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16 DECEMBER 2021 TO ADVERTISE CALL 020 3906 8488
COMMUNITY 17 Camp Simcha sends in festive fun for children in hospitals
Camp Simcha Toy Drive
PHOTO: YAFFA JUDAH PHOTOGRAPHY.
The first cohort of Camp Simcha’s new B’nei Mitzvah programme helped sort and pack over 10,000 toys collected by the charity for children spending the festive season in hospital.
A team of 20 bar and bat mitzvah youngsters, along with their parents and other volunteers, sorted the new toys over the course of last week. All the gifts had been collected by schools, cheders, businesses, synagogues and community groups – or donated by individuals - for Camp Simcha’s annual Toy Drive.
The charity launched its B’nei Mitzvah programme this year to offer children a meaningful way to mark their simcha, by giving their time and being part of a group fundraising activity.
Among them, Ariella Keene, 11, who is due to have her bat mitzvah in March, said: “It was such an honour to help pack toys with Camp Simcha to mark my bat mitzvah. I feel very sad that there are children who have to stay in hospital over the holidays and it’s so nice that I get to do something help them.”
This past week, the sorted toys have been distributed by Camp Simcha volunteers to 120 hospital wards and hospices and through community nursing teams around London, Essex and Hertfordshire, including the Royal Free NHS Trust, Northwick Park, Great Ormond Street, UCLH, St Mary’s, Evelina, Chelsea and Westminster and North Middlesex.
Gail Manning from the play team at Northwick Park Hospital’s paediatric ward, Jack’s Place, said the toy deliveries had been more important than ever this year.
“This year has been challenging for everyone. Here on Jack’s Place, we have had to adapt the way we play. Single use toys and activities have become essential. We have required many more resources in order to support our patients and families.
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“The donation we received today will enable us to ensure all our patients have a treat over the festive period and I’m sure we’ll receive lots of smiles in return. We can’t thank Camp Simcha and the community enough for your kindness.”
Great Ormond Street Hospital also received their annual bags of toys – as well as a sweet treat for staff with a doughnut delivery from Camp Simcha - and some Chanukah activities and online entertainment for children on the wards.
GOSH asked for the charity’s help in this area to support the hospital chaplaincy’s cultural awareness activities.
Camp Simcha Head of Services Daniel Gillis said: “Chanukah is all about light – and we hope the doughnuts brightened up the day for the amazing staff team, and the crafts and entertainment brought some joy to children on the wards.
“Chanukah is a really special festival for Jewish children and for families as a whole. Raising awareness of this aspect of Jewish culture among staff and ensuring there are Chanukah activities for children on the wards, plays a big role towards bringing some joy to Jewish patients who might feel sad that they are missing their usual family festivities.”
GIFT raises over £1.1 million in its big online campaign
GIFT team celebrating their fundraising efforts
GIFT was thrilled to raise an amazing £1104,355 during its 36-hour matched campaign, which closed at 10pm on Monday evening.
The campaign raised funds from 3,500 donors across the world: people from the UK to Israel, South Africa to the USA, came together to support GIFT’s Fast Forward campaign. Having reached the £750,000 target after just 12 hours, a new £1,000,000 bonus round took place over a high-octane 22 hours – followed by an amazing and successful push to raise an additional £100,000.
Volunteers of all ages gave their time to phone and message possible supporters. Over 150 teams inspired and motivated their friends and family to give, with warm comments from supporters including: ‘Delighted to help this wonderful charity’, ‘Keep doing the amazing work you do!’ and ‘Kol hakavod to your endless efforts for the community!’
Funds raised will be put towards GIFT’s work in 2022, when the charity plans to engage even more people in practical, accessible and impactful volunteering opportunities, and to create inspiring and meaningful educational programmes, so that our community can keep supporting those who need our help most.
Rabbi Sandor Milun, Managing Director of GIFT, says: ‘We are thrilled to know that GIFT’s programme for 2022 is secure, thanks to the amazing donations of so many in our community. We are immensely grateful to the hundreds of volunteers, team leaders and supporters who made our campaign such an unprecedented success. Thank you to everyone involved, who will help us to continue to inspire and enable lifelong giving.’
Desi Ormonde and Karine Morris, team leaders on the campaign and weekly volunteers for GIFT, say: ‘Being volunteers for GIFT is rewarding in ways we could never have imagined, and seeing firsthand how we are helping people is truly a humbling experience. Being team leaders was a no-brainer, knowing that the more money we raise means helping even more people than ever before, and the response has been truly incredible!’
Dan Elek, an 18-year-old volunteer who called possible donors to ask for their support, says: ‘I really enjoyed speaking to so many people, and was proud to be an ambassador for GIFT. I was bowled over by how many people said yes!’
One of the campaign’s matching donors, who has asked to be anonymous, says: ‘My family are proud to have been matchers on the Fast Forward campaign; we know that people give more if they know their gift will be doubled, so we feel delighted that we have helped GIFT to raise such an extraordinary amount, so it can continue to do extraordinary things next year.’
For more information about GIFT please email us at info@jgift.org or follow us on Instagram @giftcharity. To give to the campaign, please visit www.charityextra/ gift]
Lammy attends Tottenham Chanukah party
Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy joined Chanukah celebrations in Tottenham Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy celebrated Chanukah with the Jewish community of Tottenham last week.
Youth Chaverim attended the Chanukah party and two members addressed over 100 people at the home of community activist Rabbi Shmuel Davidsohn.
“Every year we hold an event, and it was great that it took place, said Shmuel, who aids community engagement in the area. “We were proud to host the event. Engagement between the Jewish community and various authorities is really important.” Amongst dignitaries in attendance were the Mayor of Haringay, Councillor Adam Jogee, and Mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville, Leader of Haringey Council, Peray Ahmet, councillors and the local police commander for the area. A presentation was made to Chief Inspector, Imran Asghar. The event has not taken place for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sparks of Inspiration
During the week of Chanukah, PaL – Phone and Learn, the UK’s leading 1-2-1 outreach organisation, had a wonderful campaign showcasing some of their inspiring learning partnerships.
Each night of Chanukah, PaL released a new profile of one of their learning partnerships. The first night, featured Jenty Young a lady in her 60’s who recently found out she is Jewish and now is learning with her PaL tutor. Jenty is so eager to learn and is excited by her journey of discovery. The second night, PaL tutor Jeremy Rose and his PaL partner David Davis featured for being the longest learning partnership – almost 16 years. The third night, PaL tutor Danny Sanger was featured. Danny has been a tutor for over 8 years and learns with two PaL partners every week. The fourth night featured PaL’s furthest learning partnership, PaL tutor Arielle Croock lives in Johannesburg and her PaL partner Angela Ene lives in London – over 5,635 miles apart. The next night PaL featured a young couple in Edgware, Eisha and Maya Dytch who are both fantastic PaL tutors. After Shabbos the campaign continued featuring Paul Davis. Paul signed up to learn with PaL over a year ago. His learning sessions with his tutor have inspired him to now put on Tefillin daily and increase the learning sessions to twice weekly. The last night of Chanukah featured a local PaL partnership, Benzion Perlman and Erez Nounou who learn together four times a week. These examples show the amazing impact that 1-2-1 learning has on both the tutors and the partners. The tremendous achievements, milestones and friendships that develop are truly inspiring.
Throughout the campaign, many new partners and tutors signed up to learn with PaL.
For more information on how you can get involved visit www.phoneandlearn.org or email info@phoneandlearn.org or call 020 8455 3118.
Joanna Ebner announced as new Head for Immanuel College
The Governors of Immanuel College are delighted to announce the appointment of their new Head, Joanna Ebner, who will join in September 2022.
Miss Ebner is currently headmistress of Thomas’s Kensington, a highly regarded co-educational preparatory school based in Kensington which is part of the Thomas’s London Day Schools’ Group. Prior to that she was headmistress of The Royal School, a girls’ day and boarding school in Hampstead.
Miss Ebner grew up in a strong Jewish home, attending Bnei Akiva and teaching at Hebrew Classes. She was educated at North London Collegiate School and Homerton College, Cambridge University, where she was co-President of the Jewish Society. When she was studying, she also ran the Cambridge Traditional Jewish congregation’s cheder. Her MA was at the Institute of Education, University of London, and she trained as a School Counsellor at the Tavistock Clinic, Institute of Family Therapy and City University, working in a range of settings, including at Immanuel College, in the 1990s. Miss Ebner was also one of the founding governors of Rimon (a maintained community Jewish faith school) and instrumental in appointing the first head. She has a keen interest in Holocaust Education and attended the annual teacher training course at Yad Vashem Jerusalem
Joanna Ebner
in summer 2019. She has recently become a trustee of J-Roots.
Miss Ebner is a successful and experienced leader. She has been a headteacher for the past 16 years and has worked in a range of educational environments, all in London.
In summer 2020, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Miss Ebner founded School Unlocked (www.schoolunlocked. org), summer schools for the most disadvantaged premium pupils to help them catch up on missed schooling. Robert Halfon, chair of the Commons Education Select Committee, held this up as an exemplar of current good practice.
Graduates complete women’s educator programme
Lilmod ul’Lamed graduates with Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis
Seven women on the first Lilmod Ul’Lamed Women’s Educator Programme graduated on Sunday.
A graduation ceremony for the joint programme between the United Synagogue, Mizrachi UK and Bnei Akiva UK took place at the Wohl Suite in central Synagogue.
The 18-month programme gives university-age women high-level training in teaching and education from experts in their fields. Topics included public speaking, preparing shiurim and Jewish pedagogy. Participants gained practical experience giving shiurim, writing articles and representing partner organisations at educational events.
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said, “The graduates demonstrated an impressive level of knowledge and understanding.”
The next cohort commences in January.
Resource becomes a family matter
It’s not often Resource get to help a family back into employment. The Grodner-Benjamins were our first.
Wife and mum Debby came to us first. She had stopped work to have a family, but as the children grew older, she felt the need to return to the workplace. However, she wasn’t sure what kind of work to go for.
“My luck changed when I turned to Resource. Their voluntary advisors are professional employment experts and thanks to Resource’s supporters and donors, everything is provided free.
“My advisor helped me build my confidence and I went to many of Resource’s workshops, including how to make best use of networking – in other words, getting to hear of employment opportunities among friends, acquaintances and former colleagues - preparing job applications and CVs, and interview skills.
“Together, my advisor’s support and sharing the experiences of others at the workshops helped rebuild my confidence. They got me thinking constructively about the kind of job I’d enjoy, the employers to approach, and how to do so. I began to feel empowered. I decided to look into voluntary work and with my advisor’s encouragement, I took on a role as a volunteer at the Holocaust Survivors’ Centre.”
Later Debby found new work but felt that she needed guidance on what to do
Grodner family
next. Unsurprisingly, she sought the help of Resource.
“My new advisor was incredibly supportive and immediately got me thinking positively. I again went to a number of Resource’s workshops. I became truly motivated and felt my self-confidence return. My advisor recognised my strengths as a people-person and I found work at a school where I specialised in working with students needing learning support. I’m delighted to say I’ve been there ever since.”
The Jewish Weekly wishes Deborah and David Saffer of Shenley, together with Susan and Colin Goldenberg of Liverpool, a hearty mazel tov on the engagement of their children Hannah and Jake
20 COMMUNITY TO ADVERTISE CALL 020 3906 8488
16 DECEMBER 2021 Mr Bernard Stone zt”l
BY RABBI MORDECHAI ULLMANN
In the introduction to the monumental sefer, “Nefesh Hachaim”, authored by Harav Chaim of Volozhin, his son HaRav Yitzchok of Volozhin writes, “and so were the words of my father to me constantly, ‘This is the entire person; not for himself was he created, rather to benefit others with all the strength that he finds’.”
Writing in the previous century, the Mesillas Yesharim provides some further context for our existence: “A person was not created for his situation in the world, rather [to prepare] for his situation in the World-to-Come”.
In our fast-paced, high-pressure society, there is much cause to reflect on these principles - that the purpose of our existence in this world is to prepare for the Next and that a primary way to do so is not by being self-centred, but by focusing on how to benefit others.
Our generation was blessed with an example of someone who personified these lofty ideals.
Mr Bernard Stone, (Binyomin Mordechai ben Yitzchok zt”l) whose Shloshim falls this coming Sunday, 15 Teves, was a Yid who many would testify lived leshem Shamayim and who constantly placed the welfare - spiritual and material - of others on the forefront of his mind and activities.
Born 76 years ago in what was then the “Hightown” district of Cheetham Hill, Bernard had an early example of a shul Shamash in the form of his grandfather, Mr Avraham Weinstein z”l. Mr Weinstein served as the Shamash of the “New Shul” (whose building still fronts Cheetham Hill Road and which once had the privilege of hosting the legendary Harav Meir Shapiro zt”l). When in 1963, the New Shul closed, Bernard began his communal activism at the Beth Jacob.
In 1969, Hightown was redeveloped and many of its residents relocated to Hulme. While others were busy finding their bearings in this spiritually-desolate district immediately south of Manchester’s City Centre, Bernard, then a young man in his twenties, approached Dayan Golditch zt”l with his quandary of how to establish a minyan for the area. Receiving the Dayan’s full support, sound advice and blessing, Bernard proceeded to set up the minyan in rented accommodation. In order to furnish the fledgling community, he visited numerous existing shuls in Manchester to request spare artifacts suitable for the shul and even constructed a Bima by hand. He would also make the rounds soliciting donations whether from distinguished personalities such as Rebbetzin Levene (who had been married b’zivug sheni to Harav Zvi Hirsh Levene zt”l, Rav of the Rydal Mount) or from ordinary businessmen. When the Hulme community gradually dwindled by the end of the 1970’s, Bernard joined the next Kehillah to which he would devote the rest of his life - Beis Haknesses Shaarei Tefillah - Cheetham Hebrew Congregation.
Bernard Stone zt”l
The shul was formed in 1958 as an amalgamation of four Kehillos and Bernard threw his entire being into ensuring its continuity.
In 1982 he took on the “temporary role” of president of the congregation, a position he would go on to hold for close to forty years. When, in 2001, owing to changing demographics, the shul in Cheetham Hill was forced to relocate to the Jewish Cultural Centre on Bury Old Road, many would have wondered how long it could sustain itself nearer the heart of the Orthodox Kehilla, where shuls abound.
Nonetheless, Bernard’s resilience helped the shul not only survive, but, in its own modest way, thrive. It drew further locals - in particular seniors - who were seeking a like-minded Ashkenaz minyan. Bernard derived particular pleasure when, 13 years ago, a new Sefer Torah was commissioned by admirers and friends of the shul. At the celebratory meal held in its honour, a well-known Marbitz Torah commented that “Bernard” would serve as one of the “Stone”s in the third Beis Hamikdash. Far from being a mere Rabbonishe quip, it brings to mind the words of Shlomo Hamelech in Shir Hashirim describing the Beis Hamikdash, “Tocho Rotzuf Ahahva” - its essence was saturated with love. Indeed it was a building constructed with the love of Klal Yisroel, as the Gemara poetically describes it as, “a “Yedid built by a Yedid in the portion of the Yedid [Hashem i.e. Shevet Binyomin]”. Binyomin (Bernard) similarly displayed the love of a “Temimus’dike” Jew for a Mikdash Me’at and in fact was once overheard commenting (when questioned as to why he stayed in shul the entire Yom Kippur night), “What could be better than spending the night with the Eibishter?”
His personal commitment to Tefillah was itself an inspiration. Each Shabbos and Yom Tov he would make the oneand-a-half mile trek from his home deep in Crumpsall to the shul in the Cultural Centre, notwithstanding ailing health and sometimes oppressive weather conditions. On two-day Yomim Tovim this would involve a repeat three mile round trip. In earlier years, he would make the rounds each weekday with his old car, bringing whoever he could, to join in the Minyan. One can only imagine the challenges this must have involved, in particular on cold and dark winter mornings, but it was the greatest favour imaginable for many of the beneficiaries of this kindness.
His other great joy was providing meals for people. Whether it was the famed Shabbos lunch he ran in the shul in which he provided food he personally schlepped from local shops - in addition to dishes he prepared at home, or the mesibos he ran in honour of the Yomim Tovim, Cheetham Hebrew became for many individuals a second home, a “Beis Chayeinu” where warmth, friendship and true care could be found. This was besides the meals he would deliver to lonely people, his visits to hospitals and his quiet but determined actions that enabled many Yidden to be brought to Kevurah in a timely manner. Much of his kindnesses were performed for people who are sadly no longer with us, but nothing is forgotten by Hashem, who “recalls all the forgotten”.
Across Manchester’s Jewish community and beyond, Bernard’s caring and happy demeanour earned the inspiration of Jew and non-Jew alike.
It would be appropriate to conclude with an idea the author once heard from the renowned mashpia Rabbi YY Jacobson shlita. We daven at candle-lighting that we should merit to raise children who “light up the world with Torah, good deeds and all the work of serving the Creator”. The Rav explained that whereas our hope is that our efforts in Chinuch will bear fruit in the form of children who light up the world in Torah, we should also be proud of those who succeed in “good deeds and in all the service of the Creator”. Such people “light up the world” with their activism and selflessness, helping others, such as the incredible volunteers we are all familiar with from various organisations. In a similar vein, Bernard may not have had the opportunity to excel in Torah study that much of present-day children in Manchester are granted, but he truly “lit up the world”, beaming a bright light of Chesed and Maasim Tovim, deep into the corners of Cheetham Hill, as well as an awe-inspiring Mesiras Nefesh for Tefillah, which will remain indelibly impressed on all who knew him.
Bernard returned his pure soul to his Creator on Thursday night Parshas Vayishlach and, quite remarkably, was brought to Kevurah on Erev Shabbos after Chatzos. A crowd comprised of Rabbonim and laypeople came to accompany Mr Stone on his final earthly journey, each person mulling over their own precious memories of an unassuming giant, whose greatest joy was bringing pleasure to his Creator and bringing Yidden together. Yehi Zichro Baruch.
