One should be wary of reading too much into figures showing that Jewish emigration to Israel from the UK almost doubled last year. For one thing, the figures for 2023 were especially low - unsurprisingly in the wake of October 7, which may have delayed some people’s move.

More significant perhaps is that, with the exception of 2023, the average level of aliyah has remained consistently high in recent years - and that even at a time of war, with Israel under direct attack from Iran for the first time, last year saw a resumption of the earlier levels. That speaks not only to the enduring pull of Israel on our community but to a broader feeling of solidarity. Many of us have close family in Israel and it is obvious why we want to live alongside them.

But there is a less positive element, too. Open antisemitism began to be a serious problem in the years when Jeremy Corbyn became Labour leader, but since October it has exploded to new and worrying levels. Many in our community questioned our future here when it seemed possible that Corbyn could become prime minister. His defeat seemed to put an end to that worry. But today such fears for the future are both deeper and wider, with the worry that the genie of open antisemitism cannot be put back in the bottle.

There is no one factor behind the rise in aliyah, and it is something which is, at the same time, something to celebrate and something to reflect on.