Author: Glen Berd

In the late 1930s-1940s, Michael Bond, author of Paddington Bear, saw Jewish refugee children (Kindertransport children) walking through Reading Station, arriving in Britain escaping from the Nazi horrors of Europe. Mr. Bond, touched by what he saw that he recalled those memories 20 years later when he began his story of Paddington Bear. One morning in 1958, he was searching for writing inspiration and simply wrote the words: “Mr. and Mrs. Brown first met Paddington on a railway platform…” “They all had a label round their neck with their name and address on and a little case or package containing all their treasured possessions,” Bond said in an interview with The Telegraph before his death in 2017. “So Paddington, in a sense, was a refugee, and I do think that there’s no sadder sight than refugees.” Paddington Bear - known for his blue overcoat, bright red hat, and wearing a simple hand-written tag that says “Please look after this bear. Thank you,” Paddington embodies...

During the festival of Passover not only may we not consume leavened products, but we may not even own them. To be certain that all chametz has been removed from our possession, Jewish law requires us to sell all our remaining chametz to a non-Jew. This chametz then legally becomes the property of the non-Jew for the duration of Passover and must be set aside in a place in one’s house that will not be used over Passover.   By signing this form, you authorise Rabbi Bergson to act as your agent to sell your Chametz in accordance with Jewish Law and practice (under the guidance of the London Beth Din). The actual sale will take place on Friday 26 March at 10:00AM   Please can you ensure that you submit this form to me no later than Wed 13th April 2021.   It is halachically preferable to hand this form to the Rabbi directly and perform a further symbolic act to convey your seriousness to make the sale. However, if you are unable to do so then...

Places in Cumbria people always pronounce wrong and how to say them There's a lot of villages and towns in Cumbria with some unique names Keswick is one of the places people always pronounce wrong (Image: James Maloney/LancsLive) Cumbria has a lot of villages and towns with weird and wonderful names, that if you're not from here could be quite difficult to pronounce Being from Cumbria there's nothing that makes your eyes roll more, or you cringe harder than someone pronouncing a Cumbrian place name wrong Here are some of the most common places that topped the list and how to pronounce them properly. Keswick The 'w' in the middle of Keswick is actually silent but it's surprising how many people pronounce it. To avoid embarrassment the best way to pronounce it is Kez-ick. Torpenhow For anyone not from here the name of this village is definitely going to trip you up. You should pronounce it Tra-pen-na. Brougham It's no surprise this place is mispronounced and unless someone tells you how to say it you'll never guess/ It's said Broom. Burgh Some...

The 22 Best Yiddish Words to Know A brief glossary of important and commonly used Yiddish words and phrases. Bissel (bisl)— A little bit, as in “I just want to eat a bissel right now.” Bubbe (bubby) — Grandmother Chutzpah —Nerve, extreme arrogance, brazen presumption, confidence, as in “It took real chutzpah for him to ask for a raise when he kept showing up late for every appointment.” Daven - To pray Klutz — A clumsy person Kvell — To experience pride in someone else, typically one’s children, as in “David decided to go into oncology, and I’m just kvelling.” Kvetch — To complain, whine or fret, as in “He likes to kvetch at me when we serve kasha varniskes, because he doesn’t like it.” Mensch (mentsch)— Literally “man,” an honorable, decent, stand-up person, as in, “I don’t care who you marry, as long as he’s a mensch.” Meshuggeneh — Crazy, ridiculous, insane, as in, “He must be meshuggeneh to think he can wear that getup to a funeral.” (A related word is mishegoss, or craziness.) Mishpocheh (mishpokhe, mishpucha)— Family, or someone who is “like...

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Paul Ehrlich (1854-1915): Scientist and Visionary by Peter Beyfus We have learnt a great deal about the COVID-19 virus since it impacted our lives in 2020; and the development of vaccines with breathtaking speed has impressed both the scientific fraternity and all of us who have little knowledge of the esoteric field of immunology. It seems appropriate now we are seeing a return to normal life,  having suffered the privations of social restrictions for so long, to pay tribute to Paul Ehrlich, one of the pioneers of immunology and a major contributor to other medical advancements, specifically haematology, cancer research and chemotherapy; it was Erhlich who coined the phrase “magic bullet”. By necessity this biographical thumbnail sketch cannot do full justice to his many discoveries and the enormous debt later generations owe to Ehrlich and his collaborators who followed the trail blazed by other great epidemiologists: John Snow, Louis Pasteur, Joseph Lister and Ehrlich’s contemporary and friend Robert Koch.   Paul Ehrlich was...

The first group of Israeli doctors has already landed in Ukraine to begin constructing a field hospital as part a humanitarian mission named after former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, who was born in Kyiv. We stand with everyone impacted by the ongoing violence in Ukraine, and we hope that this field hospital makes a positive impact on those affected by the situation in the country. ...