I guess what tribe I belong to can’t only be explained on scientific, or genealogical lines. Maybe I simply shudder in a particular way when I hear the name ‘Adolf Hitler’. Maybe Jews aren’t related just by blood but in our synapses?
It’s just a place (What I’ve learnt about being Jewish in strange new places) Read More »
What can any of us do in response to the newer challenges – of anti-Semitism today? I would simply start by saying please open your heart or mind to what Jewish people themselves say needs to change. All too often in recent years, Jews warning journalists, politicians and others about anti Jewish prejudice have been accused of playing political games, of effectively ‘crying wolf’.
From medieval times to the Modernists (The surprise stories of anti Jewish prejudice) Read More »
In some cases, Jews don’t count as much as they should in contemporary identity politics. In an age of ‘what-about-ery’, those who think they’re on the ‘right side of history’ and ‘progressive’, seem less concerned about Jews than other minorities, largely believing Jews to be white, rich people and therefore not a typical ‘minority’.
What’s wrong with Jew? Read More »
Memoir can and must be written because each of us has our own created version of the past. We own it, no one else does, no matter how incoherent our history is.
The power of remembering (and not letting others distort our stories) Read More »
As well as providing career coaching and wellness coaching, I am now setting myself up to provide a ‘life story’ service. Put simply, I’m drawing on the extensive body of evidence that demonstrates that storytelling can be good for us.
Why it might be time to tell your story Read More »
There are times where it gets a little frantic. This past ten days, it’s felt as though half of Paris has descended on to the streets. The local economy might not just survive but even thrive in the coming months. Parisians see eating out as a holy rite.
My very particular (and peculiar) Paris Read More »
Happening upon Wilmington Square with its lone dog walkers, and Lloyd Square with its jabbing pair of boxers, made me reflect why London is so dear to me.
London’s little surprises and lack thereof Read More »
London provides a familiar welcome home. It’s not necessarily cheery. I’m not talking about a warm cuddle or a reassuring back-rub. It feels more like I’m being greeted by a nonchalant wave
London late night calls Read More »
Lviv’s locals joke about their city being the London of Ukraine. They are not referring to the cost of eating out. The city surprises you at every turn with its attractive restaurants, generously portioned dishes and reasonable prices. But to the rest of Ukraine, the city is known for its rain. A guidebook advised me to bring both my sunglasses and my umbrella, and in the event, I needed both.
The more I’ve read around the subject and listened to lectures, the more I understand there’s a Myth of the Resistance. Sure, millions did resist the Nazis, and there are many reasons French people can stand tall and celebrate this history of Resistance. But there’s something about the June 18th anniversary which doesn’t quite work when you read Charles de Gaulle was seen as rather an oddball himself.
Vignettes in what used to be Vichy France Read More »