Army called in to protect Jews in Denmark
The army is being called in to protect synagogues in Denmark and the Israeli embassy in Copenhagen from today, following a rise in antisemitism caused by the Israel-Hamas war. The Jewish Chronicle reports that there are an estimated 6-8,000 Jews in Denmark. The Danish Jewish Society said antisemitic incidents had almost tripled against the same period last year. Denmark’s chief rabbi was assaulted and spat at on his way to a TV interview, and a Holocaust memorial boulder and amphitheatre in Copenhagen were vandalised.
US Congress declares anti-Zionism is a form of antisemitism
The US Congress has passed a resolution declaring that anti-Zionism is a form of antisemitism, with proposers saying the move is an effort to tackle the rise of antisemitism in the United States and around the world since Hamas’ attack on Israel on 7 October. The resolution also condemned the slogan “From the River to the Sea”, describing it as a “rallying cry for the eradication of the State of Israel and the Jewish people”. CNN reports that a number of Democrats expressed concern at the wording, but it was passed 311 to 14.
Catholic Union survey on church lockdowns during Covid
The Catholic Union has commissioned a survey on the closure of churches during the Covid pandemic, which found that only 25 percent thought that it was necessary to close churches and other places of worship by law at the start of the pandemic. 90 per cent thought places of worship should be treated as “essential” services alongside food shops and healthcare facilities and should not be forced to close. 62 percent of those surveyed said that their physical or mental health had been affected by church closures, with one saying it was “one of the most distressing experiences of my life”. The survey was of almost 1,000 people and its results will form part of the Catholic Union’s evidence to the Covid-19 inquiry.
Sacked school chaplain taking legal action against headteacher
A former school chaplain who lost his job after telling pupils”You do not have to accept the ideas of LGBT activists”, is taking legal action against the head teacher. The Rev Bernard Randall, 51, was dismissed by Trent College in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, in 2019 following a sermon. He lost his unfair dismissal claim and has now appealed against the ruling, claiming he was harassed and discriminated against after he was sacked.His case is being taken up by the Christian Legal Centre.
Sikh Federation calls for inquiry into sudden death of activist
The Sikh Federation is calling for a judge-led inquiry into the death of Avtar Singh Khanda, a supporter of Khalistan, a separate homeland for Sikhs, who died suddenly in Birmingham aged 35. Three days after his death in June, a Canadian Sikh leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead in a suburb of Vancouver. In October, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of being complicit in the attack. Yesterday, the US Department of Justice said it had charged an Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, in connection with a failed attempt to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who was living in New York City. The Sikh Federation says an inquiry is necessary to examine why Mr Khanda died in Birmingham, and it is urging its members to write to their MPs demanding action is taken.
King Charles attends Coptic Christian advent service – in Stevenage
King Charles has visited the Coptic Cathedral of St George, in Stevenage, for an advent service and reception. The King has an abiding interest in the Orthodox Christian tradition and Archbishop Angaelos, the Coptic Orthodox Bishop of London, who greeted him yesterday was also present at his coronation in the summer. During his visit, the King was presented with a fragment from the Coptic Orthodox Altar within the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The denomination originated in Egypt in the first century AD and now has the largest Christian presence in the Middle East. Its first service in the UK was in 1954 and it has grown significantly, now numbering 20,000 members. The Cathedral church is purpose built and opened in 2006 in the grounds of Shephalbury Manor, where the UK church is based.
Jewish panto set for the stage at the JW3 Centre
A pantomime fusing Jewish humour and storytelling with slapstick comedy, “Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Pig?” is running at the JW3 centre in north London from 10 December – 7 January. Its writer, Nick Cassenbaum, told The Guardian that there was “something about the rhythms of Jewish storytelling that can feel cantorial”. His characters are “Red”, a young woman scientist, her mother the traditional panto dame and a capitalist pig, taking on the role of the wolf, the baddie. He explains: “I wanted to make something that can hold Jewish traditions, dense Jewish jokes and reflect certain Jewish archetypes, so you’ll see the ex-black-cab driver and a wolf who is a neurotic mess.”
