19th January, 2024 Shabbat Shalom. Happy birthday to little Kfir Bibas who was one year old yesterday. There was a big birthday party in Tel Aviv but sadly Kfir wasn’t there. He spent his very first birthday in Gaza, a hostage to the barbarity that is called Hamas. Kfir, Ariel, Shiri and Yarden Bibas were…

12th January, 2024 Shabbat Shalom dear friends, Shabbat shalom and Chodesh Shvat Tov – the new month in the Jewish calendar is the month of Shvat which is supposed to be the month of good news, of b’sorot tovot. Even the initials in Hebrew suggest good news is on the way; I wish it would…

Friday, 5th January 2024 May this be a Shabbat Shalom “We are not defined by those who hate us but rather by those who love us” In my New Year resolutions I promised to begin by writing something, anything positive, and I want you to know that many wonderful things happened this week alongside the…

1st of January 2024 I want to wish everyone a wonderful New Year, a peaceful 2024, but I received a poster this morning which simply said “I hardly noticed New Year’s Eve this year, for us in Israel it is October the 87th” Each year since 1999 I write about the year that was and…

29th December 2023 Shabbat Shalom. I can’t help thinking about the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1992 when she described the year as “Annus Horribilis” I think it is safe to say that this has been annus horribilis for Israel and for the Jewish people throughout the world. Right became wrong and cruel became acceptable,…

26th December 2023 Happy Boxing Day! Do you remember the word “miluimnikim? The reservists who volunteer to serve in the IDF and have been an essential part of the troops fighting a tough battle in Gaza, a fight to remove the oppressive, cruel, actually diabolical regime of Hamas? Well, let me explain something, each of…

22nd December, 2023 Shabbat shalom and a very Merry Christmas to you all!  Merry Christmas, Bon Noel, Hyvaa joula! Feliz Navidad! Nadolig Llawen, and of course a hopeful and much kinder New Year. I woke up this morning to find that one of the requests from the refugees from the South of Israel is bicycles;…

19th of December 2023 Shalom, shalom OK I admit it, I have been putting off writing to you. After the tragedy of Friday I cannot bear to even think about the families of the three young men, three hostages who somehow succeeded in escaping their captors, who were mistakenly killed by our own troops. Perhaps…

15th December, 2023 Shabbat Shalom dear friends 70 days and we are still fighting, still praying for the hostages and they still launch missiles. When Churchill was asked why he bombed Dresden he answered with one word “Coventry” When Truman was asked why he bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki he said one thing Pearl Harbour” When…

12th December 2023 6th night of Chanukah and the 9th day of Advent.   I have so much to tell you as I haven’t written for a few days, I decided I needed a break Sorry and grateful thanks to those of you who worried about me! I am starting with something wonderful with the…