King Charles II, III and the S&P
The coronation of King Charles III highlights the extent to which the place of Jews in England has changed since being readmitted into England over 350 years ago. While quite […]
The coronation of King Charles III highlights the extent to which the place of Jews in England has changed since being readmitted into England over 350 years ago. While quite […]
Dear All, With so many of us stuck at home and isolated from one another I’ve decided to put together some videos for you from within London’s Bevis Marks Synagogue. […]
Throughout the month of Elul and the High Holy Days we recite the selihot (apology) prayers. One of the most important elements of this service is the vidui, or confession. […]
A beloved Israeli children’s song honors the long and productive life of Sir Moses Montefiore. Released by Yehoram Gaon in 1969, the song imagines a conversation between Sir Moses, the renowned […]
ב שְׂאוּ, אֶת-רֹאשׁ כָּל-עֲדַת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, The rabbinic name for Sefer Bemidbar is the same as its English name, ‘Numbers.’ The rabbis called it Sefer Hapikudim, ‘The Book of Countings,’ as […]
One of my more interesting heritage visits was to the city of Naples and its Western Sephardic community. Sephardic exiles moved there in 1492, however, when Spain took control in […]
The Spanish & Portuguese congregation of Holland Park, London built their beautiful synagogue in 1928. I had the pleasure of celebrating its 90th anniversary on 10 March 2019. Despite my […]
This week’s Torah reading is central to one of the greatest controversies in the history of England, the Levirate marriage of King Henry VIII, and Sephardim helped to cast the […]
One of the few practices that every Jew performs is the ritual washing of hands upon leaving a cemetery (Shulhan Arukh, YD 276:4). The rinsing is meant to spiritually cleanse […]
“Two Jews, three opinions” is nothing new to the Jewish community. However, a Biblical prohibition would seem to indicate that this isn’t a laughing matter. The verse states “Ye are […]