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....
A SISTER’S SUPPORT In wishing our new Prime Minister well as he settles into office, I am reminded of the comment made by my teacher, the late Rabbi Dr Nachum Rabinovitch, that a leader needs three qualities: a sensitive heart, a discerning mind, and a thick skin! There will be many occasions when a leader...
ELECTION WEEK IN THE PARASHA At the time of writing, an election is about to take place, and, in all likelihood, there will be a new Prime Minister in Downing Street by the end of the week. One could say that this is particularly appropriate for a Shabbat on which we read about a challenge...
