LONDON – Last week saw the launch of J-TV, a global Jewish YouTube channel, in a packed House of Commons events room, as the division bells summoned members of Parliament to vote.
The channel, founded by British student Oliver Anisfeld, aims, he says, to help “Jewish people to see the beauty of their heritage.”
J-TV serves as response to what Anisfeld sees as a gap in dealing with a crisis of Jewish education in the UK and many other countries. Speaking to The Jerusalem Post at the parliamentary event on Wednesday evening, Anisfeld commented: “I think there’s a real need for this. We’ve got to relate to the mediums that people are using. There really is nothing like it for the Jewish community.”
Having gathered support from chief rabbis, politicians, the media and business people, the channel will offer four weekly segments on current affairs, Jewish wisdom, “movers and shakers” and Jewish food.
The initial content presented on the website includes interviews with former British Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, Uri Levine, a founder of the satellite navigation app Waze, and Elliott Abrams, a former adviser to US presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
The host of the event, MP Jonathan Djanogly, delivered the opening remarks, praising the venture and joking that “if Isaiah said that the Jews were to be a light unto nations, I’m not sure he was thinking about a new TV station, but I’m sure if he was here now he would adapt.”
More information about J-TV can be found at www.facebook.com/J.TVshowpage and https://twitter.com/J_ TVShow.