Proposal to change name of Herzog park in Dublin is withdrawn
Dublin City Council has not proceeded with the proposal to change the name of Herzog Park, named in 1995 after the sixth president of Israel, Chaim Herzog. He was born in Belfast and raised in Dublin, and served as president between 1983-1993. Last July, Dublin council’s Commemorations and Naming Committee recommended a change of name, but it drew criticism and the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland warned that the change of name could be seen as “an attempt to erase our Irish Jewish history”. The city council was due to vote yesterday, but the proposal was withdrawn when councillors were told it was not legally sound and should not be voted on. The CEO of Dublin City apologised for administrative oversights and the matter has been referred to the next meeting of the Naming Committee which is due to meet on 15 December. The Taoiseach, Michael Martin, said the proposal should be withdrawn in its entirety and not proceeded with. Chaim Herzog’s son, Isaac, is the current president of Israel and his father was the first chief rabbi of Ireland.
Heaton Park synagogue survivor says ‘normalising antisemitism’ must stop
Yoni Finlay, 39 year old Mancunian and father of four, has spoken to journalists about the attack on Heaton Park synagogue, when he was shot and required seven weeks in hospital to recover. In the Guardian, he tells the story in graphic detail, how he helped to close the doors to keep the attacker at bay, and was shot by a police bullet. He said that as he looked at the attacker, he felt he was in the presence of evil but had a desire to combat this with love and hope. He said there is a undercurrent of antisemitism which has been allowed to fester in Britain and there has to be “a real change” to stop it. Interview here
Pope Leo’s messages of peace to people in Lebanon
On his last full day in Lebanon, Pope Leo met thousands of young people in the square in Bkerké, the episcopal see of the Maronite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch. He welcomed young people from Syria and Iraq as well as Lebanese, and addressing four young people who gave testimonies, he said theirs were stories of “courage in the midst of suffering, hope in the face of disappointment, and inner peace during times of war… There is still time to plan, dream, and do good”. Addressing bishops, priests and pastoral workers at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, he spoke of peace again: “To build peace, he said, it is necessary to remain fixed on that horizon, choosing love and generosity over the fear of loss”. And in Beirut, he addressed a meeting of representatives of all faiths saying: “Here in this beloved land, may every bell toll, every adhān, every call to prayer blend into a single, soaring hymn—not only to glorify the merciful Creator of heaven and earth, but also to lift a heartfelt prayer for the divine gift of peace.” Pope Leo will end his visit today to return to Rome.
Islamic Relief ships 12 tonnes of food aid to Indonesia cyclone survivors
Islamic Relief is shipping 12 tonnes of emergency food aid to parts of Aceh, Indonesia, that are worst hit by the deadly floods caused by Cyclone Senyar. Many parts of Aceh are inaccessible as roads and bridges have collapsed, so Islamic Relief is working with the Indonesian navy to send a shipment of food, due to arrive this morning. Islamic Relief aid workers in Aceh report that local markets are running out of rice, vegetables and other essential stocks, and prices have tripled so many people cannot afford basic food items. Communities across Aceh are at severe risk of food shortages and hunger if supply lines are not re-established in the next seven days. The cyclone has triggered deadly floods and landslides across several Asian countries, affecting over one million people in Indonesia and devastating parts of Thailand and Sri Lanka. More than 1,000 people have been killed.
Brother of Scottish man jailed in India ‘disappointed’ after latest meeting
The brother of Jagtar Singh Johal, a Scottish man who has been jailed in India for eight years accused but not convicted of terror offences, has described a meeting with the foreign secretary as “one of the most disappointing yet”. Gurpreet Singh Johal, a Labour councillor, met Yvette Cooper in London to discuss the case and afterwards urged the UK government to provide “diplomatic representation” to bring his brother home. Jagtar Singh Johal was accused of being a member of the Khalistan Liberation Force and was charged with conspiracy to commit murder, but his supporters say he was tortured into signing false confessions. He was cleared of one case in March, and the family hoped this was an opportunity to secure his release as the remaining cases are based on substantially the same evidence. His brother says the government now has a six to eight-week window of opportunity and must act. BBC report here
Three Austrian nuns in their 80s win the right to stay in their convent
Three Austrian nuns in their eighties who fled the care home they were moved to and broke back into their convent, have now been told they can stay there “until further notice” — but only if they stop posting on social media. Sister Bernadette, 88, Sister Regina, 86, and Sister Rita, 82, are the last remaining members of Kloster Goldenstein in Elsbethen, near Salzburg. They had lived in the convent for 60 years, the last 20 of which they were the only nuns in residence, and they say they were taken away against their will in December 2023. They were put into the home, but won volunteer local support from a locksmith, builders, electricians, plumbers and domestic help, enabling them to get back into the convent in September this year, angering local church officials. The nuns’ superior, Provost Markus Grasl from Reichersberg Abbey, called on them to return to the care home, saying their decision to return to the convent was “completely incomprehensible”. In a statement, they described the Church’s offer as having “the character of a gagging contract”.
Waterloo memorial church in Chatham reopens after £4m revamp
St John’s church in Chatham, originally built in the 1800s to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo, has reopened after a £4 million restoration. It fell into disrepair in the 1990s but a major project undertaken by the Diocese of Rochester, Medway Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, has been completed after two years. The Grade II listed church has a vast galleried interior, and now has meeting rooms, space for events and office accommodation, plus a kitchen and a cafe for the local community, open for seven days a week. The congregation has been continuing by meeting in a neighbouring church, and now they can return, around 100 people attend services on Sunday. BBC story here
Rubens painting of Christ crucified fetches €2.3 million
A painting by Rubens depicting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ has sold at auction for €2.3 million. It had been hidden for 400 years and was found in a private house in Paris. Nils Büttner, an expert known for his research on Rubens, explained before the auction that the master often painted crucifixions but rarely depicted “the crucified Christ as a dead body on the cross. So this is the one and only painting showing blood and water coming out of the side wound of Christ, and this is something that Rubens only painted once.” Associated Press report here
