Essex Jewish News Rosh Hashanah 2022

We have lift-off for £25 million Jewish Care community centre

BY ROBINSONMANNY

JEWISH Care has revealed full details of the £25 million devel opment of its Redbridge Jewish Community Centre (RJCC)Planssite.are soon to be submitted to Redbridge Council for approval, following a atandconnectionUnitedty,theconsultationvisualandnityCare’slastmeetingpre-planningsuccessfulapplicationwiththeCouncilyear.RichardShone–Jewishdirectorofcommuservices,volunteeringsocialwork–gaveapresentationatameetingforEssexJewishcommuniheldatWoodfordForestSynagogue.MrShonehasalongwiththesitewashimselfavolunteertheRJCC,alsoknownas

Sinclair House, in his youth. He said: “It is a stunning building. There will be a large community centre area with sliding partition walls so that big and small events could be held simply by operating the sliding walls.”The new building will house a centre for people living with dementia along with a 66-bed care home,

mixedwelcomeProgressiveforfaithcouples

BY SIMON ROTHSTEIN

even more inclusive of mixed faith couples and families.South West Essex & Settlement Reform

Synagogue (SWESRS) voted at its recent AGM to accept non-Jewish partners of its members as associate members of theTheycommunity.willbe treated as full members in every respect, bar being able to serve on mixedSocietytheialTheyconstitutionalcommitteesreligiousorvoteonchanges.willreceiveburrightsinlinewithJointJewishBurialrules,meaningfaithpartnersin

PEssexsynagoguesROGRESSIVEacrossarebecomingthe community can be buried together in the green or woodland areas of Cheshunt’s JJBS cem etery.Rabbi

Jordan Helfman of SWESRS said: “We don’t want non-Jewish partners to be alienated from us and want our community to be inclu sive rather than exclusive. We are eager to keep Judaism alive from gen eration to generation.”

The move is indicative of Movement for Reform Judaism communities around Essex and the UK, with both Sukkat Shalom and Harlow Re form Synagogues having welcomed non-Jewish partners of its members as associates with burial

where residents of Vi and John Rubens House in Gants Hill will relocate to. It will have separate milk and meat kitchens and a room for religious services. Jew ish Care’s social work and meals on wheels teams will also be based on the site.

Mr Shone said that the Sinclair House and Vi and John Rubens names would remain in some way,

rights for several years.

Harlow’s Lorraine Kirk said:

adding: “We want to always remember the history and that our heritage comes from this Whenarea.”asked by a member of the audience about retirement living flats on the site, he said that research showed that there is an ample supply of devel opments like Jewish Blind & Disabled’s Aztec House and Milne Court to support the

counting in and embrac ing couples where one partner is not Jewish. It enables people to have a place in the Jewish com munity and sustain their relationship with the per son they love, rather than having to choose one or the“And,other.like me, the SWESRS rabbis will feel much more comforta ble talking with people about the simple idea that people who live life together can be laid to rest in the fullness of time together, through burial and/or cremation with ashes interment.”

Both Liberal Judaism and Reform Judaism also recognise equilineal de scent – namely that peo ple with one Jewish par ent have inherited Jewish status, irrespective of whether that parent is their mother or father. The exact application can vary by synagogue, and requires the person to be leading a Jewish life.

local community and these were therefore not needed.

The £25 million required for the development will come from the sales of Vi and John Rubens House and part of the RJCC site, along with money raised by RAGS – the golfing soci ety which has supported Jewish Care for many years. A shortfall of £12 million will be achieved through

fundraising.Ifplanning permission is granted, work could begin as early as spring 2023.

Jewish Care chief exec utive Daniel Carmel-Brown told the Essex Jewish News: “This new campus will be an investment for the entire Essex and East London Jewish community and we are delighted to be moving forward with the process.”

JEWISH individualsorganisationscommunalandinEssex have expressed their sad ness at the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and paid fitting tributes to her devotion to duty and warm relationship with the Jewish people.

Prayers were said on the Shabbat after her death in all of our region’s communities, as well as tributes posted on web sites and social media.

Clayhall United Syna gogue held an evening of reflection and prayer with keynote speaker Rabbi Aryeh Sufrin MBE, who shared his memories of meeting Her Majesty. The

evening was introduced by Rabbi Steven Dansky, minister of the synagogue.

When the Queen visit ed Redbridge for the first time as monarch it was a member of the Jewish community who gave her a tour of the borough. She was welcomed and escorted by Alan Wein berg MBE, then mayor of Redbridge. He said: “It was a personal honour for me and a great day for us all.”Earlier in the year, Jew ish organisations celebrat ed the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and stories and pictures of that event can be seen in this issue of the Essex Jewish News

An artist’s impression of the exterior and reception of the new Jewish Care campus for Essex

Picture: Cllr Alan Weinberg MBE, as mayor of Redbridge, escorting the Queen when she visited the borough. Picture courtesy of Archant.

The Essex Jewish News is the newspaper of the Jewish community Essex and is published Essex Jewish News Ltd.

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Renee Bravo asks the rabbis

OUR Essex Jewish News columnist hands over to two Essex rabbis to answer a question on the Torah. In this issue, Rene wants to know

Rabbi Odom Brandman – Chabad Buckhurst Hill

THIS is clearly crying out for explanation! Like many verses and stories in the Torah, we need to look carefully at the exact wording and see them both in the wider context and in light of the many commentaries that have been passed down over the generations to enable us to understand them properly.Ifwestart

with a premise that these are the words of G-d, they will obviously have a deeper mean ing with eternal and modern-day relevance as well.

You hear people talk about –“the Tree of Knowledge”, but that is not actually what the Torah says. The verse states clearly, Genesis, Chapter 2, Verse 17 – “But of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad, you must not eat”. What is the difference between “knowledge” and “knowledge of good and bad”?

Knowledge is of course a good thing, and we strive our whole lives to gain knowledge and to under stand as much of the Torah and the world around us as we can. How ever, Adam and Eve were created pure and free from evil and sin.

They had knowledge, a very deep knowledge.Priortosin, they knew good from bad, right from wrong, how ever they had not done wrong yet, and thus not internalized it and created an evil inclination and thus temptation to do more wrong.

Once a person has knowledge and experience of sin and evil, it becomes part of them and one sin leads to another, that is the natural cycle. Adam and Eve should have strived to continue gaining and growing in good and holy knowl edge, but without the mixing in of evil as Maimonideswell. explains, before the sin, Adam and Eve experienced objective knowledge. Following the sin, good and evil became mixed, and their level of knowledge was downgraded to subjective knowl edge. When Adam and Eve became aware of evil, it took away their innocence and their ability to stay away from evil, they now had an ex perience and relationship with evil, which was real and thus became a negative influence in their lives.

The lesson for us is clear, every

Rabbi Lev Taylor – South West Essex and Settlement Reform Synagogue

WHO says God doesn’t have a sense of humour? Im agine putting a tree right in the middle of the Garden of Eden and then telling people not to eat from it! That’s just asking for trouble.

Imagine telling people who don’t know right from wrong what to do. Well, they’re bound to do the wrong thing, because they don’t know what the right one is.

It all seems very funny, and may be that’s because it is. God, notori ously, loves a good laugh.

The Talmud relates a story of a group of rabbis arguing. Rabbi Eliezer says: “if I’m right, the river will run backwards.” It does, but the other rabbis still don’t believe him. Eliezer tries again: “If I’m right, the walls of this study house will bend down.” They do, but the other rabbis still don’t believe him.

He says, “God, can you give me some help here?” A great booming voice comes out from the Heavens: “Rabbi Eliezer is right.” The other rabbis shout back: “Now you stay

thought, speech and action we take, has either a positive or neg ative results. The serpent is the embodiment of the evil inclination which is ever present in all of our lives, however, we do have the strength and ability to fight it off and always make the right deci sions, however, the story is teaching us, among other things to always be in the lookout and to warn us how susceptible we can be.

Let’s pray we can all always make the right decisions and thus bring goodness and blessing to everything we do.

out of it!” The Talmud says, on that day, God roared with laughter, say ing “my children have defeated me.”

We are the impetuous children of a divine creator. Like any good parent, God doesn’t want us to be mindless automatons. God delights in us finding our own voices and exercising our freedom.

That’s how we should under stand the story of the Garden of Eden. It is a tale of how people came to be free. We learnt right from wrong; obedience and diso bedience. Without such freedom, doing good in the world would be meaningless.Godhasgiven us this gift of freedom. It’s up to us how we use it. And, as we experiment with what it means to be human, God is laughing along.

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‘Adam & Eve were told not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge… what was wrong with knowledge?’

ExamsuccessforKingSolomonstudents

BY SIMON ROTHSTEIN

PUPILS from King Solomon High School received a fantastic set of A-Level and GCSE results.Overall 72% of A-Lev el grades were A*-C and 49% of grades were A*-B. Students are now going on to a variety of univer sities and apprenticeships including the University of Nottingham, King’s College London, Imperial College London and the University of Bristol.

The school’s highest A-Level achievers, receiv ing all As and A*s, were Alessia Bowman, Ari Car mel-Brown, Sam Chevin, Sacha Choi, Sam Feldman, Ana Palade, Jasminder Tania, Matilda Villa and SalvinaHeadteacherZahir.

Hannele Reece said: “I am very

proud of all our students, to sit their first ever public examinations against the backdrop of the Covid pandemic and receive such amazing results is testament to their resil ience and hard “Congratulationswork.to all our students and the team of staff that supported them in achieving these wonderful results. I wish all our students the very best in their next steps and look forward to hearing about their future success es.”King Solomon is also celebrating “another fan tastic set of GCSE results despite the challenges of the pandemic”. Most of those having completed their GCSEs will now be continuing into sixth form at the school.

BY MANNY ROBINSON

SOURAKA DJBOURI, 19, was sentenced to 43 months in a Young Offender Institu tion (YOI) after pleading guilty to grievous bodily harm without intent for assaulting Rabbi Rafi Goodwin.Theyouth hit Rabbi Goodwin, of Chigwell and Hainault Synagogue, over the head with a concrete brick in an anti semitic attack.

We are pleased to re port that Rabbi Goodwin has fully recovered from his Detinjuries.Supt Jon Burgess said: “Djabouri’s despica ble behaviour in May last year was entirely unpro voked. He thought noth ing of assaulting Rabbi Goodwin and abusing him because of his faith.

“His actions were not only illegal, but they are abusive and insulting; this was a hate crime and it was treated as such from a very early stage.”

Sam Feldman, Ari Carmel-Brown and Sam Chevin celebrate their A-Level success

Harlow wonderfulcelebratesReform70years

The four musicians of the wind band Chameleon Quartet showed their versa tility, swapping instruments during a set of classical pieces. They also performed jointly with Razed Roof.

Synagogue members Malcolm Tinn on guitar and his wife, Adrienne rounded off the afternoon with a mix of folk songs including an Israeli classic, Hava Nagilah, that got people up and dancing.

SWESRS mourns rabbi and leader

birthdaywithCherylpresidentSynagoguePetarthecake

MUSICIANS and dancers with links to Harlow (Reform) Jewish Com munity delighted a packed hall of members and friends celebrating the synagogue’s 70th anniversary.

Guest Robert Halfon MP described the community as a “lighthouse” for Harlow and further afield, noting that few towns of a similar size were able to boast the pres ence of such a flourishing community.

Harlow dancers Razed Roof, who have appeared at the synagogue several times over the years, moved their audience with their evocative dances including one spe cially designed for the anniversary. Pres ident Cheryl Petar and chair Alan Cohen handed out flowers to each dancer.

L’Chaim Trio, whose lead singer Joel Goodman was barmitzvah at Harlow, played songs from the musicals written by Jewish composers.

The afternoon was compered by the president who welcomed guests including Harlow Council chair and deputy chair councillors Andrew Johnson and Sue Livings.Cheryl said afterwards: “It was fantastic to celebrate our special anniversary with so many members and friends. We had a delightful afternoon of superb dance and music. And our afternoon tea in the inter val was a lovely chance to catch up with each“We’reother.so honoured about the part we play in the community life of Harlow and we’re looking forward to the next 70 years with excitement.”

SOUTH West Essex and Settlement Reform Synagogue (SWESRS) is mourning the passing of Rabbi DowRabbiMarmurMarmur was the second rabbi of SWERS, and the community grew in both size and wisdom during his time there. He is remembered fondly for his kindness, his brilliance and his wit.

Rabbi Marmur was an instrumental figure in rebuilding Jewish life in Europe after the Shoah. Born in Poland in 1935, he spent the years of World War II in the Soviet Union before returning to his home country in 1946.

Two years later, he emigrated to Sweden, where he went to school. In 1957, he moved to England to study for the rabbinate at Leo Baeck College. He was ordained by LBC in 1962 and later taughtAfterthere.serving both SWESRS and Al yth Synagogue, he emigrated to Canada and became senior rabbi of Holy Blos som Temple in Toronto from 1983-2000. He then retired to Israel.

SWESRS’ Rabbi Jordan Helfman, who also served Holy Blossom, said: “Dow was my rabbi emeritus and taught

me about Zionism and peoplehood in my first few years in Toronto, before he and his wife Fredzia made full-time aliyah.“He spoke fondly of his time with this congregation, especially of his contin ued friendship with Bernard Davis. He was known for his ‘Marmurisms’ - cut ting phrases which spoke powerfully to the truth through wry humour. He once characterised the European rabbinate as one defined by publishing, while the American one was defined by funding the“Hesynagogue.wassuccessful at both, becom ing the senior rabbi of Canada’s largest reform congregation, publishing six books and editing two. I refer to his book on British Reform Judaism often, and draw from his book, on choose life after a loss as a keystone text in framing mourning.“Hissupport for Israel was critical and meaningful. He chose to spend the end of his life there close to his son, Rabbi Michael Marmur, and his grand children. He will be missed, and we pray for comfort for his family.”

Full obituary: page 29.

Chigwell concert farewell for rabbinic couple

CHIGWELL and Hainault United Syn agogue recently hosted a farewell concert with 350 people in attend ance for Rabbi Baruch and Rebbetzen Nechama Davis, who have now moved to Israel.The event featured tribute videos from members, friends and colleagues, including Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis.

The synagogue’s Jonny Turgel and former members Robert Sands and Rafi Sandford gave musical tributes, and there were speeches by Sandra Waldman, Dr Olivia Shure, Jonathan Fisher QC and MelvinRabbiGold.Baruch and Rebbetzen Necha ma were presented with flowers, a Megil lah and a book of psalms each, and will also receive a voucher for a homeware store in Israel. The community contribut ed to the gifts through a collection pot.

Chigwell and Hainault Synagogue member Maxine Levy said: “It was a mag nificent evening, uplifting and emotional.

You could feel the love in the air for such a fantastic couple that have been by our side and grown our community over the last 25 Rabbiyears.”Rafi Goodwin and his wife

Chaya have become the congregation’s senior rabbinic couple, after being en dorsed by an overwhelming majority of synagogue members.

They have been with Chigwell and Hainault for the last six years as commu nity rabbi and rebbetzin.

The shul’s chair Lindsay Shure said: “Rabbi and Rebbetzen Goodwin have endeared themselves to the community, working closely with Rabbi and Rebbet zen Davis. I’m absolutely delighted, for them and for us!

“I, together with Rabbi Davis, the hon orary officers and the synagogue council would like to wish them both mazel tov on their appointment and look forward to many fruitful years together in the community.”

YOUNG pupils at Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School performed a selection of songs for their parents, grandparents and local rabbonim at their Chagigat Siddur ceremony. The year one children took guests on a journey through a Siddur before being presented with their own Siddur by guest of honour Rabbi Baruch Davis, the outgoing senior rabbi of Chigwell and Hainault United Synagogue. To find out more about the school, please visit www.ijpsonline.co.uk.

Rabbi Dow Marmur laying the foundation stone for SWESRS in 1965

Harlow MP Robert Halfon praises his communitylocal

Beatty celebrates her 105th birthday

BY MANNY ROBINSON

BEATTY ORWELL, a former mayoress and councillor of Tower Hamlets, celebrat ed her 105th birthday at home with family and friends and staff and volunteers from Jewish Care’s Brenner Stepney Community Centre.

Beatty, the oldest surviving member of the former Brady Girls’ Club, was born in 1917 and is also the oldest member of the Labour Party.

She received flowers

and a letter from the Leader of the Labour Par ty, Sir Keir Starmer, and well wishes from former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

She was also delighted to receive her 105th birth day card from Her Majesty the Queen, together with flowers and gifts from friends, staff, volunteers and members of the Com munity Centre.

As a birthday surprise, the Friends of Stepney Committee organised music and entertainment

with her favourite enter tainer from the centre, Ian Leigh.“It was truly a great party,” says Beatty’s daughter, June Legg, “Mum had such an amaz ing birthday. Ian sang all her favourite songs and she was singing along with“Ashim.afamily we can’t tell you how much we ap preciate the efforts of the Committee in making this a truly memorable day and one which will always live in our hearts.”

Beatty is supported by Jewish Care’s services and is very close to her loving family who take turns to stay with her. In more recent times, she has received Jewish Care’s Meals on Wheels, befriending and outreach services and the centre volunteers organised her birthday entertainer at home.Beatty joined Jewish Care’s Brenner Stepney Community Centre in her 80s. The centre is at the heart of the commu nity and the only cen

tre supporting the last remaining members of the older Jewish community in the East End. She has many close friends who are members, staff and volunteers who are in touch though Beatty is no longer able to physically getJanetthere.Foster who chairs The Friends of Stepney Committee and has known Beatty all her life, said: “Beatty and her devoted family are truly inspirational and all her many friends send their love to her on her very special day. It was truly a wonderful day for the most remarkable woman I am ever likely to meet in my life, so I feel very privileged.”Beattycelebrated her birthday at home this year, where she lives with the ever-loving support of her three children and extended family which in cludes 12 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and eight

shapepoliticalandmayorhusband,Hamlets.localberlonginchildren.great-great-grandShehasbeeninvolvedlocalpoliticsforasasshecanrememandwaselectedasacouncillorinTowerIn1966,Beatty’sJohn,servedasofTowerHamletsthetwousedtheirinfluencestohelpthelocalarea.

Youth summer scheme busiest in years

BY SANDRA WALDMAN YOUTH DIRECTOR, CHIGS JYC

This year’s Chigwell and Hainault Jewish Youth Club (Chigs JYC) Summer Scheme was the busiest and best for manyOveryears.12days we had an average of over 60 children a day attending, supported by a team of 40 volunteers and staff members.

Both new and old faces joined us this summer, with children coming from more than 10 different schools both near and far.

As always, we wel comed our newest and youngest members who are joining reception in September and we look forward to them becoming the next generation of our ChigsWefamily.have been so lucky to have our amazing loyal volunteers return, including those about to join sec ondary school, university students who return and our adult volunteers. This includes the Williams sisters who came back to volun teer together after 25 years with their own children.

Over the three weeks we have had our themes of entertainment, nature and around the world. This includes various activities

such as arts and crafts, sports, dance, drama, games, face paint, tattoo, board games and so many more activities which are enthusiastic volunteers deliver.We have had special events from learning circus skills with Splats Enter tainment, a visit from our animal friends at Ark Farm and, as always, a giant inflatable to celebrate the end of scheme.

We are grateful to have received funding from the National Lottery Commu nity Fund and The CAC who help make our work possible.Moving forward, we have 25 holiday day scheme planned for the next academic year. Our after school clubs also run weekly during term time on a Tuesday and Wednesday evening. Visit our details.www.chigsjyc.co.ukwebsiteforfull

What’s your most precious Rosh Hashanah

Is it a favourite honey cake that grandma used to make? Counting the seconds on the longest shofar blast - ever? Or was it just something as simple as dipping an apple with friends and family?

For most of us, memories open a treasure trove from the past. Sadly, for those living with dementia, that trove is often locked.

With your support, our dementia services will not only help remind our clients of Rosh Hashanahs gone by, but will also make happy new memories that friends and family will have long into the future.

To support the vital dementia services at Jewish jewishcare.org/donate

Julian, dementia day centre member with staff member, Angela, celebrating Rosh Hashanah together.

Beatty Orwell celebrates her 105th birthday with family, friends and volunteers from Jewish Care’s Brenner Stepney Community Centre

RAGS turns 50 and raises more than £100,000

ABRIDGE Golf and Country Club saw 110 golfers raise £110,000 at Jewish Care’s 50th Annual Redbridge Aid Golf Society (RAGS) tournament.Acheque for £95,000 was presented to Jewish Care’s Chief Executive, Daniel Carmel-Brown, to support Jewish Care’s work in Essex. The Com munity Security Trust were presented with £10,000 and £5,000 was donat ed to Sidney Gold RAGS Scholars.Thewinner of the RAGS tournament, which took place for the first time in two years, was

Hugh Bushall with 40 points.Andy Green, chair of the golf committee, said: “This is a very special year for RAGS and on our 50th anniversary, we were de lighted to have raised a to tal of £110,000 to support a range of services for the local Jewish community.

“Fifty years ago, mem bers of Abridge Golf and Country Club formed a golf committee in answer to the local community centre in Redbridge then known as Sinclair House, stating that they were struggling to pay the utility“Manybill. of the Abridge

members back in the 1960s and 70s were from the Redbridge and Ilford areas where many of their children attended the youth club, their elderly parents the day centre, and many other activities besides for all to benefit from within the local Jew ish “Jewishcommunity.Care have con tinued to provide these services and since the first Redbridge Aid Golf Soci ety (RAGS) was formed, the committee has contin ued to raise money for its vital services ever since.”

Adam Overland er-Kaye, Jewish Care’s director of fundraising and

community engagement, paid tribute to one of the charity’s oldest fundraising committees.Hesaid:“Their support enables Jewish Care to continue to provide a wide range of vital services in the area for the older and the younger members of the“Fromcommunity.social work and family carers services, dementia day care, Vi & John Rubens House care home, the Redbridge Jew ish Community Centre at Woodford Forest Syna gogue and the MIKE youth leadership programme, this range of services for those who rely on us

simply wouldn’t be possi ble without the ongoing support of the community and the local committees who are so dedicated to supporting us.”

Those taking part in the day included Essex Jewish News chair Phillip Leigh, who has been heav ily involved with RAGS and Jewish Care’s Red bridge Jewish Community Centre for over 40 years.

It was Phillip’s cousins Monty and Jack Shafron OBM who formed the original RAGS committee, which has helped fund the shortfall of Sinclair House over the decades. The total funds raised by

RAGS has also provided some £3million ringfenced for Jewish Care’s Essex redevelopment, as out lined on the front page of this issue.

Mayor attends bowls Gala Day

BY STEVE KLEIN

After a long time without any serious bowls competitions because of Covid restrictions, Ilford & District Indoor Bowls Club (IIBC) finally held its long awaited and popular mixed Gala Day earlier thisTeamsyear. from as far away as Clacton, Hoddes don and Dartford joined 13 other local indoor and outdoor clubs in Ilford’s own unique bowling format with the top sides from each of two groups playing each other in the grand

Thefinal.final this year was contested between Wanstead Central Bowls Club and Hoddesdon and Rye Park Bowls Club with Wanstead Central narrow ly winning to take the IIBC Gala trophy and a very nice cash prize as well.

Gerry Rose, a member

of the Essex Jewish com munity, was part of the winnings side along with Sandra Dupuy, Wendy Gray and Mark Newman.

We were also privi leged to welcome two ex ceptional Disability Bowls England internationals.

Hoddesdon and Rye Park BowlsTheClub.atmosphere was electric all day and the standard of bowls superb. The club were delighted that so many supporters and members turned out to watch and help and were treated to a sumptuous finger buffet lunch provided by Dawn’s Catering.Theevent was spon sored by LEXUS Wood ford and the catering by Remedy Medical Recruit ment.We look forward to our next major event, a public open day which we hope to hold in October or November 2022. New members of all ages and abilities are welcome and coaching is available by request. For more in formation and to get in touch, please visit www.iibc.uk.

The guest of honour at the event was the mayor of Redbridge, Councillor Roy Emmett, who ad dressed the teams and supporters and also took to the green to show the players how the game should be played.

Michelle White – from Swale IBC and VCD Bowls Club Crayford, represent ing Stone Lodge Bowls Club Dartford in this com petition – who was part of the England team at the Commonwealth Games and Colin Milner from

RAGS 50th Anniversary Golf Tournament raises funds for Jewish Care, CST and Sidney Gold Scholars

The winning team of Gerry Rose, Sandra Dupuy, Wendy Gray and Mark Newman with IIBC general secretary Alan Jaye

MACCABI GB vice presi dent David Wolff has been appointed president of the London Football Associ

David,ation. a member of Chigwell and Hainault synagogue, has served for over 52 years on the LFA Council and will continue in his role as chairman of the Maccabi GB Southern Football League, a posi tion he has also held for more than half a century.

Singing and dancing in Southend for new Sefer Torah

And on a Tuesday after noon in the town (now city) where I was born and bred, this unique occasion took place.

I parked my car at the top of Hildaville Drive, where the new shul for the Westcliff Chareidi Community was in the finishing stages of being completed and where the new Sefer Torah would soon be arriving.Iwent with the flow of people walking to the starting point. This was in Westbourne Grove, outside the home of Isaac Freylich. Isaac often attends our Friday evening services, and two of his sons have leined beautifully for us. I was invited into his home, which is rather splendid, and his rear garden is nearly as large as Chalkwell Park.

BY ROY BARNES, SOUTHEND AND WESTCLIFF HEBREW CONGREGATION

So many sidemergingpeoplefromthestreets,wasit

fans going to a match at the Emirates to watch the Arsenal? Or crowds on the way to a Boston

Red Sox v New York Yankees Baseball Match?

The only give away was that the men, wom en and children in their hundreds were in a pro cession for a Hachnosas

Sefer Torah. People had come from Canvey Island, Stamford Hill and from even further afield.

The inauguration of a new Torah Scroll is a big deal akin to a wedding!

Suddenly the blast of loud music could be heard. This was the sign, that the procession was about to commence. We started walking and dancing down Westbourne Grove, and upon reaching the traffic lights, this mass of people respectfully waited at the traffic lights, watched by some rather bemused drivers. The Chareidi community very thoughtfully had

previously posted notes into the doors of the occupants of the nearby houses in a couple of streets, informing the people of the imminent happenings.Theatmosphere was truly electric, and I could not help but reminisce a few years earlier, when I was vice president of Southend and Westcliff Hebrew many(SWHC),Congregationandwhenofuswelcomed a small group of Chareidi Jews into our commu nity, and what joy it was to see their children run around our synagogue on a Shabbat with such excitement.Although those days are in the past, this small group have now emerged as a thriving community of their own, with schools for their children and with what is surely going to be a most beautiful shul. Although it was WE who welcomed them, there is no doubt as to how wel coming THEY are always to us.As we made our way up Hildaville Drive, I noticed many non-Jew ish people clapping and genuinely enjoying the occasion. The odd per son peering out of their upstairs window with their phone either taking

photos, or videoing the ever-growing proces sion.Each one of the rep resentatives of SWHC in turn being called to hold the Sefer Torah, whilst the singing and dancing continued. How respectful and thought ful of them to do this. We were all truly hon oured at this wonderful gesture.Once we got to the outside of the shul, the Sefer Torah – which was dedicated to the memo ry of Reb Aryeh (Jef frey) Shenker, who had recently passed away – was escorted inside. Mr Shenker was known to many people in Stam ford Hill. He had all his life put away money to purchase a Sefer Torah. May his memory be for a blessing.Themusic and danc ing continued. I now know why you do not see many Chareidi men in the gym. They have more stamina than most people. We participated in the afternoon service and refreshments were served. The dancing went on for many hours.

A very special person once told me: “It’s easy being a Jew, but it’s hard being a good Jew.” Our Chareidi friends certainly do not find it hard.

Investing in the future of the 12th Ilford Cubs

IT was great to finish off the end of the school year, by welcoming three new cubs. Zack Peston, Eden Birt and Max Bluman were all invested at our last meeting in front of their proud families

They may look a bit soggy in the picture and that’s because they had just come back inside from a water fight. If you think they look wet, you should have seen leader Michael Mallach… but sadly no pictures are available.

We have three more cubs to invest when we return from the summer break and more to come in October too.

Akela Howard Temple said: “This is a very exciting time for the 12th Ilford. Af ter being closed during the Covid pan demic, we are now able to meet weekly again. Last week we visited Hainault fire station and the cubs all got to sit in the fire engines and take turns learning how to use the equipment. This visit was part of their fire safety badge.”

We have cubs on our waiting list who are in school year two, who will be ready

to join us when they reach seven and a half years old. We meet every Thursday in term time from 7-8pm at the Red bridge Scout Hut.

If your child is over seven and a half (school years two, three, four or five), and interested in joining, or is aged seven and wants to join our waiting list, please email 12thilfordcubs@gmail.com to register your interest and get more details.

to say that volunteering for Jewish Care was the happiest time of her later Beforelife.Bertie passed away, she did not get the chance to amend her Will and leave a gift to Jewish Care. Brian has since told us that he has included Jewish Care in his Will on her behalf; “I don’t want to leave it until it’s too late, like Mum. I’m doing this for her”.

With a gift in your Will to Jewish Care, you can make sure that future generations of our community get the care they need when they need it most.

For more information about leaving a gift in your Will and our free Will Writing Service, please call Sarit on 020 8922 2819, email legacyteam@jcare.org or visit jewishcare.org/legacy

“Jewish Care meant everything to my mum, Bertie. That’s why I’m leaving them a gift in my Will”.

Brian, Legacy Pledger

Geoffrey Pepper, warden of SWHC, carries the new Torah scroll

Rabbi David Hulbert, Rt Rev Lynne Cullens and Imam Dr Mohammed Fahim enjoy a meeting of East London Three Faiths Forum at the Ilford Islamic Centre.

Rabbi Hulbert of East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue said: “I thought that the talks were really good, as were the questions from our audience. I am looking forward to us building up our numbers again post-Covid.”

BY JASON LEVY

Chabad Buckhurst Hill on their super summer

CHABAD Buckhurst Hill have celebrated the success of their new batmitzvah pro gramme. The club helps girls who are approaching the age of batmitzvah (Year 7) to further their

Jewish learning and life values.The club is in addition to their individual lessons for their batmitzvah pres entations hosted by Henny Brandman. The course was held once a month at BIG batmitzvah club mazel tov

Chabad Buckhurst Hill and sessions included person alising shabbat candles, mother & daughter challah bakes, creating floral masterpieces, and all whilst having fun with friends.

The year culminated in a celebration and gradu ation ceremony for all the family to enjoy, each girl was presented with a cer tificate and a special charm symbolising the values they had learnt about. If your daughter is approach ing batmitzvah age sign up now for the coming years course.

A scorching summer camp

The children aged from two to teens, enjoyed a daily variety of activities ranging from sports, art and crafts, baking, and trips. This year’s theme was ‘Blast from the Past’ and each week was finished by making challah and a shabbat party.

The camp was co-ordi nated by staff who came in from Manchester, Australia and Israel which gave a re ally authentic international Jewish theme to the camp.

Rabbi Brandman said: “Our amazingly dedicated volunteers and staff made sure that every child had a super summer at camp.”

In-depth learning for ladies

THIS past year saw a new and exciting op portunity for ladies in the community who want ed to further their Jewish

Fun at the Lag Ba’Omer BBQ

MORE than 80 members of the community turned out for Chabad Buckhurst Hill’s annual Lag Ba’Omer Community BBQ. Fol lowing a break from this annual tradition due to Covid, it was wonderful to see people socialising with friends again and having a great time.

With thanks to Martine and Paul Gro man-Marks who hosted the event in their garden, the weather was fantas tic and a wonderful time was had by all. Families

enjoyed lots of kosher food in true Chabad style and toasted their own marshmallows on the BBQ. There was a great atmosphere with children

enjoying bouncy castles, sparklers, music and lots of fun.Follow us on Face book ‘Chabad Buckhurst Hill’ for our next events.

Lunch and learn on the Hill

CHABAD Buckhurst Hill host monthly Lunch and Learn sessions engaging over 40 members of the communi ty each month. Attendees experience a great range of delicious home-made food and exotic salads, all made by Henny Brand man, a lovely social after noon, all whilst engaging in an informal informative discussion.Overthe past year, classes focused on tra ditional Jewish topics including upcoming fes tivals or the weekly Torah portion. Groups for men are the first Tuesday of

each month and the ladies groups were Wednesdays. The groups were hosted by Rabbi Odom Brandman and his wife Henny. The year culminated in a joint lunch and Learn focusing on the importance of set

ting a high moral standard in leadership. A new round of sessions will begin again in September.

If you would like to join our future groups, please contact donthehill.co.ukoffice@chaba

learning in a much deeper and more involved way.

Spread over seven months, the monthly sessions focussed on

Cheder going strong

some fascinating subjects including the mystery of the Mezuza, mindfulness through blessings, soul contact through prayer and how Jewish lifecycle events don’t only mark milestones, but also help mould us as rounded and focussed members of society.Each class begin with a homemade gourmet dinner, prepared by Henny Brandman, who then gave the classes herself as well. The classes take a huge amount of time and effort to prepare and they were thoroughly appreciated by all who attended. This coming year will see a new range of ladies events in place of the in-depth learning for now.

To find out what is planned, follow Henny.Brandman on Instagram.

The cheder at Chabad Buckhurst Hill is truly unique. Each Wednesday afternoon, from 4.30-6pm, boys and girls of primary school ages enjoy a wonderful educa tional afternoon, starting with davening, followed by classes and snack and then each week ends with half an hour of personalised Hebrew reading sessions.

The younger class year had a really innovative curriculum called “Super Jew, Super You” where the children learnt about their Jewish heritage using visual arts and experimen tal learning. The older class used an equally exciting curriculum called “Israel Quest” where the children experienced a historical adventure in the holiday.

Both curriculums have been designed to help chil dren unlock their heritage

in an enjoyable, relevant and meaningful way. Aimed at Jewish children who are currently in non-Jewish schools, the Cheder fills the need for a good Jewish education to complement their current schooling.

It’s not too late to sign up for this coming year if you have children of the target age.For more information, see the Chabad website –co.uk.www.chabadonthehill.

EIGHTY local children enjoyed a fun filled two weeks at Chabad Camp Gan Izzy Summer Camp, directed by Rabbi Odom and Henny Brand man from Chabad Buck hurst Hill.

INDEPENDENCE. DIGNITY. CHOICE.

Raymond’s stroke had a devastating e his and Pamela’s until they moved in to their Jewish Blind the

Raymond & Pamela moved into their state-of-the-art

Kindertransport memorial unveiled in Harwich

THE Essex port town of Harwich, where Kindertransport carrying children fleeing Nazi occupied Europe first arrived in Britain, now has a memorial to honour the lives that were saved and recognise Harwich’s role in the rescue efforts.

An unveiling was attended by Lord Eric Pickles, Lord Alf Dubs, Harwich Mayor Ivan Henderson, German Ambas sador to the UK Miguel Berger, Essex Jewish News editor Simon Rothstein and many of our region’s faith and polit icalGuestsleaders.at the ceremony also includ ed more than 30 refugees who original ly arrived in Britain on the Kindertrans port in 1938 and 1939.

The new memorial highlights that it was in Harwich, beginning on 2 De cember 1938 and continuing until the outbreak of war, that those children first set foot on British soil. Some continued their journey to London, while others spent a freezing winter at a nearby holi day camp in Dovercourt Bay.

The statue is a culmination of years of hard work by the Harwich Kinder transport Memorial and Learning Trust to commemorate the Kindertransport – the humanitarian rescue mission that saved approximately 10,000 children.

It was unveiled by Dame Stephanie Shirley CH, a refugee herself who ar rived at the age of five in Harwich on a Kindertransport.Shestated,“I shall never forget my first sighting of Harwich as a thousand of us children came in from the grey North Sea after a horrendous two and a half days journey from Nazi Europe.”

Mike Levy, Chair of the Harwich Kindertransport Memorial and Learning Trust, said: “This is a day that so many of us have waited for. Now Harwich can take its full place in this remarkable part of British history. With the unveil ing, in some ways, the journey of those children more than 80 years ago is complete.”Sculpted by award-winning Essex artist Ian Wolter, the statue, cast in bronze, depicts five children descending from a ship’s gangplank. Moving quotes from the child refugees have been inscribed on the memorial and there is a space between the figures so that children can explore them at close hand.

In addition to the memorial, an audio bench and new information boards around the town have been erected to ensure that Harwich is recognised for the crucial role the town and its people played in the rescue of children destined otherwise for murder in the Holocaust.Michael Newman OBE, Chief Ex ecutive of The Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) also spoke at the ceremony. He said: “Harwich will always have a special place in the hearts of those refugees who arrived on the Kindertransport. The AJR is proud and delighted to be a prominent supporter of the effort to establish this memorial that honours them and their loved ones who sent them to safety, and to sponsor the development of the accompany ing educational programme that will spread awareness of this vital history and inspire and educate generations of visitors.”

A photo history of East End life A inweddingcommunalmadeEssex

BY MANNY ROBINSON

LIFE in the East End of London during the 1940s, 50s and 60s has always been a fascinat ing subject for those who lived through those years.

Now an exhibition of photographs and film interviews has opened showing life during that period for hundreds,

perhaps thousands, of boys and girls who went to the Brady Boys’ and Girls’

Clubs.Itwas a period where life-long relationships were made, where young people stepped out of underpriv ileged and often difficult circumstances and were supported to follow their

dreams.Thephotographs were rediscovered after having been stored in a loft for 40 years.Many are now on display at the exhibi tion, which will run until Wednesday 28 Septem ber, at the Brady Arts and Community Centre, 192-196

Hanbury Street, E1 5HU (the old Brady Girls’ Club building).There are daily viewings from Monday to Friday 9am-7pm, and on Saturday from 10am-4pm. Further information can be obtained com.bradyphotographs@gmail.at

BOARD of Deputies’ president Marie van der Zyl has married Adrian Cohen, co-chair of the London Jewish Forum.

Both lawyers, originally from Essex, they wed at West London Synagogue followed by a small reception at Tony Page’s Island Grill restaurant. Between them the couple have five children.

The bride said: “We are very happy to say we mar ried in the company of close family and friends. We are grateful for all those who wish us well on this new and exciting chapter of our lives.”

Adrian Cohen and Marie van der Zyl - picture by Stephen Swain

Clore Tikva wins national robotics competition

CLORE TIKVA Prima

ry School won first place in The VEX IQ Challenge UK National Championship 2022 held at The International Centre in Telford.Fifty-seven teams, consisting of both primary and secondary schools, participated in the event in alliance matches which climaxed with the separa tion of the primary school division from the secondary school

Thedivision.primary school tournament ended with Clore Tikva of Barkingside staking their claims as to the Team Work Champions of 2021/2022 VEX robotics Nationals.CloreTikva

School’s Ro botics club was founded in October 2021. In November of the same year, the club, formed by a mixture of Year 5 and Year 6 children, attended their first compe tition at a secondary school in Finborough. They had only four weeks to build and code their robot.

With no prior experi ence or technical expertise, they bravely confronted their first obstacle. They attended the competition with untested robots, no codes and an attitude to learn and be completely

immersed in the experi ence. At their first com petition, they were initially intimidated by the fact that most of their competitors were secondary school chil dren but they rose above their fears and immersed themselves in the compe tition.By the end of their first regional competition, a Clore Tikva team was ranked third place and a member of their team was able to complete their first code. This tenacity has been the central story of Clore Tikva’s Robotics Club and all their achievements. The teams came home

from their first competition with many ideas about how to remodel their robots, improve codes and build new codes. They all grew in communication, creativity, collaboration and critical thinking skills as each com petition really put them to the Eachtest. competition consists of alliance matches where teams have to come together to work collabo ratively with each other. To have the best experience in an alliance match, teams will need to communicate with teams from another school, make a strategy, test, and perfect each strat

Southend’s Shabbat to remember

BY GEOFFREY PEPPER

IN what has become a much-anticipated event, and after an absence of three years, Shabbat UK was once again a huge success at Southend and Westcliff Hebrew Congre gationMembers(SWHC).of the com munity worked tirelessly after Covid-19 to attract people – both new and regular attendees – to make this a very special shabbat to remember.Ahands-on ladies Challah Bake, held in the synagogue functions hall, was likewise very success ful, attended by members and non-members. It was organised by Sara Van dermolen, chair of the Ladies Guild, and led by Mindy Deutsch and Mirele Moshkowitz from the local

egy before their alliance match commences

In addition, they must manage their time through out the competition to per fect their codes and driver skills before they undertake the Robot Skills Challenges without missing any of their scheduled matches. Where robots have broken down or malfunctioned during competition, teams have had to think critically and creatively under pressure to solveWithproblems.first-hand experi ence and many upgrades, Clore Tikva school attended their third regional com petition with gusto and

confidence. No longer intimidated by secondary school teams, they com menced their matches with a trajectory to the top.

They came home in first place, with four awards, and qualifications for VEX national and gestNationalTexas,SchoolIQWorldathavebeenforcompetitions.internationalIfthefundsthetripweretohaveavailable,theywouldrepresentedtheUKThe2022VEXRoboticsChampionship-VEXChallengeElementaryEventinDallas,UnitedStates.Attendingtheirfirstwastheirbigchallengeyet.Witha

two-day long competition, a mixture of emotions throughout the competi tion, levelling up skills and competence and keeping their spirits high, they grew from strength to strength. All teams achieved new personal best in coding, management, and robot driving skills. In this com petition, no robots needed modifications as no repairs were needed, which was a testament to how much they had grown in their knowledge of engineering throughout the season.

Clore Tikva head Margot Buller said: “We are so proud of our children and how they have represented themselves, the school, and the local community at large. We would also like to thank the REC foundation, CGI, parents, and all school staff whose support has made this a dream come true.“A new challenge has been launched and our budding engineers will be welcoming new members and new challenges for the next season. We would like to invite our local commu nity to support them so this year we can make it all the way to America or perhaps a capacity for having more teams.”

Chassidim

ILFORD Federation Synagogue held a siyum and dinner to celebrate the completion, over four years, of Masechet

ThroughoutBerachot. complete the tractate, begun the next – Chagigah.

Clore kids celebrate their award

SaratriumphVandermolen Mindy Deutsch lead the Southend Challah Bake

Essex donations100+honouredrabbiforblood

RABBI David Hul

bert has received a medal for making more than 100 blood donations.Therabbi emeritus of East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue, Rabbi Hulbert had actually do nated 107 pints of blood by the time of his award presentation, as it was postponed for two years due to the pandemic.

The NHS gives its reg ular blood and platelet donor gifts and acknowl edgements to mark important milestones. On getting to 100 donations – the equivalent of 12.5

gallons of blood – donors receive a ceremony invi tation, ruby donor card, commemorative medal, badge and certificate.

Rabbi Hulbert was following in the footsteps of his friend Mark Fin kletaub, also from Essex, who received his award late last year.

He told the Essex Jewish News: “Donating blood helps our NHS, is a mitzvah – of pikuach nefesh (saving life) – and is also a form of tzeda kah (charity). Accord ing to the Rambam, it is the highest rung on the eight-rung ladder of

tzedakah, since the donor doesn’t know the identity of the recipient, nor does the recipient know the identity of the donor.

“I would encourage every member of our Jewish communities to follow the example of Mark and myself and do nate their pint once every four months or so, during the day or after work. There are plenty of dona tion centres in our local area and all you have to do is to go online to book an appointment.”

To find out more abut donating blood, please visit www.blood.co.uk.

communitySouthend helps two great causes

BY GEOFFREY PEPPER

THE Jewish commu nity of Southend were phenomenal when it came to bringing in supplies for the suffer ing people of Ukraine.

Piles of bandages, plasters, wipes, hand wash, shampoo, tooth paste, tooth brushes, as pirin, torches, soap were delivered across Europe.

Members helped to

WOHL Ilford Jewish Primary School cele brated Yom Ha’atzmaut with a day of arts and crafts, Israeli dancing and a special lunch.

The sun shone as, for the first time since before Covid, parents and grandparents were able to join in with the dancing in the school playground before and after school.

pack and sort the goods which were then sent to Chabad centres helping Ukrainian refugees in Po land and Moldova. Rabbi Aryeh Sufrin MBE and Devorah Sufrin, of Chabad Gants Hill, dispatched three van loads of goods as the initial transport date was missed due to having received so much.

Serial fundraiser and

Southend and Westcliff Hebrew Congregation (SWHC) board member Marilyn Salt also opened her home for British Emu nah. Her Coffee and Chat Morning raised more than £1,000 for the charity, which supports vulner able and at-risk children and families in Israel.

British Emunah direc tor Sharon Dewinter and

events executive Alison Cohen reported on the latest Emunah projects. These include a new ther apy building in Sederot and vital refurbishments at Emunah Neve Landy, which serves as an alter native or last resort inter vention for children who would otherwise require psychiatric hospitalisa tion.

RichardSynagogue.Shone-Jewish

Care’s director of community services, volunteering and social work - said: “The MIKE programme is unique. It’s a place to make lifelong friends, learn professional leadership and communication skills as well as to build confidence and contribute to the commu nity through volunteering.”

If you would like to find out more about the MIKE pro gramme for 2022-2023, contact jamie.shone@jcare.org or call 07795 952 076.

Rabbi David Hulbert with his award for more than 100 blood donations

Jewish Care’s MIKE (Motivation, Inspiration, Knowledge and Education) youth leadership programme will begin again in November at the Redbridge Jewish Community Centre, which is temporarily based at Woodford Forest United

Chigwell ‘twins’ mark Yom HaShoah in moving ceremony

BY HARVEY FRANKEL

JBD cream teas for the jubilee

BY SIMON ROTHSTEIN

TENANTS, staff and volunteers across the Jewish Blind & Disa bled (JBD) developments in Essex celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with parties and cream teas. With the timing coinciding with Shavuot, there was also plenty of cheesecake too at the Milne Court,

Hilary Dennis Court and Aztec House parties.Jewish Blind & Disabled is the only Jewish charity providing housing and support for people from the age of 18 upwards who have physical disabilities and/ or vision impairments. To find out more, please visit www.jbd.org.

if their children would be willing to come to our Yom HaShoah event and to light a candle in memory of their twin.The response was im mense, 30 children wanted to take part in the candle lighting ceremony.

The evening was or chestrated and run by Miz rachi UK, narrated by Rabbi Andrew Shaw with Chazen Jonny Turgel singing in the most special and emotional way, capturing the sheer essence of the event.

Towards the end of the evening came the candle lighting ceremony. Thirty children stood behind 30 candles, each child placed a card on the table with their name and the name of their twin on it. They then lit their candles, what made it extra special was that every sin gle child said the name of their twin without looking at their card.

This clearly shows to me that every child takes the responsibility of their twinning to their heart, and has taken on this roll seriously with the inten tion of keeping their twin’s memory

Duringalive.the candle lighting, apart from some moving background music, there was total silence, everyone there, were trans fixed on the children.

I have never been so moved, so proud, and so humbled that 30 young souls who perished in the Shoah were honoured and remembered in this way.

Also, in attendance were two of the team from the Yad Vashem UK Foun dation – Sandra Gold and Laurie Rosenberg. At the end of the evening Laurie gave a short briefing into the vital work they do.

It is my dream that every child who was murdered in the Holocaust before they were able to have a bar/batmitzvah is remembered in this way.

If you have a simcha planned, please do con sider getting involved with the Yad Vashem twinning programme. You certainly won’t regret be part of this amazing project. Please email me at timesverypeoplepleasethetwinningandinmation.hotmail.comharveyfrankel@formoreinforIfyouhaveparticipatedthetwinningprogramwouldlikeyourchild’sstoryaddedtoYadVashemwebsite,alsocontactmeaslovetoreadtheseinterestingandatemotionalstories.

JBD tenants celebrate the Platinum Jubilee

Youth light remembrance candles

THE Yom ningaboutmanySynagoguethebyhonouredernoboys,brother,wasyearJenotwinnedyearsamazeprogramthatandJewishcelebrateocaustwastwinnedebrateavahYadhaveIevent…manytimehope.beginningsareastomoving,wasSynagogueChigwellcommemorationHaShoahat&HainaultearlierthisyearextremelyspecialandbecauseIwantedinvolveasmanychildrenpossible.Afteralltheythefuture,newlife,newandrenewedThiswasalsothefirstintwoyearsthatsocouldattendanandover160did.Foranumberofyears,havebeeninvolvedandbeenpromotingtheVashembar/batmitztwinningproject,wherechildwhoisabouttoceltheirsimchacanbewithachildwhomurderedintheHolbeforetheycouldthismilestoneinlife.Thetwinningstoriesthefamilyconnectionscancomefromthisneverceasestome.Forexample,fouragoLouisKirshwaswithaboycalledBreuer,earlierthisLouis’sbrotherBentwinnedwithJeno’sJosziBreuer.Twobrothers,whoweredoubtmurderedtogethintheShoaharenowandrememberedthesamefamilyhereinUK.AtChigwell&Hainaultwehavehadtwinnings,soIsetwritingtothetwinfamiliestoaskthem

Harvey Frankel speaking at Yom Hashoah event

The Chaps are back

BY MANNY ROBINSON

ONE of the most popular groups in Redbridge –Chaps That Chat – is now back in business after a two-year break following the temporary relocation of Redbridge Jewish Community Centre activities and the CovidSidpandemic.Green,now a sprightly 91-year-old who was instrumental in starting the group seven years ago, told the Essex Jewish News that there are now between 30 and 40 men meeting on the first Wednesday of each month at Jewish Care’s Redbridge Jewish Community Centre at

Woodford Forest United Synagogue, Church fields.“’We have speakers on a variety of topics including politics, local events and memories of the past,” Sid said. “Past speakers have includ ed Wes Streeting MP, Councillor Keith Prince, Shaun Bailey, who stood as a candidate for Mayor of London, Mitch Wine house, father of singer Amy Winehouse and former boxing promoter Mike Jacobs.

“I am now working on a list of future speakers to take us through to the end of the year.”

Before Covid pre

vented meetings, the group had made a num ber of visits including trips to the RAF Museum in Hendon and the Jew ish Museum in Camden. Their last visit was to Buckingham Palace.

Chaps That Chat is part of Jewish Care’s Supportive Communi ties Group. Their next two meetings are on 2 November and 7 Decem ber at Woodford For est United Synagogue and members pay £4 for each session which includes refreshments. New members are welcome. Ring Alison on 020 8922 2273 for further information.

Hybrid High Holy Days in Chelmsford

CHELMSFORD Jewish Commu nity (CJC) are taking a hybrid approach for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur this year.

Evening services will take place over Zoom, while those in the daytime are being held in person at the com munity’s Chelmsford venue.

Chair Stan Keller said: “As is also our custom at our regular Friday evening services, we will share kiddush online on Erev Rosh Hashanah. Then, the next morning, after our in-person

Rosh Hashanah service, we can all join together for one of the famous extended CJC kiddushim. Similarly, Kol Nidre will be via Zoom and Yom Kip pur at our venue – but no kiddush!”

CJC services are conducted partly in English and partly in Hebrew, mak ing them accessible and easy to follow for all.To find out more about the community, please co.ukinfo@jewishcommunitychelmsford.emailorcall01245475444.

BY SIMON

ChabadROTHSTEIN granted £5,000 for food initiative

CHABAD Gants Hill has received a substantial grant to assist in its growing food initiative, which supports the needs of the communi ty in Essex, East and North London.Pesh Kapasiawala, chair of the charity 3Food4U, presented a cheque for £5,000 on behalf of the Passam Foundation. He was welcomed by Chabad Gants Hill’s rabbinic couple, Rabbi Aryeh Sufrin MBE and Devorah Sufrin, and the community’s food coordi nator Graham Nygate.

Rabbi Sufrin said: “Due to the increased demand from people who are struggling, and have now become reliant on our sup port to feed their families each week, we have had to revamp our kitchen.

“This generous donation will enable us to purchase new equipment including a

new commercial oven and required storage facilities so that our fresh hot meal production can be even more efficient and increase the volume to meet the current3Food4Udemand.”has food banks in Waltham Abbey, Loughton, Chigwell and Ongar. It also works with various groups to sustain and grow their own food projects.Rabbi Sufrin added: “Pesh and Graham have been working together for some time and it is due to their relationship that Pesh became aware of our needs. Thank you Pesh and your trustees for being so generous in giving this do nation to us and enabling us to continue and expand thisChabadfacility.” is regularly supported in its efforts by local retailers and a group of dedicated volunteers.

aWelcomingnewking

THE Jewish communi ty of Essex has wel comed King Charles III. Prayers for the new King and Royal Family are being read in synagogues of all denominations and schools are preparing cele bratory events.

The Mayor of Lought on Cllr Barbara Cohen, a member of Loughton Synagogue, read the Proclamation of the Ac cession of King Charles III from the balcony in front of Loughton Library (pictured). The Proclamation is the first to be held in Loughton since 1910.

New year, new you - the ways Work Avenue can help your career or business in 5783

Rosh Hashanah is a time for us both to reflect on the year gone by and an opportunity to figure out what will come next. For some, thoughts will nat urally turn to work.

With employment and busi ness opportunities booming, but the cost of living crisis biting hard, this New Year might be the time to go for that dream job, make that career change or take that plunge on a business idea you’d been thinking of for a Bigwhile.changes

like this can feel daunting, which is why Work Avenue is here to help.

As the Jewish community’s leading employment and business support organisa tion, with a team of spe cialist advisers on hand, we offer a range of free servic es that can boost your job hunt, career and/or business in 5783. Here are just five ways we can help:

1) Brush up your CV and interview skills

The best place to start when looking for a new job or career is to book a con fidential free one-to-one appointment with one of our experienced and profession al employment advisers.

They can help you in everything you will need for your next career move, from building an up-to-date CV to making job applications, and all of this completely tai lored to your circumstances.

And because we know the interview process can be scary and stressful for some – especially for those who haven’t had one for years, if at all – we offer mock interviews too, to make sure you are fully prepared and the odds are stacked in your favour.

2) Have a look at our Jobs Board

Our Jobs Board is constant ly changing with new roles being added every day. Cur rently there are more than

100 part-time and full-time jobs being advertised at all levels and in all sectors. So whether your dream job is in education, marketing, HR, IT, charity, admin, sales, fund raising, finance, property or something else, this is the ideal place to start searching.

And if your business is look ing for staff, then we can help with that too.

3) Take part in a workshop

We have a whole range of workshops taking place throughout the year, both in person and online, designed specifically to help with your career or includeEmploymentbusiness.workshopssessionshelping to

identify transferable skills, build confidence, make connections and perfect the application process.

Business workshops cover building a brand, network ing, pricing and negotiation, social media skills, sales and financial planning.

4) Look for funding to train in a new career

Many people wanting to change careers find them selves in a Catch 22 – need ing to retrain in a new voca tional pathway but unable to because of the high cost of

Helpcourses.isat

hand via Work Avenue’s training bursary fund. So if you are looking to lay the groundwork for a new career, or perhaps your skills need updating in order to stay competitive in your

tive, but for some, inexperi ence, stress, lack of knowl edge, fear of failure – and so many other reasons – loom large as reasons why the venture never gets off the ground. Our business advis ers can help with all of the above. Whether it’s helping devise business plans, devel op financial and marketing strategies or looking at lead ership and personnel – we provide real practical help and support.

6) Get in touch

years now. Becoming your own boss is hugely attrac

Devorah Sufrin, Pesh Kapasiawala, Rabbi Aryeh Sufrin MBE and Graham Nygate

Chigwell and Hainault wins EcoSynagogue Award

CHIGWELL and Hainault Unit ed Synagogue was among the winners at the EcoSynagogue Environmental Awards.

The awards, which celebrate the syn agogues who are doing the most in their communities to help combat the climate emergency, took place at Cambridge Cottage, Kew Gardens.

To qualify, a community had to score 80% (Gold), 60% (Silver) or 40% (Bronze) in EcoSynagogue’s Environ mentalAndreaAudit.Passe, EcoSynagogue Project Manager, said: “Chigwell and Hainault United Synagogue is a great example of how the EcoSynagogue partnership with the Board of Deputies has been so successful. They full deserve to be recog nised with this Bronze Award.”

Those winning Silver Awards in June 2022 were Edinburgh Hebrew Congrega tion, Kol Chai Hatch End Reform Jewish Community, Newcastle Reform Syna gogue and Oxford Jewish Congregation.

Joining Chigwell picking up Bronze Awards were Barnet United Synagogue, Edgware and Hendon Reform Syna gogue, Golders Green United Syna gogue, Kol Nefesh Masorti Synagogue, Magen Avot United Synagogue, Maid

enhead Reform Synagogue, Muswell Hill United Synagogue, North West Surrey Synagogue and St Albans United Syna gogue.The event also gave a chance for November 2021’s winners – including EcoSynagogue’s only ever Gold Award recipient West London Synagogue – to collect their certificates, after previously only receiving them virtually at the EcoS ynagogue stand at COP26 in Glasgow.

Michael Wegier, Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies was in attendance and added: “The Board of Deputies are proud of our partnership with EcoSyna gogue which has resulted in measurable environmental changes in registered communities, providing the framework for the UK Jewish community to play our part to halt the climate crisis.”

The ceremony was hosted by broad caster and journalist Jonathan Sacerdoti with guest speaker Benita Matofska, a writer and activist. The awards were presented by EcoSynagogue’s Rabbinic Team.Earlier that morning EcoJudaism –the new umbrella organisation incorpo rating the EcoSynagogue project – held its first event, a panel discussion on the climate energy and energy crisis.

Day has been welcomed by the social action charity’s coordinators and volunteers across Essex.

A former director of the Cape South African Jewish Board of Depu ties (Cape SAJBD) and a graduate of the Schuster man Leadership Program, Stuart immigrated to the UK from South Africa with his family in July 2021.

Mitzvah Day has be come firmly established as the UK’s largest faith-led day of social action with 25,000 volunteers of all faiths and backgrounds across Britain doing good

STUART newappointmentDiamond’sastheCEOofMitzvahdeeds every year. A fur ther 15,000 get involved in more than 30 other countries around the globe.Stuart is no stranger to the day, having participat ed in numerous projects both in a personal capac ity with his family and in his professional capacity at the Cape SAJBD.

He said: “Service to community is my calling and tikkun olam and inter faith work are close to my heart.“Iam thrilled to be a part of the UK’s – and possibly the world’s –largest faith-led day of social action and I am ready for the challenges

and the opportunities that I see ahead of us.”

Stuart met with com munity leaders at an event in June hosted by the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC). Nick Young, of East London & Essex Liberal Synagogue said: “Stuart is very approachable and keen to build on the fab ulous work Mitzvah Day has done over the last few years. We all look forward to working with him and coming up with some interesting new ideas.”

This year’s Mitzvah Day takes place on and around Sunday 20 No vember 2022. To find out more, please www.mitzvahday.org.uk.visit

Pictures by Susannah Fields Photography

All the EcoSynagogue Award winners at Kew Gardens event

Mitzvah

Day

Chair Laura Marks OBE with new CEO Stuart Diamond

Rabbi David Mason presents Chigwell & Hainault Synagogue’s Alan Lion with an EcoSynagogue Award

ELELS helps Liberal Judaism raise record amount

MEMBERS of East London & Essex Liberal Synagogue (ELELS) raised more than £6,000 for Liberal Juda ism in a 36-hour online fundraising campaign.

The community’s efforts helped the national movement has raised the most money in its history –bringing in £275,000 from more than 1,000 contrib utors in its largest ever fundraising campaign.

On the occasion of its 120th anniversary, Liberal Judaism raised £160,000 through the online crowd funder, with an addition al £115,000 pledged to match donations over the rest of this year.

The money raised will be used for a series of initiatives to build Liberal Judaism for the future, with many focussed on supporting youth.

These include a new online hub to support communities and individ

uals, a Progressive Jewish Chaplain in universities, a social justice department and b’nei mitzvah and Kabbalat Torah program ming for smaller commu nities who do not have a rabbi.The raised funds will also support families in need by providing bursa ries for children wanting to attend LJY-Netzer youth camps and events, as well as sending Shabbat boxes to elderly members of the community living in non-Jewish care homes.

Celebrating the figure, Liberal Judaism CEO Rab bi Charley Baginsky said: “This has been an incred ible achievement – five times more than we have ever raised before. What makes me most proud is that we had a whole army of people, from Essex and all over the country, giving small“Thisamounts.wasabout raising money to do more, but

that has not been the bit that has really affected me. It has been the num ber of people who en gaged, the stories I heard, the messages I received and the love that has surrounded us. I think we really might be bringing JudaismELELShome.”hadfour Am bassadors raising money during the crowdfunder, including Ruth Seager –who is also chair of the national movement.

She said: “Liberal Ju daism has completed its most successful fundrais ing event. Ever. I am proud of our ELELS and LJ Ambassadors and grateful to our donors. They will enable us to bring Juda ism home to even more people.”Themovement will now use the next year to try and reach a total of £500,000 raised so it can fully implement all of its plans.

Fundraising events now planned include a na tionwide sponsored bike ride on Sunday 11 Sep tember and a President’s 120th Anniversary Ball.

The Liberal Judaism crowdfunding page also remains open. You can donate at causematch.com/LJ.campaigns.

How does Chai care?

Tenants, staff and volunteers across the Jewish Blind & Disa bled (JBD) developments in Essex celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with parties and cream

The Chai Art Workshop Group (Artist Sharon Wakefield)

Rabbi Charley Baginsky (second from right) and Liberal Judaism staff during the

“A dove is a symbol of hope and freedom. In Chai’s Art Workshop, we are free to express our feelings and creativity in calm surroundings, and feel uplifted by the support of the group. Chai’s care and shining light give us the strength and ability to face the daily challenges in our lives.”

Rabbi Yanky

New Year greetings

22

Rabbi Steven

Harlow Jewish Community

Most High Holy Day services be held in the synagogue Rosh Hashana Hashana 10.30am Kippur following

The team at the Essex those

Picture:

CHELMSFORD JEWISH COMMUNITY

The Council of Chelmsford Jewish Community wishes its members and Jews everywhere a Happy and Peaceful New Year and well over the fast.

You are welcome to join our vibrant and friendly community in celebration of the High Holy Days and our varied programme. For details, Email:orinfo@jewishcommunitychelmsford.co.ukphone01245475444

to the Community 5783/2022

ROMF (AFFILI (Inco 25 EASTERN 01708 7416 R the Hono wish ev New

Southend and District Reform Synagogue 851 London www.southendreform.org.ukTelephoneWestcliff-on-SeaRoadEssexSS09SZ01702711663

The Executive and Council of Southend and District Reform Synagogue, together with Rabbi Warren Elf MBE, warmly wish the community and all readers a happy and healthy New Year

New Essex Masorti Synagogue wishes the community a happy, healthy, peaceful & sweet 5783

We would be delighted to welcome you to our High Holy Days, Succot and/or fortnightly Shabbat services. To find out more and to book yourself a place, please nemasorti@hotmail.comemail:orphone:07922090180

Kabbalat Shabbat and Shabbat morning services are held weekly by Zoom and fortnightly in the shul.

The services for the High Holy Days will be held in the shul and via Zoom.

You are welcome to join us. Please contact the synagogue for details.

East London and SynagogueLiberalEssex

Rabbi Dr

Rabbi Richard Jacobi and Emeritus Rabbi David Hulbert, the Honorary Officers and Council send warm wishes to the community and all readers of The Essex Jewish News for a Happy, Healthy and New Year and Well over the Fast

All ELELS High Holy Day services will be streamed on social media and on Zoom. Click on facebook.com/ELELSynagogue/to watch the live stream, or contact our office for Zoom links

Rabbi Richard Jacobi and Emeritus Rabbi David Hulbert, the Honorary Officers and Council send warm wishes to the community and all readers of The Essex Jewish News for a Happy, Healthy New Year and Well over the Fast. We welcome non-members to all our High Holy Day Services. For details please contact the Synagogue Office.

Clore Tikva

Fullwell Avenue, Barkingside, Ilford Essex IG6 2JN

Telephone: 8551 1097

email: admin@cloretikva.redbridge.sch.uk

Telephone: 020 8989 administrator@elels.org.uk7619www.elels.org.uk

Telephone: 020 8989 administrator@elels.org.uk7619www.elels.org.uk

The governors, staff and pupils wish the community a happy, peaceful and safe Pesach

Rosh Hashanah thoughts our communal leaders

BY CHIEF RABBI

EPHRAIM MIRVIS CHIEF RABBI OF THE UNITED

IN his Jarrett.pianiststoryaHarfordeconomistMessy,entitledbooktheTimtellsremarkableabouttheKeithInJanuary1975, arriving at the Cologne Opera House to play a jazz concert for 1,400 people, Jarrett was horrified not to find the grand piano he had been

BY RABBI

expecting. The piano was far too small to achieve any qual ity of sound, the keys were sticking, the pedals didn’t work and the felt was worn away in the upper register.

Jarrett explained that the event would have to be can celled, but the inexperienced concert promoter begged him to reconsider. After much pleading, Jarrett took pity on the young promoter and agreed to perform on the unplayable piano.

A moment of musical history followed. Forced to adapt and improvise, Jarrett energetically achieved the necessary volume from the defective piano. He avoided the tinny high notes and fo

of a New Year, we look back and assess the past year, to help us understand what the new year might be like.

This Rosh Hashanah will for many of our communities be the first time post-pan demic that we will all gather in great numbers, without re strictions and we are looking forward to the sweetness and joy that comes with being together in person in our communities.However,the year we leave behind does not im

SUFRIN MBE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CHABAD LUBAVITCH NORTH EAST LONDON AND ESSEX

AS we conclude the year 5782 – the Shmitta year, when in the land of Israel, all farming ceases as a Shabbat to G-d. The land lays fallow, its farmers and field workers spend the entire year strengthening their ties with G-d, the giver of all blessings.

The year following, i.e. this year 5783, is known as the “HAK HEL – assemble”, year.

In Temple times, before they returned to their oc cupation as farmers, they were commanded to “gather together” with all the people of Israel, in order to hear the King address them from a specially made platform in the Temple.

This happened on the second day of Sukkot, 16 days into the New Year, when the pilgrimages to Jerusalem and the Temple took place.

Picture this scene: Millions of Jews, every man, woman and child, assembled in Jeru salem on the Temple Mount.

A hush fell over the mammoth crowd, as the royally bedecked king of Israel ascended on to a platform and read sections of the holy Torah. The nation was inspired and invigorated. A display of unity and a state ment of purpose converged to revitalize and refocus a multifarious people.

This event was known as “Hakhel” (assemble) It was the only event, that required the attendance of every Jew, which is reminiscent of the

historic moment, when every member of our nation was present when G d lovingly gave us the Torah at Mt Sinai.

TODAY, though we do not have a Temple, during this “Year of HAKHEL” we try to emulate these gatherings on all levels of the Jewish People together in an act of UNITY.

The Lubavitcher Rebbie, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson zy”o encouraged us all to arrange gatherings throughout the year, which will strengthen the unity of the Jewish people, both inside and outside of Israel.The Jewish New Year itself is the time of gathering, a time of unity. Now more so than ever, in this post Covid era, we should make every effort to come together once again in our Synagogues for the New Year prayers and the hearing of the Shofar together as we have always done in the past. This is our opportunity to beseech the King of Kings – the A-mighty for the Blessings that we all need and Consideringdesire.this special year – the Year of HAKHEL, we have an opportune time to promote Jewish unity through gatherings of Torah study, prayer and acts of charity suited and relevant to all.

A special year and a unique opportunity indeed. Devorah joins me in wishing you and yours a very Happy, Healthy and Sweet New Year.

cused instead on the middle register. Remarkably, Jarrett brought the house down and the recording of this concert became the best-selling solo jazz album and the best-sell ing piano album of all time.

In some respects, our post-pandemic experience feels like being asked to per form on an unplayable piano. During an exceptionally chal lenging period, we longed for a time when we could step back out onto the stage of our lives, free of restrictions. Baruch Hashem, this has indeed transpired, but the world we have returned to is not the one we expected.

The enduring impact of the pandemic and the dev

mediately promise a better future. There is much to worry about: the exceptional heatwaves of the summer confirm the pressing nature of Climate Change and re mind us of our personal and communal responsibilities towards the environment.

The war in Ukraine reminds some of us of our own ancestral homes, and the lived experiences of displace ment of previous generations and has reawakened our obligation to look after refu

BY RABBI REBECCA BIRK AND RABBI DR RENE CO-CHAIRSPFERTZEL OF THE CONFERENCE OF LIBERAL RABBIS AND CANTORS (COLRAC)

THE year 5782 that is ending has seen its share of challenges.

The effects of the pan demic on our lives and soci eties, the war in Ukraine, the staggering rise of energy bills, a culture war that is raging in our society, peoples and views entrenched in a situation where we don’t listen to each other anymore, the scorching heat over the summer that reminded us that climate

astating invasion of Ukraine have been compounded by political instability both at home and abroad. Many peo ple are struggling financially. Significant aspects of our national infrastructure, from healthcare to travel, seem to be in turmoil. Many societies are polarised and fractious. We are far from where we want to Rabbibe.Joseph B Solovei tchik differentiated between the concepts of ‘Goral’ (fate) and ‘Yiud’ (destiny). Our fate is the hand of cards that we are dealt; our destiny is the way we choose to play it. Responding positively to the external forces beyond our control, we have the capacity

gees and the dispossessed. It has also come among the worrying cost of living rise, which has pushed many households to the brink of poverty. It too calls out to us to help alleviate the hardship of others by giving tzedakah, or to foodbanks, and to offer of ourselves volunteering wherever we can.

We read in our prayer books that “on Rosh Hashan ah we consider how judg ment is formed, and on Yom Kippur we consider how it is

change is real. These are but a few of the challenges our country, and to a large extent, the Western world, is facing.

It feels a bit like the pains of childbirth, that are described by the Prophets of Israel to talk about a world that is emerging in pain and suffering.

We are at a crossroads in terms of the future. The easy route would be to give in to despair. We are indeed worried, uncertain about what the future holds. But we are not the first generation to face hardship. In fact, we’ve been pretty blessed for the past 80 years, with a world of plenty, good material life, rise in life expectancy and quality of life.

Now, we rediscover what

to carve out a glorious desti ny by adapting, learning from our challenges and becoming stronger because of them.

In Parashat Noach, Hashem declares, “When I cause clouds to cloud over the Earth, then the rainbow will be seen amongst the clouds.” The most spectac ular rainbows, bathing the heavens in an arc of beautiful colour, are not created de spite the clouds, but precisely because of them.

Like a rainbow of spec tacular beauty breaking through the darkest of storm clouds, you have responded to the pandemic with an un precedented outpouring of loving kindness, fundraising

sealed, but repentance and prayer and good deeds can change the harshness in our destiny.”Although this past year leaves us with many worries for the year to come, belong ing to communities that are part of a Reform movement which is dedicated to tikkun olam (repairing the world), gives us a voice and purpose in a changing world.

When things are broken, they do not have to remain that way, we can turn things

countless generations before us experienced, global chal lenges, illnesses, and war. And yet, we are not powerless.

As Jews, we have the wealth of our tradition that has given our ancestors the nec essary resilience to face life’s challenges. In the last chapters of the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses recounts the blessings and curses that are on our path. The answer to this reality of life, the travails of the world and the tribulations of life, is to meet them with resilience.

Life is a learning curve, as they say. Blessings and curses, good things and bad things that happen to us, are on our paths so we can learn what it means to be alive and an eth

and volunteering. However, as we consider our shared purpose over these High Holy Days, many serious challeng es remain.Thisis a time to focus on our spirituality and the real purpose of our existence, to redouble our commitment to our families, as well as to our communities and to society, and to do more for the most vulnerable. In this spirit, we will succeed in not only play ing the unplayable piano, but also in creating something of immeasurable and lasting value.Valerie and I extend our heartfelt wishes to you all for a happy, peaceful and fulfill ing New Year.

around. Teshuvah means ‘repentance’, but also ‘turn ing’, and as a movement, we are committed to helping turn things around and to respond when response is needed.Toreach out to refugees, to help combat climate change, and commit our selves to a more sustainable, kinder society, starting with our own communities, and so ensure that 5783 will be a truly good and sweet year.

Shanah tovah um’tukkah.

ical being. We cannot cherry pick between the experiences that are thrown to us. They are all part of the package we call Ourlife. only choices are to keep our heads above the parapet, to work for a better world, and to enjoy the bless ings we receive. May we all strive in the new year 5783 not to lose sight of our blessings, and in recognizing them every day, merit increased peace and joy in our lives.

BY RABBI RONI TABICK RABBI OF NEW STOKE NEWINGTON MASORTI SYNAGOGUE

ASTUDENT ap proached the great sage, Rabbi Men achem Mendl of Kotzk and asked, “Rebbe, who is a goodTheJew?”Kotzker replied: “Who is a good Jew? Any one who wants to be a good Jew.”Baffled, the student responded, “But Rebbe, who wouldn’t want to be a good Jew?”“That’s easy,” replied

the Kotzker, “someone who thinks they’re a good Jew already.”Asa rabbi, sometimes people feel the need to con fess to me that they “aren’t a very good

UsuallyJew.”thismeans that they don’t keep kosher, or don’t keep shabbat, or don’t come to shul very often, but doing these things doesn’t make you a good Jew.

The prophet Micha tells us: “God has told you what is good and what the Eternal requires of you - do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8).

I think that part of walk ing with God is to follow God’s laws (after all, halacha / Jewish law, literally means ‘walking’), but there’s so much more to the prophet’s

words. Do justice, love mercy - make the world a fairer place, and a kinder place. And when we walk with God, we should do with humility.

It’s that humility that I think the Kotzker Rebbe was referring to, that which pre vents someone from being a ‘good Jew’. After all, if you think you’re already a good person, that your behaviour is impeccable, then you can’t reflect, and can no longer grow. Instead of walking with God you’re now standing still.

I’m always suspicious when a synagogue describes itself on its website as “warm and welcoming”. There are so many communities that feel like they have achieved being ‘welcoming’ and so don’t have to think about it any more. The result is that

strangers arriving in shul can feel distinctly less than welcome.Inmy community of New Stoke Newington Shul, we strive to be welcoming, we work on doing justice and loving mercy. We know that these are not destinations you arrive at but goals you strive towards every day.

So too as we turn to this New Year, we are called to question our assumptions about ourselves. How can you be better? What aspect of yourself requires more work? What part of your life have you been letting slip because you thought you hadThe‘arrived’?onlything stopping you from being a good Jew is the thought that you already are.

RABBISASSEMBLYCO-CHAIRMIDDLETONKATHLEENOFTHEOFREFORMANDCANTORS

A Rosh Hashanah message from the President

A Rosh Hashanah message from the President

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT - SEPTEMBER 2022 / TISHREI 5783

This past year has been a difficult one for the Jewish community. Like the rest of the country, we have had to cope with disruption, and for many, the heartbreak of the ongoing pandemic. On top of this we have also had to deal with a frightening upsurge in anti-Jewish racism.

Thispast year has been a difficult one for the Jewish community. Like the rest of the country, we have had to cope with disruption, and for many, the heartbreak of the ongoing pandemic. On top of this we have also had to deal with a frightening upsurge in anti-Jewish racism.

For the past two years this message has focused on a pandemic which took our loved ones from us, destroyed incomes and tore families apart. Mercifully, the worst appears to have passed but, despite this, life for many of us has not been easy this year. The cost of living has spiralled out of control, with energy prices and household bills at a higher level than any of us can remember. Like the Covid epidemic which preceded it, there is not a huge amount any of us can do to change the situation as individuals. However, as a community, what we saw during Covid was a wonderful willingness to help our friends and neighbours, the elderly and the less able among us. This spirit is just what we need now when so many people are experiencing so much hardship. I hope and trust that we are all doing everything we can to help those in need.

When there is conflict in the Middle East there are usually consequences for Jews in the UK but this year what we experienced was beyond anything I can remember. Antisemitic incidents rose by 500 per cent and none of us will forget the convoy of cars driving through our streets with shouted threats and misogynistic abuse plus other well documented attacks.

When there is conflict in the Middle East there are usually consequences for Jews in the UK but this year what we experienced was beyond anything I can remember. Antisemitic incidents rose by 500 per cent and none of us will forget the convoy of cars driving through our streets with shouted threats and misogynistic abuse plus other well documented attacks.

Of course, we don’t need to be reminded that there are millions suffering in Ukraine, as Russia continues its senseless aggression there. We continue to both be inspired by the resolve of the Ukrainian people, and to pray for peace. I urge all those who are able to donate towards the charities collecting on behalf of the victims of this terrible conflict.

This is intolerable and the Board of Deputies acted quickly to ensure that the Government was aware and prepared to take whatever measures were needed. The Jewish community held meetings with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel. I called for the proscription of Hamas in its entirety. We also called for the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism by social media companies and their new regulator Ofcom. I am glad to report that the Government has now written to social media companies to request them to adopt the IHRA definition.

On a happier note, this summer we celebrate the second anniversary of the Abraham Accords which brought together Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco in a landmark agreement which has sparked new hope in the Middle East and the prospect of a peaceful future to the region. Sadly, not all parties have bought into the spirit of reconciliation which is why we campaigned hard for the UK Government to ban Hamas in its entirety and were delighted with the legislation which means that the organisation is no longer able to lobby for support in this country.

This is intolerable and the Board of Deputies acted quickly to ensure that the Government was aware and prepared to take whatever measures were needed. The Jewish community held meetings with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel. I called for the proscription of Hamas in its entirety. We also called for the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism by social media companies and their new regulator Ofcom. I am glad to report that the Government has now written to social media companies to request them to adopt the IHRA definition.

While the epidemic has ebbed and flowed we have worked with the Government to share important messages in order to keep everybody safe and we have advised on safe numbers for prayer and religious occasions. We have also had the sad but necessary duty of collating numbers of deaths. Our community has enthusiastically embraced the vaccine which is one of the main reasons why numbers of deaths has been mercifully few in the past few months.

Over the past 12 months, we have advocated for the small but vibrant Belfast community which found itself struggling for its very existence after the Northern Ireland Protocol cut off its supply of kosher Whenfood.

local, regional and Devolved Assembly Elections took place, we ensured that every candidate had access to a copy of our Jewish Manifestos, which outlined all of the key areas of interest and concern for Jewish communities across the country. And online, thanks to Board of Deputies campaigning, the Government wrote to social media companies asking for the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism so that racists will no longer be able to harass Jewish users with impunity.

While the epidemic has ebbed and flowed we have worked with the Government to share important messages in order to keep everybody safe and we have advised on safe numbers for prayer and religious occasions. We have also had the sad but necessary duty of collating numbers of deaths. Our community has enthusiastically embraced the vaccine which is one of the main reasons why numbers of deaths has been mercifully few in the past few months.

Those who know the Board of Deputies will understand we work on a diverse set of issues. It is impossible to list everything in a short message. However, I will give a mention to the Commission on Racial Inclusivity which reported this year and which made 119 recommendations, with profound implications for UK Jews. I would also like to thank all the new organisations which have joined this year, making us even more representative of the community. We will continue to work just as hard on your behalf in the coming year.Shana Tovah

Recent weather events have highlighted the importance of action against climate change. We have been working with our partner organisation EcoSynagogue to make a difference within our community and were out in force at the COP26 summit last November.

We are also working to facilitate the implementation of the ground-breaking Commission on Racial Inclusivity in the Jewish Community, which considered 17 areas of Jewish communal life and made 119 recommendations. We provide official inspection of religious education in Jewish schools through the Pikuach organisation and our team monitors and protects our religious freedoms.

The Board of Deputies is here to help and support Jews across the UK, whatever their interests and concerns. I wish everyone a Shana Tovah and a happy year ahead.

Those who know the Board of Deputies will understand we work on a diverse set of issues. It is impossible to list everything in a short message. However, I will give a mention to the Commission on Racial Inclusivity which reported this year and which made 119 recommendations, with profound implications for UK Jews. I would also like to thank all the new organisations which have joined this year, making us even more representative of the community. We will continue to work just as hard on your behalf in the coming year.Shana

Tovah

Marie van der Zyl President, Board of Deputies of British Jews

Marie van der Zyl President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews

Marie van der Zyl President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews

Woodford rabbi gives us pause for thought

APOPULAR figure in Redbridge since joining Woodford Forest United Synagogue seven years ago, Rabbi Mordechai Wollenberg gained even more recog nition last year after he and his family starred in an episode of Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over.

The Essex Jewish News caught up with the un likely reality TV star who told us that the producers wanted to show a regular Jewish religious family and how they lived.

He said: “Jeremy Corbyn and antisemitism were in the headlines which made it topical, but others had already turned it down for their own reasons. I discussed with the shul leadership about whether it was appropri ate, they agreed that it was and some of the crew came for Friday night dinner with us. They were very respectful and talked us through everything that would“Staceyhappen.was here for the days of filming. She was completely open with us and said we could ask her anything we wanted to. There was always the fear it could be cringe-making but most people felt it worked.”

Always outgoing and on the go, Rabbi Wollen berg then decided that his newest venture would be a user-friendly book explain ing weekly Torah readings for 21st century readers –based on chapters he was already posting online and

as emails.Hediscovered that Amazon publish books at no cost or risk to the writ er, then market them on Amazon and Kindle. There was nothing to lose and it is now out there at £12.99 a copy.Weekly Thoughts gives fresh insight into each Torah reading in a pithy, no-nonsense, non-judge mental manner which very much reflects Rabbi Wol lenberg’s own personality.

He told EJN: “When taking a service, I’ve always understood that to hold a community’s atten tion the sermon should be short and sweet, no longer than 10 minutes and put ting across the right mes sage through a sharing of ideas in a digestible way.”

Feedback has been positive and the book has been well received. Ever practical, he also admits that it is a way of bringing in some extra money to help pay rocketing winter fuel bills in the hard eco nomic winter ahead.

The rabbi and his American wife, Rebbet zen Blina Wollenberg, have nine children, one of whom has now gone off to yeshiva in Israel. They have settled very happily into life in Redbridge after moving around for most of their yeshivaJudaism.opedwhichwentgrewRabbilives.WollenbergupinOxfordandtoCarmelCollege,iswherehedeveladeeperinterestinHewentontoinIsraelandNew

York before gaining his degree at Birmingham University in computer sciences. This has allowed him to evolve into a mod ern day, computer liter ate rabbi with a rich and varied experience of all aspects of life both Jewish and way beyond.

He told me they have no television in the house but watched the Stacey Dooley show online, their home fully equipped with electronic gadgets and phones to keep in touch with everything that’s happening.“Aswith the effects of the pandemic on tradition al shul life, Judaism has to adapt to changes and can’t just stand still,” he insists.Previously leading con gregations in Liverpool, Reading and Cardiff. he now enjoys the interaction with other Essex rabbis and communities as well as further afield in North London and the rest of the

country.Asinterest in Week ly Thoughts spreads he hopes to be invited to talk about it to groups at different synagogues, schools, 6th form colleg es, community centres, women’s organisation and anyone else interested in learning more.

The book gives new insight into each week’s Shabbat parsha and the festivals in a language all can understand and is never too demanding for those with a short atten tion span. In these stress ful times it could not be more opportune!

You can find out more about the book or Woodford Forest United Synagogue by emailing Rabbi Wollen berg on rabbiw@gmail. com or order a copy by searching on Google or Amazon for Weekly Thoughts.

BY MICAELA BLITZ

Anew book, co-writ ten by the Essex Jewish News’ very own Pat Lidiker, celebrates the rich history of the Leicester Jewish commu nity.Sharing Our Heritage explores the history of Leicester Hebrew Congre gation (LHC) and the area’s Jewish community over the past two centuries.

The book was compiled by a group of four writers and researchers, each with a long-standing involve ment with the city and Leicester Hebrew Congre gation – Rosalind Adam, Carol Cambers, Aubrey Newman and our Pat.

History teacher Rosalind and local history researcher Carol were both born in the city, while Aubrey – an emeritus professor of his tory at Leicester University – moved in the late 1950s with his family and has since been involved with LHC in many roles.

Pat moved to Leicester in 1947 and began her jour nalistic career in newspa pers and magazines at the Leicester Mercury. Despite arriving in Essex five years ago, she still fondly con siders Leicester her ‘home city’.Due to lockdown, much of the editorial discussions and research for this book were done online. Whilst it was a quite unusual way to work, Pat found it very enjoyable and good to have something to work on during the pandemic.

The book also coin cided with the opening of a new Jewish Heritage Centre, which now stands alongside the existing 120-year-old synagogue on Highfield Street.

Pat told us: “Aubrey and I had produced a pre vious book for the shul’s centenary in 1998 but didn’t realise its huge gaps in the early years as online search engines were yet to arrive. Instead of revising it, with Carol as research er and Ros as editor, we

decided to produce this completely new version using the latest technology.

“Rather than mainly aiming this book at past and present LHC mem bers, this was written with the city’s wider non-Jewish community in mind.

“We met twice a week on Zoom with constant emails so it made no dif ference that I was over 100 miles away in Essex! There was a collective (virtual) sigh of relief when it came off the press just in time for the Heritage Centre’s

opening!”Thegrade II listed syna gogue currently welcomes around 3,000 visitors a year as well as being used for communal activities. It is hoped that the Heritage Centre will attract even more people, especially those from other faiths wanting to learn more about the rich history of the community and Jewish way of life today.

Both the project and the book were made possi ble through a National Lot tery Heritage Fund grant of more than £1 million. The Chief Rabbi also wrote the foreword for the book.

Pat added: “Rabbi Mirvis was presented with the first copy at the official opening in the shul itself. Refreshments were en joyed in the new Heritage Centre when community members chatted with the many VIP guests, including the Lord Mayor, who all received signed copies of ourAsbook.”wewent to press, Sharing our Heritage was awarded the David Hyman Prize celebrating work on communities outside of London.

To purchase a copy of the book, please email

Pat Lidiker talks to Rabbi Mordechai Wollenberg about becoming a reality TV star and his new book

Our Pat explores Leicester’s heritage in new book

Rabbi Mordechai Wollenberg having fun with his with family

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and Pat Lidiker at Leicester Heritage Centre opening and book launch

Rabbi Mordechai Wollenberg

showing off his new book

BY MANNY ROBINSON

IN the late 1970s, the Daily Express asked me to go to Israel to write a travel article about working on a kibbutz. The result was a half-page spread in the paper in which I described the joys and tribulations of doing (in my case watching!) everything from picking oranges to chicken pluck ing.A letter followed to the Daily Express travel editor at that time, Peter Chambers, from the Israel Government Tourist Office expressing their delight at the article and informing him that they had been inundated with requests from members of the pub lic wishing to try a kibbutz holiday.But20 or so years earlier, the kibbutz wasn’t as streamlined as it was when I was there stroll ing in the sun with a tour guide just to get a story. When I visited there were manicured lawns, swim ming pools and food that could rival anything eaten in an hotel.

In the 1950s, Howard

Goldsmith, who drove a black taxi in London, was filled with Zionist fervour and joined a band of 30 British youngsters from the Habonim (Dror) youth body to spend a year devoted to training on a kibbutz in the then four year old State of Israel.

All were committed to an idealised lifestyle of collectivism in which they would help build a safe and happy homeland for Jews from all parts of the world.The story of that strug gle between 1952-1953 is recounted in Howard’s book. He and the others spent that year in Gal Ed kibbutz and realised the tough realities of life there.

All were prepared to give up their homes, families and friends to participate in the life of the fledgling state.

At Gal Ed kibbutz the nearest telephone was 10 kilometres away, radios, post and newspapers were the only contact with the outside world. But he and his fellow participants were committed to Zion

ism, the ideology of cre ating a national homeland for world Jewry in Israel.

In 1950 Howard, who lived in Hove, began training in a Zionist camp in southern England which prepared young volun teers for life on a kibbutz. Two years on, after addi tional training in the Neth erlands, he was one of 30 young Jewish pioneers from Britain who arrived in Haifa port in October 1952 for a new life in Israel.

He explains in his book that one of the first tasks given to him was to dig trenches to lay sewers on rock hard ground. It was, he writes, “a hand-blis tering,

hownentsrifleinstructedtookmalThisropeddescribestractorsteelbatteringbody-destroyingwithaheavypole.”Helaterworkedinthefactoryandalsohowhewasinforguardduty.wascountedasnorworkeventhoughitplaceatnight.Hewrote:“Iwashowtostripaintoitsmajorcompoandreassembleit;toloadit.Iwasthen

told how to put a bullet in the breach, how to clean the barrel and where the safety catch was and keep the rifle lightly oiled.

“At the end of the demonstration’’ he writes “I was told abruptly I would be mounting guard within the hour.”

The adventures and misadventures, the char acters – both friendly and unfriendly - on the kibbutz are described in detail in an easy to read style.

In 1970, Howard returned to Israel with a wife, children and enough money to buy an apart ment. He became a cab driver in Haifa and later in Jerusalem.Thefamily spent three months each winter in London where he contin ued to drive a cab with the remaining time spent in Israel where he worked as a tour guide.

At first he took small groups of seven tourists but later much larg er groups of up to 50 tourists – mainly Christian pilgrims – around the country by coach for two

weeks at a time.

But after 40 years in Israel, Howard and his family returned to England for good, settling in Redbridge following a decline in his health.

There have been plen ty of articles and features about Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Lake Kinneret, Mas sada and other cities and

historical areas. Few of those articles, I suspect, have covered the early days of the kibbutzim and the pioneers who made it so successful and so important to the growth and prosperity of the state.For that reason alone this story is an important piece of history.

New website tells the Deaf history of London

BY SIMON ROTHSTEIN

AN Essex resident has played a major role in the launch of a new Jewish Deaf History London forandDeaf,OrganisationAssociationhistoryorabilia,photos,ishsitehistorylondon.co.uk,Foundwebsite.atwww.jdeaftheiscrammedwithJewDeafpeople’sstories,videosandmempreservingtheoftheJewishDeaf(JDA),WorldofJewishJewishDeafSportstheResidentialSchoolJewishDeafChildren

(RSJDC).AnnClements, from Buckhurst Hill, was part of a team of Deaf volun teers who spent months compiling the content. She was joined by Barry David, Mira Goldberg (JDA Trus tee), Linda Woolfe, Caro lyn Denmark, Sara Olsen and Daniel Clements, and supported by the help and input of many Deaf people in theAnncommunity.comesfrom a Deaf family. Her parents met through the JDA,

which is also where she met her late husband Harvey.Ann said: “During lock down, I was sorting out our hundreds of old fam ily photos. I came across historical photographs, including from RSJDC, JDA and Deaf Sports such as the Deaf Olympics and wondered why we were keeping these

findswe’vetook“Everythinghidden.reallyofffromthereandhadsomegreat–suchasthecensus

for RSJDC from 1871 and so many fabulous photo graphs and videos from over the decades.”

The site was launched as the JDA celebrated its Platinum Jubilee with a spectacular event organ ised by Deaf British Sign Language (BSL) users for 100 guests from the Deaf signing

Whilstcommunity.payingtribute to the JDA’s invaluable work at the heart of the Deaf community over the past 70 years, the event

also reunited lifelong friends – now aged 63–97 years old – who grew up together at the RSJDC, which was founded in in 1865 and closed down in 1965.Four elders of the com munity and former school pupils – Harold Fallman, Miriam Solomon, Leslie Bieber and Martin Binysh – cut a stunning 70th An niversary cake, created by deaf baker Ravit Freeman of Peaks and Swirls.

JDA enables deaf

people – young, old and everyone in between – to overcome daily obstacles in our hearing world, and to get the very best out of life.JDA Chief Executive, Sue Cipin said: “As we join The Queen in celebrating our Platinum Jubilee, we’re so proud to celebrate 70 years of our loving, caring, laughing, wonderful JDA community. Here’s to many more years of cre ating Jewish Deaf history together!”

EVERYONE PlatinumcelebrationsenjoyedfortheJubilee

with music, singalongs, cream teas and parties and a good old knees up at Jewish Care’s Red bridge Jewish Community Centre and Southend & Westcliff Jewish Commu nity

Jewish Care’s Chief Executive Daniel Car mel-Brown said: “We have warmly welcomed members of the Royal Family at our resourc es and events over the

years and often share our residents’ joy on receiving Her Majesty’s centenari an birthday cards, which often take pride of place in any“Weroom.were so pleased

to be able to celebrate the Jubilee with our residents, tenants, com munity centre members and volunteers together as a community at Jewish Care.”

work being done in Israel by the charity, said: “Ro chelle has done so many wonderful things for Emu nah over the years. And, while she is now stepping down as chair, we are pleased to say she is not stepping away from her tireless efforts supporting BritishBritishEmunah.”Emunah sup ports more than 10,000 at-risk and vulnerable chil dren and families in Israel.

AtCentre.Jewish Care’s Vi & John Rubens House care home, residents got creative, making decora tions in the lead up to the big day and as the Jubilee weekend coincided with Shavuot, residents baked cheesecake and celebrat ed with relatives, friends and staff at their Jubilee tea parties too.

The dedicated volun teers were also treated to a special thank you cream tea in appreciation of all their incredible hard work.

ROCHELLE Spector of Southend & Westcliff Hebrew Congrega tion was honoured by the charity British Emunah for her many years of selfless dedication as chair of their SouthendRochellegroup.was presented with a special certificate by British Emunah director SharonSharon,Dewinter.whogave a talk to the group to update them on the life-changing

Ann Clements celebrates a double Platinum Jubilee with the Jewish Deaf Association

Jubilant Jubilee celebrations at Jewish Care in Essex trophies, memorabilia, videos that would benefit the Jewish Deaf London website, or wish to find out more, please email jdeafhistory2021@gmail.com.

Emunah’s Sharon Dewinter presents a certificate to Rochelle Spector

The Redbridge Jewish Community Centre’s Sunday Social Jubilee Party

Harold Fallman, Miriam Solomon, Leslie Bieber and Martin Binysh cut the cake to celebrate 70 years of the JDA

60 Second Schmooze: PAUL SHAMPLINA

BY MICAELA BLITZ

PAUL SHAMPLINA is the founder of Landlord Ac tion and chief commercial officer of Hamilton Fraser. He has spent more than 25 years in the legal field helping land lords and letting agents deal with problematic tenants.

Paul, who grew up playing football in Redbridge, is a regu lar contributor to TV and radio shows including Channel 5’s hit series Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords.Herehe chats to Micaela Blitz about dealing with trou blesome tenants both on and off screen.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED?

After I left school at 16, I had no actual qualifications but managed to get my first job as an outdoor clerk. An outdoor clerk is someone employed by a solicitors’ firm to assist with court-related matters. This was in the late 80s and early 90s, when we were in the midst of a recession, and I was involved in cases related to debt recovery and repossession of properties which was an interesting area.

I later moved to London and started working in a law firm dealing with litigation and worked on my first possession claim in 1991.

WHEN DID YOU SET UP YOUR BUSINESS?

After a few years, I decided that I wanted to work for my self. Whilst setting up my own company – as a certified bailiff, private investigator and an eviction expert – I met Jona than Chippeck, who became my business partner. Together, we set up Landlord Action in 1999. Over the past 20-odd years, it has become one of the UK’s best-known eviction and housing law specialists, and a regulated law firm, which is something I am very proud of.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO TV?

I have always been quite a con fident person and on occasion was being asked to contribute to various TV and radio shows, as well as news articles relat ing to housing. It really just developed from there. Being able to share my expertise and help others in this way is very rewarding.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?

My passion is for helping as well as educating landlords and letting agents. There are over 2 million landlords and around 25,000 letting agents out there, and the property sec tor is constantly changing so I regularly write content and do public speaking, seminars and webinars on the private rental sector.

WHAT TIPS WOULD YOU GIVE TO ANYONE LOOKING TO BECOME A LANDLORD?

Whilst many people think of

landlords having large portfo lios of properties, the reality is that around 85% of landlords only have 1-3 properties and are renting them out to help cover the mortgage and to build an alternative pension pot.

It is not always an easy option, especially since lockdown and other recent events which has made it very difficult for landlords. Tenants have found themselves in situations where they are struggling to keep up their payments, which means that landlords are finding things difficult too and often they are not able to find the support they need, which is where our company comes in.

For anyone looking to become a landlord, I would say to do your research before you start. Talk to other landlords, join forums, look online on relevant sites to get advice of things you should or should not do. We have a website called www.land lordzone.co.uk which is a good educational source.

It’s also important to educate yourself and understand the market so that you are pre pared. If you are going to use a letting agent, it is important to find the right one, and if you are planning to manage it yourself you should always put a price on your time and know how to manage your time well. Treat this as a business.

THERE HAS BEEN A LOT IN THE NEWS ABOUT THE RENT ERS REFORM BILL. CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT IT?

The Renters Reform Bill was introduced this year and is the biggest change to the sector in 30 years. One area that things will change relates to outlawing of ‘blanket bans’ for families with children or those receiving benefits, and letting agents and landlords are not allowed to discriminate against potential tenants. Also, the Abolishment of the ‘mon-fault’ Section 21 Notice and the introduction of Periodic Tenancies.

I really enjoy working on the programme, but it has to be said that whilst the show high lights bad tenants and unfair landlords, the vast majority are really good tenants and great landlords. I would say overall around 95% of tenants are brilliant, but it is that 5% that cause the most aggrava tion to landlords.

Since setting up Landlord Action, we have had some real horror cases from murders and criminal subletting gangs to prostitution and cannabis factories, we have seen it all. We have even had a suspect ed terrorist tenant in a flat in West Hampstead!

YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED THE LANDLORD’S FRIEND, WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?

I feel proud to be considered the Landlord’s Friend as I en joy helping landlords (and let ting agents) in this way. Many landlords are looking for some help and advice especially in recent times, and I am always happy to do this. At the mo ment, I probably get between 5-10 landlords contacting me on a daily basis, and I will always try to help as much as possible. There is a lot more involved in being a landlord than people often think and, because I have been in the business for so long, I have an understanding of this.

AS WELL AS APPEARING ON TV, YOU HAVE ALSO WRITTEN A BOOK, WHAT’S NEXT?

I wrote my first book; The Landlord’s Friend with Katie Faulkner and we have used our knowledge and experi ence to help guide landlords through the whole buy-to-let Dueworld.to the Renters Reform Act, I’m now planning to work on another book to help ex plain this new legislation.

The TV show continues to be rerun on Channel 5 at pres ent, but I am not sure if we will make any more series. My main aim is to find ways to make the industry more professional and ensure that both tenants and landlords are treated fairly.

Sea, sand and salt beef

BY PAT LIDIKER

IT IS less than a year since former JFS student and chef Reuben Lingen opened his Jew ish-style eaterie Reubys Salt Beef & Cheesecake Bar, in Clacton-onSea, but such is its popularity he’s already on the look-out for bigger premises.Andthe 56-year-old grand father has told the Essex Jewish News that the business is all about love… not money.

In an exclusive interview, Reuben said: “I am certainly not expecting to become a millionaire selling salt beef at my time of life… but I just love what I do!

“There was nothing in Clac ton like this before, it’s become a real hub and community centre for the Jewish residents. They have come here mainly from Redbridge – and even talk about changing the town’s name to Barkingside-on-Sea.”

I buy in ready-made are beigels, platzels, challah rolls and rye bread. We also have a deli-style section with pickles, matzos, can dles, noodles, packet soups and anything else requested. Some customers will ask me to collect their own orders – even muchmissed schmaltz – while I’m in London which I’m happy to do.”

With Colchester just 17 miles away – with an active synagogue and diverse communal activities with the focus on social, religious and educational facilities – Clac ton is its local seaside, with Reu bys adding an extra dimension.

So what attracted Reuben to settleHehere?said: “I wanted to be near my two sons and five grandchil dren so came seven years ago and have stayed. It’s as simple as that.”After he and his wife

Like other seaside resorts dur ing this long hot summer, Clacton has also welcomed a deluge of visitors, allowing Reuben (aka Roy) to meet up with familiar fac es from his years in Stoke New ington, Gants Hill and Newbury Park and as a pupil at JFS from 1978 to After1984.sniffing the briny on the beach, all are equally tempt ed by the wafting aroma of salt beef and chicken soup in the town centre. And not just Jew ish people - many other visitors and locals of all ages also enjoy sampling this different style of ethnicReubenfood.cooks everything fresh in-house after frequent shopping trips to his old Gants Hill and Barkingside stomping grounds for ingredients, before enthusiastic foodies queue up to tuck in. Top of their list are his salt beef, chopped liver or herring, fish balls, chicken soup (wheth er with noodles or matzo balls), bean and barley soup, latkes and lokshen

Pickledpudding.cucumbers are option al, ofReuben’scourse. cheesecakes, wheth er plain, lemon or with raisins, are to drool over while at Purim he introduced Hamantaschen too. There’s even a vegan menu on offer.He told us: “The only things

divorced, Reuben met and mar ried hairdresser Darren. They had a blessing ceremony at Bet Tikvah Synagogue – now part of East London and Essex Liberal Syna gogue – 10 years ago.

When moving to Clacton they both realised how much they missed nipping to the local deli, bakery or butcher for their traditional favourite Jewish foods so decided to take a chance on bringing it with them instead.

It proved a no-lose solution for everyone and regulars can savour the authentic taste of the food that they grew up.

As Reuben concludes: “It makes me feel good giving some thing back to the community like this on their own doorstep.

“I only wish my parents were here to see it.”

CustomerserveAnna

YOUR TV SHOW, NIGHTMARE TENANTS AND SLUM LAND LORDS, IS NOW IN ITS SIXTH SERIES ON CHANNEL 5, CAN YOU TELL US SOME OF THE WORST TENANTS YOU HAVE SEEN?

Reuben Lingen and husband Darren ready to

Mae enjoys a drink and the sunshine

An inauguration and an ordination

BY SIMON ROTHSTEIN

SWESRS welcomes its new rabbinic team

SOUTH West Essex & Settlement Reform Synagogue (SWESRS) held an inspiring inaugura tion service for their newly appointed senior rabbi JordanSWESRSHelfman.Chair Michael Dalton welcomed over 100 invitees and congregants both in person and on Zoom for the celebratory event.

The service was led by Rabbi Lev Taylor, who has joined the community as its second rabbi, with the ceremony conducted by Rabbi Henry Goldstein, one of SWESRS’ rabbi emeriti. There were also video mes

sages from ‘the past rabbis of The DeborahBaecktoLJY-Netzer,eralaviouslyworkingcommunities.Canada’sTempleateeightSWESRSupbornRabbiSettlement’.HelfmanwasinDetroitandgrewinNewJersey.HejoinedafterspendingyearsastheassocirabbiatHolyBlossominToronto,oneoflargestJewishThisishissecondtimeinEngland.Heprespent18monthsasmovementworkerforLibJudaism’syouthgroupusingthattimealsoauditclassesatLeoCollege.RabbiDrKahn-Harris,prin

BY RABBI JORDAN HELFMAN

Let us be honest, friends – the last few years have been difficult ones. In mo ments of reflection, we look down at the fabric of our lives and see that which held us together, it, it looks frayed.

Demographic trends were already at work, attenuating our community. These last few years, the added burden of iso lation and isolation tore many of the sin uous strings which hold us together. We have all felt the knots loosen, and rough ness now appears, where things once felt natural, felt smooth.

We are not alone, many communities are Whatcontracting.wedo in the coming years, will chart a course for our congregation’s future. Will be a statement about the enduring value of Progressive Judaism to thisEveryworld.day

I am here, I can feel with more clarity the texture of this community. In every conversation, I discern the work of your previous rabbis, weaving back and forth, in and out of conversations in the functions hall, in the classrooms and in homes. So many strands of stories, picked up and woven together, into the texture of this community. Being secured and knotted into sacred connection through friendship, kindness, and a feeling of joint responsibility.Now,Ilook about myself for the raw materials of community. I see a unique

BY RABBI LEV TAYLOR

The most commonly asked question I’ve had while training to be a rabbi is “why?”

And I always tell them the same thing. I was sitting in synagogue one shab bat morning, when a great beam of light came in through the sanctuary window, the heavens opened, and a great boom ing voice said: “Lev! Apply to Leo Baeck College!”Ofcourse, that didn’t happen. And it doesn’t take people long to realise I’m joking.Rabbis don’t get called on by God. In fact, the rabbis of the Talmud were pretty suspicious of any purported voices from heaven.Today, I will share with you the real reason I wanted to be a rabbi. During my twenties, I began to wonder what hap pened to gay men over 30. I knew so few.

cipal of Leo Baeck College, gave a heartfelt address at the Rabbiceremony.Helfman, who was ordained from the Hebrew Union College –Jewish Institute of Religion in the States, also serves on the World Union of Pro gressive Judaism’s execu tive board and coordinated their global Connectionsconferencein2021.

East of the East End community. I walk from my house each morning towards three Jewish schools, a kosher butch er and – even more my flavour – in the neighbourhood are two establishments serving kosher-style salt-beef bagels. In the High Streets and school yard, I catch conversations by so many descended Israelis, enlightened orthodox, reformed secular Jews, and the Jewish and not-yet Jewish counter-cultural seeking their part in an ongoing wrestling match with the established present.

Each thread unique, with its own story.

Friends, I don’t worry about there be ing enough raw material here to keep our community alive and vibrant. I really don’t.

But there is one thing that becomes clearer and clearer to me in each conver sation I have – each trip up the high street – each Shabbat service in this building. This work requires more than an open loom, with posters about inclusion and words about diversity set as hooks into the frame. It requires more than Rabbi Lev and I setting the warp and the woof, the underlay, and praying for the picture to come together. It requires you.

Listen to Abraham Joshua Heschel’s words: “Life without integrity is like loosely hanging threads, easily straying from the main cloth, while in acts of piety we learn to understand that every instant is like a thread ravelling out of eternity to form a

The SWESRS communi ty had a second chance to celebrate after Rabbi Lev Taylor was ordained by Leo Baeck College in a service at The Liberal Jew ish Synagogue, St John’s Wood.More than 150 people attended in person – in cluding Liberal Judaism CEO Rabbi Charley Bagin sky and Rabbi Kathleen

Middleton, co-chair of the Assembly of Reform Rabbis and Cantors – with a further 100 watching live on Zoom Leo Baeck College is the UK’s only Progressive Jewish rabbinic seminary, training rabbis for Liberal, Masorti and Reform con gregations in the UK and abroad. Rabbi Taylor was ordained by Rabbi Mark Solomon after completing

delicate tassel. We must not cast off the threads but weave them into the design of an eternal fabric.”

We must decide if we have the energy, the will, to tie ourselves into the struc ture of our community. Whether we will develop the routines that will bind us to the past, present and future of our people. If we feel bound to better self, community andOrworld.ifwe remain as loosely hanging threads, tied on only by a standing order to a threadbare whole.

We face a moment where the edges of the grand tapestry of Jewish communal life are fraying. How will we respond?

Will we knit ourselves back together, will we extend ourselves to others, will we find the courage to share with those around us our own stories? To talk about what this community has meant to us, and how it can be a banner of support in our lives?We

have the tools in our hands to weave together a future that will be as vibrant as our past, should see ourselves as covenantal partners in this work.

The framework is here, around us. The framework for Jewish life informed by tra dition and kept ever-modern. A Judaism that is full of family and joy. Of Shabbat candle-sticks and children asking ques tions. Of social justice and social care.

We have inherited a structure which

a five-year ordinationspeechHelfman’sQueerTalmudinclusiveous,Queerteampostgraduaterabbinicprogramme.HeisalsopartofthebehindthenewYeshiva–arigorimmersive,radicallywaytostudywithanexplicitlylens.YoucanreadRabbiinaugurationandRabbiTaylor’saddressbelow:

gives permission for shocking creativity –red and pink threads, hidden beneath the surface, tugged into the fore of Talmud and Midrashic interpretation.

Now, I ask you, as you have asked me – to reach out, and make this place – these people part of the routines in your life.

9 am Torah Study, 10:30 worship and learning. The first Friday of the month with candle-sticks and community. Com munity and Social Group, Tuesday Lunch Club, and more.

If a program doesn’t exist. Kvetch about it! And then help create it.

As our community grows, if there is a person who looks different, acts different, isn’t quite sure of their place, do your best to make them feel at home here, to wel come them as they find their place in the ever-changing fabric of our community.

Just as others stepped forward to create this community for you – now you are needed to cater and sing and lead. In vite your friends and make this truly your Jewish home, a home you still share with your children and grandchildren, whom you invite in again and again.

In a moment when Jewish communi ties all around the world are fraying, now is when we commit.

I feel honoured to be invited into your lives – in your moments of joy and sorrow – and I commit to do my best to listen and be there for you.

At the same time, I saw some friends, in different ways, destroy themselves. They were all queer.

And I didn’t need to ask why. I under stood how living in a homophobic and transphobic society could make them believe that the world didn’t want them.

I had grown up in that world too, of ten experiencing homophobic violence.

But I had one thing that differentiated me from some of my friends who didn’t think they belonged in this world.

I never had to doubt that I had a fam ily, a community, and a God who loved me.I grew up in a synagogue that ac cepted and embraced me as a gay and gender non-conforming child.

I knew, too, that were gay rabbis out there. At least two. Over decades, pioneers had fought for a Judaism that

would benefit people they would never know. That would shamelessly embrace difference. That would speak out for social justice against conformity.

And I wondered if, perhaps, I could pass on something similar. That others might grow up with a God and a commu nity and a religion that loved them. That, if they did, perhaps they wouldn’t destroy themselves.So,inthat sense, I feel like I was called.Called upon by future queer kids, asking, will you make space for us?

Called upon by past generations of Jews, many lost to the centuries, saying, we brought this Judaism this far. We nur tured inclusive Judaism for you to inherit it. Will you keep it alive for us now?

Called upon by those that didn’t make it, asking, will there be communities that

can love us, too?

And yes. Called upon by a loving God. The voice of justice. The moral force of the universe that will always stand with the Theoppressed.outstretched hand that brought us out from Egypt so that we might spread a prophetic message of equality and justice throughout the world.

That voice doesn’t come as a boom ing sound from the heavens. It is a still, small voice. It is a gentle murmur, calling us to do right, urging us to rectify iniqui ty, offering hope.

Such a voice can only be heard if there are people to amplify it. To those who have kept it reverberating through out the ages – thank you.

It is calling us all.

May we merit to answer.

Amen.

Rabbi Jordan Helfman’s inauguration service at SWESRS

Rabbi Lev Taylor’s ordination at The Liberal Jewish Synagogue

Never say never… especially when it comes to the Marathon

BY DAN LION

AFTER running the London Marathon 20 years ago, in memory of my wonderful mum who we lost in 2000, and vowing never to do it again (for all the right reasons), I’ve broken my promise (again, for all the right reasons).

I remember the 2002 event fondly and enjoyed ‘almost’ every minute of it. Knowing that I’d never be able to repeat this once in a lifetime experience, I decided that would be my first and last.

I’ve been to watch the marathon a few times since, but last year I had a few good friends running and was fully immersed in the emotion of the day.

To see the runners turn off the Embankment between mile 25 & 26 and head towards Birdcage Walk and the finish, some breaking down with emo tion realising they were pretty much home and dry, stirred all kinds of my ownRememberingemotions. my own marathon day, running in memory of my mum, and knowing that so many of those in floods of tears in front of me had their own stories, made me think, “I’m slightly tempted, should I?????” The answer was still no, no, no, no, no!

So what changed? In December last year we sadly lost my huge ly missed and dearly loved father-in-law, Peter Mendel, to Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. The very same disease that took my mum from us 22 years ago.

In May this year, when a fundraiser for St Francis

Hospice, where Peter was cared for in the last days of his life, stood up at a busi ness networking meeting I was attending, mentioned that they had a couple of London Marathon places available and would any one like one, a tingle went down my spine.

I signalled my ‘slight interest’ and that was it. Andy Fernaux from the St Francis Hospice Local Engagement Team, along with some fellow members of my networking group, who are also running, were on me.“Come on Dan, you’ll smash it, you’ve gotta do it” were all the words of encouragement I needed. So, after checking with my boss. AKA Mrs Beth Lion, that we had no other com mitments at that time, and we could work our lives around the huge com mitment that the training involves, we had a green light.I’ve been training hard since I accepted the place and have been busy fund raising towards my target of £5,000 which I’d love to raise for the amazing team at St Francis Hospice, who provide an absolute vital service to people like Peter and their families during

Trekking again for a good cause… after 18 years

BY INA CAMLETT

Taking on a Marathon challenge in aid of Jewish Blind & Disabled

BY SIMONE MAZIN

MANY years ago,

I was given VIP seats at the finish line of the London Mara thon and got to see the runners at the very end of their 26.2 mile race.

the final days of their lives & help them to get the very best of whatever time they have left.

If you’re planning to come along to join in the carnival atmosphere at the London Marathon this year on 2 October, please look out for me, and give me a cheer of encouragement along the way. I’m sure by 20+ miles I’ll need all the help I can get. I’ll be the bald bloke with a bright orange St Francis Hospice singlet, with my name writ ten of the front and back, hopefully still smiling.

And if you can show your support with a dona tion to St Francis Hospice that will also help to put a spring in my step on the day and help me with my fundraising efforts for this great community cause. Your donations will help give them a critical stream of revenue so they can continue to care for pa tients and their families.

My link is fundraising/Dan-Lion1www.justgiving.com/so huge thanks in advance for any donations made towards my fundraising target and to help get me through the 26.2 miles, in memory of my father-inlaw Peter.

ate reaction was to say “I’ll think about it” which, as anyone will know, actually meant I just needed time to come up with a good excuse to say NO. After all, it had 18 years since my last charity trek, when I had spent my 50th birthday tired and unwashed climb ing Mount Olympus.

So much has changed since then, my fitness levels being one very important factor! Life is busy. I am now a Nana to my seven year old granddaughter and football mad three year old grandson. My goalkeep ing skills are not too bad, but that’s as far as it goes. I had undertaken the couch to 5K run during lockdown, but very quickly reverted back to couch. And, some how, I never did restart any

I was completely unpre pared for what would be one of the most exhilarat ing and emotional things I’ve ever experienced – the feelings of which have stuck with me ever since.

Hundreds of spectators from around the world, all there to collectively cheer complete strangers over the finish line. This unan imous feeling of support and unity was not some thing I was used to. We were all losing our voices from screaming encour agement and applauding everyone as they complet ed the race, endorsing what an incredible thing they had justSinceachieved.that day, I have always dreamed of running the London Marathon.

Despite the fact I am not, nor have ever been a ‘runner’, I have always felt massive admiration, respect, and a little bit of jealousy for people I know who have completed this amazing feat.

I could only imagine how incredible it must feel to complete something so challenging whilst raising money for charity at the sameWhentime.my wonderful employer, Jewish Blind & Disabled (JBD), told me there was a place up for grabs for this year’s Mar athon, I jumped at it and haven’t yet looked back.

Running the marathon is a serious challenge and

of the exercise classes that I had cancelled during the pandemic.Then,as well as the physical strength required, I worried if I would be able to raise the cultsponsorshipmuch-neededinthesediffitimes?Mylistofreasonswhy

I couldn’t do it were devel opingThennicely!Ihappened to read an article about MDA’s emergency support in the Ukraine and it reminded me of the charity’s vital role, not only as Israel’s only National Blood and Medical Emergency Service, but also giving aid around the world, irrespective of nationality, religion, ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or political affil iation.

one that is both mental and physical. It’s a challenge for the fittest of athletes, let alone someone taking it on for the first time. But I feel so lucky to have the op portunity to fulfil a lifelong dream and at the same time, raise vital funds for Jewish Blind & Disabled.

Working for JBD as the community engagement manager, I see first-hand the difference that living in one of our developments can make to someone’s life.

Over the past seven years that I have worked for the organisation, I have got to know so many tenants who tell me moving into one of JBD’s specially adapted mobility apartments has been life changing. I am of ten inspired by our tenants, many who face challenges daily, but remain positive and with a zest for life. This is what keeps me motivated.

Statistically, only 7% of England’s housing provides the most basic features of accessibility making it suita ble for people with disabili ties. Sadly, as a result, many people with disabilities are

MDA’s activities include providing and maintaining Israel’s 1,716 ambulances, the collection and supply of 300,000 units of blood each year and sharing this expertise internationally to help other countries deal with mass casualty situations. They receive 800,000 calls each year, arriving on average within eightMDAminutes.isnot funded by the Israeli government, but by the international diaspo ra. Magen David Adom UK, alone, has provided 40 Brit ish Ambulance Stations and 193 ambulances and mobile intensive care units.

So I said YES!

The trek will take us through Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba and –after crossing into Israel

living in unsuitable housing and not surprisingly, 38% of people who have a longterm physical condition also experience severe mental health problems.

I know there are many more people in the commu nity who we don’t currently support who would benefit from our services; either in their own home or by living in one of our developments.

Despite a couple of set backs from a niggling knee injury, I am determined to complete this challenge as I know that every pound I raise will help more people with physical disabilities and/or vision impairments with housing and support.

So if you see me run ning on the streets of Essex, please feel free to give me a wave. And if you would like to make a donation, please visit simonemazinenthuse.com/pf/tcslondonmarathon.https://

Anything you could donate, no matter how big or small will make such a difference to people’s lives. Thank you.

– Timna, Solomon’s Pillars and the Ramon Crater.

Included in the many activities, and a highlight of the trip for me, will be a visit to the newly opened MDA Blood and Logistics Centre in Ramla and the opportunity to volunteer on a shift with an MDA ambulance crew and the possibility to save lives.

Now all I have to do in the next couple of months is get my fitness levels up to allow me to trek up to 70km (gulp) and raise the much-needed funds.

If anyone is able to support me and this impor tant charity, I would be very grateful. You can do so at fundraising/ina-camlettwww.justgiving.com/

Or maybe you would like to join me?

A

BOUT two months ago a very dear friend, Linda Burns, co-chair of the Southend and Westcliff Magen David Adom (MDA) group, asked me if I would join her on a trek journeying through Jordan and across the bor der into Israel to raise much needed funds for MDA. Of course my immedi

Simone Mazin with fellow JBD marathon runner David Paul at the recent Maccabi GB Community Fun Run

Ina Camlett on her last charity trek - 2004

Dan Lion (third from the left) running for St Francis Hospice

OBITUARIES

MARK HARRIS

Born: 23 February 1943

Died: 1 August 2022

THE UNTIMELY pass ing of Mark Harris, just 10 weeks after the death of his beloved wife Sharon, is a huge blow, not only to his fam ily and the small Jewish community in Cambridge where he lived after moving from Clayhall, but also to the Essex Jewish News for whom he was a major player as a writer, columnist and editorial consultant.Following the death of his wife, members of the EJN team visited Mark at his home to pay their respects. Although clearly devastated by her unexpected passing, Mark appeared to be in goodButhealth.shortly after that visit, Mark sent a mes sage to say that he had discovered a lump on his thigh. It was diagnosed as a rare form of cancer and he was preparing for a course of radio therapy and immuno therapy treatments. But the cancer spread rapidly and within five weeks of the diagnosis he had passed away.

Mark had tremen dous talent. He was a solicitor, writer, singer, artist and author, with a trilogy of his own Jewish short story antholo gies and three novels published in the last 12 years.He studied for his law degree at the London School of Economics and while there also became fascinated with writing and helped pro duce a newspaper called

The Beaver, eventually becoming its assistant editor.Perhaps his greatest achievement was as a government lawyer for 30 years and a Whitehall chief legal adviser, roles he took on after a short period in private prac tice.It was Mark who helped to draft many of the laws which are now in existence including the Equal Pay Act and the Sex Discrimination Act. He advised both La bour and Conservative ministers, particularly Sir Edward Heath when he was Prime Minister.

Mark retired as a law yer in his 50s in order to concentrate on writing and first volunteered as a journalist for the Essex Jewish News 20 years ago. He had been an im portant part of the team everHesince.wrote the paper’s travel articles – visiting many Jewish commu nities in Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and other parts of eastern Eu rope - the Editorials that traditionally featured on Page 2 and the Watcher in the Rye column.

He also brought to the paper comprehen sive coverage of Jewish life in Cambridge, where he had made a lovely home and lots of friends with wife Sharon and their daughter Emma.

Mark had a deep af fection for Jewish music and was a chorister with The London Jewish Male Choir for 20 years and,

since 2007, had been a first tenor with The Lon don Cantorial Singers.

Mark was born in Hertford. He grew up in the East End of Lon don and was a pupil at the Central Foundation Grammar School. In his youth he was a popular and active member of the Brady Boys Club.

He met and married Sharon on 8 Octo ber 1972, so the cou ple would have been celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary thisAfterOctober.their mar riage, Sharon and Mark settled in Clayhall and for 35 years became active members of Ilford

Federation Synagogue before leaving for Cambridge, a city Mark had said they fell in love with as soon as they had visited there.

He again became active in Cambridge and was, for a while, on the committee of the Cam bridge Jewish Residents Association.

He is survived by his daughter Emma.

Mark’s final travel ar ticle written some weeks before he was taken ill is published in this issue.

Just as he would have wanted.

• Obituary by Manny Robinson, director and former editor of the Essex Jewish News

Mark Harris with his beloved wife Sharon, one of his acclaimed books and on his travels in Leon and Bonn

RABBI DOW MARMUR

Born: 10 February 1935

Died: 17 July 2022

Rabbi Dow Marmur was one of the G’dolim, the Greats of his generation. Since his generation was that of the Shoah, his defiant determination, scholar ship and humanity is an astonishing testimony to the rabbinic and human spirit.Marmur was born in Sosnowiec in February 1935 and spent the first four years of his life with his parents Max and Zipporah – members of the socialist-Zionist party, Poalei Zion – in the small town of Jaslo in Galicia, then part of the Aus tro-Hungarian Empire, now South-East Poland.

When the Germans invaded in 1939, the fam ily fled to Lwow (today, Lviv in Ukraine) but were promptly transported by the Soviets to Siberia.

After more than a year struggling to survive, they ‘escaped’ to Uz bekistan where, aged seven and eight, Dow was helping feed the family by selling soap on the streets of Fergana, 300km from Tashkent.

When the war ended, the Marmurs were repatriated to Katowice. Only in 1948 did they finally manage to join his father’s sisters in Gothenburg, Sweden and nine years of living in constant fear finally came to an end.

In Sweden, Dow com pleted his schooling and went to work for the Is raeli Legation. In 1954 he met Fredzia Zonabend, a survivor of Ravensbruck. They married when Dow was 21 and Fredzia 20 and were inseparable, mutually supportive and interdependent for the next 66 years. Dow

continued to work as a diplomat for the Legation but was encouraged to study. Feeling that some thing was lacking at the University of Stockholm, he enrolled at Leo Baeck College, arriving only twelve months after its foundation in 1956.

Two of his teachers made a lasting impres sion: Bible teacher Dr Ellen Littmann, herself a refugee from Germany and theologian Rabbi Ignaz Maybaum, likewise a survivor who, with his wife, became Dow and Fredzia’s role models.

Rabbi Marmur ‘s first pulpit was South West Essex and Settlement Reform (SWESRS),Synagoguewherehe be came its second rabbi.

Dow partnered the young synagogue chair, Bernard Davis, to develop a community with clear contemporary Jewish values. He inspired many women and men in search of an intellectually and ethically sustaining expression of Judaism with spiritual and societal values consonant with the needs of the modern world.Whilst there, he also inspired a remarkable number of future rabbis, amongst whom are: Hillel Avidan, Tony Bayfield, Henry Goldstein, Maurice Michaels, Michael Stand field and Jackie Tabick.

Dow was assiduous in his pastoral work but coupled this with uncom promisingly intellectual sermons, intensive study groups and considerable writing.In1969, Marmur joined the North Western Re form Synagogue, Alyth Gardens. He transformed

the community into a powerhouse of British Reform, his influence extending far beyond the walls of Alyth. He was the first British Reform rabbi to embrace Jewish day schooling and dispatched two prominent leaders of Alyth, Peter Levy z”l and Neil Benson to find a site for what would become Akiva School. The two succeeded even beyond Marmur’s expectations and the Manor House site in East End Road, Finch ley soon became the Manor House (later Stern berg) Centre for Judaism – housing not only Akiva School but RSGB, Leo Baeck College and the synagogue that is now New North London.

In 1982, Marmur published Beyond Sur vival: Reflections on the Future of Judaism. This pioneering work argued that Jewish survival as a distinctive people is not enough; it must be sur vival that gives intellectu al and theological under pinning to post-Shoah Jews, Judaism and the Jewish God.

In 1983, sadly for Brit ish Reform, the Marmurs - Dow, Fredzia and their three children Viveca, Mi chael and Elizabeth – left Britain for North America. He had been headhunted for the position of Senior Rabbi at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto.

What characterised his rabbinate in Canada was, once again, an insist ence on an intellectually and spiritually satisfying adultJustJudaism.ashehad estab lished at SWESRS and at Alyth so Marmur’s Reform Judaism empha sised g’milut hasadim (deeds of loving kind ness) and avodah (ser vice, prayer) as well as TorahMarmurstudy.became a highly respected figure throughout Toronto, teaching at university and contributing to public debate through the press. It was whilst he was in Toronto that he published The Star of Return, the most important Reform contribution to a theolo gy of Israel yet written.

Dow Marmur’s autobi ography Six Lives trac es his journey through Poland, ishonwardsteredpeopleexperiencedbutofwhotheCenturyingandSweden,Uzbekistan,Britain,CanadaIsrael,encapsulatthenarrativeof20thJewry.It’salsomemoirofasurvivorexpressesthehopeoffendingno-onetellsthetruthasheit,assessingwhomheencounfromchildhoodwithanun-Britfrankness.

He leaves Fredzia, his wife of 66 years, who recently hung between life and death after a severe stroke, and three children: Viveca, a retired palliative care nurse who lives in England; Michael, a rabbi and scholar, former Dean of Hebrew Union College’s Rabbinic school in Jerusalem and former Provost of HUC in Cincinnati and three Israeli utterlyandwaswaslow.thetrivialisewithneverthelesshiskindness,theology.tualitypromisingBritishatesEthan,twoinformerandMiriam,grandchildren,NadavandGaby;ElizabethKessel,aactresswholivesLondonandwhosechildren,LeoneandarebothgraduofAkivaSchool.MarmurestablishedReformasuncominitsintellecandseriousnessofAmanofdeepunflagginginpastoralwork,hehadnotruckthosewhowouldJudaismorsetbarofJewishlifetooRabbiDowMarmuratrulygreatman.Hemyrabbinicfatherhisdeathleavesmebereft.

• Obituary by Rabbi Professor Tony Bayfield CBE, formerly Head of the Movement for Re form Judaism

LEWIS LANE

Born: 1 April 1950

Died: 4 June 2022

with and latterly married his devoted wife Shirley.

Lewis was an ex tremely fit man before his illness, running for JLGB and respectablereturningtimesin the London Marathon on five occasions. He was a keen cyclist and rode daily the 25-mile return journey from Loughton to his office in Crouch End.

LEWIS LANE – a re nowned solicitor and dedicated member and warden of Loughton and Chigwell Synagogue – passed away after a brave battle with cancer.

Lewis was the ulti mate mensch, empha sised by his funeral being attended by several hundred mourners. These included The Lord Levy, who spoke of Lewis’s kindness and generosity to many charities not least to the JLGB – where he joined as a young man, rose to warrant officer and where he met

Lewis, a fantastically generous benefactor, was a member of the JLGB council for many years and was a trustee of the Camperdown House Trust.He was an avid sup porter of Tottenham Hot spur, tennis player and regular golfer both here and his summer home in Marbella.Hewill be sorely missed by his family, extended family and friends.

• Obituary by Phil lip Leigh, president of Loughton and Chigwell Synagogue and close friend.

Ancient King’s Lynn enjoys a Jewish rebirth

BY PAT LIDIKER

JUST beyond Es sex, on the Norfolk coast in a gorgeous port and market town, a Jewish community is

Lynn,theiranddiversenumbersre-forming.TodayincreasingofJewswithbackgroundsbeliefshavemadehomesinKing’sseekingtoblend

a relaxed rural lifestyle with maintaining their Jewish identity.Jews have lived here since the 12th century but the town’s last syn agogue closed almost a century ago and the community is no longer a religious one. However, its walled cemetery, with headstones dating from 1811 to 1846 and names carved in Hebrew, is to take on a new lease of life. Or so to speak.

After a meeting of community members and local residents a Friends Association has been formed to maintain this historic site and is chaired by Martin Ber liner. A former Maccabi chief executive, he has now relocated with his wife Judith to Norfolk.

He said: “Our grownup children and grand children are all still in London but we always wanted to try a rural life and are delighted with our move.”

Kitty HashanahforcreativegetsRosh

KITTY Stern, a mem ber of Jewish Care’s Southend & West cliff Community Centre, has had her design made into a Rosh Hashanah card by the charity.

Kitty turns 100, just before Rosh Hashanah, on 21 September. The card also includes a poem by Helen Moss, a tenant at Jewish Care’s Shebson Lodge Retire ment Living apartments.

Jewish Care commu nity centre members all over Essex will be able to get together and enjoy preparing for the High HolyTheDays.charity’s be frienders will wish members of the com munity a very happy

The Friends Associa tion works with local au thorities and the Board of Deputies of British Jews with the aim of preserv ing the historic cemetery site and encouraging wider interest including arranging school visits.

While the original King’s Lynn community was diminished after the arrival of the railways – which made it much easier for people to travel to London, Manchester and other larger cities –in recent years the tide has turned yet again.

I spoke to Marsha Parker, who, after much consideration, moved to Norfolk in 1978 with her husband Todd and their two small daughters Nat andLessHannah.than a year later their son Asa was born and they ran a small holding though no longer have the chickens and sheep. She says: “Over the years we retrained and obtained degrees and know that moving to Norfolk has shaped our whole lives. The chil dren went to cheder in Cambridge and we have always travelled regularly to London to see family and friends and do a big JewishNowshop.”thechildren have moved on, one just an hour away and the others

to Bristol and Bourne mouth, but she and Todd stayed put in Norfolk. Marsha regularly visits lo cal schools to talk about Jewish history, customs and the way of life.

She added: “Even teachers were excited to meet real Jewish people – some didn’t even know if we spoke English so it’s important to show we are just like Becausethem.”make no mis take, she points out, this is still very Middle Eng land with the same old prejudices and antisem itism as anywhere else. In fact, two years ago a “rather high-class sticker” with a swastika appeared on the cemetery gates.

Although when Marsha’s husband Todd sometimes wears his kippah, he is greeted with a friendly ‘shalom’ rather than anything sinister.

The nearest syna gogues are in Norwich and Cambridge and most Jews in King’s Lynn are not religious. They do, though, cherish their heritage and enjoy get ting together on Friday nights, the High Holy Days, Passover and other special occasions. Na tional Holocaust Memori al Day is commemorated each year in King’s Lynn Memorial Gardens, where many local people as well

Rosh Hashanah over the phone and volunteer Meals on Wheels drivers will be visiting house bound members with honey cake made by Jewish Care’s chefs to go with their meals.

At Vi & John Rubens House, residents will par ticipate in Rosh Hashan ah preparations, hear the shofar and celebrate with special festival meals.

as the Jewish commu nity gather around the plaque.Marsha remembers: “When we first arrived there were quite a few ‘secret Jews’ around who didn’t mix with each other but there are now about 30 of us meeting as an informal group.

“For the past 11 years Todd and I have taken on the role as cemetery custodians and more recently often act as Kab balat Shabbat hosts.”

Another member Donna Semmens, keeps everyone in touch, leads them in prayer and also heads the HMD service each year. Donna said: “Not everything on offer meets everybody’s dif ferent tastes but being Jewish brings a sense of belonging and enjoying our shared identity and heritage together.”

• Marsha would be happy to hear from readers who think they are descended from any of these members of the Kings Lynn Jewish Community between 1745-1847 and buried in the old cemetery (Abra ham Jones, the Emma nuel Family, Elizabeth and Barnet Hart Jones, Isaiah Groomsfeld, Judah Haynes and Isaac Samp son). You can contact her on marsap39@icloud.

Crescent Committee is 60 years young

BY HELEN HYMOS

THE Crescent Com mittee – a group for “Jewish young marrieds” – was formed 60 years ago in Red bridge by Michael Davis and Elaine and Irving Austin.Originally, we met fortnightly in halls but quite quickly moved to meetings in mem bers’ homes. We had social meetings, quiz zes, speakers, debates, political discussions and more. At the height there were over 30 of us, but given our ages we are blessed to still have 27 members.MichaelKenner and his wife Diann have been chair and secretary respectively for probably 40-plus years of the 60.

And Sandra Franks for many years was social secretary, organising charity events with us all chipping in on the event and function days.

Although we are not a registered charity, over the years we have probably raised in excess of £300,000 for good causes including Jew ish Care, Norwood and Magen David Adom, as well as Cancer Research, Macmillan Cancer Sup port, MS Society UK and the Alzheimer’s Society.

Things longeringarehighmembersThedramaticallychangedwithCovid.averageageofourisnowinthe70sandmanyofusvulnerable.Drivatnightisalsonoeasy,especially

as geographically some have moved from Essex to NW London. So we changed to Zoom meet ings.Once things became easier, with the lifting of some of the Covid restrictions, we started to meet in person again – about every six weeks at The Horseshoes in Upshire for lunch. It has been wonderful to have us all together in the flesh as it were.

At the start of Sep tember, it was a very special meeting as we celebrated our 60th anniversary with a spe cial meal, speeches and plenty of reminiscing. It was like a proper simcha, emotional but wonderful!

This year’s Holocaust Memorial Day event in King’s Lynn Memorial Gardens

Members of the King’s Lynn Jewish community enjoy Friday night dinner at the home of Marsha and Todd Parker

Kitty Stern member of Jewish Care’s Southend & Westcliff Jewish Community Centre with her Rosh Hashanah card design

There’s a young, dynamic, growing Jewish community in the UK and we’re waiting for you to join us. London? Manchester?

Brighton, actually.

There is nothing new about Jewish life in Brighton. But the development of 45 apartments and houses in a complex that includes a Shul, kosher restaurant and co-working facilities, will revitalise the Jewish community in the area.

With financial incentives to young couples who will play their part in regenerating our community, joining the UK’s fastest growing Jewish community could, actually, be for you.

To find out more email info@bnjc.co.uk or visit www.bnjc.co.uk or the code

Close cousins seem a thing of the past

IWAS chatting to a man at a social get-together some weeks ago watch ing three or four teenag ers laughing and joking around.“Do you know,” the man, who, I guess would have been in his late 60s or early 70s, said “they are my cousins and I don’t know any of them and they don’t know me.”

I know many families today where cousins, especially first cousins, are the closest friends to their children. As one youngster said to me: “You can tell your cousin a secret and he or she won’t tell anyone. They can be closer to you than your own brother or sister who can some times get on your nerves. My cousins never get on my nerves. I always enjoy meeting and talking to them.”But in many families today, the children of those first cousins are unknown. They are now just a remote part of a family tree with no connection to anyone else.Dave Spellman is a psychologist and says that cousins are like any family

VIEW FROM THE SIDELINES

BY MANNY ROBINSON

sad part of it all today is that families have become scattered throughout the country (and, in some cas es, abroad) so a first cousin who has married and had children will not necessarily be interested in telling their children that the man or woman over there is their

up, stayed with me as I became a teenager, shared my thoughts and aspira tions. Cousins? I saw them once in a blue moon: why should I invite them to a family function when they don’t know me and I don’t know

Thethem?”factis that a grow

relationship in that they can add a sense of belonging that can really be valuable. But on the other hand, we can’t assume that just because someone is fam ily, they will automatically bring joy to your life.

Quoted in the Huffing ton Post, Spellman says:

“As kids we tend to take our cue from our parents. So you will often find that the closer your parents were to their siblings the greater chance you had of being close to your cousins.

“If, on the other hand, there was a big family conflict it stands to reason

that you probably didn’t see their children much or ever and even if you did, you probably associated their family with negative thoughts.”Butyears ago, chil dren grew up and their closest playmates were usually their cousins. The

Go for your gun, Moishe!

THERE is little doubt in my mind that the most indestructible genre in film making has to be the western. Flick to any TV channel and there is sure to be either Ran dolph Scott, Audie Murphy, Lee Van Cleef, Dan Durea, Henry Fonda, Andy Devine, John Wayne or a host of others playing cowboys andInIndians.fact,most – if not all – of the most popular Hollywood stars in the 1930s and 1940s got their big breaks by appearing first in Butwesterns.whowas the first acknowledged film cowboy? Well, surprise, surprise... he was a Jewish kid from Arkansas by the name of Max Aronson, the son of Harry and Esther Aronson.Hechanged his name to Bronco Billy Anderson and it was he who created the cowboy characters we see in films today: the bad man, the man with a mission, the unjustly accused young cowpoke,

an incorruptible sheriff as well as gun feuds and bank raids.Iwas thinking about Bronco Billy, the Yiddishe cowpoke, when I heard about a new feature length documentary called Jews of the Wild West.

It has already pre miered at the Atlanta Jew ish Film Festival in Tucson and is currently doing the rounds in other cities and towns in America.

One of the fascinating stories in the film con cerns Josephine Marcus. You have probably never heard of her but she ran away from home in 1880 and joined a singing and dancing group in Tomb stone, Arizona, much to the dismay of her Jewish parents.Thefascinating thing about it all is that Jose phine married one of the cowboy greats – Wyatt Earp - and, according to the documentary, she was one reason for the noto rious shoot-out at the OK Corral.

The reason for that is unclear (maybe she was wearing the same dress as the Mexican general’s wife!).One fact did emerge from the accordingdocumentary:toareportin the Arizona Jewish Post that at least on one occasion Wyatt laid down his guns and put on a yarmulke to join a family seder back in San Francisco .

When he died, he was buried in the Jewish cem

etery where his wife had a familyJustplot.one more thing: Hollywood was great in giving cowboys tough sounding names like Clint or Jake or Billy.

That’s why I could nev er see an English cowboy film with our arguably timidImaginenames.the phrase: “This town ain’t big enough for both of us, Kevin.” or “Go for your gun, Martin.” It just doesn’t work!

cousin.Look at wedding or barmitzvah guest lists today. Years ago, family came first – and that cer tainly included first cousins. Today, friends come first. As one bride said to me: “I wanted to invite the people who saw me grow

ing number of people think of their closest friends as family nowadays and it’s in evitable that some of those friends will have children of similar ages. It’s those children who are now be ing thought of as ‘cousins’ rather than those with a remote blood bond.

A totributeMark

IT will be strange not seeing the Mark Harris byline in future issues of the Essex Jewish News. My good friend of over 20 years worked tirelessly for the paper producing a stream of features, including the Leader

Iarticles.hadthe pleasure of reviewing his books ‘The Shtetl and other Jewish stories’, ‘The Chorister and other Jewish stories’, ‘The Music Makers and other Jewish stories’ ‘Last Days In Berlin’ and ‘A Virtual Reality’.

His passing follows the death of another EJN stalwart, Clive Bayard earlier this year.

We will miss them both at the EJN.

The statue of Wyatt Earp.

Picture: ALAMY.

Didn’t you used to be somebody else?

THERE was a story go ing the rounds some years ago about a tourist in San Francisco who discovered a Chinese laundry shop with the name ‘Goldberg’s Chinese Laundry’ on the front.

Intrigued, he went in and asked to see the own er. A Chinese man came out and said he was Mr Goldberg.“Howon earth did you get that Jewish name?” asked the tourist. The Chinese man explained: “When I arrived at the Ellis Island immigration centre, the man in front of me told the immigration officer that his name was Goldberg. When it was my turn, I said ‘Sem Ting’. The officer thought I had said ‘same thing’ and wrote down ‘Goldberg’. And that’s how I got my new name.”Iremember enjoying a holiday in Devon many years ago when a man came over to me and said: “I think I know you. What’s your name?”

I said: “Manny Robin son.”“What was it before?” he asked.“Rabinovitch”. I replied. “What’s your name?”

He answered: “Malcolm Brooke.”“What was it before?’”

“Barofka,” he said.

Turns out we had been pupils at the same school in the East End of London!

I have always been fascinated about why and how so many of us angli cised our names, but only now in a book called A Rosenberg by Any Other Name: A History of Jewish Name Changing in America by Kirsten Fermaglich has the whole subject come under the microscope.

There appears to be three distinct areas on name-changing:1:Thosewho had their names ‘altered’ when they arrived at immigration in

the late 1890s or at the turn of the 20th century.

2: Those who angli cised their names in order to succeed in business in what was a predominately a non-Jewish and almost certainly an forcedenvironment.antisemitic3:Thosewhoweretotakesurnameswhether they liked it or not.

Ms Fermaglich in her book debunks the myth that Ellis border agents changed the names of incoming immigrants. She writes: “Ellis Island officials were explicitly prohibited from changing immigrants’ names and there is almost no evidence of name changes.”Britain, of course, had its own Ellis island-style immigration centresfull of boatloads of Irish refugees from the potato famine, Italians escaping from whatever they were escaping from and Eastern European Jews fleeing the pogroms.Butthe debunking of the name changing myths in the United States doesn’t appear to have been re peated here. According to an article in The Guardian, some years ago, such were the length of the queues and the mountains of pa

original immigrants found the doors of professions suddenly open to them and they did not have to stay in what could be called ‘Jewish’ trades like tailoring, cabinet making, hairdressing, upholstery, taxi driving, furriers and the Whilelike. names like Gold berg, Greenberg, Izenberg, Rabinovitch and Frankfurt er were OK in those ‘Jew ish’ trades, having a Jewish name in another profession could hamper progress. So in order to ‘disguise’ our Jewishness we anglicised our names still further. Ra binovitch became Raeburn, Cohen became Conway, and Frankfurter became Fenton.Itwas really an attempt to completely camouflage our Jewishness within the non-Jewish workplace. But Jews who did anglicise their names, remained Jewish in every sense out side the workplace and in their own environment.

In the Hollywood of the early 1940s aspiring actors and actresses were told they would not get on in the film industry if they had JewishThat’snames.why Edward Israel Iskowitz became Eddie Cantor, Marion Levy became Paulette Goddard, Sidney Leibowita became Steve Lawrence, Ema

they still made it big in the world.Take Sir Solly Zucker man, a famed anatomist and political advisor; Harry Rabinowitz, a well-known conductor with the BBC in the 1950s; Anthony Horowitz who wrote TV dramas like Foyles War; Jack Rosenthal who wrote Barmitzvah Boy and The Evacuees and mathema tician and historian Jacob Bronowski.Therewas also a close friend of mine from the East End, Monty Losowsky, who became a noted pro fessor of medicine in Leeds and a consultant on Coeli ac’s Disease. Clearly, if you have the talent you can get to the top, no matter what yourNevertheless,name. I have always been interested in the way our bywerenames,riescentuandthethosethanrathernamessurtorelativeslong-departedwereforcedtakein20th21stwhochangedtheirnotbecausetheyorderedtodoso,butchoice.Whenyouthinkof

Fid

perwork, the understaffed immigration officers used to take it upon themselves to delete superfluous vowels and outlandish alien clusters like ‘vitch’ and ‘stein’.So an immigrant called Samsonovitch might have been met by an immigra tion officer who could have said: “Sod this, I will call you

WhileSamson.”many immigrants allegedly had the ‘vitch’ or ‘stein’ lopped off their names they were never completely anglicised.

That came, I believe, not in the 1890s but in the 1940s and 1950s when the grandchildren of those

nuel Goldenberg became Edward G Robinson, Si mone-Henriette Kaminker became Simone Signoret, Sophia Kalish became Sophie Tucker and Nathan Birnbaum became George Burns. The list is endless.

Of course, not every Jewish person anglicised his or her name – and yet, despite the antisemitism they doubtless endured during their working lives,

dler on the Roof the names were Tevye the Milkman or Lazar Wolf the butcher. In fact, other than aristo crats and wealthy people, Jews didn’t get surnames in Eastern Europe until the Napoleonic years of the early 19th century. Most of the Jews from countries captured by Napoleon –Russia, Poland and Ger many for example – were ordered to get surnames

for tax Afterpurposes.Napoleon’s de feat, many Jews dropped those names and returned to ‘son of’ names like Mendelsohn, Jacobson, Levinson etc., but in Aus tria, the Emperor Joseph made Jews take last names in the late 1700s, Poland in 1821 and Russia in 1844 so it is possible that some of our ancestors only had surnames for less than 200 years.Of course, the real names nearly always come to light in the end. The tradition seems to be that a Jewish man or woman with ambitions to become a star will unshackle himself or herself from the burden of his Jewish name, become a star and then come up with a funny anecdote to sugar coat the selling of his birth name down the river.

The late and much missed Frankie Vaughan is a great example. Born Frank Abelson into a family of Russian Jews he had ex plained in many interviews that the change of name when he told his Russian grandmother that he want ed to become a singer.

“Vell,” she reputed ly said “then you will be the best von there ever vos.” So Abelson became

Vaughan.Some names changed by accident. Perhaps the most famous was Irving Berlin, the composer of Easter Parade and White Christmas. The author Phil ip Roth once said: “After Moses, Irving Berlin was the next great Jewish geni us. He took Easter, took the blood out of it and made it about fashion. He took Christmas, took Christ out of it, and made it about the weather.”When Berlin – whose name was Israel Baline –took his first song to the printer the printer made a typographical mistake and instead of printing ‘words and music by Israel Baline’, he printed ‘words and mu sic by Irving Berlin.’

The young Israel Baline liked the new name – and kept it although I believe he was still called Izzy by his personal friends.

One thing I am glad about: whenever I go to a reunion from work or the East End youth club I attended nearly everyone has a name badge be cause after 25 or 30 years you never think that you have changed but are sure everyone around you has.

Oh, yes, I’ll never forget what’s-his-name!!!

Marion Levy... Paulette Goddard. Pictures courtesy of Dr Macro.com

Nathan Birnbaum... George Burns. Picture courtesy of Dr Macro.com

Emanuel Goldenberg... Edward G Robinson. Picture courtesy of Dr Macro.com

Edward Israel Iskowitz became Eddie Cantor.

FOCUS ON… JAMI

MENTAL health issues thousandsaffectof people in the UK each year and being able to access support and ad vice is essential. For the Jewish community, Jami is the specialist provider of mental health services offering practical and emotional support and have been for over 30 years.The yearsproblemssinceusinghubs.ducedgraduallyin-personliftedsinceitsic,Shabbatoccasionalandcalendarsionscelebratetoareisetotalks,andrangelocalsupportactivitiesmonthlyGantsatGreen.RoomcommunityHackneyFinchley,typlaceandicstartpersonprovidesorganisationsupportinand-sincetheofthepandem-online.One-to-onegroupsupporttakeswithincommunihubsinRedbridge,andatJami’scafé,HeadCafé,inGoldersTheRedbridgehubtheMitkademCentre,Hill,offersaregularprogrammeofaswellasgroupforpeopleinthearea.Events,whichfromparkwalksquizzestoTED-styleallowserviceusersmeetupandsocialwithothers.TherealsoopportunitiescometogethertovariousoccawithintheJewishsuchasPurimChanukah,aswellasFridaynightmeals.DuringthepandemJamiranmanyofactivitiesonlineandrestrictionshavetherearenowmoreeventsarebeingintrothroughoutitsJoeMorrishasbeentheservicesofJamihismentalhealthbegannineago.Havinggrown

up in Gants Hill, he now lives in Manor House and attends both the Red bridge and Hackney hubs.

He told the Essex Jewish News: “Jami has been wonderfully sup portive not only to me, but also for my whole family and I really can’t thank them enough for what they do. There is a very close rapport be tween everyone which is lovely. I enjoy the chance to meet up with other people and take part in a wide range of activities.”

As part of her role as Community Support and Hubs Manager, Lauren Turk oversees the Red bridge Hub and services offered to the local area. The team offers bespoke packages of support to individual service users based on their individual needs. This can include visiting the hubs to so cialise with other service users, as well as one-toone support with occupa tional therapists, mental health practitioners, social workers and peer support workers. These peer support workers use their own experiences with mental health prob lems to provide hope and support to others.

For anyone seeking help from Jami, the first step is getting in contact either via the referral form on the website or phone line. A duty worker will then get back in touch to discuss each case in detail and assess the best approach, so that a plan can be made.

As Lauren explains: “Often people may recog nise they need help but may not be aware of the services that Jami offer or what is available to them. Everyone that uses our services is different, and we work closely with these services users to ensure that their needs are met and that they re ceive the right support to aid their recovery. We are constantly reviewing and assessing their progress every step of the way.”

As well as supporting individuals dealing with mental health issues, the organisation also recog nises the impact that this has on carers and family members who may be looking after them. The role of a carer can be emotionally and physical ly demanding and often receiving help and advice, and even training to help deal with their situation

can be beneficial for all involved.Naomi Glickman is Jami’s Carers Service

Lead. Having been a carer herself, she understands what carers go through on a daily basis and uses her own experiences to help others in the same situation. She recognises that carers have ‘a lot on their plate’ and that sometimes their own mental health and wellbe ing can suffer as a result.

Naomi told us: “Being a carer impacts on so many parts of someone’s life that it can be difficult to cope at times. Our team is made up of peo ple who have been carers themselves and we’re all dedicated to use our experiences in a positive way to help others. For me, being able to assist in this way feels like the circle is complete. Having previously used the Jami services myself, I am now able to give back.”

Since the start of lock down, Naomi has seen a significant increase in the number of referrals with many carers suffering from issues such as de pression and anxiety, fur

ther impacted by extend ed periods of isolation of the past few years. Naomi and her team offer oneto-one and group sup port, as well as providing advocacy, information and signposting to other services enabling carers to gain some sort of inde pendence where possible and empowering them to have a life of their own, as well as being a carer.

She added: “I would say that around 80 per cent of the work that we do is offering emotion al support whether on a one-to-one basis or through our groups. It gives carers a chance to share their issues, hear from others in the same position, and help them feel less isolated.”

As the subject of mental health is being discussed more openly, and attitudes seem to be changing, Jami aims to encourage gogueswithination.stigmatisationcommunityillnessunderstandingacknowledgmentacceptance,andofmentalwithintheJewishfreefromordiscrimItworkscloselylocalschools,synaandcommunity

BY MICAELA BLITZ

organisations to educate, raise awareness, help to improve intervention, and promote wellbeing.

With statistics showing that one in six school aged children are suffering from men tal health issues, Jami recognises the need for a programme tailored to this specific age group, and has launched a pilot scheme for 11 – 18-yearolds to help them access its services. Jami has also partnered with other voluntary sector agencies to provide guidance and face-to-face first respond er services to schools after a student suicide or sudden death. The Emer gency Response Initiative Consortium (ERIC) brings together Jami, Norwood, CST, JBCS, Grief Encoun ter and PaJeS to deal with these issues.

Like many organisa tions, Jami is reliant on its hard-working volunteers who help to deliver many of their beneficial servic es.

Irene Cohen has been involved as a volunteer at the Redbridge Hub for many years. Before she started volunteering with Jami, she had not been aware of the organisation or the work that they did, particularly in the Essex area and since getting in volved she has learnt a lot more about mental health andShewellbeing.firststarted as part of the befriending service, before moving into helping with events and activities. During the pandemic, when outdoor events were possible, Irene was involved in Park Walk which took place at Valentine’s Park and was a lifeline for many service users as a way to socialise safely with others. She feels that volunteering with Jami has given her a better understanding of people and mental health, and would encourage an yone considering getting involved to “just do it”.

Irene added: “Volun teering for Jami makes you feel that you are really helping people, and although it sounds like a cliché but I feel that not only is about giving, but what you get back, and it’s a great organisation to be involved with.”

To find out more about Jami and the work they do, visit their web site www.jamiuk.org or call 020 8458 2223.

Jami service users

Richard, Joe, Mark and Niven

Jami Community support and hubs manager Lauren Turk

Jami Community support volunteer Irene Cohen

Back in the old Rosh routineHashanah

LOOKING back over the last couple of years, life has been so up and down and unlike any others we have expe rienced before. We finally seem to be pretty much where we were before the whole Covid episode – certainly as far as being together for the Yom Tovim and entertaining is concerned. It is such a joy to be able to sit down as a family on Friday nights and festivals and celebrate all together as we have done in previous years. So light your candles, lay your tables and celebrate in style with your family and friends as we have always done. Chag Sameach to you all!

BAKED CHICKEN WITH RICE AND CHICKPEAS

It’s always good to have a ‘one pot dish’ on the menu; it saves time and washing up and usually doesn’t mind being kept waiting should services continue on longer than expected. This one uses a whole chicken cut into

8 portions, but you could use drumsticks, thighs and breasts if you prefer. The only downside is if you have a strong aversion to coriander.

1 chicken cut into 8 pieces 200g chickpeas 175g basmati rice

1 chilli deseeded and finely

1choppedrounded tsp cumin seeds

1 level tbsp coriander

½seedstsp saffron stamens (or 30gpowder)offresh coriander

2 small lemons

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

2 onions 3 cloves garlic finely 300mlchoppedchicken stock

150ml white wine

50g black olives 50g green olives

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

You will need a 3 litre casserole dish for this dish.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 deg F / 180 deg C / Gas mk Strain4. the chickpeas and rinse them thoroughly.

WITH SHELLEY POSNER

In a small pan over a me dium heat, add the cumin and coriander seeds and toss them for 2-3 minutes until they start to jump and change colour. Then pop them into a pestle and mortar and crush them coarsely. Tip them onto a plate and crush the saffron stamens to a powder too. Squeeze one of the lemons and add to the crushed saffron (or directly to the powder) and stir well.

Season the chicken joints with salt and pep per and slice the peppers in half, remove the seeds and cut each half into four pieces. Slice the onions.

Add a tablespoon of the oil to the casserole dish. Brown the chicken pieces on all sides and transfer to a plate. Add the rest of the oil and cook the peppers and onions for around five minutes until the edges start to char.

Strip the coriander leaves from the stalks, wrap them in cling film and pop them into the fridge. Chop the coriander stalks finely and add to the pep pers and onions along with the garlic, chilli, crushed spices, the chickpeas and the Giverice. everything a good stir until it’s all amalgamat ed. Season well with salt and pepper then combine the lemon and saffron mixture with the stock and wine, and pour the whole lot into the casserole. Cut the remaining lemon into thin slices and add to the

Put forwardbestyourface BEAUTY

Pat Lidiker looks at autumn beauty products that won’t break the bank.

ON the face of it there’s little to smile about just now but hey, we’ve been there before and there’s nothing like slapping on a bit of powder and paint to cheer us up.

This is the first more-or-less safe Rosh Hashanah since the pandemic struck, so isn’t it just the right time to forget our troubles and just get happy?Butthen, just when we think it’s time to rethink our skincare and makeup regime instead of hiding away behind a mask, what happens – we’re hit with a recession and rocketing fuel bills. But will we give in? Never!

This season may have to be about beauty on a budget, two for one offers and multi-purpose products but don’t worry as choice is unlimited.

For instance, Revolution’s new oil-free Conceal & Define foundation offers perfect lightweight coverage while helping blur the appearance of dark spots, imperfections and blemish es while giving a demi-matte glow.

It’s also time to stop trying to fath om out all those the scientific ingre dients in the latest skin care products

dish.Scatter in the olives and finally place the chick en pieces on the top of everything. Cover with a lid and place in the preheated oven for an hour or so until the rice and chickpeas are tender. Just before serv ing, remove the coriander leaves from the fridge, slice roughly and scatter them over the top of the dish.

STIR-FRIED CAULIFLOWERSESAME

Cauliflower seems be have become the newest trendy vegetable recently. It has grown in versatility since the modern young chefs have been experi menting with it and dis covered many more ways to serve it other than just plain boiled. It takes very well to strong seasonings and makes an excellent and interesting addition to the main course. This is one way I like to serve it that I have recently discov ered.

1 large 22trimmedcauliflowertbspssesameseedstbspstahini–buyit com

plete or make up the paste with water according to 2instructionstbspssunflower oil

1 onion halved and thinly 2slicedgarlic cloves sliced 2 tsps freshly grated 1gingersmall green chilli, de seeded and thinly sliced 1 tsp toasted sesame oil 2 tsps soy sauce

BY PAT LIDIKERCOOKERY

1 small handful of corian der finely chopped Break the cauliflower into small florets. Place in a bowl of cold water and leave to soak for 10 minutes. Meanwhile in a small frying pan, dry-fry the sesame seeds for a minute or two until toasted and fragrant. DONT LEAVE THEM OR THEY WILL BURN.Tip them onto a plate and set aside. Heat the sunflower oil in a large frying pan or wok over a medium heat and add the onion. Sauté until golden then add the sesame oil, chilli and ginger and stir fry for a minute or so

Drain the cauliflower, turn up the heat under the frying pan, then tip in the florets and 100ml of water. Cook stirring constantly for 5-10 minutes until the flo rets are browning around the edges, then add the tahini. Stir in the sesame seeds, sesame oil, soy sauce and chopped corian der. Give it all a thorough mix. Tip into a serving dish and serve at once.

UPSIDE DOWN APPLE CAKES:

These little beauties can be knocked up in min utes. They use basic store cupboard ingredients and are brilliant for using up any apples dropping from your trees in the garden. The addition of ground almonds make them light and moist. You should get around 15 from this mixture.

100g unsalted butter softened plus extra for 100ggreasingicing sugar sifted 2 eggs

as this season favourite brands are singing the praises of vitamins. Boots Vitamin C brightening moisturising cream costs just £4 and promises brighter, more radiant skin in just two weeks, so who can resist?

Look out for vitamin-enriched labels on all your favourite budget and supermarket brands and add a quick ly-absorbed serum incorporating reti nol, hyaluronic acid and other wrinkle reducing ingredients.

Lippy has come a long way since every girl yearned for luscious red lips like stars of the silver screen, only to find the cheapies on the Woolworths counters were so gooey and greasy they stuck to teeth and clothes far longer than lips.

Now the most sought after are long-stay satin or matte rather than high gloss with a choice of colours to suit every skin tone and texture.

The good news is last year’s plum, claret, berry and ruby are still with us, so if you didn’t use up all yours while wearing masks you are in luck.

This season pure, classic, rich red is big news but if you don’t feel ready for it then go for warm, matte russet, brick, cinnamon or a deeper pink.

The old fashioned lipstick in a wind up gold tube is all the rage again, but don’t miss out on lipgloss, lipliner, stain, liquid or gel for a more

60g plain flour ½ tsp baking powder 60g ground almonds

Finely grated zest of 1 1-2lemoneating apples

Icing sugar for dusting Pre-heat the oven to 200 deg C / Gas mk 7. Butter well some fairy cake tins or use the little paper

Whiskcases.the butter in a largish bowl, with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy, then add the icing sugar and continue to beat until it is light and mousse-like. Whisk in the eggs one at a time on high speed until well blended, then sift in the flour and baking powder and fold in gently and then do the same with the ground almonds, and finally the lemon

Quarter,zest. core and peel the apples (or you can leave the skin on if you prefer for some colour). Slice them finely. Lay 2-3 slivers of apple in the base of each fairy cake mould or in the bottom of the paper case, and then top to about three quarters full with the cake mixture. Smooth the surface of each.Bake for 10-11 minutes until risen and golden and set. Remove from the oven. Leave to stand for a few minutes on a cooling tray before running a knife around each cake and turning out (this is not necessary if you use the paper

Dustcases).generously with icing sugar and serve warm from the oven or at room temperature with some berries and a dollop of crème fraiche.

naturalThere’slook.a clever two-in-one hydrat ing lipstick from L’Oreal, its flattering browny red hiding a core of serum packed with vitaminB5.

If there’s enough left in the kitty to treat yourself then why not Charlotte Tilsbury’s creamy reddish brown Pillow Talk at £26 - it promises to stay put for hours so actually saves you money as you won’t need to touch it up.

Hoarders like me tend to hang on to items for years ‘just in case’. But when it comes to eyeshadows, liners and mascaras this is false economy and dangerous as they can deterio rate, crumble or become infected.

So dump them before you dam age your precious eyes and look at what’s new. We’re spoilt for choice this season with multi-square palettes at bargain prices but avoid those with too many colours or glitter you’ll never use or which could be too drying & settle into creases. All shades of brown (again), gold, honey, grey and cream are musts for autumn and when replacing eye liner or eyebrow shapers avoid harsh black lines and opt for subtle, soft grey, nutbrown or char coal.Add a sweep of pink blusher across the cheek bones as the finishing touch and have a beautiful Rosh Hashanah –simply because we’re all worth it!

TRAVEL

THE FINAL COLUMN BY THE DEEPLY MISSED MARK HARRIS

IT HAS been so miserably unfortunate, if not ap palling, that hundreds of thousands of a then huge, demand-increased number of holidaymakers have had their maybe longplanned vacations severely disrupted, even wrecked, this summer by chaotic situations at airports, and overwhelming problems with airlines, across the UK (and, indeed, worldwide).

More than serious personnel shortages (involving ground staff and flight crew) - due to redundancies during ex tensive Covid ‘lockdowns’ and leading to recruitment difficulties - with strikes or other industrial action, as well as unexpected techni cal intrusions, have led to massive figures for flight cancellations, delays and incredibly lengthy queues at check-in, customs, secu rity and baggage collecti om (assuming available). And a further, material rise in Covid cases has also caused a not inconsidera ble number of staff to call in sick.Ithas doubtless meant so many anxious hours of hanging around by tens of thousands of terribly stressed and despairing voyagers; and with no guarantees, for exam ple, that screened flights would take off (even if the passengers were seated onboard) or that their lug gage would ever appear on the allocated carousel.

I do sincerely hope that EJN readers didn’t suffer any excessive travel aggravation this summer. However, there are no definitive assurances that the situation will improve in the foreseeable future. So, inevitably, it could be a pure lottery as to whether a proposed sojourn abroad (short- or long-haul) will materialise for intending vacationers.Bearingall this unpre dictability in mind, it was thankfully possible to relax at certain times in the warm summer sunshine, with an exotic cocktail to hand; and to reminisce for a while about maybe a handful of the innumer able, compelling expe riences during our very extensive beandchosengetgenerallyairportsAndexplorationsglobetrottinginthepast.fromanerawhenandairlinescouldbereliedupontoyoutoandfromyourdestinations,nearfar.Perhapsreadersmightinducedtoponderen

suing possibilities for when travel becomes a definitely viable and highly enjoyable proposition again. And not (as now) so concerning and disheartening or, in deed, a potentially abso luteNotcalamity!surewhy but, as I sipped my drink, the first memory was a mere one of so many that we’d taken onboard over a lengthy period exploring Japan a while ago. We’d booked for a personal and traditional ‘Japanese Tea Ceremony’ at an apt venue near to our lovely Tokyo hotel. The ancient, formal procedure was conducted by a rather school-mis tress-like, middle-aged and English-speaking woman in mufti. She was assisted by an older, unsmiling and

industryduringreminiscencesGlobetrottingaviationchaos

Parktown.Themorning after this ‘House Full’ and highly successful performance, and before our flight back to Cape Town, I and many chorister colleagues made a bee-line for ‘Gold Reef City’. This was an expansive kind of ‘theme

not to miss our flight. In those last few provoca tive moments, I sort of comprehended the entire history of South Africa.

My wife and I had spent much time delving into the Antipodes, and I wasn’t surprised when our journey to the geographic centre of Australia next came to mind. Having had breakfast with kangaroos, cuddled koalas in a nature park and learned how to throw a boomerang, it was time now for us to go ‘walkabout’. At Ayers Rock Resort, in the wilder ness-middle of Oz, we’d arranged to stay at the rather swish Sails in the Desert Hotel.

gu’. For this reason, we abided by notices not to climb the ‘Rock’. Instead, we hiked its perimeter, observing the male and female shrines, some mys terious caves and ancient wall paintings. Similarly, we strolled the bases of the great humped rocks known as the ‘Olgas’ or, to the First Nation people, ‘Kata Tjuta’. (Please don’t forget your wide-brimmed hat, superlative sunscreen and large water bottle!)

It must’ve been these heat and water thoughts that next brought our happy visit to Niagara Falls to mind. As a marvellous day’s break from an ex tended stay in fascinating

the ‘Journey Behind the Falls’. This brings you to viewing platforms beside the Horseshoe Falls; and then through tunnels, with viewing portals, directly behind the cascade. You’re handed a disposable, yel low-plastic smock with a hood to protect you from the significantly misty spray. The raw power and thunderous roar of the huge volume of water, a mere few feet away, are incredibly awesome.

For a bird’s eye per spective of the Falls and its surrounding country side, take the glass-front ed elevator 520 feet to the top of the Skylon Tower. Walk along the Niagara

silent female wearing a kimono. (Not the attrac tive, demure and colourful geisha girls I’d been ex pecting; however, my wife appeared fairly content.)

Anyway, there we were ... squatting a trifle awk wardly on tatami mats, and being instructed about the delicately chore ographed ritual. It felt fairly warm in the atmospheric chamber so, to get more comfortable, I removed my jacket and stuffed it beside me. The piercing stare I received from the school ma’am might’ve stunned a less stoic indi vidual. “You must stick to the rules and do nothing surprising!” she exclaimed, and rather brusquely. I did wonder instantly whether I should remind her of ‘Pearl Harbor’!Thenext recall speedily entering my head (and, again, who knows why) came from a delightful concert tour with my then choir - The London Jewish Male Choir - in South Africa. We were based in Cape Town, with its magnificently dominat ing Table Mountain. But my reminiscence was of an amazing experience in Jo’burg, where the LJMC had performed alongside The Johannesburg Jewish Male Choir at the prestig ious Linder Auditorium in

park’ arranged around an authentic old gold mine. You could descend the mine shaft, and watch a demonstration of molten gold being poured into ingot moulds.

I opted to actually pan for gold in a shallow stream there. Using an original pan - and sporting

an ‘Indiana Jones’ style hat - I rested on my haunch es and shovelled into the alluvial silt with a pioneer ing gusto! Slowly filtering away the water content, and sifting by hand the dull mishmash of grit, I spotted excitedly a shining fleck of Withingold.minutes, I was totally hooked on panning, at once understanding the almost crazed addiction of grizzled prospectors during the ‘Gold Rush’ epoch. Gradually, I accu mulated a small pile of gold dust. And I needed to be virtually dragged from the meandering rivulet by fellow choristers, in order

It was great to ‘bush walk’ on our first and ‘rather warm’ day. Sur rounded by acacia trees, the odd desert oak and endless tufts of spinifex grass (resembling millions of resting porcupines), we were surprised how anything could grow in the terracotta-hued and sandy soil. In the distance rose the incredible hulk of Ayers Rock ... Uluru (‘Our Place’) to the ‘Aborigines’.

Next morning and the following evening, from specially appointed view ing areas, we watched this mighty monolith subtly changing colour, like a giant rocky chameleon, at sunrise and sunset. The effects are truly awesome for spectators to behold; and must be witnessed firsthand to understand why it’s very sacred ter ritory to the tribal ‘Anan

Toronto and its environs, we took the two-hour train journey from Union Station to the waterfalls zone. The USA/Canada border divides two mighty cascades. Though the best views are from ‘Parkway’ on the Canadian side.

The greatest com bined flow of water from the Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls amounts to 750,000 US gallons per second! We took the elevator at Table Rock House down to

River Parkway. Take in the then new Niagara Casino, with its 80-foot glass atri um; the Rainbow Bridge leading to the United States; the steep-sided gorge; the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge carrying a railway to the US; an incongruous Buddhist temple dedicated to world peace; and, finally, the eddying Whirlpool ... 125 feet deep!

I hope your next vaca tion is an especially great one!

Serge