NL Dec 2014 - Hampstead Garden Suburb Synagogue

the norrice leader december 2014
1
December 2014
September
2014
ALL THE NEWS FROM HAMPSTEAD GARDEN SUBURB SYNAGOGUE
Two buses for
Jewish Care
H
ampstead Garden Suburb Synagogue’s Rabbis and
Board members paid a visit to Jewish Care’s Maurice
and Vivienne Wohl Campus at the beginning of
December to present a cheque for £34,000 to Jewish Care’s
chief executive, Simon Morris.
The fantastic amount, raised by the congregation through
the shul’s Shavuot appeal was used to fund two buses – one
for Rela Goldhill Lodge, a home for adults with physical and
sensory disabilities in Golders Green, the other for Lady Sarah
Cohen House, a dementia and nursing care home in Friern
Barnet. This will be shared with Rosetrees care home. Both
rely on these buses to take residents to and from appointments,
day trips and holidays.
Managers and residents of both care homes were invited to
join everyone for breakfast to celebrate what Emma Raymond,
Marketing Executive of Jewish Care describes as “the amazing
generosity of the Hampstead Gardens Suburb Synagogue
congregation.”
A Chanukah
gift for the
Levene family
From the
Chairman
A
T
s we prepare for Chanukah, we
wish Mazal Tov to Rabbi Marc
and Lisa Levene, Rachel, Miri
and Ruthie on the arrival of their new
daughter and sister, seen here with Miri
(L) and Rachel.
Every good wish to them – we look
forward to greeting the newest member of
the family into the community very soon.
Catch up with all the simcha news on page 12
In this edition:
Herta Stiefel – a story completed p 2
Messages from our Rabbis p 3
Boris – the photographer p 5
Defending Israel p 6
Mitzvah Day p 7
Shabbat UK pp 8-9
The Grumpy Column p 13
The Oxford Union Debate
and They’re just like us p 14
he vibrancy and strength of our community has been much in
evidence over the last three months.
As ever, the Yamim Noraim and High Holydays were wonderful.
They always show our shul at its best and, this year, the services, led by
Chazan Avromi and Zvi Kahn, and the use of every square metre of
available space, allowed us to reach out to over 2000 people in a
spiritual and engaging way. The staff and volunteers who enabled it
all to run so smoothly deserve our thanks.
Shabbat UK was celebrated with more vigour and activities than
in most other communities around the country. There was a real
feeling of community spirit and I was particularly pleased at how many
volunteers stepped forward to enable these activities to take place. The community really came
together and those of us who were there felt a closeness and sense of engagement. We now
want to build on that enthusiasm. One legacy being developed is to take the concept of hosted
community Shabbat lunches and to hold these again in the future. We are also looking to build
on the volunteering spirit which was so evident.
The generosity of our members has been very apparent. Our Kol Nidre appeal raised record
amounts for local and Israeli charities. Our Shavuot Appeal for Jewish Care raised enough to
fund two dedicated mobility buses, which we were proud to hand over in December.
Staying with charity, the Board has approved a new Charity strategy. The Board will be
asking the community to nominate two charities, to be selected at the AGM, around which the
shul’s charitable activity will revolve. We will write about this early in the new year. We will
continue to support the Kol Nidre and Jewish Care Shavuot Appeals. We are also continuing
to raise funds for the Lvov community, through the levy, for two further years, and support the
Friends of Lvov Concert, now under the Chairmanship of Jerry Goldstein.
We are giving new momentum to education within the shul. Martin Kaye is spearheading
an adult education committee that will be offering a range of programmes and events. We also
want to assist the children’s services to integrate new families into the community. With this
in mind, we will be changing the times of children’s services in the new year, finishing them at
11.30 am, enabling children and families to come into the Main service for Mussaf. We will also
try inviting children to join Chazan Avromi on the bimah for Adon Olam.
Finally, there is a wide range of vibrant services, and, Baruch Hashem, many s’machot to
celebrate in the Shul. The Board is always trying to meet the challenge of providing a joyful
opportunity for s’machot to be celebrated whilst also allowing the Shul to provide its range of
services for the wider membership. We keep learning how best to do this, and your comments
to me continue to be very welcome. What a wonderful challenge to have!
Simon Johnson
the norrice leader december 2014
2
Herta Stiefel
– a story completed
When you enter the ladies’ gallery on Shabbat morning, you will see, davening in the back
row, a lady of advanced years. She is always first to arrive and leaves quietly at the end of
the service without joining us at kiddush, which is why you may not have spoken with her.
Hilary Halter interviewed her, and her story was featured in The Norrice Leader, in 2006.
Here, we bring it up-to-date.
H
erta was born in the small town of Schluchtern in Germany. Her family
had been established in the country for hundreds of years. Her father
was a banker and life was comfortable. Relations with the non-Jewish
community were easy – everyone knew everyone else. She attended the
local school and it was accepted that non-Jews did not visit Jewish homes on Saturday
and Jews did not visit Christian homes on Sunday.
Then came Hitler.
The school she had been attending took children aged from five to fourteen years
and she had moved on to High School but, with the accession of the Nazi regime, she
was forced to leave and return to the village school. She left at the age of fourteen and
attended Domestic Science College.
Then came 9-10 November 1938 – Kristallnacht.
A non-Jewish neighbour suggested that they should leave Schluchtern. They left and
joined their family in Offenbach-am-Main.
On 16 November 1938, Abraham Sichel, Herta’s father, was taken (together with
his cousin) to Dachau. The next thing that they heard was when they were asked to
collect Abraham’s things – they did not know that he had been shot. Herta, then aged
17, had to go and collect his possessions. The official said that he was sorry, to which
Herta replied, “If it were not for you he would still be alive.” He remarked, “There is no
longer room for people like you in Germany.” It was not until after the war that Herta
found out how her father had met his death.
They learned that Abraham’s body had been handed over to the Jewish community
in Munich for burial but, for some reason, they did not attend the levayah. However,
Abraham was buried in his Kittel and they sat shiva and observed the shloshim.
Abraham’s cousin was released from Dachau in 1941 only to go, via Theresienstadt, to
his death.
A cousin who had already moved to England found Herta a job as a domestic with
people who acted as her guarantors and she arrived in England on 16 April 1939. She
had two brothers, one of whom had been arrested for being a Communist in 1935.
He was interned in Dachau until 1937 when he was released and left Germany for
Colombia in South America. Her other brother went to South Africa. Herta’s mother
remained in Offenbach until 30 September 1942 when she was taken to Theresienstadt
in Czechoslovakia and thence to Poland. Nothing more was heard of her.
In England, Herta found a couple of jobs – she worked at the Sunshine Hostel for
Refugee Children in Hampstead and at the Chief Rabbi’s emergency feeding centre at
Shacklewell Lane Shul where she did the cooking. In 1941, she went to see Mark and
Sylvia Boxer and stayed with them, as a domestic, for the rest of the war. After the war,
she went to Windermere to work with young survivors from Europe who were being
rehabilitated there.
Then, in 1946, she was contacted by Norbert Stiefel. They had known each other in
Germany but he had found refuge in Rhodesia. They became engaged and, in 1947, she
left for Rhodesia to get married. At that time there were no scheduled flights to that
part of the world and the journey involved a hazardous flight on board a chartered
plane which crash-landed in the jungle on the border between the Belgian Congo and
Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia).
Mercifully, the radio was undamaged and the crew were able to call for help. They
were instructed to light a fire so that the smoke could be seen from the air. They were
found within two hours and food was dropped to them. It included treats such as
tinned fruit which she had not enjoyed in a long time. The pilot asked why she did not
eat the meat. She explained and the next drop included fish balls.
They walked through the jungle for five days and were eventually rescued by
people from Northern Rhodesia. From there, she flew to Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia
(now Harare), and was married, by special licence, one week later.
Herta and Norbert lived in Salisbury for thirty years and had two children, a son and
a daughter. Norbert served in the Rhodesian army – he was the soccer instructor – and
became a naturalised citizen. They were there at the time of the Unilateral Declaration
of Independence (UDI) by Prime Minister Ian Smith, a man they much respected. In
1977, they moved to Johannesburg, in South Africa, where both had family, and there
they stayed for twenty years.
Norbert first worked as a hairdresser, then as a sales representative, selling Raleigh
and Phillips bicycles. They were very active in the Jewish communities of both Rhodesia
and South Africa. Herta visited the sick and was Chairman of the Ladies’ Guild. She also
worked for the Rhodesian Chevra Kadisha, of which she is an Honorary Life Member.
During this time they paid several visits to London, always to the Suburb where their
son had made his home and, when here, they always attended HGSS. Then, in 1997, they
suffered a devastating blow when their daughter died of cancer. Their son insisted that
now was the time to make the move to London and this they did, becoming members of
HGSS, which Norbert
attended every morning until his death
in 2004.
Herta, left, and Anne Sevitt at the wedding of their
Until this year,
grandchildren, Samantha Stiefel and Daniel Sevitt,
Herta’s son, Barry,
in the South of France earlier this year
knew nothing of the
circumstances surrounding his grandfather’s death and he only found out due to a very happy family event.
On 13 July this year, his daughter, Samantha, married Daniel Sevitt, grandson of
HGSS member Ann Sevitt, in the South of France. After the ceremony, his cousin, who
lives in Konstanz on the Swiss/German border, confided to him that he had discovered
his grandfather’s grave. He had visited Dachau and, knowing that Abraham was shot
in Dachau, made inquiries from their records which confirmed what he knew and,
stated that he was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Munich. He followed the path and,
from the records there, was able to locate an unmarked grave. Barry says:
“I now had a dilemma. Should I discuss this with my mother – “Once back in
London, I wanted to erect a tombstone – or should I let sleeping dogs lie ? After
discussing it with my three children, they encouraged me to discuss it with Herta.
“After we got home, I sat with my mother and, during a discussion, I asked her if
she knew that her father was buried in Munich to which she replied. ‘Sure’. I asked her
why she hadn’t mentioned it to me and she said ‘You didn’t ask!’ I replied, ‘Why would
I think that the Germans who shot Abraham would then return the body for a proper,
Jewish burial?’ She then proceeded to tell me that the grave number was written in the
back of her Siddur. I told her that I wanted to erect a tombstone and she had no objection.
“A few weeks later, I flew to Munich and visited the Jewish cemetery which had
been established in 1905 and was still operational. It is a wooded cemetery and rather
beautiful. I visited the grave of my grandfather and said kaddish for the first time on
Sunday, 17 August 2014, nearly 76 years after he was buried. With Rabbi Kaplan’s help,
arrangements were made to have a tombstone made and the date was set when the
whole family would attend the stone setting.
“Early in the morning of Sunday, 19 October, we flew to Munich, were collected
by taxi and had a ceremony, conducted by Rabbi Langnas of Munich and returned to
London immediately afterwards.”
So, after 75 years, Herta returned to Germany for the first time, spent two and a half
hours on the ground and returned to London, surrounded by her family – son and
daughter-in-law, three grandchildren, two of their spouses and her great-grandson,
together with some close friends who made up the minyan.
Certainly, this is a remarkable story. Herta has not been too well recently but is now
on the mend. We wish her many more years to enjoy her lovely family and hope that
with this last episode they have found closure.
The matzeva for Herta’s
parents in the Munich
Jewish cemetery. The
inscription reads as follows:
For Abraham Sichel
Born on 26.10.1873 in
Schluchtern, arrested on
16.11.1938 in Offenbach am
Main, executed by shooting
on 7.12.1938 in Dachau
Concentration Camp
For Bella Sichel,
born Bachrach
Born on 17.4.1883 (which,
incidentally, is also Herta’s birthday)
in Neustadt, taken on
30.9.1942 from Offenbach
am Main to Theresienstadt
and deported on 5.11.1943 to
Poland. Missing
the norrice leader december 2014
Believing In
Ourselves
by Rabbi Dov Kaplan
T
here’s a joke about getting a seat in shul on Yom Kippur. A
stranger approaches the usher standing guard at the door: “Can I
go in for a second. It’s an emergency. I need to talk to my friend Mr
Cohen.”
“I’m sorry but you need a ticket,” says the usher.
“Please, I’ll only be a minute,” says the stranger.
“Oh, all right then, you can go in – but don’t let me catch you praying.”
Joking aside, for many shul-goers, the experience is indeed a prayerless one. Historically,
synagogues were conceived for three basic reasons: for prayer, for learning, and for gathering.
Most people understand the third reason, the social interaction. Some even learn something
new occasionally. However, praying? Just look at the bored faces, listen to the volume of
conversation during the service. The lack of interest in actual praying is all too apparent.
Do not take these words as judgemental – they are meant be thought-provoking. The
question raised here is: Can’t we do better? Have we grown so accustomed to this state of
affairs? Are we so complacent that we don’t dare to imagine and expect more from those
hours we spend in shul?
Truthfully, wouldn’t you prefer, even if not on every visit, to feel regularly uplifted from
the service? To exit/leave more energised than when you arrived? If you are still spiritually
aware that something is missing, reach for it. Obviously, there are obstacles in the way. Many
members aren’t proficient enough in Hebrew to understand or even follow the service.
Others simply don’t know what to expect. And finally, our biggest problem is breaking old
(bad) habits which, over the years, have conditioned us to low expectations from the “shul
experience”.
Most congregants, and even rabbis, have given up any hope for serious improvement.
But I ask you to remember that the synagogue was not a biblical institution. It has been
evolving and adapting for centuries to suit changing times and places. Aren’t we obligated
to seek improvement?
“Not inspiring”, I hear often. Of course not! The shul is only the setting while the
inspiration must to come from within each individual. However, the conditions we create
there should be conducive to such expression of one’s spiritual side.
I haven’t given up the cause and I ask you, believe it is possible and let’s do something
about it.
Samuel Beckett wrote: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”
… but the greater foolishness would be not to try at all.
3
Eight Candles
the inspiration to be found in them
by Rabbi Marc Levene
C
hanukah may be over but, after eight light-filled days in
the cold depths of winter, we can find meaningful words to
warm our souls.
There is an interesting and quite famous Talmudic debate
between two giants of Jewish history. The Schools of Hillel and
Shammai were torn over the methodology of how we light
the Chanukah Candles. The students of Shammai were of
the opinion that, on the first night of Chanukah, we should
light all eight candles and then, on the second night, we light
seven, the third night we light six etc. This would mean that, on the
eighth night, only one candle would be lit. The students of Hillel proposed quite the opposite
– that we light one the first night, two the second night, adding each time until, on the
eighth night, eight candles would be lit. The view of Beit Hillel was adopted as mainstream
Halacha and is practised today. But what is at the core of their differing perspectives? Often
in Halacha, we can look for deeper meanings behind quite practical instructions and, here
too, Chanukah presents more than just lighting candles.
Rabbi Shmuel Borenstein (1856-1926), also known as The Shem MiShmuel, in his
commentary on Chanukah, discusses an interesting idea. He explains that, for some,
inspiration can have a diminishing effect. The inspiration wears off over time. This is the
basis for Beit Shammai’s opinion. For others, a moment of inspiration is an opportunity for
growth and one can use that moment as a stepping stone for further growth if one doesn’t
allow the inspiration to dwindle. This is the basis of Beit Hillel’s opinion.
According to the Shem MiShmuel, the Houses of Shammai and Hillel were torn between
how a person deals with inspiring moments. When we read the story of Chanukah and
understand the incredible miracles that took place, as well as the abundance of blessings that
is bestowed on our great nation, how do we react? When kindling our own lights at home,
reminiscent of ancient practices, are we greatly inspired?
What kind of a person are we? Do we live in a moment of inspiration, reeling in its
energy and use it to enthuse our life like a meaningful Neilah or a fantastic Shabbat meal?
Or do we seek out subtle moments that can grow in our hearts and minds, building stronger
and stronger?
This is the dilemma that they had over 2000 years ago, but it is so pertinent today in our
religious practice. Realising what we need and how we grow is so important. Can we take
the energy and light of such a fun but yet meaningful festival and use it to enthuse these
winter months?
Whichever way works, whatever kind of person we are, please God we can all find our
path on our Jewish journey.
the norrice leader december 2014
4
Renée Lew
(1919 – 2014)
T
he community was saddened by the passing of
Renée Lew, mother of David, Ian and Barbara
Westbrook.
Renée Levy was born in 1919 in the London Hospital
and spent the first few years living with her family above
her father’s wholesale hosiery business in Brick Lane.
The family then moved to Stamford Hill.
After leaving school at Laura Place, Renée visited
friends in the United States. The outbreak of war meant
that she stayed for 6 months and eventually returned via
Naples from where her older brother Hymie, collected her.
The family moved to Amersham during the war,
Renée accompanying her father to work each day on
the Metropolitan Line. After the war her family moved
to Lyttelton Road. Older members will remember
her parents, Matilda and Michael Levy. Renée was
introduced to Jack Lew, a brother of Dayan Lew . They married in 1947 and, after a brief
spell in Highgate, settled in the Suburb. Her homes were open and happy. She regularly
hosted onegei Shabbat for the youth. Renée and Jack entertained regularly and their annual
succot kiddushim, which started in the early 50s when they were amongst the first to have
a succah, became legendary.
Jack was on the Board of Management for many years and served as warden in 1972/73.
Renée, too, was always involved with the kehilla as a member of the Ladies Guild for
around 60 years and of the Combined Charities Committee, which raised large amounts for
many worthwhile causes over many years. When featured in The Norrice Leader in 2005,
Renee reflected that when the Max Weinbaum Hall was being built and it was proposed to
illuminate it with strip lights, Jack protested and insisted that there should be chandeliers.
(Where are they now?)
Jack passed away suddenly, when Renée was just 60, but she extended her voluntary
work to helping in the Sobell Centre shop and joining Bnai Brith.
When she helped with the kiddushim, Renée always saved some herring and crackers
in the kitchen for Chazan Avromi for when he finished his pastoral duties at the entrance to
the hall. She delivered meals on wheels in her little blue car for so long that by the time she
retired from that job, well into her eighties, the clients were mostly younger than she.
Even in her nineties, Renée enjoyed coming to shul although she no longer looked in
every Friday morning to ensure that all the ingredients for the kiddush were present and
correct as she had done for so many years.
Tehai nishmatah tzerura bitzeror hahaim.
Billy Sharron
the 10th Anniversary Sale
T
he Food for You team held its final annual ‘One
Stop Shop’ on Tuesday, 16 September, at the home
of Susan and Neville Kahn. The team – largely
comprising HGSS members – has raised several hundred
thousand pounds for various charities since its inception
ten years ago.
This year’s twelve hour event, raised £30k for two
very worthy causes: UCH Sarcoma Services and The
Feuerstein Institute. Around 1000 supporters enjoyed
spending generously at a wide selection of stalls selling a
variety of gifts, judaica, jewellery, flowers and, of course,
yomtov hats. The team also produced a record number
of homemade honey cakes which rapidly sold out.
Food for You chair, Susan Kahn,
has been overwhelmed by the event’s
success:
“Although the ‘One Stop Shop’ is not
officially a community event, over the past
decade it has become a community highlight.
Once again, it was wonderful to see so many
generous supporters preparing for Rosh
Hashanah. The team has been amazing and,
whilst we are not doing this sale again, we
will, hopefully, continue to devote our energy
to other worthwhile causes. We have been
proud to have made the ‘One Stop Shop’ a
feature of the charity year.”
Succot at HGSS
(1934-2014)
An appreciation
B
The One Stop
Rosh Hashanah
Shop 2014 –
illy Sharron, son of Barney and Lily, was born in Edgware
in July 1934. Due to his mother’s ill health, the family
moved to Westcliff-on-sea in 1936, returning to spend the
war years in London. He won a scholarship to London’s famous
grammar school, Grocers – the intake of the school comprised
60% of the local Jewish population and produced many high
achievers. However, Billy had to leave the school in the second
year when the family moved back to Westcliff. He completed
his education at Westcliff High School for Boys, from where he
went on to qualify as a chartered accountant. He set up his own
practice, which later merged with Casson Beckman where he rose to become senior partner.
He married Barbara Davis in 1959. They started their married life in Stanmore, moving
to Highgate in 1974, joining HGSS some years later.
His charitable work began with his involvement with the Jewish Blind Society, where
he served as Treasurer and Chairman until it merged with Jewish Care where he became an
Honorary Vice-President. The list of charities in which he was involved is far too numerous
to mention in this short tribute but, foremost among them, was his Chairmanship of the
then UJIA Legacy Committee and the University Jewish Chaplaincy Board. He was Chair of
the Simon Marks Jewish Primary School in Hackney.
To mark Billy’s untiring work for the UJIA, the Board have dedicated a multi-purpose
hall in his name at the Esfandi-Isaacs Ort Shlomi School, near the Lebanese border, whose
students are mainly Moroccan, Tunisian and Russian immigrants.
All this amazing charitable work was carried out in the quiet and professional manner
that was Billy Sharron. He sought no publicity and rarely was his name or a photograph
featured in the Jewish Press. One would go further and say that few of his fellow HGSS
members, where he attended regularly, sitting alongside his brother, Monty, knew of his
dedicated work.
The late, great Rabbi Isaac Bernstein
once said, “Everything in life is borrowed –
including life itself.” Billy made good use of his short time on earth, achieving more in
one lifetime, with his incredible charitable workload, than many could achieve in two – an
example to all.
He still found time for his favourite pastimes – watching sport, especially Test Cricket,
which he watched at Lords, the West Indies and South Africa; Rugby, in which he excelled. He
was a Spurs supporter. In addition , he loved listening to classical music and Chazanut. He
was a keen fan of our own Chazan Avromi and had a collection of recordings of some of the
world’s great Chazanim.
At his recent stone-setting, attended by hundreds of people from all walks of life,
saddened by the loss of this wonderful man, many were left to stand outside the prayer hall
in the pouring rain – a mark of the esteem and affection in which he was held. His name will
be forever remembered as one of the most charitable, caring men of his generation.
He leaves behind his wife Barbara, three children Caroline, Valerie and Michael, and
four grandchildren to whom we extend our deepest sympathy.
Hoshanot
the parade of Arba
Minim
at a weekday Shacharit
during Succot.
Shabbat Tots
Led by Zahavy with her
accordion, together with
Rebbetzens Freda and Lisa,
the Shabbat Tots learned about
Arba Minim and the customs
surrounding Succot.
They danced and sang and
thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
This group, which meets
once a month, is a delightful
way to introduce our youngest
members to Shabbat and the
Chagim.
The Seniors
Our not-so-young members
enjoyed tea in the Succah,
joined by a party from Lady
Sarah Cohen House who
thoroughly enjoyed the
occasion.
Entertainment was
provided by Rabbi Levene
with his two daughters and
Chazan Avromi.
Dr Judith Tobin spoke
about her work
the norrice leader december 2014
5
Boris – the photographer
who brought Hollywood
to the East End
HGSS member Frank Harris, with fellow photography enthusiast Michael Greisman, has
produced a beautiful volume featuring the work of Boris, that icon of London Jewish life.
Michael Fishman spoke with him.
I
they realised just what they were letting
themselves in for?
He answered, “Boris’s photographs
are very special.” The project took far
longer than they had ever anticipated
and, after advertising in the Jewish press,
including The Norrice Leader, several times
and, of course, enquiring by word of
mouth, they finally achieved their goal
that allowed them to make a selection
worthy of Boris’s work.
“Where”, I asked, “is the market for
such a book? It is a beautifully produced
t would be hard to record the social
history of Jews in the East End of
London during the last 100 years
without mentioning the name of
Boris (Bennett, 1900-1985). Born Boris
Sochaczenska in Poland, he was the
photographer who, during a long career
which lasted from 1927 until the early
50s, took over 150,000 photographs.
Although he is mainly remembered for
his photographs of bridal couples, he
Dayan Meyer Lew
guaranteed sales!
On leaving, Frank noticed my own,
prominently displayed, Boris photograph.
“How come you did not submit this
wonderful example of Boris’s work?” he
asked. I could only apologise and promise
him his first entry in Volume Two.
Miriam Zack and Louis Rosenblatt parents
of Harvey Rosenblatt
Renee Solomans and Hymie ‘Harry’ Bourne
parents of Sara Morein and
Beverly Emden
also photographed several celebrities,
including Chaim Weitzmann, the first
President of Israel.
He was a flamboyant character – in
some ways like his namesake, London
Mayor, Boris Johnson. His secret was to
Sylvia Ruda and Michael Hanison parents of
Norman Hanison
make his richer clients feel the Hollywood
glamour, equally so his not-so-rich
clients – it stood in stark contrast to their
environment outside his studio,
Irrespective of where the ‘affair’ was
held, a visit to Boris’s studio was a ‘must’
for any Jewish couple whose wedding
photos are still to be seen in countless
Jewish living rooms.
Boris was, of course, a prominent
member of HGSS as are his two sons,
Michael and Maurice, highly successful
entrepreneurs and retailers, associated
with some of the best known High Street
brands such as Warehouse and Oasis.
Michael Bennett delights in giving
talks to various social groups on their
own and their father’s careers. It was
at one such talk that Michael Greisman
and Frank Harris, lifelong friends and
passionate
amateur
photographers,
enthused by what they heard, decided,
with the Bennetts’ approval, to assemble
a collection of Boris photographs, spread
far and wide in people’s homes, many of
which Michael and Frank visited.
It took them five years to complete
their mission and, as a result, Vintage
Glamour in London’s East End, featuring
about 150 of the many photographs they
had collected, was published last month.
I asked Frank Harris, also a prominent
member of HGSS, what inspired him and
his friend to undertake such a mammoth
task – surely more than just a few inspired
words from Michael Bennett – and had
Ada and Michael Harris parents of
Frank Harris
book but relatively expensive?”
His answer surprised me: “The
publishers, Hoxton Mini Press,
believe that the book will sell to
passionate enthusiasts like Michael
and myself, who appreciate that
Boris’s work, especially the handcolouring and sepia, was well in
advance of its time and 80% will be
bought by non-Jews!“ The first print
run is 2000 copies.
The book is currently on sale,
priced £25, at all the usual outlets.
Frank and Michael Greisman
financed almost the whole project
themselves. They look on it as an
investment in their time and hobby
which gave them both great joy
and satisfaction. “Would they do it
again?“ The answer was a wry smile
and “watch this space”. Having
seen the book, I can vouch that it is
beautifully produced and features
some of our members’ families –
The one that got away – the first for
Volume II
Who is this?
Who is this elegant young man?
Answer overleaf
the norrice leader december 2014
6
Defending Israel in an age
of growing anti-Semitism
Report by Michael Fishman
O
n Wednesday, 26 November, and with just 24 hours’ notice of their arrival, two of
Israel’s most robust advocates, Dennis Prager and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, arrived
at the Shul’s Landy Gallery. Patiently awaiting their arrival was an audience of
over 100 people. They were not to be disappointed.
Shmuley Boteach, an author, public speaker and TV host, is an American Chabad Rabbi.
Dennis Prager is a renowned American talk show host whose weekly programme is nationally
syndicated. He also writes a column which enjoys the same status and enjoys a huge following
in the United States. He is the founder of Prager University, a virtual, online institution
producing five-minute videos on social affairs as well as on the Middle East crisis. Rabbi
Kaplan chaired the meeting.
Although the recent controversial proposal to formally declare Israel a Jewish state is
opposed by many pro-Israelis as well as anti-Israel groups shouting “Apartheid!”, Shmuley
doesn’t see any reason why calling Israel a Jewish State should be regarded as in any way
more discriminatory than calling Britain a Christian country. Equally controversial, he gives
full approval to Jews having the right to pray on the Temple Mount. He refers to the West Bank
by its modern Hebrew name (derived from its original Biblical name), Judea and Samaria, and
asserts that it is an integral part of Israel.
He expressed frustration at his fellow Jews for their complacency and for not standing up for
Israel, both here and in Europe, especially on university campuses where the undergraduates
are usually outnumbered and abused.
Dennis Prager, on the other hand, was much less volatile. He would accept a two-state
solution as long as Israel was guaranteed a peaceful existence within secure borders – including
a united Jerusalem.
His views are based on Judeo-Christian morals and his weekly national audience is 90%
Christian - not surprising given that the population of the United States is overwhelmingly
Christian.
He exposed as a myth the idea that Israel is dependent on the all-powerful Jewish lobby. He
said, that the USA was the last
remaining religious Christian
community in the Western
Alliance, and it was the
religious Christian community
that supports the State of Israel
to the extent that no American
President, including the present incumbent, can make a major move against it.
Both speakers agreed on the growing threat of anti-Semitism in the UK and Europe and
saw it hidden behind the anti-Israel advocacy, all too readily built into our media, including
the independent BBC.
Prager was particularly critical of the EU for threatening Israel with sanctions for Human
Rights abuse, whilst deliberately ignoring the carnage, destruction and desecration created by
the Arab civil wars currently taking place in other parts of the Middle East. He said Europe was
finished and a spent force.
Rabbi Kaplan then took questions from the floor. Most had been well covered by the
speakers, except when they disagreed and openly challenged each other’s views – a situation,
one could only hope, would not be repeated at the Oxford Union.
The meeting concluded on a somewhat sombre note – when asked whether there could be
peace in the Middle East, Dennis Prager said, “There is no solution. Making the problem even
worse, is the rise of militant Islamic extremism, which is creating millions of homeless refugees
and massive loss of life in Syria, Iraq and Libya, making overall peace between Israelis and
Palestinians all the more difficult. Ironically the safest place for a Muslim Arab to live is Israel.”
Rabbi Kaplan thanked two brilliant advocates of the State of Israel for a most interesting
evening which had the audience absolutely enthralled.
(See the report on the Oxford Union debate on page 14)
Fighting an ethical war
Colonel Bentzi Gruber gives an insight into the lengths to which the IDF will go in
an attempt to avoid harming civilians. Report by Hilary Halter
1 Do not use force to harm the innocent,
the non-combatant
How do you determine whether a person is a non-combatant.
We were shown film of a man lying, wounded, on a stretcher. Is
he a terrorist? Yes, he is carrying a gun. However, within three
seconds somebody removes the gun, so how can one be sure?
Ethics say that if there is any doubt, you don’t shoot.
A
2 Make sure that you are using force only against
your enemy
capacity audience came to 8 Norrice Lea on
Sunday morning, 7 December, for a talk by Colonel
Ben Tzion (Bentzi) Gruber, Vice-Commander of
Armoured Division 252 in the Army Reserves of
the IDF. A veteran of six wars, Col Gruber lectures on ethics
in the IDF, specifically the dilemmas faced by commanders in
the field, the IDF’s code of ethics, as well as the IDF’s proactive
actions for preventing terrorist attacks and their effectiveness.
With the aid of graphic film footage, he explained to us the
lengths to which the Israeli army will go in the attempt to avoid
‘collateral damage’ – the loss of innocent, civilian life – and the
lengths to which terrorists will go to thwart these efforts.
He served during the recent Gaza conflict when every day
there were reports that the Israeli army was killing babies, even
taking their organs. He explained that, in the field, there is just
eight seconds in which the decision to fire or not to fire must be
taken. Taking such decisions in the field is not the same as when
in the comfort of one’s own home. During this last conflict,
Bentzi himself would be carrying a pack weighing some 60 lbs.
The men under his command might be carrying 170 lbs, as well
as a heavy helmet. Having carried that weight for over four
hours, you are, he says, an idiot, and this is the time when life
or death decisions must be made.
For warfare to be ethical there are three requirements:
3 Avoid collateral damage
This is not easy. You target a car which you know contains
terrorists but you are told that there are four children inside.
What do you do?
Not only did the Israeli army warn residents to evacuate
buildings they were about to target, they sent them text
messages. Film shows that, instead of evacuating such a
building, people assembled on the roof. The helicopter
overhead targets a corner of the building which is clear of
people. Only then do they begin to leave. There were fifteen
people on the roof and, only when fifteen people are seen to
leave it at ground level is the building demolished.
When warnings are given of imminent attack, the local
populace, instead of taking shelter, assemble in the street to
watch the show. We were shown film of a gun-toting terrorist
running away, but grabbing a child as a shield. The first child
objects and is left free. The second is not so lucky and is dragged
down the street, bouncing along the hard, rough ground.
We also saw several armed men climbing into a clearly
marked United Nations ambulance. These vehicles are
constantly used for terrorists to shelter and launch attacks. Who
is paying for them – for the driver, for the petrol, for the tyres,
for the repairs? You and I and British taxpayers in general, of
course.
Bentzi spoke movingly about what it feels like for a soldier
THE ANSWER
The mystery young man in the picture on the previous page is Martin Kaye
to kill an innocent person. He recalls, many years ago, killing a
woman at least 75 years old. He remembers seeing her husband
crying and, he says, he will carry this burden for the rest of his
life.
The Israelis did all they could to alleviate suffering – they
set up a field hospital for the Gazans. Sadly, people were told
that if they came to it they would not be able to return home.
He has given his talk on university campuses all over the
United States, being shouted down by the anti-Israel lobby, the
majority of them Jewish and being accused of being a killer.
Why is this his first visit to this country? Because he was denied
entry as a war criminal.
There was so much more to this riveting presentation and
it is impossible to recount it all here. Hopefully there will be
other opportunities to catch up with it. If so, do not miss it.
The message we are left with – do what you can to spread
the truth, to make sure that Israel’s voice is heard.
Bentzi, who spoke at several venues during his stay, was
brought over here by the UJIA who are running a programme
to prepare young people for life at university and how to
cope with the mindless antagonism which they are likely to
encounter.
HAVE YOU GOT
2-3 HOURS
A WEEK ...
to provide administrative support for the HGS
Security Team?
We need someone who can assist with the
co-ordination of the Shabbat volunteer rota –
which involves emailing and the updating of the
weekly security Shabbat schedule.
If you can offer this vital support to our Security
Committee, helping to keep our community
safe, please contact Danny Green:
[email protected] / 07710 570030
the norrice leader december 2014
7
Sunday, 16 November
“At this year’s Mitzvah Day we had a
bonanza!”, says Sarah Callman, Chair
of the organising committee. She reports:
N
ot only did we surpass last year’s Supermarket
Collectathon – that is the team that collect food
outside both Waitrose and M&S for GIFT, Barnet
Refugee Centre and the Soup Kitchen in Muswell Hill –
we were also honoured to have been chosen to be one of
the highlights for a visit by the Chief Rabbi, as you can
see from the photo.
Whilst all this was going on in Temple Fortune, back
at base the cheder kids were hard at work writing cards
for British Jewish soldiers and packing gift boxes for
them to take on their travels. These consisted of sweets,
chewing gum, tea bags and other goodies that we were
advised would be well received by the soldiers.
The children made sandwiches for the soup kitchen,
seasonal gifts for the children at the Barnet Refugee
Centre’s annual Christmas party, gifts for Camp Simcha,
bookmarks and books for Kids Company and decorated
mugs for the soup kitchen. Clothes and toys were
collected for needy families in Israel.
During the morning, the children were joined by not
one but two of Barnet’s Councillors, Gabriel Rozenberg
and John Marshall, both of whom got stuck in, making
sandwiches and decorating mugs.
A noticeable absence from the hall this year was the
Year 6 Aleph Learning Centre children who went, with
their teachers and some willing parent volunteers, to
visit the residents of Hammerson House. It was reported
that a good time was had by all and there was so much
chatting and sharing of stories that there was no time to
play any games!
To round off another great Mitzvah Day, we were
delighted to discover that HGSS had been awarded
one of the three prestigious awards that Mitzvah Day
head office award nationally – this year HGSS won the
Interfaith Award for our work with the soup kitchen in
the Baptist church in Muswell Hill, the Barnet Refugee
Centre and Kids Company. What a special way to end
such a productive day!!
We were honoured by a visit from the Chief Rabbi
Fifty-one people gave blood
Anya Myers delivers cakes to the Royal Free Hospital
What Mitzvah Day at HGSS achieved:
51 people gave blood
Among those who benefited were:
75 children and 150 adults at the Barnet Refugee Centre
100+ kids at Kids Company
40+ people at the soup kitchen
30+ at Hammerson House
50+ British Jewish soldiers
70+ gift bags for Camp Simcha
plus the hundreds of staff at the Royal Free Hospital
and Hammerson House
Many people were helped through donations to GIFT
the norrice leader december 2014
8
SHABB
The Max Weinbaum Hall – Friday evening, preparation under way. There were four more venues for Friday night dinner:
The Landy Gallery, the Kerem Dining Room, the Youth Centre and a marquee
“We thought the arrangements and evening last night
were just fabulous. Such a great ruach and we felt proud
to be a part of a wonderful community! Our lunch
hosted guests aged from 7 to 90 and it went well (hope
our guests agree)…”
“… the most amazing Shabbat. It was very special
for so many different reasons and you should be so
proud of the whole event…”
Shabbat begins: Rebbetzen Freda lights the candles
Shabbat ends: Rabbi Kaplan leads Havdallah
“I wish every Shabbat was Shabbat UK”.
(from one of our 9-year-old members)
“Magnificent – Amongst the best communal events at HGSS
in our 17+ years! – when and how soon can we do it again
(communally)? Loved the street invites for lunch idea…. Kol
Hakavod to all the team especially the Rabbonim & Rebbetzen
– tireless efforts, we are thankful to have you all here”
“…witnessing the atmosphere and joy on Friday night
in shul was fantastic. A real achievement and something
very special.”
“… THE most amazing and inspiring feat this Shabbat.
To give you a flavour; we had a couple at our table for
Shabbat lunch who have not been to Shul for 30 years!
Yet, they came to Friday night, and for lunch yesterday,
and told me as they left that they would be happy to
come to lunch again!…”
“… the entire weekend was a definite success. It
certainly made one feel part of a community which,
as fairly recent members, we did not feel before. So
well done.”
Carolyn Bogush and Gideon
O
n the weekend of Friday and Satur
on Jews across the UK, regardless
celebrate a Shabbat together. Hi
uniqueness of a traditional, authe
community… we think we achieved that at HG
Over 700 people participated in an amazing
spaces in the shul. In addition, nearly 100 famil
their neighbours for Shabbat lunch. Finally, ove
service with glowsticks and guitar accompanim
shows and plays, shiurim and speakers, not t
Shabbat and Shabbat morning.
Over 80 volunteers were involved in creatin
conceive the ideas, design and structure the even
Between us, we exchanged tens of thousands o
held lots of meetings and created many, many s
our youth, our young adults, those with you
and older members of the shul – a real examp
spectrum of the community. A huge thank you
and to the Rabbinical team and professional sta
UK at HGSS.
On these pages are just some of the comments w
the norrice leader december 2014
9
BAT UK
The Max Weinbaum Hall – Motzei Shabbat and a Havdallah to remember
n Smith write:
rday, 24/25 October, the Chief Rabbi called
s of their level of religious observance, to
is aim was to harness the goodness and
entic Shabbat and to promote a sense of
GSS.
g Friday night dinner across five different
lies opened up their homes to over 1500 of
er 200 people shared a magical Havdallah
ment. Along the way, there were puppet
to mention packed services for Kabbalat
From the London Jewish News, by Suzanne Baum, one
of our own members
“Shabbat UK’s aim to bring the community together and
mark Shabbat in a unique way was achieved at Hampstead
Garden Suburb. And there were many different reasons why;
meticulous planning, excellent food, superb guest speakers,
beautifully decorated rooms and even entertainment for the
kids was spot on. It was a chance to mix with people you
wouldn’t necessarily normally have a meal with and engage
with both regular members of the shul and those, like me, who
attend infrequently.”
ng the weekend – they worked tirelessly to
nts and implement the whole programme.
of emails, made hundreds of phone calls,
spreadsheets! Our volunteers ranged from
ung families, those with teenage children
ple of working together across the whole
u to everyone who volunteered their time,
aff who worked together to create Shabbat
Here’s to next year!
which have been received
“The entire Shabbat was a tour de force. Norrice Lea was taken
to heights that we had previously never imagined possible. The
community vibe was felt all the way from the powerful Friday
night service and dinner through to the intimate Shabbat lunch
setting and ended with the crescendo of the Havdallah service.
It was a great mix of all that Shabbat has to offer.”
“It was such a wonderful Shabbat from
start to finish – we LOVED the Friday
night and could see that you paid
attention to every single detail. It really
was wonderful.”
“I am thrilled that it all went so
well and feel very proud to be part of a
community that embraces such events
with love and energy. Well done!!!”
“It was a staggering
Shabbat! Totally beyond
anything I expected…the
atmosphere
throughout
was exactly what Shabbat
UK was trying to achieve.”
From the Hampstead and Highgate Express,
30 October 2014
“… a team of 150 volunteers… arranged the Shabbat meal
at Hampstead Garden Suburb Synagogue on Friday. The
team also arranged for synagogue members to open their
homes to fellow worshippers for special lunches on
Saturday, followed by services and entertainment at the
synagogue.
[She] said: “They had people in their homes who they
had never met before and that was one of the biggest
highlights of the weekend: it created a real sense of
community.
“Our aim was to create that communal feel to get
people to connect with each other. People felt that this
was one of the warmest, most engaging Shabbats they’ve
had in our community so I think we achieved our aim.”
the norrice leader december 2014
10
Kerem News
enveloped by a harmonious Shabbat atmosphere.
Another major event in the Jewish life of the
school took place last week when the delightful
children of Year Three celebrated their Chagigat
Chumash. Their charming production thrilled
and entertained parents, grandparents, siblings
and teachers alike. Please G-d the children should
always find as much happiness and pleasure in their
Torah learning as they clearly did at their Chagigah.
Now as I write this article, preparations are
beginning across the school for the study of
I
t’s hard to believe that this term began with
bright, hot sunshine, short-sleeved shirts and
apple and honey and already we find ourselves
on the brink of the Chanukah doughnut-fest. It
has been a really busy term, chock-full of activities,
events and of course education.
Amongst the highlights of the term, mention
must surely be made of our outstanding weeklong ShabbatUK programme which, culminated in
the nationwide celebration of Shabbat. Each class
produced a variety of Shabbat-themed arts and
crafts as well as baking deliciously tasty challot and
learning about many different aspects of Shabbat.
We also had a fantastic time on Mitzvah Day:
Each one of our wonderful pupils, from Nursery
through to Year Six, participated in events whose
The children made challah covers for
Shabbat UK
Visiting Mrs Zahava Dover on Mitzvah Day
exclusive aim was to help other people or to bring
them happiness. This included home visits to local
elderly people, grandparents spending an afternoon
in school working alongside their grandchildren
and participation in a record-breaking attempt to
make the longest ever string of bunting together
with the Noah’s Ark charity.
Our lively Year Five class spent a Shabbat away
with their teachers at the Lincolnsfield Centre in
Bushey. Here the children celebrated Shabbat like
never before. They lit candles, made Kiddush and
Hamotzi, led the Tefillah and Havdallah as well as
preparing and delivering Divrei Torah throughout
Shabbat. They played, sang, danced and enjoyed
themselves as they relaxed in each other’s company,
A huge amount collected for Camp Simcha on Mitzvah Day
Chanukah. The afternoons are now short, the
heating is on, winter uniform has been donned,
but the warmth and devotion to our Judaism that
emanates from Kerem School’s pupils and staff alike
will keep us all shining and radiant throughout the
cold winter months ahead.
Shosh Hill
Head of Jewish Studies
ALC pupils helped to send...
75 gifts to Barnet refugee centre
70 bags to Camp Simcha
150 sandwich bags to soup kitchen
4 car loads of food to soup kitchen, gift and Barnet refugee centre
50 gift packs to soldiers and over 100 letters
100’s books were sent to Kids Company
100’s cakes to staff at Royal Free Hospital and Hammerson House
Hammerson house were delighted by the visit from Year 6
Thank you to all our pupils and parent volunteers.
www.alephlearningcentre.com
020 8457 7048 www.alephlearningcentre.com [email protected]
Head Teacher Chayli Fehler
Co Chairs Jonathan Dimson & Joanna Johnson
the norrice leader december 2014
11
Our Learn to Lead Programme is underway with
public speaking, disability awareness, anti-Semitism
education, and Happy Puzzle Company Sessions
Succot
For our annual Succot Trip we took a group
of Youth to Stubbers Adventure Centre
where they enjoyed canoeing,
quadbiking, lasertag, and high
rope activities.
Bowling
On Saturday night
29 December, 24 youth in
years 7 and 8 battled it out to
be bowling champion
of HGSS.
Cupcake Decorating
A much needed girls night in was in order and what better
way to spend the night than decorating and eating cupcakes.
Bubble Football
Events can be booked online via the website
Youth Directors: Rachel & Steven Kaye.
Contact: [email protected] / 07718 478 787
After bubble football proving such a success with
our years 7-10, we decided to give our
sixth formers a go.
Simcha
Dancing
Thanks to everyone who took
part in the Simcha Dancing
evening, led by Louise Leach
of Dancing With Louise. The
event, on Monday,
17 November, raised £416
for Magen David Adom
and enabled us to donate a
stretcher, a medical trauma kit
and a sterile bandage kit.
HGSS
members in
Nicaragua
In October, four HGSS
members completed a
450 km bike ride from
Nicaragua to Costa Rica
raising £440,000 for
Norwood.
In the picture, Left to
Right, Brian Kalms, Paul
Huberman, Mark Pollack,
Jimmy Bier.
For all those who missed the evening we are holding another one-off Simcha Dancing Class on Tuesday 20
January in the Max Weinbaum Hall 8.15 pm for 8.30 pm start; for further details see Shul news sheet or email:
[email protected]
JNF UK’s Kosher Komedy Night a
huge success
On 9 November, 140 guests joined JNF UK for its annual Kosher Komedy Night at the Gatehouse, Highgate
Village. The sell-out crowd was entertained by Joe Bor, Penelope Solomon, Sol Bernstein and Steve Best –
four of the biggest names on the Jewish comedy circuit. Money raised will assist the Israel Trauma Coalition
(ITC), a charity which provides assistance to those affected by terrorism in Israel. The ITC, which is active
throughout Israel, was established in 2002, at the height of the Second Intifada. Tracy Lee, the event organiser,
said: “The evening was a massive success – everyone had a great time. The ITC has pioneered the use of laughter as a
therapy for trauma, so it felt really appropriate to raise money for them with a comedy show.”
Matan Toledano, CEO of JNF UK, said: “The JNF UK Kosher Komedy Night was a fantastic chance for our
supporters to get together and have a great evening. The Kosher comics were absolutely brilliant and we want
to thank them and all our guests for joining us. The money raised will go a long way to funding the vital work
we’re doing in Israel.”
The event was sponsored by Miquella Boutique
In the picture, comedian Sol Bernstein with Tracy Lee
the norrice leader december 2014
12
Celebrations
Births
Mazal tov to
Yvonne & Malcolm Brummer on the birth of a
granddaughter, Arielle Petra Brummer
Miriam Fine-Goulden & Jonny Goulden on the
birth of twin sons. Also to grandparents
Ros & Simon Goulden and Doreen Samuels
Benjamin, son of Emma & Nick Byre, grandson of
Lesley & Michael Bennett and
Shirley &Tony Byre
Jonah, son of Lisa & Adam Caplan
Bat Mitzvah
Mazal tov to
Gabriella, daughter of Suzette & Ronnie
Shahmoon, granddaughter of Lily
Shahmoon and
Dany & Elie Dwek
Dylan, son of Candice & Lyall Cresswell,
grandson of Lorraine & Maurice Katz and
Susan & Maurice Cresswell
Tyler Edwards, son of Gina and Graham, his
grandson of Joan Edwards, Barry Edwards
and Diane Barnett
Sophie, daughter of Zoe & Charles
Wimborne, granddaughter of Diane &
Jack Lopian,
and Diana & Gerald Barnett
Natalie & Robert Hakim on the birth of a
daughter. Also to grandparents Nurith &
Glen Hyams
Janet and Stephen Kirsch on
the birth of a great granddaughter
Laura, daughter of Mandy & Bradley Abkin,
granddaughter of Brenda & Solly Abkin and
Kim & Freda Klass
Rabbi Anthony & Carly Knopf, Dovid, Rachelli
and Yehuda on the birth of a son and
brother in South Africa.
Rochelle & Anthony Selby on the Bat
Mitzvah of their granddaughter, Georgia
Adi,
great granddaughter of Hilda Marks
Engagement
Mazal tov to
Hilda & Michael Aaronson on the
engagement of their daughter, Jasmine, to
Jonathan, son of Sandra &
Raymond Newman
Noah, son of Marion Baker & Sam Grodzinski,
grandson of Harvey & Adrienne Baker, Vera
Grodzinski
and Emmanuel & Edwina Grodzinski
Amelia, daughter of Carole & Simon Barzilay,
granddaughter of Leila Dein
Emily & Jake Lew on the birth of a son, Harry
(Harrison Raphael Lew). Also to grandparents
Susan & David Lew and Ruth & David Wallrock
Frances & John Martin on the birth of a grandson,
Ethan David, a son to Lucy & Phillip Morelle
Janine Renton on the birth of a granddaughter,
Clara Adele, a daughter to Nicole &
James Cohen
Hilary Halter on the Bar Mitzvah of her
grandson, Chaim Yehudah Halter
Joel, son of Daniella & Tony Harris
Natasja, daughter of Suzy & Clayton Collis,
granddaughter of Stephanie & Jack Ferster and
Vivienne & Martin Collis
Sybil Frankfurt on the Bat Mitzvah of her great
granddaughter, Mayan Zucker
Daniel, son of Natalie & Evan Hoff, grandson of
Michael & Gloria Hoff and Cyril & Joan Fihrer
Louis, son of Melodie & Stuart Isaacs, grandson of
Marquette Isaacs and Judy & Mannie Schuster
Joshua Katz, his mother Andrea and
grandparents Karen & Gary Katz
Isabelle, daughter of Annette & Alex Lever,
granddaughter of Margaret Bendor and
Ruth & Colin Lever
Shira, daughter of Lindy & Sean Melnick,
granddaughter of Brian Melnick, Jeanette
Gilchrist, Michael Aronson
and Brenda Rosenberg
Jane & David Sagal on the birth of a
granddaughter, a daughter to Benjamin & Bracha.
Mazal tov also to great grandmother,
Valerie Halpern.
Ros & Nolan Wengrowe on the
engagement of their daughter Lauren to
George Goldstone, son of Professor Len &
Jennie Goldstone of Manchester.
Mazal tov to
Oliver, son of Catharine & David Ross,
grandson of Elissa & Tony Isaacs
Gillian and Peter Davis on their marriage
Amos, son of Jessica & David Sharp, grandson
of Rachel & Michael Roselaar and
Derek Sharp
Anita and Raymond Dinkin on the
marriage of their daughter, Natasha, to
Simon Buchler
Bar Mitzvah
Anya, daughter of Karen & Jonny Myers,
granddaughter of Norma & Stanley Myers
and Rina Grossmark
Mazal tov to
Samuel and Noah, twin sons of Valerie & Adam
Bass, grandsons of Jane & Jean-Francois Alexis,
Lorraine & Ray Bushell and
Helen & Martin Bass, great grandsons of
Emma Terveen
Albert Rosenberg & family on the
engagement, in Israel, of his Grandaughter
Yael Koor
Marriage
Rabbi Bentzi & Rochie Sudak on the birth of a
daughter
Esther & Romie Tager on the birth of a
granddaughter, Adi Noa, a daughter to Joseph
& Suzanne Tager.
Jacqui & Jeremy Marshall on the
engagement of their daughter, Esther, to
Adam, son of Berni & Sass Zecharia. Also
to grandparents Shirley & Barry Marshall
and Donald Cusse
Susan and David Rodney on the
engagement of their son, Daniel, to
Victoria, daughter of Brian and Lydia
White. Also to grandparents Frances and
Monty Samuels
Raphael, son of Sara & Robbie Kastner, grandson
of Anthony Stanton, Irène Stanton
and Liesel Kastner
Joseph, son of Juliette & Craig Leviton, grandson
of Ellie & Jack Leviton, Bernice Silverman and
Nicholas & Anne Shulman
Joel Goschalk on his engagement to Leila
Harris. Mazal tov also to his parents,
Julia & Stephen Goschalk and Natalie &
Stephen Harris
Lucy, daughter of Gary & Ruth Narunsky and
Charlotte & John Newland, granddaughter of
Ansil & Louise Narunsky and
Malcolm & Susan Lader
Sam, son of Katie & Hugh Taylor, grandson of
Judy & Mike Baum and Diane & Derek Taylor
Jacob, son of Laraine Wolf
Serena, daughter of Claire & David Roth,
granddaughter of Irene & Gerry Roth
Hilary Halter on the marriage of her
granddaughter Devorah Brocha Halter to
Avi Birnbaum.
the norrice leader december 2014
Celebrations
13
A moment of calm
Rene Anisfield explains what the Tehillim Group mean to her
Janet and Stephen Kirsch on the marriage
of their grandson in Israel
Justine & Andrew Lever, on the marriage of their
son, Matthew, to Natalie, daughter of Riva &
Anthony Ullman. Also to grandmothers Loretta
Lever, Joy Fishman and Esta Benson
Diane & Jack Lopian on the marriage of their
granddaughter Natalie in
Jerusalem.
Albert Rosenberg & family on the marriage, in
Israel, of his grandson
Avicha Koor
A
year ago, a very close friend’s mother was critically ill. I had heard about a group of ladies who met
every other Friday morning to read Tehillim but had never considered going, not understanding
what it was really about. The experience was more than beautiful and I haven’t looked back....
Sadly there have been many comments about HGSS not being a warm and welcoming shul. In my
experience this could not be further from the truth. I only knew one or two of the women who regularly come
to the group, but I was made to feel completely welcome from the beginning.
Many of us lead hectically busy lives and stopping for 45 minutes to listen to Rochelle Freilich’s insightful
comments on the parasha and to pray for those who are sick has become one of the most meaningful and
uplifting of times. The atmosphere is peaceful and, having always found prayer challenging, I find this one of
the most spiritual times of my week. No knowledge is necessary to take part.
Susan Kahn, who has so warmly coordinated the group, is very keen for everyone in our community to
know that it is an inclusive meeting and everyone is very welcome. I look forward to seeing you there!
When asked to summarise what the group meant to one member, Hazel, described the feeling of “a moment of calm in the
week”. Others spoke the lovely atmosphere and vibe.
The group meets at different people’s homes around the dining room or coffee table, some drinks or snacks are served
but often ignored! After a few inspiring words the list of names is recited and the tehillim (psalms) are read quietly, in
English or Hebrew.
For further information, please contact the office
Gillian & Steven Martin on the marriage of their
daughter Danielle to Moshe Moses, son of Gamool
& David Moses. Also to grandmothers Brenda-Lee
Martin and Arlene Beare
Photograph by Cameo Photography
THE GRUMPY COLUMN
by David Lew
W
Debra and Barry Shaw on the marriage of their
daughter, Olivia to James, son of
Sandy & Richard Spencer
Helen & John Simon on the marriage of their
daughter, Hannah, to Philip Woolfson, son of
Moira Woolfson
Beverley and Raymond Taylor on the marriage
of their son, Mark, to Chloe Stern. Also to
grandmother, Sonia Quest
Birthdays
Happy Birthday to
Albert Rosenberg on his 96th birthday
Gillian Martin who has celebrated her
50th birthday
hen I am asked
where I live,
I usually say
East Finchley.
When the next question
is, ‘Where do you daven?’
the game is up and I have
to admit to Norrice Lea. The
reply is then something like, ‘Oh,
we looked there. It’s nice, but
the houses were rather
small so we bought in
Hendon/Finchley/
Edgware/Pinner.
We
also heard the shul was
rather unfriendly.’ So HGSS
is a bit like the USA – nobody
likes us, but everyone wants to live here.
Like the USA, we also opened our latest edifice this
Autumn. One World Trade Center may be taller, possibly
more expensive and unlike ours, was not funded by yet
another surcharge on our membership fees, but our newly
modernised hall is still a magnificent achievement. I have
heard it rumoured that the younger generation love it and the
older people hate it. Rubbish! I love it. Although I haven’t been
to a simcha there, I attended the services over Rosh Hashanah
and Yom Kippur as I have done for many years. The services
were the best for ages and though this was mostly down
to the Chazanim being in fine form, the ambience certainly
contributed. The hall is now better lit (the countless LEDs
remind me of the biblical phrase ke-kochavei hashamayim
– like the stars of the heaven) properly air-conditioned and,
with a good crowd and temporary carpets, the acoustics were
fine. It’s good to have a modern communal hall. I know all
about the fine quality of the wood panelling, but in recent
years it gave the room a gloomy mood.
That’s the good bit. I am not so sure about the vestibule.
I know that grey today is what avocado was to my parents’
generation, but we really have to do something about the Bet
Hamidrash. It has been described as akin to a hospital ward or
a prison. To me, the starkness and coldness of the tiles when
the moveable walls are closed makes it look as though it is a
room that needs sinks and a couple of Dyson Airblades. Other
shuls have lovely Batei Midrash, in which it is a pleasure to
daven.
Not everyone hates HGSS. Chief Rabbis and other visiting
dignitaries often refer to us as ‘the jewel in the crown of the
United Synagogue’. And very often on Shabbat and Yom Tov
we do look that way. A full building, loads of different services
and, due to the extraordinary financial talents of our financial
representative, no deficit. But weekdays are a different story.
It’s often hard to raise a decent crowd for events. Weekday
minyanim are, frankly, a disgrace. (This is self-chastisement.
Until my mother passed away over Rosh Hashanah, I came
on Shabbat and most Sunday mornings, but that was it.) The
website says there are around 1300 ‘member households’ yet
we can barely muster 20 men most mornings. Even with two
Rabbis and a youth leader on the strength, the evening minyan
is often non-quorate and is adjourned sine die. Since I have
been saying kaddish, I have a complete timetable of reliable
North-West and Central London minyanim in my head and
sadly have had to rush to Golders Green to catch one after
finding that just six or seven of us arrived in the evening. I
know more shuls than football grounds. And frankly, many of
them do better than us.
We had a rota at one time. Men were invited to attend
the weekday services for one week in a year and I guess if
we were to institute that again we could make our weekday
services reliable. A letter, followed up by a phone call. What
is so hard about that? Our 1300 men would translate to about
two-and-a-half minyanim of volunteers each service. If one in
five followed the call of duty, there would be a nightly service.
The Nefesh Network is a truly extraordinary achievement.
I have only ever assisted once. I was asked by Jeff Durkin,
as part of the ‘recession-watch’ to help a gentleman who,
probably, few people have ever heard of, but who had lived
his whole life in the Suburb. He was neither needy nor
unintelligent, but life had not dealt him the best hand. His
health, both physical and mental, was poor and he needed just
a little assistance to sort out his finances.
He wanted some reassurance that with some reorganisation
of his affairs he could afford to carry out some work on his flat
which he had shared with his mother before she died a few
years earlier. Before Jeff and I could put our plan into action,
and before he could start on his decorations, our friend died of
a heart attack on a bus on the way to a medical appointment.
The shul ensured that there was a minyan at his funeral. He left
a sizeable legacy to the community in his will, so I suppose that
the Nefesh crew and those kind neighbours who I know were
of great comfort to him, made an impression. I trust that the
HOs and Board will find something meaningful to dedicate to
his memory so that everyone will finally know his name.
So when I’m next asked where I live, I’ll tell them straight:
Hampstead Garden Suburb - there is shul with a smashing
new hall, unreliable weekday services, but the most wonderful
social welfare for our less fortunate members.
the norrice leader december 2014
14
The Oxford Union Debate
The Motion: This House believes that Hamas is a greater obstacle to peace than Israel
For the motion: Rabbi Shmuley Boteach and Dennis Prager
Against the motion: Avi Shlaim, Emeritus Professor of International Relations, and Mishana Hosseinioun, a Clarendon Scholar reading for an MPhil in International Relations
F
ollowing their appearance at HGSS, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach and Dennis Prager
left the following day to take part in the Oxford Union Debate. Shmuley, who had
experienced many ferocious and bloody encounters at the Oxford Union, had
warned Prager, a veteran defender of Israel, that he was about to appear before the
most hostile audience he was ever likely to encounter.
The debate was opened by Adam Dayan, historian at Magdalen College. Opposition
spokesperson, the highly intelligent Mishana Hosseinioun spoke next, followed by Dennis
Prager and Boteach for the motion. The renowned Israeli academic, Avi Shlaim, spoke
against.
Prager was shocked at what was being said. Israel is an apartheid regime. Israel is
slaughtering the Palestinians and is guilty of genocide. Israel is doing to the Palestinians
exactly what the Nazis did to the Jews. What the Jews experienced in the Holocaust is
exactly what the Palestinians are enduring at Israel’s hand. Israel in its six-decade history
has had one goal: the theft of Palestinian land and the eradication of the Palestinian people.
America is like ISIS. ISIS beheads only a few prisoners, but America annihilates innocents
in Pakistan each and every day with drone strikes. There is no real difference. Israel is guilty
of war crimes. Israel’s security fence is an apartheid wall that is built mostly through the
gardens and property of innocent Palestinians. Hamas does some bad things, but it’s all
Israel’s fault. Hamas is a bonafide resistance movement to Israel’s occupation. Terrorism
directed at Israelis is an organic response to Israeli colonial rule – “One man’s terrorist is
another man’s freedom fighter”
Many of the arguments came from Avi Shlaim with whom Shmuley always had a warm
relationship in the eleven years he served as Rabbi to the students at Oxford. The other
arguments came from Avi Shlaim’s seconder, Mishana Hosseinioun and from a BerkeleyOxford female Professor who was also present. The rest of the attacks came from Oxford
students in the floor debate segment of the programme.
Shmuley Boteach had heard all these things before, but never from some of the most
highly educated people in Europe, and never with such ferocity and vehemence, albeit,
Boteach and Prager got a fair hearing.
Prager and Boteach responded with equal ferocity. Hamas is a genocidal organisation
that proudly touts its charter calling for the annihilation of Jews, utterly unconnected to
any conflict. It seeks the murder of all Jews, including those sitting in the Oxford Union
chamber. It aids and abets honour killings of Palestinian women, shoots gay Palestinians
in the head on false charges of collaboration, machine-guns all Palestinian protesters who
dare to defy its rule, violently punishes any form of criticism, engages in daily forms of
deadly incitement against Jews, celebrates when Westerners, including Britons, are blown
up by bombs, ended any vestige of democratic rule in Gaza once it was elected and builds
its military installations under hospitals and nurseries so that the infirm and the vulnerable
can serve as human shields for its cowardly terrorists.
Israel has tried, since its creation, to make peace with Arab states and has endangered its
security with repeated territorial concessions that were met with nothing but terror attacks.
They’re just like us
“
W
hich side do you take, Hamas or Israel?’
My companion’s eyes left mine as they darted
around the room, and as she fumbled with her
fingertips she replied. ‘Hamas’.
As a North London teenager spending a month in Israel
with the Jewish youth organization FZY, it was inevitable
that I would run headfirst into the current conflict. That I
did, not far into our trip, when I spent a night in an Eilat
bomb shelter. That was the easy part though. That night, the
reflection of a Tamir missile streaking through the sky and
striking a Hamas rocket, was visible in our young orangeflecked eyes. We later learned that two other rockets had hit
open car parks only 200m away. It was at this point that we
realised that we were just as deeply involved in this conflict
as our Muslim companion opposite us.
Her name was Mai, an apparently shy fifteen year old who
lives in a small Muslim village near Haifa, and I had been given
the opportunity to speak with her, and her friends, through a
co-existence seminar, organised by FZY.
When we questioned her answer, Mai replied.
“Everyone else says Hamas are the good ones, so I guess
they must be” – a myopic reply, but it did succeed in making
us question the legitimacy of our own views, and whether
they are merely carbon copies of our peers and elders. After
all, our wounds were still open from our own journey of
self-discovery which had passed religion, family and values,
to arrive at the destination of questioning our own identity.
We moved on to speak to a boy named Ali, sixteen years
old (just like us). He appeared eager to speak to us and his
eyes glistened with the ebullience of a dreaming teen. We
made small talk and it highlighted his love of American
For:
Boteach
Prager
Against:
Shlaim
Hosseinioun
Arabs in Israel live with greater freedoms and human rights than any Muslim country
on earth. There is no excuse for terror. Jews even under the horrors of Hitler didn’t turn
to blowing up German children. The justifications for terrorism that were being offered
were an affront and an abomination to Islam, which, just like Judaism, abides by the
commandment not to murder.
The debate was electrifying and deeply felt on all sides. Rather than being dispirited,
the small but defiant pro-Israel lobby that sat behind Dennis and Shmuley threw a barrage
of ‘points of information’ at the Israeli-attacking academics.
As was confidently predicted beforehand, the Israel side lost the vote, now we know,
‘allegedly’, that Israel is a greater obstacle to peace than Hamas and all the other terrorist
organisations in the Middle East. Eliminate Israel (G-d forbid) and peace and harmony will
reign in the Middle East for ever – is this not the season of goodwill? Believe that and you
will believe anything.
However, one has to take into account that highly intelligent graduates, who will soon
occupy places of influence and become world leaders, expressed these views. And the views
expressed are being repeated on most of the world’s leading University campuses. When it
comes to the propaganda war, Israel is not even on the playing field.
What can be done to counter this verbal terrorism, is dependent on how seriously the
Israeli government of the day takes the threat from the campuses and what steps they are
prepared to take to counter the lies and half truths. If the likes of Boteach and Prager cannot
win the argument, then who can? They may be telling it as it is, good (Israel) versus evil
(Hamas and the like) but who, on either side, is listening?
To prove the two advocates’ point, five European parliaments, including the UK, have
voted to recognise a Palestinian State, without recognised borders or a capital. In the
meantime, the EU finds time to threaten Israel with punitive trade sanctions for violating
Human Rights whilst turning its myopic eye away from the rest of the Middle East where
thousands of Muslims are being slaughtered by fellow Muslims. No wonder Dennis Prager
believes that there is no solution to the Israeli/Palestinian problem.
Michael Fishman
Read more at http://observer.com/2014/11/bloody-battle-for-israel-at-oxforduniversity/#ixzz3LRMfP3C0
Follow us: @newyorkobserver on Twitter | newyorkobserver on Facebook
By Josh Peleg
pop music and wish to travel, similar to so many other
kids. However, we soon swam out of the shallow end of
conversation and entered the deep end, where kids like us
struggle to touch the bottom.
“What do you think of the conflict?” And a surprising
yet cynical reply greeted us: “It’s bullshit.”
We went on to discover that Ali hated both sides,
purely because they murdered, and how he believed that
peace could be achieved in a simpler fashion, without the
shedding of blood. This was a view that was shared by
many others in the room, and it instigated a twitch in my
frown. This group of teens did not represent the whole of
the Arab youth, but if this was a growing opinion then
surely there is hope for the future. The general consensus
of my new-found friends was an intense lust for peace,
because it is the right thing to do and allows them to live
their lives properly. This is a lust that we share.
Furthermore, we were also curious as to whether they
had any Jewish friends, and after questioning Ali on this,
we discovered that, “The situation between Hamas and
Israel is too sensitive, our parents and school encourage us
not to.”
This dampened our mood and revealed the lurking beast
of ignorance, something so dangerous if left alone.
However, my other companion, Mai, responded with
something rather poetic. “I don’t choose my friends based on
their religion, it’s their personality that matters” We admired
her optimism and respected her modern opinion, even if it
sounded like a line from a pop song.
As our journey through Israel entered its final stages,
we found ourselves caught in an emotional barrage. Our
conscience was under siege as our mind struggled to
put together the pieces of what we were
experiencing. We stood and waited for
our brains to complete the puzzle, but we
were too deep in the maelstrom.
We visited the Kotel (Western
Wall), Yad Vashem and Mount Herzl
all in the space of 48 hours, for at this
point we were no longer tourists, and
destinations that otherwise would have
been swallowed and digested, were
hitting us hard.
As we stood on top of
Mount Herzl, we placed stones on the freshly dug graves
of soldiers, who had been alive only a day earlier. Our feet
nervously shuffled on the grass, green grass that would
tomorrow have its place taken by dull sand, and underneath
that, recently deceased soldiers.
Standing there, we understood that we were in the
midst of history in the making and imagined the Arab
teens, looking over their dead soldiers and feeling numb,
just like us.
Personally, we have not reached the end of our journey,
and our conclusion will not be reached until many weeks
after we return home. For it is the solitary lonerism that
provides the catalyst to conclude the thoughts that are
running around in our heads.
But one thing is clear, through our companions’ pacifist
views and lust for peace, I was able to bond with them on
the simplest level that is friendship. Causing us to realise
that they are indeed, just like us.
Josh (16) attends City of London School. He completed his
GCSE’s this summer and is now in the 1st year 6th form. He was
on FZY tour this summer and is a regular visitor to Israel.
the norrice leader december 2014
Campaign for healthier kids
gathers steam thanks to
new story book
Steamer the Cooking Wizard
by Fabienne Luzzato-Viner and Jo Leslie-Briggs
S
teamer is a master chef with a magical twist
and a social conscience. He is the star of a
new book which aims to inspire children aged
8 to 12 – and their parents – to eat and live
more healthily, and which will be available in
early January, in time for all those New Year
resolutions.
Steamer is a fun and original attempt to
tackle the ever-growing problem of childhood obesity in the Western world. By setting
essential facts about fats, sugars and additives in the context of witty and engaging
stories, written for and about ‘tweeners’, the authors hope to encourage their readers to
pay more attention to what they put into their own tummies and encourage parents to
cook and serve homemade food? Steamer enters and appears in children’s and adults’
dreams to help them make the right cooking and eating choices.
Fabienne is a chef, a cooking teacher, a caterer, and a food writer, most often found
chopping and creating new dishes in her kitchen in North London. Born and educated
in Paris, she learned how to cook from her Tunisian-born mother and Italian father.
The youngest of seven children, her house was always full of delicious smells, and
the happy sounds of people chatting, cooking and eating. She has now replicated this
childhood experience in her home and created her business, Home Cooking By Fabienne,
in 2006, and has stuck on three children!
Jo has spent all her career working in PR and communications. Organisations she
has worked with include the Science Museum, the Dairy Trade Federation, VisitBritain,
the Prime Minister’s Office, and the organisers of the London 2012 Olympic Games. She
specialises in making information simple and, ever since becoming a mother herself, 11
years ago, has become passionate about healthy eating. Her daughter Jemima publicly
bemoans the fact that she hasn’t got a ‘treaty mum’ but secretly enjoys eating her fivea-day and knows that she needs to balance nosh with more wholesome ingredients.
The 52-page book, which combines stories with recipes, photographs and charming
illustrations, hand-drawn by the authors’ own ‘tween’ daughters, is both attractive and
engaging. Its tone is light rather than lecturing, and it definitely looks and feels like a
story and recipe book rather than a textbook. However, it will strike a guilty chord in
anyone who eats or buys a lot of processed foods.
This book is the fruit of real team work and is a family project. Most of the illustrations
were drawn by Fabienne’s and Jo’s artistic daughters, Yael and Jemima, both currently
11 years old. Apart from the baked fish photo, which was photographed by Fabienne’s
friend Sandrine Aim-Djanogly, all photographs of the recipes were taken by Fabienne.
The front cover was created with the support of Jo’s sister Amanda. Jemima drew
Steamer as we had imagined him and Yael drew a lovely girl sleeping, waiting for
Steamer to visit her dream.
Fabienne and Jo say, “The combination of fun stories, invaluable facts and delicious
recipes will – we hope – appeal to a wide range of children and create its own individual
legacies. It’s impossible to change the world, but if this book helps one or two children
(and their parents) to understand more about ingredients and the need to eat and cook
healthily, we’ll be very proud,” they explain.
Steamer the Cooking Wizard is self-published and goes on sale on Amazon at an RRP of
£8.99.
More information from:
Fabienne Luzzato-Viner on 07973 698046 or Jo Leslie-Briggs on 07966 223330
Steamer the Cooking Wizard
by Fabienne Luzzato-Viner and Jo Leslie-Briggs
Book Launch and Tasting Session
at HGSS on Sunday, 11 January 2015
from 1.00 to 2.30 pm
Admission is FREE
Look in for 5 or 55 minutes
15
Healthy
Cooking
for
Chanukah
O
n Wednesday, 10 December, seventeen ladies watched and participated in a
Chanukah cookery demonstration entitled Healthy Frying enthusiastically
given by Angela Gershinson, assisted by Caroline Kalms. We grated,
sliced, stirred and ate multicoloured latkes, spinach, artichoke and pepper squares
and delicious baked apple cider mini doughnuts with salted caramel sauce.
The evening was held in aid of the Big Birthday Appeal which, Suzanne Barnett
explained, is a new charity that promotes children learning the importance of
giving Tzedakah .
This was a most enjoyable evening and helped expand our Chanukah culinary
repertoire!
An addition to your Seder Table
Rabbi Dr Jeffrey Cohen
presents
The Haggadah in Poetry
Available by the end of February
For details: [email protected]
Israel to rebury ashes of
British WW1 commander
who became a Jewish hero
Y
ou may remember that,
in our World War One
supplement
at
Rosh
Hashanah, we told the story of
Jonathan Lauffer’s grandfather who
became a sergeant in the Jewish
Brigade, the 38th Battalion Royal
Fusiliers. The Brigade was led by
Colonel John Henry Patterson who
was recently featured on the BBC
News iPhone App:
The ashes of a British World War
One veteran who became a Jewish hero are to be reburied after a state funeral in Israel.
Born in 1867, John Henry Patterson made his name as a lion-hunter in Africa and
served in the cavalry in the Boer War. He gained hero status in Israel for leading Jewish
fighters during WW1, becoming a passionate Zionist. The Israeli Prime Minister,
Benjamin Netanyahu, is attending the event. He told the BBC that his older brother,
Yonathan, was named in honour of John Henry Patterson.
For his role in WW1, Patterson is credited as being the first commander to lead
Jewish forces on to the field of battle for two millennia, making him an important figure
in the history of Zionism. Mr Netanyahu said the Jewish Legion, which Patterson
commanded, was the basis for what became the Israel Defence Forces. In his later
years, Patterson worked for the creation of a Jewish state. He died in 1947.
It was his wish to be interred alongside other Jewish Legion fighters.
His exploits as a big-game hunter have inspired several films, most recently The Ghost
and the Darkness in 1996.
Correction: In the article, Jonathan’s mother referred to her grandfather as Samuel
(William) Wolfson. It should have started: “My grandfather, Solomon (Pokorny)
Wolfson.....” Samuel William Wolfson was actually Jonathan’s grandfather – his
mother’s father, the subject of the article.
the norrice leader december 2014
16
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The Editorial Team
Hilary Halter
Editor
Louise Felder
Naomi Fisch
Michael Fishman
Madeleine Gottlieb
Julian Pollard
Renee Green
Ylana Roback
Editorial Board
Artwork & Typesetting
Hilary Halter
Proof Reading
Cynthia Delieb
Louise Felder
Editorial Office
24 Fairacres
164 East End Road
London N2 0RR
Telephone 8365 2187
Email [email protected]
The Synagogue
Office
Norrice Lea, London N2 0RE
Tel 8455 8126 Fax 8201 9247
Email offi[email protected]
Website www.hgss.org.uk
Executive Officer
David Sagal
Office Manager Sharon Drucker
Accounts
Harris Turgel
Events
Gayle Kravitz
PA to the Rabbis Shelley Castaldi
Office Hours:
Monday to Thursday 9.30 am to
4.00 pm
Friday
9.30 am to 1.00 pm
(Telephone queries only)
Sunday
9.30 am to 1.00 pm
Email Addresses:
● Does the office have your
email address?
● Has your address changed?
In either case, please send the
current information to the Office –
offi[email protected]
Useful Contacts
Rabbi Dov Kaplan
[email protected]
Rabbi Marc Levene
[email protected]
Rabbi Jonathan Tawil
[email protected]
Chazan Avromi Freilich
[email protected]
Aleph Centre
Nefesh Network
Beth Din
Burial Society
Kerem EYU
Kerem School
8457 7048
8455 0040
8343 6280
8950 7767
8455 7524
8455 0909
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