Of course, it goes without saying that I am proud of being Jewish. I'm a Rabbi after all. I even spend a lot of my time telling young Jews exactly that, "you're Jewish, be proud of it".

I was asked recently to broadcast on BBC Radio 4. This national station runs a slot called "Prayer for the day". I wrote and tidied my script and then sent it off to my producer, "Chris" for his approval. He phoned me up and suggested a few grammatical corrections. At the end of the talk you are supposed to make up a prayer which launches the listeners into their day. In Judaism we don't make up prayers, so I had written a meditation...a "thought" instead. My producer had noticed this and asked me why I hadn't created a prayer to end my broadcast. I explained that in Judaism, prayers were like Single Malt Whisky ( Scottish of course ) the older the better. This produced a laugh and a suggestion, "Why not say the Shema?" You could have knocked me down with a puff. "What, in Hebrew?" I queried. "Yes of course" Chris said. "And English too" I asked. "If you like" replied the producer. He had no problem with me broadcasting in Hebrew to six million people, I had ! Oh yes it goes without saying that I'm proud of being Jewish...usually.

There are various versions of a story which might strike a cord with many.

An eighteen year old student got onto a subway train in New York. The young man sported a beard, wore a long black coat and had a large broad brimmed hat. He sat opposite a well dressed business man who looked at him scornfully. For the first ten minutes, the business man kept eyeing the student as though he wanted to tell him something. Then he could no longer contain himself.

With passion in his rising voice, the business man began. "You know I'm sick and tired of Jews who think that they are still in the Middle Ages! You are a disgrace! I'm Jewish too, I even speak Yiddish. Do I wear a long coat? Must I let my beard grow or wear an over size hat? No! Why do you wear those clothes? It's time people like you realised that this is nearly the twenty first century and joined the rest of us her in America."

The startled student looked at his accuser in confusion. In a perfect New England accent he began to speak.

"Jewish?" he inquired, "I'm sorry sir but I'm Amish. I apologise if my mode of dress had caused you offence but we keep the traditions which were passed down to us from our families in Europe. This is part of our heritage and culture. I'm sorry if I have offended you.

The business man was appalled. " Please, please forgive me. I didn't realise. I was insensitive and offensive. I actually think that it's wonderful that you maintain your traditions and culture with real pride and enthusiasm. I hope you will forgive me"

The student looked at the business man and a wide grin spread across his face.

In perfect Yiddish he asked the reeling business man one simple question......

"For a Gentile to maintain his traditions is wonderful but for a Jew it is a disgrace?"

I recall going into Liverpool University four years ago in the first week of term. The main hall had been converted into the bazaar that is "Freshers Stalls". Every possible society and organisation from the Communist Society to the Sub-Aqua Society was there. Each group tries to get new students to join them. It was Succos and so I took along the Lulav (palm branch) and the three other items upon which we make a blessing and shake them to perform a Mitzva (commandment). I found the Jewish Society stall. Three student whom I knew sat waiting for customers. They saw me coming through the throngs of people and were happy to see me. Then they noticed my palm branch etc. and looked puzzled. We talked about how their holidays had been. Then I asked them if they would like to take hold of the four items and give them a shake. I would help them with the blessing. I could have just as well invited them to have all their teeth removed without anaesthetic. I tried again but they were truly feeling embarrassed. There were after all hundreds of non-Jews around. The English alphabet had been the template which has been used to map out where each society stall should go. Next to the Jewish stall therefore, was the stall of the society which began with the letter "I" ....the Islamic stall. There was only one Pakistani student manning the stall but he looked over to us and decided to intervene. "Why don't you take it?" he asked the Jewish students "It's you religion don't be embarrassed. It's your right. Take the.. thing and give it a shake!" The Jewish students did just that.

I was recently at a wedding here in Manchester. The bride was from a traditional Jewish home and had become more religious. Among the guests were three gentlemen in full Scottish Highland dress, Kilts etc. I later found out that they came from the Isle of Arran off the west coast of Scotland. They were a father and two sons and the father turned out to be the editor of the "Arran Banner" the island's newspaper. He returned home and wrote of his experiences at the wedding....

"I danced with a man on Sunday. In fact many men. Most were wearing wide brimmed black hats with bright ties. There were women present who also danced but they were behind a screen. It was forbidden for men to see women dancing. It was Hassidic dancing for this was a religious Jewish wedding. And so unusual was it for me, a Scots Gentile, that I feel that some of our readers might find it interesting too. It was unusual even for many Jews. One man, a Jew, said to me in astonishment as he watched the young bearded Orthodox Jews doing acrobatics to impress the groom, "You know, you see these young men on the train reading their prayer books and looking so solemn, you'd never believe they could have so much fun."

The writer went on to describe the wedding ceremony and it's significance and then he returned to the theme of the dancing.

"One of the Rabbis stepped up to my son and asked him for his kilt jacket and the proceeded to do a Highland Fling. My son then joined in, having never done it before . But having watched his sister practising for years it was not too difficult for him to do something that would pass muster. The women were of course dancing behind the screen but word of this crept round the edges; and soon all the women had come round to watch these two men dancing. One a Jewish Rabbi with the ends of his prayer shawl dangling form his pockets, the other, a scull-capped and kilted Scots boy from Arran."

The editor concluded his report with the following observations.

"There was some thoughtful speeches and an amazing friendliness from everyone. The bride and groom will now begin a series of visits to friends rather than, as we know it, a honeymoon alone.

Their religion will dictate much of what they now do. In these days of short lived marriages I would say that they start out with one of the soundest bases they could possibly have."

Seven years ago I attended a fund raising dinner for Manchester's Hillel house. The two speakers were myself and Viscount Tonypandy.

The Viscount's name is George Thomas and he is an ex-speaker of the House of Commons. He told the story of the first time he met a Jew. In the Welsh village in which he grew up, there lived a Mr Issacs. This Jew approached the then eight year old George Thomas and asked him to be his "Shabbos Goy", a non-Jew who would come into the house on the Sabbath and prepare and light the coal fire. Little George eagerly agreed and Mr Issacs gave him a six pence piece which was to be his weekly reward. The little boy went home grasping his fortune in his hand. When he entered the kitchen to tell his strictly religious mother his tale, she immediately spotted the coin. "Where did you get that boy?" she asked frowning, "The Jew Mr Issacs gave it to me Mam! He says I've to light his fire on Friday nights and on Saturday and every week I've to get a sixpence" His mother looked at him sternly, "Take it back boy!" The horrified George reeled "But why Mam?" His mother simply replied "Take it back Boy" George Thomas said tears flooded his eyes and his little jaw began to quiver. "But he said I could have it Mam!" His mother looked at him, "Take it back boy....you don't take money from a man, to help him serve his G-d!"

Little Gorge Thomas took the sixpence back to Mr Issacs the Jew and explained what had happened. Mr Issacs was having none of it and promptly marched the eight year old back to his mother. A great argument broke out between this religious Welsh women and this religious Jew. A compromise was reached. George could keep his sixpennce that first time but from then on would light the Jew, Mr Issacs fire for nothing.

Then Viscount Tonypandy continued.....

"And you Jews; you've forgotten who you are! When we in this country were sitting in caves and wearing animal skins, you had already built your golden Temple in Jerusalem. You had already written the book which would be the moral inspiration of the world. Never be ashamed of being Jews. You've forgotten who you are".

It was one of the most beautiful evenings I can remember, sitting beside George Thomas, Viscount Tonypandy. And occasionally we need a non-Jewish friend to remind of us about being proud to be Jews. Whether it's a BBC producer or a Scottish editor or a Peer of the Realm they all nudge us towards the same conviction. Pride in being Jewish!