Category: Rabbis blog

Above is my 'Thought for the Week' aired live on BBC Radio Manchester on 4th December 2022 Click on the arrow to listen I also spoke about health benefits of walking in bad weather and death tributes portrayed in movies where fact and fiction become blurred Have a great week Rabbi Danny     ...

This week Jack Hecht and I hosted at the Shul a group of policemen from the Lancashire Constabulary including from the Major Investigation Unit (MIU). The MUI deal with hostage cases including the recent terror Texas terror attack that was carried out by a Blackburn resident, where they were involved remotely in the negotiations.  They also deal with murder investigations and sadly many cases of attempted suicide and self harm. I discussed with them the Jewish perspective and sensitivities around death and fielded hypothetical questions on where there may be Jewish hostages or those suffering with mental health issues. The overall point that we drew upon was the imperative in hostage situations of creating a human connection. When people feel disconnected and alienated from the people they encounter this is always a dangerous factor. Although of course the Jewish demographics for Lancashire (as in excluding Manchester) are miniscule they were genuinely interested and fascinated to learn about Jewish people in any way that might...

We have arrived at the Hand in Hand school in Jaffa. This is a bilingual school Hebrew and Arabic (they also introduce the English alphabet at grade 8) Hand in hand school Launched in 1997 with 50 children,.  The school was founded grassroots with a small group of parents,  There are now over 2,000 students enrolled in six Hand in Hand schools from Jerusalem to the Galilee. Hand in Hand was established to combat one of Israel’s greatest existential threats: the growing social alienation and lack of trust between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel. They believe that education is key in changing this.   The back story to this school was that it developed from grassroots. by a group of Israeli Arabs And Jewish Israelis who had children that attended together at preschool at the local YMCA. When it came time to enrol at primary school they realised that now the children must split. In Israel there are two basic educational tracks: Jewish and Arab. The former...

Having gone to Neve Daniel in the Gush Etzion today we went to this farm which is literally across the boundary and is categorised as Area C of the West Bank. Area C is under military as well as administrative control. We heard the story of local farmer Daoud (Arabic for David) a Palestinian Christian who shared his family story and connection to this piece of land which was originally purchased by the Nassar family. He spoke of his legal battle for decades over the land which Israel claims is theirs based on old Ottoman laws. The case has played out in the Israeli military court for decades. The Nassar family are an exception to most Palestinians who don’t have official paperwork to back claims. They do. It was hard to hear his personal family struggle in dealing with Israel. They have used numerous tactics to frustrate the legal process that has become long and drawn out costing hundreds of thousands of dollars (including repeated...

Rabbi Danny continues his journey : Group picture with tour guide in the Christian quarter Fascinating insights into the different sects within Christianity and how the differences are played out today Behind is a Christian run school which is funded by the Israeli state yet the syllabus used is from the Palestinian authority. Christian as well as Muslim children attend. A school in the heart of Jerusalem symbolising the complexity of this region. Leaving the old city is a Sefardi barmitzva procession passing by. Jerusalem is brimming with life, spirituality and connection - Jerusalem is the beating heart of the Jewish soul to which we all turn in our Teffilah yearning for true redemption - has redemption not begun?   At a viewing point where we can see a general overview of the topography of central Israel! To the left the hills going down to the coastal plains of the Mediterranean, in front north to Jerusalem and lathe belt of biblical cities up as far as Shechem, to the...

October 2022 Rabbi Danny has been invited to join a trip to Israel by CIEL (The centre for international experiential learning) and The Council of Christians and Jews. CIEL are experts at bringing diverse groups to conflict zones around the world to develop dialogue and mutual understanding. The main aim is to explore the Israel Palestinian conflict from both sides. Rabbi Danny is the only orthodox Rabbi in the group of 22. About a third of the group are Jewish The others are Christian and there is a Muslim couple as well. DAY ONE : The Journey Begins. Due to storm delays and three hours stuck on tarmac at Heathrow (!) we arrived in Tel Aviv at 2:30am. Of course I need a minyan to say Kaddish - that’s no problem, a minyan is gathered with ease as we stand awaiting our luggage. We offload our Maariv prayer before our onward journey to Jerusalem.             Today our focus is Jerusalem and Surrounding area: Zionism and Jewish connections to the land...