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Magazine of the New West End Synagogue

Rosh Hashanah5770 / 2009

Mosaic

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03 MessagefromtheEditor04 ActingChairman’sReport

05 Events,Social&Personal06 ChiefRabbi’sRoshHashanahMessage07 MessagefromRabbiShisler

08 JewishCare

10 AMessageFromtheNewAdministrator

11 HistoryofSheminiAtzeretandSimchatTorah

12 WeddingPreparations

14 ReflectionsontheWestBank16ShabbatL’Yeladim

18 LookingRoundLord’s

20 HavingFaithinJewishSchools

22 RoshHashanahrecipes24 JewishMuseumclosertosaving300yearoldsilver HanukahLamp26 NewWestEnd’sBestKeptSecret28 ShiruLoShirChadash-SingtoHimaNewSong30 NewYearsGreetings2009

31 SavetheDate32 YomTovGuide34 HagimTimetable5770-2009

ContentsMinisterRabbi Geoffrey Shisler CantorChazan Jeremy LawsonActingChairmanGaby MorrisWardensAlan GainsfordLaurence LandoFinancialRepresentativeHarry Sieratzki

BoardofManagementHarvey Katz Sandra BlackmanSteven Levinson Natalie CutlerFrank Miller Dorothea JosemHoward Morris Susan KatzJonathan Matheson Rachel Magrill Michael Sharron Lynn MeltzerJonathan Skry Toni NagelMichael Talalay Valerie RichmanTrevor Toube Angela Skry

RepresentativesontheCounciloftheUnitedSynagogueDorothea JosemJonathan MathesonRepresentativeattheBoardofDeputiesofBritishJewsDori SchmetterlingAdministratorEsther Behrman BeadleEli BallonChoirmasterElliot Burman OfficehoursMon–Thurs �0.00 am–4.00 pmFri & Sun �0.00 am–�2 noon

Telephone020 7229 263� Fax020 7229 2355Emailnwes@newwestend.org.ukWebsitewww.newwestend.org.ukDesignedandProducedbyCreative Interpartners, London

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The Gemara (Yoma 2�a) relates that one of the miracles that took place in the Beit Hamikdash was that space expanded.

When the people came to the Temple on Yom Kippur the courtyard was so crowded many of them did not even have room to put their feet on the floor, which gave the appearance that they were floating in the air. But when the time came to prostrate themselves, the floor space miraculously expanded, so that there was a separation of four cubits (approximately 6 feet) between each of them. Thus, no one would hear the confessions of sin made by anyone else, which may have caused embarrassment.

While it is true we have a lot of people coming to Shul over the High Holydays, we vary rarely need open miracles to accommodate everyone! If any of your friends or family have never been to the New West End before, please bring them along at some point over the upcoming Yom Tovim – we will be delighted to see them and they will certainly be made more than welcome.

As well as on Shabbat, we have many people visit the Shul during the week coming from schools, colleges and various societies and groups. I have two personal favourites from the last six months, both of which took place in July.

One is the Parliamentary visit that came with English Heritage and the other is meeting nine year old Natalie Gee. Although Natalie comes from Palo Alto, California, both her grandfather and great-grandfather were married at the New West End. Based on this, she decided to do a school project, documenting the history of the NWE and building a replica of the Synagogue. Pictures of both the Parliamentary visit and the Synagogue replica can be seen on this page.

Together with my wife Shana, we wish you a Shana Tova U’metukah – a happy, sweet, and peaceful New Year.

Eli

Message fromthe Editor

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This is the first occasion on which I am privileged to write the Chairman’s message in place of Melvyn. In this, as in so many other respects, he is a hard act to follow. The NWES owes Melvyn as well as Denise a huge debt of gratitude for years of dedicated service to the community. We thank them for their continued support for our work to maintain the development of the NWES and our strong sense of community.

I welcome our new Executive team, Alan, Harry and Laurence, our new Board members, and all of those who continue in office, as well as thanking those who have left the Board this year. My thanks to Martin Lewin and Jeff Hammerschlag who have left the Executive. The management of the NWES and all its activities is a great consumer of time and effort and we are indebted to all who have given so generously of their time and energy.

All the Board and Executive are keen to know your views and hear your ideas. Please do feel free to contact us.

At the heart of our community is our unique synagogue and its Services. Without the continued hard work and dedication of our Rabbi and Anne Shisler, we would not have that centre of our communal observance, spiritual guidance and sense of purpose. Their participation and dedication touches every aspect of our spiritual and communal life. On behalf of us all, I thank them. We know how much we value music in our Services. Our excellent Chazan, Jeremy Lawson is committed to continuity to enhance our worship through music.

We, in our turn, can do nothing less than reward their effort by attendance in Services and participation in the wide variety of communal activities. With Rosh Hashanah and the other Chagim approaching, I ask that we all make the greatest effort to attend as many of the services as possible.

I also want to welcome all our new members to the community. We are honoured that you choose to join the NWES and we want you all to quickly feel a true part of the community. I regularly take part in Club Sameach on a Shabbat morning, alongside Toni Nagel, Michael Sharon, Jonathan Matheson, Lynn Brown and the parents. We take great joy in the participation of the children in our NWES life. This is so important for the future. Having mentioned Club Sameach as an example of the vigour of the community I will not list all the many activities and events we have held over the last year. All of them, like everything else we do depends on the work of volunteers from amongst our own number. To all those, from the organisers to those who prepare our delicious food, stack the chairs, clean up the litter and provide our vital security, I give you thanks on behalf of NWES.

As you know the NWES is a Grade I listed building. This recognition imposes responsibilities on us and our House Committee, Harvey Katz and Michael Sharon meet these challenges with aplomb. English Heritage organised a visit to NWES of 50 Parliamentarians; we were immensely proud that our synagogue was chosen, it is in the words of English Heritage ‘the architectural high watermark of Anglo Jewish architecture’.

We celebrated the publications of the Rabbi’s book of liturgical compositions with a wonderful cantorial concert recently. Many in the community had known nothing of the writing of this book such is our Rabbi’s modesty.

These are some highlights of the last year. There has been something for all members of the community and we have had many visitors attending too, all learning with a sense of warmth and friendliness, which marks out the NWES.

Our Guild, our communal Seder, our Cheder run in association with the Holland Park community, our Israel Society, the Ladies Keep Fit classes and our wonderful kiddushim have all continued. We maintain a daily minyan that means our community prays together daily and our synagogue serves its fundamental purpose. The Rabbi’s programme of shiurim enables study and learning.

For the New Year we have a calendar of future events and initiatives. We are establishing a Mother and Toddler group and planning a communal visit to Israel. I hope many of you will join us, as those who have visited before with NWES will confirm that we have a marvellous time incorporating a full programme and time with friends.

Project Chesed is an important project of the United Synagogue; we play a full part in this practical and focused undertaking to practice a core Jewish value. We can be rightly proud of our charitable giving in the community. Project Chesed provides an opportunity for us to do more than just give money; our latest initiative is to support ‘Shoe Aid for Africa’, which collects unwanted children’s shoes, smartens them up and distributes them in Africa.

As an example of charitable endeavour I want to mention Stephen Peters. Despite a serious accident during his preparations he cycled from London to Paris and in consequence raised by sponsorship £�500 for the NWES and Kishorit Special Needs Village in Israel. We are proud of Stephens’ efforts and before closing I would like to mention Zac Skry who won Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in the JCC Maccabi Games recently in San Francisco. Congratulations Zac.

My sincere thanks to all contributions to our work and our community who I have not had the space to mention by name. The diligence and dedication of our volunteers is essential to all we achieve.

I wish you and all your families a sweet, healthy and peaceful New Year and well over the Fast.

Gaby Morris Acting Chairman

Acting Chairman’s ReportRosh Hashana 5770

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MazelTovto:

• Lionel Kaufman on his 90th birthday• Marion Lewis on the birth of a grandson• Felicity and Frank Miller on their �0th wedding anniversary• Harold Paisner on his 70th birthday• Renée Richman on her 90th birthday• Arnold Roth on his 70th birthday• Bernard Freudenthal on his engagement to Abigail Lebrecht• Bobby Jayson on his 80th birthday• Michael Cutler on his 80th birthday• David Fisher on his 60th birthday• Rabbi and Anne Shisler on their 40th wedding anniversary• Jacquie and Stuart Katz on their 40th wedding anniversary• Anthony Dinkin on his 65th birthday• Stanley Warren on his 2nd Bar Mitzvah• Rachelle and Elliot Berman on the birth of a baby girl• Trevor Toube on his 70th birthday• Harvey Katz on his 70th birthday

The Board of Management along with the members, as well as visitors to the NWE, wish to thank all those who have sponsored Kiddushim over recent months. The Kiddushim provide a time to make new friends and catch up with old ones. We would like to thank you all!

Events Social & PersonalWeofferaverywarmwelcometothefollowingnewMembersoftheSynagogue:

• Mr. Jeremy and Mrs. Sandra Davis• Mr. Joseph Fisher• Mr. Simon Fisher

MazeltovtoallwhoweremarriedattheNewWestEndoverthelastfewmonths:

• Nicole Sachs and Gavin Rhodes• Naomi Nizri and Paul Harris• Sophie Ralton and Justin Fenton• Lauren Lipman and Alex Mammon• Mandy Moss and Adam Newman• Lisa Fenton and Jason Edel• Charlotte Sanders and Jamie Leigh• Philippa Sher and Michael Gerrard• Emma Zerdin and Andrew Berg• Zoé Marks and Andrew Braham• Karen Tyfield and Keith Berelowitz• Jeannine Syalon and James Lester• Clare Lewis and Oliver Weingarten• Mia Palmer and Elliot Pomerance• Tamara Oyre and Paul Feldman• Lucy Peller and Dan Stone

Weregrettoannouncethefollowingdeaths:

• Mrs. Felice Kerstein• Mrs. Valerie Lanchin• Mr. Len Lewis• Mr. Alan Tapper• Mrs. Celia Weintroub

Weextendourcondolencesto:

• Mr. Gerry Lanchin on the loss of his wife• Mrs. Marion Lewis on the loss of her husband.• Mr. Ivan Paul on the loss of his brother • Mr. Leonard Snapper on the loss of his sister• Mrs. Alexa Tapper on the loss of her husband• Mr. Morris Weintroub on the loss of his wife• Mr. Peter Werth on the loss of his sister

We Will Remember ThemWe have introduced the practice of reciting Memorial Prayers to recognise the generosity of those who have left legacies to the Synagogue in their Wills, and who will be permanently acknowledged in our Yizkor Book.

We are extremely grateful to those congregants who have made bequests, which enable us to maintain and preserve our beautiful Synagogue together with its activities.

If you would like to make provision in your Will for the future benefit of the Synagogue please contact the office.

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At times like the current recession, we need more than ever to reflect on the questions Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur pose to us. What do we live for?

What are our values and how do we translate them into life? What will we give our children and those who will live on after us? For what do we wish to be remembered? What chapter will we write in the Book of Life?

It is easy to be lured by the siren song of a consumer society and come to believe that what matters is how much we earn and what we can afford. All around us are promises of happiness if we buythis, acquire that.

Yet the overwhelming consensus of psychological research is that, beyond the basic minimum we need, there is little correlation between wealth and happiness, between what we own and the way we feel. Even those who have won great sums in a lottery are, on average, no happier a year later than they were before they won. The excitement and delight of material things is very short-lived.

All the more so does this apply within the family. I once sat with one of Britain’s most successful businessmen while he told me how unfair it was that his marriage had failed. He had, he said, given his wife everything, yet it was clear that what he had given her was

possessions. What he hadn’t given her was time. He was so obsessed with work that he failed to understand how neglected she felt.

I lose count of the number of parents who have told me a similar story about their children. I gave them so much they say. ‘How could they be so ungrateful?’ But you cannot buy a child’s affection. That needs something else altogether: care, attention, recognition, time spent talking together, doing things together, and yes, studying together.

Judaism is an extraordinary set of disciplines for living a meaningful life - and it is meaning, not fame or success, that lies at the heart of happiness. It invites us through the blessings we say every morning to give thanks for simply being alive in a universe full of beauty and wonder. It forces us, one day in seven, to rest and enjoy what we have rather than worry about the things we do not yet have.

On Shabbat we renew the love within the family. We celebrate being part of a community - the place where our joys are doubled and our grief halved by being shared with others.

On the festivals we relive our people’s history, the most remarkable history of any nation on earth. Through washout we sanctify the act of eating. Through mikveh and the laws of family purity we etch our most intimate

relationship with the charisma of holiness. Spending time studying the texts of our tradition, we endow with religious significance the life of the mind. In prayer we converse with G-d, aligning ourselves with the moral energy of the universe, becoming part of the four-thousand-year-old symphony of the Jewish soul.

We can lose material possessions, but spiritual possessions - the good we do, the love we inspire - we never lose, and that is why they are the greatest investments we can make. May we, in this coming year, spend more time on the things that matter, the things Judaism teaches us to value, and may G-d write all of us in the Book of Life.

Bebirkat ketivah vechatimah torah

ChiefRabbiSirJonathanSacksRosh Hashanah 5770

305 Ballards Lane London N�2 8GBTel: 020 8343 630�fax: 020 8343 63�0info@chiefrabbi.orgwww.chiefrabbi.org

Chief Rabbi’s Rosh Hashanah Message 5770

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I was born and brought up in Brighton until the age of �0, and still remember the excitement of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

I used to go with my family to the beautiful Middle Street Shul every Shabbat, and I have a recollection of it being well-filled every week. Middle Street is smaller than the New West End, but is quite exquisite, and it used to be known as the ‘jewel box.’ I believe it was the first public building to be illuminated by electricity. We used to have an overflow service in the Metropole Hotel, and I can remember that being completely packed out - just as the Shul itself was.

One year when I was about 8, a Mr Shoot came down from London to train and conduct a Choir that was going to sing with the Chazan, the Rev Berl Braunstein Z”L, and I was a member of that choir. Mr Shoot was very famous, having been Choir Master in the Great Synagogue, but unfortunately, he was aging by the time he came down to Brighton, and I can still remember the difficulties he had in disciplining some of the boys during rehearsals, (not me, of course!), throwing his tuning fork to the ground in exasperation!

When we came to London the Yamim Noraim still engendered a feeling of great excitement for me. On the first night of Rosh Hashanah the Shul was packed, and the majestic and captivating melodies came out of mothballs to create an atmosphere that no other night of the year ever had. I was used to a fairly well-attended Shul each Shabbat, but the huge crowds that came and filled the main Shul, the overflow services, and the children’s and youth services gave real meaning to the Rabbinic expression: B’rov am hadrat melech -

“The King is praised in a multitude of people.” As I got older and became a Chazan, I recall the nervousness with which I approached these days. It is a great responsibility to carry the prayers of the congregation on your shoulders, and, after some 45 years of doing this I am still always concerned that I should fulfil my role to the satisfaction of the congregation who send me as their messenger, and that Gd should take heed of my prayers.

I became Chazan in the New Synagogue, Stamford Hill at the age of 23, and I can still recall the buzz of excitement and apprehension I felt, walking to Shul on Kol Nidre night together with hundreds of members, knowing that, in a short while, it would be me that they would be listening to. (Mind you, if I’d had any feelings of pride, they had been driven out of me while I was standing up to my elbows in soap suds doing the washing up before setting out to Shul!)

I can also recall the first time I stood before a packed Shul to deliver my first Rosh Hashanah sermon. I devote a great deal of time to preparing my sermons each week, and much more to choosing my words for the High Holidays. I’m under no illusions that I’m going to change the entire community by what I say in the pulpit, but I live in constant hope that I may say something that will impact on, perhaps, one person, even in a small way. One of the greatest triumphs of my professional life was to be told by a woman that her son started coming to Shul as a result of something I said one Kol Nidre night, (maybe I should have given up the Rabbinate immediately and quit while I was ahead!)

Addressing hundreds of people, most of whom haven’t been to Shul since last year, is a great challenge for every Rabbi.

If you try to encourage people to come more often, you’re accused of ‘telling us off’, and if you don’t mention Shul-going, then the regulars feel you haven’t done your duty. If you talk about supporting Israel, some people complain that the Rabbi should stick to religious issues, and if you don’t mention Israel, you’re accused of being an anti-Zionist! Rabbi Israel Slanter used to go into the pulpit and say: “What I’m going to say now are words I shall address to myself. But I don’t mind if you listen in!”

Writing this in August, I have not yet started preparing my sermons for this year’s High Holidays, but let me assure you, if I decide to try to encourage you to be more observant, it’s because I need to be more observant. If I urge you to lend more support to Israel, it’s because I need to be more supportive of Israel. If I try to impress on you the necessity to be more generous towards our charitable endeavours, it’s because I need to be more generous. I shall talk to myself - and you’re welcome to listen too!

If you choose to take my words personally I shall be delighted because, while I shall not address what I say, with any individual in mind (other than me), I shall certainly be talking personally to every single man and woman in the Shul.

I very much look forward to seeing you all over the forthcoming Yom Tov days and Anne and I pray that you will all be granted a year of good health, happiness and peace.

Rabbi Geoffrey L Shisler

Rabbi’s Message

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During the course of a century, few things stand the test of time, but Clapham’s residential care home Nightingale has gone from strength to strength as the decades have passed.

Nightingale, one of the largest care homes in Europe continues to provide outstanding nursing and residential care, demonstrated by being awarded the highest ranking 3 stars by the sector’s regulator, the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI).

Nightingale is particularly proud of its dedicated dementia unit which offers specialist treatment programmes including drama and music therapy. With news that pensioners now outnumber children for the first time in British history, it is even more important that dementia is neither stigmatised nor feared and that our community is fully equipped to cope. One in three older people are likely to suffer some form of dementia in their lifetime and is a topic that needs to be openly and honestly addressed.

The Government, the NHS and experts in the field all believe that early diagnosis is key to treating dementia effectively and reducing its symptoms, therefore we should be informed enough to recognise some of the common signs, either in ourselves or a loved one. The seven stages listed below are highlighted by the Alzheimer’s Society.

Jewish Care

Stage �: Individuals experience no memory problems and none are evident to a health care professional during a medical examination

Stage 2: Individuals may feel as if they have memory lapses, especially with familiar words and objects but are not apparent to family and friends

Stage 3: Family and friends start to notice a mild decline such as decreased ability to remember new names, reading a passage and retaining little material or misplacing a valuable object

Stage 4: Clear deficiencies include decreased knowledge of recent events, decreased capability to perform complex tasks and reduced memory of personal history

Stage 5: Major gaps in memory and individuals may be unable to recall details such as their address, be confused about where they are or the day of the week

Stage 6: Significant personality changes may emerge and individuals will need extensive help with everyday activities, they tend to wander and become lost

Stage 7: In this final stage suffers lose the ability to respond to their environment, the ability to speak and ultimately, the ability to control movement

One of Nightingale’s top priority is ensuring all our residents, including those suffering from dementia, feel safe, secure and protected. The specialist dementia unit is run by a dedicated team who ask themselves; ‘ifthiswasme,howwouldIwanttobecaredfor?’

It is care homes such as Nightingale that help relieve the agony of carers of dementia sufferers and work with families to build a solid support network for all involved.

IfyouwouldliketoenquireaboutpermanentorshortstayresidenceatNightingaleorfindoutaboutvolunteeringopportunities,contactsallymiller@nightingalehouse.org.ukortelephone020 8673 3495

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Wishing your community a Happy & Healthy New Year

You can drop the goods off at your localALL ABOARD 12 Spring Street, W2 3RA

or you can phone us to arrange a collection

020 8381 1717For more details visit our website www.allaboardshops.com

or email info@allaboardshops.comRegistered Charity No. 1125462

You can drop the goods off at your localALL ABOARD 12 Spring Street, W2 3RA

or you can phone us to arrange a collection

020 8381 1717For more details visit our website www.allaboardshops.com

or email info@allaboardshops.comRegistered Charity No. 1125462

"How about volunteering at the Spring Street branch?The new Manageress will be grateful for your help - its a great way to meet people and help worthy causes, including your Synagogue. "

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DearMembers,

IamdelightedtointroducemyselftoyouasyournewAdministrator,hereintheShulOffice.IhavetakenoverfromRachelCohen,afterashortperiodoftransition,sopleasedopopintotheOfficeandintroduceyourselvestome.Iamalwayshappytohelpyou-pleasefeelfreetosendyourqueriestomeinSpanish,English,HebreworYiddish.

Bywayofintroduction,IwasborninLimaPeru,whereIgrewupinaverycloseandtraditionalfamily.IattendedtheonlyJewishSchooltherecalled“LeonPinelo”.MyfatherhademigratedtoPeruin1939fromasmallshtetelinPolandcalledSaklikowandmymotheremigratedtoPerufromMexicoCityin1947.HerfamilyoriginatedfromPolandtoo.

Imadealiyahinthe1970s,settledinEnglandin1977andjoinedKentonSynagogue,whereRabbiShislerwastheChazan.Forthelast14years,IhavebeenamemberofStanmoreandCanonsParkSynagogue,whichiswhereIbroughtupmytwindaughtersValerieandNatalie.

IamverymuchlookingforwardtoworkingforyouinthisbeautifulSynagogueandCommunity–sofareveryoneIhavemethasbeenfriendlyandhelpful.

IwouldliketotakethisopportunitytowishyouaShanaTovaandG’marChatimaTovah.

EstherBehrman

A Message From the New Administrator

N

R OSHHAS ANAFU !

H

toddlers@newwestend

Upcoming events: SukkotOctober 5th 1-3pmShabbat themeNovember 9th, 1-3pmChanukahDecember 7th, 1-3pm

Monday 7th September 1-3pmInteractive Music and PlayWith Ilana Bendel£5 per session

Join us for a Jewishthemed afternoon of

singing, dancing,jumping, clapping,banging, s ha ki ng,

bouncing,puppet watching, guitar playing,

parachute play and bubble popping.

All children welcome from newborn to pre-schoolers.

This group is open to mums, dads and child-carers accompanying

Jewish Children.

Please contact us at toddlers@newwestend.org.uk<mailto:toddlers@newwestend.org.uk>

or call the synagogue office on 020 7229 2631Our Address: New West End Synagogue, St Petersburgh Place, W2 4JT

Access is at the back of the building in St Petersburgh Mews, W2.Join our mailing list and please tell your friends about our new group.

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The status of Shemini Atzeret can be confusing at first glance. Its name means the “eighth day of assembly” which would imply that it somehow belongs to the seven-day holiday that immediately precedes it, Succot. It is true that there is a connection between Shemini Atzeret and Succot, but its independence as a yom tov is well established in the Talmud.

In Numbers 29:35, it is written that “On the eighth day you should hold a solemn gathering; you shall not work at your occupation.” This verse does not connect the 8th day specifically to any of the other traditions associated with Succot, begging the question: Is this its own distinct yom tov or part of Succot? This confusion has led to much debate over whether one should, for example, say kiddush in the Succah on this day, a custom followed by some, or whether Shemini Atzeret should warrant its own liturgical additions.

Shemini Atzeret is a two-day festival in all traditional Diaspora communities and a one-day holiday in Israel, as with many other Jewish holidays. The only ritual that is unique to Shemini Atzeret is the prayer for rain (tefilat geshem), and this prayer is parallel to the prayer for dew which is recited on Pesach. These two holidays

serve as the bookends of the agricultural season, at the beginning and end of the rainy season. Whereas the Torah does describe the offering that was brought to the Temple on Shemini Atzeret, once the Temple was destroyed, there was nothing that remained from the holiday’s ritual except the liturgy requesting rain for a bountiful year.

In the early middle ages, Shemini Atzeret began to be associated with the ritual of completing the yearly cycle of readings from the Torah, leading to the later development of Simchat Torah from what was likely the second day of Shemini Atzeret. Simchat Torah developed into the day on which we celebrate the ending of one cycle of Torah reading and the beginning of the next cycle.

In the Diaspora, Simchat Torah is congruent with the second day of Shemini Atzeret, and in Israel, it coincides with the single day of Shemini Atzeret. It is a joyous holiday with a relatively young history, since it is not mentioned in the Torah. It is traditionally the only time when the Torah is read at night, when we read the last section from Deuteronomy, to be followed the next day by the conclusion of Deuteronomy and the beginning of

Genesis. There is a tradition on Simchat Torah morning of giving an aliyah to all congregants, and synagogues will often repeat the reading until all members have had their aliyot or sometimes split into smaller groups to read from several different Torah scrolls simultaneously, so everyone can have this honour.

Similar to Succot, there are seven circuits made around the synagogue on Simchat Torah which are known as hakafot. In distinction to the hakafot on Succot, they are done holding the Torah, not the lulav and etrog and are accompanied by joyous dancing.

In recent times, Simchat Torah has also become a very “child-friendly” holiday. All the children are invited up for a group aliyah and flags are given out for the children to march around with during their own hakafah.

While Simchat Torah’s origins are not specified in the Torah, it has become a Torah-centic yom tov on which the hearts of Jews are drawn to celebrate the Torah.

Eli Ballon

History ofShemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah

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I am sure that you can imagine, dear reader, the joy that I felt when Glenn asked Vicky to marry him. Any mother would be thrilled for her daughter to be marrying someone like Glenn who is a responsible, well mannered and gentle young man who I am sure will keep Vicky in the style to which she would like to become accustomed.

Once the decision was made, all the plans that had been in my head for so long (well let’s face it, I had known for ages that it was only a matter of time) could now be put into action. As far as I was concerned, there was only one caterer that I wanted to run the ‘show’. My first thought was to ask Beverley from Toby Levy who pressed all the right buttons with what she proposed and that included the venue, which is at a place where she is the principal caterer so she knows it well.

In our last article about the wedding Vicky told you all about the preparations and how she put our ‘team’ together. What I never anticipated was the minutiae of detail which we would have to address to bring together what we hope will be a fantastic day.

One thing about my daughter Vicky is her ability to go about things in an organised fashion. She has astounded

everyone with her files of papers, which are divided into numbered sections for ease of finding all the letters and receipts. She has made a scrapbook from articles and photos that she has cut out from various wedding magazines to give ideas on everything from bridal gowns and shoes to flowers and honeymoon destinations. All the members of the ‘A’ team have commented on her ability when asked for ideas to turn to the scrapbook and say ‘well I saw this in a magazine’. It does make life so much easier.

Naturally, when deciding who was to be in the wedding party, Glenn’s two sisters and my two sons were an obvious first choice and good place to start. Vicky has always been a very family orientated person and this meant she ended up with a large entourage.

We are lucky to have such a close family; however, our closeness is not one of physicality. We are spread far and wide throughout the world and it’s always lovely to have a Simcha to bring us all together. Vicky was set on including a representative from each branch of the family. Glenn’s two sisters would represent the Portnoys, Carey, my great-niece would represent Charlie’s northern family and Lauren, my niece would represent my father’s side of the family.

My brother’s children would be page boys and to include my mother’s side Vicky asked my cousin’s grandchildren to be page boy and flower girl. There were two close friends that Vicky and Glenn wanted to include in the party. Glenn has been close to Danny Nahum since starting school at age 4 and wanted him at his side as best man as he had been for Danny at his marriage at the New West End last November. Likewise, Vicky has been friends with Laura Harris, also since age 4 at Ilford Jewish Primary School and it was natural to include her as one of the bridesmaids. Who else could we choose as groomsmen than my two handsome sons who are close to their sister and will look very dashing in their morning suits.

In theory this all sounded lovely, however the practicality of getting everyone together for trials and fittings was another matter. Carey had to travel down from Durham and Lauren had to be fitted in California. Appointments had to be arranged at times that suited everyone – no easy task. That was only the start of finding solutions to matters of transport, hotel bookings, hair appointments, makeup trials and of course finding appropriate shoes.

Like all brides, it‘s important to get the right look for your wedding day

Wedding PreparartionsLynn Brown

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and Vicky was particularly interested in finding the right look for her. We went to a local salon for a trial make up but were disappointed with the outcome. We asked various people for their recommendations and were finally directed to a rather unusual choice – none other than the makeup maestro Jawad Ashraf, who is makeup artist to the Bollywood Stars!

We travelled with a close friend of mine, to Harlesden which was the address provided for Mr Ashraf. On arrival we were rather bemused by the sight of a London town house covered in scaffolding, this address was clearly his home. We rang the bell and were promptly greeted by a rather portly Asian gentleman with a full set beard and impeccably pruned eyebrows.

We were made very welcome and shown into the living room where we were asked to make ourselves comfortable for a few moments. When he was ready, he escorted us to a room at the back of his house. When the door swung open it revealed a salon like no other with huge mirrors surrounded by Hollywood lighting and mountains of cosmetics, make up brushes and all the paraphernalia for styling hair – now this was a professional!

Jawad turned out to be a true artist. We had already been informed that he only makes up half the face during the trial. He explained that this was so one could see clearly the work he had done. And boy could we! We immediately signed him up as part of the A Team.

If only it would be possible to invite everyone of our acquaintance to share this happy day with us. When Vicky and I sat and made a list of all the people we wanted to invite to the wedding we thought we had kept within our limit. We looked at each other with such satisfaction - that is until we added them up! What a shock to see that we had gone WAY over our capacity. We had so wanted to include everyone and the hard task was reducing the number.

Once we had our list, we had to choose the invitation. A firm called The Invitation Factory had assisted us with our previous Simchas and we would once again be calling on them to help with the Wedding. The choice was huge and yet the one we wanted jumped out at me straight away. Still we pored over the books to make sure our choice was the right one for us. My father always told me that when making a Simcha the invitation should reflect the importance of the event. We recently received the invitations and they are everything we could have hoped for.

There was never any question about where the Chuppah would take place. As a member of the most beautiful Shul in London and with the canopy in memory of my dear father, z”l, there could be no other place but the New West End. However to ease the problem of finding a parking place for our guests, Vicky and Glenn downloaded from the internet, maps to show where there is parking for both the Shul and the reception and these maps have been included in the invitations. By the time we had added in the Aufruf cards, the wedding list cards and the maps and stuck on the stamps it was hours of work!!

Organising this wedding has been great fun as well as hard work. Sharing that work with my lovely daughter has been a real privilege. So far, we have been very much in tune with each other but of course as I sit here writing this, dear reader, there are still two and a half months to go until the big day and as you can imagine, anything can happen between now and then. My hope is that we shall continue as we have until now, enjoying the close relationship that Vicky and I have and that October 25th will be a wonderful memorable day and everything that our bride and groom would want it to be.

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Reflections onthe West BankJosh Morris wrote the followingreport after driving through theWest Bank for the first time.

and Jewish people had settled and built upon this land just like this. Whilst driving, I felt myself slipping back sixty, seventy, eighty years in time. I simply could not get the idea out of my head that what I was driving through is the canvas or the foundations from which the modern State of Israel has sprung, on which its story has been painted. Israel’s thriving metropolises, most notably Tel Aviv, have grown from land exactly the same as the dry arid conditions through which I was now driving. Every time I looked out of the window, I was constantly reminded of the fact that even in one of the harshest natural environments on earth, Israel’s pioneers and its subsequent generations have managed to create a richly diverse, cultural and economically successful State.

After spending a rather hectic afternoon traversing areas of the West Bank, visiting settlements and outposts as well as Palestinian villages, I was caught in very much two minds. On one hand, it made me immensely proud of Israel, and on the other, deeply embarrassed to call myself a supporter of the State. Although beautiful in some parts, the West Bank is in many ways a desolate place. It lacks natural resources and the land is very hard to cultivate. Interestingly however, when travelling through it, my instant gut feelings was not sorrow for the clear daily hardship which faces the Palestinians who wished to work and build upon this bleak land, but pride for Israel. This was because, for much of the journey, all I could see through my eyes was the wondrous achievements of how the State of Israel

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However, these rather Zionistic thoughts triggered another reaction within my brain. If Israel has to all intents and purposes become a regional superpower, using this parched land, why have the Palestinians in the West Bank failed so drastically? To the tune of mass unemployment and a life expectancy, which is a massive 8 years less than their Israeli counterparts living in some cases a mere kilometre away.

This question however was quickly answered when visiting the IDF checkpoint situated on the outskirts of Nablus, which processed every vehicle entering and exiting the city. In fact, up until recently the Israelis operated a strict quota system as to exactly how many vehicles could be within Nablus at any one time. What began to dawn on me whilst observing soldiers interrogate

a Palestinian builder and search through his cement mixer was that the intrinsic difference between the Palestinians living in the West Bank, and the original Jewish pioneers, who built the State of whom I am in so many ways proud. It is not that the Palestinians lack the founding Zionists’ desire, motivation, or passion to create a State for their people, as many would like to think. Rather, the difference is that despite many obstacles which Israel and its Jewish residents were forced to overcome sixty years ago, they did not, after Independence involve, outposts, road blocks and settlements. There was no State, which would periodically demolish their homes or build fences, walls and roads, which would cut their land, villages and towns in two. At no point was Ben Gurion for example, humiliated at a checkpoint when

travelling from his Kibbutz in the Negev up north.

The Israeli public must be reminded of the fact that when we look at the Palestinians, we are not looking at strangers, but are in fact peering into our and Israel’s past. We were once also Stateless refugees living in an uninhabitable landscape, however through sheer will and determination, the State of Israel was born. It is with this in mind, we must also allow the Palestinians of the West Bank to use all their resources, desire and passion to also create a State, which their children and children’s children are proud of.

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A spectacle that has dazzled and frazzled the minds of all who witnessed it. If by chance you were not present at this feat of party planning genius, then fear not, I shall fill you in so that you may converse with others in the community who were lucky enough to witness the event, and so as to keep up with the latest gossip.

Let me start with why I got involved in the project. For the last two years, I have been trying to accomplish the ultimate harsh challenge that is the Duke of Edinburgh award.

One of the criteria needed to accomplish the award is to complete a service, so I decided to do something, which would both be fun and of benefit to the community, and what better that helping with the Children’s Service at

Shabbat L’YeladimBy Elliot Bernie

my Shul, the New West End Synagogue. The planning process started one week before my first GCSE exam, which admittedly was not the best timing but would certainly prepare me for tough deadlines in the future. It was slightly stressful, as it meant that finding a day just to organize the Shabbat was very difficult, but with perseverance, I managed to find some time.

After a two-hour meeting with The Powers That Be, all the important aspects of the day were decided on.

The day worked out into three parts; morning activities for older and younger children, a dedicated sermon from our very own Rabbi Shisler, followed by a scrumptious lunch.

The morning activities were held in the Golda Cohen Room and in the Beit Hamedrash where two madrichim were brought in to help the rest of the helpers with the activities.

The second part of Shabbat L’Yeladim consisted of a dedicated sermon from Rabbi Shisler in which he addressed the children directly, telling them the story of King Solomon and the bumblebee.The children all seemed bewitched by the tale but it would appear that the adults were equally enthralled.

Then came the best bit as in all Jewish affairs….The Food!

All in all a good time was had by all…especially the yeladim !

Shabbat L’Yeladim, probably New West End’s biggest, most fantastic event of this year.

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What is more, I was really moved by the singing of George and Joseph Rosenfeld with the Rabbi.

Finally, as you know, at my age when we play, we are not very interested in food, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for a lovely lunch. The atmosphere during lunch was one of those I feel when we visit my big family in Israel for a special Chag.

So thank you again for the family atmosphere as well.

It was lovely to open the synagogue door and to be welcomed by the warm Club Sameach team. I was also very happy to see my friends, Ella, Jeremy and my new friend, Bianca. We had such a great fun- singing, clapping, patting our knees and dancing in circles to the Club Sameach songs.

Since that day, I start every morning with the catchy song: “I open one eye I open two, I say mode ani, which means thank you....” Mummy is slightly worried, because everywhere we go I sing, rather loudly, the other catchy song: “Dingalinaling the Torah comes, bringing mitzvoth for someone,

dingalingaling I wonder who, dingalingaling, it is for you.” I mean it, literally everywhere we go - the supermarket, the nursery school, in the streets of Paris and London and of course at home.

I have to say, I get fascinated every time we are allowed to stand on the platform near the Aron Hakodesh. It is such a beautiful synagogue!

In addition to the beauty, I mostly enjoyed running up and down the stairs and in between the rows. I hope we didn’t make Michael and Jonathan too tired keeping us still on our seats.

Alicia Ruth Levy(3 years old)

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Looking Round Lord’s12th July 2009

By RaphaelSchmetterling

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The group met at quarter to ten, in front of the cricket ground on St. John’s Wood Road, on Sunday, the �2th of July. There were about sixteen of us. Our guide, Richard Mernane, is a former member of the synagogue. It was a beautiful day, perfect weather for our tour, and for the cricketing season, which has just begun.

We began the tour with the best seats in the house – the Mound Stand; this area provided us with a fantastic sweeping view of the pitch. There, our tour guide told us about the history of Lord’s, starting with its founding by a man called Thomas Lord. The grounds moved twice before coming to its present site. From our location, we also got a good view of the media centre, which is very hard to miss - think of the back of the Starship Enterprise! On the other side is the pavilion, also sticking out with its red brick. Originally, the pavilion was to be white, but there was a strike at the quarry at the time!

Afterwards we went into the media centre itself, and got to see its great facilities; each desk has its own miniature air-conditioning, and hidden underneath is a plethora of sockets. On the second floor of the centre is a series of rooms for commentating, each for a different station, whether it is Sky or the BBC.

We then proceeded to the pavilion, which used to have a tavern next to it. It is a very grand building and we were

amazed as we passed through its many rooms. The Long Room is where the players pass through to get onto the pitch. Before a match, members of the Marylebone Cricket Club (the grounds’ owners) can mingle with the players here. We then passed into the Boardroom, an ancient looking room with a seat reserved for Her Majesty the Queen.

Overall, we enjoyed the trip very much and I bet some of us are considering applying for membership at the MCC. Thanks go to all those who helped organise this great event. The day was enjoyable and I hope that it can happen again.

Overall, we enjoyed the trip very much and I bet some of us are considering applying for membership at the MCC. Thanks go to all those who helped organise this great event. The day was enjoyable and I hope that it can happen again.

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I am fairly computer literate and so was particularly frustrated when I could not find the version of this article that I had first started to write towards the end of June.It would have been a piece about the value of Jewish

the already fraught process of schools admissions and now feeling rejected by their co-religionists. But has the Court’s decision really made Jewish schools more accessible to more Jews? Or has it, ironically, limited the class of children who will be able to avail themselves of a Jewish education?

In simple terms, the law now states that whilst Jewish schools can favour applications from Jewish children when they are over subscribed, the only tests they can now apply to determine Jewishness relate to practise and observance. Charedi schools will not be much troubled by the ruling. They have always used these sorts of criteria, taking into consideration Shabbat observance, Kashrut and other factors tending to denote adherence to ultra-Orthodoxy.

schools, their diversity and the incredibly positive impact on Jewish life and learning that they have in this country.

It would have been a piece about how the opportunities to attend Jewish schools have never been greater for children from all parts of the community, particularly with the advent of the cross-communal JCOSS in September 20�0. So what has changed, apart from the loss of my initial musings down a virtual black hole? The answer, of course, is the Court of Appeal judgement in the JFS admissions case.

To be sure, the ruling has been welcomed in some quarters. The particular facts leading up to the case have highlighted divisions in the community and the pain suffered by some families coping with

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What can no longer be considered, as a sole, primary or even ancillary factor, is whether a child has a Jewish mother or father.

Nor can synagogue membership be a consideration, because whilst shuls, as charities, can continue to apply such criteria to membership, a school could not indirectly adopt the same test for its applicants.

To do so, the Court stated, would constitute racial discrimination.

Denying Jews the freedom to determine who is a Jew is bad enough, and branding as racist the way in which all sections of our community consider, in one way or another, parentage as a factor in making that determination,

of Deputies’ Shared Futures Schools Linking initiative teach tolerance and understanding by promoting contacts with non-Jewish schools. It would have made the fundamental point that for parents to have a choice in how they educate their children, they need to have more options and not less – but then

the computer ate my article, the Court of Appeal delivered its judgement and we found ourselves in uncertain territory.

is even worse. But the impact goes further, because non-observant Jewish families will now struggle to get their children into Jewish schools. Indeed, precisely those who might most benefit from exposure to Jewish learning, which might otherwise have been largely absent in their lives, will be excluded.

The Court’s judgement will mean that the pool of prospective pupils will shrink from all Jewish children, to only those who can demonstrate a sufficient level of observance, which in itself will be both difficult and invasive to measure.

My original article would have explored how pupils at Jewish schools develop as confident, knowledgeable Jews, able to take their place in wider society. It would have noted how projects like the Board

Havingfaith inJewishSchoolsby Jon BenjaminChief ExecutiveBoard of Deputies

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Rosh HashanaRecipesby Valerie Green

BEEF STROGANOFF for 2 portions.

• 280 grams prime bolo thinly sliced• margarine or sunflower oil• � small onion• � tablespoon of flour• � teaspoon dry mustard• cumin• pepper• 2 bay leaves• 280 ml. approx bouillon• � tablespoon mayonnaise

Prepare beef in strips, sprinkle with pepper and cummin. Cover and leave for 4 hours. Do not chill. Take a thick based saucepan. Pour in sufficient oil to cover the bottom. Use a metal plate on cooker hob to stop any of the ingredients catching. Lightly fry the onions, add beef and seal. Stir in flour, mustard, hot bouillon (by crushing half a beef soup cube adding 280 ml of water) pepper, bay leaves and cumin. Take care to avoid catching by stirring frequently. Add more water if necessary. Cook for about 90 minutes.

Take a soup plate. Put in mayonnaise, add some of the gravy and mix. Return to the saucepan, and stir. Re-heat, bringing back slowly to just under boiling point. Cook for further 5 minutes. To be served with boiled rice.

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COOKING SUGGESTIONS

SALT BEEF

Soak for about �2 hours to make less salty then pour water away, cover with fresh water in the saucepan bring to the boil, remove scum. Add 3 whole cloves of garlic, 2 onions, 2 – 3 carrots. 3 bay leaves. Cook for about 3 hours on a low light depending on the weight.

SPINACH

Instead of boiling put enough olive oil in a large frying pan, chop the leaves and remove stalks, sauté until tender – turning every few minutes. Drain liquid off. Use, or put in a covered container at the bottom of the fridge. Will keep for a few days until required.

CELERY SOUP (PARVE)

• � large celery• � medium size onion• 2 cloves of garlic• � bay leaf• grated rind of an orange• 2 large potatoes• 2.3 litres (4 pints) of water • 2 vegetable soup squares• Ground nutmeg to taste• fennel or marrow (optional)

Prepare and wash celery – cutting sticks in half. Cut onion in half. Peel potatoes – cut in half. Crush garlic, or cut up fine. Add grated orange rind, soup squares, bay leaf, nutmeg and water. Optional add small fennel or half a medium size marrow Bring to boiler, simmer for about 30 minutes, puree. Re-heat as required or freeze in portions.

Serves about �0 persons.

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The Jewish Museum has been awarded several large grants towards the purchase of the ‘Lindo lamp’, the earliest known English Hanukah lamp, which is one of the most important treasures of British Jewish heritage in the museum.

The museum has raised grants totalling £250,000 towards the sum of £300,000 needed to purchase this unique piece of �8th century silver Judaica from its current owners. The National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) has agreed to contribute £�45,000 while independent charity The Art Fund and the MLA /V&A Purchase Fund have awarded £75,000 and £30,000 respectively. However, the museum still needs to raise the remaining £50,000 from private sources in order to secure the future of this outstanding item and to prevent it from being removed from the public sphere.

The Hanukah lamp has been on loan to the Jewish Museum since the �930’s and has been on display for over 70 years. It was commissioned from silversmith John Ruslen in �709 on the marriage of Elias Lindo to Rachel Lopes Ferreira. The Lindos were prominent members of the early community of Spanish and Portuguese Jews in London and founder members of Bevis Marks Synagogue, established in �70�. Elias’s father, Isaac Lindo (�638 – �7�2), fled the Inquisition in the Canary Isles and settled in London in �670. The backplate of the Hanukah lamp is chased with the figure of Elijah fed by the ravens, in a play on the patron’s Hebrew name.

Jewish Museum closer to saving300 year old silver Hanukah lamp

PRESS RELEASE21 JULY 2009

The Jewish Museum is currently underway with a major £�0 million Development Project, part funded by a £4.2 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and plans to reopen in early 20�0. The expansion will triple the space at the museum’s flagship Camden Town premises, bring together the collections, displays and activities of its two former sites and create new education facilities and exhibition galleries with hands-on displays for children and families.

The lamp would be on public display in the newly developed gallery, Judaism: A Living Faith, housing the museum’s magnificent collection of Jewish ceremonial art which has been awarded Designated status by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council in recognition of its outstanding national importance.

RickieBurman,JewishMuseumDirector,said: “We are delighted to receive these significant grant awards which bring us closer to securing the future of the Lindo lamp as part of the permanent collections and new displays at the Jewish Museum. We now urgently need to raise the remaining £50,000. It would be tragic if this gem of Anglo-Jewish heritage would vanish from public view in this country. The acquisition of the lamp would be an excellent way to mark this outstanding object’s 300th birthday this year.’

JennyAbramsky,ChairoftheNHMF,said: “Hanukah lamps are central to Jewish celebrations and the Lindo Lamp is particularly special as it is the first one known to have been made in England. It is witness to 300 years of Jewish history in this country and it’s wonderful that the National Heritage Memorial Fund is helping to save it for future generations.”

AndrewMacdonald,ActingDirectorofTheArtFund,said: “Not only is this lamp historically important, it is also linked to a family who were great patrons of the arts, chiming with The Art Fund’s core purpose as an independent charity dedicated to saving works of art for the nation. We therefore strongly support the Jewish Museum’s bid to acquire the Lindo Lamp.”

JanetDavies,HeadofRegionalLiaison&PurchaseGrantFundV&AMuseum,said:”Competition for Purchase Grant Fund support is intense but there was no hesitation in wishing to support this acquisition as a very fine piece of �8th century silver smithing of great historical importance and one which has been central to the Jewish Museum’s public displays for 76 years.“

Contact: Dina Wosner on 020 8371 7371or marketing@jewishmuseum.co.uk

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Notestoeditors:

TheNationalHeritageMemorialFund(NHMF)The National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) was set up to save the most outstanding parts of our national heritage, in memory of those who have given their lives for the United Kingdom. It currently receives £�0million annual grant-in-aid from the Government. For more details, please contact Dervish Mertcan, NHMF Press Office, on (020) 7591 6102. www.nhmf.org.uk

TheArtFundThe Art Fund is the UK’s leading independent art charity. It offers grants to help UK museums and galleries enrich their collections; campaigns on behalf of museums and their visitors; and promotes the enjoyment of art. It is entirely funded from public donations

and has 80,000 members. Since �903 the charity has helped museums and galleries all over the UK secure 860,000 works of art for their collections. Recent achievements include: helping secure Titian’s Diana and Actaeon for the National Galleries of Scotland and the National Gallery, London in February 2009 with a grant of £� million; helping secure Anthony d’Offay’s collection, ARTIST ROOMS, for Tate and National Galleries of Scotland in February 2008 with a grant of £�million; and running the ‘Buy a Brushstroke’ public appeal which raised over £550,000 to keep Turner’s Blue Rigi watercolour in the UK. For more information contact the Press Office on 020 7225 4888 orvisit www.artfund.org The Art Fund is a Registered Charity No. 209174

MLA/V&APurchaseGrantFundThe MLA/V&A Purchase Grant Fund is a government fund that helps regional museums, record offices and specialist libraries in England and Wales to acquire objects relating to the arts, literature and history. It was established at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in �88� and continues to be part of its nationwide work. The annual grants budget, currently £900,000, is provided by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA). Each year it considers some 250 applications and awards grants to around �00 organisations, enabling acquisitions of around £4 million to go ahead. For more information visit the website: www.vam.ac.uk/purchasegrantfund

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OfallthemanyeventsthatgoonintheShul,oneofthebest-keptsecretshastobeboththeMorningMinyanandthebreakfastthatfollowsafterwards.

ForthoseofusthatareregularsthereisalwaystheexcitementofwonderinghowmanywewillgetandforthoseofuswhoshouldbethereeverymorningEliverykindlyoffersatextmessagingwakeupservice!!!

Themorningcongregationismadeupofregulars,outoftownvisitorsandthosesayingKaddish.

Afterdaveningwhichisnormally30/35minutes,slightlylongeronaMondayorThursdaywhenwelein,theRabbispeaksforafewminutes.Thenit’stephillinoff,lastKaddishsaid,anddowntotheGoldaCohenRoomforthehighlightofthemorning…breakfast!!!

Forourmanyvisitorsovertheyears,whethertheyareinLondonforaday,aweekorlonger,itisanidealwaytomakenewfriendsandtodiscoverabreakfastyouwillfindnowhereelse!NootherShul,Iamsure,hassuch

thespread”andusuallyblamingEliforitall.Thisisn’treallyfairasit’softenotherswhogottherewellbeforehim–youhavetobequickoffthemarkgettingtotheGoldaCohenRoom.Infact,IhavenoticedpeoplehoveringaroundthedoorwaitingforthelastKaddishtobefinishedsotheycanbefirstin.

Asenjoyableasthefoodis,ofcourseit’stheconversationthatmakesthemeal!!Israel,gossip,politics,gossip,travel,gossipandfootballarethemostpopulartopics-occasionallyoneofourlocalChabadRabbistriestotalkaboutreligionbutwequicklyputastoptoallthat,itistheNWESafterall.

Someofus,ofcoursearemorevocalthanothers,someofusjustlistenandsomeofcoursehaveanopiniononeverysubject…..duringsummerwhenthereisnofootballatleastoneendoftableisslightlystumpedforconversation.IwouldliketothankallthosewhohavesponsoredvariousbreakfastsovertheyearwhetheritisStanleyBlum,ourweeklysponsoronaFriday,orthosewhohavesponsoredtocommemorateaYahrzeit,birthdayorjustbecausethey

ahighqualitytoastmasterfirstthinginthemorning.Irefer,ofcourse,toourdearSeniorWardenwhohasthetaskofensuringperfectlytoastedtoastisdeliveredtothetable.OntheoccasionsAlanisawayitonlytakesaday,twoatmostbeforesomeonestartscomplainingaboutthequalityoftoastinhisabsence,toolight,tooburnt,toocold….

Thenofcoursewehaveoursommeliers(orwhatevertheequivalentforwhiskypouringis).Manyavisitorofcoursethinkit’sajokewhenaskedifyouwantalittleSchnappsbutnormallyiftheycomebackforasecondday,theyareinthequeueforawhiskyortwo…

Therearethoseofuswhocomeinthemorningwhohavetodaven,eatandrushofftoworkwhereasothershavetheluxuryofamoreleisurelystarttothemorning.Therefore,oneortwoprefertotaketheirtimeoverthedaveningandsauntertheirwaydownstairsafterwards.Notsurprisingly,bythetimetheygetdownthere,thereisnotalwaysalotoffoodleft(especiallyonaFridaywhenitssmokedsalmonandbagels)….thentheconversationturnstowhohas“ganiffedthelastofthesalmon,whohasganiffed

The New West End’s Best Kept SecretJonathan Robinson

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enjoytheexperienceandwanttoshowtheirgratitude.AlsotothosewhohavegenerouslydonatedthegallonsofScotch–ithasbeengreatlyappreciatedbymany!

Finally,ImustmentionthemostenjoyablebreakfastoftheyearhadtobeonMichaelCutler’s80thbirthday,notonlydidhehavethejoyofhisthreesonsjoininghimattheServicebeforehandbutalsofortherestofus,itwaspurejoywhenNatalie(andChloe)joinedusforbreakfast.Weseemanythingsduringtheyear;femalecompanyisindeedararity.

A morning at the NWES is the most wonderful start to the day, there is plenty of room at the table, please come and join us!

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ConcertandUKlaunch7thJuly2009attheNewWestEndSynagogue

MusicarrangedbyStephenGlass

TwoaccompanyingCD’ssungbyCantorGideonZelermyer,Montreal

Shiru Lo Shir Chadash – Sing to Him a New SongMusical anthology of original compositions by Rabbi Geoffrey Shisler

Jeff Jacobs

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I first encountered Rabbi Shisler’s music in the late �980’s when I heard the Choral Selichot service from the NWES featuring the B’nai Brith Festival Singers (who were subsequently renamed the Shabbaton Choir) under the direction of choirmaster Stephen Glass. The two chazzanim were Stephen Robins and Geoffrey Shisler of Edgware and Kenton Synagogues respectively.

The music from this service had an enormous impact on me and switched me on to cantorial music in a totally new and exciting way, thanks to the combination of traditional melodies and Stephen Glass’s musical arrangements with unconventional harmonies. Up until this point, my appreciation for cantorial music had been limited to legendary singers such as Yosele Rosenblatt, Gershon Sirota, Moishe Koussevitzky and other chazzanim featured on Rev. Reuben Turner’s weekly Chazzanut show on Spectrum Radio.

Since Rabbi Shisler joined the NWES, he has introduced pieces of music that are memorable, catchy and importantly, appropriate to the nusach. On one occasion, Rabbi Shisler presented me with a piece of music “Btzeit Yisrael” which is sung during Hallel. Choirmaster Elliot Burman had no objection to my attempt at harmonising the melody that Rabbi Shisler had presented, the rhythm to the song being appropriately reminiscent of a march.

I then spent several weeks attempting to shoehorn harmonies over the top of this distinctive tune with a great hook. Of our entire repertoire, it most reminded me of the version of psalm 24 “se’u shearim” that we sing at weddings.

I considered a staccato, pizzicato-style choir backing, just like “se’u shearim” but the melody was so memorable that adding harmonies detracted from its simplicity. I sheepishly returned to Rabbi Shisler with nothing added and nothing taken away, learning that less is more.

Imagine now, five years later, some of the Rabbi’s music has been transcribed by the world-renowned Stephen Glass and is being performed at the concert here by Chazzan Steve Robins at the NWES lo and behold, no new choral harmonies.

Two of my favourite operas, Don Giovanni by Mozart and Rigoletto by Verdi both feature melodies so memorable that the audiences at the premieres of both of these work, left the theatre humming the tunes. Rabbi Shisler has written melodies that are equally as memorable as la donna e mobile and la ci diarem la mano, you simply have to come to shul to hear them.

For the book launch and concert I sang with The London Cantorial Singers (TLCS) having been invited by choirmaster David Druce, though I would have attended regardless as an audience member; when I sing at NWES services I always have one ear on the congregation in the hope that they’re joining in!

The concert was expertly compered by Rabbi Lionel Rosenfeld who praised Rabbi Shisler for the congregational melodies in the new book. Several chazzanim sang pieces from Rabbi Shisler’s compositions and three pieces with choral harmonies provided by The London Cantorial Singers, two pieces were performed by the school choir of Sinai School, a school associated with

Rabbi and Anne Shisler because not only did they send their children there, but also because Rabbi Shisler composed their school song.

Mr Hirsch Cashdan played one song on the clarinet from the Jewish Music Institute, and a final ensemble in which anyone that had been a delegate that week at the European Cantors Convention and augmented by members of the NWES synagogue choir who joined in with Havu LaShem.

During the concert, we heard Chazzan Moshe Haschel perform “Shema Yisrael”. Chazzan Haschel praised Rabbi Shisler for his compositions and stated that he hoped that the music would be adopted by all synagogues. In Rabbi Rosenfeld’s introduction to this piece, he favourably compared it to other Kedusha compositions by Glantz and Pinchik.

Rev. Reuven Turner, the guest of honour made a speech in which he told an anecdote about how he was at Rabbi Shisler’s audition for Jews College with the late Rev Bryll, who was Rabbi Shisler’s teacher.

Geoffrey is probably the most knowledgeable “mayven” of Chazzanut around and also a competent musician. This book “Shiru Lo Shir Chadash” is a combination of his deep knowledge of nusach, his lively personality and his enjoyment of rendering the tefila in a most refreshing way. We look forward to learning and performing more of these gems and the publication of a second volume!

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New Years Greetings 2009 Rabbi & Mrs. SHISLER and family wish the community a healthy and peaceful New Year.

Happy 5770 to Rabbi Geoffrey, Anne, Chazan Jeremy, all officers of the Shul and all members of the NWES community. Sandra BLACKMAN

Chag Sameach from Trudie BLUESTONE & Family to Rabbi & Mrs. Shisler and all at the New West End Synagogue

Best wishes for a peaceful, healthy and happy New Year from Zara BRICKMAN and Lionel KAUFMAN

Adieu and farewell my friends, wishing you a healthy, peaceful New Year and may you continue to go from strength to strength. Rachel COHEN

Derry & Tony DINKIN wish all their old and new friends at the NWES a very happy and peaceful New Year

Norman and Thelma EPSTEIN wish Rabbi and Mrs Shisler, the Honorary Officers and the whole community a peaceful New Year and well over the Fasy

Victor and Esther FIELDGRASS, Rudi and Theo extend their warmest wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year

A very happy New Year to Rabbi and Mrs. Shisler and thanks for being such wonderful people – Erika FOX

Geoffrey & Valerie GREEN wish all the community a happy and healthy New Year

Wishing Rabbi & Mrs. Shisler, Honorary Officers and the entire New West End Community a happy and healthy New Year from the HAMMERSCHLAG Family

All best wishes for a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year from Jane and Cyril HODES

Bobby JAYSON wishes all his friends at the NWES a very happy and healthy New Year Wishing Rabbi & Mrs. Shisler, family and friends and all members of the community a happy and healthy New Year – Susan and Harvey KATZ

Dorothea, Cyril and Oliver wish all their friends a happy and healthy New Year and well over the Fast.

Carol and Laurence LANDO together with Jessica send our best wishes to the NWES congregation for a happy, healthy New Year

Roy and Barabara LEVIN wish Rabbi and Anne Shisler, Chazan Jeremy Lawson, Board of Management and Congregation Chag Sameach

With our best wishes for a healthy and happy New Year to all our Community - Linda and Martin LEWIN

We wish everyone health, happiness and joy. Shana Tova from Collette LUX and David PRICE

A happy and healthy New Year and well over the Fast to all at the New West End – Denise and Melvyn LUX

Maxine & Michael MARGOLIS and Family wish Rabbi & Mrs. Shisler, the Honorary Officers and the entire Community a happy and peaceful New Year

Val & Jeff MARGOLIS wish Rabbi and Mrs. Shisler, their friends and all congregants at the New West End a Chag Sameach.

Hilde & Jonathan MATHESON wish Rabbi & Mrs. Shisler and all their friends a happy and healthy New Year

Sandy and David MONTAGUE wish everyone peace, health and happiness in the New Year

We wish the NWES Community a healthy, sweet and peaceful New Year – Gaby, Howard, Lucy & Josh MORRIS Anne and Stephen PETERS and family wish everyone at The New West End a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year

Renée & Valerie RICHMAN wish Rabbi and Mrs. Shisler and all our friends at the New West End a very happy and healthy New Year.

Wishing Rabbi & Mrs. Shisler and the entire community a healthy and prosperous 5770 and well over the Fast – Jonathan ROBINSON

Mrs. Sybil SCHAPIRO sends her best wishes to the congregation for a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year.

Be healthy, be happy, be wealthy and fast well in 5770 – from Fariba, Dori and Raphael SCHMETTERLING

Very best wishes to al from Phyllis SHAPRO and Stuart. May we enjoy a year of peace.

The SHARRON Family wish all members and friends a very happy, peaceful and successful New Year and well over the Fast

With all best wishes for a healthy, happy New Year – The SIMKIN Family

Wishing the whole community a happy and healthy New Year love Angela, Jon, Rachel and Zac SKRY

We wish Rabbi & Mrs. Shisler, Chazan Lawson and all Shul officers a happy, healthy and successful New Year – Hilary and David SLOVIK

Happy New Year and well over the Fast to family and friends from Marcella SPELMAN

Happy New Year to all the community from the STEINFELD Family

A happy New Year to all from the STONE Family – Jeremy, Sally, Rosalind and Nicholas

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On Monday 9th November, Lorna Fitzsimons, CEO of BICOM – the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre – will be speaking in the Golda Cohen Room on Monday 9th November. Come and hear what she has to say and to have your say.

For those of you who are not familiar with Lorna, she became one of the youngest MP’s to be elected to Parliament, serving as MP for Rochdale at the age of 29. Whilst in Parliament she was Chair of the APPG on Kashmir as well as a member of Labour Friends of Israel. She was Parliamentary Aide to Robin Cook and also on the Procedures and Modernisation Select Committees. Lorna was also a member of the Hansard Society Board and Chair of the Historic Parliamentary Labour Party Women’s Committee, comprising of �0� female MP’s.

On leaving parliament in 2005 Lorna set up her own consultancy and became a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Defence Academy, which is responsible for post-graduate education and training for members of the UK Armed Forces and Ministry of Defence Civil Servants.

Save the date for Israel Group Events: 7.30pm, Monday 9th November Lorna took up the exciting and challenging post of CEO

at the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre (BICOM) in October 2006. BICOM is a professional, independent, not for profit organisation devoted to creating a more supportive environment for Israel in the UK.

We are also delighted to welcome back Dr Emanuele Ottolenghi, Executive Director of the Transatlantic Institute, who has confirmed that he will be speaking at the NWES in the near future. Emanuele who is now based in Brussels, is a political scientist by training. He has taught Israel Studies at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies and the Middle East Centre of St Antony’s College, Oxford University and obtained his Ph.D. at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. You may be familiar with his columns which have appeared in The Guardian, the Jewish Chronicle, Newsday, The Middle East Quarterly and The Daily Mirror; and European publications such as Die Welt and Il Corriere del Ticino.

A frequent commentator on Israeli domestic politics, the Arab-Israeli conflict and Europe’s Middle East policy, Emanuele will be sharing his views with us and as those of you who saw him last time will know, this is an evening not to be missed.

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Fridaynight18thSeptember

Light the Yom Tov candles before 6.54pm and recite the following two blessings:

“Barooch atah Adonye Eloheinoo melech ha’olam, asher kiddshanoo b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik neir shel Shabbat v’Yom Tov.”

“Barooch atah Adonye Eloheinoo melech ha’olam she’hecheyanoo, vekiyemanoo, vehigianoo lazman hazeh.”

Prior to lighting the candles, it is important to light a twenty-five hour candle e.g. a Yahrzeit candle, so that one can transfer the flame from the twenty-five hour candle to a new candle in order to light the Yom Tov candles on the second night of Yom Tov.

Services in the Synagogue commence at 6.45pm.

Following services, and your return home, make Yom Tov Kiddush, then wash hands ritually and make the blessing over the challah. The challot for Rosh Hashanah are traditionally round and represent continuity and wholeness. After eating some challah, dipped in honey, we take an apple and dip a piece in honey and say the following prior to eating it: “Barooch atah Adonye Eloheinoo melech ha’olam, Borei Peri Haeitz”

After eating it recite the following:

“Yehi ratzon milfanecha Adonye Eloheinoo veilohei avoteinoo, she’techadesh aleinoo Shana Tova oometooko” “May it be your will. O Lord our Gd and Gd of our forefathers that this year will be a happy and sweet year for us.”

Saturday19thSeptember

Shacharit services begin at 8.00am.

Saturdaynight19thSeptember

We usher in the second day of Rosh Hashanah by lighting the Yom Tov candles as soon as possible after 7.53pm. We do this by transferring the flame from the existing flame which was lit before the first night Rosh Hashanah began (see above) and then reciting the two blessings (excluding the phrase Shabbat v’ in the first one). Since there is a doubt about whether we should recite the She’hecheyanu Beracha on the second night, it is traditional to have on the table a new fruit that one has not eaten yet that year, while one makes the blessings over the candles. Alternatively one can wear a new item of clothing. However, if one does not have a new fruit or a new item of clothing, one still makes both blessings including “She’hecheyanu”.

Sunday20thSeptember

Shacharit services begin at 8.00am.

It is important for every man, woman and child to hear the blowing of the Shofar which commences at approximately �0.00am. It is important to hear the blessings recited by the Ba’al Tekiah (the one who actually blows), and to answer “Amein” to each of the three blessings. Then, during the course of the morning, we are obliged to hear one hundred blasts of the Shofar.

It is forbidden to talk from the time one hears the first note of the �00, right up until the last one.

In the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah, we will return to the Synagogue at 4.45pm to walk together towards the Serpentine for the traditional Tashlich Service at 5.�5pm at the Peter Pan Statue. This is performed by reciting

several prayers at a source of water. Afterwards, the pockets are symbolically emptied as if a person is shaking off his sins and casting them into the water. As a source for this ceremony the verses in Michah are often quoted:

“He will again have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou will cast all our sins into the depth of the sea ....”

We then return to the Synagogue for Mincha and Ma’ariv at 7.00pm and Yom Tov ends at 7.5�pm.

THE FAST OF GEDALIAH

Monday21stSeptember

The day after Rosh Hashanah is observed as a fast day, in memory of Gedaliah ben Achikam. Gedaliah had been appointed Governor of Judea by Nebuchadnezzar, after the destruction of the first Temple in 586 BCE. He had been charged with the responsibility of rebuilding Jewish life among the remnant of the Jews still in the Holy Land.

As a result of internal strife among the people, Gedaliah was assassinated and, many of those Jews who had remained in Judea, fled to Egypt. Since this represented the final stage of the destruction of Jerusalem, it is observed as a fast day, when we recite special Selichot prayers.

Shacharit will be at 6.45am and the Fast ends at 7.42pm.

SHABBAT SHUVA Friday25thSeptember

Shabbat commences 6.38pm.Mincha and Kabbalat Shabbat will be read at 6.30pm.

Saturday26thSeptember

Shacharit will be at 9.�5am.Mincha and Ma’ariv at 6.30pm.Shabbat ends at 7.37pm.

Yom Tov Guide

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YOM KIPPUR

Sunday27thSeptember

Mincha

On Erev Yom Kippur, Sunday 27th September, at �.30pm in the Synagogue, we will conduct the pre-Yom Kippur Mincha (afternoon) service, which includes the first of the ten times that we recite “Al-cheit” prayer (confession) throughout the day.

A festival meal on Erev Yom Kippur is a mitzvah (obligation) because one thereby reveals joy over the approach of his or her time of forgiveness. This meal is called the “seudat hamafseket” (meal of cessation). There is no Kiddush prior to this meal, but we do wash our hands ritually, make the “Hamotzi” (usually over a Challah) and say Grace after Meals.. The meal should be concluded well before 6.33pm, allowing enough time to light candles and to get to the Synagogue in time.

The following Berachot are said over the candles:

“Barooch atah Adonye Eloheinoo melech ha’olam, asher kiddshanoo b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik neir shel Yom HaKippoorim.”

“Barooch atah Adonye Eloheinoo melech ha’olam she’hecheyanoo, vekiyemanoo, vehigianoo lazman hazeh.”

Wearing Non-leather Shoes.

It is forbidden for men, women and children to wear leather shoes on Yom Kippur.

Kol Nidrei

Services in the Synagogue commence at 6.45pm.

The Yom Kippur prayers begin with the chanting of Kol Nidrei. We have to commence before sunset since this

prayer is a form of the repealing of vows, and we are not permitted to repeal vows on Shabbat or Yom Tov.

Monday28thSeptember

Shacharit commences at 9.30am.

Yizkor on Yom Kippur Day will be at approximately �.�5pm.

If one’s parents are still alive, it is permissible, but not essential, to leave the Synagogue during Yizkor. However, it is our custom that we commence with a public Yizkor, which includes Memorial Prayers for the victims of the Holocaust and for Israel’s fallen soldiers, for which everyone should remain in the Synagogue. There will then be a short break to allow those who wish to leave to go out before we commence the private Yizkor.

The Fast ends at 7.32pm.

SUCCOT

The Building of the Succah

If you haven’t built a Succah before and intend to do so this year, the Rabbi will be very happy to advise on the requirements to ensure that it is Kasher.

It is a Mitzvah to decorate the Succah. If you are able to assist with the Shul’s Succah, please contact the Synagogue office for details of when it will be done. Also please let us know if you are able to donate laurel branches, fruit etc.

Dwelling in the Succah

It is a great Mitzvah to eat in the Succah. The congregation is invited to join us for a festive dinner in our Shul Succah following services on Friday evening 2nd October. Please make reservations at the Synagogue office on020 7229 263�.

Kindling of the Lights

Lights are kindled on the first Yom Tov night in the Succah (if you have one - or else indoors) and two Berachot are said:

“Barooch atah Adonye Eloheinoo melech ha’olam, asher kiddshanoo b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik neir shel Shabbat v’Yom Tov.”

“Barooch atah Adonye Eloheinoo melech ha’olam she’hecheyanoo, vekiyemanoo, vehigianoo lazman hazeh.”

Note that the same requirements regarding the 25 hour candle apply as they did for Rosh Hashanah.

Four Species - The Lulav

The four species are taken hold of each of the seven festival days (except Shabbat) and a Berachah is said over them daily.

Anyone who wishes to have a set of lulav and etrog, please contact our Shammash Mr Eli Ballon in the Shul Office. Even if you do not have your own Lulav and Etrog there will be several sets in the Synagogue for your use.

SIMCHAT TORAH

Please note that our annual Simchat Torah party will take place this year on Sunday ��th October following the morning service which commences at 9.�5am.

Please bring your children both on the Saturday night and Sunday morning for Hakafot - there will also be a special Kiddush after the service on the Saturday night.

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With best wishes for a healthy, happy and

prosperous 5770

036

Jewish communal life across the UKcontinues to be as vibrant and variedas ever, and thankfully, most of us are seldom the direct victims of antisemitism. Sadly, antisemitic inci-dents continue to occur.

January to June 2009 Antisemitic Incidents ReportIn the first six months of 2009 CSTrecorded 609 antisemitic incidents. Thisis more than the 544 incidents reportedto CST throughout the whole of 2008:and more than we have ever recordedin a single year since our recordsbegan in 1984. The beginning of 2009coincided with the fighting between Israel and Hamas, with CST recordinga total of 286 antisemitic incidents inJanuary alone.

Antisemitism is not the fault of Jewsor Israel, it is the fault of antisemites.British Jews should be able to air their views on Israel. These are racistattacks, in which nobody asks the victim for their political opinions. Britainis a democracy and Jews, like anyother citizen, are entitled to expresstheir opinions without being physicallyattacked or racially abused for it.

Report incidentsAntisemitic incidents can take severalforms, from the more serious physicalassaults to desecrations, graffiti or ver-bal abuse. If you suffer or witness suchan incident, we urge you to report it tothe police and to CST without delay.This is the best way to ensure that theincident is properly investigated, andreduces the chance of the perpetratorsrepeating their crime and someone elsefalling victim.

It is important that we do not allowantisemitism to define our communityand there is no reason for it to inhibitour Jewish way of life. We are all free toexpress our Jewishness however wesee fit. Antisemitism, racist abuse or

hate crimes of any kind have no placein our society.

It is likely that, in common with otherforms of hate crime, some people inour community who suffer antisemiticincidents do not report them to eitherCST or to the Police. By reporting antisemitic incidents, you can help to

ensure that these crimes have no placein our community.

CST is the only national organisationto record and analyse antisemitic incidents in the UK.

Taking responsibilityCST is a registered charity. We receiveno statutory funding or any officialgrants and we rely entirely on dona-tions to support and develop our work;and trained volunteers to help do thework. CST prides itself in providing allof its services to the Jewish community

entirely free of charge, but protectingthe community is very costly.

CST’s work continues to take placeat hundreds of communal buildingsthroughout the UK: including schools,synagogues and community centres.

CST has taken responsibility with its Protective Windows Project initia-tive, which ensures the fitting of shatterproof film on the windows of every Jewish communal building in Britain. Recent terrorist attacks atboth Jewish and non-Jewish sitesdemonstrates that flying glass is thesingle greatest cause of death and injury. In January 2009, arsonists failed to set fire to the inside of a synagogue in London due to the shatterproof film on the windows, saving it from serious damage.

In addition to the Protective WindowsProject, we work in partnership with local communities and organisations on The Security Enhancement Project. This ensures that security measuressuch as CCTV, access gates, lightingand alarms help to deter possiblethreats against our community.

Thank youCST would like to thank our network ofover three thousand trained volunteersacross the UK who give their precioustime to protect our community in all circumstances. CST’s work would simply not be possible without the support of our volunteers’ families andthe partnership of our community. Wewish you all Shana Tova.

Can you help?Ever increasing demands are beingplaced on CST to protect our commu-nity and we urge you to take responsi-bility and play your part in this vital work.

If you are interested in becoming avolunteer or would simply like to makea donation please call 0208 457 9999or visit www.thecst.org.uk

For London & Southern regions emergencies, call the Police on 999 and CST on 07659 101 668. For non-emergencies call CST on 0208 457 9999.

Speak up

CST urges the Jewish community to remain vigilant and ensure thatsecurity continues to be a priority.CST asks the community to reportall antisemitic incidents, and any

suspicious activity, to both the Police and to CST without delay.

Above: Antisemitic graffiti, Nottinghamshire, November 2008.

September 2009 / Tishrei 5770

Community Security Trust registered charity number 1042391