Joseph Witriol's writings

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Part 222: Sunday 30th July 1967, 21.40

Holidays commenced, will be even more fragmented this year. Winter [head teacher at Kinloss Gardens (Finchley Synagogue) Hebrew classes] asked me if I could help out “supervising” at a Jewish summer school in Bournemouth. As it means all expenses paid for whole family, I have, eventually, agreed. It means that once more we have no bona fide holiday, but the kids will enjoy themselves no end, and…

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Part 221: Friday 14th July 1967, approx 7.30 p.m.

Gave my drooshe today on Parshes Bollok (sic – but I pronounced it Bay-lack and Bullock (first syllable as in “but”)). Tony Brown said he’d never had any trouble with Parshes Bollock. The double entendre was new to Meyer; I notice he pronounced it Boòleck yesterday morning. Strange, I spent literally months thinking what form I should give the drooshe, trying to draw topical analogies. In the…

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How AI let me down – and restored my faith in the human race by Max Witriol

NB italicised comments in square brackets added by editor I have been embracing AI ever more addictively in recent months. The tipping point was when my laptop crashed and I was forced, after 12 years of everyday Mac usage, to learn all the annoying differences and quirks of Windows on an old PC my sister kindly gave me. Having guided me through that traumatic phase, I never looked back and…

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Part 220: Friday 16th June 1967, 3 p.m.

The trivial round resumed. Feeling of having missed boat. The Israelis have had their Stirb und Werde, and have a passionate Israeli patriotism. I have no corresponding English patriotism, and whereas in 1944/5, when I met Palestinian Jews (as they then were), one had the feeling of superior Anglo-Saxon, even British, status, obviously now one would keep rather quiet about one’s Anglo-Saxon-ness…

Part 220: Friday 16th June 1967, 3 p.m.

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My brother's wry granular take on the last supper

Eat your Chametz out by Max Witriol

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Part 219: Sunday 11th June 1967, 9.15 pm.

Incredible, fantastic, miraculous. Gallant little Israel has K.O.’d the bloodthirsty Arab wolves. Jerusalem in Jewish hands! Israelis on the Eastern banks of Suez. Egypt, Syria, Joedah have all accepted cease-fire. Apparently Israeli planes destroyed Arab planes on their bases in a “pre-emptive strike”. Jewish blood has been shed, but when one thinks that a week ago another holocaust, another…

Part 219: Sunday 11th June 1967, 9.15 pm.

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Part 218: 5th June 1967, 8 pm.

War broke out this morning. What may happen does not bear thinking on. An Arab Sheikh said on T.V. the Arabs’ aim was to exterminate Israel. Harrison, a goy [non-Jew] on the staff, said you can’t exterminate three million people. Hitler exterminated six million. U.S.A. and Britan now neutral, proclaim their intention of trying to ensure peace through U.N. 9pm Have just watched “Panorama”…

Part 218: 5th June 1967, 8 pm.

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Part 217: 25th May 1967, 8.40pm.

Israel crisis, perhaps most serious yet. U Thant complied with indecent haste to evacuate U.N. troops. Israeli reserves called up. Nasser blockading Straits of Tiran. U.S &Britain will maintain, by force if necessary, Straits as international waterway. Can only hope Big Powers will indeed take over and that their mere passive confrontation will suffice and that there will be no bloodshed in…

Part 217: 25th May 1967, 8.40pm.

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Part 216: 18th May 1967, 2045.

Heavy cold, but want to make an effort to capture the moment. Susannah, scrubbed in bed, bawling (but a quiet bawl, for her): I wan-na drink! Forced me to “pay” with her. “Daddy, you know what? You pay with me.” Pay — dancing, going under tunnel (my straddled legs), “horsy” — on my back on bed. Difficulties at school, but if I face up to ( — to you H.L. [“Hypocrite lecteur” from Baudelaire’s…

Part 216: 18th May 1967, 2045.

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Part 215: 7th May 1967, 9.45 p.m.

Started school, which now finishes 4pm Fridays. I have only one free period, now, on Friday, which makes this the hardest day. We booked in at the “Kadimah” hotel, Stamford Hill, Friday night, en famille, and booked out Saturday night, so we could attend Daniel Sugarman’s bar-mitzvah at the New Synagogue. The operation cost £16 in car-hire and hotel accommodation, meals and tips. An extravagance…

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Part 214: 3rd May 1967, 9.25 p.m.

Last day of holidays – it has not been my day. Started my diet. Stripped weight 14st.4½ lb! To think I was once 13st.6lb. To proceed to a curriculum unius diei vitae suae (unius vitae suae diei?) — had to pay £1-6-8 for desk pen repair. Rang up to find out if a seat were available for King Solomon and the Cobbler (Cameri Theatre at Aldwych) – cheapest 37s 6d….Went to theatre to-night on…

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Part 213: 26th April 1967, 10.55 p.m.

To shool this morning and yesterday morning, first two days of Pesach, Cannot summon up much enthusiasm for our celebration of a liberation that took place over three thousand years ago, only to be followed by renewed servitude and periodical slaughter. Can only feel religious in the sense of Svetlana Stalin, whose press conference was televised from USA tonight. She seems a woman of great charm…

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Part 212: 21st April 1967, 4 p.m.

55 to-day. Depression. Neareing the end of the journey. What will I be liked if I’m spared to 65, 75 – 85? If only one could look back on a life well spent. Say I will go on a diet after Pesach, but I suppose I will continue to over-eat, under-exercise, fill every minute with ten seconds’ worth of distance run. Bad example for children. E. toils, goes to bed later than me, but is up to see the…

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Part 211: Monday, 17th April 1967, 9.30 p.m.

Term ended on Friday with no mishaps. The reports which I twice thought would be lost, turned up, and Stanton signed without comment. Two open evenings. Rather moving, the concern shown by parents in their kids. Some parents’ remarks rather revealing – Mr X never seems to give them homework, Mr Y is regularly drunk (one had heard something to this effect about Mr Y from the kids, but had not…

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Text of dad's speech at my Barmitzvah in 1972 ( handwritten PDF file)

This is a typically learned discourse, along with heartfelt reflections on family members, particularly my maternal grandmother, Esther Katz, who I can just about remember. Dad’s Barmitzvah speechDownload Me with dad, mum and Uncle Alf

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Family archive material – SB report Yetta Witriol When my dad’s mum applied for naturalisation in 1931, a Special Branch report was prepared. Interesting, albeit relatively mundane, and mercifully free of skeletons in cupboards or elsewhere. This was not due for release to 2031, but I made an FoI request to the National Archives and it was quickly processed for release which I was quite…

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Part 210: Monday 3rd April 1967 410.30 pm

My drooshe went down well. Perhaps I will copy it out here if I get a chance. On the morning I deviated slightly from script. Stanton [headmaster] said “Excellent”, and there were plenty of Yishor Koach’s [“congratulations!”]. Again, Meno Male. Sam B. [teacher and cousin] was conspicuous by his non-reference to my drooshe, but he told me that he disapproved of lay staff preaching, in principle,…