HERO ISRAEL “Hear O Israel, the L-rd our G-d, the L-rd is one.” This is the classic translation of the Shema, the most famous passage of the Torah, as it is found in the King James translation of the bible. A version of the Shema that many of us grew up with. But Rabbi Lord...
MOB VIOLENCE “On the third day, in the morning, there were rumblings as the rioters began their rampage. They broke into houses taking anything they could lay their hands on.” A report from Southport, UK, Summer 2024? Not exactly – this report is from Mainz, Germany, Spring 1096. The First Crusade was supposed to be...
CLIMATE PROTEST The recent four- and five-year jail sentences handed down to the “Just Stop Oil” activists who caused four days of gridlock on the M25 in 2022 are unprecedented. According to the judge the activists “crossed the line from concerned campaigner to fanatic” and needed to be taught a lesson. My own personal view...
OLYMPIC MEDALS The Paris Olympics have begun. For the next 16 days we will be treated to drama and excitement as the elite sports men and women of the world compete for those precious medals. Whilst there are bound to be surprises, with individuals and teams excelling on the day and snatching an unpredicted victory,...
RESCUE MISSION This week’s parasha always has a particular resonance for me. It is the anniversary of the first occasion I visited St John’s Wood shul on a Shabbat. It was in July 1976. I had been in correspondence with Rabbi Dr Norman Lamm, then Professor of Jewish Philosophy at Yeshiva University in New York....
