March 2018
Shofar
שופר
the magazine of finchley progressive synagogue
It’s official! We’re going green!
Eco Synagogue Launched! On
30 January [auspiciously, the beginning of Tu B’Shvat, ‘the celebration of trees’. Ed] over 150 people from across the community gathered at New North London Synagogue for the launch of Eco Synagogue, the ground breaking cross communal initiative to enable Synagogues to become greener and promote good environmental practices. The Eco Synagogue project was founded by FPS, Finchley Reform, New North London, Muswell Hill (United) and Alyth; there were a further twenty Synagogues represented and The Board of Deputies have also endorsed the project. The main thrust of the work will be operated through an online survey to assess a Synagogue’s environmental activities and will also deliver a plan of action for ongoing improvement. From an FPS perspective, this will include looking at how our buildings and land are cared for and used; aspects relating to food purchasing; how teaching, preaching and other opportunities within the cycle of the Jewish year
michael lassman
can have an environmental impact; and how the environmental behaviors of congregations can be changed. Rabbi Jeffrey Newman, Rabbi Emeritus of Finchley Reform Synagogue, introduced the Eco Synagogue Project and was followed by Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, Senior Rabbi of NNLS ‘in conversation with’ former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams who was responsible for the initial introduction of the Eco Church environmental programme, which the steering group has used as its template. FPS was represented on the Eco Synagogue steering group by Michael Lassman. Congratulations to Michael and Adrian Lister who have been active as environmental campaigners at FPS for a few years. Together with CA. Cranston, they are formulating a Green Team to oversee the work laid out by Eco Synagogue and already have great support from many members. We look forward to a very green 2018.
in related news...
On 24 and 25 February, the Congregational Development & Tikkun Olam Training took place at Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue, run by Citizens UK and Liberal Judaism. If you took part, Shofar would like to hear from you, so send your news and photos.
Shofar is always interested in hearing your news and including photos of FPS members, and their families, near and far. We welcome your articles on any relevant topic. Please send these to shofar@fps.org 2
liberal judaism biennial conference 2018
Tickets for Liberal Judaism’s flagship event of 2018 are on sale now. The LJ Biennial Weekend takes place from Friday 29 June to Sunday 1 July at the St Johns Hotel in Solihull, just outside of Birmingham. You can get full ticketing details, reserve your place and find out more about the early plans by visiting www.liberaljudaism.org/calendar/biennial
Cover: Eco Synagogue launch: Dr. Rowan Williams in conversation with Michael Lassman, FPS Photo Credit: Ian Morris
Copy deadline is the 10th of each month. Please email all content to shofar@fps.org
From the Rabbi
student rabbi nathan godleman
Where is Jewish London these days? I asked myself this question recently, when leading a tour with a rabbi and friend from Haifa and her group of LGBT+ Israelis, here on a leadership programme. The East End came to mind straightaway, through sheer weight of numbers. However, we began in the City, in Old Jewry, where the Great Synagogue stood until 1272, close to a lost Jewish cemetery and a medieval mikveh, rediscovered in 2001 beneath what is now the Bank of India. Half a mile or so further on and four centuries after the expulsion of 1290, Bevis Marks (1701) characterised another period in Anglo-Jewish history. Only then did we enter the more familiar territory of Aldgate High Street and all that lay east: reading rooms, defunct shuls and the occasional name—such as Katz—still painted above a doorway. We didn’t venture south of the Thames. (We only made it onto the wobbly bridge!) The group
had spent much of the weekend in Finchley, where many Jews relocated decades ago. Yet, is Jewish London in the Borough of Barnet, in South Herts or even re-emerging in Brixton, any more than it was ever in the East End alone? Or is it wherever we decide to build community? Easier in some places than others; only ever possible with sustained personal and communal effort.
lj-netzers discover jewish england
Twenty-seven young people – representing four different Liberal communities – visited three parts of the Midlands over one weekend. The Kabbalat Torah students from Northwood & Pinner Liberal
Synagogue, Birmingham Progressive Synagogue, Finchley Progressive Synagogue and Nottingham Liberal Synagogue came together as part of their studies. They spent Friday night at a service in Nottingham, before heading to Lincoln, then the National Holocaust Centre and Museum in Newark. The trip was led by Rabbis Aaron Goldstein (Northwood), Margaret Jacobi (Birmingham) and Tanya Sakhnovich (Nottingham), along with Finchley’s community education and development manager Zoe Jacobs and LJY-Netzer movement workers Hannah Stephenson & Ellie Lawson. Left: FPSers in the crowd - Elana, Dora, Sadie, Jacob
3
The Dolan Duo
sheila king-lassman
FPS encourages members and friends to attend the Havdalah concert evenings (the last one was described as ‘brilliant’). The report of the February Havdalah Concert, below, provides a sample of what you can expect. How do you spend your 18th birthday? If you are Daniel Dolan and play the cello as a hobby while studying for A levels in science subjects, and if you are the son of distinguished pianist, David Dolan, well, of course you give a recital in Finchley Progressive Synagogue. Daniel and David played Three Fantasy Pieces by Schumann along with Mendelssohn’s Sonata No 2 for cello and piano. Their mutual understanding was obvious from their visual exchanges, with David encouraging with a paternal smile as they played in sweet harmony. Daniel played Bach’s Cello Suite No 2 with great aplomb and afterwards said it was his favourite of their chosen pieces. The appreciative audience (FPS members and friends of the Dolan family), enthused about the performance, asking questions relating to
the Dolans’ musical partnership and what it was like, in this musical family, when everyone wanted to practise. We were treated to a wonderful meal after the recital provided by the Dolans to celebrate the coming of age of their talented older son. We thank them for their contribution to the cultural life of our community. and look forward to the hearing the younger son, Tom, when he too performs at FPS. We know there’s lots of talent among our members. Why not come forward and let us share the pleasure of that talent?
any buttons please?
318,000 buttons have been counted and there are about the same number again waiting to be counted. This is a mammoth undertaking requiring help with both collecting and counting buttons. One of the unique things about this memorial is that it is not Jewish-led. It is the brainchild of a Year 10 Student, now known as ‘Student B’, following a visit to her school by Jewish Holocaust survivor, Arek Hersh. The history teacher, Laura Oram, suggested children design their own memorial to the Holocaust, and ‘Student B’ wanted to show what 1.5 million looked like,
Whether you are planning a spring clean or a full Pesach clear-out, perhaps you could spare a bit of extra time to dig out some unneeded buttons for a very worthy cause. The Montagu Centre has launched a campaign to collect 1.5 million buttons and they are asking for our help. The buttons will form part of a new Holocaust Memorial in Cumbria to commemorate the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust. It is hoped that this memorial will become a part of the existing permanent exhibition in Windermere called ‘From Auschwitz to Ambleside’. So far, 4
Continued on page 8
5
Our Trip To Israel Alan
and I visited Israel in November with 13 participants and three helpers from the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR). What a different Israel we saw – my first visit being in 1966 and Alan’s in 1993. Our emotional ten-day exploration began on Tel Aviv’s sea front, with a trip to Jaffa, seeing Jews and Arabs live side by side. We visited the Hall of Independence and ‘relived’ Ben Gurion’s declaration of Israel’s Independence, 4pm on Friday 14 May 1948. (I was four at the time). Hearing his words of conviction and singing the Hatikvah as they did after his speech made history palpable. At the Palmach Museum we learned about the men and women of the Haganah (underground militia) whose actions led to the declaration of Israel’s independence. We visited Jerusalem twice – the first time to see the Knesset and modern Jerusalem, where buildings must be made of limestone and height is regulated. It was wonderful entering Jerusalem. I vaguely remember my first entry, standing in the middle of a field listening to the World Cup on a transistor radio (England won magnificently), then celebrating in that field with eight compatriots (all recently qualified teachers, doctors or nurses). So different to our current group of 60+, reaching to over eighty-five years of age. But this time our visit included Yad Vashem. We were taken on an emotional roller-coaster by video, film, testimonials, and eye witness accounts of the concentration and death camps, bringing home the horror of the Holocaust. I was relieved to see the exit light. I felt I was one of those who had survived. At the records section
6
patricia j hinson (nee tausz)
I discovered that my late uncle, Josef Seckl, had registered the names of my grandparents and great uncle. I brought a copy home to my mother, Martha Tausz. I believe this helped give her closure. Our second trip to Jerusalem took us to the Kotel. To be able to walk freely in Arab and Jewish areas of Jerusalem was an incredible feeling. We walked to the security point, and from there to the wall itself. I felt like a pilgrim marking one of the foot festivals (Chagim Regalim) of Paesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot. And then touching the ancient wall—albeit in the women’s section— sent shivers down my spine as I mouthed the words of the ‘Shehecheyanu’ blessing before reciting the Shema. Our journey through the period 1920-49 included a trip to Atlit Detainee Camp, established to prevent thousands of Jewish refugees from entering Mandatory Palestine. Some of their treatment by the British was similar to that experienced in the camps and this caused much distress. A short trip on the Sea of Galilee on a not-so ‘ancient boat’ gave us an understanding of the achievements of modern Israel. We were joined by a Polish group of Christians and taught them the steps of the Hora. Looking back to 1966—travelling in an Egged Bus with our armed guide lying on the roof to protect against possible sniper fire—and not able to drive close to the Sea of Galilee, I felt privileged to travel safely, in comfort, in a small coach with a knowledgeable guide and no rifle. Thanks to the AJR the memories will last us a lifetime.
Beit Tefillah
services at fps
services – march Friday 2 March 6.30pm
Kabbalat Shabbat Service
Saturday 3 March 11.00am
Shabbat B’Yachad
Friday 9 March 6.30pm
Kabbalat Shabbat Service
Saturday 10 March 11.00am
Shabbat Service celebrating James Hyde Bar Mitzvah
Friday 16 March 6.30pm
Shabbat Resouled
Saturday 17 March 11.00am
Shabbat Service
Friday 23 March 6.30pm
Kabbalat Shabbat Service
Saturday 24 March 11.00am
Shabbat Service
Friday 30 March 6.30pm
Erev Pesach, No FPS Service
Saturday 31 March 11.00am
Pesach Service
people welcome to
Karen Goodman, new member of FPS Angela Wharton, back at FPS on Wednesdays mazal tov to
James Hyde & family on the occasion of his bar mitzvah John Lewis, father of Sarah Lewis who is Secretary General of the International Ski Federation, and who was awarded an OBE for services to sport in the 2018 New Year’s Honours The following who have significant birthdays in March: Sadie Westbury, Martina Hirsch, Tony Rose, Dorothy Hill, Kitty Lyons, Jeffrey Bryer, Hilary Luder, Miriam Dwek, Katalin Aradi, Ann Pelham and Megan Greene
Mandy & Renato Fantoni celebrating their silver wedding in March our deepest condolences to
Shirley, Robert & Anthony Luder and the extended family on the death of Dr Joseph Luder Dora & Eddie Hirsh on the death of their grandmother Mirjam Hirsh Aziza Friedmann on the death of her sister Dr Helen Ezra 50/50 club draws, february winners:
1st 2nd 3rd
Barbara Shulman £25 Vincent Lassman Watts £20 Alan Hinson £15
7
Beit Knesset bridge group
Mondays @ 7.30pm, £4. There are even small prizes for winners! (How good is that?) For details contact Gunter Lawson via the synagogue office on 020 8446 4063 yoga
Tuesdays @ 7.30pm; Richard on 020 8349 9602. rosh chodesh
Next meeting: Monday March 19, @ 8.00pm in the synagogue library. Contact Wika on vdorosz@gmail.com book club
Wednesday 14 March @ 8.00pm The Book Club welcomes you to their meetings, held in people’s homes on the second Wednesday of each month. We choose a variety of books, the only condition being that the person recommending a book must have read (and loved) it! and that it is available in paperback. Contact Sheila King Lassman sheila@waitrose.comv or Edgar Jacobsberg on e.jacobsberg@gmail.com learn
Thursdays, 12.00-1.00pm on 1, 8, 15 March (Rabbi Harry Jacobi on 1st and 15th, Rabbi Ariel buttons please? / cont. from page 4
to help people visualise the enormity of the Holocaust. And it is from here that the ‘B’s Buttons project was born. When the concentration camps where liberated in 1945, the British government offered to take children from the camps. There were 260 boys and 40 girls, though collectively, these child survivors were known as ‘The Windermere Boys’. The Boys were taken to live on the Calgarth Estate, at Troutbeck Bridge, near Lake Windermere, in the Lake District. Many descendants of ‘The Boys’ still remain in the local 8
community events, all welcome!
Friedlander on 8th). An hour’s learning in the small hall which is followed by lunch for anyone who chooses to stay (see below). cafe thursday
Thursdays 1, 8, 15, 22 March (café closed on 29 March) @ 1.00 pm £6 for a freshly-prepared 3-course lunch. For menus, more information or to book for the Pesach lunch on 5 April contact Nicky Marzell via the synagogue office 020 8446 4063 pilates
Thursdays @ 6.30-7.15pm, led by Tali Swart. Beginners to intermediate, individually tailored instruction. Payment in blocks of six, roughly £8 per lesson. We are now using the large hall, so this very popular class can accommodate more people. Contact taliswort@btconnect.com cafe ivriah
Saturdays (Term time), 9.45-10.45am All welcome to an informal, wide-ranging and topical discussion ranging from the weekly Torah portion to current affairs. Over coffee and biscuits, between Ivriah drop-off and morning service.
a very school attended by ‘Student ‘B’, and the birthplace of the ‘B’s Buttons’ project. We’re hoping that 1.5 million buttons can be collected before Student B graduates from school at the end of this academic year in July 2018. A button box will be placed in the entrance hall for all your contributions - please give generously! For more information, contact Deboarh Laikin on deborah.laikin@gmail.com or Abigail Mann at the Montagu Centre montagu@liberaljudaism.org
Beit Midrash new series: ‘the elephant in the room’.
Are there topics or opinions that you find difficult to voice because of fear of how others might react? Does ‘received opinion’ inhibit you from saying what you think? What about freedom of speech, sexual harassment or gender identity? Is there such a thing as a ‘good death’? Or expressing support for Israel in left-literal (non-Jewish) society? In an open and respectful environment, we will explore the topics and saturday 3 march breakfast shiur, 8.30am
‘Things My Dog has Taught Me – About being a better human’ With Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg We are delighted to welcome back Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg who will introduce us to his new book. His relationship with dogs is well known and Jonathan explains in his book how dogs have taught him—more than anything else—how to develop better relationships with memory: intuition – an exhibition of simon black’s work.
Some FPS members will remember Simon Black from many years ago, or from having seen examples of his art work in a previous Shofar. Perhaps even from seeing his art in the Atrium of the Royal Free Hospital. This year will mark 10 years since Simon died; it is also the year he would have turned 60, had he lived To celebrate his work and his contribution to the art world, Raina Sheridan (his wife and a member of FPS) is putting on an exhibition at the Camden Image Gallery from March 1830. http://www.camden-image-gallery.co.uk/ upcoming-exhibitions/#intuitionmemory. There will be an Evening Reception on Saturday 17 March, from 6.00- 8.00pm. We invite you to see Simon’s work and to enjoy the vision and
learning at fps
the issues they raise for us. The topics will be introduced by Sheila Lassman and Adrian Lister, but suggestions are welcome from participants: email sheilakl@waitrose.com. The Beit Midrash series, ‘The Elephant in the Room’, will run Thursdays 8, 15, 22 March @ 7.30-9.00pm. On 15 March, we will be joined by Dr Jonathan Koffman, Senior Lecturer in Palliative Care at King’s College London. friends and families. Jonathan will share with us how the big themes of friendship, faithfulness, kindness, cruelty, grief, prayer and spiritual companionship come to the fore, and shows us how we can earn so much from a dog’s approach to life. As Jonathan has to be back at New North London Synagogue for the Shabbat morning service we start this Shiur promptly at 8.30am. humour that shines through everything that he produced. The work covers his career as an artist and includes watercolours, etchings, oil paintings and drawings. 10% of all sales from the exhibition will be going to the Marie Curie Hospice in Hampstead where he spent his last days. We hope you will be able to visit the gallery over the two weeks when it is on show. Raina Sheridan ‘Departure: The Last Bus’ by Simon Black
9
The Night Shelter Update M
sarah rosen-webb
any FPS/TiB Night Shelter volunteers enjoyed a scrumptious Chavurah supper after Friday Night Service on 2 February. We enjoyed reacquainting with friends old and new who had cooked, served and slept overnight during this winter’s Shelter rota. TiB Trustees Myself & Elliot Karstadt, FPS Shelter Coordinator Andrea Narcin, and rota organiser extraordinaire Peggy Sherwood, discussed what we did well this year and what we could do better next year. Issues raised included how to improve communication between the different venues regarding quantities of food and types of meals, how to improve activities for and communication with guests, and policies for mealtimes and for closing at night. Questions asked led to clarifications and updated information about Shelter policies, guest numbers, activities and catering concerns. I will feedback the group’s suggestions to the TiB paid coordinator, Beth, and also to the TiB Trustees meeting. A full report has been
circulated to FPS volunteers and is available from the office. In addition, past and future fundraising was discussed. • A very successful evening ‘Stand Up Against Homelessness’, organised and compered at the Comedy Store, Piccadilly, by TiB Patron Felicity Ward raised £5,500, which is a great help towards meeting costs towards employing a coordinator, along with purchases of bedding, mattresses and more. • TiB’s second ‘Walk in Their Shoes’ is planned for Sunday 10 June. Everyone is invited to help raise funds by signing up, getting sponsors and enjoying the walk & talk from venue to venue. The discussion closed with a big thank you to all the volunteers for making the FPS Shelter a successful venture yet again this year. Special thanks go to Andrea and Peggy who between them make sure the all that needs doing gets done. Here’s to the 2018/19 FPS Shelter!
The recipe for Ros Schwartz’s infamous Nightshelter Nosh aubergine salad was much requested, so here it is, by popular demand, fresh from the February Chavurah Supper:
½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted & lightly crushed ½ tsp coriander seeds, toasted & lightly crushed 40g pomegranate seeds
roast aubergine with curried yoghurt, caramelised onions & pomegranate
Heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Use a vegetable peeler to shave strips of skin off the aubergines from top to bottom, so they end up with alternating stripes of dark purple skin and clear white flesh. Cut the aubergines widthways into 2cm-thick rounds and put in a large bowl. Add 70ml oil, half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper, then spread out on a large oven tray lined with baking paper. Roast for 40-45 minutes, until dark golden brown, then remove and leave to cool.
ingredients
3 large (or 4 regular) aubergines 100ml groundnut oil 200g Greek-style yoghurt 2 tsp medium curry powder ¼ tsp ground turmeric 1 lime, 1 tsp zest & 2 tsps juice Salt & black pepper 1 onion, peeled & thinly sliced 30g flaked almonds
10
method
Continued on page 11
Testimony Project A
lesley urbach
re you a survivor of the Holocaust? Or do you know someone who is? This includes people who came to Britain before the outbreak of the Second World War. If so perhaps you, or they, might be interested in recording the story as part of the Holocaust Survivor’s Centre’s Testimony Project? The Testimony Project, of the Holocaust Survivors’ Centre (London NW4 1QA), has been in existence for over sixteen years. We have a small but dedicated group of trained and supervised volunteers who carry out interviews for the Project. Interviews usually take place at the interviewee’s home and are recorded digitally. These Testimonies record the life stories of Holocaust Survivors and refugees and try to reflect the full and broad life of the interviewee, by giving a detailed description of that person’s life from early memories of kindergarten up to the present, and encompassing the effect that the Holocaust has had on their life. These
recorded interviews are primarily for the Survivor and his or her family but in addition, where permission has been given, the recordings are copied and lodged with a bona fide museum or library such as the National Sound Archive of the British Library; the Wiener Library or any other preferred by the interviewee. Once filed, the interview can be accessed by researchers studying the Holocaust and thus provide a firsthand account of the rise of Nazism in the thirties and the shocking events that followed. The value of these eye-witness accounts is immeasurable both in terms of trying to help us understand the unimaginable and attempting to learn for the future, and rebutting Holocaust denial. For more information, please contact Lesley Urbach: lcurbach@aol,com, 020 8346 2257 or Helen Norman at the Holocaust Survivor’s Centre: HNorman@jcare.org
yom hashoah – from things lost
speak on The International Tracing Service at the Wiener Library; Professor Shirli Gilbert will speak about her most recent book, based on a recently-discovered trove of over 2000 letters, about a German-Jewish refugee who emigrated to South Africa in 1936, titled From Things Lost: Forgotten Legacy of the Holocaust
Advance notice of an event on Wednesday 11 April, when Finchley Reform Synagogue will join FPS to commemorate Yom HaShoah at Hutton Grove. In turn, on 10 November, we will visit FRS for a joint commemoration of 80 years since Kristallnacht. At the Yom HaShoah event, Elsie Bath, Archive Researcher, will roast augergine recipe / cont. from p10
In a small bowl, mix the yoghurt with a teaspoon of curry powder, the turmeric, lime juice, a generous pinch of salt and a good grind of pepper, then put it in the fridge until later. Heat the remaining two tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high flame. Once hot, fry the onion for eight minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and dark golden brown.
Add the remaining teaspoon of curry powder, the almonds and a pinch of salt, and fry for two minutes, until the almonds are lightly browned. To serve, lay the aubergine slices on a platter, overlapping them slightly. Spoon the yoghurt sauce over the top, then scatter on the fried onion mix. Sprinkle over the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, pomegranate seeds and lime zest, and serve.
11
Where Are They Now? Jennifer Gerber recently led the Rosh Chodesh discussion group. Sarah Rosen-Webb took this opportunity to fill in some facts about the Gerber family, especially Jennifer. Jennifer, Katie and Lucy Gerber all grew up and flourished at FPS. They recall happy times at Ivriah, progressing through to Kabbalat Torah and building lifelong friendships. They are keen to point out that those experiences together with Rabbi Frank’s leadership have played a large part in inculcating their deep affinity for Israel and Judaism. Flash forward a few years – Jennifer set off for Durham University to study History, Katie left home to study for her degree at Lancaster University and Lucy set out for Swansea University to train as a primary school teacher. Flash forward again – both Katie and Lucy have made Aliyah: Katie has been in Israel for two years and is now working for a large Israeli Tech company. Lucy, after some time teaching in London and Brighton, is now a primary school teacher in Israel. Jennifer, meanwhile, returned to London after University. She pursued her interests in politics and Israel in a different way. She first found work as a Press Officer at Millbank, the Labour Party’s HQ, and soon enough was working for PM Tony Blair as a special advisor. Now married and living with her husband and two children in north London, Jennifer is Director of Labour Friends of Israel (LFI), a lobby group within the British Labour Party; she is also Director of Progress, a left wing think tank, and is a frequently published and quoted author in both the UK and Israel on UK/Israel relations, antisemitism, and other pertinent topics. 12
focus on jennifer gerber
Jennifer came back to FPS to join December’s Rosh Chodesh evening and to share with us a bit about LFI and its campaign to inform and assist better understanding of Israel today. Key issues that LFI address include looking at developments in the Middle East peace process, domestic Israeli and Palestinian affairs, and primary affairs affecting UK policy on Israel. LFI runs and promotes campaigns to create a lasting peace in the Middle East with ‘Israel safe, secure and recognised within its borders, living alongside democratic, independent Palestinian state.’ The organisation works closely with Labour parliamentarians to strengthen relations between Britain and Israel. LFI also sponsors educational visits to Israel for MPs wishing to better understand the country, grounded in bringing to fruition its vision of coexistence through peace and liberal democracy. Jennifer spoke of the challenges of Israel advocacy in the current political climate. Given the present-day fractious situation with the Labour Party, our discussion cantered on the intense debate within Israel over the challenges the country faces, including constant security and existential threats. We discussed the ways in which LFI makes the case for Israel on the left and explored views on politics more broadly at the moment in the UK and Israel. In conclusion, Jennifer emphasised how LFI’s support and promotion of constructive and well-informed discussion within the labour movement is critical to the successful implementation of LFI’s aims. The FPS Rosh Chodesh group offers its fulsome thanks to Jennifer for joining us and leading us in such a full and thoughtful discussion.
Charity Reg No. 802559
We make sure Alan celebrates every festival
There’s something special about coming together to celebrate all festivals. That’s why for someone like Alan, who lives with dementia every day of the year, we try and make every festival memorable. We need to raise £3,000 every single day just to care for people living with dementia. Will you help make sure that no one has to face dementia alone this Chanukah and beyond? To donate please call 020 8922 2600 or visit jewishcare.org/donate
#PeopleOfJewishCare
13
B’nei Mitzvah james hyde’s bar mitzvah, 10 march
My name is James and my Bar Mitzvah is on 10 March 2018. I will be leyning my portion which is at the beginning of Parashat Vayak’heil Pekudei. I have enjoyed singing my portion these past months with Elliott, and Dora has recently started helping me with the blessings. Me and my brother Tom both go to school at JCoSS which we enjoy, but if I had it my way I’d spend my days at the race track with my dad. You see, I’m a motocross rider and have been racing for 3 years and my dream is to one day ride professionally. My Tzedakah project is to raise money for the Air Ambulance who recently transported a friend of mine who was hurt at a track. I’m looking forward to celebrating my Bar Mitzvah with you, my family, friends and the FPS community and hope you can make it on the 10th when my mum will have arranged a nice Kiddush for us all.
Round & About Notice Board breakfast shiur with rabbi wittenberb
fps communal seder
Saturday 3 March, 8.30am Author Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg will speak on ‘Things my Dog Taught Me – about being a better human’
Saturday 31 March, 6.00pm Led by Student Rabbi Elliott Karstadt. For more details and to book a place, please contact the FPS office or go to the link on the weekly FPS email.
purimspiel!
Saturday 3 March, 6.30am Performed by a talented group of FPS members (aren’t they all?) coming in all shapes, sizes and ages. Everyone Welcome! (Image source: Chabad.org)
14
Fun Page
The Seven Traditional Items on the Seder Plate
Passover Matzo
Charoset
Meaning Represents the Pascal sacrifice offered by the Israelites before their exodus from Egypt
Symbolises the bitterness of slavery
Shank Bone
Bread of Affliction symbolizing the hardship of slavery and the Jewish people hurrying away from Egypt to freedom
Egg
Represents the mortar used by the Israelite slaves when they laid bricks for Pharaoh’s monuments
Karpas
This also represents the bitterness and harshness of the slavery the Hebrews endured in Egypt…usually lettuce or a root vegetable
Maror, or bitter Herbs
Stands in for a holiday sacrifice once offered at the Holy Temple. It is also a universal symbol of springtime, new beginnings and rebirth
Chazeret
It is a green leafy vegetable, usually parsley, used to symbolize the initial flourishing of the Israelites in Egypt.
15
Contacts
fps website: www.fps.org
finchley progressive synagogue
Life President: Sheila King Lassman
54 Hutton Grove N12 8DR 020 8446 4063 www.fps.org facebook.com/finchleyprog Rabbi Rebecca Birk – rabbi@fps.org
Vice Presidents: Renzo Fantoni, Josie Kinchin, Laura Lassman, Lionel King Lassman, John Lewis, Paul Silver-Myer, Andrea Rappoport, Joan Shopper
Emeritus Rabbi: Dr Frank Hellner
contacts
Community Development Manager: Zoe Jacobs – zoe@fps.org
Board of Deputies Reps: Janet Tresman, Stanley Volk
Musicians in residence: Franklyn Gellnick, Dean Staker
Beit Midrash (Adult Education): Adrian Lister adulteducation@fps.org
Synagogue Manager: Pauline Gusack pauline@fps.org
Beit Tefillah (Rites & Practices): Valerie Joseph
Premises Manager: Howard Hamerton
Care in the Community: Jacquie Fawcett jacquie@fps.org
executive
Chair: Cathy Burnstone – chair@fps.org Vice-Chairs: Paul Silver-Myer vicechair@fps.org, Louise Gellman vicechairlg@fps.org Treasurer: Martin Silk – treasurer@fps.org Honorary Secretary: Josie Kinchin honsec@fps.org board members
Phillip Raphael, Samantha King, Maureen Lobatto, Louise Gellman, Katy Jackson
Café Thursday: Nicky Marzell
Website Editor: Philip Karstadt fpswebsite@fps.org Shofar Editor: CA. Cranston – shofar@fps.org Shofar Team: Sarah Rosen-Webb, Wika Dorosz FPS Office: administrator@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
President: Alan Banes
ashley page
janet tresman
insurance brokers
mediator & collaborative family law solicitor
Commerce House 2a Litchfield Grove London N3 2TN
Altermans Solicitors 239 Regents Park Road, London N3 3LF
Tel. 020 8349 5100
16
Office phone: 0208 346 1777 Email: janet@altermans.co.uk