Jewish Learning and Living

  • Rabbi Neil Janes

Poverty

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Judaism

We need to talk about poverty and the Jewish Community needs to back Marcus Rashford

It was December 2012 and the Conservative Minister for Civil Society, Nick Hurd MP, suggested that wealthy pensioners (or at least those with enough income) could give their winter fuel payment to charity instead of using it for themselves. We were still at a kind of peak ‘Big Society’ of Read more…

By rabbinj, 3 months3 months ago
community

Structural Oppression, #metoo and Egypt (sermon)

This week I wrote to an academic colleague who is a mentor to me and a friend. I was trying to explain what it means to be a feminist reader of rabbinic literature as a man. The point is not that I only read stories about women or pay attention Read more…

By rabbinj, 12 months4 months ago
Jewish Year

We have no right to dwell comfortably – Judaism, Justice and Housing

Last night I visited the Republic of Frestonia – or at least I would have done if I had been there from 1977 to the 1980s. The Free and Independent Republic of Frestonia attempted to secede from the United Kingdom in 1977 in protest to plans to redevelop the area. Read more…

By rabbinj, 3 years ago
Judaism

משפט אחד יהיה לכם – One law there shall be for you (Sermon for Parashat Behar)

With the dust slowly settling on yesterday’s election results, it wouldn’t surprise you to know that I’m often asked if Judaism is implicitly socialist or capitalist (or latterly neo-liberal). Of course, it’s a nonsense question. If we’ve learnt nothing else about how religion can be abused over the centuries, it’s Read more…

By rabbinj, 3 years ago
Jewish Year

Haggadah Supplement and Enough Food For Everyone IF

I wrote in my weekly message to The LJS community about the campaign ‘Enough Food For Everyone IF’ – which is seeking to do everything possible whilst the UK holds the G8 presidency to bring an end to hunger of the 1 billion people who do not have enough food Read more…

By rabbinj, 8 years ago
Jewish Year

Eighty Hungry People For Dinner – #IF

This is an adapted version of my piece for the LJS’s monthly newsletter in March 2013. Our celebration of Pesach this year is particularly poignant. Every year we pick up and read our Haggadah, the book that has developed with our history to be our guide book during the season Read more…

By rabbinj, 8 years ago
Judaism

Kosher Immunity from the Horsemeat Scandal – I don’t think so

This is a cross post from my Thought for the Week for The LJS. Dear Friends, I know I’m not alone in being astonished by the news regarding the amount of horsemeat that has found its way into our food disguised as beef product. The comments that I heard, regarding Read more…

By rabbinj, 8 years ago
Judaism

Giving the winter fuel payment to charity

I was struck by the advice of Nick Hurd MP that whilst we may be recipients of a universal benefit we should give it away to a charity if we do not need it. I am sure Mr Hurd has a tricky role as Minister for Civil Society (what a great Read more…

By rabbinj, 8 years ago
Jewish Year

Thinking about Homelessness in the lead up to Mitzvah Day

I can remember, as a child, we used to sit down for dinner on Friday night and the topic of conversation would frequently turn to a social justice issue. My parents, with their strong social conscience, never avoided the opportunity to discuss any topic that their three children raised. Sometimes Read more…

By rabbinj, 8 years ago
Judaism

Relative and Absolute: Child Poverty

In a rather unfocussed way I’ve been tuning in and out of the discussion unfolding about poverty in the UK. I briefly read the paper produced by the Centre for Social Justice which deals with a specific issue of whether we should redefine the meaning of poverty since there will always Read more…

By rabbinj, 9 years ago
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