HaMizrachi Weekly (UK Edition) - Shabbat Shuva 5784

SHABBAT SHUVA 5784​ The Jewish People Forever ​Rabbi Andrew Shaw Chief Executive, Mizrachi UK

It was not the place I ever thought I would be inspired.

It was an evening my son and I had been looking forward to for weeks: The return of Arsenal to the Champions League, after a seven-year absence. We were very kindly given tickets and we headed off to the Emirates.

The weather was awful, but as we walked to the stadium with 1000’s of others, there was a real community feel. We saw old friends laugh and joke together. Many of these people have been coming to watch Arsenal together for years and years. I occasionally get a ticket to take my son for an evening, but normally feel like a bit of a stranger. I am not quite a ‘three times a year’ fan, but not much more.

There is a football magazine called 'When Saturday Comes’. As for many people, that used to be the time when they would turn up to support their club whether home or away. Growing up, the only time football was played was 3pm on Shabbat afternoon. I remember speaking to people who would be in shul in the morning and the terraces on the afternoon. Going to grounds to watch football in those days was therefore not possible for a Shomer Shabbat Jew. With the advent of Sunday and European football in the 80’s and 90’s, suddenly there was an ability to support and over the years I have seen many games, thankfully now with my son.

There is a lot of similarity between a football community and our shul communities. It is a place where people come, linked by a sense of continuity. In our shuls we pray, in the stadiums, I think many of them do too! For many people who go there, the support for their team with family and friends is a central part of their lives. I cannot imagine my life without shul and kehillah, they have and do make up so much of my life, they are there for you through good times and bad, Shul is continuity in a world of instability. It is where we go to pray, to learn, to celebrate, to mourn, to socialise and to connect.

I think many of those in Emirates on Wednesday could understand those sentiments.

The difference, of course, is that one is dedicated to Divine service and the

observance and learning of Torah; the other is a wonderful pastime – but is basically just entertainment.

However last night, I did see, how it could be more than that, in a positive way.

Something happened which as I said above, inspired me and made me think of Shabbat Shuva , the Yamim Noraim and our Jewish Community. Let me explain.

We got to our seats, kick off was imminent, but now they do something differently.

Ever since May 2022 they have an anthem, which they play just before the game begins. The lights were dimmed and the song began, it was emotional. 60,000 fans who have not been part of the premier European competition for so long – were now back, where many feel that they belong, and they began to sing.

They sung this anthem ‘North London Forever’ with such ‘kavana’, it was really powerful. I looked around the faces, there was a real sense of one big family, people were so emotional, friends and families smiling. I had never seen this at a football match – it wasn’t the normal football chants, this was different – it had depth.

There was one problem – I didn’t know the words. And I wanted to. I wanted to be able to sing with everyone, to feel part of the experience. And then it hit me, isn’t this how many Jews feel when they enter our shuls? Maybe they come only a few times a year and they hear the ‘anthems’ of our people – our prayers, our songs and they too may want to join in, but they do not know the words.

I then decided to google the words – there is a full song, not just the chorus that is sung and when reading one of the lines, I couldn’t but think it is very much connected to our mission as a people.

It's in the roots that we inherit when a generation ends.

Probably the time when many shuls are at their most full is Yom Kippur at Yiskor time. People come for Yiskor, to remember their loved ones. Yizkor is a time when we are reminded of our mortality, to remind ourselves that as our parents have passed on, it is up to us to continue those traditions, and to hope and pray that our children will continue once we are no longer here.

Shabbat Shuva, the Shabbat between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, reminds us that however far we have drifted, Hashem is there for us with open arms. It is time to return.

‘I shall heal their rebelliousness; I shall love them willingly for My wrath will be withdrawn from them. I shall be like the dew to Israel, they shall blossom like a rose’ (Hoshea 14:5-6) We have to work harder than ever to bring Jewish people, especially young people back to shul. That is one of the primary aims of Yehudi.

As a child, shul became my second home, from a young age, I learned the songs, the tunes, I felt a part of it. Any solution for Jewish continuity has to be focussed on community, connecting people, making them feel part of something bigger than them. We have a remarkable story to tell, a way of life that gives meaning, fulfilment and connection – but it needs to be lived and loved.

Please God we will find a way to instil a passion for Judaism and Torah into our entire community, to wake us all up to our responsibilities and to show people the incredible experiences when you are part of the Jewish people.

So as the stadium boomed ‘North London Forever’ I couldn’t help but relate it to our anthem ‘The Jewish People forever’ or as we say in Hebrew…

Am Yisrael Chai Shabbat Shalom and Shana Tova

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