Daniel Finkelstein of The Times in conversation
Written by Barry Hyman Friday, 29 April 2005
DANIEL FINKELSTEIN, Associate Editor of The Times, “footie” fan, former PA to William Hague, charity worker, grandson of the Wiener Library Founder and longtime member of Hendon Reform Synagogue, talks to MANNA. Daniel Finkelstein has a regular Tuesday column in The Times and the Fink Tank appears on Saturdays.
Q. Time was when the Jewish community was safe Labour territory. What sort of political environment did you grow up in and how did you get involved in Tory politics?
A. It was a traditional Jewish Social Democratic household. I am the son of two immigrants. My father came here from Lwow [Professor Ludwik Finkelstein,] my mother is a Belsen survivor. The old Aristo-Tory party of the 1950s had little appeal to people like my parents. But Mrs Thatcher changed its appeal to immigrant families like us by making it more meritocratic. I only ever encountered a welcoming attitude to Jews in the party
Q. How difficult was it helping William Hague pick up the pieces after the ’97 election?
A. He inherited a difficult situation. I enjoyed it and respected him — his constant frustration and mine was that he was never able to turn public opinion, but that was a matter of timing. My own impressions of Hague, which were very positive, and those of the public were sometimes miles apart and that could be difficult. But I learned a lot and retain my admiration for him.
Q. The old Tory party was not noted for its outward looking stance. How did being Jewish figure, if at all? Was there any particular closeness between prominent Jewish Tories and did you encounter any anti-Semitism?
A. There is always a connection between Jews — there is a similarity of style — and Jews in the Tory party are no different. We did not talk about it much because it just was not an issue but of course at the time “Jewish politics” (i.e. issues relating to Israel) were very quiet.
Q. Are you still involved with the party?
A. I am still a member and might fight a seat next time, but I am not a candidate right now. I am fully involved with journalism.
Q. After the Berlin Wall fell, you were involved with a charity helping young Eastern Europeans. How come?
A. My father was born in Lwow (then Lvov) and I felt a particular concern for East and Central Europe. I thought of a political campaign to get Government help but then my father said, “Well, why not actually do something yourself to help?” So I got together friends from all parties and none. We raised money and from 1990 we started bringing over young people to work in British businesses and learn about enterprise. In fourteen years we brought over hundreds of trainees.
Q. You referred in print to being a Reform Jew. How important is that to you?
A. The family is Reform back to my grandfather. I was bar mitzvah and married at Hendon Reform Synagogue, by Rabbi Steven Katz . My parents and my family are still committed members.
Q. You’re now a feature writer on The Times, but also have a footie column, the Fink Tank. Who do you support and why the football interest?
A. I have been a Chelsea fan for a long time and have an interest in statistics, so my soccer column is about the statistical chances of certain games going certain ways. I think stats can tell you so much more than empty speculation.
Q. Aren’t Jews supposed to support Spurs?
A. Well, I wrote once that they are so Jewish that they even have a boiling fowl on their crest. Not all my readers enjoyed this joke equally.
Q. Favourite music/ films?
A. I’m an unreconstructed 60s man. The Beatles and Brian Wilson (of the Beach Boys). I love Woody Allen films.
Q. A final word about the Wiener Library?
A. I’m so proud of my grandfather’s vision in starting it in 1933, recording every last detail of Nazism, and in getting it to the UK before the War began. It still stands, despite monstrous financial difficulties, as the first and arguably the best resource centre in the World on the Nazi era and is constantly used by many authors and places of learning. He was organizing visas for his wife and three daughters, who were in Holland, but they did not arrive in time. They all survived Belsen and eventually his daughters, one of whom is my mother, reached the UK. Sadly she and her sisters decided, as they approached Ellis Island, that their father’s WWI Iron Cross might mark them out as German collaborators and it lies at the bottom of the Hudson River ƒÞ
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