Some 250 Liberal Jews from across the country congregated at Birmingham Progressive Synagogue on Sunday for a day of celebration and learning.

The programme started with a concert of new and traditional liturgical music, featuring the choir from Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue and Birmingham’s cross-communal Kol Kinor singers. There was then a choice of 30 sessions on diverse subjects including parenthood, art and music.

Among the highlights were a session on mixed faith families led by Rabbi Aaron Goldstein and a challah-baking class with Rabbi Sandra Kviat.

Liberal Judaism provided free coaches from both north and south London to the venue. Movement chief executive Rabbi Danny Rich said: “We are proud to have brought such a varied and enriching programme to Birmingham.”

Organiser Rabbi Charley Baginsky added that the day had been “inspiring. The huge number of congregations and rabbis involved testifies to the sheer reach of our message.”

A good performance with bat and ball inspired Belmont & Edgware to a 29-run victory over Graces CC.

Belmont lost the toss and were asked to bat on a damp and slightly green deck. Beginning the innings in heavy drizzle, the two Mayers, Elliot and Phil, played themselves in before becoming increasingly expansive.

Indeed, the partnership began to look highly promising after Elliot took advantage of the short boundaries to hoist a full toss for a six.

However, a delay, caused by the ball becoming lost in dense vegetation surrounding the pitch, may have affected Elliot’s concentration and he was bowled shortly after play resumed, for a fine 32. Regardless, a strong platform had been laid.

No. 3 Michael Blasebalk was dismissed caught behind shortly after coming in, but the next batsman, Adam Jacobs, continued the good work with Phil Mayer. By the time Phil was out, for a well-crafted, 31, Belmont had reached 90-2 and were set for a sizeable total.

Things began to look more ominous for Grace’s when Simon Taylor strode in and immediately spanked two fours on the off side. It didn’t quite go to plan after this, however as Graces held their best bowlers back until the end of the innings, and bowled tightly at the death.

Belmont lost wickets as they attempted to accelerate, Jacobs sliced a widish delivery to point and Taylor was caught attempting to hit over the top. However, Nick McLeod did well to stablise the innings, playing one particularly brutal straight drive down the ground and Belmont closed with a very defendable 135.

The weather improved significantly after the tea break and Graces began their chase positively. David Kaplan was quickly introduced into the attack in order to break a stubborn opening partnership and duly obliged by bowling a miserly spell whilst picking up three wickets.

He was ably supported by Simon Taylor at the other end, with Taylor claiming two wickets, and he was well supported by some top-quality catching.

After Graces had been reduced to 60-4, Jacobs increased the pressure on Graces by snaffling two further wickets. However, this merely set the stage for yet another member of the Mayer brood, Greg, to make a telling contribution.

The youngster bowled with great discipline and was rewarded by removing the remaining three batsmen. This included Graces hard-hitting Aussie no. 10, who was clearly batting well below his proper position and who was superbly caught in the deep by Kaplan at cow corner as Graces were dismissed for 106.

A BECC spokesman told JC Sport: "This victory was particularly pleasing because of the strong contributions throughout the team. Both batsmen and bowlers were disciplined and our energy was good in the field.

"Hopefully this can continue throughout the season."

Pet Shop Boys will perform in Tel Aviv later this week after defying anti-Israel activists’ calls for them to pull out of a planned concert.

Pop stars Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe said that while they opposed “crude and cruel defence policies” of the Israeli government, comparisons with apartheid South Africa were “a caricature”.

The veteran pop group has sold more than 50 million records and picked up dozens of awards in the past 30 years for hits including West End Girls, Always On My Mind, and It’s a Sin.

The gig at Tel Aviv’s Nokia Arena is part of a European tour and is expected to go ahead as planned on Sunday evening.

Rejecting the calls for a boycott, Mr Tennant wrote on the band’s website: “I don't agree with this comparison of Israel to apartheid-era South Africa. It's a caricature.

“Israel has (in my opinion) some crude and cruel policies based on defence; it also has universal suffrage and equality of rights for all its citizens both Jewish and Arab.

“In apartheid-era South Africa, artists could only play to segregated audiences; in Israel anyone who buys a ticket can attend a concert.”

The duo have regularly joined gay rights campaigns and supported other human rights issues.

Activists from the anti-Israel group Innovative Minds plan to picket a Pet Shop Boys appearance at a film screening on London’s Southbank on Wednesday evening.

Innovative Minds had asked the performers to “open their eyes to the ugly reality of apartheid Israel, to cancel their concert and stand with the oppressed Palestinians”.

The reformist-backed Hassan Rouhani has won Iran’s presidential election, receiving just over half of the vote to narrowly avoid a run-off.

Mr Rouhani, who will succeed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, mobilised the moderate vote after Mohammad Reza Aref, the sole reformist candidate, withdrew from the race on Tuesday.

Tens of thousands gathered in the capital Tehran to celebrate the former lawyer’s victory, chanting “long live Rouhani”, with the President-elect proclaiming a “victory of moderation over extremism”.

Mr Rouhani went on to say: “A new opportunity has been created for those who truly respect democracy, interaction and free dialogue.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for continued vigilance, declaring that “the international community should not fall into wishful thinking and be tempted to ease pressure on Iran to stop its nuclear programme”.

The American government’s reaction, however, was cautiously optimistic. Mr Rouhani’s triumph over an otherwise conservative field prompted White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough to say “if [Rouhani] lives up to his obligations under the UN Security Council resolutions to come clean on this illicit nuclear programme, he will find a partner in us”.

The turnout was high at 72 per cent, though this was down on the 85 per cent who cast their ballots in 2009. Rouhani garnered 50.71 per cent of the 36.7 million votes cast, according to Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, with Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf placing a distant second on 16.56 per cent.

Amir Weintraub breezed into the second qualifying round at Wimbledon after claiming a straight sets win over Peter Polansky.

The Israeli ran out a 6-2, 6-3 victor on Court One on Monday morning.

Wayne Odesnik is also safely through to the second round after claiming a 6-1, 6-4 success over Thiago Alves of Brazil.

The curtain has come down on another season, so Danny Caro gives his verdict on how teams in the top-flight performed.

1. FAITHFOLD A
Record: Pl, 18, W. 13, D. 4, L. 1, F. 45, A. 14, Pts. 43
Best league result: 5-2 vs LML
Biggest league win: 7-1 vs Raiders
Worst result: 2-0 vs FC Team
Clean sheet: 6
Games failed to score in: 1
Star men: Dan Howard, Sam Reeves, Daryl Phillips, Dan Perkins
Best signings: Sam Reeves, Mike Pearson
Top-scorer: Daryl Phillips 14
DC Rating: 2012/13 was the year Faithfold took Jewish football by storm. Manager Zuriel Solomon knew it would take something special to dethrone Hendon, and his team didn’t let him down. They were the model of consistency, losing just one in the league and three times in Jewish football. The Superhoops made history by becoming the first Jewish team to win the London FA Sunday Intermediate Cup and they went on to seal a glorious double by recording their first JC MSFL title success since 2004/05. There were no weak links in a Faithfold team that churned out the results in what was a wonderful team effort 10/10

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2. HENDON UNITED SPORTS CLUB A
Record: Pl, 18, W. 11, D. 4, L. 3, F. 50, A. 27, Pts. 37
Best league result: 2-0 vs LML
Biggest league win: 7-0 vs Norstar
Worst result: 3-0 vs FC Team
Clean sheet: 5
Games failed to score in: 3
Star men: Ari Last, Greg Corin, Yoav Kestenbaum
Best signings: Jacob Gold, Alex Nadler
Top-scorer: Avidan Last 10
DC Rating: Repeating their heroics of 12 months ago was always going to be a hard act to follow. The departure of the Bentley brothers plus Ben Lauffer hit them hard, but manager David Garbacz pulled off two real coups in the transfer market by signing hotshot Jacob Gold from Raiders and former Team GB full-back Alex Nadler. Both brought much to the table, with keeper Ari Last, Yoav Kestenbaum and Russell Corin impressing, but they fell short in a couple of games which was ultimately the deciding factor. 8/10

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3. BRADY MACCABI A
Record: Pl, 18, W. 9, D. 5, L. 4, F. 50, A. 34, Pts. 41
Best league result: 4-2 vs Hendon
Biggest league win: 8-0 vs Brixton
Worst result: 4-0 vs LML
Clean sheet: 3
Games failed to score in: 2
Star men: Jordan Nathan, Bradley Sharp, Jonny Ellis, Josh Gordon
Best signings: Bradley Sharp, Marc Lazare
Top-scorer: Jonathan Green 12
DC Rating: Brady were arguably the team of the second half of the season. They went on an incredible run and finished the season as National winners. Managers Josh Rosenfeld and Joel Nathan got the very best out of their talented pool of players and they deserved everything they got. The treble will be in their agenda next season, as they look to win the league title for the first time since 2001. If they can keep the squad together, only a brave man would bet against them. 8/10

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4. LONDON MACCABI LIONS A
Record: Pl, 18, W. 8, D. 2, L. 8, F. 56, A. 47, Pts. 26
Best league result: 4-0 vs Brady
Biggest league win: 10-3 vs Brixton
Worst result: 7-5 vs Brady
Clean sheet: 1
Games failed to score in: 1
Star men: Nick Landesberg, Max Kyte, Bradley Lander
Best signings: Bradley Lander, Benji Weinberger, Jake Doffman
Top-scorer: Lee Cash 18 (including 10 for NWN)
DC Rating: Like Brady, it was a season of two halves for the Lions. With Andy Landesberg taking over from the Newmans in November, there was a marked improvement in results, with the addition of player-coach James Gershfield and some top-notch signings giving them a more than respectable finish in the league. But it was the Anekstein where they really impressed, beating Faithfold and Hendon on the way to Wingate where they staged an impressive comeback to thump holders Redbridge. The smile is back on the faces of Andy Landesberg’s young Lions who will be looking for a top three finish next season. 7/10

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5. REDBRIDGE JEWISH CARE A
Record: Pl, 18, W. 7, D. 4, L. 7, F. 32, A. 30, Pts. 24
Best league result: 2-0 vs Hendon
Biggest league win: 5-2 vs Brixton
Worst result: 4-0 vs Faithfold
Clean sheet: 4
Games failed to score in: 1
Star men: Adam Stolerman
Best signing: They had more pulling power in Faces than with new MSFL signings
Top-scorer: Adam Stolerman 17
DC Rating: A season that promised so much but, ultimately, delivered very little. It culminated in another final at Wingate, but it certainly didn’t end the way that manager Eilon Kennet and the RJC barmy army would’ve wanted. League form was inconsistent to say the least, as was available. Strikers Adam Stolerman and Steve Summers performed admirably after the club lost Adam Bolle, but it’s clear they must bring in some quality reinforcements over the summer months to get back where they belong. 6/10

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6. FC TEAM A
Record: Pl, 18, W. 8, D. 3, L. 8, F. 38, A. 42, Pts. 24
Best league result: 3-0 vs Hendon
Biggest league win: 2-0 vs Faithfold
Worst result: 4-2 vs Brixton
Clean sheet: 2
Games failed to score in: 3
Star men: Simon Peterman, Richard Salmon
Best signings: Declan Selbo, Marc Harris
Top-scorer: Richard Salmon 12
DC Rating: Team started the season with high hopes and victories of the champions Faithfold and defending champions Hendon tells you just how dangerous they were on their day. However, consistency proved something of an issue for a side in which Simon Peterman and Richard Salmon were the star performers. The aim at the start of the season was to challenge in all competitions and manager Mitch Young said it could be the “biggest in the club’s history”. 5/10

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7. OAKWOOD A
Record: Pl, 18, W. 5, D. 7, L. 6, F. 35, A. 32, Pts. 22
Best league result: 2-1 vs Brady
Biggest league win: 6-1 vs Brixton
Worst result: 8-1 vs Lions
Clean sheet: 1
Games failed to score in: 4
Star men: Brad Wine, Sam Jacobson, Josh Bentley, David Woolman
Best signings: Josh Bentley
Top-scorer: Brad Wine 14
DC Rating: The Oaks were left snookered by numerous long-term injuries to some of their big-hitters, but it was clear they were never going to be relegated, they had just too much quality and worked too hard to get into the top-flight to let it all go to waste. Managers Ric Blank and Alex Schock made some excellent signings, with Brad Wine the pick of the bunch. With a bit of tinkering we might just see the best of them next season. 5/10

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8. NORTH LONDON RAIDERS A
Record: Pl, 18, W. 5, D. 4, L. 9, F. 33, A. 43, Pts. 19
Best league result: 3-1 vs Brady
Biggest league win: 4-2 vs Lions
Worst result: 7-1 vs Faithfold
Clean sheet: 1
Games failed to score in: 2
Star men: Rik Sherman
Best signing: Josh Morris
Top-scorer: David Dinkin 8
DC Rating: Truth be told, I was expecting a lot more from Raiders this season. They lost against the bottom two and, in the end, avoided relegation reasonably comfortably. Wins over Lions and Brady tells you just what they were capable of, but consistency proved a real issue and it will be interesting to see how things go next season now they have taken the plunge to merge with Norstar. 4/10

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9. BRIXTON OLD BOYS A
Record: Pl, 18, W. 5, D. 0, L. 13, F. 33, A. 72, Pts. 15
Best league result: 3-2 vs Lions
Biggest league win: 6-3 vs Norstar
Worst result: 10-3 vs Lions
Clean sheet: 0
Games failed to score in: 4
Best signing: Adam Arnold
Top-scorer: Adam Arnold
DC Rating: It was something of a rollercoaster for Brixton in season 2012/13. They failed to replace Jamie Kent and the loss of a select bunch of their top talents – including Jake Doffman - to Lions was the final straw. Adam Arnold gave them some late hope but they fell short. 3/10

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10. NORSTAR A
Record: Pl, 18, W. 2, D. 3, L. 13, F. 29, A. 60, Pts. 9
Best league result: 3-2 vs Raiders
Biggest league win: 3-0 vs Brixton
Worst result: 7-0 vs Hendon
Clean sheet: 1
Games failed to score in: 2
Star men: Josh Green
Best signings: Rob Blackman
Top-scorer: Josh Green 11
DC Rating: The Oranges had to wait until December 9 for their first victory in a season where they were few and far between. Promoted last season, it was always going to be a big ask to stay up and a lack of quality and depth in the squad ultimately came back to haunt them. Manager Phil Peters hopes that a merger with Raiders will lead to big and better things and he’s confident the future’s bright, the future’s orange. 2/10

The head of the Paris Rabbinical Court has called on Israel to reject a proposed bill to ban the importation and trading of foie gras, claiming that such a move could lead to European countries outlawing shechita in retaliation.

In a letter to Minister of Agriculture Yair Shamir, Rabbi Yirmiyahu Menachem Cohen warned that “the ears of many European nations are very responsive to ‘the greens’ whose main concern is to stop Jewish slaughter. The proposers of this law are definitely providing our enemies with a double-edged sword.”

Mr Shamir and Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch have reacted to pressure from Rabbi Cohen and others by stating they will only support the bill if the prohibition on importing foie gras is dropped. In their suggested amendment, the bill would ban only the trading of the delicacy. In a joint statement, the ministers said that this alteration will avoid “economic damage to Israeli exports and imposed sanctions following the violation of international trade agreements.”

Serge Cwagenbaum, Secretary-General of the European Jewish Congress, backed Rabbi Cohen’s view, admitting that the bill “could be used by our enemies fighting to ban shechita”.

The Secretary-General emphasised the serious nature of any backlash to an Israeli ban from European countries, saying “If it [shechita] was banned, this would be a catastrophe. There is no way Jews could live in a country where they have no religious rights; it’s one of our basic rights.”

In contrast, Yossi Wolfson of animal rights organisation Let the Animals Live has called Rabbi Cohen’s letter “absurd”, claiming: “By that logic we should just repeal the Animal Welfare Law, lest the gentiles use the fact that we favour animal welfare to ban kosher slaughter.”

The bill is currently under discussion in the Knesset.

The head of the Paris Rabbinical Court has called on Israel to reject a proposed bill to ban the importation and trading of foie gras, claiming that such a move could lead to European countries outlawing shechita in retaliation.

In a letter to Minister of Agriculture Yair Shamir, Rabbi Yirmiyahu Menachem Cohen warned that “the ears of many European nations are very responsive to ‘the greens’ whose main concern is to stop Jewish slaughter. The proposers of this law are definitely providing our enemies with a double-edged sword.”

Mr Shamir and Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch have reacted to pressure from Rabbi Cohen and others by stating they will only support the bill if the prohibition on importing foie gras is dropped. In their suggested amendment, the bill would ban only the trading of the delicacy. In a joint statement, the ministers said that this alteration will avoid “economic damage to Israeli exports and imposed sanctions following the violation of international trade agreements.”

Serge Cwagenbaum, Secretary-General of the European Jewish Congress, backed Rabbi Cohen’s view, admitting that the bill “could be used by our enemies fighting to ban shechita”.

The Secretary-General emphasised the serious nature of any backlash to an Israeli ban from European countries, saying “If it [shechita] was banned, this would be a catastrophe. There is no way Jews could live in a country where they have no religious rights; it’s one of our basic rights.”

In contrast, Yossi Wolfson of animal rights organisation Let the Animals Live has called Rabbi Cohen’s letter “absurd”, claiming: “By that logic we should just repeal the Animal Welfare Law, lest the gentiles use the fact that we favour animal welfare to ban kosher slaughter.”

The bill is currently under discussion in the Knesset.

On the assumption that most of you are not devotees of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations, or in full paid-up membership of one of its numerous conventicles, I need to bring you up to speed on developments within the Union and its affiliates that are without precedent. Not only do they offer a very public window into a world that has shunned all publicity hitherto, they constitute a landmark in the slow but hopefully steady progress of the Anglo-Charedi world towards some semblance of an emotional maturity sadly lacking hitherto.

Towards the end of last year a number of leading rabbis based in London put their names to a remarkable statement declaring that an unnamed rabbi was "not fit and proper to act in any rabbinic capacity". This being the Charedi world, addicted to nothing so much as gossip and innuendo, the name of the rabbi soon emerged, but what also emerged were very serious allegations against him of an explicitly sexual nature, relating to the way in which he had allegedly counselled women who came to him for guidance over their marital problems.

At first the UOHC seemed reluctant to act. This being the Charedi world an attempt was made to hush matters up by establishing a special Beis Din to hear the allegations, doubtless in the hope that this would head off any involvement by the police. But, this being the Charedi world, the attempt was clumsily executed and failed miserably. As the Union rabbinate must have known, this was always a police matter, and the police should have been involved as a first resort, not a last. Once they did become involved a number of arrests were made. These were accompanied by a very sensible public statement from the desk of the most senior police officer in the borough of Barnet (where the arrested men were being held), chief superintendent Adrian Usher, who reassured the Jewish community that those so detained were being treated "with fairness, dignity and respect".

On such matters the law will take its course. All those already charged or who might be will come before the courts, where their innocence or guilt will be established. Meanwhile the Union has taken some very welcome steps to put its own house in order. At the end of May, through its recently established "Committee for the preservation of purity in the camp" (my translation) it inserted an astounding notice in the Charedi press, drawing attention to the fact that "the behaviour of rabbonim in some counselling and marriage guidance workshops in our area is inappropriate and disrespectful towards their female patients and falls below expected standards of modesty". Some days later another UOHC announcement (behind which there must be lurk a collection of unsavoury stories as yet untold) condemned "the behaviour of staff in some tailoring and dressmaking workshops in our area" as "inappropriate and disrespectful towards their female customers and [which] falls below expected standards of modesty."

It's too easy to snort and snigger at such pronouncements. I imagine that those in charge must have thought long and hard about making them. What they tell us, on the record, is that the UOHC acknowledges wrongdoing of a sexual nature by some of its rabbis - and clearly, by its own admission, by the use of the plural "rabbonim," more than one rabbi was involved. They also suggest that such inappropriate behaviour extends beyond the very private arena of marital counselling into the somewhat less private milieux of dressmaking.

I have before used this column to draw attention to incidences of sexual impropriety in Charedi circles. But these recent public admissions are in no sense an occasion for smugness. The Union has at last commenced the journey that it knows it must undertake, as the Catholic Church has painfully done (or rather, been forced to do). But in permitting the rabbi at the centre of last year's allegations to officiate at a recent wedding in London the UOHC has also demonstrated that its grasp of the need to act appropriately and with integrity is still far from perfect.

And in agreeing to officiate in this way the rabbi concerned has merely given his detractors further ammunition to use against him.

Barbra Streisand has spoken out against the treatment of Israeli women by strictly Orthodox Jews.

The singer, who was receiving an honorary doctorate at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, used her speech to voice concerns over what she regarded as recent incidents of sexism in the country.

"It's distressing to read about women in Israel being forced to sit in the back of the bus, or when we hear about ‘Women of the Wall’ having metal chairs hurled at them when they attempt to peacefully and legally pray, or women being banned from singing in public ceremonies.”

Mrs Streisand warned that, though “it’s not easy to fully grasp the dynamics of what happens in a foreign land”, and “solutions don’t come easy”, this wasn’t an excuse for inaction.

“To remain silent about these things is tantamount to accepting them. Human dignity means giving all people a voice.”

Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni drafted legislation in May to make official sexism illegal, declaring that: “Discrimination against women in public places, in public services, cannot be allowed.”

Mrs Streisand praised the Hebrew University for their work in making education available to both men and women.

“For the first time in the history of the HU, more women than men are graduating with a doctorate. That’s amazing. You understand the yearning for equal access to education. I wish the world was more like the hallways of Hebrew University.”

Making her first visit to Israel in 29 years, the Yentl actress is scheduled to sing at President Shimon Peres’ 90th birthday celebration and perform two concerts in Tel Aviv.

London Maccabi Vale 1st made it two out of two in the Chess Valley League following a comfortable 80-run win over Finchley.

Scoring runs proved tricky on a green wicket, but openers Danny Caro and Jordan Urban laid solid foundations against a Finchley team who took to the field with only eight players in a match played on a poor surface in Woodside Park.

The wickets of Urban and Benjamin Lederman brought Adam Brand to the wicket and he added a quickfire 17 before departing caught and bowled to Ali.

Captain Neil Lederman was undone by the wicket and the evergreen Jon Galloway played on. Joseph Greenwall-Cohen joined Caro at the crease and the pair added valuable runs to take the team well past the 100-mark.

Caro's patient knock ended on 55 when he was stumped as LMV set Finchley 188 for victory.

A fiery spell with the new ball from Ben Lederman put Finchley on the back foot, with Adam Brand, Gideon Gale and Joseph Greenwall-Cohen among the wickets as LMV ran out worthy winners.

MAL played out an entertaining drawn game with their landlords, Old Camdenians, on Sunday.

Skipper Yoav Lebens won the toss and chose to field, and the Old Cams batters were soon under pressure at 7-3, with good catching in the slip cordon from Mark Landau and Jack Winton, followed up by Lebens hitting the stumps, giving the skipper the first three wickets.

Lebens and Chris Tomasewski kept the pressure on throughout their opening spells, with Michael Klinger and Neil Myeroff continuing the good work. Klinger claimed the fourth wicket as the batsman shouldered arms to one that nipped back and broke a bail.

Harry Gravett rebuilt sensibly with Fisher until Gravett was bowled by Ami Wymbourne for 49, anf Fisher fell in similar fashion for 13.

Junior Maccabiah player Winton picked up a wicket with his first ball for the club, bowling Jaffer for 6. Billy Gravett and Roger Gravett batted very sensibly and accelerated, with young Billy going through to 52*. Roger Gravett declared the innings closed on 194-7 from 47 overs.

Landau and Winton began the reply brightly, taking the score to 35 before Winton was caught and bowled for 7.

Simon Levy was LBW first ball, but Yoav Lebens and Landau steadied the ship and took the score to 63 before Lebens nicked Billy Gravett behind for 7.

Chris Tomasewski was aggressive from the outset as the 4th wicket pair added 74, both striking the ball well, and Landau going through to another half century. Tomasewski was bowled by Billy Gravett for 39, and Wymbourne bowled by Roger Gravett for 1.

Landau was eventually LBW to Billy Gravett for 66 (10x4, 1x6), and with wickets having tumbled it was down to the last pair to secure the draw. Neil Myeroff and Alan Levinson batted out more than six overs for the draw.

It was a tense finish to a game played in a great spirit.

Montreal’s first-ever Jewish mayor has been arrested on 14 counts of corruption.

Michael Applebaum was taken away yesterday by UPAC, the police’s anti-corruption unit, to be charged with “conspiracy, fraud, breach of trust and corruption”, according to UPAC head Robert Lafreniere.

The charges relate to two real estate projects in Montreal’s Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough between 2006 and 2011, while Applebaum was mayor of the borough.

Applebaum was elected in November 2012 by city councillors to become Montreal’s 42nd Mayor after the previous incumbent, Gérald Tremblay, resigned in the light of corruption allegations.

Speaking just after he was voted into office, Applebaum insisted that targeting corruption was one of his top priorities: “We have to bring back pride and trust in elected officials to the city of Montreal. You have to be able to catch that collusion and corruption.”

László Csizsik-Csatáry, the alleged Nazi war criminal, has been charged today with participating in the murder of 15,700 Jews during the Holocaust.

Hungarian prosecutors have said the 98-year-old was the police commander in charge of the Kosice detention camp, where he assaulted Jews with a dog whip before sending all those interned to Auschwitz.

The prosecutor’s statement said: “With his actions, Laszlo Csatary ... deliberately provided help to the unlawful executions and torture committed against Jews deported to concentration camps ... from Kosice.”

Mr Csizsik-Csatáry, who topped the Simon Wiesenthal Centre’s list of wanted Nazi criminals before his arrest in Budapest last July, denies the allegations, stating that he simply intermediated between German and Hungarian officials.

The trial is expected to begin within three months.

British pop icon Sting is set to perform as the guest of honour at the annual Auschwitz peace festival this month.

The Life Festival, which is supported by human rights organisation Amnesty International, will also showcase educational exhibitions on human rights issues.

Sting, real name Gordon Sumner, has previously performed in Tel Aviv and also collaborated on songs for Palestine.

Darek Maciborek, who initiated the festival that is now in its third year, said: "The main concept of the festival is to build peaceful relations beyond cultural and state borders where there is no place for antisemitism, racism, and other forms of xenophobia.

"The message of a peace and tolerance comes from the town where, during the Second World War, there was the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp – Auschwitz-Birkenau."

Shechita UK has strenuously denied claims from the head of the Paris Rabbinical Court that Israel’s proposed ban on foie gras could lead to European countries outlawing shechita in retaliation.

The British-based group, founded in 2003 to promote awareness and tolerance of shechita, expressed their support for the bill while dismissing Rabbi Yirmiyahu Menachem Cohen’s assertion that it would “[provide] our enemies with a double-edged sword.”

A spokesman said: “Shechita UK’s position on foie gras … is very clear. We do not believe that a ban would have any impact whatsoever on the campaign to protect shechita. If anything the reverse is true.”

The group suggested that by prohibiting the trade and importation of foie gras, Israel would be sending out a message that Jews, and particularly those who practise shechita, value animals’ rights.

“The treatment of geese in the production of foie gras is of grave concern to Jews. It is a fundamental principle of k ashrut that animals must be unharmed and undamaged prior to slaughter and the production of foie gras is of course no exception to this.”

In an interview with the JC ahead of his Presidential Conference and 90th birthday celebrations, Shimon Peres said that science and technology are the key the future “identity and existence” of the Jewish state.

While the Israeli President acknowledged that “we have yet to fulfill the dream of peace with all our neighbours”, he emphasised that education and the development of Israel’s human capital was the top priority of the country in the years to come.

Despite the victory of the relatively moderate Hassan Rouhani in the Iranian election last Friday, Mr Peres said that “all options remain on the table” when it comes to neautralising the threat of the regime.

Mr Peres added that “the immediate victims of Iranian tyranny are the Iranian people. It is their human rights and basic freedoms that are forsaken by the regime which chooses enriched uranium over food for its people.”

The president, who has been meeting strictly Orthodox leaders in recent weeks to hear their concerns over an impending law on a universal draft which includes punishments for those who refuse to sign up, refused to take sides on the issue, recognising the value of the arguments on both sides.

He said: “Democracy is not just free expression but self-expression. It is more than the right to be equal but the equal right to be different. Within that framework however, we must also ensure the national burden is shared in an equitable manner. We are in the midst of a process to find a compromise … That process should be concluded through dialogue and discussion.”

Raymond Aston has been appointed captain of the Israeli Open cricket team at next month’s Maccabiah Games.

The host nation has selected a 15-man squad for the competition which gets under way on July 18.

Aston, who plays for Young Ashdod, will work closely with vice-captain Eshkol Solomon in a squad featuring four players from Raanana, including former skipper Herschel Gutman.

SQUAD:
Raymond Aston (Capt, Young Ashdod)
Eshkol Solomom (Vice-captain, Super Lions Lod)
Danny Maliankar (Young Ashdod)
Shailesh Bangerra (Super Lions Lod)
Shalom Rubin (Super Lions Lod)
Herschel Gutman (Raanana)
Josh Evans (Raanana)
Gabi Schachat (Raanana)
Matt Hoffman (Raanana)
Yaniv Razpurker (Neve Yonatan)
Itamar Kehimkar (Neve Yonatan)
Matan Razpurkar (Neve Yonatan)
Nir Dokarker (Dimona A)
Safania Nagavkar (Dimona C)
Shifron Waskar (Beersheva Lions)

The staff and pupils at Yavneh College were in shock today after the sudden death of founding headteacher, Dena Coleman.

Dr Coleman, 60, died on Tuesday after contracting bacterial meningitis.

The highly respected educator was headteacher at the school in Borehamwood since it opened six years ago and was expected to retire at the end of the academic year. The “much loved” Dr Coleman had dedicated more than 30 years to the field of education.

Chair of Governors Sue Nyman said: “Dena was dearly loved and will be terribly missed by all students, parents, staff, governors and trustees. Our thoughts and prayers at this sad time go out to her family.”

The school released the statement: "Our community was devastated to hear today that our much loved and respected headteacher has passed away."

"Her outstanding leadership made Yavneh into one of the most successful schools in the country."

In an interview with the JC in September 2012 Dr Coleman said: “It has been a great privilege to set up Yavneh College and to see it grow into a successful, well-established school. I am very proud of what has been achieved and look forward to watching the school flourish still further over the coming years.”

Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks made a statement: "Dena Coleman was one of the truly great Jewish educators of our time. Wherever she went, she brought blessing, whatever she did, she brought success. That in no small measure was due to her outstanding character and personality, strong but gentle, driven yet compassionate, modest for herself, fiercely ambitious for her pupils. Quiet and sometimes reserved, she believed that actions spoke louder than words. Nowhere was this more evident than as the first headteacher of Yavneh College where she oversaw the building of the school and set new standards of excellence in Jewish and secular education in Anglo Jewry. Elaine and I will miss her deeply, and our hearts and prayers go out to her family."

Students and parents have shared their condolences on a Facebook tribute page. Student Alexander Grabiner wrote: "You were an amazing woman, the most inspirational and caring woman i have ever met. Without you I wouldn't of been able to move to Yavneh and meet all the amazing people and make all new friends. Without you Yavneh wouldn't be here and i want to thank you for all your hard work and determination. Why do bad things happen to incredible people. You will be truly missed and i wish the whole family a long healthy life."

School parent Shoshana Manning wrote: "You inspired my children to have enough determination to make every day better than yesterday. It was a lesson well learned and will change our futures. Wishing your dear family a long life."

Partnership for Jewish Schools made the statement: "Partnerships for Jewish Schools and the Jewish Leadership Council were devastated to hear the tragic news about Dr Dena Coleman z'l. Dena was an inspirational headteacher and a role model for teachers and pupils alike. She was a hugely respected colleague whose passion for Jewish education was matched by wisdom, warmth and a willingness always to offer helpful advice and support. Yavneh College will always stand as her most impressive legacy but she will be remembered with deep gratitude also by countless pupils from all the schools she led, by headteachers whom she mentored and by all those who benefited from her professional advice and personal friendship. We extend our deepest condolences to all her family on this tragic loss. May her memory always be an inspiration and a blessing."

If you would like to share your memories or tributes of Dr Coleman please email us at zoe@thejc.com

American First Lady Michelle Obama visited the Holocaust memorial site in Berlin today.

Mrs Obama took her daughters, Malia and Sasha, 14 and 11, to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe as part of the family’s two-day visit to Germany.

The girls were seen keeping their heads respectfully low and touching some of the 2,711 concrete the memorial slabs. They were joined by the President Obama's half-sister Auma Obama.

The President is on his first visit to Berlin as leader of the United States.