News from Michael and Claire – December 2024
This was the year of the wedding! Jacob Hilton and Holly Mandel were married in August in a little amphitheatre at the redwood grove at the University of California Botanical Garden, Berkeley. Around 60 people were present – Holly’s family from New York and surrounds, us with Samuel, Benjamin and Bella (his girlfriend) from London, and Claire’s brothers Robin from Manchester and Fabian from Taiwan.
The day began with a frisbee match in a local and quite rural park. This was followed by a huge catered picnic. Later in the afternoon we gathered for the wedding, at which Michael officiated, accompanied by a klezmer band. After a reception across the road at the Botanical Gardens centre, we had a great dinner (mainly vegan), speeches and dancing. Jacob joined the band on his accordion. The following morning, Jacob and Holly put on a brunch for everyone in the common room at their block of flats. There were lots of games: a giant jigsaw and maths puzzles in the evening and Jenga and table football the following morning.
While Jacob and Holly were on honeymoon in Paris and the Alps, they kindly allowed us to borrow their flat, and we were able to explore San Francisco and surrounds, enjoying the cool oasis of the Bay Area amidst the hot California summer. We also spent a couple of days in nearby Martinez, where we found some very enthusiastic volunteers who run the local museum and archives.
This has also been a year of writing, with over 100 thousand words completed towards a single volume survey about the impact of Islam on Judaism over the centuries. Michael has discovered that in many ways the ‘Judeo-Muslim tradition’ is even bigger than the far better known ‘Judeo-Christian tradition’, as Jewish philosophy, legal codes, theology, poetry, mysticism and even Hebrew grammar were all shaped by Jews in Muslim lands, responding to Arabic culture and learning. Hopefully by the time of next year’s newsletter he will have found a publisher.
Claire’s new book is with the publishers. ‘Petty tyranny and soulless discipline’? Patients, policy and practice in public mental hospitals in England, 1918–1930 will be published by UCL Press in 2025, with completely open access meaning you will be able to download it free of charge. She too is continuing her Arabic studies, and also continues her work as a historian. She is now Honorary Archivist at the Royal College of Psychiatrists. She continues to be consulted by the media and others looking for information on psychiatric history, and is currently putting together evidence for a public enquiry who are seeking some historical and policy background to the events they are looking at.
Samuel is winding up his work at Charity Entrepreneurship, and is exploring new opportunities. Jacob continues his work on the safety of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Benjamin is now in that field too, in a new Civil Service post working for the Director of the UK’s new AI Safety Institute.
The world continues to be a very troubled place and the news from the Middle East is constantly disturbing. We are both shocked and alarmed by reports of starvation in Gaza, and attend discussion meetings about this both in person and online. As Chanukah and Christmas coincide this year, which is quite unusual, we become more aware than ever that the message of peace on earth and goodwill to all covers both festivals and hope that the lights we kindle at the darkest time of year will herald a more peaceful year ahead.
Warmest greetings for 2025.