, we have raised over £100k in just 8 months, enabling us to provide weekly fitness classes, advice on benefits, housing and healthy living, and small grants to help those with MS to continue to make the most of their lives.
If you have MS,or know some who does, why not tell them about MS Positive so we can help?  Or sign up for this year’s 25km Thames Bridges trek at mspositive.co.uk. MS has been not the end of my life but the beginning of a different life and I want to share it.

Toni Krok
London NW11

Moronic offensive

Oliver Kamm  (Free Speech Means the Right to Offend, June 1) is absolutely correct in his response to the Chabloz case. 

While the decision in Westminster Magistrates Court, properly brought and expertly conducted, is helpful and friendly it is by no means earth shattering, creates no precedents, and hopefully will not spawn a plethora of prosecutions against the poor misguided who seek to overturn history.

We are fortunate in this country to be well protected by race relations laws passed in 1965, 1968, 1976, consolidated in 2010.  Adequate punishment exists for those who break the law.  

But there is a difference in breaking a law which either intends to wound, discriminate, or add force to another offence, and making a  crass statement which is palpably stupid and which normal people realise to be untrue.

A Holocaust denier by the very fact of his or her making such a statement displays that person’s moronic condition.  
Can there be any greater punishment?

Let us be frank, antisemitism is a  state of mind. It has existed since the day the first Jew evolved from the Habiru or Elphantines and, even then, there was probably anti-habiruism or Elphantinism.

It can only be softened by education rather than legislation.

Barrington Black
London NW3

Roth’s greatness

I agree with Gerald Jacobs that Philip Roth was too intelligent to be dismissed as a misogynist, and too Jewish to be defamed as self-hating (The last member of the pantheon, May 25). The key to Roth’s greatness was his exquisite prose —the hallmark of all great writers — evoking the Jewish and human condition,which could not be constrained by the mores of political correctness or the fear of giving offence. It was this courage to fearlessly speak his mind that probably cost him the Nobel Prize. In the present climate of hypersensitivity to criticism,it is unlikely that we will see his like again. 

Stan Labovitch
Windsor

Not strictly kosher

 
JW3 recently announced that their restaurant, Zest, will be transformed into the first kosher premises in the country serving both milk and meat, in separate parts of the building. We imagine a great deal of time and effort has gone into this project but are left wondering why a forward-thinking and inclusive institution such as JW3 has put no effort into sourcing food that aligns with Jewish values, and instead has opted to serve food including veal and lamb that contravenes Torah teaching.

We invite JW3 and others to get in touch for advice on taking cruelty off the menu and replacing it with healthy and compassionate alternatives.

Lara Balsam
Director, The Jewish Vegetarian Society

Jesus the Jew

Rabbi Bassous objects to the LSJS providing lectures  on Jesus and Christianity (JC, May 25).  But Jesus was born a Jew and lived as a Jew, although many Jews and Christians have ignored this. But various Jewish scholars have written on these subjects — Claude Montefiore (The Synoptic Gospels, Some Elements of the Religious Teachings of Jesus),  Joseph Klausner (Jesus of Nazareth) and Geza Vermes ( Jesus the Jew) and many more recently.  

Jesus’s followers had  a profound effect on the world and on the Jews, and it is a subject proper to be taught at a college of Jewish studies. The Charedi rabbi’s views should be ignored.

Bryan Diamond
London NW3