Communal Consistency of Causes: a response to Dan Jacobs
Harry Marin responds to Dan Jacobs’ piece, ‘Leaders take a moral stand on the Uyghurs, why not on Palestine?’ On 22nd July, JewTh!nk published an article entitled: ‘Leaders take a moral stand on the Uyghurs, why not on Palestine?’ This article by Dan Jacobs raised a number of interesting questions (statement of conflict of interest: […]
What next? Pineapple, Cherry and Strawberry flavoured Jaffa Cakes!
McVitie’s has launched a range of pineapple flavoured Jaffa Cakes. Jewish reactions have been mixed. ‘OH NO — as if 2020 couldn’t get worse!’ said one poster on my Facebook page. To be fair, other than the name, there is nothing Jewish about Jaffa Cakes. The food takes its name from the Jaffa varietal of orange, which was first produced in the city […]
The Water and the Wine
Below is the preface to Tamar Hodes’ novel The Water and the Wine. The novel follows the early lives of Leonard Cohen, Marianne, and other writers and artists who took up residence on Hydra, Greece, in the 1960s. In April 1965, my parents took my brother and me to live on the Greek island of […]
Spiritual Triage: Jewish Chaplaincy in the 21st Century
Reading the Jewish press, you cannot fail to notice the exceptionally busy role of University Chaplains. Undeniably, they do a good job in reaching out to, and sometimes bringing into the fold, Jewish students as they venture into their new lives, away from home. But somehow it is likely that the students who do become […]
Stop Bullying Seth Rogen
I hesitate to wade into this debate. It feels like it’s been done to death already (gesticulates). But there is something no one has said about the Maron/Rogen interview. Seth Rogen is being bullied. Some sections of the Jewish community are bullying him. Not because of his talent or some might say his lack of, […]
My Hero, Seth Rogen
I have long admired Seth Rogen and I still do. No amount of selective quotation from his hour-long interview with Marc Maron will change my mind. In fact, it has reinforced my appreciation for him. Rogen (whose surname must be mispelled as often as mine is) first came into my life as part of Judd […]
The Ugly Faces of Theological Antisemitism
Is the damage caused by words issued from the mouth of theological authorities less impactful than the actions of ISIS? Perhaps we have become so desensitized by bright, graphic depictions of violence and death, with which we are bombarded daily, that other paler and more subtle forms of hate and antisemitism go unnoticed. These questions […]
COVID, Ducks and Balak the Crazy Dog
A dream-like state. Thousands of random flashing images gradually replaced by a piercing, high frequency sine-wave and my wife’s urgent pleas to ‘wake up! Wake up! Kirk, wake up!’ After initial confusion, I realised I had passed out in the lobby of our apartment block. I remembered exiting the lift and telling my wife I […]
Corbynites prepare to reject EHRC findings
Dan Jacobs considers the likely reaction to the EHRC report by Jeremy Corbyn’s supporters. The report by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) into Labour antisemitism is due to be released to the public within weeks, possibly days. The report is unlikely to call for the removal of individuals and Jeremy Corbyn himself then […]
Racial Inclusivity in the Jewish Community: The Long View, Part II
In Part 2 of a two-part series, Jay Prosser concludes that loving strangers is the solution. So, having identified the historical problem of racial exclusion within Jewish communities, what’s the solution? Can the past also offer us lessons here? While there were racial divisions in Bombay and Singapore, in both places, my family history presents a different story. They leave me, I’ve come to realise, with a Jewish legacy of loving strangers. Much […]