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ANNIVERSARY

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D A Y A N Y .Y . L IC H TE N S TE IN on T H E CHIEF R A B B I’S C H A R T E R FOR W O M E N

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P re p a rin g f o r Pesach b y D A Y A N BEREL B ER K O VITS U n d e r th e ’O ld R eg im e’ in Russia Plus N e w s , R eview s and M o re

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CO NTENTS F e d e r a tio n N e w s ............................................................... M IC H A E L G O L D M A N 3 0 Y e a rs o f ‘L ig h t’ ........................................................ j ( 7 D A Y A N BEREL B E R K O V IT S P re p a rin g f o r P e s a c h ................................................. ....1 5

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FEDERATION OF SYNAGOGUES

HAMAOR JOURNAL OF THE FEDERATION OF SYNAGOGUES 65 Watford Way London NW4 3AQ Founded 1962 Editor: Sharman Kadish

F R A Y B IN G O T T L IE B E x tr a c ts f r o m M y K h a r k o v D ia r y ................... 1 7 - 2 1 T A M A R SEGAL A P lace in H is t o r y .......................................................... 2 1 D A Y A N Y .Y . L IC H T E N S T E IN T h e W o m e n ’s C h a r t e r ............................................. 2 3 -2 4 S A LLY FIBER F it z r o v ia a n d t h e Jew ish C o n n e c tio n ............. 2 6 -2 8

Advertising: Maurice Caplin 081 -202 2263 Fax: 081 -203 0610

R A B B I R E U B E N L IV IN G S T O N E A nglo-Jew ishness? .................................................... 2 9 -3 0

EDITOR’S NOTE

B o o k R e v ie w s ............................................................. 3 1 - 3 4

This, the Thirtieth Anniversary issue of HaMaor constitutes something of a landmark in the history of the Federation of Synagogues. Appropriately enough, its appearance coincides with the removal of Federation Head Office to North West London, from its century old base in the East End. Full report opposite. This issue is a first in several other ways too. Owing to unprecedented pressure on advertising space, it is larger than ever before, running to forty pages. The cover now boasts an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN), which means that we have achieved official status as a journal catalogued by the British Library and other data retrieval systems both in the UK and abroad. Finally, whilst Dayan Lichtenstein reflects on the broadening role of women in AngloJewish life, HaMaor gives scope to far more female contributors than at any time in its history. Wishing all our members a Pesach sameach v’kasher. Sharman Kadish

Social & P e rs o n a l, O b it u a r y ........................................................................ 3 6 -3 9

Front Cover: ‘The Jewish Heritage’ by Edward Ripley from Jose Patterson Stories of the Jewish People reviewed on pages 31-32. Views expressed in articles and reviews printed in HaMaor are those held by the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the opinions o f the Editor, or o f the Federation o f Synagogues.

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FEDERATION SAYS GOODBYE TO THE EAST END T h e long awaited move of Federation Head Office from the East End to North West London is taking place as we go to press. It marks the final break with over one hundred years of Federation history as an East End synagogue organisation. From March 16th the Federation’s administration, the Beth Din, Burial Society, Talmud Torah Council and Kashrus Division will be based in Hendon. The three-storey purpose-built office block at 65 Watford Way, purch ased last year for £1.3 million, has been undergoing extensive altera tions in consultation with Rosenfelder Associates, Architects. An official opening is scheduled for May 17th and a new synagogue is to be opened in the building during the summer, with Dayan Y.Y. Lichtenstein as its Rav.

This synagogue will not only be the first Federation kehilla in the area, but also the first shul on the “other side” of the A41, to serve the large Jewish community of West Flendon. Offers Meanwhile, the old premises in Greatorex Street are still up for sale and, HaMaor is reliably informed, sev eral offers are being considered. How ever, the Federation is not in a hurry to sell, given the current slump in the property market. The site includes the Great Garden Street synagogue and

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Completing the writing of Sinai synagogue’s new Sefer Torah. Report p. 7.

the Kosher Luncheon Club, which has another year of its lease to run. Locals earnestly hope that the restaurant will be able to secure its future vis-a-vis any future owner of the freehold. Staff at Head Office are gearing up for the upheaval. Reactions to the move are mixed. On the one hand, there is relief that the Federation is leaving its East End offices which have been plagued by security prob lems recently. There have been two break-ins during the past year, the latest last January when thieves entered the empty building on a Shabbos by cutting out the glass from a window. They stole office equipment, including two word-processors and a fax machine - some of which had only recently been bought to replace that lost in the previous burglary. Police suspect that the same gang was at work. On the other hand, at least one member of staff, Mrs. Edna Jacobs, will not be making the daily trip to Hendon from Ilford where she lives. She has been with the Federation for five and a half years and is sad to be going. The job of packing has been made somewhat easier by the prior removal of the Federation’s extensive archives to the Greater London Record Office in Farringdon, where they are now open to scrutiny by scholars and members of the general public on written application to Gerald Kushner, the Federation’s Administrator.

E d u c a tio n C h ie f Q u its Rabbi Zvi Lieberman, Director of Education at the Federation, is leaving his post after less than two years in the job. He is, however, staying on as Rav of the Edgware Adas community. His place at Head Office is being tem porarily filled by Rabbi Reuben Livingstone of Ilford.

M ik v a Reopening The Ilford Federation mikva in Cranbrook Road which, as reported in the last issue of HaMaor, has undergone complete refurbishment, was officially reopened on March 22nd. Full story at Rosh Hashana.

C hief Rabbi’s Bid For Shechita Unity n behind-the-scenes moves, the new Chief Rabbi, Dr. Jonathan Sacks, has been urging the United Synagogue’s breakaway shechita authority to rejoin the Lon don Board for Shechita.

Dayan Y.Y. Lichtenstein, Federation Rosh Beth Din who, jointly with Dayan Pinchas Toledano of the Spanish and Portuguese Beth Din, supervises the activities of the Board, has welcomed the Chief Rabbi’s initiative, and expressed the hope that it will not meet resistance from less compromis ing elements within the United Synagogue, which encouraged the bid to go it alone back in 1989. The London Board, meanwhile, has been successfully expanding its oper ations, with five retail butchers and a growing selection of restaurants and caterers on its books. As a result of the competition between the two rival shechita bodies the price of kosher products has been dropping for the consumer.

In response to new Government guidelines on animal welfare, the Fed eration Beth Din has been deeply involved in the design of a new cast ing pen for cattle in which the animal remains the right way up. Conforming to the strictest halachic as well as EC specifications, it is likely that the new pen will be widely adopted.

Beth Din in B a ttle fo r M in o rity Rights The highly publicised case of PC Nigel Brown, the Ilford Jewish police man who took his battle for the right not to work on Shabbos to an indust rial tribunal, was taken up by the Fed eration Beth Din. According to Dayan Lichtenstein, the outcome of the case represents a major concession on the part of the police regarding the rights of religious min orities. It is a practical demonstration of the Police Force’s commitment to equal opportunities for recruits from all ethnic and religious backgrounds.

With Best Wishes to the Honorary Officers and Staff of the Federation of Synagogues and to HaMaor Also wishing you good luck in your new offices

ROSENTHAL, HASS & CO Chartered Accountants

Pesach 5752/1992

N o t a D e a d End Job The Burial Society’s new assistant administrator is Mr. M.L. Stewart who came to the Federation last year after fifteen years with the United Synagogue. He was secretary of Brixton synagogue for ten years and lat terly was superintendant of the Bushey and Waltham Abbey burial grounds. At the Federation, Mr. Stewart is responsible for all aspects of cemetery work, from the mainte nance of tombstones at both Edmon ton and Rainham to making sure that all the arrangements for a levaya are carried out smoothly and efficiently with the minimum of distress to the bereaved. A new departure recently has been the contracting out of the undertaking side of the operation to Abraham Funerals. Another innova tion is the gradual computerisation of the current records of the Burial Soci ety and Mr. Stewart would like to see all of the records dating back to the 1880s eventually put on a data base. This would, of course, be of immense value to people tracing their family history in this country. At the historic Edmonton ground, the prayer hall has been renovated and repainted, and security stepped up, after two minor break-ins at the office recently. The on-site caretaker, Mr. Vic Taylor, who has been with the Federation for fourteen years, keeps a close eye on the premises and looks after the washing and weeding of the graves. Fortunately, Edmonton has suffered no further vandalism since the notorious outbreak in the sprinq of 1990.

T o p M arks The Annual Talmud Torah Prize Day took place on November 3rd last. Mr. Tony Miller, chairman of the Talmud Torah Council, presided over the large gathering, which heard a report of the year’s educational activities from Rabbi Zvi Lieberman, the out-going. Director of Education. The guest of honour was Dayan Berel Berkovits whose wife presented the prizes. There was stiff competition between the children of the Ilford, Loughton and Edgware chedorim for the various prizes and academic standards are consequently high.

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HaMaor’s first m asthead as it appeared in 1962

On the occasion of our 30th Birthday, Michael Goldman presents a brief history of HaMaor t a Conference of Federation Rabbis and Ministers held in ^^m January 1962 (announced somewhat optimistically as the First Annual Conference) the only Resolution adopted that had practi cal results was that moved by the late Rev Irwin Landau (of Neasden Synagogue) who proposed the pub lication of a quarterly “devoted to religious subjects”. As a consequ ence, the first issue of HaMaor appeared in time for Pesach that year. In point of fact, the journal was the brainchild of Rabbi J.H. Cymerman zf/., then Chairman of the Fed eration of Synagogues Rabbinate (formally re-constituted as the Fed eration Beth Din in 1966). He had mooted the idea with the Federa tion’s Honorary Officers some months previously and had elicited a promise of financial support for a journal that would be, he envis aged, principally a forum for learned articles, with limited space allotted to communal news and fea tures. It was to be “a platform for the expression of true Jewish faith... not to be influenced by party or political affiliation, by individuals or even sectional tendencies”.

With these elevated aims, HaMaor, in its early years, appeared five times annually; Rabbi Cymerman contributing its leading arti cles and procuring most of the scholarly material, the Federation’s Secretariat collating the communal news items, and Mr. Sidney Lightman, then “Chronicler” of the Jewish Chronicle's “Incidentally” column, providing the technical expertise. M asthead A newly designed masthead in 1972 was the only innovation in HaMaor3s content, style or lay-out for nearly two decades. There was ample evidence that the enthusias tic efforts (largely voluntary) of the contributors and tiny editorial team were worthwhile, as each issue was eagerly awaited and warmly welcomed by hundreds of families. (Admittedly, there was only a hand ful of actual subscribers, costs being defrayed out of Federation Dues and advertising). The literary standard was high (though not uniformly so) and HaMaor was fortunate in securing authors of some eminence - who were happy to use the journal as a 5

vehicle for their ideas. These included such scholars as Rabbi Dr. Jonah E. Ehrentreu, whose thoughtful series on the Noachide Laws, following another on dealing with Judaism’s pre-eminence as a world religion in modern times, pro voked considerable interest; Rabbi O. Feuchtwanger, Dayan Dr. W. Gottlieb, Dayan Dr. M. Krausz, Rabbi Moshe Cohen, and the recently deceased author, Mr. Sam Kramer. My distinguished pre decessor as Secretary of the Feder ation of Synagogues, Mr. Julius Jung, contributed a fascinating series on Jewish personalities in London’s former East End which he later incorporated into his Champ ions of Orthodoxy. All these writers, sadly, are no longer with us. Amongst other well-known regu lar contributors who are, Boruch Hashem, still flourishing, were Rabbi Baruch Horovitz, of Yeshivat D’var Yerushalayim, Rabbi M. Smith, Professor Ernest Krausz, Rabbi Dr. H. Rabinowicz, His Hon our Judge Aron Owen, Rabbi Meyer Frydman, Dr. Max Glatt and Rabbi Dr. Julian Jacobs. page 7

EDGWARE SEUDA The annual Chevra Kadisha Seuda on 7th Adar, the traditional birthday and yortseit of Moshe Rabbenu, was this year held at the Edgware Yeshurun synagogue. Edgware’s Dayan G. Lopian treated guests to a Gemoro shiur on the concept of menachem I’aveylim (comforting the mourners) after Mincha, with Dayan M. Fisher, emeritus Av Beth Din presiding. The Seuda itself, catered by the team from the Kosher Luncheon Club, attracted a large crowd of both men and women who heard Dayan Berel Berkovits give a witty and thoughtful address on the significance of the work of the Chevra Kadisha. Ralph Joseph was in the chair and Mr Olivestone, Life President of the Edgware community, gave the vote of thanks. Now that the Federation has left its base in the East End, the Seuda prom ises to become a roving event; last year it took place at Finchley and next year it is hoped to hold it at Ilford.

R ev B ra ie r R e tire s At the Seuda President Arnold Cohen announced the impending retirement of Rev I.M. Braier after 40 years service with the Federation. For the past 25 years he has acted as Clerk to the Beth Din, where his excel lent memory has been of invaluable assistance. Mr Cohen wished Rev Braier and his wife many happy years of retirement which will no doubt be made more enjoyable by the CD player and chazonus discs to be presented to them as a token of appreciation by Head Office.

P ro m o tio n s Mr Jonathan Winegarten, a vicepresident of the Federation, has been appointed a Master of the Supreme Court, Chancery Division. Educated at both University Col lege London and Gateshead and Slabodka yeshivos, Mr Winegarten has achieved a double first. At the age of 48, he is the youngest currently serving Chancery Master and is the first Jewish Chancery Master in British legal history. Meanwhile, Professor Geoffrey Alderman, Professor of Politics and Contemporary History at Royal Hollo-

Synagogue R o u n d -U p R IG H T T IM E

At this year’s annual ChanukaJea at the Shomrei Hadath Federation synagogue the guest of honour was Rabbi Moshe Elzas, Director of Kashrus at the Federation. In the course of his introductory remarks Rabbi Elzas commented that his speaking engagements seemed to find him in the right place at the right time at “Sinai” Federation synagogue on Shavuos, the time of the giving of the Torah, and at “ Shom rei Hadath” (trans: “ Keepers of the Jewish Law”) on Chanuka, the season when the Hasmoneans fought for Judaism against Hellenization. He went on to say that whereas it is usually assumed that Chanuka had two miracles - the victory of the few over the many and the oil continuing to burn - to his mind there was a third miracle. The Gemoro recounts that when the Greeks entered the Temple they defiled all the oils and later, after their victory, the Hasmoneans found only one cruse of oil left bearing the seal of the High Priest. The third mira cle, Rabbi Elzas wryly remarked, was that nobody queried the hechsheh There then followed a lively ques tion and answer session on the sub ject of kashrus.

• L E A R N IN G FOR LADIES

The Shomrei Hadath continues to play host to the well-established and popular series of weekly public shiurim for ladies. The name of the series is Chen, standing for Chinuch Nashim (trans: Women’s Education). Founded in 1971 by Mrs Masha Grenbaum, it has been held in the Shomrei Hadath since 1978. The shiurim are given by two outway and Bedford New College, Uni versity of London, and author of numerous books and articles on Anglo-Jewish and general history, has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He is a member of the Federation Executive.

standing teachers, Dr Judith Grunfeld and Rebbetzen Judith Schlesinger. They take place each Tuesday morn ing in the hall of the Shomrei Hadath and last from 10 am to 12 noon, with a coffee break at 11 am. The subject of the shiurim this term is the weekly Sedra (Dr Grunfeld) and Proverbs (Rebbetzen Schlesinger). For informa tion please telephone Mrs Hannah Winegarten (071 435 1643) or Mrs Martha Hofbauer (071 435 6372).

• S O U TH L O N D O N A C T IV IT Y

The new Rabbi of Croydon synagogue was formally inducted into office on March 15th. But Lubavitchtrained New Yorker Menachem Junik, who was appointed last year (see HaMaor Pesach 5751/1991) has already been busy building up the Croydon kehiila for almost nine months. Last November Croydon’s cheder was reopened with an initial enrolment of 10; the shut caters for approximately 100 families. Recently, a special Shabbaton was held for the cheder which attracted some hitherto non-affiliated Croydon families. Rabbi Junik, assisted by his wife Goldie, who is the daughter of Rabbi Shmuel Lew, headmaster of the Lubavitch Grammar School in Stamford Hill, has introduced some bright ideas to encourage still greater participation in the cheder. At Chanuka for instance, the children made lutkas arid paper dreidals and similar arts and craft activities are being planned. For adults, the Juniks have inaugu rated a new education programme entitled Teach ’92, standing for Torah Education At Croydon Homes, which has a regular attendance of about 30 men and women. They have also started a Shabbos cholla shop designed to fill the gap in kosher retail outlets South of the river. Meanwhile, architects’ plans of the new half million pound Croydon Fed eration synagogue are on display. It is hoped that planning permission will be received from the Borough Council by April.

• NEW LEASE OF LIFE

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The Federation has given a new lease of life to the Ohel Jacob Beth HaMedrash by leasing new premises for it in Gants Hill. The minyan now meets every evening, Sundays and Shabbos in a large warehouse above a supermarket near Gants Hill library. According to secretary David Grant, shiurim are held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, given by Rabbi Livingstone of Ilford Federation and by Dayan Lichtenstein respectively. The shul, which has graduated to con stituent status within the Federation would, however, like to have a parttime rabbi of its own.

30th BIRTHDAY continued from page 5

H LONDON ACTIVITY iew Rabbi of Croydon e was formally inducted into March 15th. But Lubavitchiw Yorker Menachem Junik, appointed last year (see Pesdch 5751/1991) has een busy building up the kehilla for almost nine .ast November Croydon's is reopened with an initial of 10; the shul caters for tely 100 families. Recently, M b a to n was held for the ch attracted some hitherto sd Croydon families. Rabbi isted by bis wife G o to

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This pattern continued until 1980 when, following another confer ence - this time a joint gathering of rabbinic and lay leaders, HaMaor appeared in entirely new format, with a new printer (the original prin ters, Narod Press of Cavell Street having closed after three quarters of a century’s service to London’s Jewish community) and a new tech nical editor, Mr. Gerald Smith, a widely experienced journalist. HaMaor was transformed into the official organ of the Federation of Synagogues, covering much more synagogue and community news, replete with photographs, with a lively children’s supplement - and an undoubtedly more partisan out look. A few readers regretted the loss of the academic, if somewhat staid tone, of earlier times, but the change was popular with most members, who judged their newstyle journal less “boring”. (Clearly the United Synagogue liked it, too: their new magazine HaMesilah , first issued in 1984, looked exactly like HaMaori) Since 1988, under its new editor, Dr. Sharman Kadish, there have been further innovations such as the thoroughly modern sans-serif typeface (not everyone’s cup of tea, I must add) and, more significantly, articles drawn from a far wider cir cle of contributors. On its thirtieth anniversary, everyone will wish HaMaor m e’ah vfesrim shonoh; may I make a mod est proposal - that, occasionally, during the next decades, HaMaor re-publish a few of its early, very excellent, scholarly articles

BELATED B A R M IT Z V A

Dayan Gershon Lopian conducted the barmitzva of 41 year old Musco vite Joseph Fradkin at the Yeshurun synagogue, Edgware, last winter. Mr Fradkin was the guest of a Jewish family in the neighbourhood when it was discovered that he had never been barmitzva and his hosts made the necessary arrangements. Lawr ence Littlestone, executive director of the National Council for Soviet Jewry, stepped in with a Russian translation at the ceremony which was held dur ing the Thursday morning Torah read ing. A kiddush was held after the ser vice. • N EW SEFER T O R A H

Members of Sinai synagogue in Golders Green have raised money for the writing of a new Sefer Torah. The work was carried out in Israel and completed by Rabbi Berel Knopfler at a grand ceremony in the shul. The scroll was borne aloft under a chupa in a torchlit procession with musical accompaniment. The traditional Hakofos were danced and children of

members sang under the direction of choirmaster Rabbi Klajn. In the even ing a seuda was held in the hall of the Hendon Adas, attended by Dayan Lichtenstein and Honorary Officers of the Federation. Rabbi Zahn of Sunder land Yeshiva was the guest of honour. • SHABBOS FA Y R E

The children of Loughton, Ilford and Edgware chedorim came together for a joint “Shabbos Fayre” at Loughton synagogue on Sunday 1st March. The boys and girls, aged between 7 and 12, demonstrated cholla baking, kid dush and the art of havdala candle making to a large crowd of parents and friends. Art and craft work, such as mini-Shabbos tables created out of shoe boxes, was on display and one of the most popular stalls was a quiz which involved bursting balloons. Mrs. Devorah Sufrin led the team of teachers who put a great deal of prep aration into the event, which was attended by the local rabbonim, and Federation dayanim. A fun time was had by all.

Sign of the Times

Shomrei Hadath Synagogue

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Camden Council seems to have uncanny insight into Jewish matters, at least when it comes to sign-posts. Shomrei Hadath have been asking for a sign-post ever since it moved to its new building in 1989. At last it arrived', and was

planted by the council on - Tu BeShevat! Not only does the sign state the name o f the synagogue but, appropriate to that name the Council has added a little picture of a man walking, obviously walk ing to shul on Shabbos.

HALACHA

P R E P A R IN G A Dinim G uide by Dayan Berel Berkovits esach is one of the most important of all our Festivals. It is our oldest Yomtov (dating back to the very beginning of the Jewish nation) and is rich in history, dramatic impact, and educational value. It is above all a family occasion - an opportunity to celebrate Judaism as a family unit - and is much loved by children. Probably no other Jewish event is so widely observed through out the world as the Seder night, commemorating our exodus from Egypt ian slavery and the beginning of our freedom. The ultimate reason for the laws of Chometz is, of course, not known to us. In common with all mitzvos of the Torah, we keep them because they are G-d’s will, and we believe that they have fundamental spiritual value. However, the Torah itself gives an historical reason - because the Jews left Egypt in such a hurry that their dough had no time to ferment. In Rab binic literature, fermentation is a sym bol of the yetzerhara - man’s negative impulses which lead him to arro gance. For a fascinating explanation of the bio-chemistry of Chometz, which shows how the detailed halachic rules accord exactly with the discovery of modern scientific princi ples, see “ Bio-chemistry of Chometz” by F B Munk, in The Jewish Homemaker, February-March, 1982.

one may not trade in Chometz on Pesach, or sell any Chometz on Pesach (businessmen who trade in Chometz such as whisky, should con sult a Rabbi or the Beth Din). Likewise, it is forbidden, of course, to buy any Chometz or substances con

taining Chometz throughout Pesach. It is also forbidden to have any form of Chometz in one’s home, or indeed in one’s possession (eg in one’s office), anywhere in the world, from mid-morning on Erev Pesach until the termination of Yomtov.

C h o m etz on Pesach

It is forbidden to eat even the tiniest amount of any Chometz, (or food con taining even a small amount of any Chometz ingredient), from a time in mid-morning on Erev Pesach, until the conclusion of the last day of Yomtov. It is also forbidden not only to eat any Chometz, but to have any direct benefit from edible Chometz. In other words, one may not use anything con taining edible Chometz over Pesach even though it is not taken by mouth. It is also forbidden to obtain finan cial benefit from Chometz - therefore,

‘Seder Night’ by ‘Babette’ (1921) 8

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S upervised Foods ( K o s h e r le-P esach)

Because of the rule about not eat ing any Chometz, one may only eat on Pesach food which (a) contains abso lutely no Chometz, and (b) which has been produced on machinery which is not used for other, Chometz, pro ducts. This means in practice that on Pesach one should only eat food which is produced and manufactured under strict Rabbinical supervision. Such food is known as Kosher lePesach food. This customarily applies even to foods such as tea, coffee, sugar, salt and spices (which can con tain Chometz additives, such as iodide or polysorbates). Nowadays almost all food can be obtained under Rabbinical supervision for Pesach. Basic d e fin itio n o f C h o m e tz

In general, Chometz consists of anything fermented obtained from five kinds of grain, namely: wheat, barley, oats, rye and spelt, or anything which includes one of these substances as an ingredient. This covers not only food, but also drinks - for example, whisky, gin and beer are Chometz because they are obtained from, or fermented with, products derived from one of the five kinds of grain mentioned above. It also includes, of course, any unsupervised product containing wheat flour. Whenever any one of the five substances listed above comes into contact with water (as is usually the case if they form part of manufactured foods) fermentation is presumed to have taken place, and the food will be Chometz, unless it has been produced under Rabbinical supervision.

NB. Crackers and biscuits which look like Matzo, or which are described as Matzo, but are not produced under Rabbinical supervision, must be con sidered Chometz. This applies also to crackers sold as “wheat-free” or “glu ten-free” crackers or biscuits. Other common examples of foods or substances containing Chometz, which may not be used (or even kept, unless sold to a non-Jew) on Pesach, are the following:

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Special cases

Where an Ashkenazi Jew has mar ried a Sephardi Jew, or in cases of sickness, or where babies’ food may contain Kitniyos, a competent Rabbi or the Beth Din should be consulted for guidance.

1 . Cereals. 2 . Marmite, Bisto, Yeast extract.

Foods w h ich m a y be k e p t o v e r Pesach 9 b u t n o t used

3. Any product containing malt or malt vinegar. 4. Any tinned food with a sauce or ingredient which could contain flour (for example, tins of baked beans). Powdered soups (even those kosher for use throughout the year). Custard powder and instant pud ding. Gripe water, Lift (for lemon tea), malt and barley drinks; also new coffee mixtures with barley, postum coffee, dextrose. Starch (since it is often made from wheat). Baking powder containing wheat flour (this will usually, but not always, be shown on the list of ingredients). Products containing glucose (eg chocolate spread).

There are certain foods which you may not use on Pesach, but which may be kept in the house, provided that they are put away in a clearlymarked manner in a special place. This includes, for example, foods such as the following: 1. All Kitniyos products as defined above. 2. Food which does not actually con tain Chometz, but which has been cooked before Pesach in ordinary Chometz utensils, or food which contains Chometz, but has been sold over Pesach. Where such foods are to be kept in the same freezer as Pesach food, they should be kept, wherever possible, on a separate shelf, and they should be clearly marked so that there is no chance of accidentally using them on Pesach. 3. Dried fruits which have not been especially prepared for Pesach. Likewise, non-supervised tinned fruit, and tinned fish (other than those which actually contain a Chometz sauce, which must be destroyed or sold before Pesach). 4. Chocolates, sweets, drinking chocolate and cocoa which have not been supervised especially for Pesach (even if they are listed as Kosher for the rest of the year). Non-supervised tea, nestea and coffee should also not be used.

This list is merely by way of exam ple. It is not a comprehensive list. It is always advisable to check the ingre dients of manufactured products. Any product whose ingredients include wheat, bran or oats, or flour produced from them is, of course, Chometz.

E xam ples o f C h o m e tz

It is obviously impossible to give a full list of foods which are considered Chometz. All forms of bread are of course Chometz, and all cakes and biscuits which are not specially pro duced under supervision for Pesach are also Chometz. Likewise, alcohol (except for isopropyl alcohol) and liqueurs which are not produced under Rabbinical supervision for Pesach are very often Chometz. Matzo, Matzo meal, or any other pro duct made of Matzo which is not pro duced specially as Kosher for Pesach under Rabbinical supervision, must be considered Chometz, because if it is not especially supervised in this way one cannot ensure that fermenta tion did not take place. Flour must be considered Chometz (because the wheat is usually washed) but super vised potato flour is of course permit ted. Noodles (Loksheri) are also Chometz.

NB. Potatoes are, of course, not Kit niyos, and Kosher le-Pesach potato flour can therefore be used on Pesach.

W h a t is K itn iy o s I

There are certain types of food other than the five kinds of grain men tioned above, which may not be used on Pesach by Ashkenazi Jews (the majority of Anglo-Jewry), although they are not actually Chometz . These are called Kitniyos, which is a term covering all foods such as beans, corn (maize - including pop corn), peas, lentils, rice, mustard, peanuts, chick peas, and all other pod vegeta bles. (Note, however, as mentioned above, that baked beans are invari ably proper Chometz, because of the sauce). The rule against using Kitniyos also applies to any products pro duced from these substances - for example, cornflour and corn oil, or margarines containing such oil. Jews of Yemenite or Sephardi origin are, however, permitted to use these pro ducts.

N o n -F o o d su b stan ces w h ich m a y be k e p t o v e r Pesach

There are also certain non-food substances which you should not use on Pesach (since they may contain Chometz) unless you have specific information about their ingredients. Included in this category, for example, are detergents, cosmetics and toilet ries. It is not necessary, however, to destroy them or sell them for Pesach. W hen m e d ic in e is r e q u ir e d o v e r Pesach

Where somebody has to take medicine which might contain Chometz on doctor’s advice, a com petent Rabbi or the Beth Din should

PESACH Continued

be consulted as far in advance of Pesach as possible. It is advisable to explain the exact medical condition, and, if possible, to give the name and telephone number of the doctor who prescribed the medicine. One should avoid taking tablets which may con tain Chometz if there is no medical necessity - for example, vitamin pills which are taken, but not on prescrip tion. All medicines containing alcohol (except for isopropyl alcohol) are Chometz. Many throat lozenges also contain Chometz. Medicines which are not to be used on Pesach, (especially if they might contain Chometz) should be locked away in a safe place, or put together with items which are to be sold over Pesach, and sold. C ho m etz d e te rg e n ts and cosmetics

Many detergents, cleaning sub stances, cosmetics and perfumes may contain Chometz (such as alcohol). Skin creams and lotions often contain wheatgerm or oatflour extracts, which are of course Chometz. Soaps, eau de cologne, toilet water, mouth washes, hair sprays, hair tonics and deodorants may contain Chometz. Some of these items are available under Rabbinical supervision for Pesach. Baby foods containing C hom etz

It is not permitted to feed babies with Chometz over Pesach. Con sequently, baby rusks, baby cereals, Farlene, and gripe water may not be used (or even kept) over Pesach. Rusks can be prepared at home by baking Kosher le-Pesach sponge cakes using Pesachdik equipment. For cereals, you can substitute matzo-meal or potato flour with milk (add egg or pure fruit juice for flavour). Baby purees and bottled baby juices should not be used unless they are produced under Rabbinical supervi sion for Pesach; you can puree your own meat, vegetables, fruit and fish at home using Pesachdik equipment. K itn iy o s in baby foods

Some baby products contain Kit niyos ingredients, rather than proper Chometz, and a Rabbi should be con sulted for directions concerning their use. Babies w ith m edical o r feeding problem s

Likewise, if a baby has to have medicine containing Chometz, or is

unwell and requires special food, or if the baby will not eat food it is not used to, a Rabbi should be consulted. H orseradish; fish

Horseradish bought for use on Pesach should not be cut at the greengrocers unless a special knife is used. It is also customary to ensure that fish bought for Pesach should not be cut or scraped at the fishmongers, unless it is bought from a Jewish fishmonger using special Pesachdik knives. Frozen fish is permitted if it contains no additives. F ru it and vegetables All fresh fruits and non-Kitniyos veg etables are permitted for Pesach with

out special supervision. Frozen veget ables are permitted, provided that there are no additives. Dried fruits are not permitted for Pesach without spe cial supervision. Some people have the custom to wash or peel fruit and vegetables before use on Pesach, in case they may have come into con tact with Chometz. Food bought in before Pesach for use over Pesach should, of course, be wrapped and/or stored away carefully in a Chometzfree environment. Inedible products

There are some non-food products containing grain alcohol (such as ink, paints, polishes and waxes) which are totally inedible. These products may be used on Pesach. Contact fluid for contact lenses may be used on Pesach. A u -p a irs and non-Jewish guests

Strictly speaking, it is not prohibited for an au-pair or non-Jewish guest to have, or even to eat, Chometz in their own room if the Jew does not have access to the room, provided that no responsibility for loss or damage to the Chometz is undertaken by a Jewish person. However, in practice it is strongly recommended that no Chometz should be eaten or brought into the house over Pesach by a nonJew, as serious problems can easily arise. Pets

One may not feed one’s pets or ani mals on Pesach with food containing Chometz, nor may one keep such food in one’s house. Cats can eat fish or meat and will drink milk or water. Dogs can eat meat. If they are used to “Kibbled" dog food, it is advisable to start them on a pure meat diet a few days before Pesach (to give them time to adjust). Rabbits, mice and hamsters will thrive on vegetables and Matzo - again, it is preferable to change their diet a few days in 10

advance. Guinea pigs can manage quite well on vegetables. NB. Goldfish food, such as Phillips’ “Cold Water Flakes” contains Chometz and may not be used or kept on Pesach (unless sold). Ants’ eggs can be obtained from pet shops instead. “ K A SHERING ” FOR PESACH W h at is “ Kashering” !

“Kashering” is the process by means of which any Chometz which may have been absorbed into pots and pans, crockery or cutlery, or cook ers, ovens, and other kitchen equip ment in the course of the year is removed in such a manner that one may use the object over Pesach. The laws of “Kashering” are complex, and wherever possible one should have separate Pesach utensils and not rely on “Kashering". These notes are intended merely by way of general guidance. It is always advisable to consult a competent Rabbi for precise information. It is also preferable, wherever possible, to have a Rabbi or person with practical experience of “Kashering” present whilst the "Kashering” takes place. And if you have any query about “Kashering”, ask! The Beth Din will be pleased to help. Which articles can be “ K ashered” !

Not everything may be “Kashered”. The following objects can not be “Kashered”. 1. Anything made of earthenware, china, enamel, pottery or porce lain, or of material which might be spoilt by immersion in boiling hot water. 2. Anything which has a handle made of bone (for example, cutlery with bone handles), or of material which might be spoilt by immersion in boiling hot water. 3. Pyrex or other similar forms of heat-resistant glass. 4. Anything which cannot be properly cleaned: for example, graters, utensils with a very tight neck, rim or lip, or with handles which can not be properly cleaned. 5. Anything usually used in the course of baking cakes or bread (for example, baking tins, kneading utensils, rolling-pins, and sieves). 6. Non-stick frying pans. (In any event, there are special rules for the “Kashering" of ordinary frying pans - see below). 7. Cutlery which is not made of one piece, but has a separate handle and metal part, cannot usually be “Kashered”.

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“ Kashering” should normally be completed not later than the latest time for eating Chometz on Erev Pesach. Dishes, utensils, or any equipment to be “ Kashered” should not be used for twenty-four hours beforehand, and to allow time for the actual “ Kashering” process, an extra half hour or so should be added. If an object which one wishes to Kasher was used after the “cut-off” time, or if, for some reason, the “ Kashering” was not completed in time on Erev Pesach, the matter should be referred to a competent Rabbi, or to the Beth Din, for advice. P re p a ra tio n s b e fo re “ K ash erin g ”

It is essential that, before the “Kashering” commences, the object which one wishes to Kasher is per fectly clean, and free of any actual Chometz, dirt, grease or grime, and rust. Therefore, the first stage in all “ Kashering” is to clean the object one wishes to Kasher as thoroughly as possible. After the cleaning, there should not be the slightest trace of Chometz, grime, grease, dirt or removable rust on any part of the object. Where there are joints or screws, they should be cleaned as thoroughly as possible with steelwool, and an open flame applied to those parts, to burn off any remaining particles which might still be there. T h e process o f “ K a s h e rin g ”

After cleaning, as described above, the object to be “ Kashered” should be totally immersed in water which is boiling and bubbling throughout the process of “ Kashering” . The utensil in which the water is boiled should pref erably be new, or Pesachdik. Alterna tively, a Chometz utensil which has itself been “ Kashered” , or which has not been used for 24 hours, may be used. It is common for water, into which cold dishes or pots and pans are placed, to stop bubbling, owing to the momentary reduction in tempera ture, and therefore one should wait for a little while until the water has started bubbling again. If the object is held in the water with tongs, it should be released and then held again in another position, so that the water comes into contact with the entire sur

face of the object. Alternatively, it can be immersed in the water in a wire net (but if a number of objects are immersed simultaneously, care should be taken to ensure that the water comes into contact with all of them). Once the object has been left in bubbling water for a moment, it should be removed and then immediately rinsed in cold water. NB. Some synagogues have special facilities for “ Kashering” , which can be particularly useful when the object to be “ Kashered” is a large one. G lassw are

There are special rules for the “ Kashering” of glassware. A compe tent Rabbi or the Beth Din should be consulted. F ry in g Pans

Frying pans or any utensil in which food is fried cannot be “ Kashered” in the ordinary way. The only way in which they can be “ Kashered” is by placing them into an open flame, until the metal has become so hot that a piece of straw which would touch the metal would be burnt as a result. Con sequently, it is not usual to Kasher fry ing pans, because of the difficulty of heating them in this manner.

assigned to this task - (but anybody helping should be over the age of barmitzva or batmitzva) - to go carefully around the house with a single can dle, and have a look in all places where Chometz might have been kept. For example, it is not necessary to look inside one’s linen cupboard, but one should look in a bedside drawer, or desk,if Chometz (for exam ple, biscuits) is sometimes kept there. Likewise, one should look into any cupboards, shelves or containers in which Chometz is normally kept; for example, in the dining room and, of course, in the kitchen. Before making the search a Beracha is recited. This blessing is to be found on p. 307 of the Singer’s Siddur. During the search one should not interrupt by speaking about matters which are not concerned with the search. An electric torch with a concen trated beam can be used instead of a candle. C h o m e tz fo u n d d u rin g th e search

B E D IK A S C H O M E T Z (S E A R C H IN G FO R C H O M E T Z )

Any Chometz found should be care fully swept up and put away in a spe cial container or bag, to be burnt the following day. Some people have the custom before doing the search of putting away small pieces of bread in designated places in order to make sure that the search is done thoroughly, and that they are found! It is not advisable to do this, however, because it is possible that these pieces of Chometz may accidentally be overlooked. After you have finished the search for Chometz, any Chometz which you want to leave over to eat for breakfast the next day should be carefully put away in a safe place so that it is not forgotten about, and also so that it does not come into contact with any part of the house which has been cleaned for Pesach.

T h e tim e f o r B e d ik a s C h o m e tz

G O IN G A W A Y FO R P E S A C H

ft K a s h e rin g ” th e K itc h e n The rules relating to “ Kashering” of kitchen items, (such as cookers) are complex, and vary according to the type of cooker (gas, electric, ceramic, microwave, and so forth). Similarly, the rules relating to “ Kashering” of other kitchen items (such as food pro cessors, dishwashers, etc) vary according to the design. A competent Rabbi or the Beth Din should be con sulted for detailed advice.

Even though the house has been thoroughly cleaned out for Pesach, it is necessary to make a formal search for Chometz on the night before Pesach. Ideally, this search should begin at nightfall, and should not be delayed beyond this time. However, if it cannot be carried out at this point, it may still be done at any time on that evening throughout the night. Where it was not done in the night, one should still do the search on Erev Pesach in the day-time. T h e m e th o d o f search

The method of searching is for the head of the household, their spouse, or any other member of the family

C lean in g o u t th e house b e fo r e going a w a y

If you plan to go away over Pesach, the house must nonetheless be cleaned out in the usual way, and any actual Chometz (such as bread, bis cuits or whisky) should be removed from the house or sold before you leave. (Of course, if you are planning to go away for Pesach, preparations for cleaning out the house should begin that much earlier). Where some body is leaving their house at least thirty days before Pesach, different rules may apply. In such cases, or in the case of any query by someone

PESACH

EREV PESACH

Continued

F irs tb o rn

leaving their house for Pesach, a com petent Rabbi or the Beth Din should be consulted.

Erev Pesach is a fast-day for all male first-born. It is customary, how ever, to attend a Siyum in synagogue, in which case it is not necessary to fast. Fathers of first-born sons under Barmitzva age should also attend this Siyum.

T h e search f o r C h o m e tz and B i'u r C h o m e tz b e fo re going aw ay

W hen t o s to p e a tin g C h o m e tz

People going away for Pesach should conduct the search for Chometz in the usual manner on the evening before leaving, but the Beracha before the search should be omitted. However, the declaration of annulment after the search (and also on Erev Pesach morning - see below) should be said in the usual way. If you are travelling to a different time-zone, the Beth Din should be consulted regarding the appropriate time for annulment of Chometz on Erev Pesach.

This year (1992) one must stop eat ing Chometz on Erev Pesach no later than 10.04 am. Some people have the custom to brush their teeth after breakfast on Erev Pesach (even if this is not normally done after a meal) in order to remove any bits or crumbs of bread or Chometz from their mouth. Incidentally, one should use special toothpaste on Pesach which is pre pared under Rabbinical supervision, and it is customary to buy a new toothbrush for Pesach, or keep a toothbrush specially for Pesach from year to year.

A n n u lm e n t o f C h o m e tz

A f t e r y o u have s to p p e d e a tin g C h o m e tz

After the search, the head of the house makes a short declaration of annulment of Chometz, ie that he con siders any Chometz in his possession which he may have overlooked, to be of no value and of no worth. This declaration was originally made in Aramaic, but it is not a prayer, and should not be said in Aramaic unless one understands what one is saying. If you do not understand

the Aramaic, you should say the fol lowing declaration in English: I hereby declare that any Chometz or leaven which is anywhere in my possession, which I have not seen and have not destroyed and am not aware of, should be considered as of no value and of no significance, like the dust of the earth. Things o n e sh o u ld p u t a w a y o v e r P esa ch

All Chometz which is to be sold over Pesach should be put away in a special place to which one has no access over Pesach. Preferably, it should be locked up and the key put away safely. Likewise, all dishes, cut lery and pots and pans which are not used on Pesach should be put away (after thorough cleaning). One should also put away those items of food, toiletries and medicines which are not pure Chometz but which may not be used over Pesach. It is advisable to put away any Siddur or Bentscher commonly used for Birchas HaMazon, as it is extremely difficult to clean the pages completely of all crumbs. 12

After you have finished eating Chometz, any remaining crumbs, bread, or any other form of Chometz should be carefully swept up and put aside in order to be burned or other wise disposed of. You should make sure that your hands are carefully washed of all Chometz before begin ning to take out your Pesachdik dishes and food, and cooking for Pesach. This is also the time (if it has not already been done beforehand) to complete preparations in the kitchen, especially to finish covering over the surfaces which you intend to use over Pesach. All rubbish which may con tain Chometz should be emptied and removed from the house: do not forget, also, to empty your carpetsweeper and change your hoover-bag (which are likely to contain ChometZ). DESTROYING C H O M ET Z (S P U R ) B urning/disposing o f C h o m e tz

Between the period when you must stop eating Chometz and 11.32am, by which time you must have burnt it or disposed of it, Chometz may still remain in your possession. However, care should be taken to begin dispos ing of any remaining Chometz before the “cut-off” time, which is the time by which the Chometz should be com pletely destroyed or otherwise dis posed of. Ideally, the Chometz should be burnt (although not, of course, over one’s cooker or oven which has been prepared for Pesachl) If you live in an area where you can make a fire,

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you can burn your Chometz over a small woodfire in a back yard (but care should, of course, be taken to control and supervise the fire through out). If you live in a smokeless zone, any remaining Chometz should be burnt where there are special facilities for this. In some synagogues, provi sion is made for a communal fire at the synagogue courtyard, to which individuals may bring their Chometz to be burnt. W h e n b u r n in g C h o m e t z is n o t p o s s ib le

Where it is not possible for the Chometz to be burnt, it should ideally be rendered inedible by some means (eg by pouring paraffin or some other substance on it which makes it inedi ble), and it should then be disposed of in a plastic bag. If possible, it should be placed outside your house and garden; if this is not possible, how ever, it may be placed in a dustbin. Alternatively, it can be given away to a non-Jew.

valid sale, by means of which the ownership of all one’s Chometz is transferred to the non-Jewish purch aser. Although the Torah forbids us to keep Chometz which we own over Pesach, it does not forbid a non-Jew to own it. Hence the sale of Chometz, achieves a balance between the spiritual ideals in Torah - not to own Chometz over Pesach - and the prac tical requirements of everyday life (the difficulty of disposing of all one’s Chometz). This is a good example of the flexibility of halacha, which is not meant to be a rigid system making life difficult for us, but a “way of life” in accordance with the Torah. However, you do not actually have to sell your Chometz. If you can use it up or otherwise dispose of it before Pesach, that is at least as good. The main thing is either to get rid of it physically, or to transfer ownership of it. The Chometz to be sold should be securely locked away over Pesach, and the key kept in a safe place.

E R E V P E S A C H (A F T E R B U R N IN G A N D S E LLIN G CH O M ETZ) W h a t t o e a t on E r e v P esa ch

After all the last-minute prepara tions to get the house ready for Pesach, and to sell and burn your Chometz, you might feel hungry! Of course, you cannot eat any Chometz. You should also not eat any Matzo before the Seder (although kneidlach are allowed). Consequently, the mid day meal will consist of soup, fish, meat or vegetables. You may also eat Pesachdik cakes and biscuits on Erev Pesach if they contain no matzomeal. After about 6 o ’clock on Erev Pesach you should only eat a snack, and not a proper meal, in order to maintain your appetite for the Matzo in the Seder. The Maror (bitter herbs) for the Seder should be prepared on Erev Pesach (as well as all other prepara tions). You can either use lettuce, or

T h e seco n d a n n u lm e n t o f C h o m e tz

After the Chometz has been burnt or otherwise disposed of, you should again annul any Chometz which might remain in your possession. The text for this is slightly different from that which is said the previous night. In English it reads as follows: I hereby declare that any Chometz or leaven which is anywhere in my pos session, which I have seen or which I have not seen, which I have destroyed or which I have not destroyed, which I am aware o f or which I am not aware of, should be considered as o f no value and of no significance, like the dust o f the earth. This declaration should be com pleted not later than 11.32am this year. S E LLIN G C H O M E T Z

All Chometz which is not destroyed or disposed of before Pesach must be given away or sold to a non-Jew. This procedure is usually done by the Rabbi of the synagogue, who is authorised to sell the Chometz of his congregants. Accordingly, each con gregant is asked to sign a formal document granting legal authority to the Rabbi to act as his agent in effect ing this sale. You should contact your local Rabbi not later than a few days before Pesach to make the necessary arrangements. Many people have a mistaken idea about what the sale of Chometz entails: they think that it is some sort of legal fiction, and that it has no real value. This is not so. It is a proper and

The form printed below should be filled out before Pesach and taken to your local rabbi or the Beth Din.

D E L E G A T IO N OF P O W ER OF A T T O R N E Y FO R SALE OF C H O M E T Z , the undersigned, fully empower and authorise Rabbi M.D. Elzas to act in my place stead and on my behalf to sell any chometz possessed by me (knowingly or unknowingly) including any food wherein there is a doubt or suspicion of its containing chometz and all kind of chometz mixtures, and to lease all places wherein the chometz owned by me is stored or found, especially in the premises specified below or elsewhere, up to and including Friday April 17, 1992 at 11.32 a.m. Rabbi M.D. Elzas has the full right to sell and to lease by transaction in any manner as he deems fit and proper and for such time as he believes neces sary in accordance with all detailed terms and forms as explained in the agreed Contract of Sale which will be signed on the instruction of Rabbi M.D. Elzas. This authorisation is made a part of that Contract. Also, I do hereby give Rabbi M.D. Elzas full power and authority to appoint any proxy he deems fit in his place with the full power to sell and lease as provided therein. The above-given is in conformity with all Torah and Rabbinical regulations and laws and also in accordance with the laws of the country. And to this I hereby affix my signature on this day of ........................... 1992. N a m e ..................................................................................................................... Address .................................................................................................................

Signature ............................................. Witness Exact location of chometz within above premises Sale price of chometz (approx.) ............................ Keys available at

PESACH Continued horseradish. Lettuce is ideally the pre ferred vegetable for Maror, but nonetheless it is better to use horse radish rather than lettuce which has not been carefully inspected, as such lettuce will almost certainly contain insects. The mitzva of eating Maror certainly does not justify the eating of insects! Some people use chicory for Maror. There are detailed halachos regarding the cleaning of lettuce and other vegetables in order to render them kosher. If in doubt, a competent Rabbi should be consulted. E r e v P esa ch (M is c e lla n e o u s )

The Seder table should be set, and all preparations for Yomtov made, before Yomtov commences.

4. Karpas (vegetable) There are different customs regard ing this. Some people use a radish, others use potato or onion. Parsley is commonly infested with insects which are difficult to remove, and therefore it is preferable not to use it. 5. Salt water Dissolve one tablespoon of salt in half a cup of water. 6. Charoses There are different recipes for this, which you will find in the various Pesach cookbooks. Most contain a mixture of chopped apples or figs, walnuts and/or almonds, cin namon and ginger mixed with red wine to make a thick paste. It is customary also to use sticks of cin namon (which are symbolic of the straw used for making bricks in Egypt).

NB. Roast meat or poultry should not

be eaten at the Seder, since the Pesach meal in Temple times was roast meat.

P R E P A R A T IO N FOR TH E S ED ER

The main requirements for the Seder are as follows: 1. Three special Shemura Matzos. These should be separately wrap ped in table napkins or a special cover. Extra Shemura Matzo should be available, if need be, to ensure that everyone has enough. 2. Enough wine for four glasses for each participant. A fifth cup is poured out - known as Elijah’s cup. 3. Enough Maror for each participant. 4. Candles for Yomtov, a Haggada for each participant, and cushions on which to recline. T h e S e d e r P la te

The following items have to be pre pared for the Seder dish: 1. The Zero ’a (Shankbone) This is usually a chicken wing, roasted over an open flame until it is brown. 2. Beitza (an egg) A hard-boiled egg should be roasted (in its shell) over an open flame. The wing and egg are not eaten at the Seder. They symbolise offerings which were brought in the Temple. 3. Maror (Bitter herbs) Use either lettuce which has been carefully inspected or alternatively grated horseradish. The horse radish should be grated before Yomtov, and then covered until the Seder starts, so as not to lose its pungency.

W hen t o p r e p a r e f o r th e S e d e r

Preparations for the Seder should be done before Yomtov. If you forget to roast the shankbone or egg on Erev Yomtov, you may not roast them after the commencement of Yomtov, since it is (this year) also Shabbos and you cannot cook. Instead, you should use a shankbone or egg which has been boiled before Shabbos (or even a raw one if nothing else is available). Of course, you will not be able to borrow from a neighbour, because you can not carry on Friday night (if there is no EruY). If for some reason you did not man age to prepare the salt water, you may prepare it on Seder night, but only the minimum amount needed. If you did not prepare the Charoses in advance, the ingredients may be prepared using the handle of a knife (not the blade) on a plate or paper (not on a chopping-board or bowl usually used for chopping). If you did not prepare the Maror in advance, you may not grate horseradish on Seder night, nor may you cut it finely with a knife. You can inspect lettuce visually for insects, however, but you should not rinse it under the tap or soak it in a salt or acid solution on Seder night. T h e Second S e d e r

All preparations for the second Seder night should also be done on Erev Pesach. If you forgot to do the preparations in advance, however, or if you do not have enough for the sec ond Seder, you may do the prepara tions as described in the previous paragraph, but only after nightfall. You may also roast the egg for the second Seder after nightfall, but you should then eat it either at the Seder meal or on the next day. The shankbone may 14

also be roasted for the second Seder after nightfall, but since we do not eat roast meat at the Seder, it should be eaten the next day.

THE SED ER

M itz v o s o f th e S e d e r

There are four mitzvos which are performed after nightfall at each Seder, according to the order pre scribed in the Haggada. They are: 1. Eating Matzo 2. Reciting the Haggada (story of the Exodus) and Hallel 3. Drinking four cups of wine 4. Eating Maror. A brief outline of these mitzvos fol lows: E a tin g M a tz o

Although one may not eat Chometz throughout Pesach, one does not have to eat Matzo, either. It is quite acceptable to eat meat, fish, vegeta bles and fruit on Pesach. On the first Seder night, however, it is a mitzva of the Torah to eat Matzo (this is repeated on the second Seder). This Matzo should be specially prepared and supervised for the Seder, and is known as Shemura Matzo, and no other Matzo should be used. (Where no Shemura Matzo is available, or where a person, for reasons of age or illness, cannot eat Matzo, a Rabbi should be consulted). The Matzo is eaten three times dur ing the Seder- a t the beginning of the meal, in a sandwich together with the Maror, and at the end of the meal for the Afikomen. Each time the Matzo is eaten, one must eat an amount usu ally taken to be the equivalent of 27 grams of Matzo (just under an ounce), and this should be eaten within four minutes. Some authorities consider the minimum amount to be between 45-50 grams and, if possible, this amount is preferable. If there is not enough Matzo in the three Seder mat zos for everyone, additional Shemura Matzo should be used. The Matzo should be eaten reclining on one’s left side (to symbolise freedom). The Matzo should not be eaten before nightfall (on Erev Pesach). If this is not possible, because of iWness or old age, a Rabbi should be con sulted. The Afikomen should, ideally, be eaten before midnight (1.00am during British Summer Time) and after you have eaten it you should not eat any thing else or drink any wine (except of course for the third and fourth cups). You may however drink water, tea or coffee.

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Some people are allergic to wheat products, or have to be on a glutenfree diet. If your doctor permits you to eat the small quantities of Matzo required at the Seder, there should be no problem since, as explained above, you do not have to eat Matzo during the rest of Pesach. Special arrangements have been made, however, by Rabbi E. Kestenbaum of 30 Armitage Road, London NW11 8RD to bake Kosher Le-Pesach Matzo which is free of wheat, and consequently suitable for anyone on a wheat-ifree diet. Rabbi Kestenbaum will be pleased to provide these Matzos to those who need them for the Seder. Please contact him as soon as possible, as supplies are limited and will be distributed on a first-come first-served basis. He can be con tacted on 081-455 9476, 081-201 8226 or 081-445 6550 or on fax no. 081-455 3212, and will deal with every application in confidence. Please remember: So-called “glu ten-free” biscuits or crackers, or “wheat-free” crackers, are Chometz and may definitely not be eaten (or even kept in the house) on Pesach. S a y in g t h e H aggada

The Torah also requires the story of the Exodus from Egypt to be related at the Seder The main purpose of this mitzva is to stimulate and hold the interest of the children, who should be encouraged to participate and take part in the story and dramatic “ re enactment” of the Exodus. Little chil dren should go to sleep in the after noon before the Seder, to make sure that they are awake throughout the Seder, and the Haggada should be explained to them in English, if they do not understand the Hebrew. The text of the Haggada is merely a start ing point for the story - you should encourage them to ask as many ques tions as they wish. It is especially important to discuss and explain the reason for the three main Mitzvos of Pesach - the Pesach offering (brought in the Temple), the Matzo and the Maror. These are found in the Haggada in the passage begin ning: “ Rabbi Gamliel used to say...” and a special point should be made of saying and explaining it. Even if there are no children at the Seder, the story of the Haggada should nonetheless be recited. Included in the Haggada is also Hallel, in which we thank G-d for the Exodus from Egypt, and songs of praise. There are very many Haggados on sale in Jewish bookshops suitable for all ages, and with English translations. The Lehmann Haggada and the

Artscroll Haggada are two very popu lar editions with detailed English com mentaries and notes.

sweeten it, and also to symbolise the mortar and bricks of the Egyptian slavery.

T h e f o u r cu p s o f w in e

C ookbooks

Everyone, including the children, should drink four cups of wine during the course of the Seder. The first cup is at Kiddush, and the other three at specified places in the Haggada. (Note that Kiddush should not be said before nightfall). Red wine is to be preferred, but white wine may also be used, as well as grape juice (or a mixture of wine and grape juice). The wine glass should contain not less than 3 fluid ounces of wine (86cc) and on each occasion you should drink at least half the cup. Remember, also, to drink the wine whilst leaning to the left.

There are special Pesach cookery books available on the market, which you might like to consult. The two best known are: The Spice and Spirit o f Kosher Passover Cooking by the Lubavitch Foundation; The Kosher for Pesach Cook Book - published by Agudat Nashim Lema’an Yeshivat Aish HaTorah. There is also a 23-page Passover Guide cookbook produced by Tomor in conjunction with the Jewish Mar riage Education Council, as well as Pesach sections in most Kosher cook books. You might like to refer to: 1. The Gourmet’s Guide to Jewish Cooking by Carr and Oberman, pp. 134-8. 2. The original Florence Greenberg Jewish Cookery Book (9th edition, paperback) pp. 306-17

E a tin g M a r o r

Maror, or bitter herbs, should be eaten twice during the Seder - once after the first piece of Matzo, and shortly afterwards, in the “ sandwich” . The minimum amount of Maror you should eat is 19 grams (about twothirds of an ounce) and this, too, should be eaten within four minutes. The Maror (which symbolises bitter ness) is not eaten reclining. It is dip ped in the Charoses in order to

Dayan Bere I Berkovits is a member of The Beth Din of the Federation of Synagogues

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HAVERING BUILDING SPECIALISTS LIMITED 41/43 Brentwood Road Romford RM1 2EW Tel: 0708 744574

RUSSIAN JEWRY

E x tra c ts from m y K h a rk o v D ia ry by Fraybin Gottlieb

f K h a rko v in the Ukraine is the fourth largest Jewish centre in f \ the former Soviet Union, with an estimated Jewish population of 80,000 in 1970. Until the advent of perestroika under Gorbachov, Kharkov had had very little contact with Jewry from the free world. Organised Jewish life in Kharkov was destroyed after the Communist Revolution o f 1917. However, in 1939 there were about 150,000 Jews in the city During the Second World War Kharkov was occupied by the Ger mans and at least ten percent o f the Jews were massacred at the site known as Drobetzky Yar a few miles outside the city The last functioning synagogue was closed down by the Soviets in 1948-9 and the substantial building turned into a sports gym-

nasium. Jewish life was forced under ground and was kept going by a group o f very elderly men. As elsewhere in the Soviet Union, the 1967 Six Day War led to the beginning o f a revival o f interest in things Jewish on the part o f the younger generation, which was severely repressed by the authorities. Nevertheless, political relaxation from 1985 to 1991 engen dered new opportunities for open Jewish activity; the establishment of Hebrew teaching circles, the germ o f a yeshiva, regular minyonim and Yiddish cultural events. Access by outside Jewish organisations, chiefly Israeli mizrachi-oriented shlichim and Lubavitch, despite political rivalries, hastened this process. The twinning o f Kharkov with a major American

I 3th Septem ber ell, we’ve been here a couple of days and we’re getting there! We were badly delayed at the airport in Moscow - we were kept waiting for four and a half hours and arrived in Kharkov at 2 a.m. We were met by the local dig nitaries - it was very kind of them - and were taken to our house. It’s a bungalow, very spacious with a large (untended) garden with apple and plum trees and also grape vines. Plenty of room for a large succa. We have a kitchen with fridge, cooker, sink with cold water only and loads of grotty wooden cupboards. Table with smelly plastic cloth, six chairs. Bath room is not too bad but bath and sink are very stained and toilet is very grotty. Even so, it took me two days before I was prepared to use it. There are four rooms - two single bedrooms, ours and a nice sized square room lined with bookcases and sideboards, but no other furni ture. Our beds were made up and we had “towels” . They’d obviously gone

Paul with Mostovoy, the President of the Kharkov Kehilla at the Shul.

Jewish community in the Cincinnati Sister City Project, after protracted negotiations, achieved the first and only official restoration o f a synagogue building to the Jewish community under the Soviet regime. Subsequent to a brief visit in March 1990, Paul (‘A ba” in the Diary) and Fraybin Gottlieb o f Hendon, decided to spend three months in Kharkov (September-November 1990) teach ing Jewish knowledge and trying to impart a positive sense o f Jewish identity in a community which has been isolated for so long. As the fol lowing extracts from Fraybin’s diary reveal, participating in the Russian Jewish awakening which we are today witnessing, was a rewarding if at times frustrating experience. (Ed.)

to a lot of trouble to clean it all for us but I felt so awful. Our bedroom was infested with mosquitoes so we had an uncomfortable night - my face blew up as I had a bite on my eyelid. Still, I’ll survive... On Tuesday morning Aba went off to teach at the school and I went with a young 16 year old (whose English is excellent) in a taxi which we hired for the rest of the day (7 hours at a cost of £4) to buy basic household items like washing up bowls, plates, cups and saucers, etc., and cutlery, pots and pans. We spent the entire day going round all the “shops” and “ department stores” trying to buy things. It was very frustrating and exhausting. There are simply no cups, plates or forks although we did man age to buy table spoons and paring knives. I was staggered at the price of everything - spoons and knives rang ing from 1/2 p to 1p each. There were no pots and pans to be had at all. Instead, on the shelves there were

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row upon row of children’s potties, both enamel ones and plastic ones extraordinary! In the end I bought a huge tin basin (probably used for bathing babies) and thought I could adapt it for making soup or cholent, although what I could possibly use as a cover, I really had no idea! Tin foil is just unobtainable here. In fact, all the things that we take for granted are in such short supply or completely unheard of, that the gen eral population simply don’t aspire to acquiring such luxuries. We’ve been told that one can buy all these essen tial household items on the black mar ket which is only open at weekends, so I hope it will be possible to go on Sunday. We went to the food market. I was overwhelmed by the wonderful dis play of fruit and vegetables - so I don’t think we will starve while we are here. There were peppers and auber gines as well as tomatoes, and potatoes, cabbage, carrots, onions, chili, spring onions, radishes. Then there were also watermelons, melons, plums, grapes and apples and the most wonderfully luscious specimens of pomegranates I’ve ever seen out side Israel. (And we’d brought our own shrivelled up Israeli ones too!) All these cost about 4p - 8p per kilo. Very expensive for the locals (who earn the

equivalent of £12 per month) but the difference in price to us between queuing up in the shop for inferior quality produce or “splashing out” in the market, is miniscule (why worry about 1p per kilo!) We are slowly getting ourselves together. Today I drew up a list of things we will need for Shabbat...

16th S ep tem b er Kharkov is a very nice town with lots of wide open spaces, treelined roads and parks; patriotic monuments of course, but some of the squares are beautiful, lined with flowers and shrubs... On our return, Valia and her friend Shura were still cleaning away like mad in the house. The oven shone, they had washed our clothes and cleaned up the whole place. We were then told that we have to move out tomorrow as there was a problem with the purchase of the house we had been staying in all this time. We went along to the Kharkov Hotel where the Chabad couple were living and, hope fully, we have arranged to stay there...

23rd S ep tem b er: R o s h H aShana I spent the early part of the week getting us sorted out in the hotel, buy ing in provisions for the Chagim - we

arranged to eat in the shul after all and it worked out pretty well in the end. We had three electric burners which we asked the non-Jewish caretaker to turn on and off for us during Shabbat. Rachel and Gedalya [the Chabad couple] had brought loads of tins of meat (sort of worsht) and gefilte fish and we alternated for each meal. On the first night we had the usual coles law, TCP and potato salad with hot tzimmes followed by fruit. We spent a lot of money on stocking up - we bought the very best apples, etc. No one offered to either contribute towards the cost or reimburse us. The turnout at the Shul was over whelming - the estimate bandied about was 3000 people. Not having counted 3000 I wouldn’t know but there were certainly a lot of people. They were all milling about, all chat ting away - no decorum nor any pos sibility of creating decorum with such large numbers. It was impossible to hear the daverting-, the old Chazan, Bronstein - reputed to be aged 97 and Mostovoy the president of the Kehilla. The service started at 7.30 and after Mincha Aba got up on a chair and spoke for a couple of minutes with the use of an interpreter. He gave a little muser, suggesting a lit tle introspection. It was a lovely idea but I felt it was lost on the gathering who were too in awe of their surround ings to take anything in. They certainly had some feeling for being Jewish but did not know how to express it. After all, they had all “pitched up” and it wasn’t just to meet fellow Jews. There was no order at all, nor was it possible to impose any order. It was very frus trating that here was a golden oppor tunity to capture the audience and really inspire them, but it was missed. The service finished at 8.30 and still the people lingered around. They didn’t start to drift away until about 10 p.m. when we surreptitiously disap peared upstairs - and 60 people joined us for our meal. It was very suc cessful on the whole. There was lots of food and drink and the four of us (Aba and me, Gedalya and Rachel) tried to create a yomtovdik atmos phere - describing some of the minhagim, teaching songs... The first day Rosh HaShana was very painful. Again a large gathering by mid-morning possibly 600-700. The women were chatting all the time. I kept hissing at them and getting them to stand up at the right places. It was an uphill task and very difficult. Many of them came wearing trousers and few knew that they should cover their heads. It was a losing battle... Later we went back to S hul- lots of people around but nowhere near as

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many as on the first night. Many old folk with a smattering of Yiddish wanted to talk - all asked the same thing - about our way of life. Where did we come from? Was life good in Israel? What was it like in England for Jews? Were we rich? Apart from the odd one or two youngish women with a sense of fashion, most of them were dressed as peasants, looking no diffe rent from all the other drab, unkempt women milling around the streets, and on the Metro. Occasionally as we walk around, we see someone fash ionably dressed and they look so con spicuous and out of place.

3 0 th S e p te m b e r On Wednesday night we went to a concert organised by the Jewish Cul tural Theatre Group. It was the first time such an event had been held. / There were 700 Jewish people in the audience. The concert was a riot - a seven piece male band (all donning white Kippot as a sign of their Jewish ness) and two female singers - one singing in Yiddish and the other in Ivrit. The Yiddish songs consisted mainly of lullabies tarted up to make them sound like disco music and the Israeli songs consisted of Hava Nagila (of course), Yerushalaim Shel Zahav and Torah Tziva Lanu Moshe. Clearly, they had no idea of the meaning of the words they were singing, but both they and the audience were very enthusiastic and excited to use and hear Hebrew words. The atmosphere was electric. It was quite an event. Too bad we did not decide to get up on the stage and offer our teaching ser vices there and then...

them for Shabbat lunch, although I might be disappointed in their reac tion... I have failed to describe our agoniz ing time with Okinov during the course of the week while he was promising our visas and then our tic kets to Leningrad, only to be let down by him with all sorts of excuses day after day. It really was unbelievably frustrating. We suffered agonies throughout the week. Since we do not know our way around, nor do we speak the language, nor understand the culture of bribery, we have to rely on the help of those capable of pulling strings or finding loopholes or circum venting the ridiculous red tape and we are completely at their mercy. As I am usually very independent and able to organise my own life without relying on anyone else’s whim, I find it intoler able to be in this position. The tears of sheer frustration I have shed during our time here have been very reveal ing to me; it has been a real voyage of self-discovery. Anyway, in the end Okinov brought us our tickets half an hour before Shabbat...

few other dry eyes. Apparently, there has always been a custom for people to give Tzedaka there and then in memory of their departed and despite Chabad’s notices, much money was donated.

15th O c t o b e r : S im ch at T o ra h On Friday morning there were about 200, mostly old people, in Shul. I danced with a group of old women (all of them carrying their shopping bags - it was very funny indeed, but they seemed to enjoy it) and they were given transliterated song sheets - a brilliant idea. Later on (on Sunday), Olga and Zoya (with Genady as chauffeur) drove us to the forest. It was a beauti ful fresh autumnal day with a cloud less sky and brilliant sunshine. The coppers, browns, reds of the trees were very relaxing. We were taken to the memorial for the fallen of the Great Patriotic War. I thought it was impressive but in relation to the absence of any proper monument to the Jews killed in Drobetzky Yar, it is a disgrace... On Monday I did a lot of teaching. The most rewarding was teaching the group of Olga’s friends in the evening. They were so highly motivated, so intelligent and such fun that it really was a delight. They are totally, totally secular and cannot conceive of the idea of G-d. Who knows, maybe once they start reading the Tanach they might be inspired. I would like to invite

In L e n in g ra d Aba kept complaining all the time regretting that he was not wearing his boots. It was very cold when we arrived + 3°C; the difference in temp erature between here and Kharkov is enormous and therefore very notice able.

I s t O cto b e r: Y om K ip p u r Yom Kippur was pretty awful and I am glad to have it behind me. There were surprisingly few people in shut given the huge turnout for Rosh HaShana, only about 300 or so. The service, conducted mostly by Bronstein, the ancient Chazan, was deadly. There were very few “young” people, mostly old folk. A couple of people tried to follow the service and pray using a Russian translation. No one could read or follow the Hebrew. Lots of women tried to talk to me - mostly in Russian. They were quite oblivious of any sense of holiness or awe about the occasion and just wanted to chat. They were very insensitive. Y/z/corwas the highlight of the day. It took about half an hour. Many tears were shed; people were overcome but it was dif ficult to see what had turned them on. Mostovoy gave a heartrendingly pas sionate El Molei Rachamin which I found deeply offensive, but there were

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KHARKOV continued Oleg, our guide, took us to the Her mitage museum first of all. We spent two and a half hours rushing through the silver collection, French Impre ssionists, Dutch School, Rembrandts and Rubens, as well as the sumptuous Malachite rooms. The splendour is extraordinary, more opulent than any thing I have ever seen. We followed this by a visit to St. Isaac’s Cathedral again extremely ornate - heavily gilded with malachite columns and intricate mosaics. Very rich. Aba was insuffera bly rude over the visit to the Cathedral. As you know he dislikes visits to churches etc... but I really get a kick out of the art which is inspired by religion... We then went to the Kirov Ballet. What a magnificent evening and per formance! We had splendid seats in the seventh row for 3.5 roubles (14p) and loved it all. Interesting that there was no orchestra, merely taped music and no pit. The Kirov Ballet company is second only to the Bolshoi. We returned home at about 11.30 p.m. There were very few cars on the

roads - even during the day there are few cars. Leningrad is a beautiful city, very like Amsterdam with its canals, but on a far larger scale.

28th O cto b e r We had a good time in Leningrad. We saw so much. Incredibly beautiful artefacts. The Hermitage - the Winter Palace of the royal family - is unbe lievably beautiful. We also visited the Summer palaces on the outskirts of Leningrad built for various members of the Impe rial family - Petrodvoretz [Peterhof], Pushkin Town and Pavlovsk. We went to local department stores and although they had better stocked shops than in Kharkov there is still very little to buy. We saw an aggres sive queue for Polish suits with the police coshing offenders. Very unpleasant. There were queues for cigarettes of course, and queues for eggs and meat too...

7th N o vem b er Today was the long-awaited parade in Dzherzinsky Square outside our hotel [in commemoration of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution]. It was pretty

impressive although there did not seem to be more than about 5,000 Communists marching, which is con sidered a pretty desultory turnout. Grisha reckoned it was an historic occasion as he predicts it will be the last such demonstration in the Ukraine [an accurate prophecy as it turned out]. It was good to get a bird’s eye view from our balcony.

22nd N o vem b er Our last evening was an amazing experience. Aba’s lecture at 4 p.m. was very well attended - about 70 people. It was followed by our farewell party of 200 people, almost all of whom were bearing flowers and many with gifts for us...

A fte rth o u g h ts I am reluctant to draw any conclu sions about our trip but in hindsight I can make a few observations. In the first place, to put it very crudely, there appeared to be two types of people living in the Soviet Union: 1. Those with initiative who can beat the system but who are rip-off artists and therefore untrustworthy and

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2. those who are honest but have been so broken by the system that they literally live without hope and they are so pessimistic and lacking in initiative that they are equally unreli able. There is a fundamental cultural dif ference between England and Russia concerning punctuality which caused me a lot of misery. There are a variety of reasons for this, such as inefficient bureaucracy, unexpected closures of offices or shops or services breaking down. People are so used to these conditions and everyone understands that something must have cropped up so as to make delays inevitable - that this makes apologies unnecessary. As I myself am such a Yekke (the extent of which I only really discovered while I was in Kharkov) I became angry and distrustful of anyone who let me down, particularly as telephones are so freely available absolutely everywhere. Our amazing send-off was also a cultural phenomenon and certainly not to be taken out of context. We put a tremendous amount of effort and work into trying to impart a taste for Judaism and it was such a struggle to achieve any genuine response from the people in Kharkov, and tempting though it is to believe that perhaps we had inspired some people and changed their lives (as they all main tained at our farewell party!!), it is dangerous in the extreme to believe that our farewell party was genuine proof of success on our part. The physical conditions in Russia were terribly difficult to get used to. As I re-read the early part of this diary I realise that all along I put a brave face on things, because if I allowed myself to describe how it really felt, I could not have continued. It would simply have been intolerable. In our absence from Hendon J. put the whole house in beautiful order, but funnily enough it was not my bed which made me feel euphoric to be home, nor the myriad choice of goods in the shops, nor the ease with which routine tasks can be accomplished, or international tele phone calls made, but it was the plumbing and sanitation and sheer hygiene at home. The air is so fresh in London, the water so clean. These are things which I had totally taken for granted before our trip. And of course, most importantly of all for me was the gratitude I feel for being blessed with the opportunity of giving our children a free Jewish up bringing. It was a mere quirk of fate which caused my father (zl) to leave Galicia in the 1920’s, thus making my life so different from the lives of the Jews in the Soviet Union

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M artyred all three Ilya V ladim ir D m itri young men th e ir fu tu re s ahead w h o risked th e ir lives to rescue fre e d o m w hen it w as all b u t dead tw o u n kn o w n C h ristia n s and one Je w w h o valiantly m ade a stand a g a in st a tre a ch e ro u s c o u p buried as H eroes o f th e S tate by Patriarch and C h ief Rabbi th e ir graves n o w a shrine w here m e m o rie s w ill not die and th o se n o w lib erated w ill be able to see th e eternal m eaning o f th e ir co u ra g e and th e ir place in history. Tam ar S egal

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WOMEN

A p p ro ach to R enew al by Dayan Y.Y. Lichtenstein

Six Day War, the factor that crystal lised the movement and was most critical to its continuing success was the creation of the Baal Teshuva yeshivos. By providing the fledgling Baalei Teshuva with a gradual prog-

ith a new charter for Anglo Jewish women the Chief Rabbi has launched his “ Decade of Renewal” , his first major programme since taking office, and he is to be congratulated for breathing new life into a weary Anglo-Jewry. While it is true that the main thrust of his endeavour is aimed at the United Synagogue, the wide range of issues that have been targeted compel reflection on the possible implications for the whole community. The concept of renewal, in contrast to that of reform, is actually one that even a Ben Torah can feel comfortable with. I remember as a bochur in Lakewood Yeshiva, Rav Shneur Kotler ztrs thrilling shmuess at the beginning of each zman on Hischadshus exhort ing us to apply ourselves with a renewed approach to Torah and Yiras Shornayim. Renewal, or Hischadshus as it is called in the Mussar Sephorim, is explained by Rav Dessler ztl in his classic work Michtov Me’Eliyohu, as a feeling attained by filling a vacuum that exists within oneself. Thus, spiritual fulfilment is the highest form of renewal because the depth of fulfilment is the greatest. Rav Dessler interprets the saying of our Sages V’hoyu HaDevorim Hoaileh al Levovcho... Sheyihyu... KeChadoshim, that if the mitzvos are close to your heart they will appear to be new ie they will arouse a spirit of renewal in you. True renewal can only be achieved if the above formula is followed. Rav Dessler ztl wrote about the individual but in our time we have witnessed its realization in an unusual sociological phenomenon.

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WOMEN continued spirit of renewal to climb higher spiritually. Thus far a Torah definition on renewal.

Vacuum! Turning now to the Women’s Char ter for Anglo-Jewry. How will this facilitate the Torah perspective of renewal? Will it fill a spiritual vacuum that exists among our women? It is encouraging that the Chief Rabbi has been careful to attach halachic authority to deal with the questions that will undoubtedly arise. But are we merely looking for a hechsher and rabbinical inspiration, or rabbinical leadership? The answer will deter mine whether this is to be a religious project or not, and that in turn is directly dependent on what the scope of this project is to be. Its present ambit has been deliber ately left vague and no bounds have been set for its outcome. Is this a wise approach? Experience from the USA has shown that the “orthodox” Jewish feminist movement gave birth to such bizarre features as women’s minyonim, women saying Kaddish and women donning talleisim and the

like. Rabbonim have occasionally been hardpressed to present halachic sources banning some of these inno vations, and yet there is no proof that any of the above have contributed to Klal Yisroel. Thus, at the outset it would seem prudent for the project to outline its parameters. The omission of such ritual innovations from the out set will avoid unnecessary frustration on the part of women at failing to accomplish unattainable goals or even worse - formation of another movement which will not allow itself to be guided by halacha. It is not only the lack of clear goals that is worrying. The eclectic popula tion to whom this enterprise addres ses itself is of equal concern. Who will participate in this undertaking? The purported community to be canvas sed is Jewish women without specific reference to religious grouping. Is it sensible to assume that women from diverse backgrounds will be satisfied with the same answer, or even the same approach to an answer? Even now, two women may both ask the same question, but with different motives, and so it will be impossible to satisfy both. Is it then worthwhile asking for an opinion from someone who challenges the legitimacy of the process? Again, the amorphous

nature of the market to be reached could make the whole exercise mean ingless. How is this Charter likely to affect Anglo-Jewry? It has been described as a seminal document with the inten tion to initiate responses at various levels. It is theoretically possible that the report will be published and that it will achieve the ignominious end of many such worthy documents gathering dust on a shelf. I do not believe that this will be the case. Those Rabbonim and Orthodox com munal leaders who have some deal ings with this issue will agree that the pressures building up in the commun ity are immense and that they are not likely to disappear. If this remains true, the Rabbonim will have to respond to these demands and their response will ultimately decide the religious character of their respective con stituencies # This article first appeared in the Jewish Tribune on 12 March 1992.

Dayan Y.Y. Lichtenstein is Rosh Beth Din of the Federation of Synagogues

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HISTORY

“ F itz ro v ia and th e Jewish C onnection Jewish W est End P ro je ct by Sally Fiber Popular interest in the history of the Jewish East End of London has burgeoned over the past decade. However, the existence of an equivalent Jewish immigrant community in the West End of London has been larqely over looked. Sally Fiber’s family connections with the West End, especially the fact that her parents Annie (nee Klein feld) and Charlie Allchild had the unusual occupation, for Jews in London, of being the landlords of the Fitzroy Tavern in Soho between 1919 and 1956, made her curious enough to research her personal West End roots. In June 1990 the Jewish West End Project was launched. Under the auspices of the London Museum of Jewish Life, the project aims to promote and publish research on the history of West End Jewry, culminating in a major exhibition in 1993. (Ed). y grandfather, Judah Morris Kleinfeld was born in the shtetl of Gostatin near Kutna in Russian Poland and was a veteran of the Russian Imperial Guard. In 1886 he emigrated to England with his wife Jane and three month old son to join his brother who had settled in the West End of London (D’Arblay Street) some years earlier. Judah’s brother found the family accommodation at 4

Below: The Beth HaSepher Federation Syna gogue, Soho, c1930.

Phoenix Street, just off Charing Cross Road. For Jewish immigrants, London held out promise of freedom of sorts, with limited opportunities for educa tion and social and economic advancement. This is not to say that times were not very difficult in the early days when many Jews were still faced with prejudice, intolerance and long hours of hard work in bad condi tions. Judah had been taught tailoring by his father in Poland and his first job in London was as a cutter. Later he

graduated to become a fine master tailor working, as many of the immig rants did, for a firm in Savile Row. It was beshert that after three sons and a miscarriage, Jane Kleinfeld gave birth to a longed-for daughter ten years later. This little girl, Annie, grew up and married Charles Allchild - my parents. Having naturalised in 1904, in 1919 Judah was eligible to take over an unknown public house which he thought had great potential. It was renamed “The Fitzroy Tavern”, but his plans could not proceed without the aid of his daughter. Annie was still only 14 - the legal age was 18. She was educated at the Westminster Jews’ Free School where she had been an excellent student and had gained a scholarship to further her studies at the Burlington School. However, permission was granted for her to leave school to work in the pub. Soon the Fitzroy was transformed from a near derelict tavern in a little known back alley, called Windmill Street in the West End of London, into

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Tavern’, but his !ld ,n ot Proceed without the > daughter. Annie was still the legal age was 18. She -ated at the Westminster >e School where she had excellent student and had scholarship to further her it the Burlington School, oermission was granted for e school to work in the pub. e Fitzroy was transformed ar derelict tavern in a little ck alley, called Windmill e West End of London, into

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a rendezvous for writers, artists, actors, politicians and businessmen; people from all walks of life, trades and religions, and from all over the world, who would meet and mingle. As one ex-neighbour and now renowned Westender, Henry Morris (Itsbitsky), put it: “ Long before the term ‘community relations’ came into the language the Fitzroy Tavern was the centre for social activity for miles around”. The “Jewish” West End at this time was like two shtetls split down the middle by Oxford Street. The Fitzroy was on the wrong side in an area of London that had no name, being neither Bloomsbury nor Soho. Annie and her father were to be instrumental in bringing together the two com munities of Jews and others living both North and South of Oxford Street over the subsequent four decades. My husband, Arthur Fiber (we were married in 1957) also has family con nections in the West End. His grand father was Samuel King who, it trans pired, was a great friend of my grand father, Judah. They were both found ers of the Dean Street synagogue; the Kings lived in Berwick Street and they are buried almost next to each other at Streatham. Moreover, Arthur’s mother, Rose Fiber, was the first Chairman of the Ladies Guild at the shut. Thus from my in-laws too, I was to learn more about the life of West End Jewry. R elig iou s Life

The Western Synagogue was prob ably the first to be established in the West End in 1751 and for many years was based in the Haymarket, where on the first floor was to be found an exquisite shul, described by one Westender, Chaim Lewis as “a haven of peace above the whirligig of Piccadilly traffic” . It moved later to Alfred Place off Tottenham Court Road until it was bombed in 1940. Fortunately, the records have survived. The first Polish Soho immigrant minyan met at 10 Green’s Court, near Charing Cross Road. It evolved into the West End Talmud Torah. Neverthe less, my mother’s brothers, who were a lot older than her, attended Hebrew classes at the Beth HaSepher synagogue in Soho Square. When my grandfather founded and became the President of the West London Hebrew Benefit and Divisional Society in 1904 his friend Morris Needleman became a joint trustee. It was called the Beth HaSepher Society. Indeed, the Beth HaSepher synagogue was the first Federation synagogue in the West End. It was housed on the first floor of an elegant Georgian property on the corner of

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Soho Square and Greek Street. The West End Talmud Torah amalgamated with the Bikkur Cholim congregation in 1910 and they took over premises at 41 Brewer Street. D ean S tre e t

In 1913 Rabbi Ferber was installed as Resident Rabbi of the Talmud Torah and in 1916 the congregation moved to larger premises at 14 Manette Street, the synagogue being on the first floor, the ladies having to go up to the next. In 1916 the synagogue was registered to comply with the Civil Law, as a house of worship and was thus authorised to solemnise wed dings. The first such ceremony took place in 1917 costing £1 11s 6d. By 1918, the membership was 600 and in 1921 the Rev. Alexander Amias became Chazan. In the 1920’s High Holy Day ser vices were held at the Scala Theatre in Charlotte Street, where Rev. Saul Amias conducted the choir on the stage for his father who took the ser vice. It was not until 1941 that the pre mises of the former St Ann’s School were taken over at 21 Dean Street and it was not until 1949 that the name was changed to the West End Great Synagogue. There were other synagogues in the area, such as the now defunct Lamb’s Conduit Street Federation synagogue, and information on this congregation would be welcome. Nor must we forget the magnificent and prestigious Central Synagogue (United) in Great Portland Street (1870), which many Westenders who lived on the other side of Oxford Street considered too “ posh” , and some, too progressive. However, according to the marriage registers, it is amazing how many of the Jews liv ing in this area chose Great Portland Street as the venue for their wed dings. This was the synagogue where the Rothschilds and a whole constel lation of lesser personalities worship ped. It was bombed during the Sec ond World War and subsequently rebuilt to a different design. The other “ prestige” synagogue in the area was, of course, the West London Reform at Upper Berkeley Street (1870), whilst the Liberals formed a congregation at Whitfield Street in the 1920s. Sadly, it was the death of my father and mother, in 1988 and 1990 respec tively, which prompted me seriously to bring together my own researches and the contacts which I had made on the way. The Ladies Guild of the West End Great together with the Friends of Fitzrovia approached the president of the shul, Sam Barnett, and the council to hold a service of thanksgiving for

the lives of my parents, Annie and Charlie Allchild and my grandparents Morris and Jane Kleinfeld. A letter which I wrote to the Jewish Chronicle at the time brought together many Westenders who had not met for years in a moving and nostalgic reun ion. It was my desire to record the memories of these people which led directly to the establishment of the Jewish West End Project and to the involvement of the London Museum of Jewish Life. The project was offi cially launched in June 1990 when over 250 Westenders jammed into the Royalty Suite of the West End Great Synagogue. On this occasion Rev. Saul Amias talked about his family background and his father’s connec tions as Chazan at “ Manett” as he pronounced it - not Manette - Street, and after his move to Dean Street. Martin Savitt, who was born in Old Compton Street, remembered grow ing up in Soho, and Wolf Feldman also gave us an amusing account of his family home and life in the West End. Scope

The project aims to cover the time period from the late 1880’s-1945, and the area defined as the “West End” for the purposes of the project lies within the boundaries of Euston Road Grays Inn Road - Theobalds Road New Oxford Street - Shaftesbury Avenue - Cambridge Circus - Char ing Cross Road - Leicester Square Regents Street - Oxford Street - Mar ble Arch and Gloucester Place. We hope that our research will throw light on the reasons why the Jews came to settle in the West End. Many, it is clear, had come from the East End; in some cases it was the second generation that came to the West End. How did the two areas dif fer? We want to find out about the sort of accommodation the Jews lived in, their homes, where they shopped, went to shul, which schools they attended, where they found entertain ment, pubs, kosher restaurants, and what occupations they followed. We also would like to know about the Jewish societies and organisations that they belonged to such as the Zionist clubs, Workers Circle, and Friendly Societies that flourished round the turn of the century. Already, through oral history interviews, the picture of this intriguing Jewish neighbourhood is developing, and we are fortunate in that the timing of the project coincides with the publication of the 1891 Census which is likely to yield much valuable information. Former members of the many Jewish youth clubs and the Scouts will also be able to furnish reminis cences, for these institutions

were far more than just meeting places. They fulfilled an educational function, where their members learned languages, dressmaking, dance, drama and many other skills. The clubs were character-building, influencing the minds, emotions and personal relationships of the young. The two most well-known clubs in the area were the West Central Boys in Fitzroy Square and the West Central Girls, which was set up by the prog ressive-minded Lily Montagu, daugh ter of Samuel Montagu, Lord Swaythling who was the first president of the Federation of Synagogues. With such rich material, it is to be hoped that the Jewish West End Pro ject will succeed in rehabilitating the Jews of Soho to their rightful place in Anglo-Jewish history

Sunday 14th June 1992 at the Stanmore United synagogue. Westender Benny Green together with Julia Sut ton will present “An Evening of Anec dotes and Song". Tickets £7.50 availa ble from Sonia Birnbaum, 106 Marsh Lane, Stanmore, Middlesex, appreciated.

Research Committee of the Jewish West End Project She is interested to hear from Westenders with mate rial or reminiscences to contribute on 0923 823332.

H O S P IT A L K O S H E R M E A L S SERVICE

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LANMOR HOUSE, 370/386 HIGH ROAD, WEMBLEY, MIDDLESEX HA9 6AX

PASSOVER MEALS As in previous years, we will again be supplying hospitals in the London area with supervised Kosher for Passover meals. If you are making use of this service during the Passover period, please note the following: - The meals you receive must be clearly labelled “KOSHER -

The Jewish West End Project will be holding a major fundraising event on

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FOR PASSOVER” Each meal will consist of two courses —the main meat or fish course should always be accompanied by either a soup or a dessert. All items are marked “Kosher for Passover”. New cutlery packs are supplied with each meal. Please pay if you can.

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FEDERATION OF SYNAGOGUES KASHRUS BOARD Chairman: MrW. Ungar

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Director of Kashrus: Rabbi M.D. Elzas

The following establishments are licensed by the Federation Kashrus Board and are under the supervision of the Beth Din of the Federation of Synagogues: CATERERS

Kenneth Arfin Banqueting (Selfridges Hotel) Grosvenor Rooms Ltd 92 Walm Lane, London NW2 4QY

Tel. Nos. 0202-554524/765910 081-451 0066

Kosher Luncheon Club Kasler Hall, Greatorex Street, London E1 071-247 0039 Park Lane Hotel Piccadilly, London W1Y 8BX 071-499 6321 E.G.M. Ltd 74 High Road, Chigwell, Essex IG7 6PX 081-501 3200 Philip Small 11 Courtens Mews, Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 2SP 081 -954 3309 D ELIC A TES S EN S A N D SH O PS

Kosher World 46 Vivian Avenue, London NW4 Kosher World Market Place, Falloden Way, London NW11 Pelter Stores 82 Edgware Way, Edgware, Middlesex

081-203 8108

M AN UFACTURERS

Belgian Chocolates - distributed by N. Wilson (with label ONLY)

081-202 8317

El Al Kosher Catering Heathrow Airport

081-897 6136

Eliko Food Distributors (Cheese with label ONLY) Unit 1, 12/14 Northumberland Park, London N17 0TX

081-801 9977

J. Moldovan Quality & Flavour (Fish) Unit 3 Caerns Works, Carpenters Road, London E15

081-519 2229

B U T C H E R S - U n d e r th e B o a r d f o r S h e c h ita

s u p e r v is io n

o f th e London

081-201 8057 081-958 6910

Norman Goldberg (Butchers) Ltd 12 Claybury Broadway, Redbridge, Essex

081-551 2828

Aviv Restaurant 87 High Street, Edgware, Middlesex

081 -952 2484

Curzon Plaza Coffee Lounge 56 Curzon Street, W1

D. Kreeger 25 Station Parade, Cockfosters Road, Barnet

081-449 9124

071-499 4121 071-247 0039

Louis Mann 23 Edgwarebury Lane, Edgware, Middlesex

081 -958 3789

081 -455 8921

Mehadrin Meats 25a Belfast Road, London N16

081 -806 7686/3002

Menachem’s Russell Parade, Golders Green, London NW11

081-201 8629/8630

RESTAURANTS

Kosher Luncheon Club Kasler Hall, Greatorex Street, London E1 Pizza Pitta Ltd 119 Golders Green Road, London NW11 BAKERY

Patisserie Delice 225 Golders Green Road, London NW11 9PN

081-455 8195

HOTEL

Golders Green Hotel 147/149 Golders Green Road, London NW11

081-458 7127

Ivor Silverman 4 Canons Corner, Stanmore, Middlesex

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Top hats and Talleisim: Communal leaders at the consecration of the East London Central Synagogue (Nelson Street) in 1975. Left to right: Dayan M. Fisher, Dayan C.D. Kaplin, Dayan P. Toledano, Rabbi E. Sebbag, Mr M. Lederman, Mr J.L. Cymerman, Rabbi M. Frydman and Mr G.l. Ronson. 081-801 9977

A n g lo -J e w is h n e s s ?

081-5192229

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by Rabbi Reuben Livingstone

081-551 2828

have never really liked the term “Anglo-Jewry” . I guess it conveys a sense of anglicisation or perhaps resembles the word Anglican. I sup pose in reality one can be an AngloJew just as one can be an AngloIrishman but, of course, one can also be an Anglomaniac or even an Anglophobe - and if that is the case I’m still not so sure I find the word all that palatable. It is something of a peculiar usage at best. After all, American Jewry sees no need to condense itself into one word such as “Americo-Jewry” . “ Franco-Jewry” has yet to creep into any common usage - while “ Russo” or “Sino” Jewry have yet to make their

Essex

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debut! What was the originator of the term looking for? Was he or she a Scot, a Welshman, or even perhaps a rabid anti-monarchist - harbouring a secret hatred of the word “ English” ? Perhaps it happened quite by acci dent through the desire of some Jewish organisation to be listed under the letter A - like “Ace Plumbers” or “AAA Heating” . I am afraid that the answers to these admittedly profound and vexing questions remain a mystery - at least to this writer. So much for etymology! I would also like to throw in the suggestion that the term “AngloJewry” is so wide as to be rendered fairly meaningless as a real descrip

tion. The Jewish community in the United Kingdom is so disparate that the term may only function as a broad statement of geography and, if so, would blatantly omit Scottish Jews or, dare I say it, all Jews north of the Wat ford Gap to some southerners, and all of those south of the Watford Gap to some northerners. At any rate, by the end of my discussion I hope I can ask the real Anglo-Jewry to please stand up! The real question of practical sub stance - I submit - is whether the “Jew” or the “Anglo” is more impor tant - and indeed whether the combi nation of the two is at all a viable prop osition! —»

ANGLO-JEWISH continued Maybe we are Anglo-Jews because we are Jewish in an “Anglo” way. If I had to sum up what is archetypally "English" to me it would be a combi nation of a certain remoteness and a certainty about that which is remote. One of those remote certainties is the hallowed sense of tradition. “Traditionalism” rather than pure tradi tion seems all pervasive - not only in dogmatic behaviour but also in sym bols such as the Royal Family. Of course, for us as Jews, tradition is a hugely important value - but never simply for its own sake. Surely, once our Judaism becomes part of an “an cient relic worship” it ceases to be Toras Chaim - a living and vibrant observance - and becomes some thing rather closer to Shinto ancestor worship. Tradition on its own is always cosily and conveniently remote perhaps it is also cosily certain just as the past and the “dead and buried” are ever-cosy in their certainty. W a rm th

I would suggest - without wishing to stereotype - that the English have never been renowned for their exces sive warmth; if anything the national

persona has tended to be a bit on the cold side - like the weather. Jews and Judaism - on the other hand - are meant to be warm. The Torah exhorts us to love HaShem, love our fellow Jew, and indeed to love the stranger (Ger). We are chastised for not serving G-d “in joy and goodness of heart”. I could go on and on - but suffice it to say that in seeking to be an archetypi cal Jew one cannot at the same time be an archetypical Englishman. It is, however, true to say that the attribute of traditionalism can be a most useful one in Yiddishkeit. It pre serves essential structures and values that have the potential to be integ rated into a live observance. It prom otes the proper reverence for that of the past which is both so relevant to the present and so mekudash sanctified - that it pertains to all time. But - and this is a big but - zeh leumas zeh asah HaElokim — every thing has its upside as well as its downside - and too much of this good thing puts the “Anglo” before the Jewish. In fact, it probably cancels out much of the vitality and vibrancy that is integral to mitzva observance as an ongoing relationship with G-d. In a strange sense “Anglo-Jewish” is beginning to look a potentially brighter proposition - but only if the

Tony & Cyndy Miller

K O SH ER WORLD 4 6 V iv ia n A v e n u e , N W 4 (0 8 1 -2 0 3 8108) an d 2 2 M a rk e t P la c e , N W 11 (081-201 8 0 5 7 )

would like to wish the members of the Federation o f Synagogues A Kosher Pesach H O M E D E L IV E R IE S • C A T A L O G U E A V A IL A B L E T E L E P H O N E O R D E R S T A K EN

SIK

Under the Supervision of the Beth Din of the Federation of Synagogues

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balance between the two is kept in strict check! E x c lu s iv e

I have, by this point, perhaps stretched the meaning of the word “Anglo” right into the realms of Drush. What about the simple geographic connotation mentioned earlier? Aside from the slight matter of who might in fact be excluded by the term - is there even, indeed, any cohesion across English Jewry which justifies more deeply the assignation “AnqloJewish”? Having lived in London, the pro vinces, and indeed overseas, I do per ceive differences that defy a unifor mity - and that are perhaps deep enough to off-balance similarities. In the Britain of today regional identities are still very strong. I recall being astounded by the difference between Manchester and Liverpool which lie within 30 miles of each other! In fact, even within London there are many subgroups; Ilford and the East Lon don area carry a different ethos to North West London, etc. Jews from the provinces are likewise provincial in their predilections - while metropoli tans are shaped by their very different lifestyles and environment. Arguably, those who identify with the Adas, the Federation, the Sephardim, or the United Synagogue - not to mention the Reform movement - may each carry very specific and even mutually exclusive ideas as to what makes a good Jew. The fact that the overwhelming majority of Jews live in London means that perceptions fostered by a feeling of being part of a larger whole are more prevalent - sometimes with the result that the individual may easily feel less personally responsible for, or indeed significant vis a vis Jewish life and its survival. My experience tells me that the more remote provincial Jew who chooses to be actively Jewish often does so with a painful awareness of individual responsibility for Jewish survival. There is also a pre valent “us and them” feeling towards Londoners - which may in fact be a reciprocal response to what is per ceived to be the general attitude of exclusivity of the “Capital Jews”. In every discussion there is a bot tom line. After all is said and done I don’t believe that any of the above factors can override the most cogent and the most tragic common denominator: assimilation. Perhaps the old adage of Benjamin Franklin is the most appropriate in forming a pic ture of commonality. If we are all under the seige of assimilation then, “united we stand, divided we fall”. At the very least we are all Anglo-Jewish

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“ rry a different ethos to st London, etc. Jews from ces are likewise provincial in ’lections - while metropoli^aped by their very different and environment. Arguably, »identify with the Adas, the , the Sephardim, or the nagogue - not to mention n movement - may each specific and even mutually deas as to what makes a

Angels, Prophets, Rabbis and Kings from the Stories of the Jewish People Text by Jose Patterson Illustrations by Claire Bushe and Edward Ripley Peter Lowe London 1991 £8.95

t is a matter of tradition that in every hotel room throughout the world a Bible is provided alongside the shoecleaning cloth and the dirty laun dry bag. Whether this is for the spiritual edification of the hotel guests or as an alternative to watching dire quiz shows in incomprehensible foreign languages on TV is not clear. But how much more tempting to pas sing the inevitable time when you’re not sightseeing, having meetings or sampling the local cuisine if the hotel proprietors were to supply each of the

ANGLO-JEWISH

guests with a copy of Jose Patter son’s new book Angels, Prophets, Rabbis and Kings. Here are all the major stories from the Hebrew Bible, along with tales of prophets and rabbis, of festivals and miracles, of heroes and kings. Stories from as far back in Israel’s history as its origins some four thousand years ago. Tales that have been told and retold a thousand times throughout the generations and which form such a vital part of Jewish culture. Now gathered together and given new life by the deft and delicate pen of Jose Patterson and the magical brush of illustrator Claire Bushe. I was invited to interview Jose Pat terson for the Jewish Programme on Spectrum Radio when the book was first published, and naturally I felt it would not only be rude but unwise to attempt such an interview without first

having at least glanced through the book in question. So I settled down for ten minutes to flick through it... and two hours later I was still lost in the world that Jose and Claire have created with their words and pictures. I know from that interview how hard Jose found it not only to choose which stories to retell from a supply so rich that she could have filled a lib rary of books! but also how difficult it was to “translate” them into language that would be accessible to a twen tieth century generation of readers many of whom may know, or think they know, the stories only too well. It would be a deprived Jewish child or adult who did not know of Moses leading the Jews out of slavery in Egypt, or how Noah survived the Great Flood in the ark. But I wonder how many have been told the tale of

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continued because we all face the same threats and challenges - those of allowing the “Anglo” to overtake the “Jewish”. In reality there is no longer time to indulge in semantics. Likewise, there is no longer time to indulge in machlokes - in bickering, in relatively petty communal politics, or other such activities that fragment us even further. If we focus on a commonality, on cohesion, on that which we share - on the fact that we are Jews within an Anglo-context and an Anglo-condition, then perhaps we’ll survive longer as Diaspora Jews under whatever title. Simple semantics won’t make all that much difference - what we do, however, certainly will.

Rabbi Reuben Livingstone, who was born in South Africa, is the Rabbi of the Ilford Federation synagogue.

O il Arnold Cohen

J Mishpat)—a vital but complex subject—is here presented in a lively and stimulating way.

Introduction

71 practical, Jewish legal concepts and demonstrates their application to the ever-changing human situation.

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The Fox’s Heart or how the order of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet was decided? Be they old stories or new, in Angels, Prophets, Rabbis and Kings Jose Patterson gives them a richness and a fascination that makes you think that you’re reading them all for the very first time. Buy this book for your children... and then wallow in it yourself! Diane Kenwood B O O K R E V IE W E R S IN T H IS ISSU E: Dr Sharman Kadish is the Editor of HaMaor. She is a researcher in the Department of History at Royal Holloway & Bedford New College, University of London and author of Bolsheviks & British Jews (Frank Cass 1992). Diane Kenwood is a freelance radio and television producer and presenter who has worked for the BBC and Channel Four as well as for the Jewish Programme on Spectrum Radio. Professor Aubrey Newman teaches in the Department of History at Leicester University and is the author of The United Synagogue 1870-1970 (London 1976).

Survey of Jewish Affairs, 1990. Ed William Frankel (assistant editor Antony Lerman) Basil Blackwell for The Institute of Jewish Affairs. Oxford 1990 £55.

here is a long tradition of pro ducing an annual Survey of Jewish Affairs. Such a volume performs a number of basic functions, provid ing a contemporary assessment of the year past, an opportunity of put ting a series of events into proper perspective, and as a place of record. The 1990 volume falls very precisely into this mould. As always there is a section on “chronology and necrol ogy" as well as a list of some of the most significant books published dur ing the year. The political events covered range from the Intifada through arguments over the introduc tion of voluntary prayers into Ameri can schools, to a vote by the House of

Commons to permit alleged war crim inals to be tried in UK courts of lawwhile the list of the Jewish dead includes such names as Dorothy de Rothschild, Hilde Himmelweit, Irving Berlin and Professor Salo Baron. The major part of the volume con sists of four sections of analysis cov ering Israel, the Middle East in gen eral, the USA and World Jewry. Inevit ably, the passage of time has already overtaken much of the subject matter without, however, rendering it com pletely obsolete. This is particularly true regarding the Israeli scene. The first of three commentaries looks at the ways in which the Intifada has unfolded not just in 1989 or 1990 but from its origins in 1987. This account of growing radicalism amongst Pales tinian youth, of the position of the PLO, and of the development of Israeli governmental policies remains valid even after the Gulf War. Of equal sig nificance is a discussion of the impact since 1967 of Jewish settlement in the West Bank and Gaza. The only essay in this section which refers strictly to the year in question (1990) looks at the polarisation of electoral politics in Israel and the increasingly uncom promising positions adopted by the leading parties. General discussion of the Middle East certainly suffers from the unre corded intervention of the Gulf War; a report on “The Spread of Nuclear, Chemical and Ballistic Weaponry in the Middle East” was probably out dated even before it appeared, whilst the deputy editor’s comments on the PLO and the "Peace Process” have to some extent been left behind by more recent developments. On the other hand, Professor Sivan’s remarks on Islamic Fundamentalism are of con tinuing value. In this context it is of interest to note that in the deaths recorded elsewhere in this volume is that of the Ayatollah Khomeini. The American section also looks at longer term issues, taking in the bases of President Bush’s Middle East policy and the domestic position of Jews under various laws on “affirmative action”. Most important of all, however, is the opportunity for the Survey of Jewish Affairs team to analyse the momentous events of 1989 in Eastern Europe, more especially the links bet ween revived nationalisms and antiSemitism. Maria Balinska’s contribu tion entitled “A Year of Truth” looks at

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the Jewish communities of the former Communist countries without drawing any general conclusions, whilst Geof frey Wigoder provides an account of the battle over the Carmelite Convent at Auschwitz. This is a story which has run for some time and there is no solu tion in view. Wigoder demonstrates the extent to which this episode sym bolises the great gulf which still exists between Poles and Jews. Stephen Roth writes authoritatively on Jews in Hungary both under and after Com munism. Perhaps less searching is the treatment of France and the posi tion there of Jews and Judaism. Two articles will be of particular interest to home readers: one by Dr Jonathan Magonet on “Current attitudes to religious conversion” and the other by His Honour Israel Finestein (now, of course, President of the Board of Deputies) on the changes that have occurred in Jewry over the past fifty years. Dr Magonet discus ses the issue of conversion not only in terms of Halacha but also in the light of the creation of the State of Israel, and the tension between “conversion” and “ naturalisation” which has been thrown up thereby. In an essay which spans the whole range of argument between two extremes, and in which he cites illustrations drawn from Israel, Britain and America, Dr Magonet points to issues which are fundamental to the integrity of World Jewry. He can come to no positive conclusion; there are too many irreconcilabilities between religious and secular and extremists on all sides. In what has been judiciously chosen as the concluding paper, Judge Finestein casts his eye back over a momentous half a century, tak ing in the Holocaust and the establish ment of the State of Israel. Inevitably, it must be a bird’s eye view, but the bird soars high and sees widely and Judge Finestein’s overview focuses eventually on the centrality of Israel for the Jewish past and future alike. There are always drawbacks in pro ducing books like Survey o f Jewish Affairs. Inevitably, events outrun their authors and editors, while even the year to be discussed must become more flexible than might first appear. Here, for example, there is much more of 1989 than of 1990. But the tradition is a worthy one, and it has been faith fully maintained by the present editor, William Frankel, and publisher, Basil Blackwell. The Institute of Jewish

Affairs is to be congratulated that yet again it has been responsible for a vol ume of the utmost importance. Aubrey Newman

Werner E. Mosse (coordinating editor) Second Chance: Two Centuries of German-speaking Jews in the United Kingdom JCB Mohr (Paul Siebeck) Tubingen 1991 £45

o not be daunted by this massive volume which runs to over 650 pages. Its sheer bulk, thorough, scholarly and somewhat stolid - dare I say it “Germanic” appearance, in the Leo Baeck Year book style, can certainly be offputting at first sight. Appearances can be deceptive however. Second Chance, which grew out of a conference held at Clare College, Cambridge in Sep tember 1988, is an important, wide-

ranging and, on the whole, readable book. It represents the first serious attempt to redress the imbalance of Anglo-Jewish historiography which, for the past thirty years, has been dominated by the social, economic and political history of the mass immigration from the Russian Empire from 1881 to 1914- th is concentration itself a reaction against the Sephardidominated, elitist and hagiographical history produced by an earlier, and less self-confident generation. In all this, the presence of Jews from Ger man-speaking lands has been largely overlooked. In fact, German Jews were amongst the earliest settlers in Britain, as in the United States. The Rothschilds are only the best known of the nineteenth century entrep reneurs who were attracted by the opportunities thrown up by the Indust rial Revolution. The German Jewish bourgeoisie of Nottingham, Manches ter, Belfast and Bradford were charac terised by rapid assimilation, in many cases over one generation. This is not surprising, when one remembers that

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they came from a Central European background where the Haskalah had made its greatest impact. It is generally recognised today that Jews from Central Europe have exerted a disproportionate influence on the cultural life of Britain - and far beyond; Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud were both exiles here. The refugees from Nazi Germany, Austria (as well as from Hungary and Czechoslovakia) in the 1930s, upon whom this book inevitably focuses, included within their ranks (a mere 55,000) some of the finest brains which have enriched and, in some instances, created new areas of intel lectual life in this country: psychoanalysis (the Freuds), art his tory (Ernst Gombrich and Nikolaus Pevsner), publishing (Weidenfeld, Hamlyn, Deutsch - and Maxwell). Likewise, the transfer of the Warburg and Wiener libraries and the creation of the Leo Baeck Institute ensured the continuity of a profound German academic tradition which would other wise have been lost. No less than 21 out of the 36 essays in Second Chance celebrate the diverse impact of German Jews on the arts and sci ences, education and the professions, industry and commerce in Britain. Less widely appreciated, however, is the part which German Jews have played in the religious development of the Anglo-Jewish community. In his contribution, Professor Julius Carlebach, Rector of the Hochschule fur Jiidische Studien in Heidelberg writes that “middle-of-the-road Orthodoxy has become the hall-mark of Anglo-Jewry and perhaps the only conceptual issue to emanate from the Jewish community” (p. 409). Ironically, this concept was itself of German origin as Professor Raphael Loewe brings out to greater effect in his essay on Jewish Studies. For the Chief Rabbis Adler, father and son, were largely responsible for importing the Hirschian Torah im Derekh Eretz approach from Hanover and disseminating it through the institution of the Chief Rabbinate, Jews’ College (founded in 1855 and largely staffed by German scholars) and the United Synagogue. Few British Jews today are aware of the true origin of the so-called Minhag Anglia. To give but one example, the Singer’s Prayer Book is based upon the Hamburg rite. Nevertheless, Adlerian Orthodoxy was increasingly challenged from

both the religious “right” and “left” as the nineteenth century wore on - and not a few of its critics hailed from Central Europe. The genteel AngloJewish religious scene was to receive an injection of radical new blood with the arrival of refugee Reform intellectuals in the 1930s, such as Ignaz Maybaum, Georg Salzberger and, above all, Leo Baeck. By the same token, the rebel Machzikei Hadas and the North London Beis HaMedrash, the forerunner of the Adas Yisroel (the father congregation of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations), were largely products of a transplanted tradition of strict Central European Orthodoxy. Rabbis Solomon Schonfeld and Eli Munk set the standard and pace of AngloOrthodoxy in the post Second World War world. Sadly, Carlebach’s essay was spoilt, for this reviewer at least, not only by voluminous footnotes, extend ing to over half a page in some cases, but by long quotations in German, which language, I am forced to admit, I cannot read. In contrast, any Yiddish is not only transliterated but trans lated into English (eg. on p. 416).

A touch of cultural snobbery on the part of Yekkes regarding us poor Ostjuden perhaps? Not all of Second Chance is devoted to outstanding thinkers and success stories. The trauma of flight, internment, the struggle to integrate and the all too frequent instances of rejection, whether on the level of offi cial bureaucracy, society at large or, most shameful of all, by the AngloJewish community, are documented with candour. The story of the refugee women, in particular the 20,000 who arrived on domestic permits, is espe cially poignant. Jillian Davidson and Dr. Tony Kushner describe the experi ences of often well-educated and cul tured ladies from middle-class backgrounds who were forced to scrub floors and wash dishes in the homes of their social inferiors. Yet, the humiliation and isolation which they suffered pales into insignificance against the gratitude which they felt at having escaped an infinitely worse fate in Nazi Europe. Sharman Kadish

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OBITUARIES

DR. BERN A RD HOM A Dr. Bernard Homa, who has died aged 91, was a staunch defender of Orthodoxy, an authority on bris mila and an active social worker. He had been part of the Initiation Society for over 40 years and he was president of the Machzikei Hadas synagogue, originally established in 1891 in East London, and housed since 1983 in Golders Green. Dr. Homa’s father, Benjamin L. Deichowsky, was for 37 years presi dent of the Machzikei Hadas and a maternal grandfather, Rabbi Werner, was minister of the congregation for 20 years. He himself received a sound talmudic education at the nearby Yeshiva Etz Chaim (now also in Gol ders Green). His Jewish and medical knowledge combined to make him an authority on bris mila and led to his appoint ment as president of the Initiation Society, an office to which he devoted much time and labour. He became a member of the society’s panel of hon orary mohelim for hospital services, and for the society’s book, Surgery of Ritual Circumcision (Dr. J. Snowman), he contributed an English summary of the dinim of mila. At the Board of Deputies, in addi tion to other services, like the chair manship of the refugee committee, he was chairman for a number of years of the shechita committee. He was, for a time, vice-president of the London Board for Shechita. His presidency and wardenship of the Machzikei Hadath synagogue from 1945, and the intimate know ledge he acquired of the congrega tion’s history and development, were chronicled in his A Fortress in AngloJewry a much-documented work on the Machzikei Hadas and its often stormy relationship with the AngloJewish establishment. Dr. Homa was also president of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congrega tions, resigning in 1938. At the Federa tion of Synagogues, a few years later, he was for a short period a vice-presi dent and chairman of the council.

In 1953, when Mr. Morris Lederman was seeking reinstatement as presi dent - he had vacated that office on being appointed a Shechita Board supervisor - Dr. Homa was chosen as an opposing candidate but he was defeated. In the field of Jewish education he became especially active in the years of reorganisation which followed the Second World War. He was chairman of the Central Council for Jewish Religious Education and of the Lon don Board, but resigned from both in 1949 following differences the two bodies had with each other and with the United Synagogue. He became chairman of the council of the Judith Lady Montefiore College which was reorganised in 1952 to train rabbis and teachers largely for North African communities. He was interested too in secular education and especially in the

Hackney Downs (formerly Grocers’) Grammar School, where he was chair man of the governors for many years. In 1961 the school named a new laboratory after him. Dr. Homa had been a member of the Labour Party since 1929. In 1934 he was elected to the London County Council (the GLC’s predecessor) and represented Hackney for 21 years dur ing which he served on the hospitals, public control, finance, entertain ments and parliamentary committees. In 1951, he unsuccessfully contested the parliamentary seat of South Hen don - on election day he interrupted his tour of the constituency to keep an appointment to perform a bris. In the Second World War he was a major in the Royal Army Medical Corps and served in West Africa, France, Belgium and Holland. Dr. Homa contributed many articles and book reviews to the Jewish

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Chronicle on shechita, medical ethics and Jewish names, but there were occasions when he was strongly criti cal of the paper for its views on religi ous affairs. He voiced resolute oppos ition at the Board of Deputies to a proposal in the early 1950s to enable Progressive synagogues to acquire statutory authority for the certification of marriages. He was equally firm in his opposition to a proposal a few years ago to amend Clause 43 of the Board of Deputies’ constitution to allow Reform and Liberal religious leaders to have consultative status, an attitude which ran counter to the Chief Rabbi’s views on the matter. His Zionist sympathies were evi dent from his youth: he was chairman of the London Mizrachi Students’ Society. Afterwards, he was chairman of the Mizrachi Organisation of Great Britain and was vice-president of the Jewish National Fund. He was a member of the council of the Anglo-Jewish Association but resigned in 1946 after disagreeing

with a statement and policy on Pales tine. He is survived by two sons. His wife (Irma Fleischman before their mar riage), who was herself active in Jewish and civic life, died in 1955. Reprinted from the Jewish Chronicle, 11 October 1991.

Michael Goldman adds: Dr. Homa was a unique personality. Physician, mohel, scholar, army major, author, politician, he devoted himself with exceptional diligence to com munal endeavour and the defence of Orthodox Judaism. Raised in the intensely religious and staunchly inde pendent Machzikei Hadas kehilla, and ever loyal to its tradition, Dr. Homa nevertheless mixed easily with the - in his early days - far less observant leadership of the Anglo-Jewish “ Es tablishment” and, indeed, with Gen tiles. He could, in fact, be taken for an English gentleman. Gentleman he cer

tainly was, in bearing, manner and unfailing courtesy; it was a privilege to converse with him and to enjoy his kindly wit and dry humour. Although adherence to principle frequently involved him in controversy, he main tained friendly tolerance towards opponents of all hues (a trait unfortu nately not always reciprocated). His obituary notice in the Jewish Chronicle (reprinted above) fails to mention his booklet explaining and defending the practice of Shechita still a valuable manual; his short his tory (originally printed in Yiddish) Orthodoxy in Anglo-Jewry nor his recently published autobiography Footsteps in the Sands o f Time (a quotation from Longfellow), a charac teristically anecdotal but vivid por trayal of an extraordinary life full of varied experience. The title, however, is a misnomer; footprints in sand are speedily obliterated - no-one who knew Dr. Bernard Homa will ever forget him. Zichrono li’vrocho. P H IL IP GOLDBERG

The Executive of the Federation of Synagogues mourns the death of Mr Philip Goldberg who played an impor tant role in the Federation for many years, first as a member of the Execu tive and latterly as an Elder. Since the Second World War he was active in the Bethnal Green Great synagogue, being its vice-president before assuming the presidency. Later, he struggled against declining member ship to keep the community viable. His experience often helped the Executive. He had had a lifetime of communal effort and strife, both within and without the Federation, and on a number of occasions he was able to advise his colleagues on what, in the event, was the appropriate pol icy to follow. Even in recent months, when he found difficulty in attending Executive meetings, he would, on occasion, write, or telephone, to discuss the problems they would be addressing.

Arnold Cohen

More Obituaries over page 37

OBITUARIES MORRIS SACK

Morris Sack, who has died aged 67, served the Tottenham Hebrew Congregation for over 30 years. His family was dedicated to com munal work. His father, Dovid Chaim Sack, made the synagogue’s wooden pews which are still in use today. Morris Sack collected members’ sub scriptions and was committee member, vice-president and president. Besides his commitments as sales manager for Rakusen Foods, he knew all the members and their families personally and listened to their prob lems. He radiated warmth and friendship to all who met him. He is survived by two daughters. Stanley Cohen Reprinted from the Jewish Chronicle, 3 January 1992

LOUIS DELROY

Louis Delroy, who has died aged 77, was a trained musician who became an outstanding salesman and was a key figure in the building of the Wool wich synagogue. Born in the East End, he attended the Jews’ Free School and won a vio lin scholarship to Trinity College of Music. He made his debut in the silent cinema but his musical career came to an abrupt halt with the advent of talking pictures. For a while, he helped at his mother’s stall opposite the London Hospital in Whitechapel. He approached his uncle Jack (the late Sir John Cohen of Tesco), who offered him a job at his grocery store in Dartford, Kent. Three years later, in 1936, he opened his own shop in Eltham, South East London. After his marriage in 1937 to Betty Leizerovitch, who died last year, he expanded his business as a pioneer of local supermarkets.

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munal scene, in his larger-than-life style, and became chairman of the Friends of the Woolwich Community, through whose efforts the synagogue was built. He was twice president of the Woolwich and District synagogue, life president, and was elected an elder of the Federation of Synagogues. His Kol Nidre appeal style was considered to be a tour de force. He was also active in Freemason and B’nai B’rith lodges. In 1985, at a ceremony to mark the 40th anniversary of VE Day, he was invited by the Borough of Greenwich to plant a tree on behalf of the Jewish community, to commemorate the Holocaust. Mr Delroy is survived by three daughters and grandchildren. Reprinted from the Jewish Chronicle, 20 September 1991

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'lr°y is survived by three s and grandchildren. from the Jewish Chronicle, iber 1991

M O R R IS LEIFER

Morris Leifer, who has died aged 83, held office continuously at the Clap ton synagogue, Lea Bridge Road, from 1928 until his death. Morris Leifer entered his father’s prosperous cabinet-making business in the East End. When the family moved to Lower Clapton in the 1920s, they immediately joined the new con gregation, of which Morris’ future father-in-law, Chaim Steinberg, was a founder member. Mr Leifer was elected to the board of management at the age of 19. He helped plan the building of the synagogue, completed in 1932, and was vice-president in 1956 and presi dent from 1961 to 1986, when he was given an emeritus post. He was involved in all facets of communal life, particularly the Combined Charities Committee. He played a major role in the con gregation’s admission to constituent status within the Federation of Synagogues in 1954, and also in the establishment and construction of both the Clapton Jewish Day School, where he was governor from 1956 to 1959, and the communal centre, known as the Abraham Leifer Hall, after his late father. As a member of the Federation’s executive committee, he was noted for practicality as well as dry wit. Even when busy, he found time to give advice or help with courtesy and good humour. Despite ill-health in recent years, he participated wholeheartedly in synagogue services at Nightingale House, the Home for Aged Jews, where he finally lived. He is survived by his wife, Rose, two sons and grandchildren.

Michael Goldman Reprinted from the Jewish Chronicle, 20 September 1991

C o n g ratu latio n s On behalf of the Federation of Synagogues, HaMaor extends sincere congratulations to: B IR TH S Rabbi & Mrs R. Livingstone (Ilford) on the birth of a daughter. Mr & Mrs E. Pruim on the birth of a grandchild. Rev & Mrs Samet (Ilford) on the birth of two grand-daughters. M A R R IA G E S Mr & Mrs J. Gitlin (Ilford) on the marriage of their daughter Naomi to Jeremy Meyer. Mr & Mrs A. Levy (Ilford) on the marriage of their daughter Wendy to Philip Knott. (Helen Levy is Receptionist at Head Office). Mr & Mrs M. Zobin (Nelson Street) on the marriage of their first granddaughter in Israel. A N N IV E R S A R IE S Mr & Mrs L. Gayer (Head Office Accounts Department) on their Rub^ Mr & Mrs H. Lever (Ex-Warden, Clapton) on their Diamond Wedding. Mr B. Morris (Executive) on his 90th birthday. Mr & Mrs M. Zobin (Nelson Street) on their Golden Wedding.

Condolences On behalf of the Federation of Synagogues, HaMaor extends sincere condolences to: DEATHS Mr M. Caplin on the death of his brother Robert (founder member, Sinai synagogue). Mrs Cooper on the loss of her husband (formerly Financial Representative Nelson Street). Mr N. Ezekiel on the loss of his sister. Mrs Y. Goldberg on the loss of her husband (formerly an Elder of the Federation). Mrs R. Stuart on the loss of her father.

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Michael and Jane Caplin HaMaor Rosh H aS hana 5 7 5 3 /1 9 9 2

FOUNDER MEMBERS OF SINAI SYNAGOGUE

F IN A L D ead lin es C op y: 1 4 th A u g u s t 19 9 2 A dvertising: 2 1s t A ugust 1992

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