May 2019

Shofar

‫שופר‬

the magazine of finchley progressive synagogue

Performing at Pesach, FPS

From the Editor... the long & restless life of the ‘poppin’ synagogue, sa.

A couple of months ago I reported on the ‘Short & Shabby Life of a Synagogue’ situated in Perth, WA (the part-time home of FPS web meister, Philip Karstadt). Travelling south from Perth towards Adelaide in South Australia, Mel and I came across this building, which prior to its paint job, was the former synagogue of FPS member, Dean Staker. The synagogue’s Magen David is still visible on the colourful art-deco façade. When ex-convict Emanuel Solomon (18001873) founded this heritage-listed, one-time synagogue in Adelaide’s central business district, he couldn’t have imagined that it would see life out as a disco venue called ‘Poppin’. Solomon was seventeen when he and his brother Vaiben were convicted of larceny at Durham assizes and sentenced to 7 years transportation. After receiving his ticket-of-leave (meaning he’d finished his sentence) it didn’t take him long to make his mark in his newly ‘adopted’ country. He co-founded a successful auctioneering business; went on to establish what is now the state’s Shofar is always interested in hearing your news and including photos of FPS members, and their families, near and far. We welcome your articles on any relevant topic. Please send these to [email protected] 2

ca. cranston

oldest theatre, The Queen’s Theatre (1841), and later became a member of South Australia’s Parliament. His place in the secular world now established, Adelaide’s German and Polish Jewish population began meeting at Emanuel Solomon’s Temple Tavern and, by 1848, the Adelaide Hebrew Congregation came into being. Originally situated directly on Rundle Street (Adelaide’s main thoroughfare) the synagogue opened in 1850 with a congregation of fortyeight. Shortly afterwards, an adjoining school house was built. When the congregation peaked at 840—the decision was made to redevelop (close down) the old synagogue site on Rundle Street in order to capitalise on its prime real estate and to take advantage of Adelaide’s increasing prosperity. The Synagogue’s façade was moved around the corner into the adjoining laneway, Synagogue Place, and became the frontispiece of the Synagogue you see above. An art-deco façade was added during the war. But by 1989, what with the advent of traffic, its location on a small street, and increasing congregational numbers, it was time to close the Aron Ha-qodesh, and The Adelaide Hebrew Congregation moved to nearby Glenside. At that time the Adelaide Hebrew Congregation synagogue was the longest continuously used synagogue in the southern hemisphere. The Synagogue kept its 1890s interior character until its conversion into a discotheque in 2008. Only the street name ‘Synagogue Place’ and the building’s Magen David are left to attest to its former existence.

Cover: Alex Simonon, Dean Staker, and Dora Hirsch at FPS communal Seder. Photo by Rabbi Rebecca Birk

Copy deadline is the 10th of each month. Please email all content to [email protected]

From the Rabbi

rabbi rebecca birk

I love Finchley Progressive Synagogue. I love that we try to create a community that is like a family. We had over 90 people at our Pesach Seder last month. 90 people – and yet it felt intimate. Buzzing with the words from Exodus Tell your child on that day, “I do this because of what the Eternal did for me when I came out of Egypt.” It felt undeniably clear to us that this was referring not just to our biological child but to the generations that follow and who take up the responsibility of Jewish life. We were all involved. So many members contributed. They shopped, set up, laid tables, organised seating plans (no mean feat). They bought Afikoman prizes for the children. Others led songs and readings. Children and adults, they regaled interesting facts that may have been shared at a seder from 100 years ago. Just as in 1919, an Italian-Jewish couple – descendants of the Spanish pogrom centuries before – rejoiced in the birth of their son. And named him Primo Levi. Or that same year the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act of 1919, meant that the first female bar student, Marjorie Powell, was admitted to Lincoln’s Inn the following year. Or that the Exodus story has resonance for so many who fled and rebelled against persecution to contemporary refugees looking to build a safe life. When the founders of Liberal Judaism in the early 1900s envisaged a Judaism that embraced tradition and acknowledged the multi-faceted lives Jews lead in this country, I wonder if they could have anticipated our Passover Seder–a room full of vibrant and engaged Jews looking to their past and their future. I can’t have been the only one to feel proud. Please feel welcome to join in any of these moments or even just a

cup of tea with me if we have never had one together. this month

We are now in the Omer, the counting that takes us from Passover to Shavuot, 49 days that mark time in a different way. Through those days we will pass through the newly designated commemorations of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance), of Yom Hazikaron (Remembering fallen soldiers in Israel), of Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day). If Judaism is a conversation then consider joining us for Jewish conversations about the following days and their place in our lives: At FPS: On Thursday 2 May there will be a Czech Scroll information evening for Bar & Bat Mitzvah families at 6.00pm, followed by How to Remember the Shoah at 7.00pm. On Thursday 9 May Yom Ha’atzmaut we welcome Rabbi Grisha Abramovich from Minsk, Belarus talking about Zionism in the Former Soviet Union. Rabbi Oded Mazor will then bring learning from the Leo Baeck Centre in Haifa, a progressive school and community. Look forward to Israeli life postelection, still with Bibi Netanyahu and postAmos Oz. (For those who remember Maurice Needleman, the Leo Baeck Centre in Haifa is where his legacy was donated.) 3

From the Chair I’m writing this month from Belgium where we are spending some time looking after Carmen’s mother before going to Italy. We are in a postindustrial village called Jemeppe-sur-Sambre, in the French-speaking Walloon municipality, Belgium, about 18 kilometres from the betterknown Charleroi. Carmen’s mum is in a local rehab unit having broken her ankle but she was originally admitted to hospital for 14 days with a severe infection. Each day we walk our dog, Bella, go to the gym, and then visit Mum in the afternoon. Thankfully Mum has recovered from the infection, but she still has a long way to go with her rehabilitation. Nearer to home, this month our Board is ratifying both the Children’s Safeguarding and Adult Safeguarding procedures. We’ll be fully

cathy burnstone

compliant with the statutory requirements relating to these important issues. The Board now reviews the Synagogue’s finances at each meeting. We have also resolved to ensure that our Board meetings have more focussed discussions so that we can make decisions and follow up on actions swiftly. As always, the Board welcomes feedback and, with sufficient notice, I can include members’ issues or concerns on the meeting agenda of the Board.

holocaust education workshop

important: shofar option change!

Corinne Oppenheimer and Lesley Urbach (left) together with Joyce Lucas were the three FPS members who volunteered this year at the Holocaust Education workshops run at Finchley Reform Synagogue in February 2019. Over the course of the week, school groups and university students attended workshops and heard testimony from survivors. Please let me know if you would like to be put in touch with Sylvia Sheridan to volunteer in 2020.

If you read Shofar then this concerns you. In the interest of economics and the environment, readers will be offered the choice to opt-in for the print version of Shofar (also available online). For those who opt-in, they can choose to receive Shofar by post, or pick up a copy at FPS. Remember, if you want things to continue as they are (i.e. receive a print copy of Shofar) you must still let the office know if you want the copy mailed to you or not. There will be a box in the shul hallway where you can drop off your information:

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name and address: print copy: yes mailed: yes

no no

Please also indicate if you prefer the darker font of the Shofar to previous editions.

Introducing Anjette (Anjy) Pavell our new vice chair!

A

njy says she got nabbed! But, Anjy has always been a joiner. At school she was a prefect and Head Girl; at London Guildhall Uni (her degree is in Business Law) she was involved in JSoc, and on the Student Union Council. Now, at FPS, she is on Council. Anjy and her family came to FPS at the time of the Hendon-Edgware merger: “We realised that Edgware was not the right place for us and started looking around for that ‘mythical place’ that would suit us all.” With twin boys coming up to Bar Mitzvah she visited at least seven synagogues before arriving at FPS. When the boys came for a trial at Ivriah, their reaction was “That was great. Can we go back?” Anjy nearly fainted. Although born in Watford, Anjy grew up in Finchley surrounded by members of her close-knit family. Whereas her childhood Shabbats involved attending services at the Federation Synagogue on Redbourne Avenue, she didn’t feel particularly inspired or very emotionally connected. “Now I realise that this was because, as a girl, I sat in the balcony and got shouted at.” Shabbat afternoons were different though. “I always enjoyed the tasty afternoon teas at my great-aunt’s house nearby. Everyone would be there.” The warmth, love and fun of being with family in a Jewish-focused environment was something she wanted to recreate for her own children. Anjy is happy to say that her three are extremely close to their cousins and extended cousins here, in Israel, and in America. Anjy’s always been proud of her Jewish heritage and

sarah rosen-webb

was happy to speak out against anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism at Uni. After qualifying in Law in 1990, she worked for a large firm before relocating to New York and working in a Wall Street firm for seven years. Anjy enjoyed being part of NYC’s vibrant and open Jewish scene and noticed how different that was from the more cautious Judaism she had been part of in London. She met Eyal, an Israeli, in NYC. As neither had a green card (resident visa), they came back to London and were married at New London Synagogue by Rabbi Louis Jacobs, founder of the Masorti movement. Rabbi Jacobs was very close to orthodoxy and only agreed to marry them because they lived next door to the shul! Once settled in Primrose Hill, they looked around for a community where both could feel comfortable. They joined Hendon Reform, “the closest we could find to our mythical perfect synagogue”, where Valerie Hellner was Ivriah headteacher. Anjy thought Valerie was great and quietly wondered why she and her husband never came to services at Hendon. “Little did I know that I would be meeting up with Valerie again, that her husband was our Frank Hellner. Or even that he was a Rabbi! Or that he was at FPS! My Mum visited FPS and she joined too. The myth become the reality. Beshert!” When Rabbi Rebecca went on Sabbatical, Anjy was amazed at the way people pulled together to make services and Ivriah work. The liveliness of the rich cast of characters at FPS made her want to get more involved. She joined the security, and the B’nei Mitzvah kiddush rotas; she attended Café Ivriah. Anjy goes on. “I’d never been to a synagogue where people were so welcoming before. I found I liked the services and the thoughtful weaving in of social Continued on page 11

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Day of Celebration If I am only for myself... 23 June 2019 This year’s Day of Celebration focuses on the role of communities to support their members in a variety of different ways. We will look at how we can directly support individuals as well as how we empower our members to, in turn, support others inside and outside the synagogue walls. Come and celebrate the current best practice, the Jewish textual basis for community relationships, and the deeper questions around community responsibility vs state responsibility. We are honoured to be joined by our keynote speakers, Dame Margaret Hodge and Jean Gaffin OBE, who will be in conversation about how communities help to build the fabric of society. The programme will also include a performance from the Day of Music, the announcement of the winning LAFTAs entry, and an interactive exploration of our movement’s social justice journey.

Sunday 23 June 2019 9:30am - 4:30pm Liberal Jewish Synagogue, London To enquire about travel subsidies please contact Tom Rich [email protected]

Adult: £35 Students: £15 Children: £15 Family: £70

(max. 2 adults, 2 children)

To find out more, view the programme, and book visit www.liberaljudaism.org/ day-of-celebration

obituary

Kindertransport refugee, Liberal Judaism vicepresident, Rabbi Harry Jacobi, 93 Rabbi Harry Jacobi z’l died on 24 April. His children Rabbis Margaret and Richard Jacobi let us know he died peacefully, “clear-minded to the end and faced this head-on, just as he approached so much in his life”. There is a blessing for seeing those with extraordinary religious and secular wisdom. Harry possessed both. His commitment to living a Jewish life of justice and empathy permeated all he did and he managed to inspire right up to his death. Harry loved our community. He never tired of telling me the joy it gave him to attend our services. When he spoke, as he often did, spontaneously 6

on our Bimah or at our Kiddush, words of wisdom would fall from his lips, he would always capture the occasion, Photo source: The JC the learning and the spirit. Zichrono L’Vracha may his memory be for a blessing, may the work we do as a congregation, be it in prayer, justice or community be inspired always by him and his legacy. Rabbi Rebecca Birk

Beit Tefillah

services at fps

services – may / iyar Friday 3 May

6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service

Saturday 4 May

11.00am Shabbat Service celebrating Hannah Kudlick Bat Mitzvah

Friday 10 May

6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service

Saturday 11 May

10.15am Shabbatots 11.00am Musical Shabbat B’Yachad

Friday 17 May

6.30pm Shabbat Resouled

Saturday 18 May

11.00am Czech Scroll Service

Friday 24 May

6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service

Saturday 25 May

11.00am Shabbat Service

Friday 31 May

6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service

people welcome to new members Yoni & Liz Avital with Matan & Ariel Flora Hobday with son David Edwina Leapman may congratulations to

Hannah Kudlick celebrating her Bat Mitzvah at FPS on 4 May Neil Rosen-Webb, Stewart Harris, Linda Gevertz, Michal Hargil and Jan Anticoni celebrating milestone birthdays in May Jane & Harold Rosenberg, Richard Colbey & Emma Prinsley and James & Philippa CarrWoolf who are celebrating special wedding anniversaries this month

condolences to

The family of Adele Berger who died in April; Dean Staker whose mother Sheila died in Adelaide in March Emma Prinsley whose father Derek died in Melbourne in April Alison Rafael whose father John died in April 50/50 club draws, april winners:

1st 2nd 3rd

Lionel King Lassman Kate Lassman Long Paul Lichtenstern

£20 £15 £10 

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Beit Knesset

community events, all welcome!

bridge group

book club

Mondays @ 7.30pm, £4. There are even small prizes for winners! For details contact Paul Silver-Myer via the synagogue office on 020 8446 4063

Wednesday 8 May @ 8.00pm The Book Club meetings are held in people’s homes on the second Wednesday of each month. Contact Sheila King Lassman [email protected] or Edgar Jacobsberg [email protected]

yoga

Tuesdays @ 7.30pm Contact Richard on 020 8349 9602 rosh chodesh (iyar)

Celebration of the New Moon by women gathering for sharing, learning and spiritual exploration. The next Rosh Chodesh is Tuesday May 7 @ 8pm. Our guest speaker will be Irina Abramovich from Minsk, wife of Rabbi Grisha who looks after our twinned community in Mogilev. Irina will talk about the “Pluses and minuses of having sisterhood activities in a progressive synagogue”. We will have an opportunity to ask questions about other topics too! Contact Wika on [email protected]

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learn

Thursdays, 12.00-1.00pm An hour’s learning in the small hall, with Rabbi Rebecca. Followed by a bring-and-share lunch (sandwiches, soup and cake). pilates

Thursdays @ 5.45-6.30pm. Led by Tali Swart. Beginners to intermediate; individually tailored instruction. Payment in blocks of six, roughly £8 per lesson. Contact [email protected] cafe ivriah

Saturdays (Term time), 9.45-10.45am All welcome to an informal, wide-ranging topic discussion, over coffee and biscuits, between Ivriah drop-off and morning service.

Beit Midrash

learning at fps

On Thursday 9 May at 6.30pm we commemorate Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day, with a talk by Rabbi Grisha Abramavich about Zionism in the former Soviet Union. This will be followed by Rabbi Oded Mazor’s talk Israeli life post-election, still with Bibi Netanyahu and post-Amos Oz. Rabbi Mazor is from the Leo Baeck Centre in Haifa. Please bring and share a falafel dinner with our speakers. ...and in june:

Beit Midrash will resume with a new series entitled ‘Roots’. We kick off on 6 June with a presentation by local author David Lawson on his book Ostrava and Its Jews: Now No-One Sings You Lullabies (2018), coauthored with Libuše Salomonovicová and Hana Šustková. The session will then continue with biographical contributions by FPS members.

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Notice Board together in barnet homeless shelter

The Together in Barnet (TiB) Night Shelter is a collective of local synagogues, churches, a mosque, and other groups which provides overnight shelter for up to 17 homeless people through the winter months. At FPS, we have in previous years hosted on Tuesday evenings for 10-12 weeks of each season. Each venue provides an evening meal, a place to stay, and breakfast. FPS volunteers cook, host, sleep over, and schlepp bags to the next venue, and our guests rapidly become our friends. Reasons for becoming homeless are diverse, and it takes little time helping in the shelter to realise how easily any one of us could find ourselves in a similar position. FPS volunteers also work with other synagogues to provide a Christmas Shelter (housed at FRS). Guests delight in being able to take their shoes off for the full five days session and TiB church venues greatly appreciate the synagogue initiative of taking over for the Christmas period.

We want to thank our brilliant FPS volunteer group. Any of them will confirm that being involved is an excellent experience, worthwhile, and fun. Our guests are very appreciative, and have made it clear that they would like us to pass on their thanks. Recently, one commented: “It feels like we are living with friends and family and we have been invited over for dinner.” We are always looking for new volunteers, particularly those who could sleep over or help with bag shlepping on Wednesday mornings. For more information contact Andrea Narcin or Peggy Sherwood [email protected]

lj day of music 2019 - music reflecting the text Venue: Northwood & Pinner Liberal

progressive jewish student fieldworker for liberal judaism

Synagogue, Date: Saturday 22 June 2019 The second LJ Day of Music will take a look at our new Draft Siddur and in what direction that might take our synagogue music. Once again, some elements from the Day of Music will also be included in the Day of Celebration.

Fran Kurlansky has been appointed to this important position and offers herself as a useful resource for students who need pastoral support during their studies. Contact her at: [email protected]

birthright uk israel trip

Birthright UK is once again offering a Birthright Israel Progressive trip with Reform and Liberal Judaism, 26 August – 5 September, open to any Jewish 19-26 year old (even those who have previously been on Israel tour, under the age of 18). To sign up for the free trip visit http://bit.ly/BirthrightIsraelIUK2019 10

(Photo: LJ)

Anjette Pavell (cont.) anjette pavel, cont. from page 5

issues with the expression of spirituality and religion. I realised that the FPS community held the missing spark I’d been looking for.” The boys’ B’nei Mitzvah was lovely. All of our visitors from Israel, the USA, and France came to Shabbat Resouled the evening before; some were weeping with joy (seriously) because it was such an uplifting experience. I had been worried about how my orthodox relatives would feel about the service and I heard nothing but praise from them for the service, for the engagement of the kids, and for the community. I felt proud to be a member of FPS. It was everything I could

have wished for.” Anjy enjoys finding out what makes FPS tick and helping it continue to thrive. She has followed Louise Gellman into a lawyering role, reviewing contracts, and doing other lawyerly things. She participates in the Togther in Barnet Night Shelter rota as a breakfast maker. “Being part of the FPS community and being useful to my community makes me feel good.” Outside of FPS, Anjy’s virtual law firm provides technology and business law services to companies and individuals, until the point that they can afford to employ their own in-house general counsel.

lehrhaus @ leo baeck college home of adult jewish learning

Lehrhaus in the Clouds: Liat Aharonovich - Modern Hebrew: Beginners 8-week live on-line course, Tuesday 3.15 – 5.15pm. Dates: 7 May - 2 July 2019 Liat Aharonovich - Modern Hebrew: Intermediate 8-week live on-line course, Thursday 5.00 – 7.00pm. Dates: 9 May - 4 July 2019 We have made a short video of our on-line Beginner’s Ulpan class to give you a taste of what is on offer: https://youtu.be/AOzrlZIwmX8 Lehrhaus at the College: Professor Victor Jeleniewski Seidler: Buber’s Ethics: Listening and Learning, 6 week course at Leo Baeck College, Thursday 7.30 – 9.00pm Dates: 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 May, 6 June 2019

Lehrhaus on the Road: The Land Of Israel Explore with us The Land of Israel, in our tradition A 5-week Lehrhaus on the Road course at Sukkat Shalom Reform Synagogue: Wanstead, London E11 1UL. We bring you four outstanding teachers from Leo Baeck College who will take you through this journey of discovery. Thursday 2, 9, 23, 30 May from 7.45-10.00pm and Sunday 19 May 2019 from 10.30am-12.15pm Payment can be done on-line or by sending us a cheque made payable to Leo Baeck College, or by phone using a credit/debit card. If you have any questions, please email Jarek: [email protected], or phone 020 8349 5600.

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Rosh Chodesh Trip to the Mall

estelle phillips

On a beautiful spring-like day in late February several members of the Rosh Chodesh Group visited the Mall Galleries in London. There we were treated to a guided tour of Lydia Bauman’s exhibition by the artist herself. Bauman’s paintings are inspired by the work of New Mexico artist, Georgia O’Keefe. Bauman’s exhibits shine and are full of light, the feel of the desert is always present; it’s as though

the paintings themselves have absorbed, and reflect, the rays of the sun. Bauman explains her technique, which is to use unusual materials such as Polyfilla and Shellac rather than the traditional oils, acrylics, and pastels. In addition to the tour, we were welcomed and treated to a short talk by Lydia’s son, Karl, a professional photographer, whose work was on show. Most of his photographs were digital though there were pictures where ‘real’ film in an Olympus SLR camera had captured the scene. One of the photos was of his mother, Lydia, shot at dawn in a landscape of mountains and desert. Another featured the homes of indigenous people with a dog in the foreground. (This might have been the Pueblo people, but as there are 23 Native American nations in New Mexico, that is only a guess). The painting was a loving memorial to the foregrounded dog, who had recently died.

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To finish it all off, we were treated to an olfactory experience designed to evoke the desert (see left) — a fantastic and original way to complement our visual and audio experiences so far in the Mall Gallery. We were asked to choose our favourite fragrances. These were then mixed individually, and put into miniature bottles to take home. the great fps raffle draw

Raffle tickets have been sent out to FPS members, and what great prizes there are! 1st prize is accommodation in a private villa for 7 nights on the Adriatic Coast of Italy or the Datça Peninsula in Turkey, for up to 6 people. 15 prizes in all have been donated (including tea with Mike Freer MP at the House of Commons!) and ticket prices are £5. Dates to remember: please return stubs and money to the office by 15 May, and winning tickets will be drawn on 16 May at FPS at 9pm.

Modern Slavery: A Summary “Human trafficking is hidden in plain sight – often on our high streets. To root out this evil, we must all be vigilant.” Hannah Wheatley (The Guardian 30 July 2018) Slavery was abolished in 1833. Or was it? More than 200 years since slavery was abolished and 70 years since Article 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR) stated “no one shall be held in slavery or servitude”, it is estimated that between 40 to just under 46 million people are in slavery today across the world.

Photo: Anti- Slavery protest, London 2017 Source: Mathew Chattle, The Guardian

What is modern slavery? Someone is in slavery if they are owned or controlled by an “employer”, usually through mental or physical abuse or the threat of abuse; dehumanised, treated as a commodity or bought and sold as “property”; physically constrained or with restrictions placed on his/her freedom. Slavery consists of domestic servitude, sex trafficking, forced labour, bonded labour, child labour and forced marriage. Rather than being restrained by shackles, today people are enslaved through coercion and control. They are crippled by recruitment debts they cannot pay back; denied their passports; are not paid; threatened with beatings and rape, and with attacks on their family. (The Guardian 10 June 2014). As Siddharth

lesley urbach

Kara, at Harvard Kennedy Centre, notes with not a little irony: “As a business model, slavery is a no-brainer, it’s a low-cost, low-risk business that generates huge profits.” According to The Guardian, “From the food we eat to the phones we use, the clothes we wear, the way we have our car washed or nails done, slavery’s influence is pervasive”. It is estimated that more girls under the age of 16 work in domestic service than in any other category of child labour. The victims often don’t speak the language of the country, making them even more vulnerable. The practice is often linked to child fostering and the promise of a “better life in the UK”, to bonded labour, forced marriage and, in the case of minors, sexual enslavement. (The Guardian 10 June 2014). The Guardian also points out that “Thousands of victims are trafficked into slavery in the UK and kept hidden in plain sight, often working seven days a week for little or no pay in nail salons, car washes, building sites, kitchens, factories and farms. Often, unknowingly, we contribute towards suffering by buying services and products from people living in modern slavery.” (30 July 2018). The young woman I befriended through Jewish Council for Racial Equality’s JUMP project was kidnapped from her birth country, and at the age of 10 she worked as a domestic slave initially in Bahrain and then in London. Although the Modern Slavery Act became law at the end of March 2015, the number of prosecutions is low. Victims fear they will be taken to a detention centre and be deported. If you suspect someone is a victim of slavery, telephone the Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700. Continued on page 14

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hannah kudlick bat mitzvah 4 may

Just a reminder that Hannah Kudlick’s Bat Mitzvah is on 4 May. Because it is so early in the month, we advertised the event in the April Shofar. Hannah’s Parashat Kedoshim is Leviticius 19:14 and 9-8. modern slavery, cont. from page 13

The Jewish Response - René Cassin The René Cassin charity works to raise awareness of modern slavery in the Jewish community. Its Director, Mia Hasenson-Gross, visited FPS Beit Midrash last year, as part of a series commemorating 70 years of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. The following is from their website www.renecassin.org “Slavery is not history. It calls to mind images of the Israelites in Egypt or the transAtlantic trade. But it is here and it is now – in the UK today there are as many as 13,000 victims of slavery or trafficking.... Although it is illegal in most countries where it is practised, and prohibited by a multitude of international laws and conventions, there are more enslaved people in the world today than at any point in history.... Slavery and trafficking are unavoidably connected to Jewish experience. Particularly during the festival of Pesach, Jewish people remember the pain of slavery. As we [have just lyj-netzer dates

12-25 August 2019 Machaneh Kadimah (Summer Camp) Information about the camp is available at FPS.

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bal tashchit

The principle on which Jewish environmental ethics is based is Bal Tashchit, “Do not destroy”. The term is from Deuteronomy 20:19-20, which forbids cutting down fruit trees when laying a siege during wartime. The rabbis later expanded the concept to prohibit any needless destruction. Today it is the foundation of any discussion of environmental issues in the context of Jewish law and practice. celebrated] our freedom, we should remember the countless people around the world, including here in the UK, who do not share our good fortune.” And perhaps we should think about what we can do as individuals, and as a synagogue community, to stand up against slavery in 2019. We should, in Theresa May’s words, participate in “a national and international mission to rid our world of this barbaric evil.” (iNews 31 July 2016).

Fun Page

simone lee

yiddish and jokes

Yiddish is the historical language of the Ashkenazi Jews from Central Europe. It is based on a combination of several languages including German, some Hebrew, Slavic, and other languages. It is written using the Hebrew alphabet. Most Jewish people know a few Yiddish words, but few people speak it fluently. Yiddish is a language full of humour. Many Jewish jokes use Yiddish words and show that Jewish people love to laugh at themselves. Here’s a couple to try out at home: A Jewish man in a hospital tells the doctor he wants to be transferred to a different hospital. The doctor says “What’s wrong? Is it the food?” “No, the food is fine. I can’t kvetch.” “Is it the room?” “No, the room is fine. I can’t kvetch.” “Is it the staff?” “No, the staff is fine. I can’t kvetch.” “Then why do you want to be transferred?” “I can’t kvetch!”   Link the yiddish word in green to its meaning The first one has been done for you (answers below) 1.kvetch

A. eat or food

2.bubele

B. bottom

3.schlep

C. darling

4.chutzpah

D. item of clothing

5.mensch

E. complain

6.schmooze

F. cheek

7.nosh

G. cosy chat

8.shmatte

H. decent person

9.tuches

I. carry something heavy/long journey

And here’s another joke: An old Jewish woman sold pretzels on a street corner for 25p each. Every day a young man would leave his office building at lunch time, and as he passed the pretzel stand, he would leave her a 25p, but he never took a pretzel. This continued for more than 3 years. The two of them never spoke. One day, the young man passed the old lady’s stand and left his 25p as usual and, out of the blue, the pretzel lady spoke to him: “Sir, I appreciate your business. You are a very good customer, but I have to tell you that the pretzel price has gone up to 35p.” Now she had chutzpah! Last one: A Jewish mother sends her son off to his first day of school: “So bubele, you’ll be a good boy and listen to the teacher? And you won’t make noise, bubele, and you’ll be very polite and play nice with the other children, eh bubele? And when it’s time to come home, you’ll button up warm, so you won’t catch cold, bubele. And you’ll be careful crossing the street and come straight home...” Off the little boy went. When he returned that afternoon, his mother hugged him and kissed him and exclaimed, “So did you like school, bubele? You made new friends? You learned something, bubele?” “Yeah,” said the boy. “I learned my name is David.”

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Answers: 1 = E, 2 = C,3 = I, 4 = F, 5 = H, 6 = G, 7 = A, 8 = D, 9 =B

Contacts

fps website: www.fps.org

finchley progressive synagogue

President: Alan Banes

54 Hutton Grove N12 8DR 020 8446 4063 www.fps.org facebook.com/finchleyprog

Life President: Sheila King Lassman

Rabbi Rebecca Birk – [email protected] Emeritus Rabbi: Dr Frank Hellner Community Development Manager: Zoe Jacobs – [email protected] Musicians in Residence: Franklyn Gellnick, Dean Staker Synagogue Manager: Pauline Gusack [email protected] executive 2018

Chair: Cathy Burnstone, [email protected] Vice-Chair: Anjanette Pavell, [email protected] Treasurer: Melvyn Newman, [email protected] Honorary Secretary: Tamara Joseph, [email protected] board members

Sam King, [email protected] Phillip Raphael, [email protected] Ann Pelham, [email protected] Chris Nash, [email protected]

contacts

Board of Deputies Reps: Janet Tresman, Stanley Volk Beit Midrash (Adult Education): Adrian Lister [email protected] Beit Tefillah (Rites & Practices): Valerie Joseph Care in the Community: Jacquie Fawcett [email protected] Website Editor: Philip Karstadt [email protected] Shofar Editor: CA. Cranston – [email protected] Shofar Team: Sarah Rosen-Webb, Wika Dorosz FPS Office: [email protected] The Finchley Progressive Synagogue is a company limited by guarantee (Company No 9365956) and a registered charity (Charity No 1167285) whose registered office is 54 Hutton Grove, Finchley, London N12 8DR

ashley page

janet tresman

insurance brokers

mediator & collaborative family law solicitor

Commerce House 2a Litchfield Grove London N3 2TN

Altermans Solicitors 239 Regents Park Road, London N3 3LF

Tel. 020 8349 5100

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Vice Presidents: Renzo Fantoni, Josie Kinchin, Alex Kinchin-Smith, Laura Lassman, Lionel King Lassman, John Lewis, Paul Silver-Myer, Andrea Rappoport, Joan Shopper

Office phone: 0208 346 1777 Email: [email protected]