Tony Greenstein: An Apology or Mr Elf Regrets...

Tony Greenstein had a birthday bash last night. He was four bar mitzvahs and then some. Rounding up to the nearest ten that makes 60. My spies tell me that the do was well attended but unfortunately one of the invitees couldn't make it and that was me. Still, I've cleared my diary and I should make it for three score and ten.

Many happy returns Tony.


Regards

Mark Elf



PS: Here are the lyrics to a birthday song written by Deborah Maccoby and arranged and performed at the party by Deborah Fink:

THE BALLAD OF TONY GREENSTEIN

 

1ST VERSE

 

Tony Greenstein is a leftie

And one of Marx's lads;

He's fought the fascists all his life,

Those counter-revolutionary cads.

 

CHORUS

 

Those counter-revolutionary cads,

Those counter-revolutionary cads,

He's fought the fascists all his life,

Those counter-revolutionary cads.

 

2ND VERSE

 

His father was a rabbi

Who wanted him to be

A pillar of the Liverpool

Jewish community.

 

CHORUS

 

Jewish community,

Jewish community,

A pillar of the Liverpool

Jewish community.

 

3RD VERSE

 

But little Tony said:

"This plan I will resist;,

I'm an atheist, a Marxist

And an anti-Zionist."

 

CHORUS

 

An anti-Zionist,

An anti-Zionist.

He's an atheist, a Marxist

And an anti-Zionist.

 

4TH VERSE

 

With the fervour of his father

Towards the Jewish law,

Young Tony went to demonstrate

Against the Springboks' tour.

 

CHORUS

 

Against the Springboks' tour,

Against the Springboks' tour,

Young Tony went to demonstrate

Against the Springboks' tour.

5TH VERSE

But it wasn't only fascists

And fans of apartheid;

The British left found Tony

A thorn within their side.

CHORUS

A thorn within their side,

A thorn within their side;

The British left found Tony

A thorn within their side.

6TH VERSE

 

The exiled Palestinians

The left did not discern,

So Tony helped to edit

The magazine "Return".

 

CHORUS

 

The magazine "Return",

The magazine "Return",

So Tony helped to edit

The magazine "Return".

7TH VERSE

When the left regarded Israel

As a socialist country,

Young Tony with a few comrades

Co-founded PSC.

 

CHORUS

 

Co-founded PSC,

Co-founded PSC.

Young Tony and a few comrades

Co-founded PSC.

 

8TH VERSE

 

When PSC supported

The process called Oslo,

Then Tony and a few comrades

Said it was time to go.

 

CHORUS

 

Yes, it was time to go,

Yes, it was time to go,

Then Tony and a few comrades

Said it was time to go.

 

9TH VERSE

 

But later he rejoined it,

When he had been proved right;

Against the anti-Semites

He set himself to fight.

 

CHORUS

 

He set himself to fight,

He set himself to fight,

Against the anti-Semites

He set himself to fight.

 

10TH VERSE

 

Against those anti-Semites

He spoke out clear and strong;

They crawled back in the woodwork

Where all of them belong.

 

CHORUS

 

Where all of them belong,

Where all of them belong,

They crawled back in the woodwork

Where all of them belong.

 

11TH VERSE

 

For JfJfP

He didn't care a fig;

He called for total BDS

And signed up to J-BIG

 

CHORUS

 

And signed up to J-BIG,

And signed up to J-BIG;

He called for total BDS

And signed up to J-BIG

 

12TH VERSE

 

So - three cheers for Tony Greenstein!

He's sixty on this day;

May he win all his battles,

The first among the fray!

 

CHORUS

 

The first among the fray,

The first among the fray,

May he win all his battles,

The first among the fray! 

 

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The song is to the tune of Harry Pollitt by The Limeliters.