A NYONE who knows me will also know that I am very far from being a fashion guru. However, I have been extremely concerned about the goings-on at the House of Christian Dior.

No, I haven't suddenly gone all 'Gok Wan', but I did join many holding their collective breath to see how Dior would handle the anti-Semitic, drunken rant by its iconic designer John Galliano. In case you missed the outcome, he was fired within four days of his obscene, Nazi-referenced abuse of two women he thought were Jewish.

The subsequent fall-out from this particular tirade has raised questions about just how deep-seated antisemitism actually is.

Here in Bristol, as one of the most multi-cultural cities in the UK and with only a small Jewish community, the incidence of overt antisemitism is extremely rare. However, reading annual statistics from the Community Security Trust which monitors anti-Jewish attacks in Britain, it would seem that communities in other parts of the UK are not so lucky.

A close friend of mine believes that "scratch beneath the surface [with non-Jewish people] and you will find an antisemite". While I do not hold with this I do believe that there are plenty of opportunities for ignorance, misunderstanding or deliberate misinterpretation to lead not only to antisemitism, but a raft of anti-religious or anti-cultural prejudices. Along with Project Manager Zahir Malik, I spoke to a group of sixth formers at one of Bristol's independent schools. We talked about difference and identity and words used to describe individuals from Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Buddhist and other communities. They were open and honest. Some confessed how hard it was to answer the questions because they had no experience of other communities.

Many Jewish communities in the UK and around the world are watching, with some concern, as North Africa and the Middle East undergoes seismic political change. While for some the concern might be for the future of Israel itself, for many it is a greater worry about the escalation of blurring of the lines between anti-Israel (anti-Zionist) sentiment and antisemitic (anti-Jewish) views. In reality, the two are very different and, certainly here in Bristol, continual work is taking place to ensure that antisemitism is kept out of our city.

One can only hope that by fostering dialogue, regular contact and understanding, tolerance will go right to the heart of every individual.

There will always be a few for whom hatred is a way of life, but let's ensure they are the ones who are ostracised from our society.

Peter Brill is a member of the Bristol Progressive Jewish Community and former chairman of Salaam Shalom.