... well, maybe.
This and other revelations to be found in an interview with somethingjewish.co.uk
There’s no evidence of where my maternal grandmother came from, she was called Zona. And I remember a couple of times when I was a kid, she would say to me, “Don’t let anyone ever tell you you’re Jewish.”
Which made me think we must be, otherwise why would she raise this? And I remember chatting to Greville Janner about this, saying it sounds like a middle European name. So I might be Jewish. Not that I want anyone to feel mortified about this at the Board of Deputies. I mean, because it runs through the maternal line if it turned out to be true I could go and stand for the Knesset, couldn’t I? In Israel I could be elected, no problem.
The interview also covers KL's views on Israel, Zionism, and the Evening Standard. Definitely worth a read whether you're a Ken fan or not.
The bigger revelation is that Oct 31st saw the 350th anniversary of jews being allowed back into England after a 350 year expulsion.
Think that the Nazis came up with the idea of making jews wear a special symbol to identify them as jews? Nope, another English invention.
In March 1218 the Royal Council, under pressure from Papal legate ordered that all adult Jews wear the cloth "badge of shame". It was a yellow felt or taffeta shape representing the two tablets of the Law, 2 fingers wide by 4 long.
Can't vouch for the provenance of all the websites cited, but interesting stuff all the same. (At least to me, as I didn't know all this before.)
First spotted the Livingstone interview on harry's Place btw.
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