It is something of a nation-wide communal sport to moan about the Rosh Hashanah sermon - each and every sermon, that is, delivered by each and every rabbi.

But this year, spare a thought for those rabbis who have to find something meaty enough to be remembered, original enough to be worth saying, and uncontroversial enough not to annoy. It is not a task to be envied. We hope that over the past year we too have provided you with food for thought.

The JC wishes all our readers a happy, prosperous and healthy new year.