Category: NEWS

On this date in 1971, "Fiddler on the Roof" was released. The decision to cast Topol, instead of Zero Mostel, as Tevye (who played the role in the original 1964 production) was a somewhat controversial one, as the role had originated with Mostel and he had made it famous. Years later, director Norman Jewison said he felt Mostel's larger-than-life personality, while fine on stage, would cause film audiences to see him as Mostel, rather than the character of Tevye. The film follows the plot of the stage play very closely, retaining nearly all of the play's dialogue, although it omits the songs "Now I Have Everything" and "The Rumor (I Just Heard)." Lyrical portions of "Tevye's Dream (tailor Motel Kemzoil)" were omitted to avoid repetition. The film's soundtrack release notably contained some of these omissions, indicating they were removed during filming. These include Golde blessing herself before going back to sleep. Changes were also made in the song "Tradition," with the film omitting...

From Peter Beyfus, Historian. There has been a lively correspondence in my local newspaper,  ‘The Salisbury Journal’, and many of the letters have been anti-Israel. The latest from the Revd.  Dyer, a Palestinian campaigner, required a robust response. I have photographed her letter and my response.. It just gives a suggestion as to how to counter the one-sided view of the present conflict. Click image to enlarge ...

Winston Churchill: An Unlikely Zionist By Peter Beyfus, marking the 150th anniversary of Churchill’s birth on 30 November 1874. In February 1920 Churchill wrote in the ‘Illustrated Sunday Herald’: "Some people like Jews and some do not; but no thoughtful man can doubt the fact that they are beyond all question the most formidable and the most remarkable race which has ever appeared in the world”. If that had been the sum total of Churchill’s opinion of Jewry one would feel his personal view tended to the positive rather than the negative. The article went on to talk about good and bad Jews, Bolshevik Jews, terrorists Jews, international Jews who are equated, although not specifically mentioned, as a shadowy group, very much as presented in the scurrilous forgery ‘The Protocols of the Elders of Zion’. Anyone having read the entire feature would conclude Churchill was antagonistic toward certain elements within Jewry, specifically those who promoted Bolshevism, but he also welcomed the idea of a Zionist state; so to take this piece as...

This is an article by journalist, Andrea Samuels, Manchester expat now living in Israel, who writes for the Jerusalem Post. This was written for the Jewish Telegraph in her Diary of an Expat column. 𝗕𝗼𝗺𝗯 𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻... 23.10.2024 What do you do when a siren sounds? Well, that depends on a number of factors, including where you are. Where we live, in Netanya, for example, we have 90 seconds to get to our mamad (protected room) which, like in many houses, also doubles as a bedroom. Once inside, we shut the heavy iron door and pulled the iron curtain across the window. Then we wait for 10 minutes, listening to what we fervently hope are booms of the Iron Dome intercepting the rockets above, and not direct hits on nearby buildings or roads. Although we have one and a half minutes, we don’t use that time to make a cuppa, but instead, gather up the dogs and head straight for the mamad. Those living further north...

(Borrowed from an online Jewish Group post) Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. It’s a 25-hour period dedicated to reflection, repentance, and reconnecting with our moral and spiritual compass. But what does that actually mean for Jews, and why should it matter to non-Jews or non-religious Jews? At its core, Yom Kippur is about making things right. Judaism teaches that during the Days of Awe (the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur), the Book of Life is open, and our actions, good or bad, are written in it. Yom Kippur is the final chance to reflect on the past year, seek forgiveness from those we’ve wronged, and make a sincere commitment to do better in the year ahead. Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Unlike some religious practices that emphasize sin or punishment, Yom Kippur focuses on personal growth. The goal isn’t to feel guilty or wallow in regret. It’s...