© Stephen Oryszczuk / ScreenshotStephen Oryszczuk is the Jewish News' Foreign Editor
Britain's three most prominent Jewish weekly newspapers -
Jewish News, the
Jewish Chronicle and the
Jewish Telegraph - published a
joint front page describing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as an "existential threat" to British Jews on 25 July. Stephen Oryszczuk is
foreign editor of
Jewish News. Here, he speaks exclusively to
The Canary in a personal capacity about why he feels the attack was wrong. But beyond that, he suggests how we can come together to fight the scourge of antisemitism, and how to do so without hindering free speech and justified criticism of Israel.
PART I - Who is Stephen Oryszczuk?Q:
Could you introduce yourself?A: I'm foreign editor at
Jewish News (JN), the UK's largest Jewish newspaper, one of the three papers that just published a shared front page attacking the Labour Party over antisemitism. That random assortment of consonants after my first name is Ukrainian origin. I've been in this role for six years, and speak here in a personal capacity. Before the
JN I was an editor at a Jewish news TV channel based abroad.
Q:
But you're not Jewish, I understand?A: Nope, although there may be some J-genes back there on my dad's side, probably the ones that manifest as love of food.
Q:
How did you come to work for a Jewish newspaper?A: By complete accident! I've been covering the Jewish world for a long time now, particularly Israel. The boss of the TV channel actually preferred his journalists to be non-Jews. He said we could be more objective. I'm not sure that's true, but that was his take on it. I've always been taught to look at things objectively, to keep my head when all about are losing theirs. It's so important given the passions on the subjects I cover. Unfortunately, last week passion became apoplexy.
Comment: What sad news. We wish Syria's gracious First Lady all the best and a speedy return to health.