Author: Glen Berd

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Lytham St Anne’s – a dog friendly day out at the seaside   A trip to the seaside was just the tonic. As the long weekend approached, Mr H was on a daily weather watch. We were trying to decide how we were going to spend our time together but oh my goodness the weatherman was not being kind. Thankfully he made the executive decision that we would chase the sunshine, ditch our rainy home town and escape to the sunny seaside town of Lytham St Anne’s. Our first beach trip of 2021!   We all instantly relaxed. It felt so good to be by the sea and take in the sea air. Bob had a blast too. One of my favourite sounds is the sea crashing against the rocks. And breathe. That’s how I feel at the seaside. We are destined to live by the sea one day. It is our happy place for sure. Who doesn’t love the sea air? And thank goodness we went as it’s...

Those behind it have carefully constructed a well-orchestrated move to turn public opinion against Israel and the Jewish communities supporting Israel, and so far, it is working. Opinion By James Marlow Some of the coverage on the international news networks has been absolutely appalling. ITN reported on Tuesday, “Israelis have continued a second day of relentless bombing of Gaza, killing at least 24 Palestinians, 9 of which were children. “In response, Hamas fired a few rockets into Israel yesterday evening”. Truth was, the “relentless” Hamas bombing of Israel lasted the entire Tuesday and all through the night. But in contract, Israel sought out military targets in Gaza with precision bombing. On Monday, BBC Newsnight claimed that “dancing Israelis at the Western Wall were in celebratory mood after seeing, what they thought was the Al Aqsa Mosque on fire.” Truth was, Palestinians who were rioting on the Temple Mount, set a large tree on fire, after a firework aimed at the police, missed its target. The...

Breaking news: Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu just made the following speech in front of the Knesset ? (NB. Our source cannot confirm if this is true or fake news - but it's certainly a speech that should have been made, if it wasn't). To Ismail Haniya, and the leaders and operatives of Hamas: We, the people of Israel, owe you a huge debt of gratitude. You have succeeded where we have failed. Because never before, in the history of the modern State of Israel, has the Jewish people been so united, like one person with one heart. Everyone in Israel, from Left to Right, secular and religious, in united in the knowledge that there is no accommodating an enemy that is sworn to the genocide of our people. And now, as you continue to launch deadly missiles indiscriminately, intended to maim and murder as many civilians as possible, while you take cowardly refuge behind your own civilians - you continue to inspire us...

If you missed the live premiere of The Fed on TV, catch up with the whole programme here.   https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=90hN--1-gRA#dialog...

Happy 100th birthday to surgical pioneer and Holocaust Survivor Dr. George Berci!     Dr. Berci still comes in to work at Cedars Sinai each day and credits work with keeping his mind active.   "For the past 100 years, I get up very early," says Dr. Berci. "I go through what I need to do for the day, eat two pieces of toast with a cup of tea, take a short walk or go to the gym and then I am usually at work by 7 a.m." Few people can boast a more accomplished life than Dr. George Berci. Perhaps best known for his ground-breaking work in the field of endoscopic surgery, Dr. Berci is so much more—an accomplished violinist, Holocaust survivor, medical pioneer, and worldly scholar to name just a few. What an inspiration.   In the summer of 1944, Cedars-Sinai's Dr. George Berci was 23. He was one of hundreds of Jewish conscripted laborers bound for a concentration camp when the train he was on came to a...

Iceland recognizes Judaism as an official state religion The country has only one rabbi, Avi Feldman, who initiated the Chabad Lubavitch of Iceland in 2018. Feldman and the community have worked hard to gain Iceland's formal approval.   A general view of Reykjavik, Iceland (photo credit: REUTERS/MICHAELA REHLE)   Iceland has finally recognized Judaism as a religion. The process took over a year and, despite being home to a small Jewish community, Iceland has never before acknowledged the religion. Recognition was finally awarded on March 8. The country has only one rabbi, Avi Feldman, who initiated the Chabad Lubavitch of Iceland in 2018. Feldman and the community members have worked hard to gain Iceland's formal approval of their presence. “For Iceland to formally recognize the world’s oldest religion is in itself very significant,” Feldman explained. The decision is so significant because it allows Jews to pay taxes towards their own religious institutions. Jewish marriages, baby-naming, and funerals will also be accepted by the civil law. While once Iceland was mostly isolated, immigration to the...

11 Things You Might Not Know About ‘Fiddler on the Roof’   1. In 1939, a black and white movie, “Tevye,” adapted the same plot.  2. Some of the rejected titles for the musical included “Where Papa Came From” and “The Old Country,” which were thought up by lyricist Sheldon Harnick and composer Jerry Bock. So, what was the deciding factor? Apparently, an oil painting by Jewish painter Marc Chagall called “The Fiddler.“   3. Out of 50 original songs written and scored, only 15 made the final cut. 4. Apparently, to get the vintage and desired aesthetic of the time period, the cinematographer Oswald Morris shot the entire film with a brown stocking over the lens.   5. The 1964 musical became the longest running musical in Broadway history, with a whopping 3,242 performances, which was only broken by “Grease” 10 years later.   6. Apparently, leading man Mostel and director Jerome Robbins got into a fight over an Orthodox custom. During one rehearsal, Mostel kissed the mezuzah, which outraged Robbins. Mostel explained that, as an Orthodox Jew, Tevye would never forget this custom. Eventually, Robbins lost this battle. 7. Bea Arthur, actress of...