10th October, 2024 This week I wish you a good year, Shabbat Shalom, kind thoughts and a Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) of contemplation and accepting responsibility for our own mistakes. When my children were small, I was a Cheder (Sunday school) teacher in the beautiful Reading Synagogue. Reading, Berkshire that is. It wasn’t an…

2nd October 2024 I wish you a Shana Tova, a good year, but first let me tell you about last night. It was, without doubt, a blitzkrieg. Blitzkrieg, a swift and violent military offensive with intensive aerial bombardment and this time it didn’t come from Lebanon, Gaza, Syria or Yemen, it came directly from Teheran.…

27th of September 2024 Shabbat shalom to everyone, each and every one of you. Perhaps the greeting Shalom has deeper meaning now than almost any time in our history. I thought about writing a tirade about the farce playing out in the current session of the United Nations, but it has become boring, not worth…

20th September 2024 Shabbat shalom to one and all. Gosh, what a week! So much has happened, so many wrongs that we seem unable to make right and finally, one or two voices of reason in a world of easily herded sheep. After the news items I will bring you a few of those rare…

Friday 13th of September in the year 2024 Shabbat Shalom. Did you know that the number 13 is considered a blessing in the Jewish calendar? A boy becomes a man at the age of 13; the 13 attributes of the Almighty after the forgiveness for the Golden Calf; Maimonides 13 principles of faith; in Jewish…

6th of September 2024 Shabbat Shalom to one and all I’m back and want to thank all of you who wrote asking where I was last week. I had a truly wonderful trip to the UK, managing to spend time with loved ones, both family and friends, to catch up on both good and bad…

23rd of August 2024 371st of October, more than 10 months of anguish and heartbreak Shabbat Shalom! I wish you a peaceful Shabbat. A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend upon the labours of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order…

16th August, 2024 314 days since October 7th Shabbat Shalom, Shabbat Nachamu – the Shabbat of Comfort Shabbat Nachamu is the Shabbat after Tisha b’Av (the 9th of the Hebrew month of Av a fast day of deep mourning) when we remember the horrific disasters, both self-induced and imposed that fell upon the Jewish people.…

9th of August 2024 307 days since October 7th The 5th day of the month of Av, 5784 Shabbat Shalom! Hope you are doing well and not too overwhelmed by our world situation and our leaders and potential leaders. When it comes down to it, it all depends upon us. Little Ariel Bibas, that beautiful…

1st August 2024 Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov, the new month of Av. Shabbat Shalom to all of us who enjoy our freedom to celebrate the Sabbath as we wish, as we have always done. 300 days and incredibly 115 hostages are still held in captivity, in all probability in the darkness of tunnels and…