Amongst the sharing of happy news and reflections of the High Holy days was the obvious deep sadness and anger following the deadly attack (which we had been expecting) that took place in Manchester yesterday. In my beloved Britain (where two of my grandparents, both my parents and I were born) the acts of verbal and physical antisemitism which are taking place in the communities where we live and to whom we contribute, is a reflection of the weakness of successive governments and councils. I know from the many messages of concern and solidarity from non Jewish friends up and down this land on October 7th and yesterday on our holiest day of Yom Kippur, that the silent majority is not to blame. Perhaps their silence has contributed to our feelings of abandonment but this is not deliberate just the way that ordinary people (like us) try to live their everyday lives.

I blame the politicians who pander to extremists of the left and right and factional interests to save their own seats and pathetic parties.

The bouquet below speaks to the heart of the silent majority, decent, kind and tolerant British people – some born here, others immigrants who embrace this wonderful island and its culture and tolerance. I will be sorry to be pushed out but, as I wrote in my book “Jews Milk Goats”, antisemitism is not a new phenomenon nor, sadly, will it ever be erased.