Newsletter - Liberal Jewish Synagogue

LJS News
THE NEWSLETTER
OF THE
L I B E R A L J E W I S H S Y N AG O G U E
Breaking down the
barriers to peace
October
2013
TishriCheshvan
5774
Tsurit (left) is an Israeli. Her friend Aisha
is a Palestinian. They live only 25 miles
apart, but they are separated by a
wall – and by the years of hostility and
suspicion between their communities.
Yet together they are working to break
down the mistrust between Palestinians
and Israelis and show by example that
understanding and mutual respect are
necessary first steps on the road to
peace. Read what they have to say
about loss and friendship on page 10.
■ You can support Aisha and Tsurit in
their pioneering work by attending a
fund-raising dinner at the LJS on 10th
November. More details on page 11.
On other pages…
Ann Kirk interviewed
p4 Youth activities at the LJS
Chairman’s Chatter
p5 Hi-tech upgrade on first floor
p8-9
p15
The Liberal Jewish Synagogue
28 St John’s Wood Road
London NW8 7HA
Tel 020 7286 5181
Fax 020 7266 3591
linked to Typetalk
e-mail: ljs@ljs.org
Website: www.ljs.org
Senior Rabbi
Alexandra Wright
Rabbi
Neil Janes
Rabbi Emeritus
David J Goldberg OBE
Chairman of Council
Michael Hart
Head of Rimon Religion School
Dov Softi
Nursery Head Teacher
Caroline Villiers
Executive Director
Caroline Bach
Community Care Co-ordinator
Liz Crossick
Director of Music
Cathy Heller-Jones
Organist
Tim Farrell
In case of bereavement:
In office hours, ring 020 7432 1298
At other times, ring 020 8445 2797
(MM Broad)
LJS News Team
Editor
Peter Singer
Artwork
Davies Communications
Tel 020 7483 0843
Printing: Jigsaw
Unit 27 Bermondsey Trading Estate
Rotherhithe New Road London SE16 3LL
Tel 020 7394 2799 Fax 020 7394 2790
Copy dates
The next LJS News will be for November
2013. Final copy date: 6th October 2013.
Copy should be sent to The Editors at
the LJS, or by email to ljs@ljs.org
© The Liberal Jewish Synagogue 2013
2
BRING-A-FRIEND
AND NEW MEMBERS’
SHABBAT
A special Shabbat morning service on
Saturday 19th October
■ for new members who have recently joined the
congregation to attend and participate in the
service
■ for all the congregation to invite friends who are
not members and who might be interested in
finding out about the synagogue.
Make a note of the date and invite your friends.
Rabbi Dr Andrew
Goldstein, accompanied
by his wife Sharon, cuts a
cake to mark his 70th
birthday after delivering
the Shabbat Shuvah
sermon at the LJS on
7th September.
Dr Goldstein was elected
President of Liberal
Judaism in July this year.
■ The cake was baked
and decorated by
Debi Penhey, the LJS
education co-ordinator.
Donations
those who mourn:
Thank you for all the
donations to the Synagogue’s
High Holydays and Yom
Kippur appeals – your
generosity is greatly
appreciated
Bob Leuw, father of Carolyn
Simon.
Bereavements
We extend our sympathy to
Raymond Lewis, brother of
Nicky Margolis.
May God comfort you
and all who mourn
Ha-makom y’nacheim et’chem
b’toch sh’ar ha-aveilim
Friday evening services start at 18.45.
Shabbat morning services start at 11.00 unless otherwise stated.
Shabbat services
Shabbat services: October
DATE
RABBI/SPEAKER
NOTES
Friday 4th October
Alexandra Wright
Chavurah supper for Classes Zayin and Chet
Shabbat 5th October
Noach
Dr Edie Friedman
Founder and Director
of JCore (Jewish
Council for Racial
Equality)
The service will be followed by the second
Nosh ‘n’ Drosh with Edie Friedman – a new
initiative in which you are invited to share
lunch (provided) and respond to Edie’s
sermon
Friday 11th October
Neil Janes
Shabbat 12th October
Lech L’cha
Neil Janes
Friday 18th October
Alexandra Wright
Shabbat 19th October
Vayera
Alexandra Wright
(sermon)
Neil Janes
(D’var Torah)
The congregation is invited to meet new
members at a special reception before and after
the service and to bring friends and families
to this service of outreach and welcome
Friday 25th October
2nd year
Student Rabbi
Hannah Kingston
Hannah is currently doing her second year
student apprenticeship at the LJS
Shabbat 26th October
Chayyei Sarah
Alexandra Wright
Friday 1st November
TBA
Celebration of Jo and Willie Kessler’s
wedding anniversary. The Torah will be read by
Dr Edward Kessler
Shabbat 2nd November Rachel Benjamin
Tol’dot
Friday 8th November
Alexandra Wright
Shabbat 9th November
Vayetze
David J. Goldberg
Saturday 9th November Kristallnacht 75th
at 18.30
anniversary service
Remembrance Shabbat
With Andrea Hess on the cello, the LJS Choir
(Director of Music: Cathy Heller-Jones) and
organist Tim Farrell
3
Re-telling the survivors’ tale
I
have had the privilege of
knowing Ann and Bob Kirk
since 1978. I remember sitting
alongside Ann at a Kristallnacht
service in the old LJS. Ann was
in tears. I knew that her parents,
like Bob’s, were Holocaust
victims, and that her thoughts
must be with them. As to the
details of her family history,
even Ann’s sons were in the
dark in those days. ‘David and
Andy never questioned us;
they realised it was too painful.’
Ann recognises this was part of
a wider phenomenon, known
as the 40-year syndrome.
‘After the war, people didn’t
want to listen – they’d had
enough; and the survivors
were not willing to talk.’
It’s hard not to be aware that
nowadays the situation is very
different. In February this year I
spotted a lovely picture of Ann
in the Harrow Observer,
speaking at a civic event to
mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
In April she gave a talk at a
House of Commons reception
to launch the Holocaust
Memorial Day Trust theme for
2014: ‘Journeys’.
Come June, Ann and Bob were
pictured in the Jewish Chronicle
in the company of Prince
Charles, at an Association of
Jewish Refugees reception
commemorating the 75th
anniversary of the
kindertransport, the day after
attending the main event – the
reunion at which they were
4
the Jewish Museum.
Ann Kirk, one of the
dwindling band of
Holocaust survivors,
talks to Carolyn Simon
about her need to make
young people aware of
the dangers of prejudice
interviewed by CNN. They were
also invited to a Royal Garden
Party in recognition of their
work in schools. In November
they will participate in the
Kristallnacht commemoration
at the LJS, and in January/
February will again speak in the
schools programmes at
Finchley Reform Synagogue
and Northwood and Pinner
Liberal Synagogue.
I was interested to know when
Ann first began to talk about
her experiences during the
Nazi era, and also why. ‘Prior
to 1992, Bob and I only ever
talked to each other about it.
Then Andrew Goldstein asked
us to speak at an NPLS
Kristallnacht service, and since
then we’ve pretty much been
speaking non-stop, as we are
also on the list of speakers for
‘We only say no if we can’t do
the date or it really is too far
away. Yes, it’s still hard and I
sometimes have sleepless
nights beforehand, but how
can you compare that to what
my Mum and Dad went
through? When our granddaughter Devora reached
nearly ten – the age I’d been
when I came to England on the
kindertransport – I realised
what courage my parents had
to send me away to safety.’
Ann explains, ‘We do it as a
memorial to our parents. We’ve
had no closure; closure isn’t
possible.’ The final paragraph
of her talk emphasises the
dangers of racial prejudice, a
very pertinent topic given the
ethnically-mixed make-up of
the young audiences.
Ann illustrates the talk with a
few poignant facsimiles of the
letters and official papers now
lodged at the Wiener Library. ‘I
don’t go into the horrors. I
simply say that my parents
went to Auschwitz. But if
asked, I answer. I adapt the
content according to the age
of the children. It’s the
younger ones who are less
inhibited in their questioning.’
One frequently asked question
is: ‘Have you lost your faith?’
Ann’s answer is, ‘I did, for a
long time. Then I read Why I
am a Jew by Edmond Fleg,
and realised that if I lost my
faith, Hitler would have won.’
Whatever first drew
you here – perhaps
the prayer, the music
or our inclusive
approach – now’s your
chance to share your
delight in the LJS,
says Michael Hart
O
ne of the most pleasant tasks at synagogue Council
meetings is to receive the list of new members. This
month we are holding a special service on 19th
October to welcome those who have joined the
congregation over the past couple of years. The service will
also be an opportunity for all members to ‘bring a friend’
who might like to find out more about the LJS.
This ‘New Members and Bring-a-Friend Shabbat’ is being
organised by the Members Committee, who take the lead
both on retaining our existing members and also in
attracting new members to the synagogue. Recently Jenny
White stepped down from chairing the committee; thank you
to Jenny for her leadership. I am very grateful to Alex Weiss who
has taken over as the chairman, with the very dedicated and
enthusiastic support of Sue Bolsom.
I hope that all of you will consider which of your friends and
relatives might be interested in coming to the service on 19th
October: coffee from 10.00, the service and also Tiny Tots at
11.00, kiddush afterwards and a chance to meet other
congregants, the Rabbis, Council and committee members. Of
course, if any of them want to return at a later date or even
decide to join the synagogue, we will be delighted, but I can
reassure you that our main intention is to be welcoming and to
share the many positive attributes of the congregation.
When I talk to visitors and new members, I am struck by the
wide range of reasons that attract them to the LJS. Some will
mention the importance of their family all being able to sit
together, the ability to follow the service because of the mixture
of English and Hebrew, or the participation of both women and
men in services. Others stress the leadership of our Rabbis, our
music, our stand on issues of social justice, the quality of the
Religion School, or our inclusive approach to those in mixed-faith
or same-sex relationships.
Many talk about the warmth of their welcome, the informal
opportunities for social interaction, and the range of activities
available throughout the week.
While there may always be aspects of the synagogue which we
can improve further, I hope that you will think about what
attracts you to the LJS and decide who you will bring on 19th
October to find out more about these strengths. The reason for
welcoming new members and ‘bringing a friend’ is not just
financial or organisational; it is because we believe the LJS offers
something very meaningful and special for everyone involved
with its activities and what it stands for.
Chairman’s Chatter
Something
special for
everyone:
the unique
LJS offer
Michael
5
at the
LJS
Classes in Judaism and Hebrew
Sukkot term 5774/2013
TUESDAY 11.15-12.30
Tuesday Texts
until 17th December
Tutors: Rabbis Alexandra Wright and Neil Janes, and Dr Dov Softi
This friendly group is led by our Rabbis as we study biblical texts and commentaries such as
John Rayner’s Principles of Jewish Ethics. Our discussions are lively and relevant to contemporary
issues. New members are most welcome. Biscuits are provided.
TUESDAY 19.00-20.00
until 10th December
Hebrew Classes
1) Beginners with Susannah Alexander
(Terms 1, 2 and 3)
This class is designed for beginners who want to learn to read and decipher the prayer book.
2) Parashat Ha-Shavua with Rabbi Alexandra Wright (Term 1 only: September – December)
For those who have mastered Susannah’s class and can read slowly. We will be studying a few
verses of the weekly portion in Hebrew, building up a little grammar and vocabulary and
discussing some stories and themes from the Book of Genesis.
3) Mishnah with Rabbi Neil Janes
(Term 2 only: January – April)
For those who can read Hebrew slowly, we will be taking the class through parts of the earliest
rabbinic code of Jewish law, Rabbi Judah Ha-Nasi’s Mishnah.
4) Maimonides with Rabbi Alexandra Wright
(Term 3 only: April – July)
For those who can read Hebrew slowly, the class will be studying parts of the Mishneh Torah,
the great mediaeval legislator and philosopher, Moses Maimonides’ code of Jewish law.
TUESDAY 20.00-21.00
Exploring Judaism
until 10th December
Tutor: Rabbi Neil Janes
Exploring Judaism is for people who wish they knew more about Judaism or had paid attention
in class as a child! It is for family members who are not Jewish but would like to understand more
about Judaism. It is also an essential programme for those choosing Judaism by conversion.
Class members are encouraged to read materials which will be made available online. The course
is designed to offer knowledge about aspects of Judaism, to encourage practical experiences of
Liberal Judaism and to allow space for personal reflection within the group.
6
Scriptural Reasoning
Study Groups take place at the LJS, St John’s Wood Church and at the Mosque in
Regent’s Park. Please contact the synagogue for more details.
Scriptural Reasoning is the communal practice of reading sacred scriptures together, in
small groups. Normally the passages of scripture chosen are Jewish, Christian and
Muslim and are linked by a particular issue, theme, story or image. When read together
in this way participants – or ‘reasoners’ – have found that astonishing, powerful and, at
times, quite surprising, new conversations and relationships may open up.
The Learning Circle
WEDNESDAY 18.30
SHABBAT 9.45-10.45
Learning from Texts
with Bernie Bulkin
In the fifth year of this class, we continue our study of 20th century Jewish thought. Among
those whose work we will be reading and discussing are Emil Fackenheim, Michael Rosenak,
Aaron David Gordon, Theodore Herzl, Ahad Ha-am, Abraham Isaac (Rav) Kook, and Yeshayahu
Leibowitz. There is usually a brief discussion of the parashah at the start of the class. No prior
knowledge required, and new members are always welcome.
SHABBAT 9.45-10.45
Beginners’ Hebrew with Gary Lane
Using Rabbi Jonathan Romain’s tried and tested Hebrew primer, Signs and Wonders, Gary Lane is
a precise, gentle and understanding teacher who will get you de-coding your Hebrew alphabet in
no time at all. New additions to the class warmly welcome.
LIBERAL JUDAISM – LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD
A weekend of lectures, workshops and discussions
Our scholar in residence will be Dr Ellen Umansky of Fairfield University, Connecticut
Thursday 14th November
19.30
Lily Montagu Lecture
Friday 15th November
18.45
Erev Shabbat service and dinner with Dr Umansky
Shabbat 16th November
9.45
11.00
12.30
13.30-17.30
14.00
Pre-service shiur with Dr Umansky
Shabbat morning service
Kiddush and Chavurah lunch
Children’s and youth activities with LJY-Netzer
Ellen Umansky, ‘The Problem of God: Contemporary
Challenges to Jewish Faith’
Workshops and discussions
Tea followed by a ‘conversation’ about the 3 Ms
Havdalah and close
N
ATO E
B
B
M
SHA GRAM
O
PR
15.00
16.00
17.15-17.30
7
Above: The Chalutzim – the oldest
group – at this year’s summer
camp at Sandroyd School in
Wiltshire.
Back row (left to right): Issy
Schmidt and Naomi Lane (both
leaders), Joe Kleeman, Sophie
Levitt, Rachel Berlingieri, Beatrice
Isaacson. Front row: Caroline Weiss
and Hannah Geneen.
Caroline Weiss and Hannah
Geneen, who are both 15, and
Charlie-Luca Gruzd, who is 9,
were among the 16-strong LJS
group who went away to the
Liberal Jewish youth
movement’s August camp. All
three have enjoyed every event
they have been to. LJY Netzer
have weekends, Spring Camp,
and Kadimah (Summer Camp).
Charlie-Luca explains, ‘You talk
about serious things like
justice, vegetarianism and you
have serious kef (fun). We had
a mega laser tag activity this
year.’ All of them agree that
‘Gangershlaft’ – the joys of
messy challenges – are
unmissable.
Another Kadimah favourite,
says Caroline, is ‘the wide
game, which is a massive
water fight. This year the
group leader who ran that
session was from Australia. He
limited the amount of water
due to a hypothetical drought
situation. This led to a full-on
attack with salad cream.
Another leader was squirting
ketchup, so groups had very
long showers afterwards!’
‘Shabbat,’ she continues, ‘is
also a big part of the two
weeks. The Erev Shabbat
service incorporates the whole
camp and everybody dresses
up and has dinner together.’
‘Every time you go, you learn
at least one new song like the
Tree of Life or the llama song,’
adds Charlie-Luca.
Hannah says, ‘I go on Kadimah
for two weeks every year and
spend the other 50 weeks of
the year counting down till the
next camp so it’s fair to say I
had high expectations for my
final Kadimah.
‘One session I found
particularly interesting was a
visit from a survivor of the
Holocaust who came to talk
to us about his experiences.
It was very moving and
something I’m sure we’ll all
remember in years to come. As
chalutzim (Year 10) we got the
opportunity to run a morning
for plagim and ananim (Years
3-6) with the theme of ‘where
the wild things are’ where we
organised treasure hunts,
obstacle courses and ran a
creative service for them.
‘LJY Netzer has been a huge
part of my life for the last eight
years and has allowed me to
strengthen my Jewish identity
and build lifelong friendships.
So if you're looking for a
fantastic way to spend two
weeks of your summer,
LJY-Netzer Taster Weekends
25th-27th October
■ Plagim Weekend (POW) (for school years 3-6)
■ Nechalim Weekend (NOW) (for school years 7-8)
■ Yamim Weekend (YOW) (for school years 9-10)
E-mail frankiegruzd@icloud.com or go to www.ljy-netzer.org
‘My first time in Israel was a month I will never forget’
I first joined the Liberal Jewish Youth community
when I was nine. Since then, I attended nearly
every spring and summer camp in the years
leading up to Israel tour. I began learning about
Israel through sessions run by the leaders at
camp, and I wanted to experience Israel firsthand with the friends I had made at LJY.
Before Israel tour I had a very basic knowledge of
Israel’s history and its current conflicts. I had
hoped to learn more while visiting Israel, but I
never realised how detailed Israel’s history is.
Whilst in Israel we were able to talk to people
from many different backgrounds about Israel’s
history and conflicts and hear their opinions.
I found it extremely interesting how the views of
individual Israeli citizens can differ from one
another. The different viewpoints allowed us to
appreciate each individual’s opinion and personal
connection to Israel, and this understanding
8
16-year-old Sarah Berlingieri reflects
on this summer’s tour of Israel
helped me to form my own opinions.
Meeting with Arab-Israeli teenagers allowed us to
hear young people’s views about the current
conflicts. This was a very moving experience and
it opened my eyes to how much the conflict in
Israel affects people’s daily lives. Some of the
seminars proved to be quite intense and made us
think deeply about everything we had learnt.
Both our English and Israeli madrichim (leaders)
were always there for us to have discussions and
help us solve any unanswered questions. I am so
grateful to have had such incredible leaders as
they helped make Israel tour so memorable. The
atmosphere on tour was always positive, cheerful
and full of excitement.
definitely consider coming
on Kadimah 2014.’
Caroline says her closest
friends go to LJY. ‘I have
looked forward to camp
throughout the whole
year. I have enjoyed my LJY
journey very much, and I
can’t wait to go on the Israel
Tour and hopefully become a
leader when I am 18.’
Youth Activities
‘I spend the other 50 weeks counting down to the next camp’
Touring the whole of Israel from north to south
allowed me to admire every aspect of the
country, from the Kinneret in the north, all the
way down to the Negev Desert in the south. Our
Israeli guide taught us the history behind every
place we visited and helped us appreciate how
beautiful and culture-rich Israel is.
As a group we were able to volunteer
at a few places too. For example, we
worked with children at a multi-faith
summer camp. We also helped in the
arduous task of clearing a path around
the Kinneret by cutting through bushes
with machetes! Through volunteering,
we had been given the chance to give
something back to Israel.
Other memories of the tour that stand
out for me are snorkelling in the Red Sea,
rafting down the Jordan River, sleeping in
large tents the night before climbing Mount
Masada and riding camels in the Negev Desert.
These experiences will stay with me for ever.
My first time in Israel was a month I will never
forget. I am so grateful to LJY Netzer for helping
to organise this tour and I hope many other
people will be able to tour Israel with the LJY
community.
‘Snorkelling in the Red Sea
,
rafting down the Jordan…
riding camels in the Negev
…’
9
‘If we can sit together and talk after what
we have been through, anyone can do it…’
In Hibbat Tsion, a rural village
in the middle of Israel, retired
maths teacher Tsurit Sarig
plays host to a visitor from
beyond the barrier – Aisha
Khateeb, a teacher from
Nablus on the West Bank.
The violent death of a child has been all too common
in the Middle East. Peter Singer speaks to two of the
bereaved Palestinian and Israeli families who have
channeled their grief and anger into a campaign for
reconciliation rather than revenge
The two women have been
thrown together by shared
grief. Aisha’s younger brother
Mahmoud was shot in the
chest by an Israeli soldier, and
took ten years to die; Tsurit’s
22-year-old son Guy was killed
by a sniper while serving in the
Israeli army.
Now they work together as
members of the Parents CircleFamilies Forum, 600 Israelis
and Palestinians who have all
lost loved ones in the decades
of Middle East violence and
who campaign for peace and
reconciliation between their
communities.
Aisha says: ‘What we are
doing together is a first step
towards a better future. When
Tsurit came to visit me in
Nablus, she was the first Jew
to come to my family’s house
for 44 years. All my family
came round and wanted to
talk with her. She is one of us
– she’s not like a foreigner
coming to our house.
‘It’s not something
complicated… Knowing each
other, breaking the ice, getting
away from the traditional
ideas which we learnt from
10
Two families united in hope: breaking down the barriers to
understanding, and escaping the cycle of violence
our parents and their parents.
‘I can understand Tsurit’s
suffering. I can understand
how she feels when she talks
about her son, because I am a
mother. Nothing is more
precious than our children.
Even if you had 100 children
you wouldn’t want to lose one.
‘Tsurit and I are looking at the
future of our children. We
don’t want them to have the
same kind of experience we
have suffered.’
Tsurit adds: ‘Its very important
for me to know that there are
Palestinians who are against
violence and wars, who want
what I want – to live in peace,
side by side, not one above the
other. On both sides, in Israel
and Palestine, there are people
who imagine they can live here
without the other nation, that
somehow the others will
vanish. But I don’t see life this
way: it’s not logical.
‘When Aisha and I work
together we see that there are
people to talk with, who want
to be our partners in this work.
It’s very slow, difficult work and
some people don’t approve.
But as we say in our lectures, if
we can sit together and talk
after what we have been
through, anyone can do it; and
the politicians should do it until
they come up with a result.
‘Aisha and I are good friends,
but we don’t have to share
the same opinions about
everything. Last time we met
at the women’s group I spoke
about Israeli youngsters going
into the army. I said they have
to, it’s an obligation. This
doesn’t mean I support the
occupation. It was very difficult
for Aisha to hear me say this.
But we try to talk about it.
‘When I first came to her
parents’ house in Nablus they
didn’t know anything about
me, about the project or
anything. The most touching
part of my visit was simply to
sit with Aisha’s mother.
Although we could barely
communicate, I could feel her
empathy. She said she wanted
to come here and visit my
home in Hibbat Tsion.’
Aisha intervenes: ‘She asked
me to bring her here – and I
will. I’d really like to bring her
and I’ll ask some friends too.’
Aisha says one of the big
benefits of working in the
Families Forum is that she no
longer worries so much about
the safety of her six children.
Before the family was involved
in the Forum, she says, her
sons used to throw stones at
Israeli soldiers. But no longer.
‘They have a lot of very good
Israeli friends now and they
don’t believe in fighting with
Israelis. They would always try
to find another solution, by
talking rather than by fighting,
because they don’t want to
lose one of their friends.
‘For me it’s great – I can be
sure my children are going to
be OK. Maybe they will have
some other kind of accident,
but at least I know they won’t
be blowing themselves up.’
The Parents Circle-Families Forum runs a variety of projects
to bring bereaved Israelis and Palestinians together: among
them the ‘narrative project’ in which they recount their
contrasting versions of history; joint visits to Yad Vashem
(the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem) and to destroyed
Arab villages; lectures in schools; and summer camps
where Israeli and Palestinian teenagers can mix and get to
know one another as individuals, rather than as stereotypes.
■ A fundraising dinner in support of the courageous work
of the Families Forum is being held at the LJS on Sunday
10th November. It is being catered by top chef Mark Jankel,
founder of Street Kitchen, who is creating a special menu
of Palestinian and Israeli-themed food for the event. If you
would consider joining a table of other LJS members at the
dinner, please email hgoldenberg@btinternet.com
Read more about the Forum at www.familiesforum.co.uk
Give some
thought to
the future
Have you thought about
leaving a legacy to the LJS?
Without those vital legacies
the LJS would not provide all it
does in prayer, learning and
support. It is a really valuable
way to maintain the
community into the future.
Your gift will make a real
difference to sustain the
synagogue and all its activities.
Recent legacies received have
been put into music,
education, and community
care initiatives and have also
meant that buildings both at
the synagogue and cemetery
have been upgraded.
We promise that your legacy
will be spent thoughtfully and
make an important difference
to what matters to you, your
family and friends. You can
also let us know if you have
any particular ideas on what
you would like your legacy to
support.
If you would like to speak to
someone about remembering
the synagogue in your Will,
feel free to approach any of
the Honorary Officers, Michael
Hart, Sue Head, Barbara Fidler
or Eric Blaire. If you want
advice about a legacy written
into your Will, Ellen Schmidt,
our Honorary Solicitor, is
happy to be contacted in
confidence.
11
Perfect day
in Worthing
On a perfect summer Sunday
40 members and helpers of
the Out & About club went on
their annual outing to
Worthing (right).
They were joined by Fred and
Marcia Shelley as well as Frank
Daly, on his 21st outing, and
Mick Daly, who kindly drove
one of the buses for us.
We enjoyed a delicious lunch
at the Chatsworth Hotel
followed by tea and plenty of
ice creams on the promenade
before the journey home.
Two days later the club held a
Bring and Buy sale which
raised £262 towards the cost
of transport and the five large
bags of clothes left over were
kindly taken to a charity shop
by Mark Kaye.
12
Gypsy and klezmer music at the LJS
A concert will be held at the
LJS at 16.00 on 24th
November in memory of Bob
Schuck, clarinettist, pianist
and teacher. The concert will
reflect some of Bob’s interests,
including gypsy and klezmer
music.
All LJS members are invited
to attend. Admission will be
free but contributions to the
Musician’s Benevolent Fund
will be welcomed.
There will be refreshments in
the Montefiore Hall following
the concert.
If you would like to attend,
please phone Caroline Schuck,
Bob’s sister, on 020 7722
2114 or 07972 480433.
LJS BOOK CLUB
The Book Club meets at 19.00 on Thursday
3rd October to discuss Illuminations, a novel
by Eva Hoffman.
[\
NOSH ’N’ DROSH
Following the success of our first Nosh ’n’
Drosh in July, we are repeating the event on
Saturday 5th October and Saturday 21st
December. Please join the congregation after
the kiddush for a light lunch (which has been
kindly donated) in the Montefiore Hall. Everyone
is welcome. Lunch will be at 13.00, followed by
a short talk.
[\
BRIDGE CLUB
meets on Mondays from 14.00-17.00 in
the Assembly Hall upstairs at the LJS.
The club is much enjoyed by its members.
Anyone with any knowledge of the game is
most welcome. There is a friendly
atmosphere and helpful suggestions. The
cost is £2 (including tea or coffee).
[\
SUPPER QUIZ
On Sunday 6th October at 19.00 the Out and
About Club is presenting a supper quiz to raise
funds for transport. Tickets (£17.50 each) can
be booked by calling 020 7286 5181 or
emailing jennifer.nathan@care4free.net.
[\
RESTAURANT TUESDAY
Our August lunch was sponsored anonymously
and was enjoyed by all. Very many thanks to
the generous donor.
Our next lunch is on Tuesday 15th October
when we hope to see all our regulars as well as
some new faces who will be assured of a warm
welcome.
We urgently need a couple of additional drivers
for the minibus, which brings some of our
guests to the lunch. With a full complement
of drivers, turns come around twice in six
months and the meal is complimentary! Do
please give this serious consideration – it
really is a great mitzvah. If you can help,
please ring Ann Kirk on 01923 821923.
Our Community
Events for your diary
[\
TEA PLUS VIDEO
Our film afternoon is Wednesday. Soup is
served from 13.00 and the film starts at
about 13.45 or 14.00. Tea is served after the
film.
The suggested donation for refreshments is £2.
23rd October – Guys and Dolls
27th November – Cinderella (ballet)
There is no meeting in December.
[\
KEEP IN TOUCH
The next tea party will be at Purim next year –
on 16th March. Meanwhile KIT continues its
work on behalf of our more frail members.
[\
WORLD WITHOUT BORDERS
Wissam Boustani, professor of flute at the Royal
Northern College of Music and a player of
international reputation, will be playing a solo
flute piece he has composed at a dinner in the
LJS on Sunday 10th November.
It is about his vision of a world without borders.
Boustani (below), who was born in Lebanon to
Palestinian parents, is a supporter and former
patron of Friends of
the Bereaved
Families Forum, the
group which is
organising the
fund-raiser (see
more details of the
dinner on page 11).
13
Young LJS
We wish these young
members of the LJS a
very happy birthday in
October:
Raphael Abib
George Buck
Gabriella Cohen
Harry Delew
Katie Delew
Katherine Falk
Asher Finkletaub-Ageh
Eve Hallgarten
Nysa Harrowell Daniels
Benjamin Hyman
Michael Josefs
Lukas Klein Wassink
Freya Lefebvre Sell
Toby Levitt
James Milne
Lawrence Perry
Rachel Posner
Helen Roth
Geronimo Salem
Anna Scheer
Anna Shell
Michael Sokel
Eve Spearman-Walters
Olivia Teacher
is moving towards completion of the next phase.
We have 14 junior and adult
workshop meeting dates set
between September and
December, both at the LJS and
also at private homes in and
around London.
There must be one near you!
Come and contribute a few
stitches – or why not enjoy
making your own canvas?
ALL are welcome on any date.
For more details, contact
Jane Finestone or Rita Adler:
email seatscape@ljs.org
or phone 020 7286 5181.
TINY TOTS at the LJS
© Dawn Hudson/Fotolia.com
Do you have
little ones
aged between
0 and 4?
Please bring them to the LJS on Shabbat mornings for a delightful
session of songs, stories, drawing and kiddush:
5th October • 19th October
9th November • 16th November
Activities for tiny ones with their parents, grandparents and carers.
The nursery is available every Shabbat for children to play or read
Please email education@ljs.org to be added to the Tiny Tots circulation list
14
First floor
leaps into
21st
century
with a
hi-tech
upgrade
The first floor refurbishments
at the LJS were completed
during the summer thanks to
the donations made to the
Rabbi John Rayner/Centenary
Appeal fund.
You are invited to mark
the 75th Anniversary of
Kristallnacht at a
Special Service
of Remembrance
and
Commemoration
at 18.30 on Saturday
9th November
Apart from fresh decorations
and new carpets, users will
notice the transformation of
the robing room into a
volunteers’ room, installation
of a state of the art interactive
whiteboard in the Mattuck
Room, an integral screen and
projector in the Assembly Hall,
information screens provided
in both the downstairs and
upstairs foyers and a drinks
station in the upstairs foyer
area with a drinking fountain
and a cupboard for hot drinks.
Less visible but equally
important are the updating of
the air conditioning, heating
Above: Head teacher
Dov Softi shows off the new
technology in the Mattuck
Room to a group of Rimon
School teachers.
and sound systems in the
Mattuck and Assembly Rooms.
In addition, Classroom 1 has
been redecorated using funds
raised at the Summer Soirée.
Many thanks to Tony Weiss,
chair of the Buildings and
Facilities committee, who led
on this development, assisted
by Gordon Higgot and David
Lazarus.
Caroline Bach
featuring the LJS Choir,
directed by
Cathy Heller-Jones
Organist: Tim Farrell
Cellist: Andrea Hess
Readers will include
witnesses of Kristallnacht
in 1938
The LJS in conjunction with
the Association of Jewish Refugees
Right: A teacher
training session
in progress
beneath the
pensive portrait
of Rabbi John
Rayner.
15
Montefiore display
will illustrate 3Ms
An exhibition of copies of portraits –
paintings, photos and a bust – of Claude
Montefiore, the first LJS President, will be
displayed in and around the rear foyer from
12th November until 16th December.
It will illustrate a session about the ‘Three
Ms’ – Claude Montefiore, Lily Montagu and
Israel Mattuck (the first minister of the LJS) –
at the Shabbaton on 16th November.
Some of Montefiore’s publications will also
be on display.
■ Portrait of Montefiore in the robes of a
Doctor of Divinity reproduced by permission
of the Froebel Trust.
Come and join in on Mitzvah Day
Every year on Mitzvah Day
more than 25,000 people say
‘yes’ to social action and
giving, spreading goodness,
repairing the broken and
making this world a better
place. Now a well-anticipated
focal point in British Jewry’s
annual calendar, Mitzvah Day
galvanises participants to
donate their time and energy
to a range of vital causes that
make a real difference to those
in need around the world.
Mitzvah Day’s hundreds of
social action initiatives are
underpinned by our mission to
reduce hardship and poverty,
care for our environment and
give a little joy. We bring these
Jewish values alive by creating
opportunities and partnerships
that put them to work.
16
How can you participate?
❶ For the past few years, the
LJS has occupied a space
outside Sainsbury’s at the O2
Centre on Finchley Road. From
10.30 on Sunday 17th
November, volunteers will
gather just inside the sliding
doors that lead out to the car
park to collect food, toiletries,
dried goods from shoppers for
Doorstep Homeless Families
Project in West Hampstead.
This centre has lost all its
funding from Camden so
urgent help is needed not only
on Mitzvah Day but all the year
round. We are having a special
push on 17th November.
❷ At the LJS, the Kabbalat
Torah classes will be collecting
designer and very good quality
second hand clothes for World
Jewish Relief to sell and raise
funds for impoverished
communities in Ukraine,
Moldova, Russia and Belarus.
Please bring your goods,
which must be in excellent
condition, to the LJS on 17th
November between 10.00 and
12.30 where the KT class will
be glad to receive them, pack
them and pass them on to
WJR.