Israelophobia
In the Middle Ages, Jews were hated for their religion. In the 20th century, they were hated because of their race. Today, Jake Wallis Simons argues in his new book of the same name, antisemitism has morphed into something both ancient and modern: Israelophobia. But how did this transformation occur? And why? Called “excellent and […]
Laugh Lines- Helen Lederer & Sara Gibbs
Two hilarious writers for the page, stage and screen join us to discuss their careers and the importance of funny books. Absolutely Fabulous star Helen Lederer follows her novel Losing It with memoir Not That I’m Bitter, tracing her journey from child of a Jewish-Czech wartime refugee to, in the words of Dawn French, “the […]
Jewish Dimensions of the War in Ukraine
For centuries, Ukraine was at the centre of the Jewish world. It was the heartland of Hasidism, Zionism and modern Jewish literature, from Sholem Aleichem to Hayim Nahman Bialik. Ukraine was also a land of pogroms and antisemitism. Today, war-torn Ukraine has about 60,000 Jews, one of whom is the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky. There […]
Bats & Mitzvahs – Jews and Cricket
As players, MCC Presidents, umpires, statisticians and patrons, Jews have contributed at all levels of cricket. From the UK to Australia, South Africa and the West Indies, they’ve captained their countries and counties, helped to develop the commercial side of the game and even baked cakes for Test Match Special. Daniel Lightman KC and Zaki […]
Pinchas Goldschmidt: Moscow Memoirs
From the bleak Soviet Union, to the historic renaissance of Judaism, to the current collapse of Russian society, Moscow’s chief rabbi for almost three decades joins us in London. Now exiled in Israel, Pinchas Goldschmidt’s tenure ended abruptly in 2022 when he spoke out against Putin’s war against Ukraine, resigned, and recommended that all Jews […]
Event 67 – The Rebirth of Antisemitism in the 21st Century
Yiddish Winterreise – A Song Cycle
Vocalist Mark Glanville and pianist Marc Verter present Yiddish Winterreise. First performed in 2007, it is a cycle of mostly traditional Yiddish songs inspired by Schubert’s Winterreise. Described by the former German Ambassador to the Court of St James’s as ‘both a celebration and a cry of anguish’, this extraordinary song cycle reflects the mental […]
Linda Grant & Rachel Lichtenstein
“Jews live in time, not space…we have, and are, a story, not a plot of territory”. So says Linda Grant’s character Jossel in The Story of the Forest. From Latvia to Liverpool and post-war Soho, she tells the story, based in part on her own family’s experiences, of one Jewish family through the tumultuous 20th […]