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ESTMINSTER Volume VIII No.4 October 2017 UARTERLY Cain slaying Abel by Sebastiano Ricci (1659-1734) From the Rabbi effect on the fate of the Jews of Europe. acceptance of converts for the purposes The whole of humanity and the political of the Law of Return whichever and social life were affected, stopping the movements or factions they come from. healthy evolution of the World. A further example is the inability to I am now reading another of Robert provide a place for all Jews without Harris’s books, Dictator, and my ‘must exception to worship at the Western read’ list includes Douglas Murray’s The Wall. It should not matter whether they Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, wish to have egalitarian services or if Identity, Islam. I am close to despair they firmly believe in, and practise, when I realise how little we have learnt equality between sexes. Surely both men from the wisdom of Ecclesiastes’s words, and women have a right not only to ‘That which hath been is that which shall worship together but also to enjoy the be, and that which hath been done is that beauty of holding and reading from the which shall be done; and there is nothing Torah Scroll. new under the sun’.(1:9) They are not As we look forward to Simchat Torah, as only painfully true but will remain so well as drawing wisdom from it – until we learn not to repeat the mistakes rejoicing and dancing - we should, in the Dear Friends of the past. Dictator impresses upon us New Year 5778, have a world with fewer that one day we can celebrate someone’s I very much hope that you have enjoyed a tears and more wisdom; a world without heroism and the next he can be lovely summer and have returned well extremism, giving us all a sense of having assassinated and that this really rested, refreshed, and ready to meet the learned from the past. The Torah tells it happened. Today we experience battles of the world. There is no doubt as it is, and is so much easier to adopt character assassination through social that we live in turbulent times; the world and to accept what we need. media. How do we defend ourselves is a fragile place. There seems to be a lack when the word spreads like wildfire and Wishing you a very Happy, Healthy New of leadership, resoluteness and there is no stopping it? Year - Chag Sameach - and let us dance experience. There is no end to the blame with the Torah of enlightenment. game played throughout society, Extremist views, in whichever guise they governments, local authorities and appear, need to be stopped as they may B’Shalom companies. The malaise of extremism lead to the destruction of civilised society that we are seeing hurts our society, which would take many lifetimes to destroying humanity’s dignity and recover. We witness this in general and, purpose. in particular, within our own Jewish society. Sad to say, there are many In the past few months I have read examples, such the attack on a Rabbi several books – or in fact listened to who spoke the truth about love; them. In view of what is happening something which is so important in the around us, I felt even more concerned life of all human beings, irrespective of Rabbi Thomas when I finished Philip Roth’s book The who they are and how they wish to Plot Against America as I thought that it express it. was all taking place in the past but then I realised that it could all occur again. Surely both men and Robert Harris’s Conclave certainly could have happened and the question is, women have a right would it happen or indeed could it not only to worship happen, in this way? Philip Sands’ book East West Street is a family saga which at together but also to the same time highlights the individuals enjoy the beauty of who brought us the legal concepts of ‘Genocide’ and ‘Crimes Against holding and reading Humanity’ - Hersch Lauterpacht and from the Torah Scroll Rafael Lemkin. These ideas came about because of the devastation of Europe and Another example is the Israeli the loss of lives in the horrors of the Government’s attempt to destroy Second World War, when systematic something which has worked well for plans, organized, directed and executed almost seventy years, that is the by Government, had such a devastating 3 ANGLO-JEWISH HISTORY Unsung Jewish where the regiment took ship to France, saw a sniper just behind the German lines landing at Marseilles. The Indian troops, and tried to shoot him. But the sniper Heroes - under the command of Captain Roly fired first and Frank was mortally Lt. Frank de Pass Grimshaw were to reinforce the British wounded. Grimshaw and a fellow officer Expeditionary Force and took up station rushed to his aid, but dazed by the at Festubert, a small village in northern explosions they were too late. The brave France, not far from Béthune. A vivid young Jew was dead. For his bravery he account of the fighting is given in was awarded the Victoria Cross, the first Grimshaw’s Indian Cavalry Officer, Jew to receive it and the first soldier of an 1914/15, published in 1986 by Costello. Indian regiment. Frank’s Commanding Officer wrote of him, ‘The very perfect The newly arrived troops from India type of British officer, he united to found that the Germans had driven a sap singular personal beauty, a charm of up to the parapet surrounding their manner and a degree of valour which dugout. Sapping is a term used in siege made him the idol of his men’. A fellow operations. A trench excavated under officer wrote to his parents, ‘He was quite defensive musket or artillery fire that was the most gallant fellow it had ever been intended to advance a besieging army's my good fortune to meet.’ Frank was position was referred to as a sap (the buried at Béthune. The burial was word sapper is still used in military delayed to find out the wishes of the operations). Thus the Allied men were family, but it was agreed that his last clearly exposed to fire from the enemy, resting place should be near the site of his and Lt. de Pass volunteered to guard the bravery. Grimshaw comments that the Sir Eliot and his wife Beatrice de Pass, breach until, in daylight, one of his men sound of the guns could be heard at the Sephardi Jews, lived in Kensington, with crawled out to reconnoitre the Germans’ funeral. their three sons. The family had come to position. He reported that they were England in 1660 shortly after the Re- holed up only ten yards away, protected admission of the Jews. The name was by a sandbag traverse. From here they originally Shalom, which they changed threw bombs towards the English and first of all to the Spanish de Paz and Indian troops, causing considerable finally to the English de Pass. Their injuries. Frank, with two of his Indian second son, Frank, attended the Abbey men, crawled out along the sap until they School and then went on to Rugby, where reached the German traverse, where they he was a contemporary of Rupert Brooke. placed an explosive charge and blew it up, Sir Eliot was a West India merchant and saving further damage to his company. the family was prosperous, moving in the high society of the time. Frank was an intelligent young man, a fine polo player Lt. de Pass volunteered and a good linguist. Rabbi Reuben Livingstone conducting to guard the breach the Memorial Service After leaving school he decided to make the army his career and attended the One hundred years after the death of Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. A day or two later, while visiting Frank de Pass, a Memorial Service was Commissioned into the Royal Horse neighbouring positions occupied by the held in Victoria Embankment Gardens Artillery, he went to India after being Indian regiments, he came across a where a Victoria Cross Commemorative made a lieutenant and transferred to the wounded Sepoy lying outside his trench. Paving Stone was laid in his memory. 34th Prince Albert Victor’s Own Poona Sepoys were Indian soldiers from The citation was read out by Lt. Col. Horse. He studied Persian and infantry regiments fighting for the British Johnny Kitson, Frank’s great-nephew. A Hindustani so that he was able to talk to - a cavalry trooper was a Sowar. He took bugler sounded the Last Post and the his men in the regiment and was a man with him and they brought the service was conducted by Military appointed orderly officer to Lt. General Indian back to safety. Grimshaw was not Chaplain Rabbi Reuben Livingstone and Sir Percy Lake, Chief of the General Staff pleased. ‘A British officer is worth more Rabbi Joseph Dweck of the Bevis Marks in India. A year later, when Frank was than a wounded Sepoy. I know these Synagogue. Also at the parade were twenty-seven years old and engaged to be things cannot be measured in that way’. soldiers from local military units married, the First World War broke out Meanwhile, the Germans had repaired the representing the past, present and future in Europe. traverse and the heavy bombardment of military service. Eric Pickles, then The 34th Poona Horse was then stationed started again. In an attempt to repair the Community Secretary and always a at Secunderabad.
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