Traditionally, Purim is a time for inviting people to believe the unbelievable. As is so often the case, this week provides a rich crop of stories which have that "good grief, can that really be true?" factor. They range from the preposterous - an Israeli politician suggesting a three-state solution - to the near-science fiction - Russian Jewry facing meteorites as the latest threat to their safety. Among the most entertaining is the slightly desperate attempt by the Board of Deputies to impose order among its anarchic representatives: a code of conduct so that unruly deputies will play nicely with each other, metaphorically speaking, at Sunday plenary meetings. We have to confess: all these stories, sadly to report, are true.
