February 2016
Shofar
שופר
the magazine of finchley progressive synagogue
Tu B’Shvat Seder
From the Editor pat lehner Well, Winter has well and truly arrived, and I hope you’re all wrapping up warm! My daughter sings songs about snowmen on the way to school and is delighted by the frost flowers that appear on our car windows in the morning. Yesterday we went to feed the ducks and found them slipping and sliding on an icy pond that had partially frozen. We found a quiet bit, away from the birds, and we skidded pebbles across the ice and listened to the sound it made. Is there a more magical, enchanting season when you’re five years old? How has 2016 been to you so far? During this season of cold, long nights I find our attention is drawn inwards and upwards, both metaphorically and practically, with many discussions around the dinner table about space and stars, and space travel, and Tim Peake’s adventures aboard the ISS. And we start planning our holidays, dreaming of faraway places on this planet! If this sounds like you, you might enjoy Braham’s recollections from his recent trip to Japan on page 14. 2016 also marks the 70th anniversary of the death of the most fascinating woman you might never have heard of - Eleanor Rathbone, and I very much recommend the excellent article about her life on page 12. We hope to see you on one of these wintery nights or on a bright Shabbat morning, and welcome you in our warm shul, to pass these magical days together.
Shofar is always interested in including photos of FPS member, either at synagogue events, with their families or on their travels near and far. Please remember to send them to us: pat@ericlehner.com
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Cover: Our Tu B’Shvat Seder led by KT1, photo by Louise Gellman
Copy deadline is the 10th of each month. Please email all content to shofar@fps.org
From the Rabbi rabbi rebecca qassim birk
What’s in A Name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Shakespeare was right but he wasn’t dealing with a synagogue in Finchley, in the fertile crescent of London Jewry. We know we want to articulate and sing proudly about who we are as a community. What marks us as a mid-size Liberal synagogue also answering to the description of progressive. Are we kind and concerned about the welfare of our members? Do we care about our own when they are at home as well as in the building of Hutton Grove? Do we hope to inspire our young, create a place of belonging and connection for everyone who wanders
In the cynical, frightened and at times indifferent world we inhabit, being a part of a community with purpose and meaning where God dwells is surely a good thing. into our building? Do we find opportunities for learning and engagement? Are we Jewish and Liberal, open, welcoming and traditional indeed can we be all of those things? Are we sure that all that we do whether it be Shabbat services, Hebrew lessons, night shelter or Rosh Chodesh is consistent with our purpose to inspire, include and accompany everyone who comes through our doors? I like to think so, but we may need to express it better. As we have started the Book of Exodus
my eyes, and heart, are always drawn to the verse in Terumah, the seemingly dull portion about the building of the desert Mishkan: “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.” And I will dwell among them is God’s promise on its completion. Not the structure of the sanctuary itself but amongst B’nei Yisrael. In the cynical, frightened and at times indifferent world we inhabit, being a part of a community with purpose and meaning where God dwells is surely a good thing. I’ve been considering what’s in our name, our value statement and how we want to be known, distinguished and remembered. On this I’d like to hear from you. I recently heard of someone reluctant to accept an Aliyah at her shul because her Hebrew name might expose the conversion in her past. Names are revealing, important and mostly beautiful but not if they might exclude. I hope we’d embrace that here, and find flexible and special ways to make names work. Come talk to me about our names.
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From the Vice-Chair adrian lister
Last month we celebrated the festival of Tu B’Shevat, the day that marks the beginning of a “new year” for trees. It was established as the season in which the earliest-blooming trees in the Land of Israel emerge from their winter sleep and begin a new fruit-bearing cycle. “Man is a tree of the field” says Deuteronomy (20:19), and this realisation of our kinship with nature has never been more urgent
than it is today. The effects of climate change have been much in the news, but our need to rebalance our relationship with the planet that sustains us goes deeper than that. The quest 4
for fossil fuels, timber and other materials itself destroys the natural world, while pollution contaminates vast areas of the oceans. Technology can help greatly in overcoming these problems, but it also requires a shift of mindset from all of us, such that in every action that we do, collectively and as individuals, we strive to be modest in our consumption and to consider the impact of our choices on the broader world around us. Here at FPS it is important that we make our contribution – and in so doing, we can set an example that will propagate both inside and outside our community. We have launched Project Noah: everything that can be recycled, will be - from office paper to fertilizing our gardens with compost made from our own kitchen waste. In purchasing decisions, whether for food or other products, we will prioritize fair-traded and sustainable sources, and will encourage our suppliers to do the same. And we will strive to be much more efficient in our use of energy – in heating, lighting and all electrical devices. In these ways we can contribute in our small way to tikkun olam (the repair of the world) - but it will only happen if each of us takes on board the deeper message that leads us to the practicalities. Switch off that light and don’t throw that plastic bottle into the general waste! Even with such mundane matters we help reinstate the harmony of nature invoked by one of my favourite passages from our liturgy - “The soul of every living being shall praise you, O God”. Photo: Pat Lehner
A Volunteer in Calais
As an adult child of a World War II refugee, it felt important to be able to return the favour in some sort of way - to acknowledge that the world is once again in severe crisis and that I must not remain a bystander – to give real, tangible meaning to the words ‘Tikun Olam’. A friend had encouraged me to attend the December meeting at FPS on the situation for Syrian refugees and their impending arrival in Barnet. In addition to other speakers, Paul Demby and Holly Kal-Weiss of Finchley Reform Synagogue gave an enlightening
presentation on the refugee camp in Calais and ways of volunteering there. My interest was immediately piqued. I made further contact with Paul and Holly, then some of the organisers of the grassroots movement working in aid of the Calais refugees, and from there, set off to arrange my plans. With friends and colleagues already busy over the Christmas holidays, I embarked on this journey on my own. Volunteers are asked to arrive at the centre for a 9am start, where there is a group briefing and then disperse to different work
monica rabinowitz zones within an industrial complex. Some jobs included helping to clean up the camp or making up food packs. Initially, I worked on building shelters in the workshop. Later in the morning I was re-directed to the warehouse where, in a team, I helped to create 500 packs of scarves, hats, gloves and socks and sorted through the thousands of donations. The food and clothing packs are brought over to the camp, which is commonly known as ‘The Jungle’ and distributed when there is a sizable amount to take over. Although there has been a tremendous outpouring of generosity towards this cause, many items of clothing are unsuitable for the cold, wet and muddy conditions of The Jungle and need to be disposed of. Throughout this experience, I met amazing people of varied ages from all over Europe, who have come in aid of the 6,000+ people who are now living in this sprawling, make-shift camp that sits atop a former landfill. Some volunteers I became acquainted with have been working at the camp for 3 months, some had come for the week, or others, like myself, had come for a day or two. With a musical soundtrack of Jimmy Cliff, The Zombies, Stevie Wonder, Dusty Springfield, Janis Joplin and The Supremes, I had the sense of being transported back in time to San Francisco of the 1970’s, coupled with participating in the War Effort. The camaraderie of working together towards a common goal was deeply rewarding. If you’d like to get involved with volunteering in Calais or to find out more, please feel free to contact me at rabinowitzmonica@aol.com 5
MIXED FAITH FAMILIES & COUPLES
NAVIGATING DIFFERENCE AND SUPPORTED BY LIBERAL JUDAISM A POT LUCK LUNCH OF DISCUSSION AND SHARED ISSUES WITH RABBI REBECCA. CHILDREN VERY WELCOME SATURDAY 5TH FEBRUARY 2016 1.15PM AFTER KIDDUSH
FAMILY LUNCHES
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!1
My Chanukah Surprise! lilian gellnick
At the end of November I received an unexpected email: an invitation from the Prime Minister to a reception at Downing Street to mark the second night of Chanukah. I actually thought it was a hoax and very nearly deleted it, but I decided to go along anyway! It was genuine, and once through the security checks, I found myself walking through the lobby of
Manchester’s King David Primary School sang a selection of Chanukah songs and Mrs May gave them chocolate Chanukah gelt. I particularly enjoyed chatting to Jewish servicemen, servicewomen and cadets, despite the noise of Jews en masse – which will be very familiar to Limmud attendees! When my MP, the Rt Hon Theresa Villiers, arrived I learned that it was she who had initiated the invitation. Cameras and mobile phones were not allowed but happily she had her iPhone, so we were able to have our photo taken. It was a really memorable experience and I now look forward to an invitation to the Palace! Left: With Theresa Villiers MP at 10 Downing Street Below: Reception
No. 10 and up the impressive staircase lined with the portraits of all previous Prime Ministers. Three rooms were packed with several hundred guests. David Cameron was unable to attend, but the Home Secretary stood in for him, made a speech and lit the Shammas on a huge gold menorah. The Orthodox Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, sang the blessings and lit the two candles. A choir of 20 children from
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Beit Tefillah services at fps
services - february Friday 5 February
Kabbalat Shabbat service
Saturday 6 February
Shabbat b’Yachad 12.30 Mixed faith family lunch and conversation
Friday 12 February
Kabbalat Shabbat
Saturday 13 February
Shabbat service
Friday 19 February
Shabbat Resouled
Saturday 20 February
10.15 Musical Shabbatots Shabbat Service
Friday 26 February
Kabbalat Shabbat
Saturday 27 February
8.30 Breakfast Shiur (details below) Shabbat service
breakfast shiur
27 February, 8.30am Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, Rabbi of New North London Synagogue and Senior Rabbi of Masorti Judaism, presents: ‘After Paris, after Laudato Si: Judaism and climate changes, sources and reflections...’ prayer group
Is Prayer embarrassing, as Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel suggests, or uplifting? Liberal Judaism is considering a new siddur. As the editors of Lev Chadash Rabbis Charles Middleburgh and Andrew Goldstein have said, a modern siddur has a life of 10-20 years. That means we are due another. But in order to do that we, as Liberal Jews, to examine and consider the prayers and commentary we currently use, the order (Seder) that exists in
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Lev Chadash, the first liberal siddur, following the traditional prayer books. It’s an important opportunity. It’s an important opportunity so join me for my three-week course: Shabbat mornings 9.45-10.45am February 20, March 5 & 12 purim
Whilst our resident Purim artistes Philippa and James and all in their FPS Studios are no longer pursuing the rumours about Mordechai’s addiction to day time television or Vashti’s new career singing Gloria Gaynor songs, there will no doubt be a Megillah With a Difference as usual…followed by copious Palwins for those who partake. Bring your camel if you have one. Wednesday 23 March 6.30pm & Shabbatots Purim early birds 4.30pm
Beit Knesset what’s happening at fps
people congratulations & mazal tov
Braham Fredman on the birth of his 5th great grandchild, Ayala. Professor Jack Levy who celebrates his 90th birthday we warmly welcome new members
Yonni & Melissa Higgsmith Barry & Gillian Jay condolences
To Lesley Bennett on the death of her mother Joan, long-time member of FPS. To Annabel Balint-Kurti on the death of her mother Vicky Loyd. edgwarebury cemetery
Because of the shortage of space at Jewish cemeteries, for the past five years it has been Liberal Judaism policy not to accept grave reservations but instead to offer the alternative to bury in depth. This means that on the death of the first spouse, burial is carried out in depth leaving the upper space for eventual use by the partner or another close member of the family. There is no longer the option to reserve graves. However, it is
still possible to make grave reservations in the LJ section at Cheshunt Cemetery and this is an option you may wish to consider. woodland burials
There is now a woodland burial area at Edgwarebury available to all members. The cost of a woodland plot is £1700 which is the cost charged to Liberal Judaism by West London who are making this area available to Progressive Jews. Woodland burials are also available at Cheshunt Cemetery for LJ members. Please remember that following a woodland burial no headstones are allowed. burial or cremation?
FPS records do not consistently show whether members wish to be buried or cremated. Because of the information above and the choices now available, please ensure that we have a record of your preference by contacting Pauline in FPS office. Joan Shopper, Burials Officer 50/50 club draws, december winners:
1st 2nd 3rd
Rochelle Simmons Andrew Hochhauser Lucy Pih Lassman
£20 £15 £10
this sporting life!
Anyone for snooker and/or chess? if so, please contact Braham Fredman on 07957 417941 or btfredman@gmail.com
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Beit Midrash learning at fps Finchley Progressive Synagogue presents: An Illustrated history of the Jews of England led by Lionel Lassman: 4 February: Re-admission of Jews from 1653; with Rabbi Rebecca Qassim Birk 11 February: The emancipation of British Jewry from the 1760 creation of the Board of Deputies 18 February: The invasion of Eastern European Jews, the impact of fascism, and the war. Thursdays, 7.30-9.30 pm, with a break for refreshments. £5 donation on the door, or £25 for the series in advance. For details, contact administrator@fps.org
http://www.finchleyprogressivesynagogue.org/ learning/beit-midrash/ also at beit midrash... pilates
6.30 - 7.15pm Get fit in our small, friendly class, under the expert guidance of Tali Swart. Cost £60 for a series of six sessions. To arrange a trial session, contact Pauline in FPS office cafe ivriah
Saturdays 9.45 – 10.45am Informal discussion over coffee and biscuits, between Ivriah dropoff and morning service.
More information on speakers and topics on:
DELVING INTO JUDAISM AN ADULT CLASS TO EXPLORE & RESTORE PARTS OF JEWISH LIFE & TRADITION WHEN: 1ST, 3RD AND 4TH MONDAY EVERY MONTH TIME: 7.30-9.30PM
VENUE: FPS LIBRARY . ALL VERY WELCOME
TUTORS: RABBI REBECCA & STUDENT RABBI NATHAN GODELMAN
CONTENT: HEBREW CLASS, JEWISH STUDY TOPIC,
WEEKLY SKILL SECTION, SPIRITUAL REFLECTION TEXTS. INFORMATION: rabbi@fps.org FOR DISCUSSION & BOOK LISTS & PREPARATION
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Beit Knesset arts at fps the screen on the grove
yoga
Tuesdays @ 7.30pm Contact Richard on 020 8349 9602 book club
The Book Club meetings are held in people’s homes at 8pm on the second Wednesday of each month (recently changed from 7.30pm).
7 February 7.30pm: The Deli Man (2014) A documentary presenting the story of the American deli. This is also the story of American Jews – their immigration, migration, upward mobility, and assimilation. The film’s hero is third-generation deli man Ziggy Gruber who has built arguably the finest delicatessen restaurant in the U.S. His story is augmented by the stories of iconic delis such as Katz’s, 2nd Avenue Deli, Nate ‘n Al, Carnegie… curtain up!
A group of FPS members – and their friends – get together for occasional theatre outings, followed by a discussion over a restaurant meal. Save the date – 16 March, Wednesday matinee at 2.45pm, New play opening at the Young Vic selected for the new year for Curtain Up! A Girl is a Half-formed Thing - Based on the book by Eimear McBride and adapted for stage by its director, Annie Ryan. If you would like to join us, please contact Wika Dorosz vdorosz@gmail.com
We choose a wide variety of books, many – but by no means all – of Jewish interest: the only condition is that the person who recommends a book has read it (and loved it!) and that it is available in paperback. For more information contact Sheila King Lassman on sheila@waitrose.com or Edgar Jacobsberg on e.jacobsberg@gmail.com cafe thursday
Thursdays @ 12.45pm, £6, for details contact Nicky Marzell via the synagogue office bridge group
Mondays @ 7.45pm £4, for details contact Gunter Lawson on 020 8346 5208 rosh chodesh
Celebration of the new moon by women gathering for sharing, learning and spiritual exploration. We meet in the FPS Library at 8pm. Rosh Chodesh Adar: Monday 8 February ‘Hannah Arendt, A Portrait of a Jewish Female Intellectual’. Presented by Marije Altorf. This session will introduce the thought of Hannah Arendt by looking at the two aspects of her identity, her Jewishness and her gender. We will consider to what extend Arendt is a Jewish thinker and what role gender plays in the reception of her work.
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Remembering Eleanor Rathbone susan cohen eleanor florence rathbone 1872-1946
2016 marks the seventieth anniversary of the death of Eleanor Florence Rathbone, and is a fitting time to reflect on the work of this remarkable British MP who devoted much of her political career to the rescue and welfare of refugees in and from Nazi Europe. Born in 1872, Eleanor Rathbone was the daughter of William Rathbone VI, a prosperous Liverpool merchant, social and welfare reformer and Liberal MP. After leaving Somerville College, Oxford in 1896, where she became a feminist and suffragist, she made the conscious decision to devote her life to public service, embarking upon a career as a social and welfare reformer. The causes she championed ranged from the casual dock labour system in Liverpool, the financial plight of widows and soldiers’ wives, rent subsidies, enfranchisement for women to the introduction of a family allowance, and more. She already had a formidable reputation in local politics when she took her seat in the House of Commons in 1929 as Independent MP for the Combined English Universities - one of only fourteen women members. She extended the boundaries to foreign affairs, including challenging feminist cultural practices in India, Africa and Palestine. But it was Hitler’s accession to power in January 1933 which had
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the greatest impact upon her, and she was the only female parliamentarian to denounce the German Chancellor in the House of Commons on 13 April 1933. The Czech refugee crisis that ensued in late 1938 was the catalyst for the establishment of her voluntary all-party Parliamentary Committee on Refugees. Until the outbreak of war in September 1939, the focus of her campaigning was on behalf of the endangered Czech refugees, but war changed everything, as exit and entry doors were closed across Europe. Eleanor now became the champion of refugees in Britain. Her campaigning on their behalf for fair and humane treatment gained momentum when mass internment was introduced in May 1940, and 27,600 refugees were taken into ‘protective’ custody. She asked relentless questions in the House - more than eighty on internment alone - gathered likeminded supporters around her and badgered fellow politicians and drafted memoranda. Her visits to internment camps and prisons not only boosted morale but were influential in getting the worst camps closed and conditions elsewhere improved. In late 1943 she was responsible for setting up a new organization, the National Committee for Rescue from Nazi Terror. Continued on next page
Remembering Eleanor Rathbone susan cohen eleanor florence rathbone / cont.
living alone?
Eleanor died suddenly on 2 January 1946, having exhausted herself with her refugee campaigning, Up until the last, she was fighting for the humane treatment of refugees, now classified as ‘displaced persons’, for a homeland in Palestine for the Jews, and for the Save Europe Now campaign, set up by her friend Victor Gollancz. As he wrote in his obituary of her in AJR Information in February 1946, ‘no one who did not have the privilege of working daily with Eleanor Rathbone can have any conception of what she did for refugees in general, and for Jewish refugees in particular.’ To mark the 70th anniversary of her death, the Remembering Eleanor Rathbone group are organising commemorative events across the country throughout the year. For details go to http://www.rememberingeleanorrathbone. wordpress.com/
Perhaps it’s time to get your personal information in one place. Age UK produce a ‘Life Book’. It is an easy to use and safe method of recording the practical details of your life. There’s no need to fill in every page, but only that which you, or your helpers, find useful. Make certain that it is kept in a prominent place and not just stuffed into a drawer.
© Susan Cohen, 2016. Photo reproduced by permission of Philip Norton Collins
If you phone, they will be happy to send you a free copy: Age UK information line: 0800 169 6565 / Barnet office: 020 8203 5040 Once you have their number, you may find many occasions in the future when you might turn to them for advice or contacts. I have enormous respect for their professionalism and both width and depth of knowledge. They could send you their helpful directories, ‘Adapting your home’ and ‘Useful contacts’. . Rochelle Simmons
liberal judaism BIENNIAL CONFERENCE 2016
THINKING
BOOK
THE
ST. JOHNS HOTEL, SOLIHULL July 1-3 2015
h"p://&nyurl.com/bien2016 0207 631 9830
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Letter from Japan braham fredman
H
aving just returned from Japan, I thought I would share with you some of my experiences about this fascinating country. The first thing that struck me was the apparent lack of any other cultures especially black people, Asians from the Indian subcontinent and Europeans. Another thing that I became aware of was the politeness everywhere. Whenever the guard appeared in the train compartment he bowed to everyone en bloc and before leaving to go to the next carriage he turned round to face everyone and bowed again – but none of the passengers took any notice! I therefore came to the conclusion (rightly or wrongly) that the bowing did not mean that they were being polite; it was part of their culture and done automatically. Everywhere I went, whether on the trains, in the parks and walking the streets it was spotless - quite a culture shock for me coming back to Finchley! I stayed with my friend David Weiss and his partner Yumiko who teaches Chinese at Keio University in Yokohama. Yumiko tended to agree with my assumptions regarding the politeness and added that very little swearing is heard in Japan. The population, including the children, work long hours. However, along with this, Japan has one of the highest suicide rates
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in the world. David teaches English and he very kindly invited me to sit in on one of his classes. The students made me feel very welcome and several offered to act as my guide! Here are some highlights from my diary: Day 4. Visited Tsukiji in Tokyo, which is a vast wholesale fish market. Unfortunately we didn’t get there early enough (5am) to witness the auction of massive tunas. Enjoyed eating raw fish with rice (of course) - which was delicious. We then took a boat on the Sumida River to downtown Tokyo. Day 7. We boarded the famous bullet train to Osaka. It is not named ‘bullet’ without good reason. The design is very sleek and reaches speeds of up to 200 mph. Very comfortable and quiet. I am told that Osaka is a city of merchants and they enjoy negotiating prices but I didn’t put them to the Jerusalem Old City market test. Day 9. Stayed overnight in Kyoto and took the train to Nara which is an ancient capital city. Visited Toudaiji Temple made entirely from wood, which houses the World’s largest statue of Buddha in bronze.
chloe grossmith-dwek bat mitzvah
My name is Chloe Grossmith-Dwek. My Bat Mitzvah is in March 2016. In my spare time I like cooking and going shopping. My portion is Vayikra in the book of Leviticus I like my portion because the first part reads like a recipe for making flour sacrifices in the Temple. For my tzedakah project I helped at the asylum seekers’ centre at the Liberal Jewish Synagogue. I helped by playing with the asylum seekers children, I really enjoyed this because I got to experience playing with children from different backgrounds. I am looking forward to my Bat Mitzvah because I can’t wait to show my non-Jewish friends more about my religion and to show my family what I have been learning. kti birmingham trip
KT1 joined Birmingham Progressive, Northwood and Pinner and Crouch End Liberal communities for a weekend of education, ecology and an effervescent sleepover. Our FPS members shared in leading the Shabbat service, did environmental walking and learning round Birmingham and generally had an exhausting weekend, as you would expect. These are our future leaders, next stop Budapest in November! Above: KT 1 class leaving for Birmingham. From left: Maya Howard, Evie Anticoni, Raphy Klinger-Fixler, Ruben Qassim, Ella Balint-Kurti, Hannah Gellman. Photo: Marian Fixler
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Contacts fps who’s who finchley progressive synagogue
54 Hutton Grove N12 8DR 020 8446 4063 www.finchleyprogressivesynagogue.org Rabbi Rebecca Qassim Birk - rabbi@fps.org Emeritus Rabbi: Dr Frank Hellner Ivriah Headteacher: Adele Silk education@fps.org Musicians in residence: Franklyn Gellnick, Dean Staker Synagogue Manager: Pauline Gusack pauline@fps.org Premises Manager: Howard Hamerton executive & council
Council members: Jacquie Fawcett, Wika Dorosz, Braham Fredman, Phillip Raphael President: Alan Banes Life Presidents: Clive Winston and Sheila King Lassman Vice Presidents: Renzo Fantoni, Josie Kinchin, Lionel King Lassman, John Lewis, David Pelham, Paul Silver-Myer, Andrea Rappoport, Joan Shopper contacts
Board of Deputies Reps: Janet Tresman, Stanley Volk Beit Midrash (Education): Adrian Lister, Louise Gellman
Chair: Alex Kinchin-Smith - chair@fps.org
Beit Tefillah (Rites & Practices): Michael Lassman, Josie Kinchin
Treasurer: Martin Silk
CafĂŠ Thursday: Nicky Marzell
Honorary Secretary: Josie Kinchin honsec@fps.org
Shofar Editor: Pat Lehner - shofar@fps.org
Vice-Chairs: Louise Gellman, Adrian Lister
ashley page insurance brokers Commerce House 2a Litchfield Grove London N3 2TN Tel. 020 8349 5100
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Website editor: Viktoria Dorosz
janet tresman mediator & collaborative family law solicitor Altermans Solicitors 239 Regents Park Road, London N3 3LF Direct dial: 0203 182 0139 Email: janet@altermans.co.uk For January and February only please use email or call 0208 346 1777