On 7 October, as the first reports of the horrific Hamas terror attacks on Israel were coming in, my family was gathered in a community hall in north London distributing smoked salmon rolls and cups of tea. There were more than 40 people in the room. This gathering was years in the making, made possible only by the tireless insistence of my mother and aunt. Most people there only knew a handful of others. I had not met the majority before that day. It was the first time ever we had all been together in one place. The story starts...