True celebrations...Clever clogs

And although there are bound to be protests at some of the hundreds of celebratory events, it is already clear that the hate-mongers have failed to stir anyone except their fellow Israel-obsessives to anger. In three weeks, we can join together in happiness and solidarity — with Israel, with each other and with thanks for our nation’s role in the establishment of the state of Israel.

Clever clogs

For most of the world, the naming of a Nobel laureate prompts a scramble to find out what exactly they have done to merit their selection.

But for the Jewish community, a more frequent question is: “How closely are we related?”. The famous statistic bears repeating: we make up 0.2 per cent of the world’s population but 20 per cent of Nobel prize winners.

It sometimes feels as if we are more likely to have a laureate in the family than not.