Malta, an archipelago located in the sunny Mediterranean, has been one of the best kept secrets for a Jewish Heritage Experience. Exploring a Jewish presence that dates back to the Roman Period, over 200 guests attended the American Sephardi Federation and New York Jewish Travel Guide’s special Jewish Heritage Malta program created in partnership with the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), Exclusively Malta, and the Corinthia Palace Hotel, held recently at the Center for Jewish History in New York City.

The Jewish Heritage Malta evening was opened by Jason Guberman, Executive Director, American Sephardi Federation, who praised Malta’s cultural diversity, including centuries-old Jewish connections still visible at several heritage sites, and noted how some Maltese are discovering Jewish ancestry.

The program included welcome remarks from H.E. Carmelo Inguanez, Malta’s Permanent Representative to the UN, and Joel Levy, Past President and CEO of the Center for Jewish History, who shared his Malta experience from when he lived there as a former Foreign Service Officer at the US Embassy in Malta, at which time he helped the community relocate the synagogue to an historic building.

The featured speaker, Dr. John Baldacchino, Director, University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Arts Institute and Professor of Arts Education, a scholar of Mediterranean aesthetics, discussed the history of the Jews in Malta. Jewish roots in Malta date back to the 4th and 5th Century during the Roman period as evidenced by several Jewish Catacombs with drawings depicting the Jewish Menorah (candelabra) that can be found at the St. Paul’s Catacomb site near Rabat. The long Jewish history includes periods of enrichment as well as slavery, depending on who was ruling Malta at the time.

Michelle Buttigieg, MTA Representative North America, then told the audience that the Jewish Heritage Malta program was launched in May, 2016, in recognition of the importance of the Jewish Heritage niche travel market in North America. “MTA invited, with the support of Exclusively Malta and Corinthia Palace Hotel, an American Jewish journalist, Harry Wall, and world-renowned photographer Richard Nowitz, to visit Malta and create a video and story about the Maltese Jewish Experience”, said Ms. Buttigieg, who then shared the video with the audience.

Jason Allan, Managing Director, Exclusively Malta, then presented the Jewish Heritage Experience in Malta program that his company designed. He spoke about today’s Jewish Community in Malta, which although small in numbers (less than 200), is still very vibrant. The majority of the contemporary Maltese Jewish Community originate from Gibraltar, England, North Africa, Portugal, and Turkey during the French and British rule from 1798. During the early 20th century, since the islands did not have a rabbi of their own, rabbis would often be flown in from Sicily to perform religious ceremonies. During World War II, Malta was the only European country that did not require visas for Jews fleeing Nazism and numerous Maltese Jews fought Germany in the British Army during the war.

Exclusively Malta can make arrangements for visitors to meet the local Jewish community and to attend Sabbath and holiday prayers at the Synagogue. Allan noted that two years ago Chabad set-up the first Kosher restaurant in Malta, which is centrally located in St. Julian’s.

Points of special Jewish Heritage interest on Malta include old landmarks and street signs. In the walled city of Mdina, where the Jews made up almost one third of the population, there is a “Jewish Silk Market”; and in Valletta, Malta’s Capital and European Capital of Culture 2018, one can see the old “Jews Sally Port”.

Even the Island of Comino, almost uninhabited today but famous for the Blue Lagoon, has Jewish roots. Comino is where the well-known Sephardi-Jewish mystic and self-proclaimed messiah, Avraham Abulafia, lived from 1285 until his death in the 1290s. During this period, he compiled his Sefer ha Ot (“Book of the Sign”) as well as his last, and perhaps his most intelligible work, the meditation manual Imrei Shefer (“Words of Beauty”).

There are three Jewish cemeteries in Malta which although kept locked, can be visited through prior arrangements with Exclusively Malta. The stories gleaned from the tombstone inscriptions, are a rich narrative which includes Jewish soldiers who fought in WWI and were buried in Malta.

Ms. Buttigieg, commenting on the enthusiastic response to the New York event, said, “The Malta Tourism Authority, together with its partners for the Jewish Heritage Malta Program, Exclusively Malta and Corinthia Palace Hotel, look forward to increasing the number of Jewish tourists by hosting similar events to introduce the Jewish Heritage Malta experience, not just in the US and Canada, but in Israel and other countries as well.”

Four West Midlands charities and groups supporting the community’s most vulnerable individuals have received a total of £11,649 so far this year, from The Midcounties Co-operative’s fundraising across the region.

Monthly Alzheimer’s Support Evenings (M.A.S.E) received a total of £2,602 to help them in offering social support and information to those with, or caring for those with, Alzheimer’s across the West Midlands.

Another charity in the region, Beacon Centre for the Blind, has received £3,014 from the Midcounties. The funds will support the organisation in running assessments and courses, as well as providing necessary equipment to those suffering from sight loss.

Street Teams and Recovery Near You have received £3,879 and £2,152 respectively, to help them in providing support sessions to those at risk of sexual exploitation and those affected by substance misuse.

Some of the fundraising initiatives across the West Midlands in support of the charity partners include, taking part in a Boat Race, fancy dress events and donating carrier bag monies.

The charity partnerships form part of The Midcounties Co-operative’s Regional Communities strategy, which sees members and colleagues come together to provide impactful and sustainable support for local community groups through volunteering and fundraising initiatives.

Emma Pile, a Leadership Team Ambassador in the West Midlands, at The Midcounties Co-operative, said: “It’s been a busy six months for our colleagues across the West Midlands, who have taken on many great fundraising initiatives for our charity partners in the region. We’re delighted to have raised so much just half a year in to the partnerships”.

“The Midcounties Co-operative is committed to supporting local good causes and we look forward to donating even more over the coming months.”

Residents, businesses and organisations across the City of Wolverhampton are being encouraged to "Go Orange" and support an international campaign to end gender-based violence.

The annual United Nations’ Orange the World campaign takes place over 16 days between 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls, and 10 December, UN Human Rights Day.

Wolverhampton is once again backing the campaign, with residents, businesses and organisations across the City asked to respond to the challenge, ‘what will you do to Orange Wolverhampton’?’

Everyone is being invited to support the campaign by taking part in ‘Wear Orange’ day on Monday 27 November, or by turning anything they normally do orange – whether it be a social gathering, a sport or performance event or a leisure activity – during the 16-day campaign. They can also change their social media channels and websites orange, wear orange ribbons, and back the campaign by sharing photos, key messages from the campaign and details of what they are doing via social media using the hashtag #orangewolves.

So whether you are part of a motorcycle or cycling club or a running club which could hold an orange ride or run, a business with orange branding or a sports team that could play an all-orange match, please sign up your organisation and share your plans by visiting www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/orangewolverhampton2017.

By helping Orange Wolverhampton, people will not only raise awareness of gender-based violence – violence primarily committed against women and girls, including domestic abuse, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, so-called ‘honour-based’ violence and sexual violence – but also the help and support that is available to victims.

Councillor Paul Sweet, the City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: “Gender-based violence in any of its forms is illegal and totally abhorrent, and we are committed to working with our partners to identify and support anyone who is the victim of it.

“We are delighted to once again be supporting the United Nations ‘Orange the World’ campaign and turning the City of Wolverhampton ‘orange’ is an important part of our work to raise awareness of the issues and to make sure people know how to get the help and support they need.

"It is important to stress that the title of violence against women and girls recognises the gendered nature of these issues, in that the majority of victims are female. However, the campaign seeks to end all interpersonal violence affecting women, men, girls and boys.

"The Go Orange campaign is a great way for everyone to show we are committed to ending violence against women, men, girls and boys and highlighting where people can turn to if they are affected by the issue in any way.”

People backing the campaign are encouraged to show their support on social media using the hashtag #orangewolves and by tagging @wvsafeguarding in the conversation. Alternatively, please share photos with the Safeguarding Boards via Facebook at www.2343ec78a04c6ea9d80806345d31fd78-gdprlock/wolverhampton-safeguarding.

Anyone worried about or suffering from any form of domestic violence, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, honour-based violence, or sexual violence should call the relevant helpline:

• The Haven Wolverhampton 24-hour Helpline for women and men on 08000 194400
• National Domestic Violence helpline for women on 0808 2000 247
• National Domestic Violence helpline for men on 0808 8010327
• Wolverhampton Adults Social Care team on 01902 551199
• Wolverhampton Children's Social Care on 01902 555392
• NSPCC FGM Helpline on 0800 028 3550
• Karma Nirvana helpline for victims of so-called honour-based violence and forced marriage 0800 5999 247.

In an emergency, always call police on 999.

Multi-award winning children’s author Jeremy Strong officially opened a new £100,000 library containing 8,000 books as part of a two-day reading celebration at a City of Wolverhampton school.

Pupils at East Park Academy met the famous author of books including Romans on the Rampage, My Brother’s Famous Bottom, and Hundred Mile-An-Hour Dog.

And many of them dressed up as some of the popular characters from some of his 107 books during special assemblies where they got to quiz Jeremy about his stories.

The school, in Hollington Road, also invited author Chris Wormell and poet Valerie Bloom into classrooms as part of the week-long reading festival to mark the library opening.

And children were also taken to see Michael Rosen when he appeared at Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre.

Head teacher Haley Guest said: “We have invested £100,000 in the new school library and it has become a much-loved place for our children to go and discover books and the joy of reading. Just like us, the children are very proud of it.

“Getting inspirational authors in like Jeremy into meet our children is really important. They were so excited to meet one of their favourite authors who has inspired them to write more of their own fantastic stories.”

Jeremy Strong added: “It has been great visiting this brilliant and bubbly school. It is especially marvellous to officially open the new library and to see a school investing in such an important resource.”

With schools back in full swing after the October half-term holiday, there's never a better time to think about booking the next family holiday.

Specialising in guided and self-guided bike tours for all cycling levels, Freedom Treks offers 50 trips that are ideal for families, including those that are brand-new this year. The routes follow dedicated cycle paths or very quiet roads, the daily distances are shorter and manageable for little legs, a range of children's bikes, trailers or seats are available and the accommodation comprises a selection of family-friendly hotels, or even boats.

Children aren't concerned about ticking off a country's 'must-see' sights and a cycling holiday is an ideal way to explore the great outdoors. The world's exciting natural environments make for perfect adventure playgrounds, plus, families can practice their navigational skills and improve their geography and history knowledge on route.

And with multigenerational, or '3G' holidays, still rising in popularity, grandparents need not worry about keeping up – Freedom Treks offers electric bikes on most of its tours, so people of all fitness levels can enjoy cycling in areas and for distances they may not have previously considered.

We all have that favourite jacket or perfectly fitting pair of jeans we'd love to keep in our wardrobes for the rest of our lives. But it seems over half (54%) of those from Birmingham are confused about how long they can get away with wearing some of their beloved garments, new research from Bullring shopping centre has revealed.

The results follow the launch of the Style Seeker app from Bullring shopping centre, which uses artificial intelligence technology to help shoppers find clothes they have spotted on the high street, social media or in a magazine.  To launch the app 'living mannequins' took over the centre today to surprise and delight shoppers, coming to life when people paused to look at them and telling shoppers about the app.

From a national survey of 2,000 shoppers commissioned by Bullring owners Hammerson, 44% of those living in the West Midlands admitted they weren't sure when they should think twice before stepping out in a certain garment. Meanwhile, 70% of national respondents said someone can be fashionable at any age and 90% said they would wear whatever they want regardless of what others think.

App users are able to take photos of fashion items, or upload saved images from their phones, to locate similar clothing products available in retail stores in Bullring including River Island, Topshop and H&M. The app searches by colour shape and patterns, once the user has selected the desired product, the app then provides a map that guides the user to the store if they are physically in centre.

Emma Roberts, PR Manager at Bullring said: "Style Seeker is the perfect accessory for people who get struck down by style inspiration in the street – and truly love the art of shopping.

"As well as being easy to use, it caters to every budget. Clothing from fashion weeks and couture shows is filtering down into high street shops quicker than ever before – and this functionality makes sure you never miss a trend."

The development comes after latest mobile trends* show that nearly four in 10 people search only on their smartphones, proving that more searches happen on mobile than on computers or tablets and that people require answers at their fingertips.