Shofar November 2015 by Finchley Progressive

November 2015

Shofar

‫שופר‬

the magazine of finchley progressive synagogue

From the Editor pat lehner The days are getting colder and darker, and my thoughts naturally turn to my home and to all the people in my life. My large, extended, chaotic family – my wise friends, young and old. My neighbours, always ready to take in a parcel or return a lost cat. The Italian barista in my local café who plays Northern Soul records on his Thorens record player and makes the world’s best coffee. And I try every day to create a safe and nurturing space where my family can grow. How fragile this safe space can be, and this year Sukkot was both more personal and more urgent. Our FPS community came together for our Action on Syrian Refugees and you can read about this in Rabbi Rebecca’s article as well as on Page 7. Let’s hope that this year we will have many more opportunities to open our neighbourhoods and communities to people who need us and to welcome new friends into our lives. A happy, welcoming and inspiring November to all of you!

mitzvah day

Sunday 22 November As we are all aware, housing and homelessness are critical issues in London. This year FPS is joining London Citizens for Mitzvah Day. FPS together with other Jewish, Muslim and Christian groups will be involved in researching and visiting housing initiatives in Barnet.

Meet 2.00-2.30pm on Mitzvah Day 22 November - at the synagogue. Contact Rabbi Rebecca or Andrea Narcin for details.

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

Cover: Simchat Torah with Chatan Torah Rabbi Frank Hellner & Kallat Bereshit Valerie Boyd Hellner Photo: Wika Dorosz

Copy deadline is the 10th of each month. Please email all content to shofar@fps.org

From the Rabbi rabbi rebecca qassim birk a year of living responsibly

or my piece this month I wanted to include our write up in the JC. (See page 7 for full article). We are beginning our year of living responsibly with strength and intention. Our synagogue has never had such a joyous Sukkot and such a huge turnout. 200 for our Action on Syrian Refugees, over 100 from FPS and 70 stayed for our Sukkot service and entertaining and illuminating sermon by Rabbi Danny Freelander President of WUPJ. It was a wonderful start to our new year.

This month we celebrate Ruben’s delayed Bar Mitzvah ceremony on Parashat Vayeitze [...] I can say with enthusiastic integrity that the process to this moment has been a joy! As was our celebration of Rabbi Frank and Valerie Boyd Hellner as our Chatan Torah and Kallat Bereshit on Simchat Torah. It’s

special when these moments are intertwined together, as I spoke of at Rosh Hashanah. This month we celebrate Ruben’s delayed Bar Mitzvah ceremony on Parashat Vayeitze 21 November, he has had the most wonderful teacher - not in his mother (!) but in John Rubinstein, husband of Josie Kinchin. I can say with enthusiastic integrity that the process to this moment has been a joy! November corresponds with the end of Cheshvan, a quieter moment in our calendar, for which this Rabbi is quite grateful!

We are delighted to be celebrating Ruben’s Bar Mitzvah within the community on the weekend of 21 November and all are most welcome to Friday night Shabbat Resouled and kiddush or Shabbat morning.

From the Chair alex kinchin-smith

n last September’s issue of Shofar, I wrote about the conflict that was gripping Israel and Gaza, saying ‘I can only pray that by the time you are reading this the situation has improved and that peace and moderation are winning through’. These words are apt once again as tensions and violence escalate across Israel and the Palestinian territories. I have visited

This year we included Neve Shalom (or Wahat al-Salam), a community jointly established by Jewish and Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel in our High Holy Day appeal. Ra’anana many times to stay with family and it has always seemed to me to be the last place to expect conflict. I was genuinely shocked earlier this week to hear about two incidents there on a single morning. Whatever our perspective on the causes of this conflict, as Jews in the UK we feel a strong bond with Israel and her citizens. Personally I always feel helpless when seeing the situation on the news, or even speaking with relatives who are there. This year we included Neve Shalom (or Wahat al-Salam), a community

jointly established by Jewish and Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel in our High Holy Day appeal. So, in some small way we provided an opportunity for members to contribute towards peace in the region. (You can still give by the way to this or other causes, we won’t close the appeal until the end of November). We run a number of activities throughout the year which connect with Israel, whether they be education sessions, discussions or Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations. I wonder if members think this is enough, or whether we should be providing more opportunities to strengthen our ties with Israel. I know we will have perspectives from across the political spectrum but that does not need to prevent us from developing stronger connections. If you have views on this I would welcome hearing them. Back to recent events in our Finchley community, we have been active in campaigning for Syrian refugees to be resettled in our borough and by the time you read this we expect Barnet Council to have passed the motion to accommodate 50 of the most vulnerable refugees. My thanks go to those members active in this campaign and I look forward to what action we can take next on this or other worthwhile causes.

FPS Projects alex kinchin-smith musician in residence weekend

27 November - Musical offerings from the US via Sweden – A Shabbat of British Swedish Jewish Music. Musician in residence Nathaniel Glasser was born and raised in Connecticut and studied music education at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. During his 3rd year he studied in Spain with the hopes of using Spanish in a bilingual school. God apparently had other plans for him as he met a Swede there and instead emigrated to Stockholm where he has lived and worked as a music teacher and musician since 2004. Nathaniel plays and teaches violin, piano, guitar, and percussion. He leads much music in Stockholm; Kabbalat Shabbat with the Progressive Judaism of Stockholm group or even Purim or Channukah with the Chabbad.

If a guitar and a voice is needed, Nathaniel will undoubtedly show up. In 2013 Rabbi Rebecca met Nathaniel at a retreat at the historic summer retreat Glämsta in Stockholm’s archipelago. Since then they have talked about bringing him to London and now the time has arrived! Nathaniel very much looks forward to meeting everyone there! Friday 27/28 November 6.30pm Friday Service and Chavurah Dinner 11am Shabbat Service, kiddush lunch & afternoon session: Music transforming the fixed liturgy. New and OId ways of doing so with Dean Staker and Nathaniel Glasser 5pm Havdalah, Concert and Drumming Workshop (Nathaniel is skilled in Arabic dumbek - aka darbouka - and West African djembe!) Bring instruments if you have them.

Our friend and teacher Rabbi Harry Jacobi marking his 90th Birthday with his rabbinic colleagues after preaching at FPS to mark the occasion and be celebrated with a Kiddush where we paid tribute to him.

Chicago Marathon richard allen greene

My friend Nicole Dial loved whisky and penguins and travel, and when she laughed, you had to laugh too. She catalogued human rights abuses in Guatemala and helped demobilise and reintegrate child soldiers from Sierra Leone. Then, seven years ago, she got her dream job, working to promote education for girls in Afghanistan. She made a joke about packing ‘shapeless fashion’ and off she went. She was killed there four months after she arrived, along with three colleagues, when the Taliban sprayed her car with bullets. She was 31 years old. I was training to run my first half marathon when Nicole was killed, and decided to turn it into a fundraiser in memory of her. Most years since then, I’ve run races in Nicole’s honour, working my way up to my first marathon last year. In October, I flew home to run the Chicago Marathon in her memory. It was a beautiful

sunny day, more like summer than autumn. I had been hoping to come in under four hours, but late in the race I got terrible cramps in my legs and ended up in the medical tent needing a massage even to be able to stand up. Once they’d got my legs working again, I walked the last two miles. Nicole’s aunt and I have been in touch since she died, and we decided before the race that this would be my last run in her memory. It’s been seven years, and it’s time to let her rest. My fundraising has been for Search for Common Ground, the charity she worked for before she went to Afghanistan. They aim to build a more peaceful world, teaching that disagreements are inevitable but violence is not. If you’d like to donate, you can make a contribution using the link below. Thank you! http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/NicoleDial

From Left: Richard at this year’s Chicago Marathon, Nicole Dial in her office in Afghanistan. Photos supplied by Richard Allen Greene

From The Jewish Chronicle Joy for rabbi and campaigners as council agrees to take in 50 Syrians By Rosa Doherty Created 10/01/2015 - 11:58 A London council has agreed to resettle Syrian refugees after a campaign led by a local rabbi. Rebecca Qassim Birk, rabbi at Finchley Progressive Synagogue, headed a Citizens UK effort to get Barnet Council to take in the refugees. Council leader Richard Cornelius announced that the local authority would accept 50 Syrians at a meeting at the synagogue on Sunday, attended by 200 people. He told the gathering: “Rabbi, the answer is yes,” acknowledging that the campaign had pricked his conscience. The local Citizens UK group, made up of Rwandan, Syrian, Jewish and Catholic communities in Barnet, said it had organised homes and places at schools and GP surgeries for the refugees. Rabbi Birk said: “We know it’s not easy for a council to say yes, that’s why we needed local

people to show their support, find homes and offer a warm welcome.” Norwich Liberal Jewish Community is planning a service in its Succah this Shabbat to call for the city council to follow Barnet’s lead. Meanwhile, more than £445,000 has been raised by World Jewish Relief’s appeal to help Syrian refugees since the beginning of September. Paul Anticoni, chief executive of the charity, said: “The Jewish community has risen as one to show that it can be counted upon to make a life-changing difference.” A meeting to discuss the community’s response to the crisis will be held on Wednesday at the JW3 centre. Source URL: http://www.thejc.com/news/uknews/146251/joy-rabbi-and-campaigners-council-agreestake-50-syrians

Barnet Citizens Succot Resettlement action with Rabbi Rebecca and Council Leader Richard Cornelius. Photo by Charlotte Fischer

Beit Tefillah services at fps

services - november Friday 6 November Saturday 7 November

Shabbat b’Yachad service

Friday 13 November

10.00 am Tikvah 2 Kabbalat Shabbat service

Saturday 14 November

Friday 20 November

Saturday 21 November Friday 27 November

10.00 am Tikvah 2 Kabbalat Shabbat service

Shabbat service 10.00am Tikvah 2 Shabbat Resouled

Saturday 28 November

10.15 Musical Shabbatots Shabbat service incl. Bar Mitzvah of Ruben Qassim 10.00am Tikvah2 Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service Chavurah supper with student Rabbi Elliott Karstadt 8.45 Breakfast Shiur Shabbat service 6pm Musical Havdalah

28 November 8.45 am Breakfast Shiur The Wandering Jew - Rootlessness and Religion Presented by Rabbi Dr Judith Rosen-Berry The “Wandering Jew” condemned to journey eternally, has been anti-Jewish trope for centuries but homelessness and wandering has also played an important part in how the Jewish community has understood itself theologically, spiritually and politically. This Shiur will take a

look at the complexity that is the Jewish search for a “home” and the rich culture that has been derived from its “homelessness”. Rabbi Dr Judith Rosen-Berry is the Rabbi of a Liberal Jewish community and lecturer in modern Jewish Philosophy and Theology at Leo Baeck College.

Beit Knesset whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening at fps

people we warmly welcome new members

Jeremy Kahn, Victoria Whitford, Cordelia & Gabriel

Rebecca and Spencer Miller-Joseph on the birth of their son Franklyn Cedar, a brother for Jakob. condolences

congratulations & mazal tov

Sarah and Neil Rosen-Webb on the birth of granddaughter Henriette Isadora (Chana Elisheva) in Toronto, daughter for Jemma and Jordan and sister for Toby and Mollie Helfman

To Ronald Arlen and family on the death of Sandra To the de Wolfe family on the death of Rosalind

homeless shelter calling prospective volunteers!

As you will be aware, FPS has been involved in providing shelter for up to 17 homeless guests one day a week over a series of weeks in the winter period. This year we will be covering the last 4 or 5 weeks of the season, probably on a Sunday night. However we have also been asked to get involved over Christmas, when the shelter will be providing shelter and Christmas cheer at Finchley Reform. We will be looking for volunteers to be hosts, entertainers, cooks, and to sleep over etc. FPS will also again be creating Christmas stockings- so if anyone would like to donate a set of 17 items, please feel free. (17 paper aeroplane kits, 17 bars of soapâ&#x20AC;Ś either useful or fun!). Please contact me to show interest- best to drop me an email at andrea_narcin@yahoo.co.uk or phone me on 07969 471522 for further details.

Peaches, photo by Wika Dorosz

Beit Midrash learning at fps Glittering Fragments - A Hundred Years of Jewish History in Britain 1845-1945 5 November: The Labour MP Herbert Morrison and his changing attitude to the plight of the Jews 1930 to 1945 // Lesley Urbach new programme:

Liberal Jewish Liturgy: The Art of Prayer Liberal Judaism as a movement is embarking on an examination of our liturgy which may culminate in the writing of a new siddur. Rabbi Richard Jacobi, one of those leading the process, spoke to us earlier this year and encouraged communities to undertake their own discussions and feed back their thoughts. Is there the appetite for a revision of language and translation? Does the repetition of traditional formulae offer a precious bridge to our past? Does the increasing use of Hebrew create a dissonance with Liberal commitment? Does our siddur reflect our souls’ desire? Led by Rabbi Rebecca Qassim Birk and visiting rabbis familiar with Siddur Lev Chadash, Machzor Ruach Chadashah, and the LJ funeral and shivah liturgy. 12 November: What’s Right, Wrong and Essential. Favourites of the Siddur and secrets of editorship

also at beit midrash...

6.30 - 7.15pm - Pilates 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 adrianlister@blueyonder.co.uk

19 November: The times they are a changin.... How has the use of the Siddur progressed with the inclusion of popular tunes and tone? Looking at musical accompaniment adding or detracting from prayer with Lev Chadash 26 November: Creative Sermons. Are the Themed Readings an under-used resource or dated literature? 3 December: the Torah Service. The drama and mystification of the Sifrei Torah in liberal liturgy. Does our sensitivity to the possible idolatry of traditional practice come through in our siddur? 10 December. The smallness of Chanukah: myths our siddur debunks. Our liturgy and the festival year. Chanukah lighting and light shared supper too! Thursdays, 7.30-9.30 pm, with a break for refreshments. £5 donation on the door, or £25 for the series in advance contact administrator@fps.org More information on speakers and topics on: http://www.finchleyprogressivesynagogue.org/ learning/beit-midrash/

Beit Knesset arts at fps the screen on the grove

yoga

1 November 2015: The Roundup (2010, France) Directed by Roselyne Bosch and produced by Alain Goldman. The film stars Mélanie Laurent, Jean Reno, Sylvie Testud and Gad Elmaleh. Based on the true story of a young Jewish boy, the film depicts the Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup (Rafle du Vel’ d’Hiv), the mass arrest of Jews by French police who were Nazi accomplices in Paris in July 1942.

Tuesdays @ 7.30pm. Contact Richard on 020 8349 9602

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 Elaine Borish elaineborish@virginmedia.com or Wika Dorosz vdorosz@gmail.com

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). 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. Monday 9 November (Rosh Chodesh Kislev) ’Modesty in Fashion – Moving out of Sheitls and Hijabs?’ – led by Reina Lewis. Reina is Professor of Cultural Studies at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London. Her new book is ‘Muslim Fashion: Contemporary Style Cultures’. Reina is a frequent media commentator, author and editor of Modest Fashion: Styling Bodies, Mediating Faith.

Letter from Lima the bonneff family

Since the last newsletter Peru has been voted the best culinary destination of South America by the World Travel Awards! I was able to attend the annual gastronomic fair called Mistura which took place in September and welcomed over half a million visitors through its doors. It is such an attraction that tourists time their holidays so that they can come to Mistura and then continue on to other parts of Peru. Basically it is a chance to taste small plates of food from some of the best, newest and most popular restaurants in Lima. For a small sum of money you can leave full and with a renewed interest in the huge variety of Peruvian cuisines available in Lima. I now realize that there are about 30 different varieties of Quinoa alone and some of the most delicious chocolate that is now beginning to be exported to Europe. I also tried a liquor made from Oregano which was bright green and looked like Absinthe. I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe how strong it was! Peru has been the recent hosts of the IMF conference and the World Bank Group, hosting 12,000 visitors from 180 countries. Offices were told to close for the day giving Limenans an unexpected day off work. This was to ease the

awful traffic problems in the centre of Lima so the delegates could move around more easily. It is a really exciting to time to be living in Peru. Next April the first round of the general elections will be held, with a runoff between the top two candidates in June. I will write more about politics in Peru as it is very interesting with corruption scandals figuring very highly. I heard yesterday from one of my new friends that her brother-in-law has just resigned his post as a Minister to throw his hat into the Presidential election race. So hopefully I will have some scoops to report or at the very least a lot more insight into the way the election is run. On a more personal note, I had my first visitor from the UK for 9 months and apart from all the food goodies she brought with her it was Continued on page 13

From our Members rochelle simmons mill hill kin celebrates the new year

We met in a member’s house for Sunday morning coffee and snacks. There were 11 of us and the other 5 members sent their regrets. This gave us the opportunity of celebrating the wedding of our newest members, the arrival of a first grandchild for two of our stalwarts, and to welcome the recovery to good health of two of our number. We are delighted to now realise our dream of having a membership right across the adult age spectrum, just like a true family, but the task of reaching out to children and young people, is work in progress. We had a short discussion about how we could be a support to each other, maximising on the proximity of our addresses. Each member has contact details of all the membership, and we are hoping this ‘address book’ will be used when necessary. Our next gathering will be at Chanukah. Mill Hill Kin was formed to bring together a group of people living in proximity for mutual support and friendly contact. A few Edgware families joined us and we hope they wont mind if we don’t alter the group name. The hope was that this would be a pilot study to see if the venture were worthwhile. Other districts might

decide to follow our lead. I would be happy to discuss how we set about this if anyone would like to contact me via the Synagogue office. living alone? accept help!

You don’t have to be a great success all the time. Peter and Shirley were coping well by sharing the home duties. Then a virus struck and they were both confined to bed at the same time. Fortunately, they had, put by for a rainy day, the brochure for Wiltshire Farm Foods. They snuggled up together to choose their meals for a week. Shirley preferred soft food and she used the alternative menu. Peter liked large portions, so he ordered a double meal for himself. They phoned through their order, paying in advance by card, so that the delivery man could use the key box and place the meals directly in the freezer. They decided that once they were recovered they might, from time to time, use this service to give themselves a ‘holiday at home’. Wiltshire Farm Foods 020 8202 9776 If anyone can recommend any other similar organisation [including kosher food] please let me know: rosimmons@btinternet.com

Letter from Lima / Continued from page 12

wonderful to be able to show her around Lima. The kids were able to show off their Spanish although they played it very cool! They have settled well at school and are in their final term of the school year. I cannot believe that in 9

weeks they will have completed an academic year here. We are now waiting in anticipation for the better weather although I still haven’t had to put a coat on since I arrived here! Best wishes to our lovely community!

ruben qassim bar mitzvah

My name is Ruben. I am 13 years old, I have a brother called Rafael, a sister called Dora and mum is Rebecca, and a dad called Omar. My Bar Mitzvah is on the 21st of November. My portion is Vayeitzei about the baby Ruben being born to Lea and Jacob. I am so glad to be a part of the wonderful FPS community. I’m so excited to have my Bar Mitzvah here because of the special connection with my mum as a rabbi. I’ve got a cat called Honey who’s looking forward to her Bat Mitzvah.

FRIDAYS @ FPS 10.00-12.00

GRANDPARENTS BABIES TODDLERS MUSIC PLAY DISCOVERY CONVERSATION SHABBAT TIME

JOIN US AS A NEW GENERATION BEGINS LIFE’S JOURNEY

friday night dinner for our young people & families!

Lots happening on Friday 27 November: KT2 (Year 10) Relaxed Friday night at the home of Anya Neumann and her family, for all young people in that group. 6pm. Please bring a dish and let us know if you can join us. FPS Chavurah Supper After the service, especially for under 40s… but no one will be turned away! Please bring a dish to share and have dinner together after the service. Service usual time of 6.30pm

duke of edinburgh award

Our new Kabbalat Torah has started their new process and project through Duke of Edinburgh Award this year: Jewish learning and socialising using the famous and revered D of E process. Preparing for their Bronze Award by using their skills section on Jewish leadership - Hadracha and Volunteering in the Jewish Community, they are led by Daisy Daventry, Student Rabbi Igor Zinkov, Jess Lichtenstern and occasionally Jonty Leibowitz. We’ll share their progress!

B’nei Mitzvah Family Chavurah Supper in another corner of the synagogue, a chance to meet other BM families and have shavbbat together with Rabbi Rebecca and Student Rabbi Frankie Stubbs and B’nei Mitzvah Hebrew teacher John Rubinstein.

Then and now - the winners of the 1979 ULPS (LJ) Sports day. Photo by Lionel Lassman If you recognise yourself in the photo, please let us know, and if you have photos of FPS in days gone by, do let us have them so we can bring them to the attention of current Shofar readers!

Contacts fps whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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

Website editor: Viktoria Dorosz

janet tresman mediator & collaborative family law solicitor now back in finchley! Altermans Solicitors 239 Regents Park Road, London N3 3LF Direct dial: 0203 1820121 Email: janet@altermans.co.uk