Tattoos & tefillin // A family portrait

It might be chilly outside, but we've got plenty to keep you busy indoors with our Winter issue. We take an in-depth dive into the Jewish history of the City of London, exploring the new heritage centre that's set to open at Bevis Marks Synagogue; discover the relationship between the City's medieval community and the Tower of London (shock horror, it wasn't always bad); and meet the Jews who live and work in the area today. Plus, ahead of a new play about The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein, we hear from novelist Linda Grant about growing up in Liverpool in the 1960s – and drinking tea with Paul McCartney's dad. We speak to American novelist John Irving about the Jewish protagonist in his new novel, as well as Steve Zipperstein, who talks about his book on Philip Roth, the latest in his Yale Jewish Lives series, and we chat to the social media whizz behind @TheMizrahiStory, an Instagram account that's gone viral. We also head to Manchester to look at the inter-cultural initiatives bringing hope in the aftermath of the terrible attacks at Heaton Park Synagogue.