“Are you ready for Christmas?” This is the standard question you get at this time of year in Ireland. My answer, over the 35 years I’ve lived here, has varied from “Oh yes, nearly” to “I don’t do Christmas, I’m Jewish” to “Ah sure, you know yourself…” whilst trailing off in the hope they don't…

As I write this, fireworks explode in nearby gardens while my cat hides behind the sofa. Some 3,000 miles away, there are larger explosions, far more terrifying. There seems no end to the escalation of violence, while antisemitic attacks have increased everywhere. In London, graffiti is daubed…