Page 61 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - October 19
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the ballroom, the dining room, the lounges and send the final postal packages, which included
the state-of-the-art conference room. Bingo! We driving directions, menu requests and a detailed
just needed to ‘test drive’ the dinner. However, programme of events.
the vile contents of the previous dinner were still Reunion - Friday May 17th 2.00pm – We began
festering inside us. We had no appetite and checking in at the hotel Reception over the next
against our better judgment gave it a miss. It was two hours with plenty of time to unpack and rest.
getting late and there was no time to visit the At 5.30pm, we trooped into the very comfortable
fourth hotel, so we drove home.
‘Nelson Room’ for our first talk, given by Avi
Some weeks before our visit to King’s Lynn, Shivtiel, a retired Israeli academic, on the
Ruth had tried to set up a special on-line account subject of ‘The Bible and Koran compared.’ He
with the bank. Several documents and a cheque described Arabia at the birth of Islam and
had to be signed by us and acknowledged by showed how Mohammed was influenced by the
them. The web-site was totally unhinged. Jews and the Bible. Incongruously, the walls
Documents were flying backwards and forwards around us bore portraits of splendidly bewigged
rather like an extended rally in a Wimbledon 18th century admirals alongside paintings of
final. This delayed us by about three months. great naval victories. At 7.00pm, Ruth hosted
Only ‘conspiracy theory’, can explain why the Kabalat Shabbat In the impressive dining hall.
hotel was equally determined to delay our This was followed by dinner. Finally, Brian
contract, which they eventually signed six weeks Harris from the Jewish Labour Movement (Poale
later. Zion) gave an excellent talk on “Anti-Semitism
in the Labour Party”. He included the many
Six months had elapsed and still nothing from
us. The many pained enquiries from despairing statements and past activities of leader Jeremy
members could be summarized in one word – Corbyn, which contradict his denials of being
“Nu????” I had already managed to ‘bag’ three anti-Semitic.
speakers on anodyne subjects. Unlike Ruth, who After an excellent breakfast on Saturday
had very quickly arranged our visit to morning, we all boarded a coach at 10.15am for
Sandringham Royal Estate, I was in a quandary. the five-mile trip to Sandringham, where the
How to satisfy the ‘punters’ who included retired Royal Family spend Christmas. The weather
architects, consultants, academics from the arts looked threatening. At Sandringham House we,
and sciences with a smattering of professors saw the great paintings, an unbelievably
emeriti? Excitement was not good for 80 year expanded dining table topped with priceless
olds, so I ruled out a talent competition. I Meissen and Wedgewood crockery and silver
mustn’t ignite controversy – bad for heart plated cutlery. Kibbutz life was never as good as
conditions! I am pleased to say that at no time this! There was a group painting of the extended
during the proceedings, before, during or after Royal Family, pre-First World War, including
the Reunion, was the ‘Brexit’ word mentioned. the Kaiser, Czar and Edward VII– all very
So I turned to ‘populism’. I must get a Jewish friendly but future mortal enemies. It was while
Labour MP to speak on ‘Anti-Semitism in the we were visiting the Museum with its beautifully
Labour Party’. Unfortunately, they were all too modelled Rolls Royce and Bentley cars suitably
busy fighting the ‘Corbyn Cabal’ to accept. scaled down for the Royal Children, that the
Finally, I managed to get a Labour Party Jewish deluge of rain hit us. The noise on the roof was
Branch Secretary instead. At this point, I asked deafening. It stopped 20 minutes later. Then we
Phil Moleman (IVH UK continuity man) to were able to visit the magnificent gardens and
email our preliminary notice. Then, only three water features before boarding the coach back to
weeks before the Reunion, Helen was ready to the hotel by 3.00pm.
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