I do understand that many voters are disappointed in/ fed up with Sir Keir Starmer - but I don't get why it is often expressed much more viscerally than that, with voters "hating" or "loathing" him. He made not be a success, but has he really hurt people that much? Seems OTT.

All hail the power of Facebook: our dog ran off... 3 hours of searches nearby on foot and then sweeps of streets further away in the car proved unsuccessful...it went on Facebook (thanks Laura & Leo) and within 30 mins she was located and back home. So much neighbourly goodwill!

Back from the rally against antisemitism in London, with it's powerful message that although it affects Jews primarily, it is a problem for society as a whole: no one is safe unless everyone is safe. It means that a national solution is needed against hatred & discrimination.

So the predicted Reform UK surge happened, but not quite as well for the Greens. Someone said that's because Zack Polanski is a charlatan. I strongly deny that. It just so happened he couldn't enlarge breasts through hypnotherapy & wasn't a spokesman for the Red Cross after all.

As the 1st anniversary of Pope Leo's XIV' election approaches (May 8) I recall once being told, "At a future Vatican Council, the Cardinals will have their wives with them. And at the one after that, the Pope will have her husband there". Heresy or prophecy?

If you have 12 minutes to spare, here is a succint summary of modern Judaism at a Voices of Faith conference in the Barbican recently covering our beliefs, rituals, ethics, interfaith dialogue, the different strands of Judaism and attitudes to Israel. www.youtube.com/watch?v=33Bo...

One of the late Richard Harries bon mots was when someone made a remark about him that he was not sure was meant to be critical or not: "One of my mottos is that when in doubt take everything as compliment, it helps ward off paranoia". That is a strategy well worth adopting!

Many individual imams have expressed horror at the recent anti-Jewish attacks, which has been appreciated, but it'd be good to escalate matters with every mosque this coming Friday having a sermon against antisemitism & keeping Middle East conflicts from poisoning British life.

To borrow Shakespeare: I am a Jew. Have not Jews eyes, hands, feelings like everyone else? Warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as others are. We have mortgages, worry about petrol prices, complain about potholes just as everyone else does. If you scream abuse at us, are we not upset.

What do Jews make of this sudden new climate of danger on the streets (though some would argue it is merely a return to how it was in previous generations) and how do we best tackle it? I explored ideas with Peter Cardwell on TALK TV & how we go forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KprH...

R.I.P. Richard Harries, former Bishop of Oxford, who died yesterday and was a model of how to be a firm liberal. He was knowledgeable, caring, open to discussion and a good person to work with. He will be missed in the Lords, on the BBC & so many places elsewhere.

What's the Jewish view about Israel? There isn't ONE view but dozens of disparate attitudes and very often highly nuanced: see "Progressive Judaism, Zionism and the State of Israel" launched yesterday containing essays by me and many others exploring the complexities.

It's been a bad time recently for both former and current Reading FC players with Liam Rosenior sacked at Chelsea, while the team itself had hopes of possible promotion dashed. The one good point is that there is always next time. Thank God for new chances every season.

R.I.P. Wendy Duffy, the healthy mother who had an assisted death abroad as she found life meaningless after the loss of her son. But if the assisted dying Bill had been passed in England, she would not have been eligible as it only applied to the terminally ill. No exceptions.

A handful of Peers may think they have defeated the Assisted Dying Bill, but they have just delayed its eventual passing. It will certainly come back to Parliament, maybe in May, maybe later. MPs want it, the public wants it & the objectors are on the wrong side of compassion.

Tens of thousands of people in Britain are wondering why assisted dying is available for those dying in pain in Australia, New Zealand, many states in the USA and parts of Europe - but here they have to suffer on, take their own life or go abroad to obtain it - all bad options.It should be here too.

Tens of thousands of people in Britain are wondering why assisted dying is available for those dying in pain in Australia, New Zealand, many states in the USA and parts of Europe - but here they have to suffer on, take their own life or go abroad to obtain it - all bad options.

Arson attempts on synagogues: the sad truth is that idiots & bigots have attacked Jews ever since the Bible & will continue doing so; the issue is whether ordinary people will try to combat it or shrug their shoulders. Banning social media attacks will also help calm it down.

you're right on both counts Jacob: there are some fascinating essays for anyone interested in a Jewish approach to modern issues (plus some traditional ones, like God)...and yes, it is only available direct from the College

How do you deal with rogue rabbis? What is the Jewish approach to eating disorders? Who divided the Bible into chapters? How do faith and social media interact? Part of 27 essays in "Judaism Uncovered" just published celebrating the 70th anniversary of Leo Baeck College, London.

On Saturday 19 CofE students training for the priesthood at Ripon College, Cuddesdon came to the Synagogue to experience a service & then had study sessions: they learned from us, we learned from them. Mutual religious growth can be so easy given the goodwill to engage & be open.

What is appropriate to place in a person's coffin when they die? Originally the answer was nothing save sacred items, but funerals have become much more personalised (& democratised) - as I discussed with Jeremy Vine (wedding dress & cricket bat?) www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... at 36.44

There is a patron saintsfor many types of people, so is there a patron saint for immigrants? If not, then how about Britain's most loved immigrant....and also now an award winning one? Congratulations Paddington on your BAFTA for the best new musical. Next stop the Vatican.

Here's hoping the hit that Ukraine took through the consequences of the Iran War will now be counter-balanced by the unseating of Viktor Orban who had undermined EU funding and support for Ukraine. What a topsy-turvy world....and so dangerous. We must celebrate small advances.

Such a contrast between the expert pre-planning and definite goals of Artemis II compared to the conduct of the Iran War...astonishing how the same country can succeed so well at one and not at the other. (And a warning to us all in the much more minor projects we each attempt)

Help me fill this in: the truce is a victory for (Trump/Iran/confusion/mayhem?)...has achieved (what is the word for less than nothing?)...has done so at the cost of (sanity/individuals/something else?)...so we should praise MAGA (Make Angrymen Go Away?). Have I missed anything?

Kanye West has now been banned entry to the UK, but should he have been given the chance to make a public apology...& how do we tckle th larger problem of rising antisemitism. Jake Wallis Simons & I discuss both on BBC's The World Tonight at: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... (from 32.15)

Why is Mo Salah not only a great footballer but a religious icon?..and should new Spurs manager de Zerbi have given Mason Greenwood "a second chance" at Marseilla FC? See my discussion with Jumoke www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... at 46.04 @JumokeFashole @BBCRadioLondon

Should Kanye West's Wireless concert appearance be cancelled? Of course: if he said about black people what he said about Jews, he would be banned from entering the UK. Words have consequences: see burnt-out ambulances in Golders Green & deaths at the Manchester synagogue.

Why are we so fascinated by Artemis II? It's a mix of 1) sense of wonder 2) admiration for the astronauts' bravery 3) curiosity as to what they'll find 4) it's a good news story for a change. See our discussion www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... at 46.04 @JumokeFashole @BBCRadioLondon

Why are we so fascinated by Artemis II? It's a mix of 1) sense of wonder 2) admiration for the astronauts' bravery 3) curiosity as to what they'll find 4) it's a good news story for a change. See our discussion @JumokeFashole @BBCRadioLondon at 46.04

Poor game yesterday for Mo Salah but given Liverpool fans' famous chant: "Sitting in a mosque is where I want to be/If he's good enough for you, he's good enough for me/If he scores another few, I'll be Muslim too" he's done more to better inter-faith relations than any sermon.

When we celebrated the Passover cry of freedom from oppression, it was based on the Israelites in ancient Egypt, but today applies to everyone who is oppressed, be it nationally or individually, those we like & those we don't, those we know & those whose pain we never see.

Last night was Passover marking the exodus from Egypt. The home service-cum-meal ('seder') centres on "Let my people go" & can last several hours for the most observant to those who simply say: "They tried to kill us - they failed - let's eat". That's Jewish history in 9 words.

We are so used to sc-fiction in space that it's worth reminding ourselves how amazing is today's Artemis mission around the moon & the bravery of the astronauts: not only going into the beyond but strapped on top of thousands of gallons of explosive rocket fuel. Safe return.

Fascinating piece in today's Daily Telegraph on the relationship between Charles III and British Jewry. It's partly in his role as Supreme Governor of the Church of Engand & its roots, but mainly a deeply personal interest stemming from various encounters: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03...

yes, the great divide in faiths is not so much the different religions themselves but between the orthodox groups within each faith (who share the same approach as each other) and the moderate/progressive ones (who also share the same approach); this project would only work with the latter group.

If you belong to a Church, Synagogue or Mosque, how would you feel about sharing your place with the other two faiths? Does it sound like a religious ideal or anathema? I discuss how it's happening in Tblisi right now. Here too ?https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002t2p3 (fast forward to: 1.14.40)

Despite so much going wrong in the world, there is a simple tonic that can brush away all those worries for 90 minutes: watching your team win 3-0 on a sunny Saturday afternoon, though you do have to pick the right team & also have to wait quite a while. Anyway: Reading 3 Wigan 0

Interesting that the motion has been put in the negative; public opinion would suggest it is the other way round, with 73% in favour (YouGuv, 2025) and 66% of people of faith in favour (Opinium, 2024). So will the House of Lords catch up with the people? club.unherd.com/event/this-h...

In case the three people who torched the ambulances in Golders Green are reading this: the ambulances were immediately replaced, donations poured in and there was a national outcry. Is that what you intended? Good to know that the forces of decency rose up and trounced you.

Good luck to Sarah Mullally on her consecration as Archbishop of Canterbury...& congratulations to the Church of England for daring to elect a woman when they knew other provinces of the Anglican Communion were likely to object or break away. Hurray for principle over pragmatism.

If you are in/near Oxford, do come along to the debate Professor Kathleen Stock & I are having at the Oxford Literary Festival on Friday 27th at 4 pm: "Assisted Dying: A Dignified End or a Collective Fantasy?". Hear and argue back! Tickets & details from www.oxfordliteraryfestival.org

Woken at 5 am to do TV interview on the attack earlier this morning on four ambulances in Golders Green. What kind of sick mentality leads a person to attack an ambulance? If they want to show how brave they are how about trying a tank? No wonder they slunk off into the darkness.

Interfaith dialogue has been the great religious success story of the last 50 years; it is now reaching new heights with a church, synagogue & mosque in the same building & (very symbolically) having the same roof & front door. See my Church Times article: www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...

To be more direct: there is no problem with Islam, an ethical faith, but there is with Islamists who follow a violent strain of it...but other people can't tell the difference, so fear dominates. Maybe peaceful prayer in Trafalgar Square should be seen as trying to make it clear?

Is Muslim (or any other minority faith) prayer 'free expression' or 'taking over'? Both perceptions depend on the beholder, but the problem is the context of social discontent: it reinforces the fears of the 2nd view even though the 1st one is a better reflection of reality.

Scotland said no, what will England say? "[Writing] as a former hospice CEO...Jonathan Romain's compassionate case for assisted dying sets out beautifully the essential reform we need to offer terminally adults true dignity and choice". Thanks Mark. It's out now [Reaktion Books]

Will another assisted dying Bill succeed in Scotland? When the Scottish Parliament 1st voted on assisted dying in 2010, 18 MSPs supported it; the next one in 2015 got 36 votes; yesterday's had 57 votes. This vote may have been lost but the ever-increasing support is growing.

What did the opponents achieve in Scotland by voting down the Assisted Dying Bill? Just that more people will have to suffer dying in pain until another Bill is introduced and passed, when Scotland catches up with so many other parts of the world & allows Scots to let go gently.