Chas Newkey-Burden's Blog, page 17

Do you truly love Israel, or do you just want to be ‘right’?

This is my latest column for the Jewish Chronicle Next time you take part in a debate about the Israeli-Palestinian situation, here’s how to spot the people who care more about point-scoring than progress: they will be the ones saying Israel does nothing right, and also the ones saying that Israel does nothing wrong. I [...]

Life and death with Magen David Adom

This is a guest post from Josh Gershuny… It’s about 4:30am. The phone rings, and I wake with a start. “Rubbish,” I mutter under my breath, as I stumble across the room to answer it. “You’ve got a call” is all that it said. I hang up, and my pulse rate increases. All of a [...]

Pop Chassid on antisemitism

My favourite blogger, Pop Chassid, has nailed it once again. Read his latest post, Antisemitism Exists, here. Who’s with me? he asks. I’m in.

Running for Israel

My friend Charles Braunstein is running the London Marathon to raise funds for Emunah, which helps thousands of Israeli children and families on a daily basis through its network of residential homes, high schools, day care and community centres and therapy and counselling services. Watch Braunstein’s humorously inspiring video and give the little rascal a [...]

Inside the Courts of the Hassidim at JBW

Are you going to Jewish Book Week this year? I’ll be there on Sunday, listening to Gil Cohen-Magen speak about his photographic collection Hassidic Courts, and I’ll also be at the ’99% -The Social Justice Movement in Israel’ event. Looking forward to both.

Don’t even think about it Damian

Nowadays, I run half marathons. But I ran two marathons several years ago. I remember it all so well: the challenges, the joys and the ginger-haired woman who shat herself in mile 15. My personal best for a marathon is 4hrs3mins, which was my finishing time in 2005. Since then, a succession of my friends [...]

The true assured talent of Adele

Hearty congratulations to Adele, who won an Oscar last night for her James Bond theme, Skyfall. In recent weeks she has also added a Grammy and a Brit to her huge collection of prestigious gongs. I was quoted in the Daily Telegraph today about her latest achievements: “It’s astonishing that after so long out of [...]

Israel’s unwritten message

It was great to speek at the Women’s International Zionist Organisation last night. Thank you to the Sassoon family for the experience, which included a pre-speech shawarma at the new Sami’s branch in Golders. (The Iraqi pitta there is heavenly!) I thought I’d share a portion of my speech here. So here is its conclusion, [...]

With WIZO on Wednesday

I’ve a busy day ahead. First, I’m babysitting my three lovely nieces. Then the president of the Berkshire Shawarma Appreciation Society is whisking him and I off to good old Golders Green for, well, shawarma. After that, it’s back to Berkshire where I will be delivering a speech to the Reading branch of the Women’s [...]

Spit for mum and save a life

Spitting is often rude, but sometimes it can save a life. Sharon Berger is 61, and has myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a malfunction of the bone marrow in producing blood cells. Her only hope of survival is a blood stem cell transplant. What can you possibly do to help? Just spit. Read more here and here.