Shofar Dec 22-Jan 23

FPS

tamara joseph : chair

paula kinchin smith : hon sec

james levy sharon michael

beverly kafka : vice chair

gordon greenfield

margot katz

paul silver mayer : president

roy balint kurti : treasurer

sam king

lesley urbach

the magazine of finchley progressive synagogue

From the Rabbi

It seems an extraordinary feat that next month will be our synagogue’s 70th anniversary year. That is 70 years of working as a community, caring for each other and drawing new folk in. Paul Silver -Myer tells me as does Sheila and Lionel that young folk were asked to go to Finchley Liberal when they moved up to North London. And slowly the synagogue community grew and then Hutton Grove, our building was built. I imagine we might be unusual as a congregation that has had just four rabbis. I believe no 1 stayed a very short time and influenced less-a sort of Liz Truss premiership.

The theme this double edition is Renew, Recycle and Rededicate. In line with Chanukah and its invitation to dedicate - that’s what Chanukah is about the re-dedication of the Temple-and for us now as we prepare to light candles a continual re-dedciation of our synagogue and our Jewish life. Objects, buildings and memories are constantly renewed and having the opportunity to consider them is a gift. I have loved reading Andrea Collett’s piece about the Mitzvah plate in her family and the ways her mother re-dedicated it every year with family details. I feel the same about the Chanukaiah we light in our family, handed down to my mother by her grandmother. And now for us the blessing cards and colourful serviettes that accompany its lighting every year. Last year to my surprise and pleasure Ruben lit candles with his non Jewish flat mates in their tiny kitchen in Glasgow Uni and ate the chocolate coins and frozen latkes I had sent him. The ritual recycled again.

Cover: 20222023 FPS Council Members

rabbi rebecca birk

This year I am excited for us at FPS. Our building tells our story. Its modesty and simplicity captures who we are-we always say its the connections and the people inside who matter more. But this year it’s become apparent our building needs some love, care and refurbishment. And we are gearing up for that because it will take energy, involvement and help from us all.

This Chanukah we will re-dedicate ourselves as we always do but for our building as wellit will be exciting for us and a source of pride to raise it up, improve it for us and the next generations and enable us to care for it and us.

We have much to celebrate of these past 70 years and much to look forward to-I hope you can join us for a special Chanukah celebration this year on the 1st night 5.00pm 18 December. Please bring your Chanukiah.

From the Chair

A s we move towards midwinter, it feels natural to take refuge from the dark and the cold by hunkering down. We withdraw into our private space. We have time for reflection about the year that is past and the year that is to come. Many major religions have festivals of lights. We’re drawn to stories of miracles, of hopes for the future. It’s a time for planning ahead for how to bring into being the future we want to see. (I’m surrounded by seed catalogues!)

Counter to our instinct to hibernate and turn inwards we are also drawn to come together at this time of year, to celebrate and to cement our relationships with festive games, food and gifts. Family and community take centre stage. Chanukah is the story of a miracle that could only occur after we’d already made the commitment and worked together as a community to prepare for it.

At FPS, as we prepare to enter our 70th anniversary year, we’re not only at the turn of the year but the turn of another, longer cycle. We’re so grateful to all those who built and shaped and sustained this community through its first 70 years. This Chanukah, we prepare to take our turn, to rededicate OUR temple, and to make our own synagogue building a fit habitation not only for our community life but also for the divine.

What is the future you plan for and dream of for FPS? How can plan effectively to bring that future into being? How can we best rededicate our building and sustain and support the future flourishing of our community?

tamara joseph

Among the other rituals of this time of year, it’s the time when council approves our budget for the year to come. Most of our income comes from your membership subscriptions, but we need other sources of income in order to flourish. We are so grateful to all of you for all of the different ways that you contribute to the synagogue, but I want to take this opportunity to ask you to consider planning ahead to contribute to the future of FPS by leaving the synagogue a gift in your will. Whether you elect to leave the synagogue a specific amount, to contribute to or establish a specific project or fund, or to give a particular book or artwork or other object to the synagogue, any gift, large or small, will make a difference and help to contribute to the future flourishing of your community. If you need help or more information, then Rebecca, our treasurer Roy Balint-Kurti or I would be very happy to discuss this with you in complete confidence and with no obligation. Make this Chanukah the time that you leave a gift in your will to FPS.

A s a child, I was given a tiny (but entirely usable) chanukiah by my grandma. Last week, I asked my dad where it came from; he shrugged “It might have been mine. It might have been from Israel…I don’t know”. And with that, my plan to write an article about it was ruined!

privilege and safety before you start taking the micky of the language… How lucky I am to inherit that.

Instead, it is my family’s habits and mannerisms, that I seem to have inherited most plainly. Our love of puns and word play; my mum once went to a fancy dress party as a fishmonger with the following items on a tray:

And finally, I have (somewhat unwillingly) inherited a wonky nose. I try to avoid taking photos that highlight this irritating defect – but just for you, I took one to enable you to see the family resemblance(!)

One of the reasons I love my job is that I get to see these similarities in other families. I can trace the determination, the creativity, or the humour as I meet and teach and work and learn and celebrate with many generations. And now you can trace my nose…

I’ve gladly received our (playful) joy of pedantry and grammar (you’re right, it is a dieresis over the ‘e’ in my name), and our willingness to have nonsense conversations with some conviction! One Purim, we dressed as ‘Eats, Shoots and Leaves’ in both senses of each word.

I have just this minute wondered whether this very British humour comes from the fact that I am a very British Jew. I don’t mean to insinuate that 1st or 2nd generation refugees aren’t British. Just that it’s (relatively) unusual to have five generations of Mancunian Jews. I wonder whether you need to have a sense of

Zoe at Rainbow Centre Mitzvah Day. More photos on

Notice Board

café de olla recipe

My mother, an espresso drinker, if of the opinion that “café de olla” (pot coffee), should not be considered real coffee. I agree with her, however, I also think that it does not take anything away from this comforting drink. Lighter than hot chocolate but stronger than a cup of tea, is the perfect breakfast companion, but can also be enjoyed in the early afternoon. You can add more spices such as cloves or anise seeds that are also traditional. Don’t be tempted to reduce the amount of sugar; it is a treat, and it should be very sweet.

ingredients

4 cups of water

80 g of piloncillo/ jagger or raw cane sugar 1 stick of n Cinnamon

4 -6 Tablespoons of Dark Ground Coffee (same ground you would use for an americano)

method

1. Place the water, sugar and cinnamon in a medium pot. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved and you can smell the spices. 2. Once the water boils, add the coffee and turn the heat off. Wait for 5 minutes, strain and serve

Rededication: My Piano

‘How old was your mother when she died? How old are you now? What are you doing with your time/life/money?!’ These very challenging questions (worthy of Yom Kippur?!) were put to me by my piano teacher in February this year, when I had managed to pass my Grade 7 Piano exam and was turning my thoughts to Grade 8. It transpired that she was proposing nothing less than that I move from my flat to a house, in order to accommodate a decent acoustic piano!

I was astonished at her suggestion, not least as my arrival at Grade 7 was itself utterly unexpected, and after all, I was hardly going to make it as a concert pianist in this lifetime!

But... after two hours in a showroom with my teacher, I lost my heart to a hybrid piano (the sound is digital, but the keys have hammers, so the touch is closer to that of an acoustic piano) - specifically, to its mellow and beautiful Bösendorfer Imperial ‘voice’. The salesman didn’t need to push the fact that there was only one of that model in stock!

My new purchase arrived in May, shiny and beautiful, and I invited some friends - and of course, my piano teacher - to share a bottle of champagne to welcome it in.

I don’t know whether this very extravagant purchase was justified, or what my late parents (who effectively funded it) would have made of it. I know that I am unlikely to make spectacular further progress in my playing. But just the sound of those (particularly, bass) notes is an inexhaustible source of wonder and delight, whether or not practice of my Grade 8 Bach, Poulenc and Bartok pieces is going to plan!

For a few mad moments I actually looked at a property website (I am a very compliant student), before realising that maybe some compromise would be more sensible. Perhaps there were slightly better keyboards than my basic digital model that could still be silenced by the plugging in of headphones to protect my neighbours. I started to do some research, visiting piano showrooms, and discovering acoustic pianos, digital pianos, hybrid pianos, silent pianos... all the while telling myself that I was ‘just looking’.

A reflection... I’d always understood that it was wrong to become overly attached to physical possessions, and did not worry unduly about anything I owned when friends stayed in my flat while I was out of London during the various lockdowns. But when guests came to stay while I was away this summer, I found myself seized with anxiety lest they touch my beloved piano! (I suppose this is the reverse of spiritual progress... oh dear!)

Rededication: Notes from my Mother

Very gradually, after my mother died, I learnt how to manage her absence and the loneliness I felt. I missed the telling, the talking, the laughing, the advice and the sharing. I could hear her voice in mine, in the voices of my children and in the way my inner voice gradually combined with hers.

And then we were given a precious and unexpected gift. It was the second year after she had died, as I prepared for the family Seder (I had not felt able to make a Seder the first year). I gathered her familiar Pesach items, tablecloth, Seder plate, candlesticks, and then remembered a box labelled ‘Matzo Plate’ which I had placed on a top shelf. Inside was an old

familiar decorated plate and a three-layered embroidered matzo cover which I lifted out ready to wash for the table.

There, tucked underneath, I found an unexpected collection of notes in my mother’s distinctive handwriting, lovingly written as personal memoirs after each Seder Night going back several years. They were snapshots of family Seders through the years, each note highlighting something she had found particularly pertinent that year, describing

andrea collett

something I or my brother had said or read, something she loved about a grandchild’s response, participation and understanding, and above all her deep appreciation of the family being together. She noted if anyone was away, who was particularly attentive or helpful, and her descriptions of all of us were totally and extremely complimentary, she saw us all as ‘clever’ ‘inspiring’ ‘handsome’ ‘beautiful’ ‘interesting’ ‘funny’ as only a loving mother and grandmother can.

Each year her note ended with the wish that next year would be the same and that we would be ‘always together’. The toddlers and teenagers she described in the notes are adults now. And as we re-read them each year they bring her unconditional love and her precious voice to our Seder and to our lives.

Rededication: My Menorah

Every year I break the same promise, to never again use Chanukah candles in my menorah. Every year I take out the brittle sticks from a box so brightly coloured it might be mistaken for a packet of sweets, light a match and solder the base of each candle into its cup. Then, my daughter Annie lights the other ends and we all sing Maoz Tzur.

As the molten wax pools into the base of each bowl I think of how it might have been; how if I had taken the time to buy a little oil and thread wicks into the delicate tubes welded into each of the menorah’s nine cups, it would be blazing away just as it had in the home of my great grandmother whose face it must have lit even before she arrived in Manchester

She had come from Poland when she was 18 with the menorah in a bag, a couple of children in her arms and another one, my grandfather Joe, on the way. She gave birth to him in 1901. Her name was Tseryl, though the spelling is pure guesswork. She was one of the three daughters of Mariam and Israel Feldchaim who, for some reason or other, changed his name to HaCohen

In Poland Tseryl had lived in Zuromin in Plotz Givorny in the County of Plock where Jews had lived since the end of the 13th century. By the 19th century their number was 1,932 according to research conducted by my late father David, Tseryl’s grandson. By the mid 19th century the now 10,000 Jews of Plotz Givorny had established textile factories and were out of the eight street ghetto in which Jews were once confined.

Tseryl had left by the time the Germans arrived in 1939 forcing the Jews back into the ghetto, later deporting the elderly and unwell Jews to camps and executing another 180

because the ghetto authorities had protested about the deportations. By the time the Jews of Plotz Givorny were liquidated in deportations on February 20 and 28, 1941 Tseryl was living in Crumpsall. Although her English was sparse and she could hardly make herself understood, except to her children, she had a surpassing ability as a cook and so was able to make a living.

My father remembered her husband as a stubbled old man who smoked, coughed, spat and died when David was too small to be anything but subdued and dismayed in his grandfather’s presence. However a photograph was proof that Tseryl’s husband, whose name I have forgotten, was once a handsome, moustached young man in the Imperial Army of the Tsar. It was said Tseryl married him because any Jew who had survived conscription in the Russian Imperial Army with his health unwrecked and his spirit unbroken was a catch.

All this, or at least much of it, would have been witnessed by the menorah that shares a mantlepiece with occasional birthday and Chanukah cards, patiently waiting for its oil and wicks. Maybe this year.

john nathan

Beit Tefillah

services - december / kislev through to tevet

Tues 29 November

Fri 2 December 8.30am: Morning Meditation

shabbat services at fps

Friday 2 December 6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat with guest Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman, led by Rabbi Rebecca & Dean Staker

Saturday 3 December 11.00am Shabbat B’yachad led by Rabbi Rebecca, Dean Staker, Franklyn Gellnick & the Ivriah team celebrating the baby blessing of Leni-Ela Rebuck

Tues 6-Fri 9 December 8.30am: Morning Meditation

Friday 9 December 6.30pm: Kabbalat Shabbat, led by Rabbi Rebecca & Natasha Kafka, with BSL interpreter Vicki Ashmore

Saturday 10 December 11.00am Shabbat Morning, led by Rabbi Rebecca & Natasha Kafka, with guest sermon by Rabbi Sybil Sheridan, kiddush hosted by Valerie & Howard Joseph on their wedding anniversary

Tues 13-Fri 16 December 8.30am: Morning Meditation

Friday 16 December 6.30pm Shabbat Resouled led by Rabbi Rebecca, Dean Staker & the Resouled Band

Saturday 17 December 11.00am Shabbat Morning, led by Rabbi Rebecca, Dean Staker & Franklyn Gellnick, celebrating the Bar Mitzvah of Sam Balint-Kurti

Sun 18-Sun 25 December Chanukah - see p14 for details

Tues 20-Fri 23 December 8.30am: Morning Meditation

Friday 23 December 6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service led by Rabbi Rebecca & Dean Staker

Saturday 24 December 11.00am Shabbat Morning, led by Rabbi Rebecca, Dean Staker & Franklyn Gellnick

Tues 27-Wed 30 Dec. 8.30am: Morning Meditation

Friday 30 December 6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service Kabbalat Shabbat, led by Beverley Kafka followed by Community Friday Night Dinner

Saturday 31 December 11.00am Shabbat Morning led by Lay Leaders

Beit Tefillah

services - january / tevet through to shevat

Tues 3-Fri 6 January 8.30am: Morning Meditation

shabbat services at fps

Friday 6 January 6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat led by Rabbi Rebecca & Natasha Kafka

Saturday 7 January 11.00am Shabbat B’yachad, led by Rabbi Rebecca, Natasha Kafka & the Ivriah team, with Etan Rabbett’s Bar Mitzvah kiddush

Tues 10-Fri 13 January 8.30am: Morning Meditation

Friday 13 January 6.30pm: Inclusive Kabbalat Shabbat, led by Rabbi Rebecca & Dean Staker, with Makaton signing

Saturday 14 January 11.00am Shabbat Morning, led by Rabbi Rebecca & Dean Staker

Tues 17-Fri 20 January 8.30am: Morning Meditation

Friday 20 January 6.30pm Shabbat Resouled, led by Dean Staker & the Resouled Band, Mental Health Awareness Shabbat

Saturday 21 January 11.00am Shabbat Morning, led by Rabbi Rebecca, Dean Staker & Franklyn Gellnick

Tues 24-Fri 27 January 8.30am: Morning Meditation

Friday 27 January 6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat, led by Rabbi Rebecca & Dean Staker, followed by community Friday Night Dinner

Saturday 28 January 11.00am Shabbat Morning Civic Service, led by Rabbi Rebecca, Dean Staker and Franklyn Gellnick, celebrating FPS’ 70th year

Beit Midrash

Rabbi Rebecca Interviews...

What time do you get up? I get up between 5.30-6am and take Charlie for a business walk. I then come back to drop Charlie off. If Josie wasn’t awake when I left the first thing I do is to bring her a cup of coffee.

What about exercise? I leave for my power walk of four miles by 6.45/7am, after which I return to take Charlie for his leisurely walk. He is allowed to take me where he wants-he knows the streets well and I read my book while he leads me on his lead. So far I haven’t walked into a lamppost or tripped over. We end up sometimes in the park and sometimes not. His favourite sentence is; “Shall we go for a walk”

Who is Charlie? Charlie is Josie and my dog. We acquired him in 2014 on 31st October. He is our child, he sleeps in our bedroom and we are anticipating a separation crisis when we leave him with his dog sitter. All our holidays are usually at dog friendly hotels or cottages, and if we can he accompanies us to restaurants. He has changed my attitude to animals. He is an animal with feelings and it’s making me think differently about rearing of all animals and their personalities.

When and how did you and Josie meet? We met in 1996, we were probably one of the first Internet couples on Compuserve. We married in 1998 here at FPS with Rabbis Danny Rich and Frank Hellner being the two rabbis who married us. And of course we had an extra blessing in Israel at my brother Danny’s home with Rabbi Mickey Boyden. And from then we have combined our families. We have three daughters between us Paula, Tracy and Joanna, three son-in-laws Alex, Steve and Craig and grandchildren Jacob, Asher, Theo, Olivia, David and Levi.

What do you read when you are walking Charlie? I am usually reading Hebrew novels or sometimes I bring my Aramaic to study. One of the last books was Let it be Morning by Sayid Kashua a Palestinian Israeli who writes in Hebrew. He has a wonderful sense of irony when he writes and uses his humour to meet his situation head on. I saw him speaking at Jewish Book Week and I was impressed how he coped with dissent and challenge from an audience member.

What’s your favourite thing to do in any spare time in the day? In my spare time I am translating Rachel Elior’s book on the Dead Sea Scrolls in fact next week I will be visiting Israeli family with Josie and will see her art exhibition on the Dybbuk at the Hebrew University and she’s invited me to her home afterwards.

Are you retired? I am attending a class in Aramaic at Leo Baeck College because I retired from my role as Information Security Manager for Stephens and Harwood 2018 and now my life is even busier with study and teaching. I love Aramic taught by Dr Laliv Cleinmann, she is

John Rubinstein

a superb teacher and next semester in January I will take Beyond the Canon with Dr Sandra Jacobs which will focus on the Apocrypha, Dead Sea Scrolls and all that is outside the Biblical Canon.

Lunch? I don’t eat before 2pm as part of my Intermittent Fasting and then I eat possibly a 4 egg cheese omelette followed by greek yoghurt with blueberries. Occasionally I will have a salad. I eat no carbs.

And your afternoons? Between 4pm & 6pm I teach my B’nei Mitzvah students. For thirteen years I have taught B’nei Mitzvah. My first was Jonty Leibowitz the his brother Gideon. Then I told everyone I was waiting for my grandson Jacob until Rebecca persuaded cajoled entreated me to teach Ruben and after that I taught more and more FPS kids. I think I

have prepared over 60 now. I didn’t anticipate I would be such a regular attender at FPS because now I teach every Shabbat morning at Ivriah and I confess the KT students often ask me back to be involved in their services when they graduate. I didn’t expect this.

And how does your day finish? Once I finish my last student I return home. Sometimes I drive the students home if they have come to me or I am driving home from their houses, Josie and I have dinner, which she cooks, and now of course Helen our Ukrainian guests joins us too. She’s been with us 6 months and will probably stay for another six. Afterwards we might watch TV it might be University Challenge or Vera if I can be pulled away from my books. And then of course I am up again early the next morning.

Photo (by Manon Ouimet): John and Josie, with Charlie

Chanukah at FPS

FPS People’s Page

Home is where...

Shabbat is shared.

At Jewish Care, we know what’s important to you and your loved ones. It’s not just the very best level of care in a warm and loving environment. It’s the Jewish care. The values, sense of community and traditions that are so important to you and are no less important to us too. Home is where you live. Home is where we care. To find out more, please call 020 8922 2222, email LWJC@jcare.org or visit jewishcare.org

care homes • retirement living •

people

mazal tov to Carol Caplan on the birth of grandson Nathaniel Arav Louis Caplan, son to Zev & Nikki Caplan; Curtis Epstein Richmond who is the trampolining English Youth Champion for his age group; Eddie Hirsch who finished his training for the Israeli Army; Ian Kafka & Sam Patterson on their engagement

welcome to new members Miriam Ariel, Diana Corbu & Daniel Porter, John Nathan & Clare Allfree mazel tov on special birthdays Rachel Balint-Kurti, Penny Brailsford, Andrew Cowen, Renato Fantoni, Rita Gilbert, Paul Grossmith-Dwek, Josef Law, Robert Levy, Shaun Mcdonagh, Janina Moutia-Bloom, Jane Rosenberg, Jon Stubbings

& special wedding anniversaries Linda & Leon Gevertz, Howard & Valerie Joseph, Anna & James Levy

Generation 2 Generation

FPS member Susanna Rosenberg’s father had just turned 6 when he and his 11 year old brother were hidden in Arrou in Occupied France after both their parents were deported to Auschwitz in 1942 where they were murdered. Susanna is preparing to tell her family story her father’s family story with the Holocaust education charity Generation 2 Generation, also known as G2G. Susanna uses excerpts from an interview her uncle gave and from her father’s memoirs.

I am delighted that G2G has been chosen as the synagogue’s Jewish charity. G2G provides trained speakers to tell their family Holocaust stories integrating eyewitness survivor testimony and family artefacts free of charge.

Speakers are children or grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, and in some cases close family friends. Our object is to ensure the lessons of the Holocaust are learned and to promote tolerance and understanding of all groups in society. Our speakers tell their family story to audiences of ages ranging from 10 to their 90s in a variety of organisations.

“The presentation was really good and I have received lots of excellent feedback.” CPS Midlands.

Susanna is being mentored by FPS member and G2G trustee and speaker, Lesley Urbach. Her 16 year old mother and 13 year old aunt (Ulli) arrived in Britain on the Kindertransport on the 15 December 1938. Their parents were murdered at Auschwitz. As well as using interviews given by her mother and aunt, Lesley includes her aunt’s teenage diary and letters sent by her grandparents from Germany.

“ I liked the stories told from the videos that were personal and I learned that we should consider how we feel about refugees and how we treat them.” Year 9 student , Birmingham

How can you help G2G?

lesley urbach

1. By recommending us to organisations who would benefit from a speaker to tell their Holocaust family story throughout the year. Booking form www.generation2generation. org.uk/book-a-speaker/

2. By offering your skills and expertise to G2G. We are delighted FPS member, Mandy Carr has helped some of our speakers improve their presentation skills.

3. We welcome young people to help us assess our new presentations or with our social media. Thank you to everyone who donated to the HHD Appeal. Donations are helpful and always welcome. We hold monthly on-line events: www.generation2generation.org.uk/news/ events/

For more information contact Lesley bookings@generation2generation.org.uk

Susanna’s father and uncle, and her grandmother

Lesley’s mother and aunt with their parents 1938

Board of Deputies Report

My report for Shofar’s November 2022 issue regrettably missed being issued, but was attached to our congregants’ weekly e-mail for the week ahead- Shabbat 4th and 5th November. You will no doubt remember the late PM, Harold Wilson’s frequently quoted aphorism that, ‘a week is a long time in politics.’

During the turmoil of the last 3 months, ‘they’ are saying that nowadays, a day is even longer than a week used to be in politics.

I described the many questions raised by the Deputies at the last Plenary session in mid October to the President on her public statement to the Conservative Friend’s of Israel Group at the Conservative’s annual conference, supporting the proposed move of the UK embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. I quoted from a letter sent by a member of our congregation to the President, Marie Van der Zyl criticising her statement given at the conference. Many Deputies raised the same issue at the last Plenary, particularly complaining that the matter had not been discussed by the Deputies in the Plenary beforehand and thus they had not been given the opportunity to express views or voted for it in the terms of the President’s public stance, or at all.

Since then, we have had a change of Prime Minister. I understand that he has shelved the proposed move of the UK embassy to Jerusalem during the remainder of this government’s term of office.

The Family Law Group of the Board on which I sit postponed its meeting due to take place on Monday 7th November as we had only 2 current topics to discuss both of which depended on some progress from Parliamentarians, which have been frustrated as follow:

‘The All Party Parliamentary Group on Get Refusal’

Having spoken to Tracey Allen, Advisor to Jon Mendelsohn, it is difficult for him to arrange meetings as he does not currently have a PA. There has been no progress on the APPG’s work so far, and they will let us know as soon as there is.

The British Bill of Rights Bill

With Dominic Raab back as Justice Minister, and the new Prime Minister emphasising implementing the 2019 Manifesto, the British Bill of Rights Bill would appear to be back on the agenda. I have re-requested a meeting with Dominic Raab. I note that Joanna Cherry QC, Chair of the Parliamentary Human Rights Committee has written to Dominic Raab asking if the Bill would be reintroduced, and if she has received a reply she hasn’t publicised it.’

The Family Law Group have had a question and answer session with learned counsel, Adam Wagner KC, a distinguished human rights lawyer, so far as it may affect the Jewish community. I shall keep you informed, the meeting was postponed to the first week in December and our next Plenary takes place on 27 November with more in December and January; I should have more to report for the next issue of Shofar.

from your deputy janet tresman

Rededication: My Ring

I probably shouldn’t admit this so freely, but when my partner, Greg, got down on one knee and pulled out a ring box, my first thought was: what happens if I don’t like what’s inside? And this anxiety only increased when he told me that the ring, now on my finger, had previously belonged to his maternal grandmother.

Like many women, I began fantasising about my engagement ring before I’d even had my first kiss. Of all the pieces of jewellery you own in your life, it seems to me that none is more important than your engagement ring –not just because of what it represents, but also due to the fact that you will, in theory at least, be wearing it for the rest of your life.

Bought as new in 1959 – to mark Greg’s grandparents 10th anniversary, as they couldn’t afford such an extravagance when they tied the knot – the ring had more than six decades of life before entering mine. It was there when his mum was born, when his parents got married, and when Ivy held her grandson, my fiance, for the first time.

Sadly I never had the chance to meet Ivy Joyce, but wearing her ring makes me feel connected not only to her, but to the flow of life in general. It’s no exaggeration to say that this ring is now one of, if not the, most precious thing I own. Or rather, one of the most precious things that’s currently in my possession. Because what’s so wonderful about inheriting an heirloom in this way is that it reminds you that none of us will own anything forever, that these objects can, and should, have lives beyond us.

Thankfully, as it turned out, I had no reason to worry. My ring – an elegant solitaire, with a textured yellow gold band and a diamond with more sparkle than a Channukiah on the eighth night – is to my mind, absolute perfection. And the fact that it’s also a piece of Greg’s family’s history is the icing on the cake.

According to Jewish law, we are all equal in death, which is why we’re instructed that the dead should be buried wearing plain shrouds, in simple caskets and, unlike our ancient Egyptian slave masters, without their possessions – no matter how valued they are. I hope to wear this ring for the rest of my time on earth, but when that time is over, I’d love nothing more than for it to find a new custodian who will treasure it as much as Ivy and I have.

Rededication: Cars

What objects are in my possession that have a long-term meaning? Those that bring back hidden memories, buried feelings, evocative smells or tales from before I was born?

I wish I could reveal that I had my grandfather’s war medals (my brother’s got them), my battered old 70s comics (long since lost in home moves) or my old teddies (no idea). It’d be nice to have more than the odd snapshot of long-lost loves. Even my school reports have long since bitten the dust somewhere in the ether.

What I do have though is cars. Formula 1 diecast models to be precise - Corgi, Matchbox, Dinky, Minichamps and more. Collected from about 1975 to 1982, and found in my brother’s attic after years left in a box after my parents downsized their home.

Each of them tells a story to me. The John Player Special (aka the Lotus 72) - I can still feel its shape in my child’s hands, see it duplicated on a Top Trumps card and remember devouring information about its five-year history, driven by one of my childhood heroes Ronnie Peterson. Ronnie, the ‘Superswede’, died one autumn Monday in 1978 an Italian hospital - a fatal embolism following a relatively innocuous crash the day before. A death I learned about on the front page of the Evening Standard on the way home from school, and at the time probably the first death of a public figure that I could feel genuine shock and upset about. It taught me a lot.

Then there’s the six-wheel Tyrrell P34. An unlikely-looking thing but quite successfully driven by Jody Scheckter, the man soon to be the only ever Jewish world champion and another childhood hero of mine, for obvious reasons. It was this royal blue marvel, along with the

darren beach

famous Hunt-Lauda battle in 1976, that began my youthful F1 obsession. One that all began in the waiting room at Pinn Medical Centre in late 1976, where I picked up an unwanted copy of Autosport while waiting to see the doctor and bashfully asked if I could keep it.

Both of these had long since been consigned to the ‘things I used to have’ category along with almost every other artefact of my childhood, until my brother uncovered them after a brief nostalgic conversation about random stuff. Not just those either. Models I forgot I even hadWilliams, Ferrari, Renault, Ligier - loads more. But those two were the only ones I asked him to let me take back.

I look at them and I think back to innocent days, I think back to pre-Wikipedia days when to find out more about them I would take the train to south west London to second-hand shops and browse yellowing magazines, or trawl the cheap racks at Foyles in Charing Cross Road.

The obsession lifted once I reached 16 or so, replaced by music, films and the, ahem, usual stuff. However, I’m so glad I have the physical manifestation of some of those pre-teen days.

Mitzvah Day 2022

For Mitzvah Day on Saturday 19 November we visited the Rainbow Centre, and set up numerous stalls and activities for FPS-ers and Rainbow Centre folks alike to enjoy: facepainting, badge-making, a book swap, cake decorating, pizza making, and much more!

Angela, one of our Rainbow Centre ambassadors, said: “It really was a good atmosphere and such a positive start to our relationship”. We are hoping to develop a mentoring programme in January, a meaningful homework help space, and co-run school holiday clubs.

It was fantastic to meet the volunteers and

users of the centre – and it’s not too late to join in. Please let us know if you’re:

- Aged 16-22, and interested in mentoring a younger teenager

- Involved in education, and interested in offering homework help

- A craft-lover, who might run activities for children aged 6-11.

Finally, Isaac was delighted to find a balloon announcing the date of his birth! I was equally bemused at my ability to hoard Mitzvah Day merchandise in the FPS library to enable such a moment.

valerie boyd hellner

just one man & one tweet : the frightening truth behind kanye ’ s anti semitism

On 9 October, the American singer and socialmedia personality Kayne West posted a tweet calling for “Death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE”. ‘Death con 3’ is a term used by the US military which is code for “force readiness increased above normal levels”. For non-Jews this is a tweet that can easily be scrolled past - after all, it’s just one man and just one tweet. Although being blatantly antisemitic and threatening an entire religious and ethnic group, it’s not like he is the US president (despite his frightening attempts to run). He has freedom of speech and at the end of the day doesn’t have the resources to achieve “Death con 3” on whichever group of people he has chosen to target that month.

He is only one man, and it is only one tweet. However, what happens when that tweet is shared with his 31 million Twitter followers? One of the repercussions of his ‘harmless’ tweet was a banner claiming that ‘Kayne is right about the Jews’ hung over a Los Angeles freeway. A freeway which is located only an hour and a half away from where my best friend, who is Jewish, studies at university. If you had asked me last year, I would have hoped that I would

be calling my friend to find out what fun parties she has been going to. Instead, I find myself checking whether she feels safe living in her own apartment. Kayne West is just one man tweeting whatever bigoted and antisemitic comments come to mind. However, these comments are having very real and frightening consequences.

I am aware that Kayne himself is currently incapable of condoning “Death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE” so perhaps this is a meaningless threat. However, if history has taught us anything, it’s how quickly people can blindly follow populist leaders and dangerous narratives. When instability leads to the formation of an imagined enemy, Jewish people have more often than not become the victims of racially targeted abuse. Kanye West is one man who posted one tweet. A tweet which validates antisemitic hate speech. A tweet which has already begun to indoctrinate a new generation of neo-Nazis. Now, his apparent ‘harmless’ tweet seems a bit more ominous than one may originally have thought.

Chloe Grossmith-Dwek

The list our KT students made of what they love most about FPS. Read more about John in Rebecca’s interview on pages 12-13

etan bar mitzvah

Hi, my name is Etan and I’m part of the Bar Mitzvah class. I celebrated my Bar Mitzvah in November. A few years ago, my cousin celebrated his by incorporating the whole celebration into one and all at a venue. It was a lovely way to bring family and friends together to celebrate such an important milestone and so with my parents and Rabbi Rebecca’s support, I started preparing. My mum taught me my portion in Hebrew and my dad helped with my speech. I felt that it wasn’t just my journey but my family’s journey too.

For my charity project, I decided to support SpecialEffect. Like many people my age, I love gaming. So, I thought.... why not raise money doing the thing I love. With two friends, I did a

gaming marathon in aid of the charity who use gaming to help people with physical disabilities. I was honoured to be gaming in such a positive way.

My portion was the ‘Akedah’ (the Binding) also read at Rosh Hashanah. The most dramatic and significant stories in the entire Torah.

It’s the story of ‘Abraham’s test’. Abraham, selected by God to be the founding father of a new nation of people who followed “invisible God”, Abraham is asked to sacrifice his son Isaac. A somewhat unsettling story.

Whilst it was a daunting prospect, I was proud to have done it and feel an amazing sense of achievement.

I’d like to thank Rabbi Rebecca, Zoe and John for their support and teachings and I look forward to seeing the year through with the rest of my Bar Mitzvah classmates and onto Kabbalah Torah.

sam bar mitzvah Hi I’m Sam. I live in Muswell Hill and I go to Fortismere school, where I’m a keen member of the Robotics club. Outside of school I’m really into all things tech, particularly Minecraft and I also play guitar and sing in a band. I love The Simpsons too!

My family have been members at FPS for nearly ten years, so I have worked my way up from Torah Tots through Ivriah, learning Hebrew and so much about Jewish history, culture and tradition from Rebecca, Zoe and all the wonderful teachers along the way. I am

especially indebted to John Rubenstein, who taught me my parasha. He has taught me everything I knew about Bar Mitzvahs. I’ve always appreciated his ability to debate with me, anything from how AI can learn to the ethics of ethics. Via John, I’ve learnt valuable lessons about myself and other, more random things.

For my Torah portion, I will be chanting Vayashev, from the book of Genesis, which recounts Joseph’s time in prison and his ability to interpret the dreams of the Pharoah’s baker and cup-bearer. I’m intrigued by the story of Joseph,

I’m quite nervous about my bar mitzvah, but I’m looking forward to the party afterwards!

Contacts

finchley progressive synagogue 54 Hutton Grove N12 8DR 020 8446 4063 www.fps.org facebook.com/finchleyprog

Rabbi Rebecca Birk, rabbi@fps.org

Emeritus Rabbi: Dr Frank Hellner

Community Development Manager: Zoe Jacobs, zoe@fps.org

Musicians in Residence: Franklyn Gellnick, Dean Staker

Office Manager: Caroline Bar-Gal, administrator@fps.org

executive 2022

Chair: Tamara Joseph, chair@fps.org

Vice Chair: Beverley Kafka, beverley@fps.org Treasurer: Roy Balint-Kurti, treasurer@fps.org

Honorary Secretary: Paula Kinchin-Smith, honsec@fps.org

council members Gordon Greenfield, gordon@fps.org Sam King, sam@fps.org James Levy, james@fps.org Sharon Michael, sharon@fps.org Lesley Urbach, lesley@fps.org

President: Paul Silver-Myer, paulsm@fps.org Life Presidents: Sheila King Lassman, Alan Banes

Vice Presidents: Cathy Burnstone, Renzo Fantoni, Josie Kinchin, Alex KinchinSmith, Laura Lassman, Lionel King Lassman, John Lewis, Andrea Rappoport, Joan Shopper contacts

Board of Deputies Reps: Janet Tresman, Stanley Volk

Beit Midrash (Adult Education): Adrian Lister, adrian@fps.org Beit Tefillah (Rites & Practices): Valerie Joseph, valerie@fps.org

Community Support Coordinator: Beverley Kafka, beverley@fps.org

Website Editor: Philip Karstadt, fpswebsite@fps.org

Shofar Editor: Monica Rabinowitz, shofar@fps.org

Shofar Team: Wika Dorosz & FPS Staff, shofar@fps.org

The Finchley Progressive Synagogue is a company limited by guarantee (Company No 9365956) and a registered charity (Charity No 1167285) whose registered office is 54 Hutton Grove, Finchley, London N12 8DR

Commerce House 2a Litchfield Grove London N3 2TN Tel. 020 8349 5100