‘He possesses great wit’
“David is perhaps the most effective critic of left-wing antisemitism,” Ryvchin said.
“If you could choose any celebrity as your parent, who would you choose?”
This was how David Baddiel won over a crowd of 200 years 4-6 students at Emanuel School using his internationally bestselling adventure children’s novel, The Parent Agency, as a prompt.
After assuring them he knew they loved their own parents, the students were eager to share their thoughts with Baddiel, who went into the audience to get answers. From Trump to Beyonce, from Taylor Swift to Sam Kerr, and of course a few ‘David Baddiels’ thrown in for good measure, the responses were wide-ranging and often drew a laugh.
British comedian and author Baddiel, who was visiting Sydney last week for Sydney Jewish Writers Festival, happened to be in town for the annual Book Week celebration at Emanuel School. He entertained both students and teachers by reading excerpts from his books, as well as answering several questions from a handful of well-prepared students.
It was a packed week for Baddiel, who began by headlining the Melbourne Jewish Book Week, before making his way to Sydney for the Jewish Writers Festival. His documentary, Jews Don’t Count, was screened, and he took part in a number of panels and discussions around his books, Judaism, Jewish comedy and antisemitism.
Author and co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australia Jewry Alex Ryvchin conducted a Q&A with Baddiel titled “Who will be for us?” During the discussion in front of a packed audience the issue of antisemitism was unpacked, with Ryvchin later telling The AJN how thrilled he was to engage with Baddiel and spend time with him.
“David is perhaps the most effective critic of left-wing antisemitism,” Ryvchin said.
“He possesses great wit, high intellect and an ability to cut through the great complexity of antisemitism and make the topic relevant to a wide audience. It was great fun being in conversation with David at the writers festival discussing our books on antisemitism and our common experiences, including sitting in the same stand of Chelsea Football Club’s home ground and facing antisemitic abuse from fellow fans. He is also a fantastic person, and spending the day with David deeply discussing race, identity and politics was a pure delight.”
Before the festival Baddiel told The AJN that he loves being in Sydney and was looking forward to making his first appearance at the Sydney Jewish Writers Festival.
“We have Jewish Book Week in the UK, which is a big deal but it’s quite straightforwardly literary,” he said. “This sounds more interesting.”
Baddiel has signed books available for purchase at the festival’s bookseller, Gertrude & Alice Bookstore in Bondi.
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