ON THE OTHER HAND by Chaim Bermant
Chaim Bermant came to regard 'On the Other Hand', his weekly column in the Jewish Chronicle, as his pulpit. From it he gave sermons about things ecclesiastical, God, the godly and the ungodly, about ceremonies, feasts and fasts, usage and tradition. He wrote with insight and wit on such diverse topics as barmitzvahs for dogs, beards, same sex marriages and West Bank politics. His column enraged, delighted and provoked its readers for more than twenty years. Here his widow Judy selects the best of his writings, and with this anthology presents a view of the Jewish world which is forthright, at times irreverent, but always thought provoking.As he himself said "Even when one is limited to the here and now, not a little of what is happening among Jews is of more than Jewish interest".