Trades Union Congress and Jewish New Year.

Trades Union Congress and Jewish New Year.

It is that time of the year again folks. It can't be avoided. The last glimmers of summer sunlight are now slowly fading into some nostalgic hideaway where autumn will await with the full red carpet treatment. September has now arrived with everything that September brings with it. September is quite naturally reflective, pondering, looking forward to winter but perhaps dreading those long, dark nights when the population of  Britain huddle together in the warmth and security of their living rooms.

Outside, early September is bidding farewell to those long, hot days of the British heatwave and that could only mean two things. There are two events in the social calendar which herald the start of the autumnal equinox. Isn't it strange that we almost take these occasions for granted because they always seem to happen at roughly this time of the year without fail? They look as though they've been around for ever but the truth is that, from a traditional point of view, it may seem as they have.

Firstly, there is the Trades Union Congress, this year in Manchester where the ladies and gentlemen from the blue collar industries and more recently the highly influential high tech industries begin to flex their muscles. Normally the beer and sandwiches brigade will be gathering its forces while the brothers and sisters of the trades union fraternity wave their fists in righteous indignation and verbal conflict will rage into the late hours of the afternoon and evening.

Throughout the ages and decades the Trades Union Congress has always been that hotbed of discussion, fiery exchanges of opinion, forthright and blunt speaking, a noisy hubbub of opinionated speech making and dogmatic hot air where plenty will be said but rarely achieved. Every year the men and women from those smoking factories of yesteryear climb onto their platform to express their yearly grievances and objections because the country of course is in a complete mess.

Then we are confronted with the boiler makers, the hard working engineers, the dedicated train drivers, the militant tendencies, the angry unionists who stubbornly stand on picket lines refusing to work under the most stressful conditions. They will shout the odds powerfully and forcefully, hollering boisterously at the top of their voices determined to make the Government of the day sit up and take notice.

Normally their speeches will be accompanied by cheering that becomes progressively louder, applause that reaches a deafening crescendo and then more howling laughter, outraged fury and amusing intervals of heckling, giggling silliness. Deep in the audience life long trade union members will loosen their ties, pull restlessly on their shirt collars and then sweat rivers of anxiety.

This year TUC leader and secretary Frances O' Grady will be supervising a hot blooded rabble of disillusioned trade unionists who are probably fed up with being exploited and undermined by lousy pay and bosses who think they ought to be grateful for small mercies. This year the main topic of conversation is of course the EU and its far reaching implications.

Eventually the Amalgamated Unions will get all hot and bothered again over nothing in particular. They will storm the barricades, threaten to cheerfully strangle each other if nothing is done in the immediate future and then blame Prime Minister Theresa May because it has to be her fault. In a matter of minutes the whole of Manchester will just erupt like a volcano because once again nobody can agree on anything.

Suddenly we have a mini riot on our hands. We will now have to address a whole sequence of motions passed, hands shown, rowdy consultation, blather, bluster, hubble, bubble, toil and trouble. Voices will be raised, accusations fired from every direction, fingers pointed and blood pressures at their most dangerous level.

Again the complaining, quarrelsome, bickering and confrontational from the trade union coal face will rise to their feet and just moan to their hearts content quite possibly with justification. It is one of the year's most controversial of spectacles. There are moments when you suspect that here is the one event of the year where nothing constructive ever seems to get done. At times it does seem like one hellish bear pit where old fashioned unionists clash with the new and upwardly mobile while the old school stick firmly to their guns.

This year they've got Britain's withdrawal from the EU to contend with and they don't quite know what to do so they'll just sit tight, hang on and just sink their pints of Guinness. They will look at their bulky documents, leaf through rain forests of paper with very little of consequence and probably go to sleep for an hour or two. Far too confusing. Yet it'll probably sort itself out and with maybe a  few interventions and contributions from our trade union friends we'll be all be far better off without our European allies anyway.

And then finally we'll find that all of those trade unions will do their usual round of negotiations and recriminations, go outside into the reception area and bite into another cheese sandwich or two. It is all very complex, detailed, long and, when all is said and done very tedious. But our trade union members love their moments in the limelight because the media are watching them and they can't get enough of that oxygen of publicity.

Meanwhile in the heart of the Jewish community my wonderful family and I have all been celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, that yearly pilgrimage to the promised land of milk and honey. It is that yearly period of solemn prayer, truly delightful singing and chanting, worship, thinking back and forwards to the future, more contemplation and more religious forgiveness and repentance.

Now Rosh Hashanah is indeed that time of pausing for breath, taking stock of the world around us, revelling in the good times, consigning the bad ones to the dustbin of history, uniting and then doing the same things again and again because that's the way it's always been and always will be.

It all seems like the same repetitive fairground merry go round where everything that seems familiar is always welcome because we love that sense of familiarity. For all Jews around the world this is also a time for feasting, drinking and laughing cordially with those we love. It is religion at its cosiest, most pleasant and civilised. It is a religion where the celebration of everything it holds dear will always deliver the richest rewards.

Today was the first day of the Jewish New Year and around the globe huge quantities of sweet, sticky honey, masses of honey cake and a veritable orchard of apples will be eaten. We sung from the proverbial hymn sheet and for some of us this was religion at its most emotional and poignant. From time to time the hairs on the back of your head would stand up on the back of your neck. The choir sung with angelic resonance and throughout North London all was perfect.

But for most of the Jewish community this is the start of the festival season where much that needs to be rejoiced in is given the full treatment. The ram's horn( the shofar) is blown with hearty vigour, the rabbis give their hugely eloquent sermons and we give profuse thanks to those who have sacrificed so much for our generation. Of course we count our blessings and mercies, of course we read beautiful prayers and passages from our book. There will be always be that yearly outpouring of gratitude since this is one time of the year when we appreciate where we are, who we are and what we are. We are the proudest of Jews and that has to be something to feel good about.