Essex Jewish News Rosh Hashanah 2023

ROSH HASHANAH ISSUE 5784/2023

THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER FOR THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN ESSEX

Meet King Solomon’s new head teacher

By

Goodbye SWESRS… hello Oaks Lane Reform

ONE of Britain’s oldest Progressive synagogues is changing its name to reflect its commitment “to growing a vibrant place of learning and Jewish action.”

On Erev Rosh Hashanah, South West Essex & Settlement Reform Synagogue (SWESRS) will officially become Oaks Lane Reform Synagogue.

This follows an overwhelming vote in favour of the name change by members at the community’s AGM in July.

Speaking exclusively to the Essex Jewish News, the synagogue’s Senior Rabbi Jordan Helfman said: “In the past number of years, the Oaks Lane Reform Synagogue has begun a real transformation, becoming a more welcoming home for Jews seeking an inclusive community.

“There has been a meaningful surge in LGBTQI+ membership, as well as individuals who have felt marginalised in other communities because of their skin colour.

“This is an ongoing journey that the Oaks Lane Reform Synagogue will continue to evolve into, and the change in name and logo are part of that

commitment to growing a vibrant place of learning and Jewish action.”

The community partly began life in 1919 as the St George’s Settlement Synagogue in the East End, the only jointly affiliated Reform and Liberal Judaism congregation.

In 1997, with the population having shifted towards Essex, the Settlement Synagogue (as it was then known) merged with South West Essex Reform Synagogue, which itself was founded in 1956. Jointly the two became SWESRS and solely a Reform congregation.

Now, 67 years later, the working name will change to Oaks Lane Reform Synagogue. Although, at the suggestion of the Charity Commission, the registered name of the synagogue will remain the same.

The community’s tag line will be “honouring our past, building our future” with a new logo being designed to reflect that mantra.

THE new head teacher of King Solomon High School has told the Essex Jewish News she felt “a real calling” to take up the position.

In an exclusive interview, Michele Phillips outlined her commitment to maintaining the Jewish ethos of the school, whilst appreciating and understanding the diversity and cultural makeup of the student body.

With 20 years’ experience in teaching, a professional background in philosophy and religious studies, and through her own Jewish faith, she brings a unique combination of knowledge and understanding to the role.

She said: “I am thrilled to have been appointed and look forward to working closely with the governors, families, alumni, the wider community, founding partners of the school and future partners, in this exciting journey towards a bright new future for King Solomon High School.

“I will lead the school with a crystal-

clear vision of excellence and an unwavering commitment to providing students with a world-class education.”

Former head Hannele Reece stepped down at the end of the summer term, with Brian Westbury, King Solomon’s chair of governors, telling us that everyone was “very sad to see her go”.

First joining the school in 2011, she rose through the ranks before becoming head teacher in 2019. She was responsible for implementing many changes in King Solomon’s leadership framework, curriculum and other improvements that have helped maintain the school as a distinguished seat of learning with recent exam results reflecting the hard work of the entire team.

In searching for a successor, the governors were determined to find a head who would continue with these improvements and the raising of standards, and say that “in Ms Phillips we have found the ideal person.”

Cambridge academic to oversee Progressive unification

DR Ed Kessler MBE – founder president of the Woolf Institute, Cambridge – has been appointed to chair the Advisory Board overseeing the unification of Reform and Liberal Judaism into one Progressive movement for the UK.

Both a member of Beth Shalom Reform Synagogue in Cambridge and a vice president of Liberal Judaism, he said: “I am delighted to take up this role and help to deliver a new era for Progressive Judaism.

“I am passionate about the value of partnership and the need for a vibrant, sustainable Progressive Judaism that can amplify our voices in the UK and beyond.”

Referred to as “probably the most

prolific interfaith figure in British academia” by The Times, Dr Ed Kessler was awarded an MBE in 2011 for services to interfaith relations.

In 1998 he founded the Woolf Institute with Revd Professor Martin Forward, with the goal to foster understanding and positive relations between communities in a world marked by increasing division and instability.

The unification of Liberal and Reform Judaism was announced earlier this year and the process is expected to take around 18 months to complete. Read more on page 6 of this edition.

New King Solomon head Michele Phillips

Rabbi Jordan Helfman

Dr Ed Kessler MBE

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

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ESSEX JEWISH NEWS TEAM:

Chair: Philip Leigh

Directors: Melvyn Weinberg MBE, Manny Robinson, Simon Rothstein, Jonathan Bloom, Marc Shelkin, Micaela Blitz and Josh Dobias

Editor: Simon Rothstein

Editorial Consultant: Manny Robinson

News and Features: Micaela Blitz and Pat Lidiker

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All material is the copyright of Essex Jewish News Ltd and must not be reproduced without the written permission of the Editor.

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Welcome to the new look Essex Jewish News

By JASON LEVY

Welcome to our new look Essex Jewish News. Until now, you probably would have never even thought about the number of columns in a newspaper. However, this is your chance to read about the captivating world of newspaper layout design, and why we have changed from six-column grid to a four-column grid.

In the realm of journalism and design, how we arrange our columns, images, and text is like a secret code that can either make or break your reading experience. Today, we’re letting you in on our layout secrets, and why our decision to change to a four-column layout is all about improving readability for our readers.

Readability and clarity - big and bold: Picture this: a newspaper spread that doesn’t require a magnifying glass. With four columns, we’ve got the room to make our text bigger and bolder, giving your eyes a break and your brain a smooth reading experience. You won’t have to squint, twist your neck, or pull a magnifying

glass to decipher the news. Plus, the extra white space around our content brings a clean and uncluttered vibe, letting you glide through the pages like a seasoned news ninja.

Hyphenated text – we remember that: Changing to a four-column grid means we have been able to almost eliminate any hyphenated text in this issue, which is so often seen in newspapers. This means we can make the news stories and features you love so much, clearer and easier to read.

Visual delight - go big or go home: We all know first impressions matter, right? Well, our four-column setup lets us make a grand entrance with larger-than-life images, graphics, and headlines. It’s like rolling out the red carpet for your eyeballs. These eyecatching visuals are like little magnets pulling you in, making you want to read more and discover the stories that lie beneath.

Design freedom - where creativity flourishes: Imagine our designers as artists, and our newspaper is their canvas. With four columns, they’ve got more space to unleash their creative prowess. Think stunning feature stories, mind-blowing special sections, and news reports that

practically shout, “Look at me!” We’re all about keeping it fresh and exciting, and four columns give us the flexibility to create layouts that you’ll enjoy.

Organised goodness - making sense of it all: A newspaper without a clear roadmap is like a treasure hunt without a map, which is very frustrating! But fear not, because our four-column layout is like your trusty guide. Spotting headlines, subheadings, and the juicy article bits is a breeze, making sure you don’t miss the must-reads.

Consistency is key - the Essex Jewish News Signature Look: Have you ever looked at a beautifully laidout newspaper and thought, “Wow!”. With four columns, we keep our design game strong and cohesive across the board. You won’t find a wonky alignment or a misfit image here. It’s all part of our plan to make the Essex Jewish News your go-to source for news, and the four-column layout is our secret weapon.

So there you have it. The scoop on why we here at the Essex Jewish News are so proud of our new fourcolumn layout. I hope you enjoy reading this issue, and wish you all a very happy new year.

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News

Prime Minister’s award for Southend’s Rita

Breakfast Club raises £6k for MDA

By GEOFFREY PEPPER

SOUTHEND Magen David Adom

(MDA) raised £6,000 with an Israeli Breakfast Club featuring guest speaker Sally Becker.

Often described as the Angel of Mostar, due to her life-saving work in the Balkans, Sally is a British humanitarian aid worker. She has helped deliver medical aid and rescued many people, including 54 orphans from Ukraine, with the support of MDA UK. She is also a Nobel Peace Prize nominee.

During the event, Sally explained her work during the Bosnian and Kosovo Wars in the late 1990s, where she is credited with saving hundreds of lives through her actions. Moved by the images of suffering, she set off determined to try and help deliver food and medical supplies.

She recalled how she drove an ambulance across the front line, primarily helping sick and wounded children.

She then told how she has been imprisoned, shot by masked gunmen and interrogated, but nothing would make her abandon her task. Her work has been recognised with many awards for her bravery and in July 2012 she carried the

Olympic Flag for Peace and Justice.

Josh Diamond – fundraising manager for MDA UK – recalled how Sally has worked with the charity in war-torn countries.

He went on to briefly describe the new National Blood Services Centre in Ramle, Israel, the world’s first subterranean missileproof blood centre. He said Southend Magen Dovid Adom were serial supporters of the charity and have donated two rooms at the new centre.

The event also included a passionate speech from Southend & Westcliff Hebrew Congregation’s Rabbi Geoffrey Hyman, who explained how MDA is dear to his heart and that his late uncle was MDA’s national chair.

The thousands raised at the breakfast will go towards the group’s target of providing one of the first Electric Responder Vehicles in Israel.

By SIMON ROTHSTEIN

AMUCH loved Jewish Care volunteer from Westcliff-onSea received a special award from the Prime Minister at the charity’s annual fundraising dinner.

Rita Roth OBE was presented with the prestigious Points of Light Award for her incredible dedication and achievement in supporting the Jewish community.

The honour marked Rita’s 60th year of volunteering, which began at her local hospital and for various Jewish causes when she was a teenager.

Her volunteering highlights including six decades of support for Jewish Care’s Shebson Lodge in Southend and fundraising for Havens Hospices.

When Rita’s mother went into fulltime care in June 2016, at Jewish Care’s Rosetrees home in Friern Barnet, she took up the challenge of fundraising for them.

Even after her mother died, around 18 months later, Rita promised to continue to make the 100-mile round trip to support Rosetrees.

Along with husband Andrew, she still visits weekly, holding very popular morning sessions with the residents, meeting and chatting with them, their families and the staff to whom she is devoted and so thankful. Even during the pandemic, when it was permitted, Rita and her team delivered essentials and treats, despite not being able to enter the care home.

In total she has raised £100,000 for

Rosetrees over the last few years and, equally as importantly, continues to deliver each resident and member of staff their favourite bar of chocolate, affectionally known as ‘Rita’s Chocolate Drop’.

Rita, who was awarded an OBE for services to the British shipping industry, said: “I was so overwhelmed to receive the Points of Light Award. It was a big surprise and the Prime Minister was lovely.

“I get so much pleasure from volunteering and being with the residents. We have a lot of laughs and great chats, and they certainly enjoy the chocolates that I bring.

“It’s given me a huge understanding and appreciation of the care for older people and people living with dementia that Jewish Care provide and I have so much respect and love for the amazing staff at Rosetrees care home.”

The Jewish Care annual dinner saw 900 guests raise £5.2million for the charity’s vital services, which touch the lives of more than 10,000 people each week. The evening included a memorable performance from charttopping artist Craig David.

The Prime Minister said: “This is my first Jewish community dinner as Prime Minister and having heard so much about this incredible organisation, I’m absolutely delighted that I’m here with you at Jewish Care because your culture of service represents not just the best of our Jewish community, but the very best of Britain.”

Jewish Care life president Lord Levy, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Points of Light Award winner Rita Roth with husband Andrew, Jewish Care honorary president Dame Gail Ronson and chair Jonathan Zenios

Sally Becker

Holocaust commemorated by Chigwell youth

By HARVEY FRANKEL

CHIGWELL and Hainault United Synagogue held a Holocaust commemoration with 120 guests, including 30 of the community’s children who have taken part in the Yad Vashem Twinning Project.

The young people all lit candles in memory of their bar/batmitzvah twin, a child of the Holocaust murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators before they could reach this milestone in Jewish life.

As the event organiser, this year I wanted to do something different. We always include lots of young people –who after all are our future and will keep the memory of what happened alive – but this time I also wanted to invite a Holocaust survivor to come and speak to our community.

My very dear friend Mandi Dobias,

who hosts and cares for a number of Holocaust survivors at her home on a regular basis, offered to help me arrange this – and invited four to attend our event with two of them telling their stories.

The afternoon started with a short animated film entitled The Postman of the Warsaw Ghetto. I felt this was appropriate as this year is the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising.

We then had a candle lighting ceremony, followed by a memorial prayer and a minute’s silence.

Two of our invited young people – Rebecca Preston and Mathew Dady – spoke in-depth about their twin and reinforced their commitment to honour their memory by lighting a candle on Holocaust Memorial Day and Yom

HaShoah every year.

This was followed by our two speakers. Eva Rosner talked about her experience with the Kindertransport; David Peterson, most harrowingly, on his time at the Auschwitz-Birkenau and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. Two very different stories, however both extremely powerful.

I personally had never before spoken to anyone who was witness to these atrocities and found it most humbling to listen to. It certainly had a profound effect on me and on everyone who attended. It has also definitely reinforced my commitment to Holocaust awareness.

The event closed with some words from Rabbi Rafi Goodwin and myself, followed by the Hatikva.

Masorti congregation support local foodbank Sharon celebrates 20 years

By SUSAN GEIST

AN AFTERNOON tea party was hosted by New Essex Masorti Shul (NEMS) in aid of the Epping Forest Foodbank.

Taking place at the home of NEMS members Cathy and Shimon, a cheque for £1,050 was presented to Epping Forest Foodbank director Jacob Forman by the congregation’s treasurer Ruth Rotryng. This was the amount raised by the NEMS Yom Kippur appeal last year.

Community members were also very generous in donating plenty of food items and toiletries on the day for Jacob to take away with him to help those in need.

Epping Forest Foodbank is part of the Trussell Trust. Last year it supplied 45,000 meals to people in crisis, including 2,500 emergency food parcels for children.

By MANNY ROBINSON

TRIBUTES were paid to Sharon Caplich, the community events organiser at Jewish Care’s Redbridge Jewish Community Centre, on completing 20 years in the post.

The occasion was marked at the charity’s regular Tuesday social event at Woodford Forest United Synagogue where Sharon, who attended with members of her family, was presented with a memento of some of the events she has organised over the last two decades.

Richard Shone – the director of community services, volunteering, social work and hospitality at Jewish Care –said: “Sharon has done an incredible job over 20 amazing years. The leadership that she has shown has been second to none.”

As the number of survivors are now so few in number, it is more important than ever to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive. A wonderful way of doing this is to become a Guardian of the Memory, where a victim of the Holocaust is assigned to you and where you are encouraged to light a candle for them each Yom HaShoah. This is organised by Yad Yashem UK and there is no cost involved.

And if you are planning a simcha –whether it be a bar/batmitzvah or even a second one – do please also consider the Yad Vashem Twinning Project.

If you would like to get involved with either of these two incredible programmes, contact me on harveyfrankel@hotmail.com - and I’d be more than happy to help.

Sharon Caplich with the photo montage of her incredible work

Members, volunteers and staff welcomed Craig David to Jewish Care’s Holocaust Survivors’ Centre before he performed at Jewish Care’s Annual Dinner

Harvey Frankel, Rebecca Preston and Mathew Dady speak about their continuing commitment to Holocaust awareness

Becks: ‘I’m a proud member of the Jewish community’

By MICAELA BLITZ

FOOTBALL legend David Beckham impressed a 600-strong crowd at the first JW3 Presents: Lessons in Leadership event.

The former Manchester United star, who grew up in Leytonstone and attended Chingford Foundation School, was interviewed by TV producer Ben Winston at the event to launch the Lira Winston Fellowship.

He discussed a wide range of topics, ranging from his relationship with the Jewish community to leading the England football team. He also shared memories of his Jewish maternal grandfather, Joseph West.

He said: “‘My grandfather always made sure we would keep up with certain traditions. We went to barmitzvahs and weddings and I would wear a kippah.

“Every Saturday morning, I used to go to see my grandfather – you’d walk in the house to my grandma preparing chicken soup with matzah balls. We always kept to those traditions; it was always about the

Clore Tikva welcomes Pikuach recognition

family coming together and spending time together.

He added: “I am part of the Jewish community, and I am proud to say it.”

The Lira Winston Fellowships is an innovative and exciting new programme, run in conjunction with PaJes (Partnership for Jewish Schools), to support and develop the community’s brightest and best leaders and teachers – present and future.

It is named after the late Lady Lira Winston, wife of scientist and writer Lord Robert Winston and mother to Ben and his two siblings.

She dedicated much of her life to Jewish education, culminating in a Lifetime Achievement Award presented by former Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks in 2020. To honour this commitment, the Winston family launched these new fellowships in her name. One hundred per cent of the ticket sales from the event, held at St John’s Wood Synagogue, went towards the cause.

By PAT LIDIKER

STAFF and pupils at Clore Tikva School were thrilled to receive a prestigious award highlighting their unwavering commitment to delivering outstanding Jewish education.

While every school is obliged by law to have an OFSTED report, faith schools have an additional inspection under Section 48 of the Education Act to examine faith education, spiritual, moral and social development. The Board of Deputies’ body Pikuach performs these inspections of Jewish schools such as Clore Tikva.

Head teacher Margot Buller told the Essex Jewish News: “The Pikuach report is testament to the unwavering dedication of and collective efforts of parents, staff

and students. Throughout the inspection we made sure everyone’s voice was heard.”

What particularly warmed her heart, she said, was the inspector’s recognition and celebration of the school they all love and its dedication to inclusivity which all acknowledge as a core value.

She added: “I can confidently state that this school is unlike any other educational institution I have had the privilege of leading in 24 years.

“I extend gratitude to our entire school community who have worked amidst significant challenges over the past four years and this outstanding Pikuach report is a testament to their dedication.”

For Leon, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree

When Leon was diagnosed with dementia, Michael went from being a full-time son to a full-time carer. He moved in with his dad and quickly turned to the Jewish Care Direct helpline.

Michael was referred to our Family Carers Team who provide him with ongoing guidance, whilst Leon attends our dementia day centre, giving his son the respite he needs.

Leon had always been a caring father and now the roles are reversed. As they say, the apple never falls far from the tree.

Jewish Care is supporting Leon, Michael and the hundreds of families in our community who are living with dementia. Please show your support this Rosh Hashanah.

To make a donation, please call 020 8922 2600 , visit jewishcare.org/roshhashanah , or scan here

Thank you.

Leon and his son, Michael, taking part in Rosh Hashanah celebrations at The Sam Beckman Centre for people living with dementia.

Clore Tikva pupils with the Mitzvah Tree they made for last year’s intergenerational Mitzvah Day project with members of Jewish Care’s Redbridge Jewish Community Centre

David Beckham, who grew up in Leytonstone, at the packed JW3 Presents event

News Liberal and Reform Judaism to unite

LIBERAL Judaism and The Movement for Reform Judaism have announced that they will be working together to create one single unified Progressive Jewish movement for the UK.

The history-making project has been spearheaded by Liberal Judaism chair Ruth Seager, who is a member of East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue, and her Reform counterpart Paul Langsford.

In a joint statement, they told the Essex Jewish News: “Our lay leadership and clergy are clear that the future for Progressive Judaism is to have one shared movement to represent all of Britain’s Progressive Jews.

“It will mean that our reach, our voice and our Judaism will be stronger.”

They added that all Liberal and Reform communities will preserve their individual names, services and practices – but benefit from an influx of new ideas, enhanced resources and a greater level of support.

New Reform Judaism CEO Rabbi Josh Levy will partner with Liberal Judaism CEO Rabbi Charley Baginsky to turn this vision into a practical reality over the next 18-24 months.

Rabbi Josh Levy has been principal rabbi of Alyth (North Western Reform Synagogue) since 2008. He is also a lecturer at Leo Baeck College and a former chair of the Assembly of Reform Rabbis and Cantors.

He said: “Reform and Liberal Judaism share the same core values and outlook. This is an important moment for Progressive Judaism and I now look

forward to working with movement staff, lay leaders, members and clergy and in deep partnership with Charley.”

Rabbi Charley Baginsky has been involved with Liberal Judaism since childhood, working as youth leader, communal rabbi and director of strategy and partnerships before being appointed CEO in 2020. Under her leadership, Liberal Judaism has raised record amounts of money, grown its membership and used technology to reach more people than ever at its services and events.

She said: ““Liberal and Reform Judaism believe the same things – for example our fully egalitarian services and welcome of mixed faith families. We are as one on everything, from campaigning for same-sex marriage to training rabbis and educators to offering provision for students and young people.

“In recent years we have grown together, hand in hand and organically. This is now the next natural step for us both and I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead it alongside a colleague and friend in Josh.”

Liberal and Reform Judaism have been separate movements for more than 120 years.

Progressive Jews together make up around 30% of those who are affiliated to synagogues in the UK. There are

Remembering our Mark

MEMBERS of the Cambridge, Essex and London Jewish communities came out to pay their respects to former Essex Jewish News writer Mark Harris and his wife Sharon.

Mark died in August 2022, just 10 weeks after Sharon. He was major part of this newspaper’s team as a writer, columnist and editorial consultant.

A stonesetting was held in April in their hometown of Cambridge and was a moving ceremony. Their daughter Emma spoke beautifully about Mark and Sharon’s lives, with songs from the London Cantorial Singers – of which Mark was a member – adding further poignancy.

After the ceremony, Essex Jewish News chair Phillip Leigh, editorial consultant Manny Robinson and editor Simon Rothstein were presented with some of Mark’s entertaining lockdown-inspired artwork as a gift to remember him by.

Mark’s writing lives on through Emma, who writes this newspaper’s Interfaith Perspective column.

more than 80 Progressive communities reaching all parts of the country. Rabbis for both movements are trained at Leo Baeck College.

There are six Progressive communities in Essex – one Liberal and five Reform –as well as congregations in Cambridge, Norwich and Ipswich.

Rabbi Jordan Helfman of Oaks Lane Reform Synagogue has worked across both movements, having previously been an LJY-Netzer movement worker.

He said: “The ideological space between Reform and Liberal Judaism has evaporated, and now we’re standing at the cusp of something truly exciting.

“I already feel part of a larger movement. As an inclusive and edgy Progressive Jewish identity forms, our voices start to feel stronger, together.”

Liberal and Reform Judaism share many similarities. Services are led by female and male rabbis and lay leaders, with non-gendered language used in prayers and everyone sitting together. They welcome mixed-faith families and couples and offer weddings and lifecycle events catered to the LGBTQI+ community.

The last major difference fell in 2015. Since that date both movements have been able to recognise the Jewish status of those with one Jewish parent, without

asking them to undergo conversion, irrespective of whether the Jewish parent is the mother or father. This is in contrast to Orthodox Judaism, where only the children of a Jewish mother have inherited Jewish status.

East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue issued a statement from life president Simon Benscher, acting chair Stewart Spivack and Rabbi Richard Jacobi.

It said: “We share a widely felt excitement that this initiative is very positive and timely. The three of us share a sense that this will be beneficial nationally and internationally, in that a single, strong progressive voice will be heard in interfaith and wider public arenas.

“Further, we believe that the spirit of collaboration that has been a feature of our relationship with local Reform synagogues in Redbridge, Essex and Eastern Counties will now be emulated all around the UK, bringing benefits to all.”

Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy

Rabbi Richard Jacobi

Phillip Leigh, Manny Robinson and Simon Rothstein honour Mark Harris

Holocaust survivor’s medal from his old friend the King News

refugees who have worked so tirelessly to pass on their own experiences of the Holocaust to others.

Travelling extensively, he has spent the past 50 years educating all age groups about the horrors of Nazi Germany. As he says, this isn’t history but HIS story.

He still remembers helping the community clear out the main shul, which Hitler ordered to be torn down on the pretext of “traffic reasons”. As the atrocities worsened an aunt put him and his brother Walter on the list for Kindertransport.

Zac leads Clore to cup glory

By RUTH PHILLIPS

By PAT LIDIKER

WHEN Rolf Penzias received a signed card from King Charles III and Queen Camilla on his 100th birthday last year, he and his partner Lucie made sure it took pride of place at the birthday party held at their home in Buckhurst Hill.

Then, this summer, he took a phone call from the Cabinet Office to say he had something even more special coming from the King – a British Empire Medal (BEM), awarded in the new Monarch’s first Birthday Honours List.

The couple’s initial pleasure was also tinged with regret that it hadn’t happen sooner, when Rolf was in better health and able to enjoy it to the full.

The Oaks Lane Reform Synagogue member, who arrived here on the Kindertransport, is now one of the sadly but inevitably dwindling numbers of

Michael Newman, CEO of the Association of Jewish Refugee (AJR), told the Essex Jewish News: “We are thrilled that Rolf has been recognised for his dedication and contribution to Holocaust education and remembrance. As a long-standing member of the AJR Kindertransport committee he has helped organise many reunions and commemorative events.”

It was on one such occasion that he first met the then Prince of Wales and began an association which continues to flourish. So much so that Rolf and Lucie have received regular invitations to Palace events including garden parties, receptions and other more formal meetings.

I asked how this seemingly unlikely affinity has evolved, and Rolf replied: “It is mainly through his genuine concern for those like me who came here on the Kindertransport. I have always found he and Camilla are more supportive of Jewish people and causes than almost any other members of the Royal Family, even the late Queen.”

Born in Munich in 1922, under the shadow of escalating antisemitism, Rolf attended a Jewish school where two of his teachers were uncles of Henry Kissinger, the future US Foreign Secretary.

The tortuous journey via Vienna and the Netherlands eventually brought them to Harwich and a new, very different life began.

Many years later Rolf, who had never forgotten how blessed he was to escape the horrors of Nazi Germany, received a phone call from Berta Leverton who was organising a 50th anniversary reunion of the Kindertransport children. He says he immediately bonded with his fellow kinder, like being part of another family united in their shared experiences.

In the intervening years Rolf has become well-known for his tireless work for the Holocaust Educational Trust. He frequently visits schools in the UK in the hope students will learn from history so it will never happen again.

At his 100th birthday celebration at the Oaks Lane Reform Synagogue (previously known as SWESRS) Lunch Club last year he was presented with a certificate for a donation made to another charity close to his heart, Safe Passage – which aims to provide legal help for refugee children trying to join their families in the UK.

Everyone at the EJN offers Rolf Penzias a heartfelt mazel tov on the award of his BEM and we wish him good health to wear his new medal with pride.

IN a thrilling and action-packed King’s Cup final football match, Clore Tikva emerged triumphant, beating Roding Primary School with a resounding score line of 5-1.

The spotlight was firmly on Clore’s superstar striker Zac Lester, who showcased his exceptional skills and prowess by netting an incredible four goals. Not to be outdone, Rafi Stolerman made a significant impact with a crucial strike of his own.

The team’s performance was nothing short of exceptional, demonstrating their cohesion, determination and talent on the field.

As the final whistle blew, Clore Tikva’s players and fans alike celebrated their well-deserved victory, making it a memorable day for all.

A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES Jewish Blind & Disabled

Rolf (centre) with King Charles III at Clarence House reception for Kindertransport evacuees in 2005

open book Local MP’s life is now an

Wes Streeting MP chats to Pat Lidiker as he launches his memoir

THE plot of Ilford North MP Wes Streeting’s searingly honest tell-all autobiography – One Boy, Two Bills and a Fry Up: A Memoir of Growing Up and Getting On – sounds so implausible, it could have had even Charles Dickens collecting rejection slips.

It begins with an account of his shattering discovery two years ago, aged just 38, that he had kidney cancer and his subsequent treatment in our local NHS hospitals. Fortunately, the future is optimistic and he’s now fighting fit… but then he is a seasoned expert at overcoming adversity, obstacles and deprivation.

I met the Shadow Health Secretary at the House of Commons, along with Essex Jewish News chair Phillip Leigh, and he told us that his cancer taught him never to be complacent. It also gave him a clearer insight into the challenges facing Britain’s hospitals, doctors and patients.

With Labour ahead in the polls, he could be the next person in charge of the NHS – and he is realistic about taking on this daunting role.

He said: “Nothing can happen without drastic changes. The NHS is currently facing its worst crisis ever. It could take a decade to put right the damage.

“But we want to show real progress within the first term of a Labour government and we’re looking at what we could do as quickly as possible to deliver immediate results for patients.”

Other policies he expressed to us were around improving the mental health of young people, tackling bullying on social media and introducing “a Tsar for the Elderly, offering support to older people and their families while facing dementia, social problems and illness.”

Wesley Paul William Streeting MP always appears so immaculate, confident and eloquent, many would assume he was born into every privilege. Yet within a few pages of this riveting autobiography, illusions are wiped away and you discover

what made him the man he is today.

He was born into abject poverty in Stepney to struggling teenage parents, who shared his upbringing without living together.

In true East End fashion their extended families played loving, important roles in the small boy’s life… that is when they were around to do so.

His maternal grandfather Bill spent most of his time in prison as a failed armed robber while Wes’s own mother was born behind bars. His grandma was a political campaigner who shared a cell with Christine Keeler.

In complete contrast his paternal grandfather, also Bill, was a devoutly religious ex-Navy man and a Conservative voter to boot. Naturally immensely proud when his grandson told him he was standing as an MP, his immediate response was to ask, “but why can’t it be as a Tory?” The memory still makes Wes

smile today.

The early years of his life, together with constant bullying at school, could have been enough to set him off on the wrong side of the law. Throughout the book, you marvel at how he survived to become a Cambridge graduate, National Union of Students president and now a leading light on the Labour front bench.

The MP, who first won election in 2015, admitted to me that he had no intention of writing this 300 page memoir until talked into it by those closest to him.

If he hadn’t listened to them, we’d have missed out on one of the most inspirational, thoughtful, warm and sometimes mind-boggling biographies to come out of the corridors of Westminster in decades. And without any sniping, back-biting or unpleasant references about others in his field of work.

As we chat about his work with Jas Athwal on Redbridge Borough Council, his deep affection for Israel and his challenges to the far left over antisemitism, traces of his Cockney accent tend to come and go.

One of Britain’s most high-profile LGBTQI+ politicians, he and his partner of over 10 years, political consultant Joe Dancey, live in Barkingside which, he says, gives them everything they need including an easy commute to Westminster, being close to his constituency office and enjoyable weekends in nearby Epping Forest.

Speaking of what lies ahead, he told us: “I will continue to focus on local issues. I get very depressed by so many emails and texts complaining about violent crime, attacks on women, racial tensions, begging on the streets, the neglected state of roads and pavements, traffic and much more.”

This remarkable book comes out on the eve of a huge upheaval in the House of Commons, which could still go either way.

When we first spoke for an Essex Jewish News article, some five years ago, I remember him telling me of his thrill and disbelief on walking through the doors of Westminster for the first time. In the book he describes the equal delight of his proud parents, who were with him. While the family are not of our faith, I couldn’t help but laugh, on reading, that his mum came over as the typical Jewish mother that day – as she kept telling everyone she saw that he was her son.

Wes Streeting has experienced more hardships and knocks than almost all his fellow MPs, but this has shaped him rather than destroyed him. It taught him never to be take anything for granted and enjoy the special moments.

Whatever happens in the coming election, we can look forward to an equally entertaining sequel.

• One Boy, Two Bills and a Fry Up: A Memoir of Growing Up and Getting On is available from all good bookshops and online stores in hardback, eBook and audiobook, read by the author.

Wes Streeting with the Essex Jewish News’ very own Pat Lidiker and Phillip Leigh

The MP in 2016 with Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School pupils on Mizvah Day - picture by Yakir Zur

The Shadow Health Secretary in his hospital bed during cancer treatment

New Loughton Torah dedicated to Lewis Lane Alternative High

reflecting the unity and harmony that Lewis had fostered within the community. The atmosphere exuded joy, with dancing and singing resonating through the sacred space.

Certificates were presented to all those who generously contributed to the completion of the Torah, symbolizing the collective effort that went into this cherished project.

The dedication ceremony was accompanied by moving speeches, each paying tribute to the exceptional character of Lewis. His son Stephen Lane delivered a heartfelt speech, expressing gratitude for the decision to dedicate a Torah in his father’s memory.

Holy Days at Woodford Forest

WOODFORD Forest United Synagogue will once again feature Rabbi Chaim Rapoport, formerly of Beehive Lane synagogue, as scholar in residence for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, in addition to Rabbi Mordechai and Rebbetzen Blima Wollenberg and Rabbi Beni Fleischer as chazzan.

For several years now, Woodford Forest has run a full alternative parallel programme during Yom Kippur with panel discussions, education sessions and more.

By GAYLE KLEIN

IN a touching tribute to a beloved member of Loughton Synagogue, family, friends and members of the community came together to dedicate a new Sefer Torah in memory of Lewis Lane.

Known for his unwavering love for Torah and compassionate nature, Lewis left an enduring impact on all who had the privilege of knowing him.

The dedication ceremony commenced at the Lane family home, where participants had the honour of completing the writing of the Torah, guided by the expert sofer Rabbi David Singer from Ilford Federation Synagogue.

The Torah, kindly donated by the Lane family alongside contributions

from members of the community and friends, served as a testament to Lewis’s profound commitment to Jewish values.

As the ink dried on the sacred scroll, a joyous procession began, accompanied by singing and dancing that filled the streets with warmth and celebration.

The Torah, held under a chuppah, symbolized the sanctity of the occasion. The presence of the police escort and CST ensured a smooth and respectful walk to the synagogue, underscoring the significance of the event.

Upon reaching the synagogue, a heart-warming sight greeted the attendees. All the other Torahs were brought out to greet the new addition,

Loughton’s Rabbi Yanky Abrams spoke eloquently about Lewis’s role as a role model and how having his name on the Torah would serve as a lasting testament to his exemplary character.

The event concluded with a beautiful kiddush, organized by the wonderful events team, providing an opportunity for attendees to come together and share in a moment of reflection and celebration.

This year’s topics include education, health care, organ donation and ‘when inclusion challenges Orthodoxy’. This is in addition to the Rosh Hashanah explanatory services which run both days from 11am.

No tickets are needed and all welcome for services and all activities. Find out more at www.wfus.org.uk.

SAVE THE DATE: The Chabad Events Team (CET) are holding their Annual Whisky Evening on Monday 23 October. Attendees will get the chance to enjoy whisky from around the world, along with a delicious kosher dinner, in great company – including members of the Essex Jewish News team. Find out more by emailing pa@ chabadilford.co.uk.

How does Chai care?

“When we hear the different notes of the shofar, we feel a myriad of emotions.

We are all individuals at Chai, but the all-encompassing care and support we receive meets each of our needs.

It is at Chai that we find peace, harmony and creativity and, above all, the reassurance that we are not alone.”

The Chai Art Workshop Group (Artist Etty Debourcieu)

A day of Art at Leytonstone and Wanstead

TWanstead Synagogue, a small reviving Jewish community in east London, have made an exhibition as part of the Leytonstone Arts Trail every year since 2018 (except for 2020).

Previously created on a tight budget, with time and materials contributed by the shul’s growing cohort of volunteers, 2023 saw a transformation – enabled by receipt of funding from the Leytonstone Ward as part of the Summer Events Programme – into an event combining the usual group exhibition with a talk from an eminent speaker.

On the morning of the event, the scheduled speaker was suddenly taken ill. Upward of 50 visitors were instead treated to an impassioned talk over

chair of the Ben Uri Gallery and Museum titled ‘Who Cares?’

Topically, following the announcement by the Jewish Museum of its closure, David gave a whistlestop tour of Ben Uri’s history dating back 108 years. He told how, under his stewardship over the past 23 years, it has transformed into an online museum, following multiple struggles to secure the funding needed to permanently site its collection of over 1,300 physical artworks as well as a Research Unit (BURU) and extensive online archive dating back to 1925.

The audience responded to David with multiple ideas and suggestions.

The shul’s chair Phil Schryber

the community had faced having dramatically revived its numbers since its near-closure in 2016.

All emerged from the talk with a new understanding of the importance of safeguarding this important cultural heritage, which is not only pertinent to the Jewish community but to all who wish to protect the cultural contributions of all immigrants who come to settle in Britain.

After enjoying Pimm’s and fancy refreshments from Grodzisnki Kosher Bakery, visitors were further treated to a ‘meet and greet with the artists’, which started with Michael Golding, who described the process behind his abstract postcard-sized artworks.

Odette Gaba, who had brought her entire family to celebrate the exhibition with her, described how the illustrations she was showing all related to the storyline of her upcoming novel In the Strandline.

Dovid Shaw, who combines geometry with a love of textiles inspired by childhood memories of the family haberdashery Store in Ilford, explained the challenges of the process he uses to make dramatic images using metallic string against deep velvet backgrounds.

Other exhibiting artists included Sammy Ebrahimoff, Yadida Gaba, Andrew Lewis, Gary Rose, Carlotta Rosmarin, Bernard Stern, Jessica Voorsanger and Ruth Schryber, who also curated the show.

Local Progressive synagogues help out

LAG B’Omer coinciding with the Coronation gave three Redbridge communities – Sukkat Shalom Reform Synagogue, East London & Essex Liberal Synagogue (ELELS) and Oaks Lane Reform Synagogue (previously known as SWESRS) – the perfect reason to join The Big Help Out.

The Big Help Out was a national day of volunteering that took place on Coronation weekend. Inspired and supported by our own Mitzvah Day, its purpose was to bring people together to lend a hand in their communities and experience how rewarding volunteering can be.

The Progressive communities ran a number of projects, including a tea party and barbeque for their newest neighbours, recently arrived from many far-flung war-ravaged countries, in association with Care4Calais.

Over 50 recent migrants and their families turned up – young people, older people and plenty of excited children.

Together with five rabbis and plenty of helpers-out from the three participating synagogues, they enjoyed a generous meal, indoor and outdoor games, live music and a clothing exchange.

Emeritus Rabbi David Hulbert of ELELS said: “On my table were wonderful people from Libya, Iraq, Latvia, Somalia, the Caribbean and Sudan, chatting together in Arabic and doing their very best to improve their conversational skills in English.”

All present vowed to continue this informal open house for new arrivals throughout the year.

Meanwhile Rabbi Richard Jacobi, Fiona Hulbert and Ruth Seagar of ELELS, aided by a handful of congregants, helped out

at a volunteering fair hosted by St Mary’s Church in the Memorial Hall.

Organised to enthuse the wider Redbridge community about opportunities locally, people strolled around stalls from groups as varied as the Food Bank, Woodford Gardeners and the Cats Protection League.

The community feel was enhanced by a free cafe with refreshments donated by the Co-op.

As St Mary’s is an EcoChurch and ELELS is an EcoSynagogue there was also an encouragement to ‘reuse, recycle, renew and rethink’ with a toy swap, a seed swap and stalls where electrical items were fixed and sewing repairs carried out for free.

Fiona Hulbert said: “This was a really worthwhile community way to mark the start of King Charles’ reign.”

• If you’d like to get involved with volunteering, please contact your local synagogue. For refugee support, you can also visit www.care4calais.org

Visitors Yadida Gaba, Dr David Pinkerton, Betsy Campbell-Craig enjoying refreshments from Grodzinski

Michael Golding talking about his artworks

Rebbetzen Yehudit Austin, Ruth Schryber and Zoe Cato with her twins Samuel and Thomas

Rabbi David Hulbert at a Big Help Out tea part for local refugees

Rabbi Richard Jacobi volunteering at St Mary’s Church

JBD tenants celebrate the Coronation in style

TENANTS and staff at Jewish Blind & Disabled’s Hilary Dennis Court in Wanstead held a party to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III. Tenants Barbara and Audrey baked delicious scones and cakes that were enjoyed by all at the event, which was organised by the charity’s volunteers including Sonia, Marilyn and Janet.

Masorti members’ hospice fundraiser

MORE than 50 people attended a sunny afternoon Coronation garden party, at the home of Shirley and Phil Burke, as New Essex Masorti members and friends used the occasion to raise money for a good cause. Generous contributions meant that £754 was donated to Saint Francis Hospice, in Romford, where they were very grateful for the community’s Royal efforts.

British Emunah marks 90 years

British Emunah raised more than £70,000 at a special anniversary party celebrating 90 years of life-changing work with at-risk and vulnerable children and families in Israel.

The music was provided by two entertainers – Eli and San – who were helped by the charity when they were children.

The guitarist and singer, now both 26, talked about how their time at the Emunah Afula Children’s Centre and how it turned them from troubled kids into successful young men.

Both are now married and in employment, while Eli is also studying part-time for an engineering degree

British Emunah director Sharon Dewinter said: “Eli is so talented on guitar and San has the voice of an angel, but what really inspired us was the life stories they told us between songs.

“It’s clear that Emunah has helped

them break the cycle of abuse, neglect and trauma – so that their own children won’t need our help.”

The art deco themed event, in London, told the story of how the charity was set up by a pioneering group of women in 1933 in Manchester. It has long been supported by Jewish communities and individuals in both Redbridge and Southend.

Sharon added: “It was a truly wonderful evening, which gave us the chance to show our appreciation to our incredible supporters.

“At Emunah, we have empowered for generations and, thanks to this support, we will continue to do so for the next 90 years.”

Others speaking at the event included British Emunah chair Hilary Lewis, chair of trustees Rochelle Selby and dinner chair Camille Compton, as well as head of international philanthropy Shlomo Kessel.

Legacies to Magen David Adom are directly responsible for saving the lives of thousands of people in Israel. People like Ilan who was hit by a car outside his school in Kfar Saba.

To nd out more about leaving a legacy to Magen David Adom UK, call Howard Taylor on 020 8201 5900 or email howardtaylor@mdauk.org. mdauk.org | MagenDavidAdomUK mda_uk | mdauk_

to say that volunteering for Jewish Care was the happiest time of her later life.

Before 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

Eli (speaking) and San (sitting) - picture by Melissa Harris

Emunah director Sharon Dewinter (left) with event guests - picture by Melissa Harris

Garden party organisers Jacqui Federman, Shirley Burke and Muriel Silver with the new ‘King and Queen’

Southend rabbi returns from epic bike riding fundraiser

By LISA NEISDUS

WHAT an incredible journey!. Cycling 358.17 miles over five days – 30 hours on a bicycle climbing elevation differences of 18825ft (4.5 times the height of Ben Nevis) –Rabbi Geoffrey Hyman of Southend and Westcliff Hebrew Congregation (SWHC) has completed an amazing and challenging fundraiser.

The adventure began earlier this summer, when a crowd from the Southend & Westcliff congregation – along with dignitaries including Southend Mayor Cllr Stephen Habermel, The Venerable Mike Power, Archdeacon of Southend and Chelmsford, and Su Harrison from Radio Essex – gathered to send the 70-year-old minister off.

With only Rebbetzin Michelle for company, he cycled over, above and around the Welsh mountains in

blistering heat.

Nearly £14,000 has now been donated to three chosen charities – Magen David Adom UK, City of Southend Jewish Community Support (COSJCS) and Havens Hospices – all of whom are hugely appreciative of the rabbi’s contribution and support during such tricky fundraising times.

Graham Berg Chairman of the newly formed COSJCS charity: “The funds that have been raised by Rabbi Geoffrey Hyman’s brave and intrepid adventure will be used to cover a multitude of emergency situations and needs offered by our totally confidential service.

“Those needs might simply be the cost of basic food over a difficult period, general living expenses, clothing, emergency property repairs, school uniforms, household appliances, heating bills and increasingly mortgage repayments. Unfortunately, we expect the demand to grow during the remaining part of this year.”

Simon Belson, one of the key fundraisers for Magen David Adom in Southend, added: “The rabbi’s fundraising is going towards one of the very first EV First responder vehicles in Israel, the project is over a three-year time scale with a £36,000 target.”

Havens Hospices, based in Southendon-Sea, supports both children and adults and relies on such fundraising. Every pound donated is vital for the continual support of every patient and their individual care.

An amazing achievement from an amazing rabbi, I am sure you will agree.

TENANTS at Jewish Blind and Disabled’s Milne Court development in South Woodford threw a scrumptious shindig, inviting family and friends from the local community – plus their pals from JBD’s nearby Hilary Dennis building.

A dinner of salt beef and latkes was followed by a quiz, with resident

Cranbrook’s Monty hits M

By MANNY ROBINSON

ONTY GOLDSTEIN celebrated his 99th birthday with family and friends at a Jewish Care day at Woodford Forest United Synagogue.

Monty, who attends Cranbrook United Synagogue, is possibly now the oldest member of the shul.

He was a member of the choir at Beehive Lane for 60 years until it was disbanded and he and his wife Rhoda had also been members of the Oxford Review Group and the Sue Moss Group.

Monty and Rhoda were visited for the birthday celebrations by Monty’s brother, daughter, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Salt beef, latkes and excellent company Minyan merger on Beehive Lane

By PAT LIDIKER

ALTHOUGH situated on the same side of Ilford’s Beehive Lane, Cranbrook United and Ilford Federation Synagogues have always run completely separately.

This summer, however, all that changed as the two Orthodox communities began to hold joint midweek services, rotating between the two synagogue buildings.

Jack Bond of Ilford Federation explained: “Some of the weekday regulars from both of our communities have moved out of the area, unfortunately become ill or, worse, passed on – making it increasingly difficult to maintain a regular minyan.

“We decided that the only practical solution was to merge our midweek services. While maintaining concern that some regulars would need encouragement to pray on other premises, we are delighted that the joint services have proved so popular for everyone involved.”

Cranbrook chair Bernard Berman added: “We felt this was a necessary

quizmaster Melvin on the mic, and a raffle with prizes kindly provided by tenants and volunteers.

Organised by tenants David Taylor, Paul Cross, Melvin Lewis, Etta Applebaum, Maureen Vanderberg and Henry Moss, around 85 people enjoyed the fun Sunday night shenanigans.

and obvious progression to ensure the continuity of the daily minyanim and, importantly, that those members who are observing a yahrzeit would not miss the opportunity of saying kaddish.”

Around 20 people attend each service. By unanimous agreement, they are held at Ilford Federation on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday morning, afternoon and evening and then at Cranbrook United on Wednesday and Thursday morning, afternoon and evening, as well as Friday morning.

Times may vary due to special occasions, and the clocks changing, so members should check with their synagogues in advance for exact details.

As for what the future holds –with the minyan merger working so successfully, could this lead to more joint services and events?

Ilford Federation warden David Hiller told us: “We would always be open to further collaboration if suggestions are in the interest of each shul and beneficial to their communities.

Picture by Terry Mendoza

Monty Goldstein celebrates with his family

Helping schoolchildren learn about Judaism

Chabad’s super summer camp

CAMP Gan Izzy run by Rabbi Odom and Henny Brandman of Chabad Buckhurst Hill had an extremely successful session this summer with 100 families booking in for weeks of fun.

By STAN KELLER, CHAIR, CHELMSFORD JEWISH COMMUNITY

COMPARATIVE religion is an important part of the national curriculum in primary schools and as such I often receive invitations to talk to children about Judaism.

Sometimes the request is for a specific aspect such as Pesach, or Passover as it is known to the school. On other occasions it may be generally on what it means to be Jewish.

Without exception the children have been enthusiastic to learn and they ask lots of questions.

At one, I was asked what I liked most about being Jewish and I answered the culture, the songs, the food and the jokes. So, tell us a joke came the follow up. I was somewhat stumped and couldn’t think of any suitable for five-nine year olds and it made me think that to a large extent you need to be Jewish to understand Jewish humour.

A recent visit was a little different in as much that the school is for children who have suffered adverse childhood experiences which include trauma and

toxic stress. I was pre-warned that some of the pupils struggle with new people coming into the classrooms and safe space and therefore could be disruptive and not fully attentive.

I gave the same half hour talk to two separate classes and in the event the children were very curious and fully engaged. I would like to think that these particular children, most of whom are in care or being fostered, benefited by someone showing an interest in them and what they had to say.

I get a lot out of these visits and the icing on the cake for me is to receive so many heart-warming thank you messages and cards from staff and children.

Farida Bhula, from Ingatestone And Fryerning Church Of England Voluntary Aided Junior School, wrote to tell me that “the children were very intrigued and wrote wonderful reflections about your visit”.

I think I may have missed my vocation as a teacher.

The camp was for nursery age through to teens, a wide range of activities were planned and delivered by an international team of Camp Staff with girls arriving from Montreal and Toronto in Canada, New York and Manchester.

The theme of the camp was the ‘Army of Hashem’ and the children had a range of activities (mitzvot) to do to collect the badges on their army cards.

Activities included wall climbing, hat making, foam party, laser tag, nerf wars, baking, arts, and more fun activities.

If you can’t wait until next summer to join the fun, Chabad provide family activities throughout the year. Their next event is a Family Honey Bake on Sunday 10 September.

Pearly Queen to celebrate our new King

NINETY-SIX members attended a JACS Indoor Street Party at Ilford Federation Synagogue to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

The one and only Jewish Pearly Queen, Doreen Golding attended (pictured) and spoke about her initial involvement with the Pearly Kings and Queens Society.

One partygoer remarked: “This was a celebration to remember as a new era begins.”

Essex women help celebrate League’s 80th

THE League of Jewish Women held their 80th Anniversary Tea at the House of Lords, attended by members of the League’s Newbury Park group as well as others from all around the country.

The League came into being in May 1943, three years into World War ll. One of their basic principles is, and was, that its services are available to the general community, regardless of race or creed. It was extremely important at that time, and even more so now, to show that Jewish charities do not only help the Jewish community.

Among many of their projects, it is where day centres, friendship clubs and meals on wheels began, before being adopted by local councils.

This has not been a one-way street. Many members joined the League and made a commitment to volunteer, week in and week out, for their chosen organisation or charity. Their reward was

the satisfaction of leaving someone in need a little better and, of course, the lifelong friendships that were made.

Before the pandemic, Newbury Park members of the League visited Jewish patients every week in Whipps Cross Hospital, King George Hospital and Queen’s Hospital. This was a muchappreciated service helping to fill the long hours spent by patients in hospital.

And what of their legacy? Many of their offspring have continued volunteering in their footsteps becoming CEO’s of major Jewish charities such as Holocaust Memorial Day, World Jewish Relief and JAMI, to name a few.

The League of Jewish Women have groups in many areas in and around London, including Chigwell and Newbury Park, and groups in Manchester and Leicester. Our offices are based in Wanstead.

More information can be found at www.theljw.org.

Stan Keller speaking about Judaism at Ingatestone and Fryerning School

Past presidents of the League of Jewish Women at the House of Lords event

A great result for King Solomon

By SIMON ROTHSTEIN

KING Solomon High School in Barkingside welcomed a “great set” of A-Level results, which showed a “significant improvement” compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019.

The average grade recorded increased, with a 10% rise in students who achieved the very top A Level scores (A*-C).

More than 95% of those in year 13 have chosen to go on to university, with 71% of them securing their first-choice placement. They will study subjects ranging from law, nursing, engineering, economics and computer game design at universities such as Nottingham, UCL, Bristol, Durham and York.

A spokesperson for the school said: “Congratulations to all our students who worked exceptionally hard to achieve these results. It has been a very stressful process for many, who have never sat formal external examinations

“We wish them the very best of luck and are saying a heartfelt goodbye to many who have been at King Solomon for the past seven years. We hope they continue to stay in touch with our school community and wish to see them all involved with our alumni programme.”

In GCSE results, almost 80% of King Solomon pupils achieved grades 4-9. Students at the school have also gained a positive Progress 8 score every year since the measure was introduced.

There was an improvement in the percentage of those who gained a standard pass in both English and maths, with students achieving higher GCSE grades as a year group (on average) compared to the last year 11 cohort that sat their GCSE exams pre-Covid.

The school also gave a special mention to the following subjects – art, design and technology, geography, food technology, music, sociology and Spanish – where more than 30% of their students achieved the top scores at GCSE (grades 7-9).

• The King Solomon open evening will take place on Thursday 21 September 5-8pm and an Open Morning will be on Wednesday 27 September 9-10:30am. To register your place please go to the website, www.kshsonline.uk.

12th Ilford Cubs are 70 years young

By JASON LEVY

Were you a member of the 12th Ilford, Cubs, Scouts, Brownies or Guides?

Did you know we have been teaching kids skills for life since 1953, and later this year we will be celebrating our 70th anniversary. That means some of our earliest members may now be around 78 years old.

If you have any old photos or memories from your time at the 12th Ilford. please email Joy Mallach on 12thilfordcubs@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you. We are hoping to use some of your photos and stories at our 70th anniversary event in 2023/24.

If you have been connected to the 12th Ilford in the past, and you’d like to

KLBD’s Mashgichim Conference returns after COVID-19

The KLBD – the Kashrus division of the London Beis Din – held a Mashgichim Conference last week for its rabbinic inspectors, who supervise food products, raw materials and ingredients.

Meeting up for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic, the attendees

came together for two days of training and support.

Rabbi Jeremy Conway, director of KLBD, said: “Baruch Hashem, the event was a great success and there was a tangible feeling of unity amongst the team throughout.”

come along to our anniversary event please email 12thilfordcubs@gmail.com and we will keep you updated on our plans once they are finalised.

We still have space for boys and girls (in school years 2, 3, 4 and 5) to join our cub-pack on a Thursday night. Please email us if you’d like any more information.

Searching for new Chaps

CHAPS That Chat has launched a campaign to attract new members to the group, which meets once a month at Woodford Forest United in Churchfields.

Sid Green, the 91-year-old organiser, said: “’At one time we had between 60 and 65 men coming to our meetings. Now, because of ill health, age, or other reasons, that number has dropped dramatically and we are anxious to attract more people who would like to listen to a speaker,

enjoy refreshments and have a nice time.”

The group has been going for eight years and members have made visits or different venues over that period.

Chaps That Chat is part of Jewish Care’s Supportive Communities programme. Members pay £4 for each session which includes refreshments.

Anyone wishing to join the group or get further information can contact Ilana Scott on 07810 856 955.

Freedom, song and wine at Cranbrook United

King Solomon pupils celebrate their GCSE and A-Level success

The KLBD group - picture by Rabbi Ephraim Levine

Cranbrook United Synagogue aired the Passover film Freedom, presented by Rabbi Alan Shaw and organised by community member Philip Powell. The event also included a live performance from Chazan Jonny Turgel and a selection of wines to sample.

Oaks Lane member heads for the rabbinate

HAVA Mirviss-Carvajal (pictured) is one of five new students entering the Leo Baeck (LBC) rabbinical training programme this month.

The 28-year-old – who was born in New York and raised in London, with Litvak and Conversa heritage – is a member of Oaks Lane Reform Synagogue (formerly SWESRS).

She said: “I am beyond excited to be a humble part of the vibrant future of Jewish life in the UK.”

LBC is a pre-eminent institution of Jewish scholarship and learning. The overwhelming majority of Liberal and Reform Judaism rabbis in the UK, and

Southend walk in a good cause

MARKING part of their 70th anniversary celebrations, £4,000 was raised by and on behalf of the Aid Society by Southend and Westcliff Hebrew Congregation’s warden Geoffrey Pepper.

Proceeds are ringfenced towards the Garden Project at the Jewish Care Shebson Lodge Community Centre in Cobham Road, Westcliff. The project is designed to improve the wellbeing of the residents` in quiet peaceful contemplation.

After Geoffrey`s walk – on which he was accompanied by ‘minder’ and former long-time Aid Society chair Jeffrey Greenstein – a reception was given by the Aid Society, attended by many guests including SWHC`s Rabbi Hyman and Southend Mayor Cllr Stephen Habermel.

The Aid Society is a voluntary charity that raise funds locally for elderly Jewish people in need in the City of Southend and the surrounding district, in conjunction with Jewish Care.

many abroad, trained there.

Students spend five years at the College training for the rabbinate. The depth and intensity of the programme is a reflection of the centrality of the College in the life of the Progressive Jewish world in the UK and Europe.

Also joining the rabbinical programme for 2023 are Reform synagogue members Rachel Berkson, Emily Carp and Dr Jennifer Verson, as well as Tim Motz, who will be studying at the College as a Masorti student.

LBC principal Rabbi Dr Deborah Kahn-Harris said: “Progressive Judaism and our communities across the UK and beyond should feel reassured that world class rabbinic training and continuity for our future generations continues to go from strength to strength.

“This is a particularly exciting time for the College as we prepare to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the first ordination of openly LGBTQI+ rabbis in Europe.”

£10,000

for 10,000 kilometres

By MICAELA BLITZ

IN July, a group of 40 people along with a few dogs took part in a 10,000 kilometre fundraising walk to raise £10,000 for The Made with Love Chicken Soup Run.

The walkers started their journey at Chigwell and Hainault United Synagogue and ended up with a welldeserved buffet lunch at Loughton Synagogue, taking in some of their recipients’ homes along the way.

The Made with Love Chicken Soup Run started in 2020 during lockdown delivering home-made Friday night dinners to elderly, disabled or isolated people within the local Essex area.

Since its humble beginnings working out of someone’s kitchen, the venture has expanded and now operates out of Loughton Synagogue

where, every Thursday, Lesley Adams and her army of volunteers make and prepare a nutritious, wholesome threecourse meal which is then delivered to over 200 homes in the local area.

Each ‘goody bag’ consists of chicken soup (with kneidlach, lockshen and vegetables), a savoury dish, fruit salad, a sliced challah and other goodies. For many recipients, it is also a lifeline and a chance to interact with others.

Recipients pay £6 for a meal, a heavily discounted cost, meaning that fundraising is essential to ensure the continuation of the scheme.

If you’d like to donate or want to find out more about volunteering or how to receive a meal, please contact Lesley Adams on 07956 902 177.

Essex youth enjoy JLGB summer camp

JLGB Summer Camp 2023 was a resounding success, bringing together young Jewish participants (school years 7-13) from all across the UK, Europe and Israel.

Highlights included basketball, bhangra dancing, fencing, an adventure course, kit cars, caving, a murder mystery evening, talent show, paddle boarding and an aqua assault course.

The enthusiasm and dedication of the youngsters was matched by a surprise visit from JLGB president,

The Lord Levy, who met and thanked the young participants and volunteer leaders for their hard work.

Camp director Linda Diamond

MBE said: “These young campers truly showed the power of unity, resilience, and creativity. We are incredibly proud of every participant and grateful for the support from our all our volunteers, activity providers and pastoral teams. Their passion and enthusiasm have made this Summer Camp journey an exceptional experience for all.”

Southend’s Mayor Cllr Stephen Habermel greets Geoffrey Pepper at Shebson Lodge - picture by Derek Silverstone

Keeping the memory alive at IFS

ILFORD Federation Synagogue held a gathering for members of the community to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising (pictured).

With 30 members attending, we tuned in to the Jewish Care Yom HaShoah YouTube service which showed some very moving clips from

Chabad quiz raises £1,200

Chabad Buckhurst Hill hosted a summer supper and quiz, which raised more than £1,200 for the centre.

The event was hosted by Rachel Abrahams from www.weeklyquiz.co.uk

and included a range of questions on categories including general knowledge, film and sport. Laraine Warren and the volunteer catering team at Chabad provided the food. The winning team are pictured.

Rafi wows in Woodford

Holocaust survivors. There were also beautiful choral recitals, music and poignant speeches, from amongst others, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis. Following the conclusion of the aired service, three commemorative yellow candles were lit. This was followed by refreshments provided by The Ladies Guild.

Buckhurst Hill BBQ in memory of Barbara

By SIMON ROTHSTEIN

Rafi Sandford and Rabbi Mordechai Wollenberg

RAFI Sandford and Rabbi Mordechai Wollenberg united for the first ever Woodford Forest United Synagogue Tu B’Shevat Concert.

The 15-year-old singer, who was accompanied by the rabbi on piano, opened the concert with Yerushalayim Shel Zahav and continued with such favourites as Hinei Ma Tov, Moshiach and a rousing final chorus of Adon

JEWISH CARE celebrated

Volunteers Week by thanking all those who make it possible for the charity to run an amazing programme of activities in Essex.

Helping out at Jewish Care’s

Olam. There was also a special guest appearance from Eitan Fleischer. The synagogue’s Paula Saffer said: “Anyone who has had the pleasure of hearing Rafi sing will know what a wonderful voice he has. It was a special evening of music, 15 fruits and spiritual warmth – spent with friends and congregants. We look forward to this becoming a regular annual event at our welcoming shul.”

Redbridge Jewish Community Centre, these wonderful volunteers support members of the community to socialise and be active and stimulated by everything on offer there.

AJEWISH man from Buckhurst Hill put on a fundraising BBQ that raised more than £2,000 for St Clare Hospice.

Ellard Swillman, a member of Chabad Buckhurst Hill, first invited friends and neighbours from his block of flats over when the Tour de France passed by his balcony in 2015. With everyone deciding to chip in for food, they unexpectedly turned a small profit which was donated to charity. Ellard then decided to make it an annual tradition – adding a raffle and advertising it more widely – only missing one year, due to the pandemic.

He said: “We have now grown to 82 guests – which was a very good number as there are only 24 flats in our block – and everyone was so generous.”

This year’s event had special poignancy, as Ellard recently lost his beloved wife Barabara and raised the money in her memory.

He added: “It has been a very hard year for me, losing Barbara to cancer after a courageous fight. The support I had from St Clare Hospice was just amazing. They were there for me, and our three daughters, 24 hours a day and assisted in helping Barbara fulfil her last wish, which was to be at home.”

Ellard Swillman, second left, and his fellow fundraisers

Thoughts from our communal leaders

BY CHIEF RABBI EPHRAIM MIRVIS CHIEF RABBI OF THE UNITED HEBREW CONGREGATIONS OF THE COMMONWEALTH

THE TERM ‘Yamim Noraim’ (Days of Awe) contains within it the key to transformative living. Unetaneh

Tokef, at the heart of our High Holy Days Musaph prayers, commences: “Let us now proclaim the power of this day, for it is aweinspiring…”

Awe is an emotion that is often elusive and fleeting, but when experienced, it can be unforgettable and life-altering.

Dacher Keltner, Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, defines awe as the experience of “vast mysteries”. In a widely acclaimed paper, written together with the noted social psychologist, Jonathan Haidt, Keltner identifies five spheres of experience which give rise to the feeling of awe.

1. Threat. When we encounter someone or something which has the power of life and death, such as a powerful natural disaster.

2. Beauty. When we see a striking piece of art or place of rare natural splendour.

3. Ability. When we appreciate in someone or something, an extraordinary talent.

4. Virtue. When we experience extraordinary acts of goodness which inspire us.

5. Supernatural Causality. When we feel the manifestation of the Divine in our lives.

Fascinatingly, these spheres of experience combine in the most extraordinary way on our Days of Awe.

Standing before our Creator on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, we meditate upon our mortality and the gift of life. We are struck by the beauty of the sea of white in our shuls and the rousing melodies of our prayers.

We recognise in Hashem the capacity to help shape our lives and His boundless virtue to forgive us, no matter how frequently we err. Above all, our Days of Awe enable us to experience the hand of Hashem on our shoulders, comforting us, guiding us, and pushing us to fulfil our potential.

Significantly, in an extraordinary series of studies, Professor Keltner showed that people who had reported experiencing more awe in their lives, were more charitable and more altruistic.

Reflecting on these studies, he wrote, “awe imbues people with a different sense of themselves, one that is smaller, humbler and part of something larger.

In the great balancing act of our social lives, between the gratification of self-interest and a concern for others, fleeting experiences of awe redefine the self in terms of the collective, and orient our actions towards the needs of those around us.”

No wonder, therefore, that our Unetaneh Tokef prayer concludes with a call to engage in prayer, penitence and charity.

With this in mind, may our forthcoming Yamim Noraim filled with heartfelt introspection and awe, inspire us to be more compassionate, more giving and more connected to our fellows.

Let us strive to live each day with a renewed sense of purpose and a deep appreciation for the awe-inspiring moments that await us.

Valerie and I wish you all a shana tova umetukah, filled with awe and bountiful blessings.

BY BY RABBI KATH VARDI AND RABBI ROBYN ASHWORTH-STEEN CO-CHAIRS OF THE ASSEMBLY OF REFORM RABBIS AND CANTORS

Maybe it is the haunting melody of Avinu Malkeinu or the sweet taste of apple and honey which signals to you that you are entering the High Holy Days. Or perhaps it is the sound of the shofar, piercing your soul, which calls to you?

The mitzvah of the shofar is an intriguing one. One may think that the person who said the blessing and blew the shofar would have fulfilled that mitzvah. Certainly, given how difficult the instrument is to blow, that would make some sense. But for the mitzvah of the shofar to be fulfilled the sound of the shofar must be heard (bRosh Hashanah 27b). Not the echo of the sound, but the full sound. And more than that, the person hearing the call of the shofar must intend to hear the sound – it has to be an active listening.

What can this mean for us on Yom Teruah – the day of shofar sounding – on Rosh Hashanah? It means, as we enter this year of 5784, we are fully attentive. With a shofar blast each day of the month of Elul and 100 blasts on Rosh Hashanah itself we must listen, time and time again. But what are we listening for? What is the shofar calling us to? What slumber is it waking us up from?

As we listen the various notes of the shofar we will, no doubt, hear an orchestra of sounds and rememberings.

Tekiah (the full note) – we may think of joyous moments in our lives, miraculous times, babies born, new jobs, victorious football matches, quiet meaningful moments walking through nature.

Sh’varim (a tripartite broken sound) – we may start to hear the brokenness – the stories we’ve read or experienced as our own around the cost of living crisis and poverty, deaths in the family, the endings of relationships, the horror of the deaths on our shores as asylum seekers desperately attempted to find safety. Then

T’ruah (a series of short, broken notes), everything breaks open and we hear the cry from our earth – over-heating, boiling and

suffering – we wake up to the part we have played and on the birthday of the world (Yom Harat Olam/Rosh Hashanah) we grieve.

Yet, as Rabbi Arthur Green teaches, we end our blasts with the full, complete note once again – Tekiah. We end Rosh Hashanah and the sound of the shofar with tentative hope – the hope you can only get when you are with community, when you’ve truly heard the calls – the wholeness and the brokenness – and we can enter the year transformed and called to do our bit for the redemption and healing of our world – tikkun olam

BY RABBI ARYEH SUFRIN MBE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CHABAD LUBAVITCH NORTH EAST LONDON & ESSEX

DURING the course of this past year, the greater majority of the nation experienced a first in 70 years – the coronation of our King –King Charles III. With Royalty at our helm, we are fortunate to appreciate the concept of a Sovereign leader, perhaps more so than most other countries.

A basic theme of Rosh Hashanah is that it achieves the coronation of G-d, as King of Israel and King of the universe, as we express in our prayers: “Reign over the entire world!”

This request, implies our readiness to place oneself in a state of full conformity with the Divine Sovereignty, that one is prepared to utterly submit to the Divine king, to the point that one’s entire being and all that one has, is the king’s alone.

In numerous circles today, there is a growing trend towards self-sufficiency and independence. Not only in regard to material matters but also ideological matters too, resulting in an increasing unwillingness to submit to the established order, to accept things before they are fully understood. This seems to be a challenge to the basic theme of Rosh Hashanah, that being the total submission to the King of Kings.

Notwithstanding the above, we have the axiom that G-d does not demand of any person that which is beyond their capacity.

Indeed, there is a special quality to this need of acceptance in our time. When a person who does not as a rule, surrender their independence and convictions is convinced that, they must recognise and submit to a higher authority, their decision is now made on a deeper and more fundamental level. In this way it yields an absolute commitment, which is achievable by all of mankind.

Through deep introspection, even they can look forward to the blessings that we all need and desire which we beseech from A-mighty G-d for a Shana Tova in all respects.

Let’s hear the sound of the Shofar and allow it to resonate as deep as each of us require. May we all be blessed for a year of health, happiness and prosperity.

BY RABBI REBECCA BIRK CO-CHAIR OF THE CONFERENCE OF LIBERAL RABBIS AND CANTORS

IHAVE found myself taking incessant photos of apple trees, fallen apples, boughs heavy with reddening apples.

I am enchanted by them all. I love that they represent the new year for us, their roundness and wholeness and the way they grow and ripen just as we arrive at Rosh Hashanah. And then their sweetness as we eat them with honey. So that every year we’ll say to each other around our holiday tables, at kiddush, why don’t we eat this combination the rest of the year?

But even better than the apples and honey is the invitation offered by Rosh Hashanah and the High Holy Days season to arrive refreshed and renewed for the New Year. Every cycle gives us this opportunity.

Tradition encourages a cheshbon hanafesh, an accounting of the soul that can be self-searching and selfevaluation that should inform our thoughts on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and the days between. And that, said Maimonides, is what the shofar is calling us to.

The world is on fire, literally and figuratively, in so many ways. Identifying our own intentions and hopes for the New Year publicly and privately is important.

David Brooks, a New York Times columnist wrote what became a best seller, The Road to Character, in which he distinguishes between what he calls the CV résumé virtues and the eulogy virtues.

That is those virtues we hone and polish in our work and career and then those that have more lasting value. The latter are, he said, what we should all be focusing upon.

“We live,” he writes, “in a society that encourages us to think about how to have a great career, but leaves many of us inarticulate about how to cultivate the inner life.”

Jewish tradition encourages us to live a life of integrity and balance and the reset button is no more available than in this season of the New Year. We need confidence and thoughtfulness. Humility and pride.

Rabbi Bunam of Przysucha said everyone must have two pockets. In one, should be the words ‘for my sake was the world created’, and in the other ‘I am but dust and ashes’.

As we reflect, reevaluate and renew, may this be a good, a storing, healthy and brave year for us in all ways.

Shanah Tovah U’Metukah. May 5784 be sweet for all of us.

BY RABBI RONI TABICK RABBI OF NEW STOKE NEWINGTON MASORTI SHUL

WITH the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, and the coronation of King Charles III, the image of royalty has been much on my mind over the last couple of years. I remember seeing people getting incredibly excited about the trumpets blown for the king’s accession, finding them to be moving and powerful. They reminded me of what the shofar of Rosh Hashanah is all about.

We blow the horns on Rosh Hashanah to announce the coming of the sovereign, not a human ruler but a divine sovereign, above all mortal beings. We don’t blow trumpets made by human beings but the primal horn of an animal, connecting us to the natural world in a deep and profound way.

We emphasise the theme of royalty a lot over the High Holy Days. The traditional shacharit service begins with a powerful HaMelech - the sovereign. One of the most beloved prayers is Avinu Malkeinu, where we call upon God as parent and ruler of the world.

However, even if we may have gained some insight into the pomp and circumstance of royalty these past couple of years, Jewish tradition rather reinforces the difference between human rulers and God as the supreme ruler of everything.

Many Rabbinic stories, midrashim, use the parable of a human ruler, with the phrase “Melech basar ve’dam” a king of flesh and blood. Most of these midrashim use the earthly monarch to contrast with God.

What does all of this teach us?

It’s an important reminder of who is really in charge, where our loyalty really lies.

When I was ordained, my mother, Rabbi Jackie Tabick, blessed me that I should always remember “Who you really work for”. This is true for all of us. No matter what your partner says, your boss says, the Prime Minister says, the King says - we don’t really work for them. We really work for the Supreme Sovereign of Sovereigns. God is ultimately our manager, and we will all have to report to God in time.

In this world we’re often told what we can and can’t do, but in the end our duty is to be true to God’s teachings, to a higher calling of morality. It isn’t ever enough to say you were just doing what you were told, but you’ll have to justify why you didn’t respond to the call of the supreme sovereign.

May this year be a year when all of us remember who we truly work for.

What the Board of Deputies can do for you

By SARA RADIVAN REGIONAL MANAGER, BOARD OF DEPUTIES OF BRITISH JEWS

IAM delighted to be offering my first article for the Essex Jewish News and I hope to have a regular slot so you can all be informed and updated about the excellent work the Board of Deputies undertakes on behalf of the entire UK Jewish community.

Some communities in Essex and East Anglia have Deputy representation on the Board and I am in regular communication with them. Recently I contacted all those who do not have representation suggesting that it would be in their best interests to elect a Deputy and join the Board.

The Jewish Living Experience Exhibition continues to “travel the country” and is soon heading to Beth Shalom Reform Synagogue in Cambridge. It will also go to Manchester, Borehamwood, Tameside, Bromley, Hounslow, Brighton and Cardiff. If you would like the exhibition to come to Essex, please get in touch with me and we can arrange a date. My contact details are at the end of this article.

The Board of Deputies was delighted that our chief executive Michael Wegier had a slot at the Liberal Judaism Biennial Weekend and delivered a presentation on the excellent work the Board undertakes on behalf of British Jewry. He told how we liaise with the Government on a range of issues – including antisemitism, Israel and religious

practice, welfare and social issues – and meets with Members of Parliament, civil society and other faith groups throughout the UK at national, regional and local level to discuss the welfare of the Jewish community in this country.

I was delighted to attend the recent Board of Deputies’ event at Bevis Marks Synagogue at which the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby was interviewed by historian and novelist Simon Sebag-Montefiore. It was wonderful to see many Deputies and members of different communities at this event and hear the Archbishop speak about the ongoing fight against antisemitism, the care that universities should have for their Jewish students and the historic relationship between the Church and the Jewish community. It really was a wonderful event and I managed to have a chat with the Archbishop.

I assisted the social justice committee in the planning of the BoDCast ‘In Conversation’ event between the Board chief executive Michael Wegier and Enver Solomon, executive director of the Refugee Council, in honour of Refugee Week. Vice president Edwin Shuker opened the event and Amos Schonfield delivered the vote of thanks. The BoDCast can be found on our YouTube channel.

Regular virtual meetings continue to be convened for the regional Jewish Representative Councils bringing their chairs and/or presidents together where information is shared. These meetings are beneficial and informative with the Board of Deputies offering support, advice and assistance where necessary, and regional Jewish Representative Councils learn and share ideas with each other.

We are delighted to welcome Daniel Rosenberg, chair of the Essex Jewish Community Council, to these meetings.

At our latest meeting, which took place in early September, vice president Edwin Shuker shared information regarding the Commission on Racial Inclusivity in the Jewish Community and its implementation with the regional JRCs.

I continue to arrange for the Board of Deputies’ president and honorary officers to visit communities around the UK. These include vice president Amanda Bowman delivering a presentation at Oaks Lane Reform Synagogue (previously known as South West Essex and Settlement Reform Synagogue) on the evening of Wednesday 13 September.

The Board of Deputies is the representative organisation for the whole Jewish community through the UK and supports communities,

small and large, wherever they are –ensuring British Jews can live freely, safely and happily and continue to practise their traditions. But we can only do this work with the help of communities and Deputies across the UK.

There is no facet of Jewish life, region or denomination where the Board of Deputies does not advocate on behalf of the community. With growing challenges, we need a strong voice. It is only with the support and payment of the Communal Contribution that the Board of Deputies can continue to work to secure the future of the Jewish community. The Board of Deputies encourages and thanks all those who pay the Communal Contribution of £30 per year with their synagogue membership.

This communal contribution greatly assists the Board of Deputies to protect and advocate for the whole UK Jewish community. If you would like to give an additional donation, payments of any size can be made at https://bit.ly/Donate-BoD

On behalf of all at the Board of Deputies of British Jews, I take this opportunity to wish the Essex and East Anglia Jewish Community a happy New Year and an easy fast.

• You can contact Sara about any of the above on sara.radivan@ bod.org.uk or 0616 676 8980.

Sara Radivan with Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby - picture by Nicholas Posner

A Rosh Hashanah message from the President

ROSH HASHANAH MESSAGE - TISHRI 5784

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.

ThisThis Rosh Hashanah, I would like to focus on two wonderful events which demonstrate the esteem in which the Jewish community is held in this country. The first of these was the coronation of King Charles III in May. I was privileged to be invited to represent the Jewish community at the coronation. The King has said on a number of occasions that he wishes to be the ‘protector of faiths’ and he has been as good as his word. Having experienced King Charles’ warmth towards our community on several occasions, I know he will be a wonderful monarch both for the Jewish community and the wider nation. I wish him much success.

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.

Leading the service on that day was the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. We were delighted that he accepted our invitation to be interviewed by historian and novelist Simon Sebag Montefiore at Bevis Marks Synagogue this summer. We invited every Board of Deputies-affiliated synagogue to send representatives to this wonderful event. The Archbishop spoke with great passion of his personal commitment to fighting antisemitism, the duty of care that universities have for their Jewish students and the historic relationship between the Church and the Jewish community. His views were both heartfelt and heartwarming for all who were there.

The Board’s key work is in two areas. Firstly, we engage with politicians, civil society, and other faith groups throughout the UK at national, regional and local level, sharing with them the Jewish community’s views about a wide range of topics including antisemitism, Israel, religious practice and social issues. Secondly, we work proactively to advance causes of great concern to our community. For example, we run Pikuach (The Jewish Ofsted) to inspect our Jewish schools, helping to ensure they provide an excellent Jewish education. We also

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.

have our Jewish Living Experience Exhibition, which is travelling around the country educating children and adults about the Jewish way of life, and we are developing a new on-line digital programme to teach non-Jewish children around the UK about Jews, Judaism, Israel and antisemitism.

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.

There are still threats to the safety of our community. We have previously campaigned successfully to have both Hezbollah and Hamas proscribed in their entirety as terrorist organisations. We strongly believe that the Government has a duty to ban the state-sponsored terror group the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In July we held an event in Parliament which featured impassioned evidence from advocates of proscription.

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.

There is still bias against Israel in the media. One particularly egregious example occurred recently when a BBC News presenter, in an interview with former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, said that “Israeli forces are happy to kill children”. We contacted the BBC’s Director General to protest in the strongest possible terms. On this occasion the BBC apologised swiftly for the unacceptable language, but we must continue to be vigilant and proactive.

This is but a snapshot of the extensive and varied work the Board of Deputies carries out for the Jewish community. We do all this on an extremely modest budget, largely funded by your communal contribution. We are very grateful for your support; please know that whatever your interests or concerns as members of our community, the Board of Deputies is here to advocate on your behalf.

Shana Tovah

I wish everyone a Shana Tovah and a happy year ahead.

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

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

ILFORD

FEDERATION SYNAGOGUE

2a Clarence Avenue, Ilford, Essex IG2 6JH Tel: 0208 554 5289

Rabbi & Rebbetzen Singer, The Honorary Officers, Board of Management and our Community send greetings to all EJN readers for a Healthy and Peaceful New Year.

New Essex Masorti Synagogue wishes the community a happy, healthy, peaceful & sweet 5784

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 email: nemasorti@hotmail.com or phone: 07922 090180

Greetings from ROMFORD & DISTRICT (AFFILIATED) SYNAGOGUE

(Incorporating Havering Jewish Ladies) 25 EASTERN ROAD, ROMFORD, ESSEX RM1 3NH 01708 741690, 01708 748199 or 01708 765117

Rabbi Lee Sunderland, the Honorary Officers and Congregation wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year and Well Over the Fast

East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue

Rabbi Yanky & Rebbetzen Rochel and family,

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

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.

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

We welcome non-members to all our High Holy Day Services. For details please contact the Synagogue Office.

Telephone: 020 8989 7619 administrator@elels.org.uk www.elels.org.uk

Telephone: 020 8989 7619 administrator@elels.org.uk www.elels.org.uk

Southend and District Reform Synagogue 851 London Road Westcliff-on-Sea Essex SS0 9SZ Telephone 01702 711663 www.southendreform.org.uk

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

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.

Harlow

High Holy Day services will be held in the synagogue

Happy New Year and well over the Fast

The team at the Essex Jewish News wish all our readers a Happy New Year

Rabbi & Rebbetzin Goodwin, the honorary officers and synagogue council together with our pre-school nursery wish all readers of the Essex Jewish News a Happy New Year

Rabbi Geoffrey & Rebbetzen Michelle Hyman along with the Board of Management of Southend and Westcliff Hebrew Congregation warmly wish the Community and all EJN Readers a Happy New Year & well over the fast.

ובוטקת הבוט הנש'ל

from Southend and Westcliff Hebrew Congregation

The Shul by the Sea

Have you considered moving here? Our friendly, modern-orthodox community will ensure you have a warm welcome. Low house prices, great schools and transport links to London. Our Shul has a large premises with a kosher shop, Daily Minyan, a cheder and many clubs and societies. A great quality of life is awaiting you in Southend! 01702 344900 | shuloffice @ swhc.org.uk | www.swhc.org.uk Finchley Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, SS0 8AD

Rabbi Steven & Rebbetzen Siobhan Dansky, Reverend Gary & Gillian Newman, the Executive and Synagogue Council look forward to seeing you and wish the whole Community Shana Tova

V’Gmar Chatima Tova

wish all of our friends and supporters a very happy and healthy Rosh Hashanah

On behalf of Executive Directors:

Rabbi Aryeh MBE & Devorah Sufrin of Chabad Gants Hill

Rabbi Odom & Henny Brandman of Chabad Buckhurst Hill

Rabbi Yossi & Rivkah Posen of Chabad Epping

Rabbi Tzvi & Mushkie Birnhack of Chabad Southend-on-Sea

Gants Hill: www.chabadilford.co.uk

Buckhurst Hill: www.chabadonthehill.co.uk

Epping: www.chabadepping.co.uk

Southend: www.chabadsouthend.co.uk

Limes Avenue, Limes Farm Estate, Chigwell, Essex IG7 5NT

22 Beehive Lane, Ilford, Essex, IG1 3RT

‘The warm and welcoming Synagogue’

81a Marlborough Road, London, E4 9AL Rabbi & Rebbetzen Kahan and Family, The Honorary Officers and Synagogue Council, wish all its members and readers of the Essex Jewish News a happy and peaceful New Year and well over the fast. We would be delighted to welcome you to all our High Holy Day and weekly Shabbat Services.

For details please contact the Synagogue on 07973 662867 office@hpcshul.org.uk

The warm and welcoming synagogue

Highams Park and Chingford Synagogue opened its doors in 1937.

The management of the synagogue was reformed earlier this year. The new council were keen to introduce more social activities and with this in mind, planned a quiz night for early September and for further events to be held in the new year.

The synagogue holds weekly Shabbat services, an annual communal Seder service and dinner and embraces all the Jewish High Holy Days and festivals with enthusiasm.

It is our hope that we may now attract many more members of the community to help us celebrate all these occasions and to keep the synagogue thriving.

A quarter of a century of interfaith dialogue

By DR EMMA HARRIS

TWENTY FIVE years ago, in 1998, a young University of Cambridge PhD student had the audacious idea of starting an institute to foster understanding between Judaism and Christianity. If we understood one another better, he reasoned, we would resolve conflict so much better. We might even learn to avoid it.

And so, the Centre for JewishChristian Relations was born.

The student, Ed Kessler, got his PhD and became its director – and the nascent centre grew to embrace the study of Islam and become the Woolf Institute.

This year, we have seen the celebration of a quarter of a century of interfaith dialogue and academic research in a place unlike any other; a safe space in an academic environment to discuss the difficult issues, confront the challenges and share the solutions.

Shortly after the CJCR was founded, the Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations was added in response to the attacks on the twin towers in September 2001. This was the first centre in Europe dedicated to fostering a better understanding of relations between Muslim and Jews. In 2010, these Centres were amalgamated under the designation Woolf Institute, in honour of Harry, Lord Woolf, former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales.

Today, under the leadership of Dr Esther-Miriam Wagner, the Woolf Institute is a thriving centre in Cambridge, with links to the University and St Edmund’s College, teaching students from all over the world and leading research into topics as diverse and challenging as

forgiveness and future-building in faith, religious diversity in end of life care, the integration of immigrants into society, faith in mental health and a wide range of academic research into Jewish-Christian and Jewish-Muslim history.

The Institute’s Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, led the celebrations in May at a dinner in St James’s Palace where graduate students and researchers talked about their research and around 150 trustees and supporters gathered to enjoy themselves and acknowledge why the Woolf is needed more today than ever.

And as Dr Ed Kessler MBE turned 60, we held a celebratory day for him attended by alumni from all over the world and his original co-founder Revd Professor Martin Forward.

It was an opportunity to recall the early days when the very idea of a centre for interfaith dialogue caused disbelief among some, cynicism among many, when the first small office with shared desks was replaced by bigger spaces and then finally, the beautiful building occupied today on the site of the Westminster College campus in Cambridge.

The extraordinary white marble sculpture by Helaine Blumenfeld OBE, Tree of Life: Encounter stands on the lawn in front of the building, a symbol of beauty and optimism which represents the ethos of the Woolf Institute. But it is the people who teach and study here who provide the pulse of the place. Jews, Christians, Muslims and those of no faith, talking and learning from each other, confronting the difficult, understanding the differences and embracing the shared.

The Woolf Institute building

MIKE turns

Celebrating four decades of Jewish Care’s youth leadership programme

THIS month, Jewish Care will celebrate 40 years since it launched its first youth leadership programme, now known as MIKE, right here in Essex.

Then called the Junior Leaders Training Programme, it began at Jewish Care’s Redbridge Jewish Community Centre (Sinclair House).

In the four decades since, MIKE (which stands for Motivation, Inspiration, Knowledge and Education) has created numerous leaders in our Jewish community, both in the UK and globally.

Alumni of the programme include Daniel Carmel-Brown, Raymond Simonson, David Davidi-Brown and Lisa Wimborne, all currently communal chief executives. There’s also Richard Shone, Ellisa Estrin, Jamie Field, Robert Berg and Jayne Wise, who all hold senior roles in their relevant organisations in the UK, New Zealand and Australia.

Those taking part in MIKE learn leadership skills from their peers and as they move through the stages of the programme, becoming educators themselves.

Each session is taught in an informal environment, with an overall objective to enable young people to become the next generation of leaders of the community, either in a lay or professional capacity.

Jewish Care designed the programme to empower and educate participants whilst fostering leadership skills, encourage personal growth, and promote community engagement.

Today, MIKE begins in year 9 of secondary school going up to Year 13 and beyond. The programme offers great opportunities for participants and graduates with weekly sessions delivered by the youth services leads and programme graduates who have the

opportunity to become part time youth workers.

The aim of the programme is to provide the participants with weekly leadership training and experience for them then to volunteer at Jewish Care resources in Redbridge and the organisation is building on the success and is opening a new programme in South Hertfordshire/Stanmore at Jewish Care’s Sandringham.

The sessions give the chance for participants to engage in interactive workshops and seminars that cover a wide range of leadership topics. These sessions may include communication skills, team building, problem-solving,

decision-making, and goal setting.

MIKE emphasises personal growth and self-awareness. They are encouraged to explore their values, strengths, and areas for improvement, fostering a sense of self-confidence and identity. Another focus is community engagement, the programme encourages participants to connect with and contribute to their communities including volunteering opportunities. Through these activities, participants develop empathy, social responsibility, and a sense of belonging.

As part of the Programme, there is a residential weekend, involving a crash course in leadership and allowing participants to bond together. There are

MIKE graduates – community leaders for today and for the future

Jewish Care deputy chair Gayle Klein:

“I’m so proud, as both a trustee and community fundraiser of Jewish Care, to have been involved with the organisation from a young age and to have been part of this amazing programme myself. It’s no understatement to say that the Redbridge Jewish Community Centre and the MIKE youth leadership programme have shaped me as a person, developing my own strong Jewish identity and personal commitment to the Jewish community and communal life.”

Jewish Blind and Disabled CEO Lisa Wimborne:

“This programme helped me develop skills that would set me up for my future. Skills that you can’t learn in a classroom. The programme has become a breeding ground for future leaders working in both professional and lay leadership roles. There are many chief executives I work alongside who have gone through the MIKE youth leadership programme.”

JW3 CEO Raymond Simonson:

“I am so proud of the opportunities I’ve been given to serve the community in leadership roles. There is absolutely no question where the crucial start of this journey began for me – at Redbridge Jewish Youth & Community Centre (aka Sinclair House) as a teenager who the community invested in with youth leadership training and development. The many years of leadership training, and opportunities to put it into practice, that I received gave me the skills, knowledge and confidence to take on more and more senior leadership roles, and kick started my career in the community. It’s no coincidence that so many of my Redbridge friends who I shared those experiences with are now teachers, social workers and community leaders, all still utilising the tools that we were given and that we sharpened during our Sinclair House years.”

Jewish Care CEO Daniel Carmel-Brown:

“The programme is unique in inspiring the next generation and engaging hundreds of young people in volunteering and peer leadership from an early age, it’s a shining example of the positive contribution young people can and do make

to our community and wider society. I’m incredibly grateful for my own experiences as a participant in the youth leadership programme which was an amazing springboard setting me on my career path in programming and supporting people in the community of all ages and giving me so many of the essential relevant skills required to lead.”

Jewish Care Director of marketing, communications and customer engagement Ellisa Estrin:

“As well as giving me an incredible foundation in leadership and life skills, I also made and met some of my best friends for life during my teenage years at RJCC, so I have a lot to be grateful for from the programme and am so pleased to see MIKE go from strength to strength.”

Jewish Care’s youth services lead Jamie Shone:

“The MIKE programme has played an instrumental role in shaping who I am today, and I carry a deep sense of pride and excitement in being able to contribute to its legacy. It’s a heartwarming feeling to know that I am now in a position to give back to the local community that has been such a crucial part of my growth and

also trips for different year groups and this year MIKE programme participants went on a cultural and educational visit to Amsterdam.

The 2023 MIKE youth leadership awards evening was held on 4 September, recognising the dedication of inspiring young leaders who are participants in the programme. Abigail Saltman was the proud recipient of the Saul Keene Award for Excellence in Youth Leadership, presented by Nettie and Danny Keene.

• To register your interest or for more information, please email youthservices@jcare.org or call Jewish Care on 07795 952 076.

development. As we come up to celebrating its 40th anniversary, it’s a testament to the programme’s enduring impact on countless young lives like mine.” And one to watch for the future… Abigail Saltman:

“I have been involved in Jewish Care for the past five years, with their MIKE leadership scheme. It is a fantastic programme which looks to motivate, inspire and educate local youth in the Jewish community and become the next generation of leaders. It has given me the confidence to run workshops for young children, represent my school and speak at public events, and the opportunity to volunteer and help.”

In August, Abigail took a leap from the skies at 10,000ft in a Skydive to fundraise for Jewish Care’s new development in Redbridge. She added: “I decided it was about time I overcame my fear of heights. I was so relieved everything went well and rewarding to know that I’ve raised money for such a great charity.”

Jewish Care MIKE volunteer award winners and graduates with Jewish Care staff and CEO Daniel Carmel-Brown

Simcha pictures

Oliver Craine was barmitzvah at Chigwell and Hainault United Synagogue

Picture by Karen Zetter

Harrison Phillips was barmitzvah at Chigwell and Hainault United Synagogue

Picture by Leivi Saltman

Harrison Bick was barmitzvah at Chigwell and Hainault United Synagogue

Picture by Tom Nocci (Tom & Tale Photography)

Sammy Geist was barmitzvah at Chigwell and Hainault United Synagogue

Picture by Tom Nocci (Tom & Tale Photography)

Zack Steinberg was barmitzvah at Woodford Forest United Synagogue

Picture by Paul Ross Photography

Zac Rose was barmitzvah at Chigwell and Hainault United Synagogue

Picture by James Shaw

Lewis Hurst was barmitzvah at Chabad Buckhurst Hill

Picture by Keith Gold

Rhys Tabor was barmitzvah at Oaks Lane Reform Synagogue (SWESRS)

Picture by Tom Nocci (Tom & Tale Photography)

Mendel Wollenberg was barmitzvah at Woodford Forest United Synagogue

Jemima and Daisy Lee were batmitzvah at Chigwell and Hainault United Synagogue

Picture by Susan Geist

Four weddings at ELELS

Marriage has been on the agenda at East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue (ELELS) this year.

Michelle Manning and David Lang were married by Rabbi Richard Jacobi at Blake Hall in Ongar (picture 1), as were Helena Martin and Adam Phillips – whose nuptials took place at Offley Place, Hitchin (picture 2).

Rabbi Richard Jacobi also conducted wedding blessings for Natasha Daniels and Aaron Sahadevan (picture 3) at North Mymms Park and Jordana Shulman and George Teeboon at Braxted Park (picture

4).

Telling survivor stories through VR

IN AUGUST, one of EJN’s very own, Micaela Blitz, adorned her Producer hat and a nice dress to attend the launch of a film project close to her heart. The event, which took place at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie, debuted three new films produced by Micaela working with UK-based production company, East City Films, on behalf of the museum. The films, created by UK-based are part of a permanent exhibition entitled, The Journey Back and use a combination of virtual reality, alongside animation and personal testimony to share lesser-known stories of three Holocaust survivors.

As Micaela told EJN, “As a VR film, viewers get a much more immersive experience and personal

understanding of the story. For me, when I watch them as a Jew, I think what I would do in those situations.”

The year-long project was filmed on location in Germany, France, The Netherlands, and Shanghai with the survivors, Rodi, Marion and Doris, revisiting significant locations relevant to their individual stories. In Rodi’s film, ‘Walk to Westerbork’, she recounts the experience of her and her family who were sent to Westerbork transit camp. The film also highlights the significant loss of Jews in Western Europe with 75% of the Jewish population of the Netherlands being lost.

Marion’s film, ‘Letters from Drancy’, is one of great personal loss. After her mother is taken to Drancy internment camp, Marion ends up being sent to

stay with a family in Normandy, only discovering her mother’s fate after the war. In the third film, ‘Escape to Shanghai’, Doris tells a lesser known, but important story of her experience of living as a refugee in Shanghai along with 20,000 other Jews for the entirety of the war.

As Micaela told EJN, “These films tell different stories of the Holocaust. Often, when people think about the Holocaust, often they think about Auschwitz, or about concentration camps, but all of these stories show unique experiences and tell personal tales of determination and survival. Being given the chance to bring these stories to life has been a real privilege and a definite career highlight, particularly as a Jewish person.”

The launch was attended by around 120 people including friends and families of the survivors, along with donors, museum trustees and dignitaries representing Germany, The Netherlands and China. Attendees were given the opportunity to view the films in headsets and they were very well received. Each of the three films will be released over the next few months and will remain part of a permanent exhibition at the museum. It is also hoped that the films will be able to be shared with other museums and educational organisations in the US and beyond.

Micaela added: “I hope that these films are able to reach a really wide audience, so that the stories of the Holocaust are not forgotten.”

Micaela and Marion Deichmann (survivor)

Micaela and Doris Fogel (survivor)

Director of one of the films, Mary Matheson with survivor, Rodi Glass and Micaela Blitz

People watching film in headsets in VR gallery

Members of East City Films (Production company), Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center and subjects of the film pose for picture

WIJPS gets a tech upgrade with stunning new suite

WOHL Ilford Jewish Primary School (WIJPS) in Barkingside has marked the culmination of a complete rebuilding and refurbishment process by adding a stunning new tech suite.

The jewel in the crown for WIJP’s incredible improvements, the money was donated by the Goldstein family, formerly of Redbridge and now living in North London.

After a fundraising Chazanut Concert in November 2021 that split the proceeds between the primary and King Solomon High School.

Headteacher Lisa West told us: “The family were delighted when we chose to build the tech suite as something tangible that would benefit pupils directly.

“Dedicated in memory of their parents Ann and Jerry Goldstein, it boasts 32 wireless, touch screen computers. The children have benefitted in so many ways from our state of the art facilities but particularly from this.

“I am so happy to showcase our fantastic, newly refurbished school.

WIJPS is a wonderful school and our ‘Good’ Ofsted last year reaffirmed all that we knew. Staff nurture pupils so that all can flourish here.”

Deborah Harris, lead of Jewish Studies, explained the enthusiasm among pupils and staff for the facility.

She added: “We were still coping with the problems of keeping the school running during the pandemic when freak floods and storms hit this part of Redbridge during last year’s summer break.

“Staff were immediately contacted to come in to view the extensive damage and it left us in despair. Everything was ruined, especially on the ground floor, and we had just four weeks to make the building workable before the next term with no idea where to start.”

But thanks to a united effort they did it – proving every cloudburst has a silver lining – reopening at first with no school hall but instead gathering outside whenever weather permitted for assembly. There was no library as all books were ruined and almost everything on the ground floor was

unusable.

Classes and other vital groups and activities had to be moved to portacabins while major work took place, including installing air conditioning throughout the building. Thank to everyone pulling together the finished result is a modern, airy, streamlined, userfriendly school conducive to even higher levels of educational excellence.

The library is still being re-stocked as part of ongoing improvements including, of course, the Tech Suite in which the Goldstein family have been totally involved throughout.

Pupils have learning sessions each week and the room is also used for research and other projects.

I spoke to a group of pupils for their response to this new facility. They were unanimous in their excitement and approval and agreed how much better the latest desk top models were compared with laptops they’d struggled with in the past.

Nine-year-old Lily, an avid reader, said she was particularly sad that

they’d lost all the books in the library and felt scared and worried that the flood would badly affect her whole school.

She told us: “But using the computers has changed my imagination and after a few months of weekly lessons I’m already very fond of computing.”

Avery, also nine, said: “It’s great fun and will make a huge difference to every aspect of learning in the future.

“I’ve discovered many new aspects such as coding, animation, research and power point which I could never do on my laptop. Luckily my dad has a desk top at home which he lets me use after school.”

Eitan, 10, added, “These computers are a very big upgrade, they load up so much more quickly and stay on. As soon as you type something it goes in without any delays and research is so much easier. I used to find computing boring on my laptop but now I know I’m going to have a good time and get things done!”

By PAT LIDIKER

Head Lisa West with pupils in the newly-resourced sensory room

The stunning new WIJPS tech suite

I wish you a Tweet New Year

BY the time this column appears in the Essex Jewish News I would have received maybe three or four cards wishing me a Shana Tova – a Happy New Year.

VIEW FROM THE SIDELINES

By MANNY ROBINSON

Is mummy’s mummy the best one?

LET’S start an argument. A study of 1,400 children in England and Wales aged 11 to 16 suggested that children got the most love and attention from their grandmother on their mother’s side... and the second most invested grandparent appears to be the grandfather on their mother’s side. Grandmothers on the father’s side come in third suggesting that a child can expect their mother’s mother to be much more involved in their life

than their father’s mother with the paternal grandfather in fourth place.

The results of the study, led by the University of Turku in Finland was published in the journal Biology Letters,

I make no comment but it would be interesting to know whether the Jewish bubba or grandma or whatever a child calls her mother’s mother is really the one who showers most love (and presents) on her grandchildren.

Years ago, I would have received three or four times that number.

But with the price of a postage stamp costing more than the card itself the very idea of wishing someone a personal Happy New Year appears to have gone out of the window.

Instead, I get impersonal greetings on Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter (now known as X) and the rest of the social media, many from people I hardly know.

Once upon a time, a long time ago, a man used to come to our house – and the houses of many others – with an album of Jewish New Year cards. The wording was simple: ‘Happy New Year From....’ and all you had to do was fill in your name.

A dozen printed cards would set you back two shillings and sixpence or, in modern day money, 12 and a half pence. The cards would arrive and you would send them out.

But Rosh Hashanah cards have provided a fascinating picture of Jewish life over the generations – from the shtetls of Poland, Russia and Germany through to the joys of the 1920s in America, the 1940s and beyond from Israel until the present day.

If you think Christmas cards came before Jewish New Year cards, think again! According to the Postal Museum, the first Christmas cards didn’t appear until 180 years ago. Queen Victoria sent out the first Christmas card and the first commercial card wasn’t sent out until 1843.

But the idea of sending Jewish New Year cards dates back to the Middle Ages, predating the Christmas card by centuries.

The custom of sending out Jewish New Year cards was first mentioned in the Book of Customs of Rabbi Jacob, son of Moses Moellin (1360-1427), the spiritual leader of German Jewry. German rabbis recommended that letters sent out by people during the month of Elul should open with the blessing ‘May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.’

Outside Germany and Austria, other Jewish communities like Sephardi and Oriental Jews, have only adopted the custom in recent generations.

So these New Year greetings were written on stationery in German-Jewish communities and it wasn’t until the invention of the postcard in the 1860s that everything changed.

The non-Jewish world started sending Christmas greetings on a postcard and Jewish communities dropped the custom of beginning letters with New Year greetings and used postcards instead.

And this is where we get the fascinating pictorial history of the Jewish diaspora.

From Germany and other parts of Eastern Europe cards were frequently illustrated with biblical themes like tashlich (the symbolic casting off of the sins of the previous year by tossing pieces of bread or other food into a body of flowing water so that the sins are carried away). Other cards depicted the binding of Isaac or views of religious Jews at study.

Modern day New Year cards depict apple and honey or a shofar or, if you get your greeting by e-mail...nothing.

If you are sending a message via X this year, I wish you a Tweet New Year!

“Instead, I get impersonal greetings on Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter (now known as X) and the rest of the social media, many from people I hardly know.”

The Jewish Zodiac Why I would like a Jewish Room 101

THOSE of you who watch television will, I am sure, be familiar with the programme Room 101, so named after the room in Geroge Orwell’s book 1984.

The idea is to bring on a celebrity who will list certain things that irritate them and the host has to decide whether or not that particular item is cast into Room 101.

I wish there was a Jewish Room 101. I have a cupboard full of things that peeve me and, for your information, I list them below:

Please God By You: Elderly aunts don’t say that phrase too much these days but I still hear it said to some teenager at a wedding. The remark can be embarrassing for the youngster. I would ban the greeting by law and into Room 101 it goes.

kick pushed the table legs together. I did assemble a table all by myself on one occasion. Yes, all four legs were on and so was the top. Only trouble was I still had one screw left and had no idea where it was supposed to go.

Matzah: According to the story of the Exodus, Pharoah ordered that the Israelite slaves build bricks without straw as a punishment. You would have thought, therefore, that at Pesach, each participant at the seder would hold a piece of straw to symbolise the suffering of the Israelites. No! Instead, thousands of years later we were told to eat cardboard... or to give it its proper name matzah. I quite enjoy matzah for two or three days. After that my stomach begins to wonder what has happened to real food. So matzah goes into Room 101.

THE Chinese are currently enjoying the Year of the Rabbit. Next year they will be celebrating the Year of the Dragon.

We simply call ours Rosh Hashanah (Head of the Year), but why not name our years after Jewish things?

Here is my Jewish Zodiac and you can check the ‘sign’ you were born under:

THE YEAR OF THE CHICKEN SOUP

1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021

You’re a healer, nourishing all whom you encounter. We feel better just being in your company. Mothers, who all say they make the best of you, want to bring you home to meet their children. Resist this at all costs. Compatible with lokshen and kneidel.

THE YEAR OF THE CHOPPED LIVER

1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022

People either love you or hate you, making you wonder: “What am I, chopped liver?” But don’t get a complex: you’re always welcome on the Jewish High Holy Days.

THE YEAR OF THE TARAMASOLATA

1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023

You always seem to be left behind when people arrive at a home after a funeral or stone setting. Bagel, smoked salmon and event schmaltz herring are always more popular than you. You might think you are in the pink... but you are an acquired taste. Get over it!

THE YEAR OF THE LATKE

1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012

THE YEAR OF THE SMOKED SALMON

1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015

Thin and rich, you are high maintenance. All you want to do is bask in the heat getting some colour. Very happy with bagel. You were almost exclusively a Jewish project but then the wider world got to know you. In America you changed your name to lox. Was that Loxenberg when you first came here off the onion boat?

THE YEAR OF THE ROLL MOP

1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016

Very much like your cousin schmaltz herring, you like to be accompanied by onions. Some think you as an acquired taste, but when you are around you always seem surrounded by friends who like to pick you up. You also go well with bagel. Don’t go to people who have stomach ulcers: you could cause them problems.

THE YEAR OF THE LOKSHEN

1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017

You are often in hot water and are sometimes mistaken for your Italian friend Vermicelli. But you still remain one of the most popular of people. You blend well with your friend kneidel.

THE YEAR OF THE KNEIDEL

1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018

How Are You? Never say that to anyone! Instead of a reply in Yiddish like ‘Azoy’ – meaning I don’t feel too good and I don’t feel too bad – you can end up getting chapter and verse about the person’s hip replacement, dodgy knees, bad chest and a hundred and one other complaints. I need that like a hole in the head.

Flat Packs: While most Jewish people are marvellous at adding and subtraction, English, logic and music, putting something together from scratch somehow seems to elude us. Trying to fathom out where screw A goes into screw B and then meets joint F requires a university degree.

I was reminded of this while speaking to some friends. They had attended a quiz and their table was the only ‘Jewish’ one in the hall. At the end of the quiz, the organisers asked everyone to put the trestle tables away so that the room could be cleared. In minutes, every trestle table was cleared. Except one! The Jewish table members were hacking and tearing their hair out trying to get the table legs down arguing among themselves which way they were to go. Finally, a kindly nonJewish men came over and with one

Thomas the Tank Engine kippah: Well, not just Thomas. That’s great for kids to wear and I have no problem with it. My beef is seeing adults with a kippah – or yarmulke or cupple depending upon how you pronounce it – with the logo of Arsenal, Spurs, Watford or West Ham emblazoned around the edges. What next? A Fiddler on The Roof or maybe Phantom of The Opera kippah. It is supposed to be an item of headwear to show respect in a synagogue. Do we need all the waffle and the wording?

The ‘Best Friend’ speech: This is a relatively new phenomenon at a bar or batmitzvah where one, or usually more than one, boy or girl stands up as the celebrant’s ‘best friend’ and gives chapter and verse about the ‘funny’ things that have happened to them.

Rip-roaring events like getting on a tube at Gants Hill and ending up in Muswell Hill. Cue roars of laughter from the ‘friends’ while the rest of the guests look bemused – especially as the speech usually ends with the words “you will always be my best friend”. As if.

Working class with a grating exterior. You’re a real softie inside: kind of plain naked but when dressed up you’re a real dish! Very popular guy around Chanukah time when Jews like to cook things in oil. Compatible with salt beef.

THE YEAR OF THE BAGEL

1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013

You’re pliable and always bounce back although you feel something’s missing in your centre. If this persists, get some therapy. Compatible with smoked salmon and chopped liver, but you won’t get along well with latke. You became famous in the non-Jewish world after the Second World War. It is annoying when people don’t know how to spell your star sign. Is it Bagel or Beigel or Baygal? Who knows? Who cares?

THE YEAR OF THE PICKLED CUCUMBER

1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014

You’re the perfect sidekick. You have that haimishe touch. Friends love your snappy banter, but you never overshadow them. That shows genuine seasoning from the time you were a little bitty piece. You can be sweet. You can be sour. Marry salt beef: you were made for each other.

People often don’t know what to make of you. Both men and women like to put you onto the table and roll you into little balls and then throw you into boiling water. But when that happens you can puff up like an ostrich. You go very well with lokshen. Indeed, I would say a perfect partnership.

THE YEAR OF THE SALT BEEF

1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031

You are nearly always top of the menu. When you are made up you can be delicious. You always go well with Pickled Cucumber and Latke who are perfect companions. You are also popular in sandwiches but in recent years have become very expensive to take out.

THE YEAR OF THE HORA

1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020

Those born under the sign of the Hora are now quite advanced in age and go to a simcha with a walking stick and complain about their hip, back, knees etc and sit down at the table with a long sigh. Then Hava Nagila starts and you drop the walking stick and bounce onto the floor like a teenager, whirling around in a circle like a dervish. When the music stops, the pain starts again. You are compatible with anyone else with hip, back, knee problems. Indeed, in many instances, you are so well suited that you even take the same pills!

The Interfaith

PERSPECTIVE

By DR EMMA HARRIS

IT is 7.30am. Coffee in hand, I am sitting on a bench in the early June sunshine with my back facing the Woolf Institute building.

In the view ahead of me lies the Italian white marble sculpture Tree of Life: Encounter, created by Helaine Blumenfeld OBE, with the imposing red brick building of Westminster College in the background. Westminster College was one of the three Houses that established the Cambridge Theological Federation more than 50 years ago and now incorporates 12 institutions including the Woolf Institute.

I sit contemplating my journey at the Institute. Now the longest serving staff member, I have been associated with many incredible teaching, scholarship and public engagement programmes; from the Master of Studies in the study of Jewish-Christian relations to online courses with worldwide audiences to our most recent summer school, to name but a few.

But I am most proud of my engagement in interfaith teaching for students training for Christian ministry within the Cambridge Theological Federation (CTF). I took over the lead when our esteemed Founder President Dr Ed Kessler MBE stepped away from the executive.

As a theologian, Ed’s vision was to engage the cohorts in challenging questions and debates on Biblical interpretation and theological reflection and dialogue. My confession to the students is that I am not a theologian but I am deeply rooted in the view that each group learn about the lived religion and hear from those who practice their faith daily from, for example, life cycle events and Shabbat to sacred spaces and rituals to give them the tools and confidence to connect with the wider neighbourhoods when they assume their curacies.

I will always remember these students – and there have been many –as they venture forth into their curacies to minister to different Christian communities throughout the country and possibly overseas. I sometimes bump into students in Cambridge

city centre quite by chance. I can’t always remember their names (a sign of the ageing process) but am always delighted to stop for a chat, to hear about their studies and future plans, and often how their interfaith module has impacted their lives.

As I continue to enjoy the early morning sun, I smile to myself as I remember the excitement filling one student’s face as they had just received notification that their curacy would be in North West London and how the knowledge gained from the Institute’s teaching had given them confidence to take this next step, already working on plans to engage with other local faith communities.

The Institute recently taught an integrated study module which allows a specific topic to be studied from the perspective of various theological and other disciplines in a context of group learning. Students develop crossdisciplinary skills in study and reflection while working as a team towards a group assessment.

Ordinarily, I lead on the module but this year, I shared the load with my Westminster College colleague and friend, Dr Alison Gray, director of studies, whose teaching focuses on the Hebrew Bible. Alison is also a lay preacher and an Elder in the local United Reformed Church. We have known each other for many years and our friendship is one of mutual respect and understanding.

Knowing about my grief-stricken year (having lost both my parents in 2022), she offered to co-lead with me taking some of the pressure away from me but enabling me to continue to be involved in this fantastic Jewish-

Christian dialogue.

Considering the theme ‘Jesus the Jew’, each group was tasked with reflecting on the significance of the Jewishness of Jesus for Christian selfunderstanding and Jewish-Christian Relations. The final product could result in the creation of an art exhibition, a series of sermons or liturgical reflections and each group presented to me and Alison.

As I continue to sit on the bench, I reflect – with admiration – on one of the presentations which I found powerful and insightful. I was very moved (there were tears in my eyes) by their dedication to the project which exemplified a genuine respect of other faiths and of wanting to foster a better understanding not only of other faiths but of Christianity too.

More often than not in a setting within the Cambridge Theological Federation, I am the only Jew in the room. I am not writing that negatively – I have made wonderful friends over the years – but there are times when I am particularly conscious of my own lack of understanding of Christianity. This presentation opened my eyes to understanding Jesus from both the Christian and Jewish perspectives, and how art can be the supporting act.

The group aimed to help their local community – a mix of Jews, Christians and those of no affiliation – better understand ‘how Jesus as a Jewish person can be a figure of unity’ through a four-week art exhibition with various talks.

The group wrote: “Speaking into modern history is a critical component of how interfaith dialogue fosters better understanding of our own faith, beliefs

and how we live, as well as fostering a better understanding of others’ faith’.”

Over the period in January, the art exhibition would cover pieces from across history to ‘understand the Jewish heritage of Jesus and the common unifying routes of the two faiths’.

They hoped the exhibition would inspire audiences to ‘explore how Jesus portrayed as a Jew can help combat antisemitism’ and ‘investigate how interfaith dialogue informs understanding of faiths and shapes community unity’.

The art collection had been carefully curated to establish a rapport with the exhibition visitors. For the final day, the students had designed a Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration. They had taken on board the sensitivities of language and faith to show hospitality to all.

Despite it being fictional, I truly hope they have the opportunity to make the project a reality. I strongly believe that we would all benefit from encountering Jesus through the eyes of different artists throughout the centuries.

The students’ future communities and the wider neighbourhoods will be blessed to have such respectful and honourable members on the side of tolerance and understanding to spread the interfaith dialogue far and wide, taking their learning to new heights

As the Woolf Institute celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, it is heartwarming to acknowledge that many of our CTF alumni have left us, armed with the tools and inclination to foster better relations between different faith groups in this country and further afield.

The inspiring Tree of Life Encounter marble sculpture

Emma Harris and Dr Alison Gray outside Westminster College

60 Second Schmooze: STUART DIAMOND

profile of Jewish-led social action. We’re an international organisation, but at the heart of our impact is local action and change. We seek to facilitate and inspire locally led action that can be entirely different in each city, town and street across the UK and around the world. We build a strong sense of civic participation by providing the tools to enable people to improve their communities in ways that are needed locally.

Can you tell us more about your theme and plans for this year’s Mitzvah Day? Our theme this year, of Repairing the World and caring for the people around us, is integral to Judaism, to other faiths or belief values and, indeed, to Mitzvah Day itself.

This theme aims to remind us that we can all play a part, however big or small, in helping to heal our increasingly damaged world and to reconsider the ways in which we use and misuse it. This year we aim to give our time collectively, to address the human inflicted damage both on vulnerable people and on our precious fragile environment.

Our projects will focus on three areas: Loneliness, Hunger, and the Earth. This year in particular, we will:

Why do you think volunteering in general is so vital?

At Mitzvah Day we recognise that volunteering can provide a healthy boost to your self-confidence, selfesteem and life satisfaction. You are doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of accomplishment. Your role as a volunteer can also give you a sense of pride and identity.

On a personal note I have grown as a person through volunteering and developed lifelong friendships.

Mitzvah Day is all about volunteering and social action – is this something that has always been important to you?

Having been born and bred in South Africa, and attending the United Herzlia Schools system in Cape Town, volunteering and the call to service both inside and outside the Jewish tent have been core to me as a person. I have found volunteering to be deeply rewarding, seeing how it not only benefits the end client but also the person participating in the programme.

How did you first become aware of Mitzvah Day?

I first took part in Mitzvah Day in South Africa and was inspired by their work.

On our arrival to the UK last year, my wife Lindy was employed by the Jewish Muslim women’s network NisaNashim. Laura Marks CBE, the chair and founder of Mitzvah Day, is also the co-founder and acting CEO of NisaNashim.

Lindy informed me that Mitzvah Day were looking for trustees and so I reached out to Laura. The rest as they say now is history.

I am very blessed to be at the helm of this proudly British and Jewish charity, which is now also the UK’s largest faith-led day of social action.

What do you think sets Mitzvah Day apart?

On Mitzvah Day, more than 55,000 people around the world come together to give our time to make a difference to the community around us.

Mitzvah Day introduces people to social action, to their neighbours and to local charities, setting up projects, which address real needs. Jewishled, we bring together people of all faiths and backgrounds, to volunteer side-by-side, building longstanding, genuine relationships which resonates deeply with me.

You became Mitzvah Day CEO in 2022, how has your first year been?

This first year has been about building relationships and growing Mitzvah Day to all corners of the UK. We want to ensure that as many Jews and Jewish organisations across the UK take part in Mitzvah Day.

What benefits does Mitzvah Day bring to the Jewish community?

We foster positive attitudes towards Jews in society related to social cohesion. Mitzvah Day is able to strengthen connections and relationships between Jews and the wider community. Firstly, by encouraging and facilitating positive contact and collaboration between Jews and people from other faiths and cultures and secondly by raising the

• Offer connection to people who are lonely.

• Collect food and feed people who are hungry.

• Repair damage inflicted on our planet through planting and cleaning.

The challenges in today’s world feel so monumental that it can be hard to know where to start.

On Mitzvah Day, with our neighbours, we encourage and support everyone to celebrate the real difference we can make, through hands on action for the sake of our today and our tomorrow. We are partnering with some exceptional national and Jewish charities and, by focusing on a few key projects, we aim collectively to make a greater impact. Additionally, all projects can be done once, twice, or every day of the year!

How has Mitzvah Day in Essex and East Anglia been in previous years and what do you know about our region?

When I started in the role, I heard lots about all the wonderful projects your region has put on over the years –especially as so many of our team, past and present, have come from the Essex Jewish community.

One of the things that is so special looking back on the projects is how every denomination in the area gets involved – Orthodox, Masorti, Reform and Liberal.

I’m also delighted that we have the support of the local politicians, including Wes Streeting MP, and civic and charity leaders.

As always, youth involvement in social action is vital so to see the whole of Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School and Clore Tikva Primary School involved each year – along with King Solomon and other local secondary schools –lets me know the future of Mitzvah Day in Essex is in very safe hands.

Finally, a big Mitzvah Day drive in recent years has been for interfaith projects with local Christian, Muslim and other faith groups. What steps can our communities take to do more of these?

Social action is a great way to build relationships between different communities. Most Mitzvah Day projects work well as an interfaith project.

You may already have a relationship with a local faith community, and reaching out to them about Mitzvah Day could be a useful way to build this connection further. If not, the Mitzvah Day team can help you to find a community in your local area and facilitate your first meeting together. It’s best to meet face-to-face with representatives from the other communities to discuss running a Mitzvah Day project. This meeting might be at the place of worship for one of the communities and could also involve a tour around the building. While discussing project possibilities, focus on the issues or causes close to the communities’ hearts. If there is a charitable cause that one of the communities is already involved in, this might be an easy idea to develop.

Remember to bear in mind particular religious and cultural sensitivities, such as dietary requirements and modesty codes, which could arise as part of the discussions.

Another way to do interfaith is by looking to support charities in Essex that are run by other faith-based communities.

• This year’s Mitzvah Day takes place on Sunday 19 November. To find out more and get involved please visit www.mitzvahday.org.uk.

Micaela Blitz speaks to Mitzvah Day’s CEO on his background, passion for volunteering and plans for this year.

Mitzvah Day CEO Stuart Diamond

Stuart with faith and civic leaders at this year’s Mtizvah Day launch event held in Brighton

Chabad helping those in need

BY GRAHAM NYGATE

THE Chabad Lubavitch Centre NE

London and Essex, based at Gants Hill under the Directorship of Rabbi Aryeh Sufrin MBE and his wife Devorah Sufrin, has been supplying food to those in need for more than five years.

It began when Mrs Sufrin became aware of homeless people sleeping in the subway at Gants Hill station. Through a charitable organisation called FareShare, she made contact with Tesco, Barkingside, where managers offered to supply her with their excess fresh vegetables and fruit on a weekly basis.

This enabled her to make fresh soups on a Wednesday evening and, together with Rabbi Sufrin, they would take this nourishing food to those in the subway late in the evening and would spend time talking to them.

From these small beginnings the word spread and they were contacted by Jewish individuals and families in need, of all backgrounds and denominations.

As they became aware of the enormity of the local need, Mrs Sufrin began to cook meals to deliver to the homes of those who had contacted her. On one occasion, she was unable to make the collection from Tesco and asked me if I would able to do this for her. After she explained the reason for this collection, I offered to do this on a weekly basis and deliver the fresh food to her. Very close to this time, two things happened:

1. I went to the kosher licensed bakery Orli in Barkingside and asked if they would be willing to donate any

fresh baked goods that they were able to, and they were more than happy to do this. After a period of time Orli changed hands and it re-opened as an unlicensed, kosher-style bakery. Consequently, Chabad could not accept any donations from the new bakery, even though the new owner did offer. I did not want this produce going to waste and I was able to make contact with the Christian Kitchen, based in a church in Walthamstow. They were very happy to accept this bakery as they were feeding 60-70 homeless per daily, from a converted burger van based in a car park in Walthamstow High Street. I delivered to them several times a week.

2. Tesco in Barkingside were donating a great deal of produce to us and, for a variety of reasons, Chabad could not use all of it. After Mrs Sufrin had made her selection, I then took the surplus to the Christian Kitchen every Wednesday evening. After a couple of years, the set up at the Christian Kitchen changed and it became impossible for us to deliver to them and they were unable to collect from us. Rabbi Sufrin did visit the Christian Kitchen to meet all those involved and somewhere there is a photograph of him peeling potatoes with them! We are still friends and speak to one another from time to time. However, I needed an outlet for the excess produce I was collecting and I made contact with Frentford Club who run a food bank in The Drive, Ilford, run mainly by Muslim families – for Muslim families. Their system also later changed and we were no longer able

Graham Nygate

to be of assistance. Once again, we do keep in contact.

Soon after this time, Covid happened. Through FareShare, I was able to obtain weekly collection slots from several more Tesco branches and also branches of Asda. This gave me confidence to contact different supermarkets and cash and carry outlets and they were very willing to add Chabad to their list of charities receiving food collections.

As I am over 70-years-old, I could not leave my house during the beginning of Covid and I was very fortunate to have volunteers from the Chabad community to make the collections and deliveries on our behalf. I became the co-ordinator until I was able to leave the house again

Now, because the whole distribution service had expanded so much, we still rely very heavily on the wonderful volunteers we have.

This regular weekly distribution to families and individuals of freshly cooked meals as well as fresh vegetables, fruit and tinned/dried goods has been running more than five years.

In the last three, we have linked up with three different organisations – one with five food banks in various Essex locations, a Muslim food bank based in Barking and a conglomerate of 10 separate local churches who run food banks.

We have all become friends. If someone is not available to make one of their supermarket collections, then someone from one of the other

friends that one of the organisations has made a large donation to Chabad to help enable them to refurbish their kitchen in order to cope with the extra amount of in-house cooking that is being carried out.

What we are always looking for is volunteers - nobody is too young or too old – to either help in the centre or to make collections/deliveries. We also need to know of anyone who can provide us with food, kosher and nonkosher, new clothing and toiletries. All different religions, working together for one cause.

The Chabad Centre in Gants Hill, under Mrs Sufrin’s direction, now distributes weekly food packages to those in need which grows monthly. Each box consists of fruit, vegetables, dry goods and a wholesome Kosher meal (airline style) cooked at Chabad with chicken, potato kugel, cooked vegetables, chicken soup and homemade challah.

The centre is a hive of activity each Thursday and the amazing group of volunteers come in throughout the day to sort through all the donations separately and re-distribute.

Most of the kosher items have to be purchased at discounted prices, so any financial support is also warmly welcomed.

If you’d like to find out more about how you can volunteer or make a financial donation, please email pa@ chabadilford.co.uk.

Rabbi Aryeh Sufrin, Devorah Sufrin, Graham Nygate and the Chabad NE Kitchen team receive a donation from Pesh Kapasiawala, chair of 3 Food For You.

OBITUARIES

By MANNY ROBINSON

IRVING ANGEL

Born: 20 April 1936

Died: 2 August 2023

IF bagel was spelt one way and beigel another on a different page, you could be sure that Irving Angel would spot the difference and make the change to conform with our accepted spelling of the word in this newspaper.

Because Irving, as principal proof reader, was one of the unsung heroes of first, The Bridge, and then the Essex Jewish News

If we had Chanukah with a ‘k’ and Chanucah with a ‘c’ he changed one of them. The same applied for many other names where there were inconsistencies.

Irving’s role was to read, check and correct any errors on the pages of the paper before it finally went to the printer and he did this job with a quiet dedication for more than 40 years.

RITA NEWMARK

Born: 12 February 1934

Died: 9 July 2023

For many of those years Irving received printed page proofs of the paper either delivered to his home or by post. He would return them to the editor in the same way. The introduction of computers caused him problems: he was never really happy using one, but he finally found his way around the new-fangled method of communication.

Irving met his wife Audrey at a party thrown by Leytonstone Maccabi and the couple married in June 1959, recently marking 64 years together. They lived first in Leytonstone, then moved to Leyton, then to Clayhall, to Redbridge and finally to Woodford Green.

In his younger days, Irving helped at the Leytonstone Synagogue youth club.

Care’s Redbridge Jewish Community Centre (RJCC) and where the Meals on Wheels service expanded.

Throughout the lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic, Rita, together with her husband Leon, carried on delivering more than 50 frozen Meals on Wheels twice a week every Wednesday morning and delivering them to the RJCC. According to reports, Rita and Leon often purchased extra challahs paid for out of their own pockets.

Rita was raised in the East End of London and was evacuated to Chorleywood during the war. After the war she lived in Debden and it was during those years that her journey of compassion and charity began.

After marrying at Clapton Federation Synagogue, he and Audrey became members of the then Wanstead and Woodford Synagogue, now the merged Woodford Forest United Synagogue. There, he volunteered tirelessly until a few years ago in numerous roles including fundraising, compiling the shul calendar, on the Board of Management, shammash, librarian and as one of the synagogue’s representatives to the Board of Deputies.

Irving was also on the minyan rota for North East London shuls, when he was called at short notice to make up a minyan at funerals in order to support families that did not have enough men or where there was no family.

And this all in addition to his tireless work for this newspaper.

He is survived by his wife Audrey, daughter Lynn, sons Marvin and Neil, four grandchildren and a great granddaughter.

Irving’s death is the third to hit the Essex Jewish News team in recent times – following the passing of Clive Bayard and Mark Harris.

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THE huge success of the Meals on Wheels service in Redbridge and the East End of London would not have come about had it not been for the vision and enthusiasm of Rita Newmark, who passed away just seven months after receiving JVN’s Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award for her 50 years of volunteering.

Rita was credited with starting Meals on Wheels in the Ilford area, an initiative she began in 1973 with her friend, the late Helen Goswell.

Helen had recognised there was a need to support older and vulnerable members of the community by providing hot meals. Rita was there from the start, cooking food from her kitchen, delivering soup and hot meals to people at home, as well as recruiting local volunteers.

Together, Rita and Helen ensured the food was cooked, administered and delivered in Stepney for members of the Jewish community in the East End. They made meals in Redbridge for 10 years with The League of Jewish Women, eventually moving the scheme in 1997 to Sinclair House which became Jewish

Her introduction into charity work was with the Four Wheels committee where she dedicated her efforts to raising funds for Magen David Adom ambulances and she then, as mentioned above, played a crucial role in establishing Meals on Wheels in the Redbridge area.

Rita met her husband at the Cumberland Hotel in Bournemouth and they were married in June 1964, living first in Barking and then moving to Ilford where the couple became staunch members of Ilford Federation Synagogue.

Rita became chair of the shul’s Ladies Guild and later became honorary vice president. She also took on the role of catering officer for the congregation.

Rita’s life was always one of volunteering. A former Brady Girls’ Club member, she then became a manager at the club and also organised the youth club at Loughton Synagogue.

In 2012. she was presented with the Unsung Hero Award by Jewish Care for her work as a volunteer for them. This then followed with the JVN Lifetime Achievement award given to her this January.

Rita is survived by her husband Leon, daughter Jocelyn, son David (Dov), her brother Neil, seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

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When tragedy struck at the Olympic Games

Manny Robinson looks back at a September from the past

IT seems like only yesterday that I flew into Israel for a September meeting with 20-year-old Esther Roth-Shahamorov, arguably Israel’s greatest ever athlete over 100 metres and 100 metres hurdles.

But it was, in fact, 51 years ago and my newspaper had sent me there to discover the feelings of the athlete who, in September 1972, had been caught up in the murders of Israeli athletes by the Palestine militant group Black September at the Munich Olympics. The terrorists also took nine other hostages while demanding the release of more than 200 prisoners.

Esther and I met at the Wingate Institute, just outside Tel Aviv, and over a Coca-Cola spoke about that fateful day, as well as her thoughts about competing in the next Olympics in Montreal just 12 months later.

She had little to say except to mourn the loss of her teammates, especially her beloved coach Amitzur Shapira, and state her determination to compete in the Olympics again

In fact, Esther was the Israel flag bearer in Montreal and became the first ever Israeli to reach the finals of any Olympic event.

Later, Esther opened up about that tragic event in further interviews. In one she said: “Before the terrorists entered the Israeli men’s dormitory there was a euphoric atmosphere within the team. It was the first time we came to the Olympics, not just to display the flag but also to say ‘we are here and we are participating.’

“At six in the morning they knocked on my door to tell me terrorists had entered the dormitory and some people had been taken hostage. I was

then told that two athletes had already been murdered but no-one knew who they were yet.

“I couldn’t understand: what did they mean by terrorists? We’re at the Olympics. It was a very frightening situation.

“That knock on the door woke me up, but I was still in a sort of dream. I was putting on my track suit thinking that I would be late for my competition, the 100 metres hurdles.”

She added: “I remember an exhausting and frightening day. We saw the Germans conducting negotiations with the terrorists through the balcony. They were threatening that, every two hours, if 200 Palestinians were not released then they would throw an Israeli down on the street.”

Later the news came that all nine hostages had been killed in a bungled rescue operation by German security forces. A West German policeman also died in the incident along with five of the eight hostage takers.

The next day the Israeli delegation decided to leave the Games after a memorial service.

“Instead of running we found ourselves in the stadium for the memorial service,” Esther said. “There we stood, crying. I didn’t expect to return home in the middle of the Olympics. I was sitting in the plane transporting the coffins of my coach and comrades I had trained with.”

Esther Roth-Shahamorov is now 71 and, after retiring from athletics, became a sports schoolteacher in Israel.

Sadly, today in September 2023, we are still talking about terrorism and the deaths of Israeli citizens.

Speed Debating in Beehive Lane

THIS Shavuot, Cranbrook United Synagogue were looking for something to engage the community and to get them involved in learning in a unique and enjoyable way.

So the Beehive Lane congregation’s Simon Stern devised a ‘Speed Debating’ event on realistic moral issues with a deli style lunch.

Every table nominated a captain who re-read the dilemmas and encouraged those on the table to come to a consensus.

There were five questions. The tables had eight minutes to debate the rights, wrongs and morality of the given situation. They then had a further two minutes to reach a consensus.

Simon compered the event, giving the questions, fielding any queries and asking every table for the answers.

Rabbi Steven Dansky (pictured) joined in – giving the halachic answer to the dilemmas using sources including the Roma, Rambam, Rashi and many others.

Speaking to the Essex Jewish News, Simon Stern said: “Everyone was engaged and interested in every question. There was a vast age range across the tables but everyone was both entertained and animated. It was a huge success.

“We believe that this is the first time that an event of this type has every taken place within the United Synagogue.”

Esther Roth-Shahamorov is now 71 and, after retiring from athletics, became a sports schoolteacher in Israel.

Focus on: Jewish Women’s Aid

“You know a Jewish woman suffering from domestic abuse”: Domestic Abuse and the British Jewish Community A research report prepared for Jewish Women’s Aid

Micaela Blitz looks at the incredible work being done by one of the community’s most vital charities

STATISTICALLY, one woman in four will experience domestic abuse at some time in their lives… and abuse within the Jewish community is just as prevalent as in mainstream society.

Jewish Women’s Aid (JWA) is the UK’s only organisation specialising in supporting Jewish women and children affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence. The organisation, which is run by women and for women, offers support across the Jewish community and across every part of the religious spectrum from Orthodox to Liberal, and believes that no woman should have to face abuse alone.

The nature of abuse can be demonstrated in different ways whether as sexual, physical, mental abuse, or even as spiritual abuse whereby Jewish laws and teachings are used as a means of control.

Research has shown that, on average, women within abusive relationships often endure their situation for many years before seeking help. It takes an average of nine and a half years for a Jewish woman to seek support for domestic abuse, compared to the national average of six years and JWA hope to work towards closing this gap so that women and girls can access the help they need to overcome their situation.

Through its free confidential helpline, which operates Monday to Thursday from 9:30am to 9:30pm, victims of abuse can seek help and advice needed to help their situation. Every call is dealt with quickly and sensitively by trained volunteers. The website also has a chat facility for those who may be unable to make a phone call and any contact made does not show up on phone bills.

Once contact has been made, an IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Adviser) is allocated to offer practical support and assess each case to ensure that every client obtains the help that is right for their individual situation. Victims of sexual violence can also speak to an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA).

Trained counsellors work directly with the client to give one-to onecounselling. This can be done either face-to-face, either at JWA office in London or Manchester, via phone or Zoom. As well as counselling, clients can also access other professional help, such as McKenzie Friends, who can be present during court appearances or offer advice on legal process.

In order to be able to recognise

the signs of abuse and domestic violence, JWA offer training and education to those within the Jewish community. As community engagement officer, Barbie Goldfoot works closely with key Jewish organisations, communities and rabbis to raise awareness about domestic abuse in our community.

JWA currently has around 150 dedicated volunteers working in areas including admin and fundraising as well as more professional roles such as counselling and therapy, and Judy Roth is responsible for managing them.

Raising awareness of the organisations is important and JWA Ambassadors volunteers help to promote the work of JWA within the Jewish community. Ambassadors are active within their local synagogues to increase awareness through organising talks, posting on social media, and making relevant information available at synagogues.

As volunteers manager, Judy explains the initial idea for Ambassadors came about as part of a national Women’s Aid initiative to train women to spread information about domestic abuse and violence.

It was felt that different religious and cultural groups would benefit by having people within their own communities, and JWA created their Ambassador scheme in order to facilitate this. Whilst they do not offer professional advice as they are not trained counsellors, they are there as a point of contact if a woman needs help and to get the message out so that victims know that help is available and how to access it.

JWA currently have 39 Ambassadors, with six based in Essex, including Merle and Joanne. Merle, a member of East London

and Essex Liberal Synagogue, has been involved with JWA since 2019. She said: “Our role is to raise awareness so people know about JWA services and ensure they can also recognise signs of abuse in friends, family members or others within the community. Often, people may not recognise that their relationship is abusive, as it often starts in small, subtle ways, but if others within the community are looking out for them, it may help. If we can help even one woman, then that is an achievement.”

Merle regularly posts on social media, as well organising for JWA representatives to speak to the community or encourage people to take part in events such as Jewish Women’s Aid Shabbat, an annual cross-communal initiative which will be taking place on 24 November this year.

Cranbrook United Synagogue member Joanne knew about JWA before becoming an Ambassador, but it was not until she took part in a training session that her eyes were really opened.

She said: “Within our training group, there were some women who were victims of abuse and hearing their stories was very insightful in understanding different types of abuse and how it can happen to any woman, no matter of age, race, education, or background. It shows that you never know what goes on behind closed doors.”

Joanne feels that raising awareness of JWA allows more discussion about issues of violence against women.

She added: “Education is important to begin to change the dialogue, so that there is less of a taboo about these issues and less judgement.”

One way for that JWA work to change attitudes is by educating the next generation working within Jewish schools and with young professionals running sessions promoting the importance of healthy relationships and encouraging conversations about sex, harassment, and consent.

Through its Whole School Programme which started in 2021, JWA has trained 223 teachers across five Jewish schools this academic year and will continue this work during the next academic year.

Outside of the Jewish community, training and education serves to gives professionals and organisations an overview of of Jewish culture and practice to ensure a better understanding of how to treat survivors of domestic abuse or violence when supporting the Jewish community.

Ziona Handler as VAWG Outreach Lead is responsible delivering this training to professional organisations and recently held a training session for 300 newly-recruited officers at Hendon Police College which was well received.

As Ziona explains: “It’s important to educate organisations and professionals from outside of the community so that they recognise the barriers many Jewish women may have in reporting their situation. By having a better understanding of Jewish culture and practice, and encouraging an awareness of the importance of sensitive language Jewish women feel understood and supported should they need to contact the police in the future.”

JWA is committed to helping Jewish women and children across the

is possible for anyone that may be suffering abuse to access information about their services via their website – www.jwa.org.uk

For anyone who may want to find out more about arranging a training session, please contact outreach@jwa. org.uk or to volunteering contact judy@jwa.org.uk.

country, and it

Dr. Sarah Abramson

Cora Peterson

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By SHELLEY POSNER

ROSH Hashanah, being the start of the new Jewish year, gives us a sense of renewal; of freshness and rejuvenation – this year we will aim to do better and be better in the future.

We hope for a sweet and satisfying year and of course we eat the food that expresses those feelings for us – apples and honey being the most obvious analogy. Even our challah takes on a different shape at this season, being baked round and often including extra sugar, honey or sometimes raisins or chocolate to accentuate their sweetness.

This summer I took my grandchildren to pick berries and vegetables at a local farm – hence the recipe for the summer pudding. Whilst they eat more than they pick, I bring the fruit home and use it in puddings, desserts and jams, with any leftovers bagged up and frozen to bring some much-needed summer sweetness in mid-winter.

While every family has their own individual recipes for this time of year, I thought I would offer a couple of easy and tasty dishes that use our lovely freshly-picked produce, and can be served either for lunch, or in the evening after shul.

The two savoury dishes can be scaled up with doubled ingredients to serve a crowd if you are entertaining, whilst the summer pudding serves around 6-8 people.

However, you spend the Holy Days, we send good wishes for a happy and healthy New Year and Chag Sameach from my family to yours!

PROVENCAL CHICKEN

This chicken dish is based on the classic French Provencal recipe but has added spices that give it a distinctly Moroccan twist. It is nicest served with the giant Israeli couscous, or alternatively creamy mashed potato made with plenty of soya yoghurt. The ingredients list looks a little off-putting in length. but it is essentially made up of store cupboard herbs and spices and is well worth the investment.

1 chicken cut into 8 portions

3-4 tbsp olive oil

1 large red onion cut into wedges

1 red pepper thickly sliced

3 garlic cloves finely chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp chilli powder – optional but gives a good flavour

Zest of 1 lemon

250 mls / 9 fl oz chicken stock

1 small tin (227 gr) of tomatoes – or

you can use 4-5 fresh ones chopped

50 gr / 2 oz black olives pitted

Fresh oregano – or 1 tsp dried

Salt & pepper

To serve:

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp chopped mint

1 tbsp chopped coriander

In a large lidded frying pan heat half the oil. Season the chicken pieces well with the salt and pepper and add four pieces to the pan skin side down. Fry

It’s chicken and picking this year!

to bring it out. If you miss the berry season you can use the bags of frozen summer fruits from the supermarkets as they contain nothing but the berries. The addition of the blackcurrant liqueur is optional but does give it an extra kick. Alternatively, if you don’t have enough of the juices remaining to cover the white patches before you serve it. I usually cheat and add some Ribena. NOTE: The mixture of berries is entirely your choice. I often add blackberries picked from the woodland at the back of my house, or blueberries occasionally too. Just ensure that the weight is around about the same as the recipe more or less.

You need a 1 ½ pint pudding basin lightly greased.

225 gr / 8 oz raspberries

225 gr / 8 oz strawberries

225 gr/ 8 oz blackcurrants

110 gr / 4 oz redcurrants

until the skin is crisp and well browned then turn them over and cook the other side for a few minutes.

Remove to a plate, then add the rest of the oil and fry the other pieces the same way. Add more oil to the pan, if necessary, then fry the onion and red pepper over a medium heat until they start to soften. Add the chopped garlic and cook for a couple more minutes, then sprinkle in all the spices. Strip the leaves off a couple of sprigs of oregano and add them to the pan with the lemon zest. Stir until all is well combined. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to the boil stirring constantly. Stir in the tomatoes, then put the chicken pieces back into the pan skin side up.

Partially cover the pan with a lid and cook over a moderate heat for 30-35 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Remove the pan from the heat and throw in the olives. Let the dish rest for five minutes then sprinkle with the fresh herbs and serve.

RATATOUILLE

There are hundreds of versions of this classic dish, but this is the way I like to cook and serve it. It is very forgiving and doesn’t mind being kept waiting on a low light for a while. It is also delicious eaten cold the next day but eat at room temperature – not chilled from the fridge which spoils the delicate flavours. You can cook both parts first and then keep them until you are ready to serve. Mix them together and reheat until hot as in the recipe. Don’t forget to remove the bay leaf before serving.

2 red onions

1 each of red orange and yellow peppers

3 large courgettes

1 large aubergine

6 tbsp olive oil

Salt & pepper

For the tomato sauce:

2 tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves cut into fine slivers

2 tins (400 gr) of chopped tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 bunch of fresh thyme

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

A pinch of sugar

Preheat oven to 190 deg C / Gas Mark 5.

Skin the onions then cut into thick slices from root to tip. Halve, core and deseed the peppers then cut into 2-3 cm pieces. Thickly slice the courgettes. Also cut the aubergine into 2-3 cm pieces.

Tip the vegetables into a large roasting dish. Pour over the olive oil, add plenty of salt and pepper and toss well. Roast in the oven for 50-60 minutes, making sure you stir them well once or twice. The vegetables should be tender, reduced and starting to brown at the edges.

Meanwhile make the tomato sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat. Add the garlic and let it sizzle gently for a while –don’t let it brown or burn or it will be bitter. Add the tomatoes and their juice, together with the bay leaf. Strip the leaves from two sprigs of the thyme and add them to the pan with the balsamic vinegar. Cook uncovered at a gentle simmer for around 45 minutes. Give it an occasional stir, breaking down the tomatoes with a fork as you do. Once the sauce has reduced down, season with salt and pepper and add the sugar.

Add the tomato sauce to the vegetables once they are cooked. Mix well then return to the oven for 10 minutes until the whole dish is piping hot. Stir in the leaves from another two strips of the thyme and serve.

SUMMER PUDDING

This is the perfect time of year to make this very traditionally English dessert. The berries this year are sweet and plentiful and it is not so much cooking as an assembly job to put this pudding together. It is very versatile as it is naturally parev, but you could always serve it with ice cream, pouring cream or even custard should you so desire!

You definitely need to make it the day before, or even two, and it will sit happily in the fridge until you need

150 gr / 5 oz caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

7-8 slices from a medium white loaf (don’t use thick cut)

2 tbsp blackcurrant liqueur

If using fresh currants, separate them from their stalks with a fork using a downward motion. Rinse all the fruit well and remove any that look squashy. Place the berries with the sugar in a saucepan over a medium heat and heat them very gently until the juices begin to run and the sugar has melted – no more – you don’t want to cook them. Allow to cool then stir in the alcohol and the vanilla essence.

Meanwhile remove the crusts from the bread. Take a rolling pin and roll each slice a few times to flatten it down. Now line the pudding basin with the bread slices, overlapping them and pressing the edges together so there are no gaps. Cut a circle from one slice for the base of the bowl. Make sure the bread is firmly in place. Now remove the fruit from the pan with a slotted spoon so that the juice remains and fill the bowl with the fruit. Pour the juice into a small container and keep in the fridge for later

When the fruit is in the bowl cover it with another slice or two of bread. Then put a small plate or saucer on top – one that will fit exactly inside the rim of the bowl and then place a couple of heavy tins on the top of that and put it in the fridge overnight.

Don’t take it out of the fridge until you are ready to serve. Run a palette knife gently between the bread slices and the sides of the bowl to loosen it, then turn the pudding out into a shallow dish that will catch the juices, and spoon the reserved juices over any parts of the bread that may still show any white.

Take it straight to the table and cut it into slices to serve at once. If there is any left over at the end of the meal, you need to replace the pudding bowl over the top before you put it in the fridge to keep the shape. This dish doesn’t freeze.

Travel

The tragedy of El Ghriba

By CAROLINE FRIEDMAN

In the beautiful synagogue there is the hope and a desperate need to commune with the Almighty and just yards, away in a magnificent enclosed courtyard, there is the energy and excitement and the sheer joy of being alive. It is impossible to stand still when the wonderful pulsating rhythms of the Sephardi music fill the air, their soulful words and melodies reverberating around the ancient walls. And this is a day when both men and women play an equal role.

And yes, there are always moments of drama, such as when a shout goes out in the shul because a small fire has broken out as candles have fallen. Or when a sandstorm whips its way through the street. That is all part of what makes El Ghriba special.

But this year the festival is once again in the news but for all the wrong reasons, as yet, again tragedy has struck.

For the police and army El Ghriba is always a logistical nightmare – there were two terrorist attacks here in 1998 and 2002, so the security is massive. On 11th April 2002, a truck packed with explosives detonated at the front of the synagogue, killing 19 people and injuring 30 others.

“

THIS will keep you safe,” a woman promises, as she removes a delicate silver hamsa from a tiny net bag. She wraps the charm’s red cord around my wrist, tying it with five knots. As each knot is pulled tight, she tells me to make a wish… because today is the day for wishes to come true. We are standing in the ancient El Ghriba Synagogue in Djerba surrounded by thousands of believers from all over the world who have converged on this tiny Tunisian island to attend the annual Jewish pilgrimage.

Just hours later I am reminded of her words when the hope and rejoicing is replaced by shock and despair, when a terrorist attacks the festival. Six people die and ten others are injured. Even more bloodshed was averted thanks to the quick actions of security guards who shot the assassin.

And what makes this all so sad is not only the tragic loss of life but also that,

once again, something so special and important, so meaningful and central to so many people’s lives, has had a huge shadow cast over it.

So what is El Ghriba?

“Today is the day that the sky opens and you can talk straight to the Almighty” was how it was so eloquently described to me by a Parisian Jew – just one of the many thousands who had travelled from far and wide to be at this year’s festival.

And it is a pilgrimage, for not only Jews but also for Muslims, who pack into the tiny El Ghriba shul in the hope that their prayers will be answered.

Together holding eggs, they stand underneath the chandeliers of this beautiful, blue-tiled, ancient synagogue. Not just one or two, some have large cardboard trays, containing dozens of white eggs. The faithful sit on the synagogue’s pews and, with painstaking care, inscribe a wish on each shell.

As the crowds swell, they wait patiently to place the eggs into a tiny space. And for many this space has a magic of its own because remarkably the site of El Ghriba shul dates back to 586 BCE and contains a stone and door from the First Temple, brought to Djerba by the group of priests (Cohanim) who set up home on the island.

This is a day, and a place full of hope, where you join the faithful. Where people ply you with bags of nuts and fruit, pastries and delicious delicacies. They implore you to sample their dishes.

“I have bought these from Israel,” one told me, “Please, please, take,” And as you accept their offering they tell you their story – they are praying for a personal miracle. It is humbling, and a privilege, to receive their simple gift.

It is a day when people forget everything else in their lives. They come to speak, to commune, with the Almighty.

It isn’t about money… it is about belief.

People light candles for departed relatives, the flames flicker, their reflections shimmering in the ancient silver. Like a Tower of Babel, the air is filled with the sound of languages from all over the world

The El Ghriba pilgrimage is huge. It is also remarkable.

The Tunisian prime minister flies in for the festival and, every year, French Muslim leader Imam Hassen Chalghoumi jets in from Paris. It is uplifting to see him in the synagogue courtyard joining with the leader of the Jewish community as, arms around each other’s shoulders, they both reveal their wishes for the days of peace between all religions and for everyone to live in harmony.

The day is a day of contrasts and it represents the two sides of Judaism.

For the 2023 pilgrimage armed guards and police line the pavements, armoured vehicles block the roads and security scanners vet the visitors. But even this is not enough to prevent one rogue security officer from launching an attack.

And this latest incident comes just one year after two security officers were injured in a knife attack near a synagogue in central Tunis. And eight years after a terrorist massacred 38 tourists and injured a further 39 on a Tunisian beach.

And this is a tragedy and not just for the victims and their families of this and other attacks. It is also a tragedy for the tens of thousands of pilgrims for whom El Ghriba should be their place of faith and hope. And it is also a tragedy for Tunisia itself. In the wake of the terror no-one sees the wonders of the country.

For Tunisia, although 97% Muslim, is a country with strong Jewish links stretching back through many generations. Boukha, the ever popular Tunisian equivalent of vodka, was created by Jewish Yaakov Bokobsa from distilled figs and the Presidential Palace in Carthage designed by a Jewish architect, Olivier-Clement Cacoub.

It is a country where the pages of the history books come alive. The Odyssey’s Land of the Lotus Eaters, home to Carthage where Queen Dido waved off her lover Aeneas. Its causeway, built by the Romans 2,000 years ago, is an amazing feat of engineering still in use today to connect Djerba to mainland Tunisia.

Or the troglodyte cave homes buried deep into the rocks where people still live today, their camels turning subterranean presses to make olive oil. Or the salt lakes with their vast mountains of salt and of course the Sahara Desert and its glorious beaches.

Caroline Friedman outside the shul

A plaque marking the 2022 terrorist attack which killed 19 people

Jews and Muslims mingle during this special festival

Tunisia’s ancient El Ghriba Synagogue

Books

REVIEW: Gants Hill: A History in Photographs by Vincent Goodman and Jef Page (ISBN: 9781803992402)

By MANNY ROBINSON

IWELL remember the biggest ‘shul’ in Gants Hill during the golden days for the Jewish community between 1950 and 1980... and it wasn’t a purpose-built building for religious purposes.

REVIEW: The Stable Boy of Auschwitz by Dexter Ford and Henry Oster (ISBN: 9781804190869)

The book is a history of an area that, at one time, had a thriving banking section including the Israeli Bank Leumi, kosher delis like Brownsteins, the Sharon restaurant and many other venues.

Sadly, all that has gone. The Jewish community has dwindled from being the largest in Europe to an aged population; banks like Lloyds and Barclays have closed and there is no kosher restaurant in the area.

But many remember with affection the days when Gants Hill was a thriving area and the book is an important record of the way it grew from those small farming settlements to a hive of industry and social community that was the envy of many other areas.

Lord (George) Carey, who was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1991 to 2002, has written an impassioned review of a new book which tells the story of a Holocaust survivor. Below we re-print it:

THIS compelling and horrifying story, centering on one small Jewish boy caught up in the Second World War, captures what many agree is the greatest crime against humanity - the attempted genocide of the Jewish people.

My second thought is the inexplicable fact that these terrible things happened in one of the richest and advanced nations in the world. Such tyranny, unspeakable savagery, careless indifference to the sufferings of fellow human beings – simply defy simple explanation. The horror of it is beyond comprehension.

Can Germany ever forgive itself?

Can we, should we, forgive Germany?

It was, in fact, the Odeon cinema.

There, up to 1,000 people could observe the High Holy Days. The ‘oveflow’ services were in the synagogue itself in Beehive Lane.

But I was surprised to learn that the Odeon, demolished in 2003, had originally been called the Savoy and was opened in September 1934. It was renamed the Odeon on 28 November 1949. The Odeon was as much a landmark in Gants Hill as Gardiner’s Corner was in Whitechapel many years earlier.

The story and pictures of the Odeon, and the way Gants Hill developed from a few farming settlements, is just one of the fascinating insights about the area lovingly and painstakingly put together by Vincent Goodman and Jef Page

People – particularly newlyweds – flocked to buy property in Gants Hill where you could get a threebedroomed house for around £3,000. The popularity of the area was enhanced with the completion of the Central Line underground, which enabled everyone to travel from Gants Hill into the West End and beyond by tube.

The book contains over 180 photographs and images of Gants Hill, showing how it developed over the years including a secret war time factory manned by Plessey staff in the Underground between Gants Hill and Redbridge stations.

Popular roads like Cranbrook Road. Woodford Avenue and Beehive Lane are featured showing how they have changed over the years.

Famous faces have lived in the area including Louise Lombard, David Rappaport, Tessa Sanderson, Rebecca Front, Dame Maggie Smith, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Bobby Moore, Terry Venables, Rick Wakeman and Tamsin Outhwaite.

The book is neatly divided into sections covering streets and roads, buildings and houses and schools.

If you remember Gants Hill with affection then this is a book you will treasure.

• Vincent Goodman, owner of the Speedprint graphic design and print business in Gants Hill since 1983, founded the Gants Hill Facebook Group and has been collecting old photographs of the area for over 35 years. He is also a member of the Ilford Historical Society.

• Jef Page is an experienced freelance lecturer on topics including the local history of Ilford and Redbridge. He is president of the Ilford Historical Society.

Young Heinz Oster, growing up in a prosperous and happy German family before the war in Cologne, had no idea what a terrible fate awaited him. From a civilised middle class life within a few weeks of Hitler’s rise to power, to the humiliation of being treated as less than human.

It would seem that rock bottom was reached when they ended in Auschwitz. Worse was to come with the brutal murder of his father and the desecration of his body; and then separation from his 43 year old mother as she, too, was sent to her death.

Now, all alone, as a small 14-year-old, there was no one he could turn to: he had to rely on his own ingenuity and instinct to survive. His lucky break came as he was one of the boys chosen to care for the horses of the army – but even here there was no escape from the cruelty of the guards. One slip and he would be shot.

His job consisted of looking after these horses for whom the lad had a particular affection and gift.

I was left with two disturbing thoughts, not for the first time, I must admit on reading.

First, that the young boy soon realised that divine intervention was not going to happen. This was the question that even the great Eli Wiesel had to face up to – where is God when terrible things happen? For Heinz Oster, the absence of God was a reality.

And then, the final thought, the courage and defiance of the many Jewish men and women who did rise above the madness and show a better way.

This is what young Heinz, who anglicised his name to Henry, did when he went on to a new life in America to become a distinguished professor before his death in 2019.

This small book deserves to be read and studied for the sake of the millions who died in those terrible camps.

Read it, we should; forget the contents, never.

George Carey

Chicken soup and a harrowing secret

Pat Lidiker talks to Ivor Perl about his new book and the terrible truth behind its title

IF the title and cover of Chicken Soup

Under the Tree, the haunting new book by long-term Essex resident Ivor Perl, conjures up scenes of rural tranquillity and a leisurely Friday night supper in the garden, it only takes a few pages to shatter the illusion.

Instead, this is the story of its writer’s brutal journey through the gates of hell when he, his parents, four brothers and four sisters were wrenched from their family home in Mako, Hungary, by the Nazis.

At the time, Ivor was too young and naive to imagine that his entire beloved family – apart from one older brother Alec – were to perish in the death camps.

As for the chicken soup, his mother had prepared it to sustain them during their journey into the unknown. Even now, he can still hear her shouting in despair when she realised it had been left behind under a tree. This was to become a lifetime memory, even though it happened in April 1944.

In the pages of his book Ivor (then an 11-year-old boy called Yitzchak Perlmutter) describes in unrelenting detail his torture, malnutrition, fear and many fights for survival.

The reason for the family’s plight was obscenely simple: his home country had opted to side with the Allies against Germany. After invasion and occupation, this was the Nazi’s revenge.

Antisemitism had been inherent in Hungary for centuries, but Hitler was the catalyst in igniting the destruction of the country’s, and much of Europe’s, Jewish population.

It has taken 50 years for Ivor to publish his story, having kept much of what happened a secret to spare his own four children. He originally intended it as a family memoir until approached by publisher Lemon Soul to turn it into a book which would then reach a wider readership.

It is a legacy not just for his own family but the whole world.

Now over 90 and a great grandpa, he still can’t take it all in – but is gratified to have this chance to share his life story with future generations so they can learn the unvarnished truth first hand.

Remarkably, his personal aim today is of love not hate, and he has since been back to Hungary, Auschwitz and Dachau with his daughter and granddaughter.

Twenty years ago, he began speaking about his experiences to members of his local shul. As word got around. this led to more than 100 talks at schools, football clubs and many large organisations in Redbridge and beyond.

Last year, he spoke at Jewish Care’s Young Patrons Dinner, supported by granddaughter Lia who also went with him to Poland with March of the Living.

In 2016 he was honoured by the late Queen, who awarded him the British

Empire Medal for dedicating his life to educating others, and has met King Charles III on a number of occasions.

His new book will stand as a lasting testament to what happened 80 years ago.

When we spoke, Ivor pulled no punches about how he, his parents, brothers and sisters were transported from Hungary by cattle truck to Auschwitz in Poland.

He and his brother Alec were separated from the rest of the family and mercifully unaware of their fate until much later when someone offered to trace them through camp records. Only then did they learn the awful truth.

As the Germans retreated from Poland the two boys were forced to march 600 km to Kaufering and then Dachau where they were kept until liberation in 1945.

Although they wanted to go to Palestine, instead they were relocated to England to begin new, very different lives, first in the East End and later in Wanstead and for most of his adult life Buckhurst Hill. The brothers remained very close until Alec’s death.

Changing his name to Ivor Perl, as it sounded more English, he went into business or as he puts it “the schmutter trade”. He met and married his wife Rhoda in 1953 and together they had four children, becoming active in their local shul and communal activities.

Four years ago, after Rhoda had passed away and initially not too keen on moving away from his community, Ivor moved to a retirement apartment in Jewish Care’s Selig Court in Golders Green. This is on the same site as the unique Holocaust Survivors Centre of which he has been a member for many

CHICKEN SOUP UNDER THE TREE

A JOURNEY TO HELL AND BACK

By Ivor Perl BEM

years and is situated within the Maurice and Vivienne Wohl Campus. Here survivors who arrived on Kindertransport or later as refugees get together to enjoy an active programme of arts, culture, chat, great food and listen to well-known speakers.

A spokesperson for Jewish Care explained that: “Activities aren’t focussed around the Holocaust, instead it is a really vibrant place to live and all about celebrating life.”

Outreach support for 300 survivors also includes telephone and online befriending. In Essex, dedicated volunteer Mandi Tobias and her team run regular tea parties for local survivors.

Further details of these and how to

obtain any advice and support by are available by emailing helpline@jcare.org or phoning Jewish Care on 0208 922 2222.

Relaxed, and with a great sense of humour, Ivor says of his new home: “It’s a great place to live, very haimishe, and I love to see friends, volunteers and staff I can chat to in Yiddish!”

And, as the books’ epilogue tells, he adds: “I came to England with nothing and worked very hard to create a loving and fruitful life for my wife and children. I was able to celebrate my 90th birthday and the publication of my book with four generations of my family. I hope to continue - for myself, my family and loved ones - to always be blessed with health and happiness.”

ABOUT THE BOOK: The publisher, Lemon Soul, is a new venture from the team behind the multi award-winning EdTech company 2Simple. Their focus is on books with a message to share with the world published in support of amazing charities. Ivor Perl has kindly chosen to donate £1 from every book sale to Jewish Care. It is available to order online from www.lemonsoul.com and all good bookstores.

Ivor Perl BEM with four generations of his family at the launch of Chicken Soup Under the Tree - picture courtesy of Jewish Care

Ivor with King Charles III at the St James Palace reception for Holocaust survivors

We have places for boys and girls in school years 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Did you know...

We have been teaching kids skills for life since 1953, and this year we will be celebrating our 70th anniversary.

We meet: Every Thursday (In term time)

Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm Location: Scout Hut, Roding Lane South, Redbridge IG4 5PD.