Chabad of Oxford celebrated the 1st night of Chanukah with the lighting of a 12 ft Menorah in the centre of Oxford city centre, on Broad St. The Menorah was lit by the Lord Mayor of Oxford, Cllr Susanna Pressel, and Rabbi Eli Brackman, director of Chabad of Oxford, in the presence of about 150 people, including students, faculty and community members.

The lighting ceremony was followed by an address by Rabbi Brackman. He spoke of the unique celebration this year of it being the 8^th year since the tradition was established in 2001. This is symbolic as the Menorah has eight branches, he said. When setting up the Menorah last year, he related, someone opened the window of Balliol College, in front on which the Menorah was being erecte… Read More »

"Happy that the university has taken action, and I don't want to exaggerate the behaviour of students.

I am, however, concerned about the trend following the hosting of David Irving at the union, which also offended the sensibilities of the Jewish community and students.

One might be able to dismiss each event individually but combined they seem to reflect an ignorance and lack of sensitivity directed at the Jewish students at the university.

In the case of the Jewish social, the line that was crossed was the bringing of money bags which tapped into anti-Semitic Jewish stereotypes. The captain, Phil Boon, did not seem to understand why the event caused offence.

I think that the university should take these matters more seriously and … Read More »

Rugby squad 'need Auschwitz visit'

Oxford Mail, Saturday 13th December 2008

Oxford University students accused of dressing up as orthodox Jews should go to former concentration camp Auschwitz to see the results of anti-Semitism, an Oxford rabbi has said.

Members of Oxford University’s under-21 rugby squad, above, have been ordered to go on a cultural diversity seminar following an investigation into two parties hosted by members of the club.

At one party, members were allegedly asked to wear traditional Jewish dress and bring an attractive Jewish date, while at another several students ‘blacked-up’ for a Safari Bop in Jericho.

But while Rabbi Eli Brackman, who serves the city’s Jewish community, welcomed the measures taken by the un… Read More »

Lessons in diversity for Oxford rugby boys

After 'bring a fit Jew' party outrage, university tells students to take equality seminar

Jessica Shepherd, Guardian.co.uk, Thursday 11 December 2008

Oxford University is to hold a special seminar on cultural diversity for its under-21 rugby squad, some of whom have recently been accused of racism and anti-Semitism.

Three weeks ago pictures emerged of team members "blacked up" and wearing loincloths for an African-themed party named "the Safari Bop".

A week before that, one of the players had invited students to the squad's "bring a fit Jew party".

Students are alleged to have been told to invite a pretty Jewish date and arrive dressed as Orthodox Jews carrying bags of money.

Oxford Univers… Read More »

Oxford students accused of anti-semitism over 'Jewish girls' party

Oxford University has launched an investigation into allegations of anti-semitism after rugby players were told to find "pretty Jewish girls" to be their dates for a themed dinner.

By Jon Swaine
14 Nov 2008

Players from the university's under-21 team turned out for the event - one reportedly dressing as a Jewish caricature, holding a money bag - despite the party's organisers having officially scrapped the event after complaints from Oxford's Jewish community.

The party was held as one of the team's Wednesday Rugby Socials. Each week, team members invite a different group of girls to dine and drink with them.

Yair Zivan, from the Union of Jewish Students, told The Dai… Read More »

Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg

By Victor Lee

I spent the summer of 2007 in Mumbai, it was a tough time in my life and things were not working out as I had hoped they would, thus I decided that an excursion in unfamiliar territory would be of benefit to me. Arriving in Mumbai it was immediately apparent that I was going to be far outside of my comfort zone. The chaos, the noise, the smells and the poverty were so shocking that I didn’t know if I was going to be able to last a weekend there, never mind two months. I arrived on a Friday morning and as usual my father had already contacted the local Chabad House on my behalf.

What was only a relatively short distance ended up taking almost an hour to locate in the overwhelming humidi… Read More »