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-fee RATION OF S Y N A G O G U E S

Editorial The pastfew months have been very dark fo r the Jewish people, both with the war in Israel and the steady rise in antiSemitic incidents around the world. The support and unity that has been shown, across all sections o f the Jewish community, is inspiring and highlights what we can achieve when we have achdus. As the New Year approaches we daven that there should be shalom al kol Yisroel.

These are exciting times in the Federation with a real sense o f new impetus; we have a new President and Trustees as Chief Executive Officer forward thinking plans fo r the future , o f two new n the cover o f this You can read all of about this and more inside.

With our usual mix o f news, interesting articles and divrei Torah, there’s something fo r everyone as we prepare to welcome 5775.

Wishing you all kesiva v ’chasima tova

Epa

Contents Diary

2

Meet the new Honorary Officers

6

Vision for the Federation - Mr Andrew Cohen

8

Why M ehadrin? - Dayan Lichtenstein

10

A Message From Our New CEO, Rabbi Avi Lazarus 12 Thoughts for Yom Kippur - Rabbi Moshe Mayerfeld

13

Obituary of Michael Goldman

15

*

Yeshurun Mission to Morocco - Jeff Levison

16

Reflections from the Reflection of the Danube

- Rabbi Raphy Garson

20

Budapest with the Kaliver Rebbe Rabbi Zvi Portnoy

25

The European Cantors' Convention in Budapest and the Longest Friday Night Service Imaginable!

- Hirsh Cashdan and Russell Grossman 28 A Shiva Visit in Auschwitz Birkenau - Rabbi Raphy Garson

30

Personal

33

Kashrus Directory

37

Federation of Synagogues Contact Details

38

Burial Society

39

List of Synagogues

40

Published by The Federation of Synagogues 65 Watford Way, London NW4 3AQ Tel: 020 8202 2263 Fax: 020 8203 0610 Email: info@federationofsynagogues.com www.federationofsynagogues.com Editor/Advertising: Eva Chapper

DIARYDIARYDIARYDIARYDIARYDIARY NEWS a EVENTS I

Beis Hamedrash Nishmas Yisroel New Shul Building Kehillas Nishmas Yisroel is the latest community to benefit from being a member of the Federation with the opening of their new Beis Flamedrash at 4 Brent Green, London NW4.

Nishmas Yisroel, now in its fifth year has rapidly outgrown its former premises in the Heichal Leah Building.

As the newest member of the Federation, it formally opened its new Beis Flamedrash on Shabbos Parshas Beehukosai under the guidance and leadership of their beloved Rov, R' Dovid Tugendhaft Shlit"a. The service was the culmination of many months of planning and round-the-clock feverish preparations in order to have the new building ready to celebrate this milestone.

Celebrations commenced at Kabolas Shabbos with an opening address by Dayan Yisroel Yaakov Lichtenstein Shlit'a, Av Beis Din of the Federation. Shabbos morning davening was attended by over 250 mispallelim followed by a bris and a large Kiddush graced by local Rabbonim and with members of neighbouring shuls all flocking to give their Mazel Tov wishes.

A large marquee erected at the rear was the venue for the Kehillo lunch for members and their families where they were addressed by keynote speaker Rabbi Tal Zweker Shlit"a who came from Beit Shemesh for the occasion and is famed for his translations of classic Chassidish seforim. It is estimated that over 1000 people passed through the doors of the new Beis Flamedrash during the day. Rabbi Zweker delivered a fiery talk, filled with humour and tears. It was preceded by uplifting dancing with all present feeling their souls alight within the darkened Beis Hamidrash in keeping with traditional Nishmas Yisroel Seudos. Continuing well into the night, Rabbi Zweker told inspiring stories of the Ba'al Shem Tov and his talmidim; focusing on how to feel the closeness of Hashem especially when we would otherwise feel different.

a fantastic site for our growing community and such partners as the Federation. The excitement of our first Shabbos davening in a modern building, which used to house a church for many years, was infectious. The support and encouragement from the wider community has been overwhelming, seeing our new home now bursting with young families, Torah and Tefiloh."

The Jewish Tribune, reporting on the occasion, commented: "With the experience of the most uplifting Seudah in the heart of Hendon was the injection into all present of the spiritual energy needed to face the outside world."

The new Shul for Nishmas Yisroel is only the first stage in the exciting period of growth planned by the new President and Trustees of the Federation, who are working on developing new communities, increasing the scope of the Federation Kashrus division and expanding the Beis Din. Andrew Cohen, President of the Federation, added: "The Dayonim, Trustees and members of the Federation wish our newest Kehillo, Nishmas Yisroel, mo *710 on the opening of their new Beis Hamedrash at 4 Brent Street, London NW4. We pledge our support to help such Kehillos develop, with an ability to assist with new buildings, provide inspirational leaders such as Reb Dovid Tugendhaft Shlit"a and offer the broader communal services that come with being a member of an established and growing organisation."

Says Steven Unsdorfer of Nishmas Yisroel: "Only in our wildest dreams could we have imagined securing such

Page 2

Hamaor / September 2014

DIARYDIARYDIARYDIARYDIARYDIARY -

NEWS Et EVENTS Croydon Croydon Synagogue continues to enjoy life.

Our annual Summer Barbecue will have been held in the gardens of the shul and as a community we look forward to the upcoming Chaggim.

Looking back over the year, Rabbi Asmoucha read the Megilla on Purim to a full shul which included many

to use the eruv. The Federation is continuing its support from the sale of the old building with the proceeds being utilised for the acquisition of a new building where families can bring their children to shul on Shabbos.

Says Miles Boydon of the FCS Management Committee: "The sale of the shul is of paramount significance to the

visitors, all of whom enjoyed Hamentaschen and tea

future of the kehillo that has fundamentally changed under the inspirational leadership of Rabbi Hamer and

afterwards.

with the support of the Federation. The community is

At Pesach we held a Communal Seder on the second

growing and with the increase in young families, there is a need for a new shul to be within the eruv to

night and our services were very well supported, as they were on Shavuot.

support the vibrant children's services and enable the whole family to be part of the kehillo. The Federation

"Our Club" continues to be successful. We recently held

have been behind us throughout the sales procedure

a lunch and welcomed Jeanette Rosenburg, whose

and are currently working hard to help us find a suitable

family were members of the shul. Jeanette gave us a

building to cement our special community and help us

talk

to grow as a family."

on

Genealogy

which

she

illustrated

very

interestingly by looking into the history of some of our members who were there at the lunch.

In the short term, whilst a new shul building is being found, the new owner has agreed that the facility will

At our recent AGM, two younger members were

be available for the community to continue to hold

appointed to the Board of Management and Danny

their regular weekday minyonim ensuring no disruption

Harris had the honour of being made Life Warden

in services.

which was celebrated subsequently at a special Kiddush lunch.

Following on from the successful opening of the new shul for Nishmas Yisroel in Hendon, the sale of Finchley

This year

be Rabbi Asmoucha's fourth year with us.

Central and the support to establish the new shul

As an integral and vital part of the community, he

reflects the exciting period of growth planned by the

participates in every aspect of communal life; the

new President and Trustees of the Federation who are

community responds wonderfully to him!

also working on increasing the scope of the Federation Kashrus Division and expanding the Beis Din.

Finchley

Andrew Cohen, President of the Federation commented:

Federation Backs Exciting Changes

"The

The Finchley Central Shul (FCS) building has been sold by the Federation to a communal charity, to enable the growing young and dynamic congregation to benefit from a more modern building suitable to meet its requirements.

Finchley

Central

community

had

changed

significantly in its demographic structure, having been reinvigorated under the leadership of Rabbi Yaakov Hamer. It is now our primary focus to ensure the kehillo finds a new building where it can continue to grow, safe in the knowledge that the Federation is always there to offer guidance and support. I would particularly

The Finchley Central community, which has seen a

like to thank my eo-Trustee, Menachem Gertner, who

surge in growth from young families, has been davening

has skillfully led the process and is negotiating the

on Shabbos in the Pardes House Primary School hall on

purchase of the new premises."

Hendon Lane for the last few years to enable members

Hamaor / September 2014

Page 3

DIARYDIARYDIARYDIARYDIARYDIARY NEWS a EVENTS Ilford

Ohr Yisrael

The Mayor's Civic Service

Special Batmitzvah Graduation Shabbat

On Sunday 27th July Ilford Federation Synagogue hosted the Civic Service for the new Mayor of Redbridge, Councillor Ashley Kissin, who is a lifelong member of the congregation.

Rabbi Chopper and Mayor Kissin Rabbi Chapper, who is the Mayor's Chaplain welcomed local dignitaries, including mayors from surrounding boroughs, and in his sermon offered the new Mayor his blessing and advice on leadership based on the lessons we learn from Moshe Rabbeinu.

Dedication Service Ilford Federation Synagogue's beautiful, modern new home on Clarence Avenue has officially opened its doors. The three storey building has been completed to exceptional detail, thanks to the hard work of key members of the community. The etched glass mechitza and air conditioning gives the shul a comfortable open feeling and many members and visitors have commented on how pleasurable it is to daven there.

The new building was dedicated on Sunday 7th September in the presence of the Rosh Beis Din Dayan Lichtenstein, the immediate past President of the Federation Mr Alan Finlay and the new President Mr Andrew Cohen as well as local dignitaries and donors.

A graduation ceremony was held one Shabbat following the successful completion of the Batmitzvah course designed and run by Deborah Garson for mothers and daughters. Each girl was presented with a special Sefer and certificate. The course empowered the girls to appreciate the essential areas of Judaism from Shabbat to Kashrut, Chesed, Jewish Roles and Responsibilities.

In addition each girl embarked on a Chesed project throughout the year of the course such as bake sales, visiting old age homes, car washing, joining kiddush rotas etc

Honouring Leslie LtTzvi The Shabbat before we left for Poland (see separate article) was a "surprise" Shabbat when we honoured Flolocaust-survivor Leslie Kleinman and JRoots CEO Tzvi Sperber. The shul was overflowing with members and non-members who had come to pay their tribute to two men who have inspired thousands. Leslie, thinking he was there to surprise Tzvi, presented Tzvi with a selection of books to express our gratitude and thanks for all he has done for Ohr Yisrael over seven years. Rabbi Garson then made a special presentation to Leslie. Our resident sculptress, Shoshana Gilmore, had been so inspired by Leslie on a previous trip, that she wanted to do something for him. She spent close to a year creating a bronze sculpture of Leslie's lost family. It was modelled from the only remaining photograph he has. Needless to say he was lost for words and so grateful at receiving something so meaningful.

Jewish Journeys - Poland Trip 8 ft Morocco Journey 3 Our next Journey to Poland BH take place on the 3rd of May 2015. The 3rd trip to Morocco will be taking place on the 31st of May 2015. For more details please contact Rabbi Garson at rabbi@ohr-yisrael.org.uk.

Cross-Communal Tehillim with the Mayor of Sderot - "Which child would you choose?"

A cross-communal Tehillim rally was held at Ohr Yisrael and all of the local communities came together to do what we as Jews do best. To express empathy with the situation in Israel, to show compassion and feel the pain of the people who are suffering on both sides of

Page 4

Hamaor / September 2014

DIARYDIARYDIARYDIARYDIARYDIARY NEWS a EVENTS this war, and more importantly to do our bit by learning and praying. All the local Rabbis came together and introduced the various Tehillim. The evening was graced with the presence of former Mayor of Sderot David Bouskila who gave us an inkling of what life is like living under fire. Over 8000 rockets have rained down on Sderot since October 2000. Parents have only 15 seconds to rush to shelter; sometimes grappling with the decision that only one child could be taken into safety in time. "Which child would you choose?"

This question hung in hushed silence over the packed out crowd of over 250 people.

Shomrei Hadath Shomrei Hadath welcomes new Rabbi and Rebbetzin Rabbi Moshe Mayerfeld recently became the Rav of Shomrei Hadath Synagogue. Rabbi Mayerfeld was born in New Jersey, USA and moved to Israel aged 17, receiving Semicha at the young age of 22 and attaining a degree in Jewish Philosophy. Whilst in Israel, he worked with troubled and at-risk young people, gaining experience in drug and alcohol abuse counselling, and helping teenagers from broken homes. In 2000, Rabbi Mayerfeld joined Aish UK as Campus Director and now lives in West Hampstead where his focus is with young professionals and executive learning. Married to Liat, together they have 8 children, he enjoys basketball and keeps young by both playing and running a weekly game.

Liat Mayerfeld was born in New York and made Aliyah as a young child with her family. She received a teaching qualification and a degree in Jewish studies and Special Needs Education from Michlala College for Women, Jerusalem.

Liat spent over 2 years working for Israeli military intelligence and then taught in many seminaries before moving to the UK with her husband and children. She joined Aish UK as a Women's Educator teaching in schools, campuses, young professionals and communities and has been flown around the world to speak at special seminars in USA, Australia, Spain and Denmark.

She is a spectacular cook and hostess, opening her home and her heart to feed Shabbatand

Hamaor / September 2014

Yom Tov meals to thousands of young Jews and help them appreciate Jewish life in all its splendour.

Yeshurun The Edgware Yeshurun community has been busy over the previous year with social events, outings, a trip to Morocco (see separate article) and a selection of speakers.

Rabbi Lewis ran a series of highly successful afternoon tea interviews with some fascinating members of the Yeshurun community. He interviewed Harold Cowan, Max Caller, Edwin Solomon and Ruth Sheer, all of whom talked about their lives and careers.

Another highlight at the Yeshurun was the Friday Night Oneg. The Leff Hall looked stunning with all the tables laid out with candles and decorations. The food was excellent and the guest speaker, Rabbi Elchonon Feldman from Belmont United Synagogue, everyone entertained by his fascinating talk on "Pesach and Women". Everyone asked "When will the next one be?"

The Ladies Guild arranged a guided walking tour of Cambridge led by Rachel Kolsky. Everyone enjoyed her bubbly explanations and history of the city's sites. The visit culminated with a visit to the Cambridge Library where the Genizah is housed - a priceless accumulation of Hebrew manuscripts and Judaica.

The Leff hall was packed to support the new Israel Committee who had invited Luke Akehurst from BICOM to give a talk entitled "Who Is Behind The Boycotting and Delegitimisation of Israel and How Can We Combat Them?" We gained insights into the background to some organisations and were given encouragement to write to our MPs and make our voices heard.

A stained-glass window in the Beit Hamidrash was dedicated to Helen Olivestone by her family and the Yeshurun. She and her husband, Bernard, were founding members of the Yeshurun, and she was the first Chair of the Ladies Guild. A video was shown of her 100th birthday and a lavish tea to honour the occasion was enjoyed by her family and the community.

It has been a highly successful fun and busy time at the Yeshurun!

Page 5

n iN n n

â– KD6RATIOIN OF

SYNAGOGUES

Meet the new Honorary Officers

&

Dov Black Dov Black was the founder member of Ohr Yerushalyim, the only Federation Kehilla outside of London, and where he has served for over 15 years including being President.

Dov's vast experience in building Ohr Yerushalayim in Manchester helps assist his fellow Honorary Officers by focusing on introducing new communities to the Federation family, including being involved in the recent welcome of Nishmas Yisroel.

In addition, having been President of one of the newest Shuls of the Federation, and also being based in Manchester, Dov adds a new dynamic and perspective to the Honorary Officers.

With the effectiveness of the Federation operating with Ohr Yerushalayim, Dov believes in being on the Board to pay something back to the Federation and ultimately to Orthodox Communities in the UK.

Menachem Gertner Menachem Gertner, a member of Nishmas Yisroel, is from a family of rabbonim and community activists. So far, he has been able to use his experience in property development and planning to assist with the relocation of Finchley Central as well the search for a suitably located new cemetery and many other land and property related matters at the Federation.

More generally, Menachem feels that there is scope for the Federation to boost its profile within the community by working more closely with our members. He hopes that we can build on our existing platform to create a more vibrant and inclusive communal body that will serve Orthodox Anglo Jewry for decades to come.

Menachem is excited to have the opportunity to be involved in such an august institution and hopes that his drive will assist in moving the Federation forward in the coming years.

Adam Jacobs Adam is Treasurer and Trustee of the Federation of Synagogues and a loyal member of Ohr Yisrael.

He is a technology management consultant with experience in the financial management of high-value technology projects. He has created transformational digital strategies and architected solutions for leading organisations to enable them to excel in their industries.

Page 6

From L to R: Leon Newmark, Jacky Weg, Moshe Winegarten, Andrew Cohen, Menachem Gertner, Dov Black and Adam Jacobs

He has also been responsible for managing geographically diverse, multi-disciplinary teams to deliver complex projects.

Adam is using his knowledge and experience to drive the Federation to meet all elements of its vision for communities, Kashrutand Burial.

Leon Newmark Leon Newmark is the longest-serving member of the board of Trustees; now pledging a fifth term to the Federation.

Currently Chairman of Ilford Synagogue and has been for 12 years, Leon is able to offer the Federation community advice and guidance based on his invaluable experience and also his role as a director of a company through his working life.

Jacky Weg Jacky Weg works in property management although for many years he ran a button and trimmings manufacturing business. Jacky's connection to the Federation dates back to his youth. Soon after his barmitzvah he attended Clapton Synagogue where he helped to organise the successful youth minyan for many years as well as daily services at Montague Road Beis Hamedrash. Since moving to Golders Green Jacky has been a regular attendee at Beis Hamedrash Sinai and for a number of years has been privileged to be its President.

In the 1990s, Jacky represented the Federation of Synagogueson the London Board of Schechita. Returning now as Board Trustee, he considers it vital that the Federation strives to move forward. Jacky's vision: "It is imperative that the Board of Trustees looks after the existing shuls and gives them the necessary support to provide the attractive service their communities require.

At the same time, it is our duty to encourage and guide new Kehillos on the reasons to join the Federation, to encourage creativity within new synagogues and enable them to develop their own identities. We need as a matter of urgency to enhance and expand the stature of its Beth Din and establish the right grounds and approach

Hamaor / September 2014

n ix D n

•KDGRATIOIN OF S Y N A G O G U E S

to suit our communities' needs. Kashrus in particular, is today a global market and the Federation must focus on the opportunity to increase our scope and offering, and thus profitability by increased share of this market."

along with his many other communal responsibilities.

Shortly after his appointment, in the flamaor magazine (Rosh Flashanah 5771), he outlined his vision for the Federation of Synagogues: "The Federation has to be

Moshe Winegarten

restored to its position as a bastion of heimishe AngloJewish Orthodoxy, that unique blend of kehillos - litvish, chassidish and sephardish - led by an Independent highly-respected Beis Din and a flourishing Va'ad HaRabbonim, so that it becomes a visible centre of excellence for all its members. At the same time, on a lay level, Head Office must develop as an efficient resourcecentre serving the practical needs o f local shuls.

Inspirational spiritual leadership supported by visionary lay leadership will, I believe, restore a long-lost sense of pride to this part o f our identity - our membership o f the Federation."

Moshe's great-great-grandparents, great-grandparents, grandparents and parents z"l were all Federation members, each generation taking active and leading roles in their communities.

Moshe himself grew up in Shomrei Hadath and following yeshiva and kollel. has made a career in Product Development and Business Strategy working at one of the biggest banks in the UK. Communally, he has grown up in the shadow of his father, Shlomo Winegarten z"l, and uncle, Jonathan Winegarten, supporting them in their role as shul presidents and has gone on to be elected onto the board of a thriving kehillo, serving as Flonorary Treasurer.

Three years ago, at the last Federation elections, Moshe's father z"l was appointed as Federation Vice-President

Moshe aims to put his professional and communal experience into practical use on the Executive Board of the Federation, to be part of that visionary lay leadership and to see his father's vision become a reality.

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Hamaor / September 2014

14 KINGS DRIVG GDGWARG. MIDDLGSGX HA8

Page 7

•fCDCRATION OF S Y N A G O G U E S

for the Federation

by Mr Andrew Cohen President o f the Federation o f Synagogues Over the past nine months, many times have

been

This is not something new, but it has been long in coming.

I quote from my uncle, Rabbi Kopul Rosen,

asked: "Why?" - Why did I

who was appointed Principal Rabbi of the Federation in

stand

as

1945. At that time the Federation had 70 Shuls and

the

15,000 families. He set out his thoughts on the future

for

President

election of

of the Federation:

Federation?

The

answer

simple

is

"The function o f the Federation is not that o f a

the

Synagogal body (meaning an organisation providing facilities for Divine Services and religious ceremonies

opportunity!

only), but that o f a Jewish kehillah dealing with Jewish The opportunity is right there for all to see by taking a

life in all its aspects".

step back, looking at the wider context and seeing the It's the

In Rabbi Rosen's view, "The first task is to reclaim large

middle ground. It's where the Federation has always

masses o f Jews who have drifted away from Judaism...

been but often overlooked and rarely heard.

Whole

they are the rootless Jews o f our community. There is

swathes of North West London, from Golders Green

another section, perhaps smaller in numbers, who were

and Hendon to Edgware, Elstree, Borehamwood, Bushey

reared in an atmosphere o f Jewish learning and strict

trends in Jewish Orthodoxy in this country.

and beyond, are growth areas of frum, vibrant kehillos.

Yet many exist having little or no association with a communal body either left or right; kehillos that would benefit from support and shared services. Communities

observance. If the character o f Anglo-Jewry is to be that

of a

learned,

enlightened

and observant

community, then the builders o f such a communal life will come mainly from this section."

like these which have been the core of our organisation

Kopul Rosen felt that the Federation should be

for generations, are the opportunity for our future.

associated with all communal activity but that it should

To seize this opportunity, the Federation is raising its profile to be recognised as having a clear and expansive

concentrate on this section of the community and focus on building an organisation with a clearly expressed purpose and objective.

strategy, to support and develop thriving kehillos and to be considered as their natural home. The vision is to

Earlier this year, at the first Council meeting following

reposition the Federation as the powerhouse of

our election, I set out our vision for the future of the

independent Jewish orthodoxy in England.

Federation together with our strategy for its delivery.

After reviewing the various aspects and functions of

We think it is working. Since my co-Trustees and I were elected we have been approached by over 15 existing

the organisation, we formulated the initial focus for the Federation and laid out the longer term objectives.

kehillos interested in talking to us about our strategy and where they might fit in with our ethos and planned

A fundamental necessity is to ensure the organisation

growth.

is profitable at an operational level.

Page 8

This entailed

Flamaor / September 2014

r-

niw D n

â– feeRATIOTS OF

SYNAGOGUES

enhanced

The Burial Society has been in existence for well over a

performance and cost centres to contain and justify

hundred years and is a core part of the Federation. As

expenditure. The Federation should not be reliant on

Trustees, we have a responsibility to our members to

the realisation of capital assets to cover shortfalls

ensure that it operates efficiently and that the structure

generated through operations.

is sustainable into the future.

looking

at

profit

centres

to

drive

Consequently, we are

currently undertaking an actuarial review of the whole Our Beis Din, which should be a profit centre, has

operation and will report to Council in due course. We

operated for a number of years at a cost. The status

have invested funds in enhancements to Rainham Beis

and reputation of our Dayonim is significant and yet

01am including resurfacing of driveway and the building

we do not leverage this asset. With only two appointed

of a new permanent Ohel structure for Cohanim. We are

Dayonim, the Beis Din is not operating effectively and

also commissioning a computerised database of Burial

referrals of Dinei Torah are becoming less frequent. It

Society records which will be accessible through our

was clear on investigation that to reverse this trend a

new website and for members to interact with online.

fully constituted Beis Din is essential.

A Beis Din

recognised in the wider community and which raises

One of the criticisms levelled at the Federation over

its profile further through publications and marketing

recent years has been the lack of a locally positioned

of its talented Dayonim. To achieve this we intend to

cemetery for the NW London communities. Although

appoint a third Dayan in the near future and to make

previous Flonorary Officers have endeavoured to resolve

our Beis Din complete once again.

this issue, I sincerely hope that by the time you read

The additional

investment in creating a fully functioning Beis Din is offset by increased revenue and other communal duties a third Dayan will undertake.

this, there will be some positive news to share.

We have started many other initiatives which you may have already heard about or

do so in the coming

Our Kashrus division is a source of revenue and

months. A few examples include the Shailoh Line for

profit.

Any successful

questions to Rabbonim on call, the Vaad Harabbonim

business requires an operating structure to exploit

for our Rabbonim to meet and discuss cross-communal

opportunities available in the market place. There is

issues,

significant growth within the world-wide kashrus

purchase of the Flendon site for NishmasYisroel and, of

market and thus clear prospects to increase licensing

course, the appointment of our new Chief Executive,

income through professional business management

Avi Lazarus.

It is, in reality, a business.

and by leveraging the established reputation of the KF label in Israel and America, if not in the UK. We intend initially to appoint a commercial manager to take over

the appointment of a marketing expert, the

So to answer the question - why take on the position of President?

some of the significant workload Dayan Elzas has

It was not an obligation or even a new challenge, but

managed until now and to attain set targets of

an opportunity.

increased sales and efficiencies. We are also working

amazing opportunity: to deliver my vision for the

hard

meat

community, to serve and add value to our kehillos, to

products under the existing umbrella of the London

make a significant contribution and, above all, to

Board for Shechita.

facilitate change.

market

Hamaor / September 2014

Mehadrin'

I am indeed fortunate to have this

Page 9

"iiann -(-6D6RATON OF S Y N A G O G U E S

Why Mehadrin?

By Dayan Lichtenstein, Rosh Beis Din word mehadrin literally means or beautified embellished. following Jewish dietary laws, there is a

'W

I

.

] -i TfT I As5V

good amount room for leniency or stringency.

Someone who follows

a

stringent level of kashrus is seen as having beautified or embellished God's commandments and thus is said to be keeping kosher I'mehadrin.

So why is the Federation choosing now to go down this new route in Kashrus?

Even among those labeled Orthodox, a distinction is sometimes drawn between common standards of kashrus and the more stringent standards that some adopt. The latter, known generally as "la-mehadrin"(for the ritually particular) or just "mehadrin," is often mistakenly labelled as "glatt kosher."

Whilst Mehadrin meat is always glatt - the same cannot be said the other way around. Let me explain, and go right back to basics in the process.

It all began with the largest kashrus certification agency in Israel, the Chief Rabbinate (Rabbanut).

Recognized by Israeli law as the supreme rabbinic authority in the country, the Chief Rabbinate has sole jurisdiction overall issues related to kosher certification.

The Chief Rabbinate delegates the authority to issue kashrus certificates to the local rabbinate that exists in almost every city and town. A product or establishment must be approved by the local rabbinate before it can legally claim to be kosher.

As the official halachic authority in Israel, the Rabbanut carries on its shoulders a heavy burden. It is responsible for providing an affordable "kosher option" to all

Page 10

Israelis and for discouraging the spread of non-kosher products in the Jewish State.

To achieve this goal, the kashrus regulations must be lax enough so as to maximize the number of potential clients, making kashrus the norm rather than the exception in Israel.

For this reason, the Rabbanut often relies on leniencies in halacha that are not widely accepted by all religious communities. The result is an absurd situation whereby many Israeli rabbis will not eat the food that they themselves certify!

Another

problem

in

Rabbanut

'regular'

kosher

certifications, is the number of hours that a supervisor

(mashgiaeh) is present on the premises. The Rabbanut must rely heavily on the integrity of its clients and their employees to abide by all the kashrus rules when the supervisors are not present. Many times this trust is broken and the kashrus status is seriously violated.

The mehadrin alternative A business that wishes to cater for the more observant kosher consumers, will often seek a 'better' kosher certification (hechsher)] one that does not rely on halachic compromises and minority opinions.

For this, they can either turn to one of the private certifying agencies (badatzim) or they can obtain a Rabbanut 'mehadrin' hechsher. The decision is usually based on cost, demand and/or ideology.

For the Federation, our decision is based on demand.

A mehadrin certification simply means that a higher set of kashrus standards is observed.

What these

standards are depends largely on the certifying rabbinate. Each local rabbinate is free to set its own standards for mehadrin, which can vary widely from locality to locality.

The following excerpt from an article by Rabbi Shaul Robinson, published on the Lincoln Square Synagogue web site, is appropriate here:

Hamaor / September 2014

iiN o n

ÂŤDâ‚ŹRATIOM OF

"There can be several problems, which can make even a great and pious Torah scholar a poor [kashrut] supervisor. First, the supervisor might rely on certain leniencies within the law (or assumptions) which the Orthodox community of today has chosen (based on the halaehic process) not to rely on. Sometimes our standards of observance change - we are all, we hope, growing over time in how we keep mitzvot, and the supervising authority needs to keep up with the accepted halaeha of today, not just what was deemed OK many years ago.

Unfortunately, some supervisions have not. Other issues can be that the supervisor is not careful

SYNAGOGUES

enough on the lines that he is in charge of - not purposely giving hashgacha to a non-kosher product, but, again, not meeting the standards we have come to expect."

Today, many Federation members are the children of our generation, who have visited Yeshiva and Sem, and are much more focused and more particular on keeping FHalacha in its purest form.

So, to bring this all together, the Federation believes it hasan obligation to provide an easily obtainable 'kosher Mehadrin option,' so that everyone can be assured they have undeniably purchased kosher products that are kosher according to every opinion.

The President and Trustees extend their warmest wishes for

A Ksiva Vachasima Tova to all Members of the . Federation of Synagogues and their Families

Go ahead, refresh yourself! Take a dip!

By immersing in the holy waters of the Mikvah, married women bring blessing on their families for generations to come. It's that simple. Who could imagine such an abundance of blessings could come from one simple act? If you are past menopause you only need to go to the Mikvah once The water may be shallow but the impact is deep.

For more information on the necessary preparations before going to the Mikvah, or to learn more about this mitzvah, visit our website mikvah.org.uk or phone us on 07930 431127.

I f you teach brides we would love to hear from you as we have material that could enhance your teaching.

' mikvah? crg.uk awareness | Inspiration | education Registered Charity No: 113S926 M ikveKoryuk K a p io jrti of lubavitth of Edgwarc

Hamaor/ September 2014

Page 11

-(<ÂŁ>â&#x201A;ŹRATIOIN OF S Y N A G O G U E S

Message From Our New CEO, Rabbi Avi Lazarus AsRosh Hashanafastapproaches, a new year beckons. For me personally, 5775 represents the opening of a fresh chapter, having started work at the Federation on September 1st. When considering my application for the consulted a role, well-respected NorthWest London Rabbi whom I thought would be well placed to offer impartial advice, himself not affiliated to the Federation. "There's no doubt about it" he said, "the Federation is currently the most exciting place in town". I was persuaded. Thank G-d, I was honoured when a few weeks and interviews later, I was chosen to fill the role of CEO, succeeding Dr Eli Kienwald who has held the position for the last six and a half years. I look forward with relish to the privilege and challenge of serving the Jewish community through the Federation.

I must admit that although I have held various roles within the community over the last ten years, I am a newcomer to the Federation family. For the last seven and a half years I worked for the Jewish family education organisation, SEED (in recent years as Operations Director), and before that for the United Synagogue and Edgware Community Kollel. I feel assured however, that the skills acquired in these challenging and varied roles stand me in good stead for this appointment. I am also confident that my life experiences to this point provide me with common interests and understanding with all of our members. I hope to visit all communities in due course, to hear directly from you the issues that matter to you and to share ideas for the future.

In the past months we have heard and seen the mantra "better together" in all forms of media, and finally certain groups hoped - it became firmly part of the subconscious of Scottish voters. It has occurred to me that this simple message, encapsulated in two words, is also the underlying principle behind the existence of the Federation of Synagogues. As individual communities we can maintain our own identity - standards, customs

Page 12

and flavours of Judaism - with a pride and confidence in our own Mesorah. Yet creating the sufficient quality and quantity of public services that we all need and can trust - a Beis Din, Kashrus licencing, the Burial Society, Mikvaos and more - as independents we would fall short. More positively, when we coalesce, we create a more powerful voice to represent our interests both in the wider Jewish and non-Jewish worlds. Under the umbrella of the Federation, unified by a firm loyalty to the principles of authentic, traditional Orthodoxy, our impact and contribution is far greater than the sum of our parts.

In terms of organisational goals, our President, Andrew Cohen, together with a dynamic and ambitious group of Trustees, has set the bar high. In their words, we seek to "reposition the Federation as the powerhouse of independent Orthodoxy in England". In order to achieve this we need to provide meaningful and relevant support and services to our current members and communities as well as investment in real growth areas; to encourage new individuals and Kehillos to join the Federation family.

I know that the Trustees and my predecessor Dr Kienwald have already set in motion processes to invigorate and expand the Federation. Recruitment of a third Dayan, the acquisition of a cemetery closer to North-West London, Shailo Line, facilitation of a new Mehadrin meat production and the development of the Brent Green complex in Flendon are all initiatives that will strengthen the Federation as a communal body. In the months ahead, I look forward to both prioritising these and pursuing other ways to achieve our goals. I can only promise you that in all that we do, our administrational team, our Rabbonim and Dayonim will do our best to serve, represent and lead the Federation in as vigorous and transparent way possible. Of one thing I am certain: as the communities of the Federation, we are better together.

May the Master of the World grant us a sweet new year of health, prosperity and safety in Israel and across the diaspora, and may we merit to bring Moshiach speedily in our days.

Hamaor / September 2014

-iiN o n

-feeRATION OF S Y N A G O G U E S

Thoughts for Yom Kippur

by Rabbi Moshe Mayerfeld, Shomrei Hadath The shul is packed with people

Surely this should be in the reverse order. If we offended

who have come to pray. The

a friend and we then needed a favour, first we would

electric.

apologise. "I am sorry for having been rude". Only then

Generations stand together

we would ask, "Can I borrow your car?" First we would

as one, requesting forgiveness

repair the relationship and then we would drum up the

for their past mistakes and

courage to request their kindness again. Why is it any

atmosphere

is

hoping for a better future.

different with Hashem?

This is Yom Kippur; a day

Chazal share with us an insight as to why it must be in

of atonement and of reflection. Yet the prayers and

this order. On Rosh Hashana, we make plans; we dream

the way they are generally said do not always set the

what we would like to look like in a year's time. We set

tone one might expect.

our sights on being less self-absorbed and more focused

Imagine the scene: the chazzan is wrapped in his talis,

on giving. Focusing on our goals to connect to what

focused, charged with leading the community with

life is really about and building a better world. It is only

inspiring tefilos. Everyone waits as he begins to chant

once we know where we are going that our prior

with the familiar tune, as we confess all the mistakes

mistakes really matter. Only then do we realise they are

we made this year. "Aiy...aiy...aiy...aiy... Oshamnu,

detracting us from achieving our destiny. First we need

Bogadnu, Gozalnu.... But something is off-key, and it's

Rosh Hashana to figure out where we are going and

not the chazzan. The tune sung almost universally in

then we can say we are sorry for when we strayed.

synagogues all over the world is an upbeat one;

Yom Kippur is a serious day, not a sad one. In fact, the

melodious and joyous!

We have sinned, we are

Talmud in Taanis 26b refers to it as a Yom Tov. It is a

traitors, we have stolen, "aiy aiy aiy aiy ya!" What is

'festive' festival. The fact that we are not held back by

going on here?

our past, that we are not defined by what we may have

Another source of dissonance is the order of the high

done (or not done), is truly a cause to celebrate. We

holy day calendar. On Rosh Hashana, we ask G-d for a

believe in change. We look forward to the future. We

good and healthy year; a year full of peace, financial

can be different tomorrow compared to yesterday.

security, successful family life, and all that is needed in

That gives us cause to sing, to rejoice.

our lives to be good and moral people. All this to open

This idea is reflected in one of the most famous customs

our path to do mitzvos, to study, to learn and to be able

of Yom Kippur. As we begin the Maariv service we say

to connect to Hashem. On Rosh Hashana we present

Shema. Then we say the second line, "Baruch shem

G-d with our list of requests. We ask Him to favour us

kavod malchuso I'olam va'ed" (Blessed is the name of

kindly. And then begin the Ten Days of Repentance;

His glorious kingdom for all eternity). This is a phrase

the Aseres Yomei T'shuva. We reflect, we say selichos,

that the angels use to praise Hashem. All year long, we

we apologise for our misgivings and then this fina

say this line quietly. But tonight, on Yom Kippur, we

leads us to Yom Kippur; the day when we seek full

say it aloud!

forgiveness for all we have done wrong.

'borrow' it and we do say it all year - we don't wish to

Hamaor / September 2014

We are mere mortals, so although we

Page 13

-IINDM

■KDCRATIOIN OF

SYNAGOGUES

be so brazen to say it aloud. However on Yom Kippur,

already on the bagels! We are heading towards the food.

when we are not eating or drinking, and are focusing

We are humans once again. The message is that where

only on the spiritual, our custom is to say "Baruch

we are is actually about where we are headed; where we

shem" out loud.

are focused on reaching.

Twenty-four hours later, when Yom Kippur is over, we

Hopefully this year our break-fast will be consumed

again say Shema in Maariv. Interestingly, though we are

with increased meaning. Having internalised the vision

still fasting and wrapped in white, we now say this line

of Rosh Hashana and committed to correcting our

quietly, as we do through the rest of the year. A reason

errors on Yom Kippur, we have a new strategy for the

offered is that as Yom Kippur begins we are heading into

year ahead. We have taken on the messages of these

a day of spiritual focus. Our goal is set clearly to a higher

holy days - days of true rejoicing!

purpose. So we can act like angels. As Yom Kippur is

Wishing you well over the fast, a meaningful day and

over and we are saying the final prayers, our mind is

Chag Sameach.

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Hamaor / September 2014

■£®€RATIOrS OF SYN A G O G U ES

Obituary of Michael Goldman The death of Michael Goldman has deprived Anglo-

presidency of Morris Lederman, a period that was

Jewry of one of its most consummate civil servants,

characterised by a tumultuous relationship with the

and the Federation of Synagogues of one of its most

United

effective diplomats. As a communal bureaucrat he was

wished (to put it bluntly) to kill the Federation off.

a model of the genre: exceedingly knowledgeable;

These assaults were not merely rebuffed. In 1966 the

modest to a fault; very wise; and - perhaps above all

Federation established its own Beis Din and so formally

else - ultra-loyal. Goldman served the Federation

distanced itself from the United Synagogue's Chief

during a period of profound and in some respects

Rabbinate. At the same time it began a long-delayed

turbulent change. That it survived these challenges,

programme of synagogue building in the suburbs of

and flourished when it might so easily have foundered,

north-west and north-east London, to which areas its

is due in no small measure to his wise counsel and

membership had relocated itself.

brilliant inter-personal skills.

On the one hand, therefore, Goldman was drawn

Michael Goldman was born on 3 November 1929 in

into

Brighton, where his father was headmaster of a Jewish

(culminating in the 1971 decision of the Federation

school. As a child he spent some time in Switzerland,

to withdraw from the Board of Deputies in protest

recovering from tuberculosis.

at its determination to confer consultative status

The war years were

Synagogue,

the

haute

whose

successive

politique

of

non-orthodox ecclesiastical

leaderships

British

Jewry

spent as an evacuee living with his grandparents in

upon

Tredegar, South Wales. After the war his parents moved

the

to London, where he attended the celebrated Etz

minutiae

Chayim yeshiva; he was a devoted student and (though

redundant East End sites and the buying of new ones

it was often overlooked in later years) a most

in Barnet and

accomplished Talmudic scholar.

involved in guiding the fortunes of the London

other

he of

found property

himself

authorities). On

immersed

matters,

the

in

selling

the of

Redbridge. He was also centrally

Shechita Board and of the London Board for Jewish The Goldman family were stalwarts of the Federation in its Flackney setting. In his late twenties Goldman obtained employment in the Federation's Stepney headquarters, serving under the redoubtable Julius

Religious

Education

(of which

organisations the

Federation was a 'parent body'), and in keeping a watchful eye on the early administration of the Federation's Kashrut division.

Jung, who had been appointed Federation Secretary as long ago as 1925. Jung - by now Executive Director -

Following

retired in February 1959. The posts of Secretary and

continued to serve the Federation as Registrar to its

Executive Director were merged, and Goldman was

Beis Din, and maintained an active interest in a range

appointed to the new office as "Clerk." As the

of charitable causes.

Federation's chief administrator he continued to serve

Michael Goldman died on 28 August 2014 and was

until his retirement thirty-five years later.

buried the following day at the Federation's Edmonton

In this role Michael Goldman's expertise was pivotal to

cemetery. In 1986 he married Channah Cohen, by

the survival of the Federation, and to its renewed

whom he is survived.

growth. His tenure of office coincided with the

Professor Geoffrey Alderman

9

Hamaor / September 2014

his

retirement

as

Secretary,

Goldman

Page 15

Yeshurun Mission to Morocco

by J e ff Levison, member o f Yeshurun Synagogue

On a cold February morning, the four a.m. pickup for

1950s the photographer Elias Harrus recorded the rural

the shared minicab to Gatwick Airport was the first of

community there; in 2008, Pauline Prior retraced that

several reminders that this was a Yeshurun Synagogue

journey to photograph the remnants of the community.

mission to Jewish Morocco and by no means a holiday.

Over that period, the Jewish population of Morocco

A combination of Yeshurun members plus several

had decreased from roughly 300,000 to about 3,000.

others from across the community made for a lively

In recent years it has become almost a sacred duty for

and friendly eighteen-strong group, led by Marcel

Ashkenazim to visit where our ancestors lived in Central

Manson from Jewish Heritage Tours and Raphael

and Eastern Europe.

Elmaleh, our brilliant Moroccan guide.

would provide an interesting and exotic contrast.

In just three

and a half days we managed to visit all four imperial cities - Marrakesh, Rabat, Meknes and Fes - as well as Casablanca.

It seemed to me that Morocco

Why did Jews go to Morocco in the first place and why did they leave in such numbers in the 1950s and 1960s?

Morocco is located at the north-west corner of the

But why Morocco? My own first encounter with Jewish

African continent with north and west coasts on the

Morocco was a photographic exhibition at the London

Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean and land borders

Jewish Museum at the end of 2009. In the 1940s and

with Algeria and Mauritania to the east and south,

Page 16

Hamaor / September 2014

0

f.

E r\

*

g| i

niMDn

-KDCRATCTN OF

respectively.

in the

It was to this far flung corner of the

way of their

leaving.

SYNAGOGUES

These obstacles

Roman Empire that many Jews fled after the destruction

were overcome and few Jews now remain, mostly

of the Second Temple, where they settled and lived in

in Casablanca.

harmony with the local Berber tribesmen.

There is

Our party arrived in Marrakesh in late morning and,

some evidence of an even earlier Jewish migration

shortly after checking in, we were off to the Medina,

after the First Temple was destroyed.

the old walled city. The Mellah, the Jewish quarter, is

The land was invaded by the Arab armies of Islam in the

located next to the Bahia Palace, now a museum. The

As dhimi, People of the Book,

Jews voluntarily chose to live close to the royal palace

Jews were allowed to remain and practice their Judaism,

and surrounded their dwellings with a wall, with the

albeit as second class citizens. In general they enjoyed

gates locked over Shabbat, for their own protection;

royal protection but periodically their security was

this was quite unlike the typical European ghetto and

imperilled and some local massacres took place. There

there was no compulsion to live there.

was another mass influx of Jews into the north of

Mellah is derived from millih, the Arabic word for salt;

Morocco in the late fifteenth century, following the

the King had granted the Jews the monopoly for

Spanish expulsion. These Sephardim had very different

trading salt with the spice-bearing caravans from the

practices and customs to the established Nusaeh Sefard

East and the salt store was wedged between the palace

community and this led to much friction between the

and the Mellah.

two communities.

The souks in Marrakesh, narrow and covered as in the

The French took over Morocco in 1912 and remained in

other towns we visited, appear to have changed little

charge until independence in 1956. As a consequence,

over the last few hundred years, even if some of the

in 1940 Vichy France became the colonial power.

goods are twenty-first century. The kosher poulterer is

Representatives from Vichy France and Nazi Germany

a small stall with minimal storage facility; you simply

visited King Muhammed V in 1941 requesting him to

buy a live chicken from the stall next door and the

make Moroccan Jews wear a yellow star. The King's

poulterer s/?ecA?fs it for you - no different from London's

response was unequivocal. In a scene with echoes of

East End in my grandparents' day. And we visited the

the Purim story, he invited the five leading Rabbis of

first of several small restored synagogues during our

Morocco to sit with him at a banquet and the European

trip, a far cry from the large communal buildings we

representatives left in disgust. Thus royal protection

have become accustomed to in London.

helped to save Moroccan Jewry, further ensured by the

The Bahia Palace is a typical example of the beautiful

landing of Allied troops in 1942.

Arab architecture we saw everywhere in the imperial

It was the establishment of the State of Israel and the

cities, with magnificent arches and doorways decorated

early eighth century.

The name

t

rise of Arab nationalism across North Africa and the

with colourful mosaics and intricate stucco work and

Middle East that led to the mass exodus of Moroccan

topped with beautiful ornamental wood ceilings.

Jewry, mainly to Israel. There were no mass expulsions

While out and about, the men in our party were

as elsewhere; on the contrary many obstacles were put

requested not to wear visible kippot but, walking

Hamaor / September 2014

Page 17

r

-iiN o n

■f€D€RATION OF S Y N A G O G U E S

through the souks here and elsewhere, people who

On day three we travelled to Rabat, the current capital,

knew our guide Raphael greeted us with a warm and

where we made up a rare minyan for Mincha in an old

friendly Shalom.

shut, then to Meknes, before arriving at our final

Our first exhausting day concluded with dinner in the home of the president of the Jewish community, the

destination Fes, the earliest imperial city. Once again we dined well at a Jewish club.

first of several meals starting with very spicy hors

After visiting the Jewish cemetery first thing on day

d'oeuvre and followed by chicken and the inevitable

four and the newly renovated Aban Danana Synagogue

couscous and vegetables.

and mikva, we visited a tile-making ceramics factory,

Next morning we had a longish coach

ride to

Casablanca, home to most of Morocco's remaining Jews.

The London Exhibition photographs had been

taken in the Atlas Mountains and at Sahara oases. The

which uses the excellent grey local clay. By this time, prior to entering what is the largest Medina in Morroco, we had acquired an additional guide and two guards to make sure nobody got lost in the bewildering maze of alleyways. We then spent many hours walking through

Morocco we now saw, coast side of the mountains, was an unexpectedly "green and pleasant land" with sheep and cows grazing in the fields, in addition to the inevitable goats, but not a camel in sight.

the Mellah and then to various craft factories as well as a leather shop overlooking the famous tannery; here everything is still done by hand as it has been for centuries, with workers climbing into the tanning and

Our first stop was the Jewish Museum of Casablanca, the only one of its type in the Arab world, built on the site of a former Jewish orphanage. The museum gives a valuable insight into the distinctive characteristics of the ritual life of the community. Raphael had played a key role in setting it up and in rescuing Jewish artefacts, particularly from abandoned synagogues.

dyeing pits.

To the Jewish visitor, Morocco presents a series of paradoxes, with

contrasting

modern and ancient

side by side. There are currently no formal diplomatic ties between Morocco and Israel and yet, by royal decree, the French-language daily newspaper Le Matin

When

has the French, Islamic and Jewish dates side by

donors are found to restore a synagogue, the original

side under the banner heading. But few Jews remain to

artefacts are returned.

appreciate it.

This was followed by lunch at the grandest of

Our mission concluded, just as it had started, with a

Casablanca's Jewish social clubs, replete with several

very early morning flight.

tennis courts, followed inter alia by a walk along the

experience and everyone on the tour seemed to have

Street of Seven Synagogues. Driving through this and

had a marvellous time.

other towns, there was clear evidence of massive slum

learning

clearance,

coupled

of

Raphael has written a book with a colleague, entitled

"affordable

housing" - apartment blocks on the

"Jews under Moroccan Skies", published by Gaon Books

outskirts. A delicious baked lamb dinner was enjoyed

and available over the internet. Better still, go there

by all at another Jewish club.

and see it for yourselves.

Page 18

with

extensive

building

Overall it was a fantastic

If anyone is interested in

more about Jewish

Morocco, our guide

Hamaor / September 2014

#D€RATIOIN OF

SYNAGOGUES

Students Bolster the Home Front

by Jeremy Kelly, Chief Executive o f the Ben-Gurion University Foundation

"You can see that they really need you," says Or Gorodissky who runs two situation rooms forvolunteers in the Gimmel and Daled neighbourhoods of BeerSheva. Gorodissky is part of BGU's ian and Larry Goodman Open Apartments Programme, where students live rent free in exchange for volunteering in the community. However, when classes and exams were cancelled, the formal obligations of the Open Apartments Programme were suspended as well.

"I felt as though at the point where they needed us the most, we weren't there," he says. So he decided to organise his fellow students to help out.

Through the situation rooms, between 40 to 90 volunteers a day spread out through the two neighbourhoods offering activities for children in the public shelters. They paid home visits to the elderly, those with special needs, and others just feeling seared and looking for a smiling, friendly face.

"Just by saying you are a student at BGU, you have an instant connection with Beer-Sheva's residents," he says.

° Dani Machlis - Ben-Gurion University o f the Negev

Prof. Limor Aharonson-Daniel, head of the Department of Emergency Medicine, created a system to manage volunteers during Operation Pillar of Defence in 2012 in conjunction with the Beer-Sheva Municipality. This time around, she immediately activated the system and

Prof. Yuval Shahar performs magic for the children o f university employees during Operation Protective Edge

Hamaor / September 2014

©Dani Machlis - Ben-Gurion University o f t he Negev

Hundreds of a m p n u -p n o ’oupmN B e n - G u r i o n Ben-Gurion University of the Negev University of the Negev students were inspired by the situation caused

by Operation Protective Edge to lend a helping hand and a smiling face to the residents of Beer-Sheva and the reserve soldiers called up to the Gaza border.

Empty Campus

students volunteered throughout the city. The BGU Student Union immediately opened a situation room of its own, working in conjunction with the unicipality and Aharonson-Daniel.

Students have volunteered in hundreds of tasks - from cleaning out public bomb shelters to bringing food to needy families. Paramedics from the Department helped staff Magen David Adorn stations. Special briefings for the deaf took place to remind them of what to do in the event of a threat prefaced by a siren they cannot hear. In addition, the PREPARED Centre for Emergency Response Research at BGU and the Health imstry produced an application that first responders and social workers can use to communicate basic sentences in sign language to offer reassurance and improve initial care.

Members of ASRAN, the medical students union, organised activities for the children of Soroka personnel who were on call to treat wounded soldiers and civilians.

Of their own initiative, other students who had moved out for the summer offered their apartments to the families of wounded soldiers who came down to visit them in the hospital.

"Over the last several weeks, we've seen hundreds of students donate their time and abilities who went to different locations in the city to help the residents in this emergency situation. As the head of the Community Involvement Department of the Student Union, I am very proud to be part of a university where the students are really involved in the community, even at this time.

I was moved to see the ingness and desire of the many volunteers and the sense of commitment the students feel to this city in which we live," says Maayan Palti-Negev.

Page 19

Reflections from the Reflection of the Danube

by Rabbi Raphy Garson, Ohr Yisrael i March

I wa;

Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan, members of the local Jewish

privileged to be in a specia

communities and representatives of the Hungarian

place

this year

special

at

time.

Dayan Lichtenstein kindly arranged for a group of Federation Rabbis along with over 300 rabbis from across Europe to fly to Budapest, Flungary. that

we

were

challenged

and

inspired

in

a

Chief Rabbi Lau

recently said that assimilation is the greatest threat facing

world

Jewry

today,

even

The memorial shows 60 pairs of iron shoes, in commemoration of the victims of the fascist Arrow Cross Party, who were shot right into the river. The victims were forced to take their shoes off before being shot.

It was here

special conference dealing with the problems of assimilation and intermarriage.

government.

more

than

The Arrow Cross Party was a national socialist party headed by Ferenc Szalasi, which led, in Hungary, a government known as the Government of National Unity from 15 October 1944 to 28 March 1945.

During its short rule at least 20,000 Jews were murdered, many were shot into the Danube, and

anti-Semitism.

437,000 Jews were deported to Auschwitz.

Notwithstanding the theme of the conference, being in Flungary one could not forget the events that occurred there during the invasion of the Germans in

Permit me to share with you some thoughts that went through my head that evening, as I stood looking at the reflection of the Danube. There is a home truth

1944.

Thus the organisers arranged a memorial that two people can look at the same thing, yet see

ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the murder something quite different. of the Hungarian Jews by the Nazis.

At a recent inaugural

The Kaliver charity dinner for the organisation Shalva, a huge

Rebbe, a former citizen of Hungary, was flown in piece of art formed the centre piece on each table. It especially for the occasion. was designed by a famous modern Israeli artist; so The ceremony took place on the banks of the Danube

famous I forgot his name.

River at the "Shoes on the Danube" memorial. The

example, one person might see a beautiful piece of

event was attended by Israel's Chief Rabbis, Rabbi

art. Yet when I saw something with little dots all over

Yitzchak Yosef and Rabbi David Lau, the Kaliver Rebbe,

a canvas, to me it looked like the artist sneezed into a

as well as by Deputy Minister for Religious Affairs,

bottle of paint which splattered all over.

Page 20

Take modern art as an

"Brush

Hamaor / September 2014

n iN o n

■£d €RATON OF

mm

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SYNAGOGUES

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strokes which are genius" ... really? It's just a few

day. If one looks hard enough, one will always see an

scribbly lines on canvas.

opportunity to help.

So too with music.

Someone may hear something

In the age of smartphones, emails, and texting, so

and think it is amazing, for others it's just a noise.

many walk around absorbed in their own little world

Poetry can be uplifting for one and for someone else

of technology. Tragically, some do not even look up in

it's just incomprehensible words. The list goes on and

the midst of traffic, and have paid with their lives.

on. What one senses is dependent on one's ability to

Whereas Abraham looked to welcome guests, so many

appreciate that which is before him.

today communicate in the most impersonal of ways;

Avraham Avinu is recovering from his recent brit milah and despite the excruciating pain he is eager to welcome guests.

"Voyisa Einav Vayaar, Vehine

Shelosha Anashim".

The lesson is profound. If one wants to help others, one must lift up one's eyes and see. G-d sent angels

with Facebookand email replacing human interaction and the spoken word.

In an age before opticians, Abraham's vision was much keener than 20/20. But that was something that he had to develop, as he was to become the founding father of our religion.

who need no nourishment. Abraham saw people in

Tzara'at, is an affliction that discolours human skin,

need of a place to rest and some food on a very hot

clothing, hair, beards and even homes.

Hamaor / September 2014

Its laws are

Page 21

niNnn

â&#x20AC;˘KDâ&#x201A;ŹRATIOIN

detailed, complex and intricate.

Rabbi Mordechai

Kaminetzky points out that the ramifications of tzara'at have more than physiological implications, they have a great theological impact as well.

rabbinical affairs of another city and was sure that the council of that city would make a fair decision.

A tirade followed.

The young man began to spit

insults at him. The Rabbi, however, accepted them in

Anyone who has it must go to the Kohen, who

silence. After a few minutes Rabbi Grodzinsky excused

instructs them how to rid themselves of it. The Torah

himself and left the room.

teaches that the fate of the person is totally dependent upon the will of the Kohen. Only the Kohen has the power to declare it tamei (impure) or tahor (pure).

Even if all signs point to impurity, if the Kohen, for any reason, deems the person tahor, the man remains tahor. He is not tamei until openly labelled as such by the Kohen.

The passuk says: "And the Kohen shall look at the negah affliction on the skin and behold it has changed to white and appears deeper than the skin of the flesh - it is a tzoraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;as and the Kohen shall look at him and

Students who witnessed the barrage were shocked at the young man's

audacity.

They were even more

surprised that the Rav did not silence the young man.

Rabbi Grodzinsky told them: "You cannot view that onslaught on its own. You must look at the bigger picture. This young man was defending the honour of his father, and because of that I had to overlook his insults."

A Kohen who is instructed and empowered to deal with a Meztorah should not only look at the negah.

He must look again. He must look at the man.

declare him tamei" (Vayikra 13). Why must the Kohen The Meshech Chochma explains that even if the negah look twice? What purpose is served by looking again? has all the attributes that should lead to a declaration Rabbi Abraham Twerski tells the story of a young man

of tumah, there are other factors that must be

who came to the chief Rabbi of Vilna, Rabbi Chaim

weighed. If the man is a Chatan, about to marry, then

Ozer Grodzinsky, with a request. As this young man's

impurity must not be declared.

father was applying for a Rabbinical position in a

will

town that the sage was familiar with, he asked the

mitigating circumstances, the declaration of Tuma

rabbi for a letter of approbation on his father's behalf.

must be postponed.

Rabbi Grodzinsky felt that the candidate was not

R'Kaminetzky thus suggests that perhaps the Torah is

worthy of the position; but instead of flatly refusing,

telling us that it is easy to look at a flaw and declare

he just said that he would rather not mix into the

it as such. But one must look at the whole person. He

Page 22

ruin

the

celebration.

Why?

Because it

For this and other

Hamcior / September 2014

T6XRATIOIN OF

SYNAGOGUES

must ask himself: "How is my declaration going to

Rabbi Paysach Krohn makes the point that after

affect the future of this person?" He must consider

visiting that memorial some years ago he found

the circumstances that caused the negah.

himself crying during the following Yom Kippur. As

He must

look again: once at the negah, and once at the man.

In Pirkei Avot we learn "Judge people favourably".

Some mefarshim understand this as do not look at a partial person; rather, judge all of the person. A flaw may have a motivation or rationale behind it.

The

Kohen may lookatthe negah, butbefore he pronounces tamei he must look again. A Kohen is charged to look

the Kohanim came down from blessing the people, he noticed a large row of empty shoes which reminded him of the memorial.

What's the difference? The answer is of course clear; these people were living and in a few moments would step into those shoes to walk. A walk that can be taken to do goodness in the world.

beyond the blemish and to look at the whole man.

So my friends, the Danube continues to flow. But as The Danube late at night looked gorgeous.

But 70 we approach the Yemei Hadin, let us absorb the lesson

years ago, that blue reflection was deep red; filled of looking twice to understand that what one senses with the cheap blood of our brothers and sisters.

Nazis lined up Jews and tied them in threes shooting only the middle one, the force of that falling Jew pulled the others along with him.

is dependent on one's ability to appreciate that which is before him.

Let us recall the Gemara in Shabbat

127b: "One who judges his friend favourably will be judged favourably".

At the event, Rabbi Liebermann, Chief Rabbi of Antwerp, spoke .... "Simply to have a memorial

If we look and look again, we will find opportunities

gathering or a slogan 'never again' is not enough,

to make the world a better place, to be charged with

unless we are inspired with the same passion for

a mission of filling those empty shoes by caring more

strengthening the Jewish people and Jewish identity

and being dedicated and committed with permanent

as the murderers and the haters are inspired to destroy.

determination to strengthen the Jewish people and

So therefore, I say that the fact that we are together

Jewish life wherever possible.

and have commitment to mobilize all our strengths If we do this, then the memorial we attended will to strengthen Jewish people and Jewish life in all its have meaning and significance and we can be on the manifestations wherever possible, this way we'll road to creating a better world. become a source not only for positive goodness for our people, but for the whole world".

Hamaor / September 2014

Ketiva Vechatima Tova

Page 23

â&#x2013; (^DeRATIOrS OF S Y N A G O G U E S

How Jeremy went from being an Employee to Employer

Jeremy, 38, a North London web designer, was made redundant and needed to choose the right career path for his future. Jeremy tells us how he made the transition from employee to employer.

T rainE T raidE

C reating Em ploym ent Building Business

thinking about what I enjoyed made me wonder whether salaried employment was right for me.

What was your biggest challenge? After weeks of sending out job applications and getting nowhere, I realised I needed help finding work. My CVjust wasn't making the right impact. It was so demoralising. I was an experienced, qualified web designer but had been in the same company for 12 years. I asked a friend for help and he told me about a charity called TrainETraidE, which offers employment and business support, so I gave them a call.

Is this when you considered starting your own business? To be honest, I had always loved the idea o f being my own boss but never knew where to start.

I'd been in web design for over a decade, knew how the industry worked and was always full o f creative ideas.

After talking to TrainE-TraidE's Career Adviser, she put me in touch with the charity's business department. I had one-to-one meetings and began to put a business plan together. They even helped me apply for a government start-up loan to cover the costs of marketing my new business.

What help did you get from TrainE-TraidE? I attended one o f their job readiness workshops, where I learnt how to structure a CV properly prepare for an interview and network on social media -guidelines and tips and that no-one else had ever told me.

One year on, are you happy with your decision?

Absolutely. I love being my own boss and my business is flourishing. TrainE-TraidE has continued to be part o f my professional life - they've been an invaluable source o f advice and support.

Did it make a difference? Yes - straight away! They began putting me forward for a number o f jobs on their books. I had two interviews lined up within a fortnight. But the process o f rewriting my CV and

TrainE-TraidE is a registered charity offering employment and business support to everyone, at any life stage and in any situation. For more information go to www.traine-traide.org.uk

Page 24

Elamaor / September 2014

UNDil

•KD€RATIOM OF S Y N A G O G U E S

Budapest with the Kaliver Rebbe

by Rabbi Zvi Portnoy, Lough ton Earlier this year in March, I was given

the

travel

to

opportunity

to

Hungary with

a

group of Rabbis from the UK

intermarry with

non-Jews;

80%

do

not attend

synagogues, even on the central holiday of Yom Kippur;

convention of the Rabbinical

Jewish education, and over 90% of European Jewish

the

which this year was held in Budapest to mark the 70th anniversary of the destruction of Hungarian Jewry by the Nazis, Hy"d. The group was headed by the Federation Rosh Beth Din, Dayan Lichtenstein, who is a member of the presidium of the RCE. For those of you who are not particularly excited by such a prospect, to put it into context, there was a total of over 300 Rabbis from 40 European countries in the Hungarian capital - quite a spectacle in

research, over 85°/o of European Jews assimilate and

over 75% of Jewish children in Europe do not receive a

of

Centre of Europe (RCE),

bearing

According to RCE's

annual

part

indeed

prognosis for European Jewry.

mind

the

event

which

was

being commemorated.

students

have

no connections

with

the Jewish

community. Clearly just a little bit of trend-reversing needs to be done!

Aside from the troubling question of assimilation, there were various discussions on methods of confronting European bans on shechita (ritual slaughter) and bris milah (eireumcision), in addition to other challenges facing Jews in Europe who are trying to maintain a lifestyle in accordance with Jewish law. What was very special to see was the sense of aehdus - unity - amongst all the Rabbonim present, as well as the feeling that, whilst the issues being faced are indeed too large for

The

any one individual, nevertheless, united, they can all

Rabbinical Centre of Europe was established in the year

somehow be overcome; to use a cliche, the whole is

2000 at the request of communal Rabbis throughout

greater than the sum of its parts.

So who are the RCE and what do they do?

Europe. The goal of the RCE is to enlarge the scope of spiritual opportunities in Europe and support the sacred work of European Rabbis; likewise to strengthen the spiritual infrastructure of Jewish communities in Europe.

For me personally there were many highlights, but I will keep this article brief and share just two of them. The first was the central event on the first day of the convention.

A "March of the Living", headed by the Kaliver Rebbe and both Israeli Chief Rabbis, Rav David Lau and RavYitzehak

Unfortunately this year's main topic, "Assimilation and

Yosef, along the bank of the River Danube, to the sacred

Intermarriage", is one we hear much of these days and

site where so many Kedoshim - holy Jews who gave their

perhaps, dare I say it, of which we are even a little tired.

lives for Judaism - were shot and tossed into the water

r

In reality it is a challenge that every community

by the Nazis. Major traffic arteries in Budapest were

inevitably face, on some level or other, despite many

closed by police to enable the hundreds of Rabbonim and

who profess that such challenges or responsibilities are

relatives of the victims to march in the path that the

either out of their control or not their business. I am

martyrs walked. The event was also attended by ministers

not particularly interested in numbers and statistics

in the Hungarian government, as well as the Mayor of

but one simply cannot ignore the current astounding

Budapest and city councillors.

Hamaor / September 2014

Page 25

niNDH

â&#x2013; ^DeRATIOIN OF S Y N A G O G U E S

What was particularly moving was hearing the Kaliver

"chozair v'nayor", which loosely (in this case) translates

Rebbe speak at this sacred spot. In 1944 he was put on

into the question of whether or not we say that

a transport to Auschwitz by the Nazis, and he arrived

chametz cooked together with non-chametz before

there three days before Shavuos. He was transferred

Pesach is nullified when Pesach arrives or whether it

from there to the Breslau concentration camp, and

maintains its status as chametz on Pesach. Chacham

later to Bergen-Belsen. Six months after the war ended

Yitzchak Yosef so seamlessly wove the enormous

he discovered that his wife had survived and they were

multitude of Sephardi and Ashkenazi Rishonim (11 th-

reunited in Sweden.

In 1947 they migrated to the

15th century authorities) and Achronim (16th century

United States of America, where he began his work in

to present), from the Talmud to actual Halacha, with

Cleveland, Ohio, to memorialize the Holocaust.

such ease and brilliance; the Torah poured from

He

moved to Israel in 1962. In a choked voice, tears rolling down his cheeks, the Rebbe described what he saw and experienced in the death camps, and how he promised Hashem that if his life would be spared, he would

his mouth!

Overall the whole trip was an amazing experience, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have been present.

disseminate the name of Hashem and His holiness all over the world. "From then and till now, I am working to fulfil my promise," the Rebbe said.

He concluded

with KabbalasOI MalchusShamayim, as the assemblage stood up and recited Shema Yisrael in unison. Following which we all sang "Ani Maamin". It had me in tears, and I'm sure I was not the only one!

If anyone had any

doubt over the strength and commitment of Am Yisrael, one need not have looked any further.

The second highlight for me was a shiur given by the Sephardi Chief Rabbi, Harav Hagaon Yitzchak Yosef, on the halachic issues regarding the permissibility, or

The Dayanim, Chief Executive and Head Office Staff extend their warmest wishes for

indeed superiority, of machine versus hand-baked Matza! Dayan Lichtenstein introduced him, and noted the beautiful halachic work by Rav Yitzchak Yosef's father, Rav Ovadia Yosef ZTL, "Yabia Omer".

Dayan

A Ksiva Vachasima Tova

Lichtenstein described it as a majestic symphony bringing together the multitude of halachic opinions to a mighty crescendo; whilst noting that Rav Yitzchak Yosef's own "SeferYalkut Yosef", has built on his father's work

by extrapolating

the

final

halachic

ruling

according to his father. Rav Yitzchak Yosef's shiur was for me simply mind-blowing.

to all Members of the Federation of Synagogues and their Families

Much of the shiur

focused on the concept of when we do or do not say

Page 26

Hamaor / September 2014

niNDn

-feeRATON OF S Y N A G O G U E S

What would it feel like to be hungry more than one day a year?

UK B ranch of M eir Panim

What if you knew that you would feel hungry the next day as well and the one after that?

1.7 million Israelis live below the poverty line, and this includes several hundred thousand children. Many of them do go hungry every day. Children like 8 year-old

Tammy. Tammy often just gets a glass o f water for breakfast. She also goes to school without anything

499 000060 001 13

nt>'3inn won jrwuen *omoi

no 'M f f

for lunch and has to share her friend Ayala's fruit or "IT T ??------- ------- __

if she's lucky, a bit o f her sandwich. The one solid meal Tammy's family get each day is from Meir Panim, the organisation for which Manna is the UK branch.

T

Food Shopping Card

Rosh Hashanah. Each card is worth 300 shekels (ÂŁ50).

The recipient buys the food they need, then hands over the card at the checkout for payment, just like with a credit or debit card. People keep their self-respect, making their own choices over the food their family needs and without the embarrassment of entering a Food Centre or waiting in line for a food basket.

You can make a real difference.

Will you buy a card for ÂŁ50 (or more than one card), and give hungry families in Israel a festive Rosh Hashanah?

Tammy

Meir Panim feeds as many of these hungry people as possible. Every day, they provide a hot meal to

For

more

information

please

go

to

www.mannauk.org Thank you and Shana Tova.

thousands of people in need. And every year, they distribute thousands of Food Shopping Cards before

Hamaor / September 2014

Registered

Charity

No.

1129738

Page 27

UNDn

â&#x2013; ^DeRATiors OF

SYNAGOGUES

The European Cantors' Convention in Budapest and the Longest Friday Night Service Imaginable!

by Hirsh Cashdan and Russell Grossman Recently we enjoyed a Friday night service that lasted

Synagogue in Jerusalem and Cantor Yaakov Motzen of

over 2 hours - but it was a special occasion. This was

The Shul of Bal Harbour, Florida.

in Budapest as part of the 2014 European Cantors' Convention attended in fact by participants from USA, Canada and Israel as well as the UK and other European

Both maestros provided many examples of ways of tackling the nusach of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur while keeping the interest of the congregation, and

Countries. Some sixty participants in total.

encouraging them to join in well-known melodies.

Budapest is a beautiful city; once two cities, with Pest and Buda linked by bridges over the Danube.

The

Jewish community, amazingly some 80,000 strong, is

Local speakers introduced us to the specific heritage of Hungarian chazzanut and included many other related topics.

mostly in Pest where the metropolitan centre of the unified city is located and boasts some wonderful

All of this was folded round a Shabbat enhanced not

synagogues. As part of the Annual Convention - now

only by the singing of various chazzanim but also by

in its ninth year - we sampled four of them.

twenty members of the Jerusalem Cantors' Choir who

The convention sessions and the two concerts took place in Bethlen Square Synagogue - a pleasant shul half an hour's walk from the central area. Flere, we focused on

were not only participants but led the Kabbalat Shabbat service; singing an elaborate arrangement to virtually every paragraph.

helping prepare delegates for the forthcoming FHigh Holy

This, plus four speeches of welcome - all of which had

days with the expert help of two world famous guest

to be retranslated into either Hungarian or English -

chazzanim - Cantor Asher Hainowitz of the Yeshurun

accounted for the length of the service.

Shacharis at Bethlen Square Synagogue

Interior o f the Kazlnezy Street Synagogue

Page 28

Hamaor / September 2014

4 D€RATION OF

SYNAGOGUES

Yaakov Motze

lmP'es of ways of ahandYom Kippui congregation, and •known melodies. ipecifie heritage of nany other related

bat enhanced not tanim but also by antors' Choir who KabbalatShabbat :ment to virt

. all of which had irian or English -

Imre Varga sculpture in the Holocaust Garden at Dohany Street; it resembles a weeping willow whose leaves bear inscriptions with the names o f victims. If inverted without the leaves, the sculpture is a Chanukiah

Our Shabbat services were mostly at the Rumbach

Apart from those mentioned we also visited (though not

Synagogue -

a wonderfully decorated octagonal

for a service) the largest and most famous of all the

building which had lain empty for fifty years but was

Budapest shuls - Dohany Street. This is huge, with space

re-commissioned especially for us!

And didn't we

for 3,500 people but very good acoustics - Lazio Fekete,

Shabbat morning

chazzan there for the last 25 years, proved it to us by

service lasted until almost one o'clock, but no-one was

standing in front of the Aron Kodesh and singing a piece

complaining!

for us - it could be heard everywhere ... mind you he

We held Minchah on Shabbat afternoon at another

does have a very loud and penetrating voice!

strikingly beautiful and capacious synagogue nearby -

Extremely moving was a visit to the Shoe Memorial.

the Kazinczy Synagogue - remarkable not only for its

Situated just outside the Hungarian Parliament, on th<

bring it back to life resoundingly. *

I

.

I

. *

i

i

i

i

a

i

^

i

r~~v

i

«

i

•

decoration but also for its two tiers of ladies seating.

edge of the bank of the Danube, this commemorates

Like the other synagogues, this building was abused in

theshooting and dumping into the Danube ofa number

the war but subsequently fully restored.

of Jews in 1944.

There are lots of politics around the Budapest shuls and

chazzanim led us in reciting psalms, el mole rachamim

rarely will the expression "there are four shuls here just

and kaddish was indeed a highlight of the tour.

so there are three I won't daven in" be truer. However,

The convention is run each year by the European

on the Sunday afternoon we were treated to a tour

Cantors' Association. More at http://www.cantors.eu/.

of Budapest and given the opportunity to return to

If you're hoping for an even more exotic location in

the various synagogues armed with camera (hence

2015 though, we might have to disappoint you ... next

the photos).

year the plan is to hold the convention in Leeds!

Hamaor / September 2014

To stand there while two great

Page 29

niN D n

â&#x20AC;˘KDeRATIOTS OF S Y N A G O G U E S

A Shiva Visit in Auschwitz Birkenau

Photo by Itzik Mizrachi

by Rabbi Raphy Garson, Ohr Yisrael

Last May, I was privileged yet again to eo-guide, with Tzvi Sperber, a 7th Shul trip to Poland. For the third time we were joined, from Southend, by our special Holocaust survivor, Mr. Leslie Kleinman and his wife Miriam. Leslie is a survivor of three concentration camps and a death march to Dachau. A remarkable man, with a story that is beyond description. Whilst this forum has seen several articles from myself in the past 9 years on the topic of Poland, this article elaborates one idea I have not previously shared.

Leslie Kleinman, formerly Lazar Kleinman, was born in 1929 to Dayan Mordechai and Rochel Kleinman, hasidic Jews who lived in the small village of Ombod in Romania, near Satu Mare (Satmar). His father was not only a Rav, but a mohel, a shochet, a melamed and a Dayan at the Beit Din of the Satmar Rav. Leslie had six siblings: Gittel, Chaim Tzvi, Frimet, Shaindel, Avrom Ft Mohse Yisroel. Leslie was the second oldest sibling.

Leslie vividly remembers being moved into the ghetto in Satu Mare on Shabbos morning the first week of April 1944. His father had been taken to work on the Russian front three weeks earlier. Leslie painfully recalls his father's goodbye: "My mother was crying and said: 'We will never see you again.'" His father disagreed with her, saying that he would be home in no time. Leslie never saw his father again. He also remembers riding the train from the ghetto to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where he arrived on May 16,

Page 30

1944. "It was so crowded and the children were all screaming."

Leslie told us that upon arrival at Auschwitz, the Kleinman family stood in a single line waiting to be addressed and questioned by camp guards. A small group of Polish Jews spoke to Leslie in Yiddish and asked him how old he was. When he replied that he was 15 years old, they suggested that he lie to the guards and tell them that he was 17. Then they said, "You will be all right." Unbeknownst to Leslie at the time, this lie would fortunately make him more likely to be chosen for forced labour in the camp.

The guards moved Leslie into a line to the right while his mother and his six siblings were moved to the left.

Leslie went on to stand in more lines that day: the line where his clothes and shoes were taken away and he was given a prisoner uniform and a pair of wooden clogs, as well as the line where his Auschwitz prisoner number, A-8230, was tattooed on his left forearm.

Later, during his first night in Auschwitz, he asked the other prisoners in his barracks where his mother and siblings were. They told him that they had been murdered by gas, and that their bodies had probably already been cremated.

Leslie was liberated on April 23,1945 after experiencing several death marches to Dachau. He remembers marching through the forests and watching fellow prisoners who couldn't walk any further being shot by

Hamaor / September 2014

n iN o n

#XRATIO N OF S Y N A G O G U E S

This was the second "symbolic" shiva Tzvi and I arranged for Leslie in Birkenau. Last year he sat for his family.

This time he sat for one of his brothers. After sharing some ideas which took the form of a "Flesped", I framed the traditional mourners' greeting in the context of the Flolocaust.

"Flamakom Yenachem Etchem..." is usually understood that God should comfort you. Flamakom is a name of Flashem; as we say in the Haggada: "Baruch Flamakom Baruch Flu".

Photo by Itzik Mizrachi

Several years ago I heard from the son of a survivor who understood this differently. "Flamakom" - when a person has a place to visit that brings comfort.

Leslie Kleinman sitting shiva on the cattle truck at Birkenau

the camp guards who were escorting them. Zoltan and Erwin Farkas, two Jewish brothers, helped save his life during this ordeal. Weakened by starvation, Leslie could barely walk; Zoltan and Erwin helped him continue and let him lean on them when he didn't think he could go any further.

Leslie still recalls meeting an American for the first time on April 23,1945. Fie was lying in a ditch by the side of the road, exhausted, sick, and starving, when someone appeared above him. The man asked him, "Are you a Jew?" When Leslie confirmed that he was indeed Jewish, the man said, "Shalom, I'm a Jew from New York." The soldier took off his army jacket, wrapped it around Leslie, and carried him to an American army field hospital. Leslie doesn't recall the name of the American army sergeant who helped save his life, but to this day he still cherishes his coat. Fie considers April 23, his liberation day, to be a holiday, and he celebrates it every year.

Leslie told us that he arrived in Auschwitz with not only his immediate family, but in one wagon there were over 60 members of his family. Cousins, uncles and aunts. Within hours they were all ashes.

So the infamous platform in Birkenau was the last place that he saw his family. If there ever was an unlikely place in the entire world to be menachem avel, it was again on this visit in front of the last remaining cattle car on the tracks of Birkenau.

Hamaor / September 2014

Sadly few of us realise what a gift it is to be able to bury our loved ones, to mourn them in the way that they are meant to be mourned, to be able to sit shiva and find the closure we need in order to move on through life. But overwhelmingly more important, we all take for granted that there will be a physical place to come to on the anniversary of their death or even when we simply need to remember. Such is the circle of life, that when enveloped and consumed with grief, we take these things for granted.

What we did on our Poland visit is all the more poignant in light of the recent killings of the three Israeli teenagers, Yaakov Naftali, Gilad and Eyal because they came home! But do any of you recall that in 1982 there were 3 other boys who went missing: Zvi Feldman, Yehuda Katz and Zachary Baumel (an American)? On June 10th, 1982, in the battle of Sultan Yacoub, we lost 30 soldiers, and those three were missing.

Zach's father searched endlessly for information regarding the fate of his missing son, but went to his own grave without answers. Nobel Peace-Prize winner Yasir Arafat did return Zach's "dog tags" but never bothered to explain how they came into his hands, nor did he share any other information regarding Zach or the other missing soldiers.

Zvi, Yehuda and Zach had no levayot. Their parents never sat shiva. Their families never attained the emotional respite that comes from closure. These families were and are devastated.

The true Jewish Mama, Racheli Fraenkel, has said that "God does not work for us". Had the Jewish World known that the recent teenagers were already dead, we would not have prayed with such fervour to "Bring the

Page 31

nann

f®€RATION OF S Y N A G O G U E S

boys home". And yet we all did pray from the bottom of our souls and God brought them home.

The levayot of our three boys gave Am Yisrael a time and place to cry and to grieve. The families who sat shiva, processed their emotions and prepared themselves for the impossible and face the coming days and years.

That process, the blessing that is the "shiva" will help them achieve some closure, and eventually, menuchat hanefesh, peace of mind.

Sadly this is what Leslie and so many more survivors did not have the opportunity to do. So we helped him on to the low step of the wagon, at the last place he remembers seeing his family, and over 50 people paid a shiva visit. For those who were familiar with the words, the new meaning "Flamakom Yenachem Etchem" echoed in Auschwitz; for others, heartfelt words of "I wish you a long life" were said. All accompanied by strong hugs and tears.

Leslie emotionally told the group that for the first

time in over 70 years, he felt some of the pain being released from his soul. Our group gave him the closure he needed.

We are all indebted to Leslie and Miriam for making such herculean efforts to join us for 3 days. I mentioned on the bus that these memories will be eternal. Being in the presence of the walking miracle that is Leslie Kleinman was such a tremendous merit. Elis infectious smile, sparkling eyes, warmth, cheyn (grace), courage, honesty, humour and resilience are something all of us will remember. The way his dear wife Miriam cares for him, with such tenderness and love, brought tears to our eyes.

Leslie and Miriam - we will never forget you and your family. TFHANK YOU! May Flashem bless you both with infused strength to continue your holy work, in good health for many more years. AMEN! I also pay tribute to my esteemed colleague, CEO and Director of JRoots, Tzvi Sperber — the one and only!!!

THANK YOU.

(Incorporating B. Harris and Son)

MONUMENTAL MASONS Established 1894 Finest quality memorials designed to customers' specific requirements Marble & Granite Specialists Renovations and additional inscriptions • Work undertaken in all cemeteries • Free estimates • Home Visits • Phone for a Free Brochure and Price List N ew A ddress

London Road, Aveley RM15 4XS 130 High Street, Edgware HA8 7EL 12 Beehive Lane, Ilford, Essex IG1 3RD

Tel: 0845 3670007 Tel: 020 7754 4646 Tel: 020 7754 4659

(Adjacent to Ilford Synagogue in Beehive Lane) w w w .m em orialgroup.co.uk em ail: enquiries@ m em orialgroup.co.uk

Page 32

Hamaor / September 2014

n iN o n

â&#x2013; KDeRATIOM OF S Y N A G O G U E S

PERSONAL

i ' j* "A -

â&#x2013; >V

Mazal Tov wishes are extended to the following people: BIRTHS Mazal tov to the following on the birth o f a ehild: Mr and Mrs A Jacobs on the birth of a daughter Croydon Shelly Nason on the birth of a granddaughter Finchley Central Mr and Mrs A Blieberg (Past Members) on the birth of a granddaughter Mr and Mrs J Kutner on the birth of a daughter Mrs B Needleman on the birth of a great grandson Ilford Natalie and Freddie Jacobs on the birth of a great grandson Irene and Felton Ward on the birth of a granddaughter Adele and Melvyn Elliott on the birth of a grandson Michelle and Barry Greenberg on the birth of a daughter Machzikei Hadath Rabbi and Mrs CZ Pearlman on the birth of twin grandsons and three granddaughters Rabbi and Mrs E Pearlman on the birth of a daughter Dr C Coleman on the birth of a granddaughter in Israel Prof and Mrs I Smith on the birth of a granddaughter Mr and Mrs B Resnick on the birth of a grandson Mrs S Fishman on the birth of a great grandson Mr and Mrs L Kleerekoper on the birth of a grandson Mr and Mrs Z Sacho on the birth of a son Mr and Mrs B Sadka on the birth of a grandson Mr and Mrs D Lanzkron on the birth of a grandson in Israel Nishmas Yisroel Colev and Lisa Frickers on the birth of a daughter Shimon and Rivky Levy on the birth of a son Mechi and Yael Davis on the birth of a daughter Mr and Mrs Yumi Wasserstrum on the birth of a daughter Mr and Mrs Avi Isacharoff on the birth of twin daughters Mr and Mrs Ezra Kada on the birth of a son Mr and Mrs Yisroel Benjamin on the birth of a daughter Gav and Perri Noe on the birth of a daughter Mr and Mrs Yisroel Benjamin on the birth of a daughter Sruli and Rivki Saurymper on the birth of a daughter Ohr Yisrael Adam and Lara Jacobs on the birth of a daughter Stuart and Adrienne Rocklin on the birth of a granddaughter

Hamaor / September 2014

Martin and Anna Roth on the birth of a daughter Mark and Sarah Pitch on the birth of a son Gemma and Jamie Sinai on the birth of a son Eric and Glenda Deacon on the birth of a grandson

Ohr Yerushalayim Rov and Rebbetzen on birth of two grandsons and two granddaughters Mr and Mrs Daniel Harris on the birth of a daughter Mr and Mrs Gary Zolty on the birth of a son Mr and Mrs Bernard Levey on the birth of a grandson Mr and Mrs YM Cope on the birth of a son Mr and Mrs Donny Wilks on the birth of a daughter Dr and Mrs Michael Wilks on the birth of a granddaughter Mr and Mrs Johnny Berkovitz on the birth of twin granddaughters and another granddaughter Mr and Mrs David Bondt on the birth of a son Dr and Mrs David Wolfson on the birth of a grandson Dr and Mrs David Lewin on the birth of a grandson Mr and Mrs Dov Brysh on the birth of their daughter Dr and Mrs Howard Sacho on the birth of a grandson Rabbi and Mrs Johnny Goodman on the birth of a son Mr and Mrs Yoe! Ross on the birth of their daughter Sinai Mr and Mrs Andrew Cohen on the birth of a granddaughter Mr and Mrs Julian Cohen on the birth of a grandson Dr and Mrs Yossi Adler on the birth of a grandson and a granddaughter Rabbi and Mrs Ephraim Klyne on the birth of a granddaughter Mr and Mrs Ronnie Moore on the birth of a grandson Mr and Mrs Lezer Bloch on the birth of two grandsons Mr and Mrs Shimon Bowden on the birth of a grandson Mrs J Leitner on the birth of a grandson Mr and Mrs Yosef Meshulam Englard on the birth of two grandsons Rabbi and Mrs Yoel Kahn on the birth of a grandson Mr and Mrs Sidney Bradpiece on the birth of a granddaughter Mr and Mrs Noson Iwanier on the birth of a granddaughter and a grandson Mr and Mrs Mendy Itzinger on the birth of two granddaughter Mr and Mrs Meir Itzinger on the birth of a daughter Mr and Mrs Dovid Rosenthal on the birth of a grandson Rabbi and Mrs Menachem Kampf on the birth of twin granddaughters r and Mrs Benny Dzialowski on the birth of a granddaughter

Page 33

■E£D€RATION OF S Y N A G O G U E S

—

Mr S Dzialowski on the birth of a great granddaughter Mr and Mrs Yitzehok Kruskal on the birth of a grandson Mr and Mrs Mendy Itzinger and Mr And Mrs Zalman Hoff on the birth of a grandson Mr and Mrs Moshe Grun and Mrs J Leitner on the birth of a grandson Mr and Mrs Yitzi Seharfer of the birth of a daughter Mr and Mrs Julian Cohen on the birth of a granddaughter Mrs E Homburger on the birth of a granddaughter

Yeshurun Jeanette and Barrie Gordon on the birth of twin granddaughters Yaffit and Jeff Gordon on the birth of a grandson Rabbi and Mrs Lewis on the birth of a grandson Rochelle and Mark Goldwater on the birth of a grandson and a granddaughter Hilary and Jonathan Raymond on the birth of a granddaughter Stacey and Richard Taylor on the birth of a granddaughter Rabbi and Mrs Shindler on the birth of a grandson Alyson and Mel Ezekiel on the birth of a grandson Estelle and Barry Goodstone on the birth of a great grandson Sheryl and Richard Sandground on the birth of a grandson Daniel and Esther Sandground on the birth of a son Victor and Kathy Panas on the birth of a grandson Rebbetzin Judy Lopian on the birth of a great grandson Rochelle and Philip Baigel on the birth of a granddaughter Lisa and Graham Golding on the birth of a grandson Sylvia and Andy Harwood on the birth of a grandson Bruna and Harold Cowan on the birth of a great grandson Carol and Stuart Niman on the birth of a grandson Kathryn and Alan Finlay on the birth of a grandson

ENGAGEMENTS Mazel Tov to the following: Ilford Josie and David Simons on the engagement of their son Daniel to Hannah Levy Nishmas Yisroel Simon Cowen on his engagement to Goldie Stahl Mikey Mendelsohn on his engagement to Tanya Neuman Ohr Yisrael Stuart and Florence Asher on the engagement of their daughter Caroline to Lee Gordon.

Martin and Ros Landau on the engagement of their son Gavriel to Lauren Daly

Ohr Yerushalayim Ashy Rubin on his engagement to Jordanna Jacobs Mr and Mrs Michael Freedman on the engagement of Debbie to Avrohom Moshe Begal Sinai Mr and Mrs Jacky Weg on the engagement of their son Boruch to Miss Breindy Adler Mr and Mrs Benny Chontow and Mr and Mrs Leiby Levison on the engagement of their children Ari to Esti Mr and Mrs Eliyohu Reich on the engagement of their daughter Chana to Asher Bennett

Yeshurun Eunice and Russell Grossman on the engagement of their daughter and their son Sami and Karen Kropp on the engagement of their daughter Andrea and Michael Bentley on the engagement of their son Anne and Clifford Simons on the engagement of their daughter Michael Drucker on his engagement to Jane Athersych Vivianne and David Prince on the engagement of their daughter Paul Fogelman on his engagement to Leora Erez Jacqueline and Michael Samuel on the engagement of their dauqhter

WEDDINGS______________________ Mozel Tov to the following: Dayan and Mrs Elzas on wedding of their daughter Simcha Hirsch on the wedding of his brother Finchley Central Mr and Mrs J Blau on the wedding of their son Rabbi and Rebbetzen Z Telsner on the wedding of their son

11f ord Rosalind and Stanley Barclay on the wedding of their son

Maehzikei Hadath Mr and Mrs D Colman on the marriage of their son Motti to Miri Cronin Mr and Mrs J Wosner on the marriage of their daughter Dina to Jason Webber

â&#x20AC;˘^DeRATiors OF S Y N A G O G U E S

PERSONAL

/V *

Ohr Yerushalayim Mr and Mrs Stephen Wieder on the wedding of Moishe to Batsheva Sonnenberg Mr and Mrs Motti Gershon and Mr and Mrs Leo Stern on the wedding of Chaim to Esther Mr and Mrs Michael Epstein on the wedding of Eli Mr and Mrs Johnny Berkovitz on the wedding of Leora to Aron Kahn Mr and Mrs Meir Possenheimer on the wedding of Gila to Avrumi Sandler Sinai Dr and Mrs Yossi Adler and Mr and Mrs Moshe Grun on the wedding of their children Mr and Mrs David Wilner on the wedding of their son Rabbi and Mrs Danny Kirsch on the wedding of their daughter Rabbi and Mrs Robert Chevins on the wedding of their daughter Mr and Mrs Yehoshua Steinhaus on the wedding of their son Mr and Mrs Avi Levison on the wedding of their daughter Mr and Mrs Zalman Hoff on the wedding of their daughter Yeshurun Alison and Melvyn Ezekiel on the marriage of their daughter Yaffit and Jeff Gordon on the marriage of their son Rabbi and Mrs Lewis on the marriage of their daughter

BAR MITZVAHS Mazel Tov to the following: Machzikei Hadath Rabbi and Mrs C Z Pearlman on the barmitzvahs of two grandsons Nishmas Yisroel Avi and Sara Leah Schwartz on the barmitzvah of their son Yoni Ohr Yerushalayim Mr and Mrs Michoel Issler on the barmitzvah of their son Shua Mr and Mrs Leivy Goldman on the barmitzvah of their son Benzi Mr and Mrs Lance Bookatz on the barmitzvah of their son Avrohom Nachshon Mr and Mrs Avi Stern on the barmitzvah of their son Zvi Mr and Mrs Marcel Marks on the barmitzvah of their son Gavriel Sinai Rabbi and Mrs B Knopfler on the Barmitzvah of their grandson Kalman Jacobsen Mr and Mrs Mendy Itzinger on the Barmitzvah of their son Simcha Mr and Mrs Moshe Perry on the Barmitzvah of their son Binyomin Yeshurun Richard and Hinanit Menczer on the barmitzvah of their son Daniel

WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES Mazel Tov to the following: Finchley Central Mr and Mrs E Amron on their Diamond wedding anniversary Dr and Mrs M Segal on their Ruby wedding anniversary

Ilford Alan and Beatrice Truman on their Ruby wedding anniversary Natalie and Freddie Jacobs on their 65th wedding anniversary Joy and Bernie Cohen on their Diamond wedding anniversary Rita and Leon Newmark on their Golden wedding anniversary Leona and Sidney Zagger on their Golden wedding anniversary

Mazel Tov to the following: Ohr Yisrael Gavin and Daliah Block on the batmitzvah of their daughter Eden Yeshurun Jonathan and Sue Bernstein on the batmitzvah of their daughter Ayala

Yeshurun Miriam Et Leonard Specterman on their Ruby wedding anniversary Sheryl Et Richard Sandground on their Ruby wedding anniversary

Hamaor / September 2014

SPECIAL BIRTHDAYS Mazel Tov to the following: Croydon Rae Freedman on her 90th Birthday

Page 35

iiN n n - ^ D e R A T IO N OF S Y N A G O G U E S

PERSONAL Finchley Central

Head Office

Mr S Fertleman on his 80th Birthday

Mrs M Goldman and family on the death of

Mrs R Lew (Mother of Mrs B Westbrook) on her 95th Birthday

Mr Michael Goldman

Ilford

Hendon

Joyce Cohen on her 80th birthday

Mr J Endfield on the loss of his father

Rita Newmark on her 80th birthday Ruth Fields on her 80th birthday

Ilford

Nettie Keene on her 80th birthday

Michelle Leigh and family on the loss of her father

Sarah Wimborne on her 80th birthday

The family of Millie Gee

Dora Glazer on her 90th birthday

Lawrence Conroy on the loss of his mother

Yeshurun Nettie Clapich on her 80th birthday Bernard Fox on his 80th birthday Alfred Rein on his 90th birthday Betty Cavendish on her 90th birthday

Jacqueline Hurst on the loss of her mother Lionel Cordell on the loss of his wife The family of Raymond Shaw Deborah Montlake on the loss of her mother The family of Melanie Gordon

Fay Levene on her 90th birthday

Loughton

Morris Bourne on his 90th birthday

Mrs B Cohen on the loss of her mother

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENTS_________ Mazel Tov to the following: Ilford Councillor Ashley Kissin on his election as Mayor of Redbridge Nishmas Yisroel Nishmas Yisroel on their 5th anniversary Rabbi Mendi Chissick on receiving the Keser Torah award

Machzikei Hadath Prof and Mrs D May on the death of their daughter Jessica

Ohr Yerushalayim Mrs Etti Horwitz on the loss of her father

Ohr Yisrael Florence Asher on the loss of her father Kamila Raymond on the loss of her husband

from Golders Green Kollel.

Sinai

Ohr Yisrael

Mrs A Cohen on the loss of her father

Dr Darren Freedman for winning, for the 3rd time in a row,

Yeshurun

the coveted prize of the "longest walk over the year to shul"

Mrs Cheryl Colletts on the loss of her father

award. We thank him for his herculean commitment on walking over 180 miles a year to attend shul over Shabbat and Yom Tov

Mrs Margery Cohen on the loss of her husband The family of Mrs Renne Loman Mrs Janine Richman on the loss of her mother Mr Bernard Fox on the loss of his wife The family of Mr Nathan Harris

We offer eondolenees to: Croydon Valerie Butler and family on the loss of her husband

Mrs Rebecca Ezekiel on the loss of her husband Mrs Fiona Belson on the loss of her father Mr Adrian Goldwater on the loss of his father Mrs Hilary Sadick on the loss of her husband

Finchley Central

Mrs Ann Hanstater on the loss of her mother

Mrs S Langdon on the loss of her brother

The family of Mrs Queenie Greenhouse

The Family of Mrs D Leverson

Rabbi and Mrs J Shindler on the loss of their daughter

The Family of Mr L Levison

Mrs Blanche Gold on the loss of her son

Mr P Westbrook on the loss of his mother

Alan Finlay on the loss of his mother

Page 36

Hamaor / September 2014

DIRECTORY

-

.

- k

.

f - .....

'

OF S Y N A G O G U E S

FEDERATION OF SYNAGOGUES KASHRUS BOARD Chairman: Mr A. Cohen Director ofKashrus: Dayan M. D. Elzas Thefollowing establishments are licensed by the Federation Kashrus Board and are under the Supervision o f the Beth Din o f the Federation o f Synagogues A L L M EATY RESTAURANTS SUPERVISED BY T H E BETH DIN O F T H E FED ERATIO N O F SYNAGOGUES A R E G LA T T KO SH ER A L L DAIRY RESTAURANTS SUPERVISED BY T H E BETH DIN O F T H E FED ERA TIO N O F SYNAGOGUES A R E CH O LO V Y IS R O E L

CA TERERS:

K PIZZA/ FISH K CHIPS (Milky) 66 Edgware Way, Edgware HA8 8JS

020 8958 9087

MET SUYAN (Meaty) 134 Golders Green Road, London NW 11 8HB

020 8458 8088

MET SU YAN (Meaty) 1-2 The Promenade, Edgwarebury Lane, Edgware HA8 7JZ

020 8958 6840

DELICATESSENS AND SHOPS:

PITA (Meaty) 98 Golders Green Road, NW 11 8HB

020 8381 4080

MR BAKER 119-121 Brent Street, London NW4 2DX

020 8202 6845

PIZAZA (Milky) 53 Brent Street, London NW4 2EA

020 8202 9911

020 8950 0400

PIZAZA (Milky) 100 Golders Green Road, London, NW 11 8HB

020 8455 4455

SLICE (Milky) 8 Princes Parade, London, NW 11 9PS

020 8458 9483

SOYO (Milky) 94 Golders Green Road, London, NW 11 9HB

020 8458 8788

THE KANTEEN (Milky) 23-25 High Road, Bushey, Herts WD23 1EE

020 8950 0747

PARK LANE HOTEL Piccadilly, London W1J 7BX STARGUEST CATERING Arieh Wagner - www.starguest.com THE PILLAR (Only Catered Events) 19 Brent Street, NW4 2EU

THE KANTEEN BAKERY 23 High Road, Bushey, Herts WD23 1EE

020 7290 7368

020 8458 7708

020 8457 4000

HOTEL:

CROFT COURT HOTEL 44 Ravenscroft Avenue, London NW11 8AY

020 8458 3331

RESTAURANTS:

AVIV RESTAURANT (Meaty) 87-89 High Street, Edgware, Middx HA8 7DB BEIT HAMADRAS (Meaty - Indian) 105 Brent Street, London NW4 2DX K GRILL (Meaty) 60 Edgware Way, Edgware HA8 8JS

020 8952 2484 020 8381 1722

THE KANTEEN (Milky) Unit 22 Brent Cross Shopping Centre, London NW4 3FD 020 8203 7377

020 8203 4567

020 8958 7062

THE KITCHEN (Meaty) 16-17 Promenade, Hale Lane, Edgware, Middx, NW4 2JT

020 8905 4488

OF S Y N A G O G U E S

65 Watford Way, London NW4 3AQ Tel: 020 8202 2263 Fax: 020 8203 0610 Email: info@federationofsynagogues.eom www.federationofsynagogues.eom

Federation of Synagogues Trustees

Burial Society

President: Mr Andrew Cohen

Administrator: Mr Thomas Zelmanovits

Vice-Presidents: Mr Dov Black Ft

Sexton: Mr Noson Kahler

Mr Jacky Weg

Tel: 020 8202 3903 Fax: 020 8203 0610

Treasurers (Federation)

Out o f hours answerphone: 020 8202 3903

Mr Adam Jacobs Ft Mr Leon Newmark Treasurers (Burial Society)

Cemeteries

Mr Menachem Gertner Ft

Montagu Road, Edmonton N18 2NF

Mr Moshe Winegarten

Tel: 020 8807 2268

Beth Din Bosh Beth Din: Dayan Y Y Lichtenstein Dayan M D Elzas Registrar: Rabbi Z Unsdorfer Enquires to the Registrar Tel: 020 8202 2263

416 Upminster Road North, Rain ham, Essex RM13 9SB Tel: 01708 552825 During the winter months both cemeteries are open daily, except Shabbos and Yom Tov, from 9am until dusk.

During British Summer Time gates are open until 5pm and during the month o f

Chief Executive Rabbi A Lazarus

Ellul until 6pm.

T'tO

-^DERATION

65 Watford Way, London NW4 3AQ T: 020 8202 3903 F: 020 8203 0610 E: burial@federationofsynagogues.com

OF S Y N A G O G U E S

bN“ivy>

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BURIAL SOCIETY

RAINHAM S l EDMONTON CEMETERIES VISITING TIMES FOR ELUL 5774 S l TISHRI THE CEMETERIES ARE OPEN FROM 9.00AM PLEASE NOTE THE CEMETERIES CLOSE EARLY ON FRIDAYS AND EREV YOM TOV AND REMAIN CLOSED ALL DAY ON SHABBOS AND YOM TOV

The cemeteries will remain open each day from Wednesday 27th August to Tuesday September 2014 until 6:00pm, Fridays - until 3:00pm Wednesday 24th September - Erev Rosh Hashono - until 3:00pm From Sunday 28th September - Thursday 2nd October - until 5:30pm Friday 3rd October Erev Yom Kippur - until 3:00pm Sunday 5th October - Tuesday 7th October - until 5:00pm Wednesday 8th October Erev Succos - until 3:00pm Sunday 12th October - Wednesday 15th October Choi Hamoed - until 3:00pm

VISITORS ARE KINDLY REQUESTED TO ARRIVE NO LATER THAN 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE GATES CLOSE Visitors are advised to check the closing times of cemeteries during the rest of the year by calling the office numbers listed below or online: http://www.federationofsynagogues.com/burial-society/

Rainham

Edmonton

01708 552 825

020 8807 2268 Burial Administrator: Tom Zelmanovits w w w .federationofsynagogues.com

President: Andrew Cohen Treasurers (Federation): Adam Jacobs . Leon Newmark

Chief Executive: Rabbi Avi Lazarus Registered Charity Number 254951

Vice-Presidents: Dov Black . Jacky Weg I reasurers (Burial Society): Menachem Gertner • Moshe Winegarten

Constituent Synagogues

Affiliated Synagogues

BEIS HAMEDRASH NISHMAS YISROEL

AISH HATORAH COMMUNITY

62 Brent Street, Hendon, London NW4 2ES. Secretary: Andrew Krausz. Email: Andrew.krausz@clydeco.com

379 Hendon Way, London NW4 3LP. Tel: 020 8457 4444.

Rav: Rabbi J. Roodyn.

Website: www.bhny.co.uk

Website: http://aish.org.uk

CLAPTON FEDERATION SYNAGOGUE

CONGREGATION OF JACOB SYNAGOGUE

(Sha’are Shomayim). (in association with Springfield Synagogue) 202 Upper Clapton Road, London E5 9DH.

351/353 Commercial Road, London E1 2PS. Contact: Mr David Behr.

Tel: 020 7790 2874.

Secretary: Robin Jacobs. Tel: 020 8530 5816.

Email: info@congregationofjacob.org Website: www.congregationofjacob.org

CROYDON & DISTRICT SYNAGOGUE

FIELDGATE STREET GREAT SYNAGOGUE

The Almonds, 5 Shirley Oaks Road, Croydon, Surrey CRO 8YX. Tel: 020 8662 0011.

41 Fieldgate Street, E1 1JU . Tel: 020 7247 2644.

Mrs B Harris. Tel: 020 8726 0179. Rav: Rabbi N. Asmoucha

Secretaries: Mrs F. Treep & Mrs L. Michaels.

Email: enquiries@croydonsynagogue.org.uk Website: www.croydonsynagogue.org.uk

Email: fieldgatestsynagogue@fsmail.net

EAST LONDON CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE

FINCHLEY ROAD SYNAGOGUE

30/40 Nelson Street, E1 2DE. Tel: 020 7790 9809,

(Sassov), 4 Helenslea Avenue, London NW11 8ND.

Rav: Rabbi Y. Austin. Secretary: Mr J. Beninson. Tel: 020 8529 8146.

Rav: Rabbi S. Freshwater. Tel: 020 8455 4305

FINCHLEY CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE

LEYTONSTONE & WANSTEAD SYNAGOGUE

2 Redboume Avenue, N3 2BS. Tel: 020 8346 1892.

2 Fillebrook Road, London E11 4AT.

i

Rav: Rabbi Y. Hamer. Secretary: Mrs P. Wittner. Tel: 020 8346 1892

|

Website: www.finchleyfed.org.uk

Secretary: Cllr. L. Braham. Tel: 020 8989 0978.

LOUGHTON SYNAGOGUE r

HENDON BEIS HAMEDRASH ■

65 Watford Way, Hendon, London NW4 3AQ.

£ ' Tel: 020 8202 2263. Rav: Dayan Y.Y. Lichtenstein.

Borders Lane, Loughton, Essex, IG10 1TE. Tel: 020 8508 0303.

Rav: Rabbi Z. Portnoy. Secretary: Mrs M. Lewis.

Email: admin@loughtonsynagogue.com Website: http://loughtonsynagogue.com

; '■ Contact: Perry Burns. Tel: 020 8203 6500.

SPRINGFIELD SYNAGOGUE |

\ ILFORD FEDERATION SYNAGOGUE Clarence Avenue, Ilford, Essex, IG2 6LH. Tel: 020 8554 5289.

I v,

Rav. Dayan I. Gukovitski. Secretary: Mr. R. Conway. Tel: 020 8806 3167

Rav: Rabbi A. Chapper. Secretary: Mrs L. Klein ...

Email: ilfordfedsynagogue@btconnect.com Website: www.ilfordfeds.org

MACHZIKEI HADATH V’SHOMREI SHABBAT SYNAGOGUE |

:

^ r f•

202 Upper Clapton Road, London E5 9DH. Tel: 020 8806 3167

STAMFORD HILL BEIS HAMEDRASH 50 Clapton Common, London E5 9AL. Rav: Dayan D. Grynhaus.

Secretary: M. Chontow. Tel: 020 8800 7369.

1-4 Highfield Road, London NW11 9LU. T E L : 020 8455 9816 Rav: Rabbi CH. Z. Pearlman. Secretary: Dina Grosskopf.

WALTHAM FOREST HEBREW CONGREGATION

Email: secretary@machzikehadath.com Website: www.mhshul.org

(Queens Road) 140 Boundary Road, London E17 8LA Tel: 020 8509 0775.

•

NETZACH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 281 Golders Green Road, London NW11 9 JJ Tel: 020 8455 7725 Rav: Rabbi Doron Ahiel. Administrator: Rabbi A Mather Email: netzachisraeltrust@gmail.com

OHR YERUSHALAYIM SYNAGOGUE 470 Bury New Road, Salford, Manchester M7 4NU Tel: 0161 792 9242 Rav: Rabbi Berel Cohen. Secretary: Mr A Stern. Website: www.ohryerushalayim.org.uk

OHR YISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 31/33 Theobald Street, Elstree, Herts WD6 4RN Rav: Rabbi R. Garson. Secretary: Josephine Kay Tel: 020 8207 4702 Website: www.ohr-yisrael.org.uk

SHOMREI HADATH SYNAGOGUE 64 Burrard Road, Hampstead, London NW6 1DD. Secretary: Mrs P. Schotten. Tel: 020 7435 6906. Website: http://shomrei-hadath.com

SINAI SYNAGOGUE 54 Woodstock Avenue, London NW11 9 R J. Tel: 020 8455 6876.

Rav: Rabbi B. Knopfler. Secretary: Mr E. Cohen. Tel: 020 8455 6876

YESHURUN SYNAGOGUE Comer of Fernhurst Gardens and Stonegrove, Edgware, Middlesex HA8 7PH. Rav: Rabbi A. Lewis. Administrator: Lisa Denby. Tel: 020 8952 5167.

Email: admin@yeshurun.org Website: www.yeshurun.org

Rav: Rev. S. Myers. Secretary: Mrs B. Rose.

Email: secretary@wfhc.co.uk

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supporting families with serious childhood illness

Big Brothers and Sisters • Support for Parents and Siblings Hospital Transport • Outings and Parties • Respite Care Children's Residential Weekends • Family Retreats

www.campsimcha.org.uk | 020 8202 9297 f * campsimchauk Charity number 1044685

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and Self-Catering Service We provide expertise and a complete service for events large or small, including Kiddushim, BBQ's, and Business Lunches.

O R D E R L IN E

FRESH

020 8381 4450

PRO DU CTS D A IL Y

delivery available

Terms and conditions apply. Ask in store for details.

Making Kosher Affordable Borehamwood

Edgware

Golders Green

Hendon

Tel: 020 8953 9713

Temple Fortune

Tel: 020 8905 4423

51 Shenley Road, Borehamwood WD6 1AE

Tel: 020 8731 6450

Tel: 020 8202 0402

Tel: 020 8458 7933

The Promenade. Edgware HA8 7J2

132 Golders Green R o ad , London NWl l 8HB

43 Brent Street, London NW4 2EA

9a Halleswelle Parade. London NW11 0QS

Open from 7am, Mon to Fri and on Sunday. Closing times vary. See individual stores for details.

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Shop online at: www.kosherdeli.co.uk

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