27th March 2026 8 Nissan 5786 903 days since October 7th Shabbat Shalom dear friends, Shabbat Shalom and grateful thanks to everyone who has written, called, thought of us during this “campaign”. Why campaign and not war? Because if war is declared the “winner” is liable for compensation. Last week was Eid el Fitr, Nissan…

25th March 2026 901 days since the 7th of October Massacre Midweek Update Well, here I am once again making use of a quiet moment in the mamad, rather than getting on with my Pesach (Passover) spring cleaning, as Iranian missiles have a way of interrupting even the best laid plans of mice and men.…

20th March 2026 2nd of Nissan, 5786 Shabbat Shalom, Eid Mubarak and of course a huge Happy Birthday to my Zvi “In war, the Gordian Knot of diplomacy is often untied only by the steel of the sword.” The question is whether to slice it like Alexander the Great or to find a way of…

18th March 2026 Mid-week update The Canary in the coal mine – an early warning; before technology, a canary was taken into the coal mine as an early warning of coal gas which would kill miners. In case it has not yet dawned on people, this is not just our story, it is yours as…

13th March, 2026 24th of Adar, 5786 Shabbat Shalom to you, to every one of you! I’m back in every sense of the word!!!  “If I can turn one extremist fanatic into a moderate peacemaker, then I am satisfied that I have achieved my life goal.” Professor Mohammed Dajani Duoad. Last night, as it is…

20th February, 2026 Shabbat Shalom, Ramadan Kreem, I hope you had a good Shrove Tuesday and are prepared for Lent. As you know, I love to begin my missives with a wise quote, usually, Churchill, Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain or GBS, but today I found the perfect quote for our times from Tolstoy. “The most…

13th February, 2026 Shabbat Shalom to each and every one and Ramadan Mubarak for Tuesday. I hope someone has ignored the fact that St Valentine was an antisemite and has chosen to be romantic! Friday 13th doesn’t worry me, 13 is good luck in Judaism. This week I had intended to give you the usual…

6th February, 2026 19th Shvat, 5786 Shabbat Shalom. I hope that this missive finds you all well, after all where would I be without you to tell you of our worries and joys? The stand-off we are living through, between a power defined by scale, technology and modernity and another driven by religious absolutism, brings…

23rd January, 2026 5 Shevat 5786 Shabbat Shalom to one and all. Today I am going to dive right in with the Trump plans for our area. Trump is not the first to say it or do it. The famous phrase “Speak softly and carry a big stick” was popularized by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, who…

30th January 2026 12th Shvat, 5786 Shabbat Shalom dear friends, Shabbat Shalom. International Holocaust Day has been and gone but hatred and dehumanisation remain. Norwegian lawmaker Joel Ystebø has nominated Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, for the Nobel Peace Prize, in recognition of its vital work in Holocaust education and remembrance.  “In a…