Author: Glen Berd

The bloodstained jacket: Yom Kippur, 1973 It was the sirens that pierced the silence. We gathered in the dining room and learned that Israel had been attacked My Golani Brothers-in-Arms, 13th Battalion, Plugah Bet, Syria 1973 Throughout the night the bright flashes of light pierced the darkness. My hands, shaking so badly the previous afternoon, the afternoon of the sixth day of October, had somehow calmed themselves. We gathered there, those of us who were called late, who were not called at all, who knew to find their brothers-in-arms, just below the ascent to the now ever more exploding hell. A captured but emptied Soviet-era troop carrier was brought to our group, but our commander declined. He preferred the World War II vintage half-track that would carry us to outpost 104. I opened the door to the BTR. Blood stained the interior walls, and there it was, a green jacket, soaked in places with blood, whose blood I did not know, nor did I care. I...

At the start of RoshHashanah, the global Jewish population stood at 15.7 million, with around 7 million (46%) in Israel , around 6 million in the US, and around 2.25 million in the rest of the world . Furthermore, approximately 27,000 Jews live in Muslim-majority countries, with 14,200 in Turkey, 9,100 in Iran, 2,100 in Morocco, 1,000 in Tunisia, and 500 in the United Arab Emirates. A happy and sweet Jewish New Year to everyone who celebrated! ...

In MEMORY of CHAIM TOPOL on his BIRTHDAY - Career years: 1957 - 2015   Born Chaim Topol, mononymously known as Topol, Israeli actor, singer, and illustrator. He is best known for his portrayal of Tevye, the lead role in the stage musical Fiddler on the Roof and the 1971 film adaptation, performing this role more than 3,500 times from 1967 through 2009. Topol began acting during his Israeli army service as a member of the Nahal entertainment troupe. He later toured Israel with kibbutz theatre and satirical theatre companies. He was a co-founder of the Haifa Theatre. His breakthrough film role came in 1964 as the title character in Sallah Shabati, by Israeli writer Ephraim Kishon, for which he won a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer—Male. Topol went on to appear in more than 30 films in Israel and the United States, including Galileo (1975), Flash Gordon (1980), and For Your Eyes Only (1981). He was described as Israel's only internationally recognized entertainer...

I enjoy all your shul emails of interest and you know how much we love the St Anne’s shul and community introduced to us by our dear friends Naomi and Philip. I wonder if possible if on your weekly email if you could wish the community a Shana tova from us, Beverley and Roger Levy (Leicester) . If not then we understand. We hope to see you in our next visit. Good Shabbos and Shana Tova...

Following a course I took with Israel organisation Maaglei Hanefesh on mental health and Halacha (under the auspices of the Spanish and Portuguese senior rabbi ) I am proud to share their magazine for Rosh Hashana which features an article of mine. There are some fascinating meaningful insights enjoy 😊 https://tinyurl.com/3b76y84d...

Glen and Spencer would like to send our good wishes to all our friends, all members of  St. Anne's Synagogue and all the Jewish Community Happy New year and well over the fast with love to all our friends :-)...

New Year Musing by Peter Beyfus The Torah reading for second day Rosh Hashanah is Bereshit 21 1-19 and contains the famous account of the “binding of Isaac” or in Hebrew akidah. Many Christian Bibles head this section of Genesis as the “sacrifice of Isaac” which is, of course, a distortion of what happened. Rosh Hashanah is a mixture of sweetness, celebrating a new year, and a degree of apprehension as to what that might bring. White, the traditional colour of purity and death, is very much in evidence during the High Holy Days. It represents the starkness of a neutral state; that which is to receive the “breath of life”, and that is what we hope will be granted us this year .The opportunity to become worthier Jews becomes the main focus during these penitential days, and what better example do we have than our ancestor, the Patriarch Abraham. There are two seminal events in the life of Abraham. One is the divine command in Haran: Go forth....to the land...