While the Torah is clear that every plant and animal species was individually designed “according to its kind”, Darwin’s theory of evolution states the multitude of species we see today all evolved from just a few original forms. Which is right? And if humans evolved too then how could we have been created “in God’s image?” ABOUT Rabbi Dr Raphael Z…

Jack Aisenberg was a young lad when he was separated from his family, who he would never see again. Though he eventually was caught, he survived the Nazi concentration camps and death marches. In this 3.30 minute podcast Holocaust survivor Jack tells of the fateful day he parted from his family.

Dan and Lex invite the audience to engage in the idea of a virtual synagogue, one without walls and without boundaries, as if it was on a completely new Jewish planet.Dan Libenson studied at Harvard law school where he graduated with honours and spent five years as a law professor. He’s been closely involved with Hillel in Harvard and Chicago and n…

One hundred years before the Expulsion from Spain, the 1391 anti Jewish riots were the most widespread and today least known outbreaks of violence against Jews in medieval Europe. Jews had lived in Spain for over 1,000 years, predating the fall of the temple, a period regarded as one in which they enjoyedgreatestz freedom and success. So how did th…

How are life and death decisions made in Jewish Law?If faced with the decision of saving just one life how does Jewish law help with that dilemma ? Rabbi Dr Akiva Tatz is a South African born physician and lecturer, and the author of Dangerous Disease and Dangerous Therapy in Jewish Medical Ethics. In this episode of JewishTALK he looks at a famous…

Although he was born in Berlin, Rudi Leavor is a Yorkshireman at heart and that’s where we’re going today. Rudi is the 93-year-old custodian and president of Bradford Reform Synagogue, which has been in the news quite a bit in recent years, partly because of the Muslim leader who sits on the shul's board. I met Rudi in the synagogue to find out mor…

There is a kindly gentleman who sits not far away from me in Synagogue. He’s called Sam. He always asks about me and my wife, and I always make sure to wish him Shabbat Shalom. He rarely speaks about himself but I know, from other people, that Sam has survived three or maybe four concentration camps. And people were also keen to tell me “Hey you kn…

We kick off our highlights of Leeds Limmud with the big panel discussion featuring Gideon Falter chairman of the Campaign Against anti-Semitism, Rachel Creeger, who you might know as the Frum stand-up comedian, Robert Dyson a Leeds historian Patrick Morrow an Anglican priest who is a regular Limmudnikand Aviva Dautch a teacher and familiar face who…

In March 2019 Ed Horwich accompanied a group of Local Councillors and Civic community leaders, as they journeyed to Poland to learn about its history and the legacy of the Holocaust.This mainly non-Jewish group spent an intense 2.5 days visiting Warsaw, Treblinka, Majdanek, Tarnow, the 'Children's Forest', Krakow and Auschwitz.For all, the nature o…

Four years ago a lady strode up to a volunteers co-ordinator to make a demand "You have to record my story".Now hers is one of over 30 books which have been produced telling, in their own words, the stories not just of surviving the Holocaust, but of finding and making a new life, creating a family, and building a future.Ed Horwich went along to re…

This is the third episode recorded at this years 2019 Manchester Limmud.Jewish Small Communities Network was given its own session in this year’s program of talks. And for it I assembled a panel of three experts on the Jewish community in Wales. So join the audience as we experience some of that history through the lives of one particular family; f…

Stanley Kubrick, born of Jewish parents and brought up in New York, famously directed films like 2001 a Space Odyssey, Dr Strangelove, The Shining, and A Clockwork Orange. His final film Eyes Wide Shut is based on a Jewish novella, but seemingly excludes nearly all Jewish references. Take a seat with me in the audience at Manchester Limmud 2019 as …

700 years ago a Spanish Jewish mystic named Moshe DeLeon began writing down a collection of teachings and tales that have never been seen or heard of before. Its influence has been profound, both in the Jewish and non-Jewish world, and is still felt in the teachings of our great educators today.Sefer ha-Zohar, the Zohar (The Book of Radiance), has …

I'd like to introduce Fiona Frank, one of the founders of the Lancaster & Lakes Jewish community.Recently she's been taking time to travel around Europe, taking in different Events and cultural experiences... and recording a personal podcast as she travelled.I wanted to bring you one particular one, recorded when Fiona visited Weimar in the former …

Judith Phillips gets the inside track on what its like to vote in an Israeli General Election and what the issues are for your average Israeli. We also have help for UK voters who want to find out if their candidates are understanding of your Jewish concerns.

Jack Maurer tells me how to make matzos at home. Simone Pinkus cooks both for her family and customers. How does she plan Pesach, fill hungry mouths in a hurry, and make a packed lunch to take to work or school? Recipe on our website JSCN.ORG.UK

Between 45-55 thousand Jews took part in the First World War. Their stories have remained untold and are in danger of being lost forever. But now a heritage project, British Jews in the First World War, is getting people to come forward and making a record of those stories so their legacy will never be lost. JSCN is partnering with BJFWW and Ed Hor…

Ed Horwich discovers that he and Sal Litvak shared a similar experience leading to them individually becoming more involved with their communities.Sal tells the emotional story of how his grandmother was responsible for him ultimately becoming the Accidental Talmudist.WEBSITE: http://jscn.org.ukFacebook: https://www.…

Was the Middle East Peace Process ever going anywhere? Is it a missed opportunity and why? Will there be peace in the future?Asaf Siniver ,Reader in International Security at Birmingham University and biographer of Aba Eban, unravels the failures and looks at the requirements for a peace in the future.WEBSITE: http://jscn.org.ukFacebook: https://ww…

Sheffield has been home to Jews since 1797. That was just one reason why JSCN held a Regional Small Communities Meeting there to hear about inspiration and innovation that has created landmark successes in some of our small communities.Where did the Jews of Sheffield come from come? We hear about this and Mark Rayner tells us what Jewish life is li…

How do you get your local council to understand your Jewish needs, when many local Councillors have never met a Jew. A document 'A Jewish Manifesto for Local Government' seeks to address this issue. And help both individuals and Councillors communicate effectively. Produced by the Board of Deputies, staffer Phillip Roseberg outlines how this public…

Regina Jonas fought against the norm and , backed by her family, became a spiritual leader in troubled times. Film director Keith Farrell tells Ed Horwich about his latest movie project, the dramatisation of a young woman's struggle against the odds to become the first Woman Rabbi, in pre-war Germany.…

Getting a DNA test to find your ancestry is increasingly popular. But there's a more serious side too. There are a number of Genetic Disorders prevalent in the Jewish community, predominantly with Ashkenazi antecedents. Jnetics is a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping identify and manage these disorders. These include tests for the BRCA ge…

Hilary Thomas uncovered the stories of the brief life of the Jewish community in Blackburn. She tells us about the eventful life and times, the colourful the butchers shop, and the day community leaders sorted things out by fisticuffs at dawn.jscn.org.uk@jscnukjscn.org.uk/contact

Oh we do like to be beside the seaside...!What's it like to live in a Jewish community by the seaside?Ed Horwich talks to Robert Pinkus and finds out Jews like to be beside the seaside beside the sea in sunny St Annes, Lancashire.jscn.org.ukfacebook.com/jscnuk/CONTACT: http://jscn.org.uk/contact

How you store and use your member's data (email and other details) is important.This special edition helps small organisations understand how to protect their member's privacy and comply with new UK and European legislation.Ed Horwich talks to Jon Benjamin (a former CEO of the Board of Deputies, and a consultant on compliance) exploring and overvie…

Why did a Jewish community establish itself on the ice northern borders of Finland, and how did a Jewish battalion come to be fighting alongside the Nazis?Jake Berger has spent a year working with young Jews in Finland. He reveals the answers to those questions and tells Ed Horwich Jewish life is like today in Finland.jscn.org.ukfacebook.com/jscnuk…

The Jewish community in York can be traced to before the Massacre at Clifford's Tower in 1190. In its latest incarnation a resurgent Liberal community is attracting more Jews to live in the city.Ed Horwich finds out more about this growing community from Ben Rich.jscn.org.ukfacebook.com/jscnuk/

Despite copious population studies, the American statistics never counted Jewish communities under 5000 people... go figure !Sam Richardson lived in one such community and wondered what the future offered for his family. So he went on an academic journey to fill in that gap.Sam reveals his personal journey to Ed Horwich.…

Poland has seen a resurgence of Jewish life. Its population was devastated in the Holocaust and then hid itself away under the Communists.Rabbi Schudrich, Chief Rabbi of Poland, tells some amazing stories of how Polish Jews are now emerging, in conversation with Ed Horwich.

Ed Horwich continues his visit to Newcastle spending Shabbat with the orthodox community, Newcastle United Hebrew Congregation. Newcastle was once at the heart of a busy Jewish community that extended through the North East. Now there is just one orthodox shul in the whole of the North East.www.jscn.org.uk : facebook.com/jscnuk/ : jscn.org.uk/conta…

Гадаад хэл сурах, академик буюу анагаахын англи хэл, тэтгэлгийн материал бүрдүүлэлт, тэтгэлэгт хэрхэн хамрагдах

Struggling to express your wishes and fears sometimes gets worse as you get older. Chava Erlanger tells Ed Horwich how she works with holocaust survivors and refugees to help them find expression through art. See some examples on Facebook... facebook.com/chavaerlanger/ jscn.org.uk

850,000 Jews were expelled almost overnight from the Arab lands of the Middle East and North Africa after living there for 3000 years.It is something that has seemingly been overlooked in Jewish history until Lyn Julius and her organisation 'Harif' highlighted it.I met with Lyn Julius to find out the reasons why it occurred, why it has almost been …

Ed Horwich travelled to Newcastle upon Tyne to meet Linda and Brenda and find out about the Newcastle Reform community. They chatted over preparations for a communal Friday night Shabbat meal.WEBSITE: http://jscn.org.ukFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jscnuk/CONTACT: http://jscn.org.uk/contact

When I chose a film for our Jewish Film Club little did I realise one day I would be talking with its director, a Talmud scholar. Sal Litvak tells me about the making of his hilarious comedy which focuses on a dysfunctional family Passover Seder. Sal co-wrote the film with his wife Nina, and it features a stellar cast of leading actors.Sal and Nina…

What do you when you shul building is falling apart and you need a safe place to daven in? Martin Morris tells us what they did next and what its like in the Potteries community of Stoke on Trent Synagogue now.WEBSITE: http://jscn.org.uk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jscnuk

Second half of episode one focuses on Soccer & Baseball. JScott discusses the FA Cup, Premier League Top Four & Relegation battles, while airing his thoughts about the current reluctance by MLB owners to spend on top end free agents.

On the first part of the first edition of Sports Tap, Skip & JScott discuss the NHL Eastern Conference playoff race. They debate whether or not the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins can make it through the likes of the Washington Capitals, the Boston Bruins, and the Tampa Bay Lightning (the number one seed in the East) amongst others. Also, ar…