Many years ago, sometime in the last century (how worldly I feel writing that!) I was at the launch party for the dear dead Modern Review mark II and feeling mildly appalled by the whole flimsy thing when a young man introduced himself to me as Nick Cohen and told me he’d be writing for us.
‘O, a Cohen!’ I exclaimed happily, all innocence. ‘Just what this magazine needs – a clever Jew!’
Did I ever get a mouthful!
‘I’m not a Jew – my family rejected Judaism decades ago…never been so insulted…’
‘But your name is the name of Moses’ brother – Aaron!’ I pointed out. ‘How can you not be a Jew? That’s like being called Taffy Jones-Thomas and not being Welsh!’
Fast forward twenty years and imagine my delight when this very spring that same clever Mr Cohen put his name to a brilliant newspaper essay entitled Why I’m becoming a Jew and why you should, too. Of
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