Author: Glen Berd

What Is Rosh Chodesh? The Jewish New Moon The Jewish nation is often compared to the moon. Throughout history our light has waxed and waned. But even in utter darkness, it has never been extinguished. This is one reason why, when the new moon appears for the first time in the night sky, we celebrate. Rosh Chodesh means the “head of the new [moon],” and indeed it is a day—or two—of celebration marking the start of a new lunar month. When Is Rosh Chodesh? Jewish months, pegged to the cycle of the moon, have either 29 or 30 days. At the end of a 30-day month, the 30th day of the outgoing month and the first day of the new month are Rosh Chodesh. Following a 29-day month, only the first of the new month is Rosh Chodesh. Like all days on the Jewish calendar, Rosh Chodesh starts at nightfall of the preceding day. In ancient times Rosh Chodesh was declared by the beit din (Jewish court) only after two...

Nothing much changes :-) It met in a movie theatre, had a really weird assassination attempt, was led by a shockingly diverse coalition, and ended in resignation... David Ben-Gurion chatting in the Knesset cafeteria, 1949 (Photo: Beno Rothenberg). From the Meitar Collection, National Library of Israel Digital Collection About an hour before the first meeting of Israel’s inaugural government on February 14, 1949, David Ben-Gurion entered the Yeshurun Synagogue in Jerusalem. He went after promising a prominent religious Zionist rabbi that he would do so. It was the first time the Jewish state’s secular founding father had been in a synagogue in the Land of Israel during prayers. He’d already lived in the Land for some forty years. This uncharacteristic and incongruous event was perhaps a portent of things to come in Israel’s strange, and – in some ways – trendsetting first national government.   Voting for something else The elections for Israel’s First Knesset in 1949 boasted the country’s highest ever voter turnout (some 87% of eligible...

Robert Rinder and mother Angela Cohen made MBEs on same day   Robert Rinder and his mother Angela Cohen appeared in BBC One series My Family, The Holocaust and Me TV judge Robert Rinder has said being made an MBE on the same day as his mother has made the experience "all the richer and frankly the more beautiful". They have both been recognised for services to Holocaust education. Rinder explored Jewish families' stories in last year's BBC One series My Family, The Holocaust and Me, and he speaks in schools alongside survivors. His mother Angela Cohen is head of the '45 Aid Society, a charity set up in 1963 by Holocaust survivors. The society preservers the stories of more than 700 Jewish children who were brought to the UK after the end of World War Two. IMAGE COPYRIGHTGETTY IMAGES Robert Rinder said the awards were a "double honour" Rinder is a barrister and former Strictly contestant as well as the host of Judge Rinder. Speaking about his citation in the Queen's Birthday...

With great pleasure we invite the St Anne's Community and friends to the KLBD roadshow which Southport is hosting.   Southport Hebrew Congregation United Synagogue are pleased to present The KLBD Virtual Roadshow  Zoom login 837 7658 4697, passcode 331084 on Wednesday 14th July 2021 at 7.30pm ...

 Invitation from the Arboretum service who have erected a plaque to commemorate Jewish lives lost in conflict   Good Afternoon Robert,   We are being allowed to hold a small service on Friday 25th June at the Arboretum for Armed Forces Week, subject to restrictions, and I would like to extend an invitation for you to attend. This would give you an opportunity to see the progress we are making in the Arboretum, and plans we have in place for future development and improvements,  and also to see your Memorial to the Holocaust.   We would be so pleased to welcome you on this occasion, and if you are able to attend would you please arrange to arrive shortly after 10 30am to sign for track and trace at the gate, ready for the service at 11am. The invitation extends to anyone you would like to attend with you of course.   With best wishes,   Liz Clayton ...

Israeli Circassians in their cultural dress in the Knesset (Israel's Parliament). Israel is home to a small community of around 5000 Circassian Muslims that fled persecution. Circassians fought on the Israeli side of the War of Independence, and till this day they are very loyal to the State of Israel At their community leaders' request, since 1958, all male Circassians must complete the mandatory military service in the Israel Defense Forces. upon reaching the age of majority, while females do not. In this, they are equal to the Israeli Jews and the Israeli Druze populations living in the State of Israel proper (this excludes most of the Druze population living on the Golan Heights). The percentage of the army recruits among the Circassian community in Israel is particularly high. Many Circassians also serve in the Israel National Police, Israel Border Police, and the Israel Prison Service. Site of Circassian village established in 1860, abandoned due to malaria       In 1976, the Circassian community won the right to maintain its own educational system separate from...

Jewish Beauty Queens and Movie Stars: The Unknown Story of Bollywood A filmaker’s journey to uncover the story of Jews in Bollywood. BY DANNY BEN-MOSHE The story of  Jews of Hollywood is well known but what about the Jews of Bollywood? Bollywood produces over 1,000 films a year, more than double those made in Hollywood. And there is a deep Jewish Bollywood story to be told. My journey to understanding Jews and Bollywood began in the least likely of places, Melbourne Australia, when an Indian Jewish student of mine at the university gave me an article her father had sent, saying, “It’s an obituary about the Jewish Bollywood actress Nadira.” A Jewish Bollywood actress? Nadira, I quickly learnt, was a Jewish superstar of Indian cinema. She not only played the vamp, the infamous drinking and smoking bad girl of Bollywood films, but was widely regarded as the quintessential and greatest vamp Bollywood had ever known. I had just finished my first documentary and was looking for a story for my second film....