‘Succot saved’ after government releases 600 etrogs
Environment secretary Theresa Villiers thanked the Board and top importer Stephen Colman for 'coming to this pragmatic arrangement'
A leading etrog importer has thanked community leaders for helping “save Succot” after health authorities seized a hefty batch of the festive fruit.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) confiscated 600 etrogs this week after they fell foul of heightened import requirements of citrus fruits with stalks.
The Board of Deputies immediately swung into action, coordinating with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and leading etrog-importer Stephen Colman, to ensure the batch were made available to Jews in Manchester – but only after their stalks were trimmed to meet new rules.
Secretary of State Theresa Villiers thanked all the parties involved “for coming to this pragmatic arrangement which will ensure that the UK Jewish community can fully celebrate Succot while ensuring that our precious plant health is protected.
We plan to stay in touch with the Board of Deputies and importers as the season progresses to ensure this runs and smoothly as possible and work together to prevent similar issues in future years.”
Marie van der Zyl, President of the Board of Deputies, said the “timely intervention potentially saved Sukkot”. She also praised her staff, Colman and the government.
Stephen Colman, said: “You can imagine my shock and concern when I was told my first consignment of etrogs had been held at Manchester Airport with a view to their destruction or deportation. Or my fear when I realised that this could have implications for all 10,000 etrogs due for import to the UK this year. This would have had a serious impact on the ability of Jews to observe Succot.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
